My oldest recently got his first flock of chickens from a friend of his and I was amazed (dumbfounded?) at their lack of knowledge or understanding of chickens real needs vs what humans think they need. In my 10+ years of keeping chickens, I've run across many people that have birds, but don't really have the first clue about them.
1. NO, chickens don't need to wear clothes, scarves, hats or other such adornments
2. NO, they don't need to be in the house by the heater vent when the temps dip below 50
3. Unless you live at the Artic Circle or Antarctica, they usually don't need supplemental heat. Depending on the size of the coop vs number of birds and may depend on the breed, but generally chickens are fairly hardy and moreso in the winter than the heat of summer......when they do need shade and plenty of fresh water. Heat can do them in faster than cold. Using the deep litter method in the coop (only change it once or twice a year), feeding corn (creates body fat/heat), more birds/less coop space (they only need about 1 to 2 square ft per bird especially for sleeping at night) makes body heat, fatten them up during the fall to withstand the winter.
4. No, you don't need a rooster unless you want to raise replacement chicks. Hens will lay eggs with or without a rooster. His contribution is fertility. Though be forewarned that in some hen only flocks, it is possible that one or more may try to take over the rooster role.....she may still lay eggs, but will also try to crow and maybe even try to mate with the other hens. If you put a rooster into such a flock, things will probably settle down.
5. How to tell a hen from a rooster????? Some hybrid breeds are sexed at hatch by coloring differences that indicate sex. It's not always 100% accurate, but usually better than standard breeds. If you raise chicks, it can take up to 4 or 5 months to figure it out though there are some usual indicators to look for. Size---males are usually a bit bigger than females, Combs (that reddish thing on the top of the head to the beak) and wattles (those reddish things dangling under the chin) are usually more pronounced on males and males legs may be longer than females. Although these differences aren't usually noticeable right away.....and even then, you might be surprised at who starts crowing and who is laying.
A. Pullets (females less than a year old) don't start laying eggs until about 4-6 months old and Cockerels (males less than a year old) start crowing at this same age, though they may
sound like sick mooing cows at first, until they get it figured out and the development of spur knobs or bumps right around the ankle area.
B. As adults, males are larger, have larger combs/wattles, and definite spur protrusions that get longer with age.
(I bring up sexing just because #1 had thought he had 3 hens cause that's what the friend had told him, but couldn't figure out why he wasn't getting eggs. Seemed rather obvious to me, though he says it hasn't crowed or mated with the others. Which then the rooster becomes a liability and should be in the stock pot)
6. Roosters do a mating dance of sorts by rushing up to a hen, stomping his feet with wings splayed around her where she then should lay down and he gets on her back, does his duty and she shakes it off. It is normal for a hen to lose back feathers because of this and she's probably fine. Problems come if the rooster leaves injuries, usually from his spurs. She or he (if he's frequently rough on the hens) would need to be separated and attended to.
7. Hens may go broody (instinct to sit a clutch of eggs to hatch chicks). This really depends on the breed of chicken, though I've heard of even hybrids going broody as well, which is almost unheard of. How to tell??? The hen spends more time in the nest box and will probably fluff herself up and peck at you if you try to move her. I have Orpingtons, who are notorious for brooding and one in particular who is now on her second clutch this year and she's not even a year old yet. Though I do caution against first timers (and sometimes even experienced), the hen may just up and decide not to sit out the full 21 days and leave a clutch of half developed eggs/chicks that will die off within a short time depending on weather temperatures. Because of this possibility, some people will only use an incubator, which is fine & dandy till you don't have power. Personally I'd rather a hen do the job for me. She's built for it, does a much better job of it, healthier chicks and more sustainable than any artificial means I'd have to provide..
8. Chickens will put themselves to bed in the early evening/late afternoon, once they know where bed is. You might have to put them to bed the first couple of nights if you have new birds or have moved their coop.
9. Chickens (poultry) basic needs are food, water, shelter and protection from predators. They don't need anything fancy or expensive.
