How To Raise Healthy Chickens In Few Steps

We should admit that raising chickens is a whole process that requires a good management from the owner. This statement shouldn’t frighten you, because raising chickens can be very interesting and a real fun too.

Therefore, in this article you can find educational tips on how to raise healthy chickens in few steps. Hope you are going to find them very useful and helpful. We honestly recommend them, so once you try, you won’t regret. In addition, let us know your personal experience. Please share it with us.

Once you organize and educate yourself well, you can avoid various problems or in a way enable yourself to predict the possible treats on your path to raising a healthy flock.

 Remember this: If your chickens are healthy, you are successful in your work. So, stick to the following tips for a healthy flock.

How to raise healthy chickens?

Check out our 6 free tips below!

1.Proper feed

Firstly, it is known that chickens and humans are alike in some case, for instance in having proper and regular nutrition. So, the chickens must be properly fed in order to be healthy and productive.

Even though our grandparents could have fed their flock cracked corn, or scratch, advances in science nowadays reveal that chickens require better care, discipline and good management from the owners in order to be healthier and live longer.

Considering the fact that chickens at different stage of their development require different feed formulations, one should follow them and get the healthy flock easily. Before feeding the hens ensure these things first:

• Enough food supply at all times ( fresh water and regular change of the food are obligatory)
• Never leave them hungry ( in our article’ why do chickens eat their own eggs’ we discussed about the possible problems resulting from hunger among the chickens)
• Chickens are smart, schedule your time for them and their feed care (they will expect to have the feed at certain time, as they wait for fresh water, or clean nest box, they also’ wait for’ regular and nutritious feed)
• The feed should be nutritious and protein rich (otherwise they will find the needed calcium in their eggs and start eggs-eating, read more about this problem in our article ‘why do chickens eat their own eggs ?‘)
• Their feed varies in different stage of their development (Day old chick through eight weeks old should be provided with starter feed.  Adolescent chicks up to 18 weeks of age should be fed a grower or a flock raiser type ration and laying hens should be fed layer ration. Layer ration contains calcium that the laying hens need for the eggshell production.)

To sum up:
Being meticulous and careful keeper are very good advantages. So enough care and feed discipline is an additional benefit for you as a good chicken keeper.

2. Limit treats

Furthermore, not rarely happens that chickens ‘health is closely related to their feed.Consequently, we witnessed one more similarity between humans and chickens here.

No one can be healthy without proper and regular nutrition. So let’s see how to limit the possible treats and then what does proper chickens’ nutrition mean?

• You should always look for types of food that will maximize your chickens’ health. (including high protein, low salt and sugar, whole grains, fruits and vegetables)
• Dairy products are not allowed, because chickens do not have the needed enzymes to digest the milk sugars.

Important: Bear this in mind, the excessive treats (supplemental food like snacks) even healthy ones that will be mentioned below in the text can cause various problems such as: obesity, reduced egg production, malformed eggs, protein deficiencies, feather-picking, heart problems, heart stroke etc.

Therefore, knowing this will remind you of making treat selection first.  What follow now are the healthy treats that all chickens’ keepers are suggested to try.

3. Healthy treats

• Pumpkins are packed with antioxidants. Being rich in vitamins and proteins, pumpkins are very nutritious. Not to forget chickens love their seeds. Pumpkin seeds contain 30 grams of protein per 100 grams of seeds.
• Meal worms are good source of protein.
• Clean water should be available to the chickens at all times, that is how you prevent them from any possible bacteria or disease. The solution to dirty water is employing nipple drinkers.
• Probiotics strengthen the immune system and help chickens digest the food more easily and efficiently. By providing probiotics, the chickens will grow better and stay healthier.

4. Clean coop

Moreover, when it comes down to the coop, it must be clean, because a clean coop is a healthy coop.

The hygiene among the chickens in a flock is of a great significance. Chickens have a very sensitive respiratory system that can be easily affected and irritated by mold or ammonia.

While chickens have a very sensitive respiratory system that can be easily affected and irritated by mold or ammonia.

However, cleaning the coop daily is not necessary, but it should definitely be cleaned every 2 weeks to maintain and ensure a level of cleanliness that will help to maintain a healthy chicken flock.

5. Dry bedding

After that, as a chicken owner you should know that chicken bedding doesn’t stop at nesting. Amongst the most popular chicken’s bedding appear hay and straw. However it is not the best option.

(try also: pine shavings, wood shavings, sand, grass clippings, dry leaves, recycled paper, hemp etc.)

 While all keepers want to have clean and healthy flock, they should ensure good bedding for their chickens and try which best suits their flock.

The bedding should be exchanged when the odor begins to build up around the coop.

6. Provide dust bathing area

Generally speaking a dust bath is the chicken equivalent of a shower. Whenever the chickens start feeling a bit dirty they do dust bathing. That is their way to remove the parasites from their feathers and skin.

 Chickens do dust bathing all year around. It is even more important during the winter when they are spending more time inside.  It is perfect time for lice and mites to take over especially if the chickens can’t dust bathe whenever they feel a necessity.

Finally, make sure that dust bathing is available ritual for your chickens.

It is very important for having a healthy flock. So, always provide available dust bathing area and save your chickens, their health, life, beauty and cleanliness.

Summary: 

In this article we talked about few tips on how to raise healthy chickens, followed by suitable steps that should be taken timely.

Hope you find the information valuable.

If you have any questions or comments feel free to post below.