Chicken Supplies for Raising Chickens

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Chicken Supplies

Learning about Chicken Supplies & Ownership

So you have been thinking of keeping chickens in your own backyard but don’t know where to start or what kind of chicken supplies you will need? Well, this will no longer be a big issue to you anymore; after reading this article you will discover how easy it is to keep chickens and not only make it a hobby, but also enjoy fresh poultry products. However, one thing you need to know is that you must be prepared to take care of chickens just like any other animal.

Table of Contents

Local Ordinances on Keeping Chickens

First of all, you need to know what your local law says about keeping chickens. After complying, you can then decide whether you want to keep chickens for meat or eggs. This will guide you into choosing the right breed to meet your purpose. Besides this, you will also be in a position to know suitable chicken supplies that will best fit the breed of chickens you are keeping.

Types of Chicken Feed

There are different types of chicken feeds that depend on the stage of development and also breed. For small chicks, feed them with chick starter, for layers feed them high-protein content feeds while those purposely reared for meat you may feed them with broilers or finisher feed. In addition, ensure your chickens have access to clean water for their health. It is advisable to look for several plastic gravity drinkers and scatter them in strategic positions. These containers will keep the water clean from droppings and dirt that may come from the ground or feeds when chickens are scratching.

Some Chicken Supplies include:

There are lots of other supplies you can find online and many are useful.

Free Range Chickens or Backyard Chickens?

The next most important question you will need to ask yourself is how you are planning to manage your chickens. If you are not limited by space, you may leave your chickens to roam around the field; otherwise, you will have to confine them in Chicken Coops. The main advantage of leaving your chickens to roam freely within the compound is that they can forage around on grass and insects and also enjoy chasing small varmints. On the other hand, birds that are confined in a Chicken Coop are safe from predators and harsh environment. Even those left to free range will benefit from a well positioned and secure Chicken Coop. Knowing how and where you are planning on keeping your chickens can help in determining what chicken supplies you may need. I wrote an article on some of the predators folks have to deal with in another article titled Predators – Chicken Killers.

Medicinal Supplies for Chickens

Just like us humans, chickens can also become sick. There are different ailments of chickens and this ranges from common cold to very serious viral and bacterial infections. It is therefore very important to research more on chicken diseases and learn of common signs to look for so as to treat those that are sick and quarantine them from the healthy ones. There are all kinds of medicines out there to treat your chickens with. Most chicken owners will have to treat their own flock as Vets are not well equipped or trained in poultry medications.

Some chicken medicines include:

Merial Corid Liquid Treats:

Cocci

Poultry Nutri-Drench
Treats:

Rapid, Rich Nutrition Supplement

Rooster Booster Multi-Wormer
Treats:

Worms

Blu Kote
Treats:

fungus infections
surface wounds
cuts
galls
chafes
abrasions
moist lesions
itchy fungus
eczema
sores

Probios® Dispersable Powder Treats:

Maintain a healthy digestive system
Maintain a healthy appetite
Health Maintenance

There are so many more products to help keep your chickens healthy. The list of Chicken Supplies goes on and on. The ones above all had very good reviews. Please research any medicines before using and research the problem your chickens are having before treating them to be sure you have the right medicines. It is a good idea to keep the most used items on hand and make a vet bag to keep handy for emergencies.

Conclusion

If you are thinking of farming on a small scale, keeping chickens is a great idea to a start with. Chickens are very easy to keep and you don’t have to be around all the time since they don’t need special attention. Furthermore, you may feed them with leftovers, thereby reducing the amount of waste produced in your household. A good thing about keeping your own chickens is that you will always enjoy fresh products because you will be feeding them with fresh poultry feeds that are free from chemicals and hormones. There are small coops, cages, pens, etc. to house hens in for different purposes and needs. To find a list of leftover foods good for chickens to eat you can read our article titled, Chickens, Table Scraps

We hope you have enjoyed our article on Chicken Supplies and will leave us your thoughts below.

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