A. Food----atleast 16% protein feed as is the usual for layer feed which also contains calcium for laying hens. (eggs are made of protein, water and calcium). Roosters can eat layer feed with no real problem, but baby chicks or those under 5 months old CAN develop issues and possibly die. Young chicks should be fed a higher protein (20-24%) without calcium such as Purina Flock Raiser, DuMor (Tractor Supply) chick starter or grower, etc. Scratch Grains should only be used as feed as long as the birds are allowed outside free range access to dirt, bugs, sunshine, grass, weeds, etc but not as sole food source for caged/cooped birds.....otherwise it's considered as a treat (like a candy bar or chips and nobody can be healthy on that as a steady diet). Though you can boost the nutritional value by feeding sprouted grains. Just put some grains in a large jar or other container with hot tap water & let sit several hours or overnight. Then drain it off, run more hot water & swish or stir it around & drain again. Rinse the grains daily, making sure to stir the water & grains well each time, then drain & sit. By the 3rd or 4th day you should see a 'bud' developing. The longer you let the grains sprout,, the better.
B. Water----birds need decent water everyday, especially during the summer. If they are too overheated they will pant, and either flap their wings or hold them up/out from their body in an attempt to cool off.
C. Shelter-----Anything to keep them safe & out of the elements overnight and/or place of refuge from predators. If your birds only use the coop for sleeping, they only need about a foot of space each, but if you keep them cooped up they do need atleast twice that per bird. A roost of some sort atleast a few inches above the floor is a great addition for their roosting instinct, though I've had some birds that just slept on the floor
D. Healthier/happier birds are allowed atleast some outside free range time and that can actually mean a lot of things. Whether you have acreage or a whole back yard or just a fenced off area (chicken run) where they can get outside (yes, even in the rain) to access the fresh air, sunshine, worms (free protein), bugs (also free protein and hard shelled bugs have calcium), grass, weeds (lots of nutrition in many of them), and dirt/grit.....they can get much if not all their feed requirements. More allowed space the better, but even a fenced off area that is moved once in awhile will work.
10. Nesting boxes----supposedly the recommended number of boxes is something like 1 box per 2 or 3 hens, I think.....but in my own experience I've had a dozen hens with several boxes to choose from and they all fight over 1 box or will line up for their turn and if the egg comes faster than box availability, they'll lay anywhere else BUT the other boxes. In the floor litter, outside on the ground, wherever.
Problems....
1. Egg eaters and/or cannibalism.....usually from boredom, or lack of protein or calcium. So change up their routine in some way. Either let them outside more, change their outside area, change or add to the litter, hang a cabbage or a bird cake or something to entice their natural curiousity. And/or increase their protein level (throw out some meal worms or even some cooked scrambled eggs) and/or calcium supplement like ground oyster shell or even ground egg shells. It may sound counter productive or morbid, but chickens will eat just about anything including non-food items similar to Bill Grogen's goat. Cook the eggs and/or shells first (eggs scrambled or finely chopped and shells ground or broken into very small pieces)….it changes the looks and taste. Or dig them up some worms & grubs from the garden. Maybe even make a worm bin or worm farm.....not just for the garden but to feed your chickens. Get a 5-gallon bucket, or old garbage can, or some large container and add some dirt, worms and kitchen scraps or compost materials to keep the worms happy and keep it lightly moist (not too wet & not too dry) and in a protected area like the garage or somewhere that it won't freeze. Just add more scraps or unfinished compost now & then to feed the worms.
2. Pecking or fighting.....It usually isn't too much of a problem really as when adding new birds to an existing flock and they need to establish pecking order (who's boss & who's not and by ranking). It can also happen within a stable flock as pecking order is never or rarely a forever thing. They will change it up now & then. Then of course when younger birds get in the way of older birds, or the younger ones won't wait their turn or, or, or.....it usually comes down to a solid peck that may send the offender squawking & maybe even chased away from the scene, but is usually over in a matter of minutes.
A. The problems come when it happens frequently or even constantly and will usually be the same bird(s). There's a good chance they may never get along, which causes tensions & stress to the birds.....then you may have health problems, reduced egg production, injuries. Then you'll need to track down the problem bird and get rid of it. Though I've had a few bullies over the years, frequent fighting has usually been from too many roosters kept together. Usually the older or established rooster will have to fight younger, aggressive, up & comers for his harem of hens. Either establish a separate flock(s) with their own space/coop or cull the others.
3. Soft shelled, no shell or small eggs---are either laid by pullets just starting to lay, or happens with older hens laying some of their last eggs. These are called 'fart' eggs and it's just their systems changing.....kinda like a woman either starting her menstral cycle as a teen or menopause when she's done. Although it can happen even during the 'good' years, it's not often and shouldn't last long if it does. May also be from lacking feed requirements as noted above.
