Looking After Chickens
Looking after chickens consists of a number of things.
They need a coop to sleep in at night.
This is where they will find their food and water as well as lay their eggs.
They need a run outside of their coop so they can forage in the grass and weeds and catch insects.
They especially need to be protected against predators.
You build a fence around the coop and run high enough to prevent predators from jumping over it.
It also needs to be buried a foot into the ground to protect against animals who would tunnel underneath the fence.
It might also pay to put some kind of netting over the top to keep out hawks.
The fence should be sturdy enough to prevent predators from knocking it over.
Most of the time your chickens are usually safe during the day from the predators since most of them are nocturnal.
Many people allow their chickens to free range around their yard during the day when they are at home.
The chickens will eat the grass as well as fertilize it.
It is a good idea to close them up inside the coop at night.
That is when the foxes, coyotes, skunks, raccoons, and opossum Roam.
These animals like eating chicken as much as you do, but if you want to enjoy the eggs they lay and later on enjoy a good chicken dinner you must protect them from all the predators.
The foxes the most wily and will wipe out your whole flock in one visit given the opportunity.
They can jump high enough to clear an 8 foot fence.
If they are not able to get over the fence they will try to dig beneath the fence.
The coyote will grab a chicken and take it away with them.
The raccoons will carry diseases to your chickens and also mites and lice.
They will kill a number of chickens eating the head and neck of the birds.
The opossum is unable to carry the chickens away so will eat them in the yard and will eat the eggs.
Skunks will occasionally kill chickens but they are mainly interested in the baby chicks and the eggs.
There is one other thing you should do looking after your chickens and that is to check them daily for mites and lice.
This is important because if they are not taking care of quickly they could kill your chickens.
They need a coop to sleep in at night.
This is where they will find their food and water as well as lay their eggs.
They need a run outside of their coop so they can forage in the grass and weeds and catch insects.
They especially need to be protected against predators.
You build a fence around the coop and run high enough to prevent predators from jumping over it.
It also needs to be buried a foot into the ground to protect against animals who would tunnel underneath the fence.
It might also pay to put some kind of netting over the top to keep out hawks.
The fence should be sturdy enough to prevent predators from knocking it over.
Most of the time your chickens are usually safe during the day from the predators since most of them are nocturnal.
Many people allow their chickens to free range around their yard during the day when they are at home.
The chickens will eat the grass as well as fertilize it.
It is a good idea to close them up inside the coop at night.
That is when the foxes, coyotes, skunks, raccoons, and opossum Roam.
These animals like eating chicken as much as you do, but if you want to enjoy the eggs they lay and later on enjoy a good chicken dinner you must protect them from all the predators.
The foxes the most wily and will wipe out your whole flock in one visit given the opportunity.
They can jump high enough to clear an 8 foot fence.
If they are not able to get over the fence they will try to dig beneath the fence.
The coyote will grab a chicken and take it away with them.
The raccoons will carry diseases to your chickens and also mites and lice.
They will kill a number of chickens eating the head and neck of the birds.
The opossum is unable to carry the chickens away so will eat them in the yard and will eat the eggs.
Skunks will occasionally kill chickens but they are mainly interested in the baby chicks and the eggs.
There is one other thing you should do looking after your chickens and that is to check them daily for mites and lice.
This is important because if they are not taking care of quickly they could kill your chickens.