Stuffed Animals

You can also grow your own herbs or buy dried herbs to make teas to supplement their diet. Chickens already love to forage, all you have to do is make sure they have access to the things they need! Many of these are “weeds” you probably already discard from your garden. They are actually very nutritious and even medicinal plants not only for your chickens, but for us too!

Herbs for nutrition:

Raw Garlic-Have this available year long for your chickens. You can also mash it in their drinking water for not only the nutritional benefits, but also the anti-bacterial and anti-viral properties to prevent and curtail infections. Have raw garlic available for newly hatched chicks, so they will learn to eat it at an early age.

Nettle-Urtica dioica-Nettle is rich in calcium, protein, manganese, phosphorus and potassium. A wonderful all around herb.

Alfalfa-Medicago sativa-Rich in protein, amino acids, minerals and chlorophyll. Make a tea from dried alfalfa to keep hens healthy for breeding and producing eggs.

Lamb’s Quarters-Chenopodium album-Rich in protein, calcium, vitamins A and C, B-complex and iron. An all around herb for the digestive system.

Dandelion-Taraxacum officinale-Rich in protein, vitamins A,C,K,D, B-complex, iron, manganese, phosphorus and trace minerals. Dandelion is a complete food for building the immune system. Give dandelions freely to your young chicks and hens. You can even make a tea and offer that free choice as well.

Organic apple cider vinegar-Mix with their water for a superb digestive tonic.

Herbs for the nest:

Birds in the wild use medicinal herbs to line their nests. The aromatic volatile oils have anti-bacterial and anti-parasitic properties. You can imitate this natural process by applying a few handfuls of the fresh herbs to the nest before a hen goes broody. Adding the herbs periodically during the spring and summer can help keep parasites at bay.

Peppermint, spearmint, catnip, oregano, wild bergamot, lavender, rosemary, sage, basil, thyme and fennel are aromatic herbs that freshen the nesting box.

It is amazing to know that with the right tools and materials you can easily build a coop according to your own designs. Chicken coop typically consists of a chicken nest where the hen can lay their eggs, chicken feeders, water feeders, and roost where the chicken can restfully sleep and relax. 

Most chicken coop hobbyists suggest building additional feature on the coop such as windows to let the sunshine and fresh air inside the chicken home. You can plan your own housing designs while taking into consideration significant figures such as the space dimension that will provide the chicken the best comfort.

You can build a fancy coop or simply create one that is simply on a box shaped design. Regardless of your coop design styles, you need to observe standard requirements to build coop. One is the dimension of the coop, which is important in giving the chicken adequate space. Crowded environment to live can give opportunity for various ailments to occur in your chicken. 

The minimum space requirements for poultry will depend on the type of your chicken. Bantam chicken and quail will require a minimum space of 1 sq ft., layer hen and large chicken will need 2 sq. ft., Pheasant 5 sq. ft., ducks 3 sq. ft., and geese 6 sq. ft.

Vents are helpful when you build a chicken coop. It is ideal to place the vent on either the east or south side of the coop. This will protect the chicken from cool drafts by promoting appropriate flow of air into the coop. 

Building a chicken coop will also involve creating good coop insulation that will keep the chicken warm and comfortable during winter season. It is also beneficial during summer as well. It suggested that a 1.5 inch of Styrofoam sheet placed between the ceilings and the walls is ideal. Painting the walls with white paint also helps reflect the summer heat. Some prefer using aluminum roof while tall plants just around the coop will provide better shade for the coop.

The flooring of the chicken coop may be of different building materials. Packing down plain dirt to create a solid foundation is the cheapest flooring for a chicken coop. It is however most vulnerable to rodents digging from underground to get to their prey.

The safer and more expensive flooring for a chicken coop is concrete and it is the most sanitize type of flooring as well. Using wood as flooring is prone to rotting and rodents can possibly penetrate through it.

The roosts must not be too large or too small and must be made of metal or plastic.  The chicken nest must be at least 12 x 15 inches in length and 13 inches deep. Placing some litters is important to prevent the eggs to crack.

     Although keeping chickens at home might seem to be an easy activity, there are many minute things, you need to take care of. The tips discussed below will give you an idea of the same.

     What Does the Law Say?

     Now, this is the first and foremost step while starting to raise chickens at home. You need to check the local law associated with livestock breeding at your home. Some local authorities might not permit, while some may permit it with some limitations or norms. Nonetheless, get it checked and make your business legal, instead of landing yourself into legal prosecutions in the future.

     Start the Activity!

     When your local law has no objections with your idea, you can go ahead and plan on further requirements. Decide the number of chickens that you’ll be breeding and also decide the breed. Contact your local supplier for this purpose and also see that you buy healthy chickens Some of the popular chicken breeds for this purpose are, Buckeye, Ameraucana , Delaware, Jersey Giant, Dominique, Plymouth Rock, etc. Further, select a chicken coop having the right dimensions, which meets the number of chickens you have. You can either purchase a ‘ready to use’, chicken coop, or you can prepare it yourself at home, by referring to various books available on the same.

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