4. Molting/feather loss.....all birds, even the wild ones, go thru a 'molt' which is a loss of feathers to regrow new ones and it usually depends on the age of the bird to how it's effected. Older birds lose more feathers and it's more stressful on them as well. Bumping up the protein can help with this. Also during the molt, which usually happens at the end of summer/fall, hens will slow or even stop laying eggs unless you have hybrids that can lay all year round or you provide extra light and force your birds to continue laying. That's up to you if you do, I just think we all deserve a vacation. IF your birds are losing feathers at other times, you may need to check them for mites, fleas, worms or other health problems. Most of these can be done yourself and it doesn't hurt to do it anyway as a precaution against it happening. For mites or fleas, dust your birds with food grade Diatomaceous Earth (fossilized micro something creatures that irritate bugs). As for worms....I haven't done it in a few years, but this was recommended......go to the feed store and find Ivermectin in a paste/tube. It is a livestock wormer for either horses, cows, or ???, but ONLY GIVE A SMALL BIT TO EACH BIRD to be wormed. Too much can have very serious, possibly fatal side effects. I don't remember about young birds, say less than 6 months?, but over that give about the size of a pea, and is easier to squirt it on a piece of bread or something for the bird to eat. But I suggest to isolate each bird when you give it, otherwise if you're trying to just hand a piece of bread with the wormer to each of your birds as you all stand around, I'll bet somebodies going to get seconds by trying to steal it from another bird.
5. Flying/fluttering or escaping the confines.....remember the smaller the breed, the higher they can go.....so if you want to ground your birds, either get a larger breed, or clip their wing. Most of the wing is similar to our fingernails......easily cut but don't draw blood...and they do grow back. Only cut one wing of each bird, keeps them lopsided and they can't get over a fence. Just take some scissors, holding the bird firmly and splay out the wing. Cut about 2 or 3 inches (maybe up to 4inches?) all across all the feathers. The feathers at the back or inside of the wing is smaller and the front/top of the wing is longer. When I've had to cut my birds wings, I hold them with their head tucked in the crook of my left elbow, so I can splay and hold the wing with my left hand and use my right hand to cut with and usually start with the inside smaller feathers cutting my way out. The holding, splaying & cutting can get a bit tricky, but somehow it all works out.
So now I've been at this for a couple hours & my brain is fried with no sleep and I can't think of anymore at the moment, though I know I've barely scratched the surface, so if anyone has anything to add, please do.
Just remember, birds have personalities/opinions/assholes just like humans...everybody has one (or more). What works for one, won't necessarily work for another, or it might. Ya never know.
1. NO, chickens don't need to wear clothes, scarves, hats or other such adornments
2. NO, they don't need to be in the house by the heater vent when the temps dip below 50
3. Unless you live at the Artic Circle or Antarctica, they usually don't need supplemental heat. Depending on the size of the coop vs number of birds and may depend on the breed, but generally chickens are fairly hardy and moreso in the winter than the heat of summer......when they do need shade and plenty of fresh water. Heat can do them in faster than cold. Using the deep litter method in the coop (only change it once or twice a year), feeding corn (creates body fat/heat), more birds/less coop space (they only need about 1 to 2 square ft per bird especially for sleeping at night) makes body heat, fatten them up during the fall to withstand the winter.
4. No, you don't need a rooster unless you want to raise replacement chicks. Hens will lay eggs with or without a rooster. His contribution is fertility. Though be forewarned that in some hen only flocks, it is possible that one or more may try to take over the rooster role.....she may still lay eggs, but will also try to crow and maybe even try to mate with the other hens. If you put a rooster into such a flock, things will probably settle down.
5. How to tell a hen from a rooster????? Some hybrid breeds are sexed at hatch by coloring differences that indicate sex. It's not always 100% accurate, but usually better than standard breeds. If you raise chicks, it can take up to 4 or 5 months to figure it out though there are some usual indicators to look for. Size---males are usually a bit bigger than females, Combs (that reddish thing on the top of the head to the beak) and wattles (those reddish things dangling under the chin) are usually more pronounced on males and males legs may be longer than females. Although these differences aren't usually noticeable right away.....and even then, you might be surprised at who starts crowing and who is laying.
A. Pullets (females less than a year old) don't start laying eggs until about 4-6 months old and Cockerels (males less than a year old) start crowing at this same age, though they may
sound like sick mooing cows at first, until they get it figured out and the development of spur knobs or bumps right around the ankle area.
B. As adults, males are larger, have larger combs/wattles, and definite spur protrusions that get longer with age.
(I bring up sexing just because #1 had thought he had 3 hens cause that's what the friend had told him, but couldn't figure out why he wasn't getting eggs. Seemed rather obvious to me, though he says it hasn't crowed or mated with the others. Which then the rooster becomes a liability and should be in the stock pot)
6. Roosters do a mating dance of sorts by rushing up to a hen, stomping his feet with wings splayed around her where she then should lay down and he gets on her back, does his duty and she shakes it off. It is normal for a hen to lose back feathers because of this and she's probably fine. Problems come if the rooster leaves injuries, usually from his spurs. She or he (if he's frequently rough on the hens) would need to be separated and attended to.
7. Hens may go broody (instinct to sit a clutch of eggs to hatch chicks). This really depends on the breed of chicken, though I've heard of even hybrids going broody as well, which is almost unheard of. How to tell??? The hen spends more time in the nest box and will probably fluff herself up and peck at you if you try to move her. I have Orpingtons, who are notorious for brooding and one in particular who is now on her second clutch this year and she's not even a year old yet. Though I do caution against first timers (and sometimes even experienced), the hen may just up and decide not to sit out the full 21 days and leave a clutch of half developed eggs/chicks that will die off within a short time depending on weather temperatures. Because of this possibility, some people will only use an incubator, which is fine & dandy till you don't have power. Personally I'd rather a hen do the job for me. She's built for it, does a much better job of it, healthier chicks and more sustainable than any artificial means I'd have to provide..
8. Chickens will put themselves to bed in the early evening/late afternoon, once they know where bed is. You might have to put them to bed the first couple of nights if you have new birds or have moved their coop.
9. Chickens (poultry) basic needs are food, water, shelter and protection from predators. They don't need anything fancy or expensive.
A. Food----atleast 16% protein feed as is the usual for layer feed which also contains calcium for laying hens. (eggs are made of protein, water and calcium). Roosters can eat layer feed with no real problem, but baby chicks or those under 5 months old CAN develop issues and possibly die. Young chicks should be fed a higher protein (20-24%) without calcium such as Purina Flock Raiser, DuMor (Tractor Supply) chick starter or grower, etc. Scratch Grains should only be used as feed as long as the birds are allowed outside free range access to dirt, bugs, sunshine, grass, weeds, etc but not as sole food source for caged/cooped birds.....otherwise it's considered as a treat (like a candy bar or chips and nobody can be healthy on that as a steady diet). Though you can boost the nutritional value by feeding sprouted grains. Just put some grains in a large jar or other container with hot tap water & let sit several hours or overnight. Then drain it off, run more hot water & swish or stir it around & drain again. Rinse the grains daily, making sure to stir the water & grains well each time, then drain & sit. By the 3rd or 4th day you should see a 'bud' developing. The longer you let the grains sprout,, the better.
B. Water----birds need decent water everyday, especially during the summer. If they are too overheated they will pant, and either flap their wings or hold them up/out from their body in an attempt to cool off.
C. Shelter-----Anything to keep them safe & out of the elements overnight and/or place of refuge from predators. If your birds only use the coop for sleeping, they only need about a foot of space each, but if you keep them cooped up they do need atleast twice that per bird. A roost of some sort atleast a few inches above the floor is a great addition for their roosting instinct, though I've had some birds that just slept on the floor
D. Healthier/happier birds are allowed atleast some outside free range time and that can actually mean a lot of things. Whether you have acreage or a whole back yard or just a fenced off area (chicken run) where they can get outside (yes, even in the rain) to access the fresh air, sunshine, worms (free protein), bugs (also free protein and hard shelled bugs have calcium), grass, weeds (lots of nutrition in many of them), and dirt/grit.....they can get much if not all their feed requirements. More allowed space the better, but even a fenced off area that is moved once in awhile will work.
10. Nesting boxes----supposedly the recommended number of boxes is something like 1 box per 2 or 3 hens, I think.....but in my own experience I've had a dozen hens with several boxes to choose from and they all fight over 1 box or will line up for their turn and if the egg comes faster than box availability, they'll lay anywhere else BUT the other boxes. In the floor litter, outside on the ground, wherever.
Problems....
