Friday, February 25, 2011

Tips for New Chicken Farmers

By Patrick Bowman


As a first time chicken farmer, there are a lot of things that you should know about. Even before you start the operation of your chicken farm you should have learned everything you can about chicken farming. Entering into this business entails a lot of hard work and a whole lot of money.

The most difficult stage in chicken raising is always the starting of the whole operation. This is not only true in the chicken business but for all start up businesses as well. But once you get it all going, the going gets easier and when you already have grown chickens, you will find that you don't need to work so hard anymore because they require low maintenance.

Aside from the eggs that farmers get from chickens, they are also good pets to have and in the natural cycle of things, chickens help get rid of bugs. Before you buy the chickens you need to purchase some basic necessities and learn a thing or two about chicken farming.

The chicken coop is perhaps the most important item since without it there is no place for the chickens to stay. It has to be located in a wide area that is safe and where air is fresh. The coop should be able to provide the chickens enough room while keeping them safe from natural predators and enemies like extreme weather conditions and animals like hawks, bears, and raccoons just to name a few.

Feeding the chickens is also a major concern. They should be provided with a high protein diet especially the hens to help them lay high quality eggs. They should be given whole grains, corn, soy products, greens, shells or bone fragments, grits and salt. A constant supply of fresh clean water must also be provided. When chickens are allowed to roam, they will also find bugs and worms to augment their diet. Just be sure to put the chickens back inside the coop at sundown.

To help in the egg laying, an incubator is needed but you have to be careful in choosing, sometimes cheaper incubators are available but they are usually of lesser quality. Ask assistance from friends in purchasing it.

There are actually two types that you can choose from, the forced air and the still air incubators. Of the two, the forced air is better because unlike the still air that can hatch a limited number of eggs and would require more time, it doesn't require much of your time and can do the job in lesser time.




About the Author:



No comments: