Wait! The Kickstart Members Only Beginners Guide To Chickens

Did you know that there are certain equipment must already be present upon the arrival of the chickens in your own backyard?

Yes…

Of course, you knew that.

But have you covered all the bases as a beginner?

So your beginner’s guide to chickens starts here.

You don’t want to forget anything do you

You have to be geared up before presenting your chickens to the chicken coop.

The transition period can be quite stressful therefore being prepared can help you rid of half of the stress.

You have to purchase a lot of items for your chickens to stay comfortable from where they would lay to their chicken run.

Beginners Guide To Chickens For The Unitiated

Chicken Feed

Without this, who will live?

The food you will give will entirely depend on the kind of chicken that you have.
But to sum it up, just give something that is “complete”.

It must contain the right food substance that your chickens will need:

• fats
• protiens
• minerals
• carbohydrates

And if the budget can still take it, buy them vitamins.

Bet you did not know that one…

There are two kinds of feeds:

• Organic
• Conventional

Either of the two can be purchased online or at an agricultural poultry store.

If the time has come for your chickens to lay eggs or is about 20 weeks old, purchase a layer feed.

But if they are younger than 20 weeks, starter feed is highly recommended.

Waterer And Feeder

Purchase a waterer and feeder that are suspended from the ground mainly especially if you have ant problems.

They will keep away from your feed or water if it is up for grabs.

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They should hang at least a couple of inches off the ground.

A very good advantage when purchasing such items is that they will prevent your chickens from jumping on top of it and smudging off their feet filled with faeces inside the container.

This is true, they are not so fussy when in the grips of competing for food when it comes to even putting their foot on the bowel, and…

The whole of the chicken feed ends up on the ground.

With luck, they will most probably peck it all up but if they have had enough to eat, then the ants will march in.

An automatic refill feature is also included which is very reliable during times when you have to go somewhere and will take you a couple of days before you come back.

Worry-free.

Bedding

Yes…

No matter how absurd it seems to some people…

You have to provide them with the proper bedding to keep them warm, comfortable, healthy and happy.

But this doesn’t mean that you have to buy the sheets from Best Buy.

Yes, beginners guide to chickens…

Like it or not, does not mean that you should forget about the dust bath.

Beddings can be in the form of a pile of clean haystacks, old or used newspapers.

Or if you want it to be extra special, there are beddings that can be bought online or in a poultry store.

Beddings are best inside the coop where they can provide chickens with a soft surface to roam around with.

Beddings are also beneficial for your flock because it absorbs the odour and droppings.

You don’t want a foul-smelling coop, right?

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Another advantage of the bedding is that it saves the eggs from cracking making it an area where eggs are safe to land.

There are a lot of bedding varieties.

But whatever the bedding that you’ve chosen, always make it a point that it is at least two inches thick and is truly absorbent.

Chicken Dust Bath

No.

You do not have to go shopping for a bathtub for the chickens…

They do not bathe in water, they bath in dust.

That’s right.

If you see your chickens digging a shallow hole and creating a mess with dirt, they are dust bathing!

Chickens enjoy bathing in dust.

But did you know that when chickens take dust baths, they are actually protecting themselves from parasites and those creatures that find it interesting to live inside their legs and feathers?

Therefore, it is necessary to have dust baths.

If you have a dry area in your chicken run that has patches of fresh ground, it’s the perfect spot to do their thing.

But if your pen consists of entire cement, worry not, because there are artificial dust baths available in agricultural stores.

So…

Did you think in this beginners guide to chickens article that there were things that you might not have thought about?

I am not saying that you have to have a dust bath right away, but if your chicken run is in fact cement, then a dust bath does need to be purchased at some time or the other.

Anyway…

This is a good start to get you thinking about the needs of your chickens before they arrive, and you have your very own backyard chickens.