Pet Chicken Care Tips
Pet Chicken Care Tips
Pet chicken Care Tips. Photo by Amelia Kartika on Unsplash
The latest trend in pet birds are pet chickens. Pet chickens are a great way for children to learn responsibility, fun for adults, and the elderly too. These birds are fun to watch, you can teach them tricks and pet chickens are easy to take care of. The difference between pet chickens and other pet birds is that some cities do not allow pet chickens inside city limits. Some cities do allow hens but not roosters. Another great thing about (besides the fact that the hens lay an egg every day-basically providing breakfast for you) is that pet chickens need to get lots of outdoor time unlike parrots, parakeets, etc. who may spend their whole lives indoors. If you are a person which spends too much time indoors and you get pet chickens you will be outdoors more too so you can watch them, play with them, and take care of them. Chickens like to scratch around in the dirt, hunt for insects to eat, and take dirt baths. Roosters make the best pets but hens lay eggs. Many people complain about roosters crowing and making too much noise but in reality roosters are not as loud as a lawn mower or motorcycle your neighbor may have. Pet chicken owners should handle their chicken gently as they have delicate bones that can break easily. It is important to feed chickens a complete and balanced feed and provide fresh clean water at all times.
Health tip for feeding chickens: Sprinkle oregano on their feed once a week to help prevent some chicken diseases and to keep your birds healthier.See a list of supplies you need to take care of your chickens below and some very important pet chicken care tips.
Health tip for feeding chickens: Sprinkle oregano on their feed once a week to help prevent some chicken diseases and to keep your birds healthier.See a list of supplies you need to take care of your chickens below and some very important pet chicken care tips.
Supplies You Need to Take Good Care of Your Pet Chicken
Chickens need to be properly fed, watered, and housed safely in order to be happy and healthy. This list of supplies will help you get started.
Feeding
Mix these 4 items together:
Poultry water should always be fresh clean and not green or slimy. Dirty, slimy, or green water can cause Coccidiosis which can make your chickens very sick and can lead to other illnesses as well. Using a poultry water system with a float or a poultry water cup with a float can make watering chickens much easier, keeps drinking water cleaner and fresher. Chickens will not drink water that is too hot or too cold. Make sure your chicken water containers are not placed where the sun hits them as this can cause the water to turn green which can make your birds very sick.
Housing
Chicken coop (hen house)
Your chickens need to be kept in a secure, well ventilated chicken coop or hen house which should protect your pet chicken from the weather, give them a safe place to play, (lay eggs if you have hens), and protect them from predators.
Your pet chicken will need a safe place to play, search for insects and fresh greens, and most importantly to take dirt baths. An enclosed pen should be covered in chicken wire or hardware cloth on all sides and the top. If there is no shade trees you should provide a tarp or covering of some type for the top of the pen to give them shade and protect them from flying predators such as hawks. You should also dig a trench and put metal flashing at the bottom of the pen to keep snakes and other burrowing predators from getting into their pen.
Pet Cage
If you are unsure about the predator safety of your chicken coop or if the coop does not have sufficient heat in the winter or cooling fans in the summer you may need to keep your pet chicken indoors at night. A pet cage placed indoors is a great place to keep your pet chicken at night and you won't have to worry about predators, frost bite or heat exhaustion that can occur in chicken coops and hen houses at night. Of course, if you have more than a few chickens a chicken coop (hen house) will be needed.
Travel
If you have a hen (female chicken) you will need a nest box so they have a comfortable place to lay their eggs.
If you keep a dim light on in your hen house at night it will deter predator's, your chickens will be able to move away from predators (most chickens will not move in the dark even if they are being attacked). The rumor that chickens will not lay eggs if a light is on is simply not true. A young hen will lay one egg per day regardless of whether or not there is light in the coop. As hens grow older they lay less eggs.
Summer
Feeding
Mix these 4 items together:
- 100% complete balanced poultry feed
- Chicken scratch
- Cracked corn
- Grit
Poultry water should always be fresh clean and not green or slimy. Dirty, slimy, or green water can cause Coccidiosis which can make your chickens very sick and can lead to other illnesses as well. Using a poultry water system with a float or a poultry water cup with a float can make watering chickens much easier, keeps drinking water cleaner and fresher. Chickens will not drink water that is too hot or too cold. Make sure your chicken water containers are not placed where the sun hits them as this can cause the water to turn green which can make your birds very sick.
Housing
Chicken coop (hen house)
Your chickens need to be kept in a secure, well ventilated chicken coop or hen house which should protect your pet chicken from the weather, give them a safe place to play, (lay eggs if you have hens), and protect them from predators.
- Chicken Coop
Your pet chicken will need a safe place to play, search for insects and fresh greens, and most importantly to take dirt baths. An enclosed pen should be covered in chicken wire or hardware cloth on all sides and the top. If there is no shade trees you should provide a tarp or covering of some type for the top of the pen to give them shade and protect them from flying predators such as hawks. You should also dig a trench and put metal flashing at the bottom of the pen to keep snakes and other burrowing predators from getting into their pen.
Pet Cage
If you are unsure about the predator safety of your chicken coop or if the coop does not have sufficient heat in the winter or cooling fans in the summer you may need to keep your pet chicken indoors at night. A pet cage placed indoors is a great place to keep your pet chicken at night and you won't have to worry about predators, frost bite or heat exhaustion that can occur in chicken coops and hen houses at night. Of course, if you have more than a few chickens a chicken coop (hen house) will be needed.
Travel
- Pet Carrier
If you have a hen (female chicken) you will need a nest box so they have a comfortable place to lay their eggs.
- Nest box if you have a hen (female)
- Pine bedding or high quality hay
If you keep a dim light on in your hen house at night it will deter predator's, your chickens will be able to move away from predators (most chickens will not move in the dark even if they are being attacked). The rumor that chickens will not lay eggs if a light is on is simply not true. A young hen will lay one egg per day regardless of whether or not there is light in the coop. As hens grow older they lay less eggs.
- Solar lights
- Predator protector light (this is a solar powered box with a red light that appears to be an animal to possible predators)
- Dog (Great Pyrenees are said to be the best)
- Cats are used for rodent control and they keep wild birds away from your chickens. Never leave baby chicks or young poultry around cats or dogs unattended as their animated movements may be to hard for them to resist.
- Diamataceous Earth
- Permithian
Summer
- Commercial fans to cool hen houses
- Heater's without fans placed in a cage or fastened securely so your chickens do not knock them over.(Make sure they are more than 3 feet away from anything flammable like bedding).
Best Place to Get Chicken Care Information Is Chicken Heaven On Earth
There are many things you need to know about how to take care of pet chickens, backyard flocks, and news about chickens. The best place online to find out how to take care of your chickens is Chicken Heaven On Earth-Everything About Chickens https://www.chickenheavenonearth.com/
Benefits of Raising Chickens
There are great benefits to raising your own chickens and for getting a chicken as a pet. Chickens are cute, smart, interesting, educational and a whole lot more. Check out the benefits of raising chickens here:
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Hot News About Birds & Animals
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Contact us: [email protected]
References:
Bird, chicken, poultry and animal HD photo by Amelia Kartika (@ameliakartikawjy) on Unsplash. (2019). Unsplash.com. Retrieved 25 February 2019, from https://unsplash.com/photos/dRhxqHJJpSA
Bird, chicken, poultry and animal HD photo by Amelia Kartika (@ameliakartikawjy) on Unsplash. (2019). Unsplash.com. Retrieved 25 February 2019, from https://unsplash.com/photos/dRhxqHJJpSA