Poultry Keeping

tips for fowl fanciers
Keeping hens need not be one of life's major challenges. Firstly, books have their place and there are some very informative books but it can be confusing to read too much too soon.
A poultry book often fails to demonstrate how much fun a few hens can be, or to describe the unique taste of your own eggs. But with proper feeding, good conditions, good housing, good husbandry and happy chickens your enjoyment will be complete.
Here are a few simple rules.
1. Feed layers mash dry. Because it's called mash, you do not add water to create that mashed potato look. Water soon turns the mash sour and the hens won't eat it, besides they eat dry bits and pieces they find while scratching - it's normal.
2. When you go to your feed merchant you will have the option of mash or pelleted feed. It's the same ration but the pelleted feed has gone through one further process to make handy bite size bits. Chickens will be kept far more occupied with mash food than with pelleted.
3. Feed ad-lib. The top birds will eat their fill and stuff the others so if you have 4 birds and weigh out one pound of feed for them to share, by the time the strongest birds have finished eating there is a good change that there is nothing left for the poor hen at the back end of the pecking order.
4. Use a proper feeder that keeps the feed dry and make sure there is always feed in it. Be sensible though, only fill your hopper to a level so that when you go and feed the next day there is still some in the hopper, this shows every bird has had its fill. If you overfill the hopper the feed will get damp and go sour.
5. The hens need a balanced diet to produce eggs.
6. A grit hopper is required to provide small sharp stones that the bird pecks and holds in its crop (that's a pouch in its throat), and grinds the feed as it passes through. There is a certain amount of grit in the feed but often the feed is formulated for commercial egg producers where the hens may have limited or no access to grass, so require less grit. There is often confusion at this stage that the birds need grit to make hard egg shells, this is not the case. It is extra calcium, which is derived by feeding oyster shell, but there is plenty of that in the mixed feed.
7. What kind of house and run? This is a problem for most new keepers who want the birds to have freedom but know they are going to have to secure a boundary at some size. If you give the birds complete access to your garden, they will cause damage to plants and borders. If you restrict the birds to a movable house they are perfectly happy. If you move it every other day the grass does not suffer, in fact the scratching and the droppings do the grass good. You know where your birds are, the wild birds are not eating their feed and they are secure from the fox that may give you a day visit. The house can be moved all around your garden. In extreme circumstances it may even go on a hard standing and if you choose one of the Boughton range the hens have the added advantage of a covered run giving shelter from the rain and shade for the sun. When the birds� are kept confined they have no concept that there is an outside. In fact you could, after a period leave the door off and the hens would not even notice. The birds' every need is catered for inside the run, but you must give them constant changes of grass. If you still want to give your birds and extra run there are two options, bearing in mind you won't have to spend out on wire, posts and gate hinges. You could buy a bigger house and put less birds in it, this also gives you expansion room, or you could add on the optional extension run which when used for example in conjunction with the 902A gives more than double the run area.
8. What kind of hens? When deciding what you require from your hens decide if you want hens that lay, hens to eat, something dramatic to look at, or small bantams. The fact is that if you want something to look at, don�t expect regular eggs and expect to pay at least double the price of hybrid birds, and if you want to have potential table birds then it�s best to go to the supermarket. Bantams can be fun, you still won't get vast numbers of eggs and those you get are small but the variations of breeds are enormous and more readily available than the large fowl because of their popularity, as for price a few pounds each for cross or heavy money for show quality true breeds you can suit your budget. Another assumption of the new keeper is that you have to have a cockerel or you won't get the eggs. Chickens lay eggs as part of a normal body function. The only time you need a cockerel is if you require fertile eggs.