How to Raise Free Range Laying Hens
Chickens are active and sociable birds who add personality and color to your property. Fresh eggs are much tastier and usually healthier than supermarket-bought eggs. Also, chickens are great for insect control in your yard. If you are thinking about keeping a flock of egg-layers, you will need to investigate local laws regarding the keeping of poultry.
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Things You'll Need
- "Brooder" cage, hutch, or bin
- Heat Lamp
- Chick starter food
- Shallow water saucer or chick waterer
- Hay, straw, or shredded newspaper
- Chicken coop
- Nest Boxes
- Chicken Scratch
Instructions
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From Peeps to Pullets
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1
Fuzzy chicks, sometimes called "peeps" can be left with their mother, who will raise them in the way of the chicken. Otherwise, you can place them in a "brooder" to grow. The brooder should be a predator-proof hutch, cage, or bin located out of the elements and safely equipped with a heat lamp. Babies need the warmth of a heat lamp: when left with the mother, they sleep huddled under her insulated feathers for warmth. Line the floor of the nursery with hay, straw, or paper, and change it out frequently. As the chicks get older, provide plenty of perches to prevent bumblefoot.
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2
Provide food and water. Water should be given in a very shallow dish or chick waterer. Remember, a chick can drown in an inch of water. The best food for peeps is a "scratch" made especially for them. For example, Purina makes one called "Start-n-Grow." Some feeds are medicated with antibiotics for disease prevention. Peeps are unable to digest the corn scratch fed to grown poultry.
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3
Move chicks that are healthy, fully feathered, and approximately six weeks old from the brooder to the chicken coop. At this age, you will start to notice the roosters developing spurs. Though roosters are not necessary for egg-laying, hens will be happier if you have a couple around to guard the flock. Of course, if you want chicks, roosters are needed to fertilize the eggs. Hens begin laying at approximately 5 months old.
Keeping Backyard Chickens
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Make a "coop" to shelter your birds from cold weather and predators. This means a shed, barn, or large hutch with ramps to let the chickens climb in and out. The coop should contain plenty of perches and nesting boxes. Cover the floor and fill the nesting boxes with straw, hay, or shredded paper. Clean the coop out frequently to prevent disease.
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Give chickens access to clean water and fresh food at all times. Chicken "scratch," made up of corn, grains, and seeds is readily available in stores and online. Chickens will eat almost anything, and love table scraps, but do not give them sweets or rotten food. They will get plenty of protein by foraging your property for delicious bugs, worms, and lizards.
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Let your birds roam. Generally, they will stay close to their coop and food source, but it isn't a bad idea to fence in an area of your yard to keep your birds in and predators out. Some chicken-keepers only let their birds out when they are able to supervise. You should lock them in their coop at night to protect them while they sleep, as this is when most predators strike. They need to roam for a least a couple of hours daily. During this time, they will take dirt-baths (this helps them rid themselves of parasites) and forage outside of the coop.
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7
Collect eggs from nest boxes daily. Even fertilized eggs can be eaten: the embryo does not begin to develop until the hen has laid a "clutch" of three to eight eggs, at which point she begins to sit on the eggs for long periods, letting the heat of her body urge the embryos to grow.
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Tips & Warnings
Quarantine and treat ill birds. You may choose to vaccinate your flock against avian pox and/or avian influenza. Most other illness will require antibiotics and supportive care.