1. Egg eaters and/or cannibalism.....usually from boredom, or lack of protein or calcium. So change up their routine in some way. Either let them outside more, change their outside area, change or add to the litter, hang a cabbage or a bird cake or something to entice their natural curiousity. And/or increase their protein level (throw out some meal worms or even some cooked scrambled eggs) and/or calcium supplement like ground oyster shell or even ground egg shells. It may sound counter productive or morbid, but chickens will eat just about anything including non-food items similar to Bill Grogen's goat. Cook the eggs and/or shells first (eggs scrambled or finely chopped and shells ground or broken into very small pieces)….it changes the looks and taste. Or dig them up some worms & grubs from the garden. Maybe even make a worm bin or worm farm.....not just for the garden but to feed your chickens. Get a 5-gallon bucket, or old garbage can, or some large container and add some dirt, worms and kitchen scraps or compost materials to keep the worms happy and keep it lightly moist (not too wet & not too dry) and in a protected area like the garage or somewhere that it won't freeze. Just add more scraps or unfinished compost now & then to feed the worms.
2. Pecking or fighting.....It usually isn't too much of a problem really as when adding new birds to an existing flock and they need to establish pecking order (who's boss & who's not and by ranking). It can also happen within a stable flock as pecking order is never or rarely a forever thing. They will change it up now & then. Then of course when younger birds get in the way of older birds, or the younger ones won't wait their turn or, or, or.....it usually comes down to a solid peck that may send the offender squawking & maybe even chased away from the scene, but is usually over in a matter of minutes.
A. The problems come when it happens frequently or even constantly and will usually be the same bird(s). There's a good chance they may never get along, which causes tensions & stress to the birds.....then you may have health problems, reduced egg production, injuries. Then you'll need to track down the problem bird and get rid of it. Though I've had a few bullies over the years, frequent fighting has usually been from too many roosters kept together. Usually the older or established rooster will have to fight younger, aggressive, up & comers for his harem of hens. Either establish a separate flock(s) with their own space/coop or cull the others.
3. Soft shelled, no shell or small eggs---are either laid by pullets just starting to lay, or happens with older hens laying some of their last eggs. These are called 'fart' eggs and it's just their systems changing.....kinda like a woman either starting her menstral cycle as a teen or menopause when she's done. Although it can happen even during the 'good' years, it's not often and shouldn't last long if it does. May also be from lacking feed requirements as noted above.
4. Molting/feather loss.....all birds, even the wild ones, go thru a 'molt' which is a loss of feathers to regrow new ones and it usually depends on the age of the bird to how it's effected. Older birds lose more feathers and it's more stressful on them as well. Bumping up the protein can help with this. Also during the molt, which usually happens at the end of summer/fall, hens will slow or even stop laying eggs unless you have hybrids that can lay all year round or you provide extra light and force your birds to continue laying. That's up to you if you do, I just think we all deserve a vacation. IF your birds are losing feathers at other times, you may need to check them for mites, fleas, worms or other health problems. Most of these can be done yourself and it doesn't hurt to do it anyway as a precaution against it happening. For mites or fleas, dust your birds with food grade Diatomaceous Earth (fossilized micro something creatures that irritate bugs). As for worms....I haven't done it in a few years, but this was recommended......go to the feed store and find Ivermectin in a paste/tube. It is a livestock wormer for either horses, cows, or ???, but ONLY GIVE A SMALL BIT TO EACH BIRD to be wormed. Too much can have very serious, possibly fatal side effects. I don't remember about young birds, say less than 6 months?, but over that give about the size of a pea, and is easier to squirt it on a piece of bread or something for the bird to eat. But I suggest to isolate each bird when you give it, otherwise if you're trying to just hand a piece of bread with the wormer to each of your birds as you all stand around, I'll bet somebodies going to get seconds by trying to steal it from another bird.
5. Flying/fluttering or escaping the confines.....remember the smaller the breed, the higher they can go.....so if you want to ground your birds, either get a larger breed, or clip their wing. Most of the wing is similar to our fingernails......easily cut but don't draw blood...and they do grow back. Only cut one wing of each bird, keeps them lopsided and they can't get over a fence. Just take some scissors, holding the bird firmly and splay out the wing. Cut about 2 or 3 inches (maybe up to 4inches?) all across all the feathers. The feathers at the back or inside of the wing is smaller and the front/top of the wing is longer. When I've had to cut my birds wings, I hold them with their head tucked in the crook of my left elbow, so I can splay and hold the wing with my left hand and use my right hand to cut with and usually start with the inside smaller feathers cutting my way out. The holding, splaying & cutting can get a bit tricky, but somehow it all works out.
So now I've been at this for a couple hours & my brain is fried with no sleep and I can't think of anymore at the moment, though I know I've barely scratched the surface, so if anyone has anything to add, please do.
Just remember, birds have personalities/opinions/assholes just like humans...everybody has one (or more). What works for one, won't necessarily work for another, or it might. Ya never know.