There’s more to keeping chickens than sticking them in a coop and waiting for them to pop out a few eggs for breakfast. Here are a few important things to remember when caring for chickens:
1 Chickens are resilient animals
If you’re looking to adopt or re-house a chicken you may fear for its health. Be sure that any chickens you take in have had all of their vaccinations and you should be fine. When you first take the girls home you might find that they have some bruising and a few missing feathers. When housed, you’ll find that the bruising will go down within a few days and their feathers will grow back within a few weeks.
2 Keep chickens away from predators
Any shed or outbuilding can be converted into a coop for your chicks. Alternatively, you can house them in a smaller coop with a run. Either way you will need to make sure that your coop is safe from predators such as foxes, rats and badgers.
3 Chickens need a balanced diet
Dry foods such as crumbles and pellets will be available at any pet store. Just make sure your new pets are receiving all the important nutrients and minerals they need to be healthy.
4 Keep chickens away from other pets for a little while
Chickens will get along with many other animals just fine. Take care when introducing chickens to your other pets and supervise them until you know that they’re safe.
As far as other chickens are concerned there may be some squabbling and bullying as your birds begin to establish a new pecking order. There are several recommended integration techniques such as keeping your chickens in view of each other for a couple of weeks so that they can get used to one another. Here’s a comprehensive guide to merging a flock.
5 Chickens require a good health routine
You should be aware that a number of external elements can affect the health of your chickens such as worms and red mites. Your chickens could even catch the flu. For this reason you should purchase preventative powders and solutions (which are available at The Animal Health Company).
Chickens can make great pets as long as they’re cared for properly. You shouldn’t have any problems as long as you keep them secure and healthy.
Image: StevenW.
1 Chickens are resilient animals
If you’re looking to adopt or re-house a chicken you may fear for its health. Be sure that any chickens you take in have had all of their vaccinations and you should be fine. When you first take the girls home you might find that they have some bruising and a few missing feathers. When housed, you’ll find that the bruising will go down within a few days and their feathers will grow back within a few weeks.
2 Keep chickens away from predators
Any shed or outbuilding can be converted into a coop for your chicks. Alternatively, you can house them in a smaller coop with a run. Either way you will need to make sure that your coop is safe from predators such as foxes, rats and badgers.
3 Chickens need a balanced diet
Dry foods such as crumbles and pellets will be available at any pet store. Just make sure your new pets are receiving all the important nutrients and minerals they need to be healthy.
4 Keep chickens away from other pets for a little while
Chickens will get along with many other animals just fine. Take care when introducing chickens to your other pets and supervise them until you know that they’re safe.
As far as other chickens are concerned there may be some squabbling and bullying as your birds begin to establish a new pecking order. There are several recommended integration techniques such as keeping your chickens in view of each other for a couple of weeks so that they can get used to one another. Here’s a comprehensive guide to merging a flock.
5 Chickens require a good health routine
You should be aware that a number of external elements can affect the health of your chickens such as worms and red mites. Your chickens could even catch the flu. For this reason you should purchase preventative powders and solutions (which are available at The Animal Health Company).
Chickens can make great pets as long as they’re cared for properly. You shouldn’t have any problems as long as you keep them secure and healthy.
Image: StevenW.