Archive for the ‘Raising Chickens’ Category

Hints for Hatching and Raising Chickens out of Eggs

Friday, September 3rd, 2010

As a poultry raiser, you have to know that from the moment they were lain, eggs must hatch after 21 days of incubation. It’s a good thing if your hen wanted to continue incubating her eggs. But if she doesn’t, there is always an alternative ? an incubator.

An incubator should have a temperature of at least 98 ? 99 degrees. To measure the humidity inside the incubator, use a hygrometer or a thermometer. Hygrometers can be bought in a price that’s quite practical. You can buy it in any cigar shop or even online. For the first 1-18 days, your humidity can be at least 50% and the remaining days till day 21 must have a maximum of 80%.

You should maintain adequate moisture inside the incubator. To do this, you can use paper cups or a pan containing water. To evenly apply the heat, mark the eggs with an O on one side and an X on the other side. This will determine which side needs to be heated. Do this process at least three to four times a day. If you started heating all X sides, the next time you turn it, all sides will be O. Do not skip until hatching day comes or else the eggs will get deformed from the inside. Sometimes, you get nothing.

The above-mentioned hint is done by some egg hatchers and poultry owners. But others say that to turn or not to turn, hatch rates are always a success.

Hatching Eggs from Incubators

One good thing about incubators is that, in the absence of the mother chicken, they can come in handy. Very handy. Above all, these incubators can be bought in very cheap and practical prices. An incubator is an instrument that gives newly born egg a moist and warm state similar to that of the chicken’s tummy. Options are endless depending on its features including the capacity, and others.

The information about Raising Chickens presented here will do one of two things: either it will reinforce what you know about Raising Chickens or it will teach you something new. Both are good outcomes.

Fertility

The fertility of a hen is unlikely. It is very rare not assuring a hundred percentage accuracy. It varies from a close 56% to an 80% that can also depend on the condition, season and the bird type. Fertile eggs can be at least 75% expected to hatch.

Determining the egg’s fertility can’t be done before the incubation. This can only be detected after 3 days or so by candling. Candling can be done by holding a candle in front of an egg which is typically white-shelled. As you do this, you could see a slight silhouette of the embryo. That will be the time when you can determine if it is fertilized or not. If they don’t look anything close to ?normal?, otherwise damaged or cracked, you have to rid of them because they will develop a very unpleasant odor.

If the eggs are uniformly white, the candle will be hard chance. So instead, you have to use a light bulb. Place the light bulb inside a can or a small box. Punch a small hole through the can or box wherein only a small percentage of light is reflected. You can place the egg over the hole where the light slits through.

If you have noticed the cloudiness of the egg or a mass is prominent, assume an embryo has been successfully fertilized. But if the inside of the egg is clear, the egg is unfertilized.

With these slight hints, you can diagnose the end product of an artificially incubated egg and not compromising the outcome of the chicks raised.

Now you can understand why there’s a growing interest in Raising Chickens. When people start looking for more information about Raising Chickens, you’ll be in a position to meet their needs.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, feel free to visit his new GVO affiliate site: GVO

Raising Tips: Give your Chicken Treats

Monday, August 30th, 2010

When you think about Raising Chickens, what do you think of first? Which aspects of Raising Chickens are important, which are essential, and which ones can you take or leave? You be the judge.

Like children and adults, chickens also need treats that will motivate them to live healthy and happy. But! Unlike children and adults, the treats for chickens are different and are more nutritious. Compared to human treats that mostly comprises of chocolates, candies, and other sweets, chicken treats are more on veggies and fruits.

Yogurt is a classic favorite of them birds. They are tasty and are very good to the intestines. This is also a good source of calcium that can contribute greatly to the structure and health of the eggshell. But the most favorite and is very popular among every living chicken is the worm! They will eat it so fast and not a single evidence of it will linger.

Chickens, even with puny brains, have in it the command to like or dislike a certain treat. Below are some of the things that in general, chickens will come running for. If the first one didn’t work, scratch it off then proceed to the next. Bon appetite!

Apple

May come in raw type or in applesauce. The seeds contain a small amount of cyanide but it’s so small that it can’t affect the chicken’s health.

Banana

One of the good treats. This is also high in potassium thus; it is good for muscle activities.

Broccoli and Cauliflower

A fun way of giving them this treat is to tuck it on the side of their cage and let them pick on it till the very last piece comes off.

Cabbage

Given as a whole, you can hang this from the ceiling coop especially during winter days so they have something to put their mind and energy to.

Carrots

Either given in a raw or cooked state, they will, at any cost eat it wholeheartedly. You can even give them the leaves without even worrying that it will just be another rotten veggie inside the coop because they will eat it all up.

Chicken

You, yourself know that it is a sin eating your own kind. They might just like it but then the feeling would be wrong.

How can you put a limit on learning more? The next section may contain that one little bit of wisdom that changes everything.

Live Crickets

You can choose to hunt it or otherwise buy it in a pet or bait store. This is also a nice treat to give them. You can watch them run around chasing the critters plus it is a good source of protein.

Mature Cucumbers

Give the mature ones because they love it when the seeds and flesh is soft enough to peck on.

Cooked Eggs

Still a good source of protein. Do not give anything that is uncooked because if you do, then you’re teaching them to eat their own eggs in a raw state.

Fish or Seafood

Give moderately so as not to give your eggs a different kind of flavor.

Flowers

Nasturtiums, marigolds, pansies are good treats. But make sure that these flowers are all natural. Meaning no kind of chemical or pesticide has touched it.

Fruits

There are exceptions. But the best fruit treats are peaches, pears, cherries, etc. Some say that it is not wise to give fruits to egg laying hens but some would beg to differ.

Grapes

If you are giving grapes to baby chickens, don’t forget to cut it in pieces to make it easier for them to swallow.

Leftovers

When you say ?leftovers?, it must be something that came from a human’s plate minutes after mealtime is over. It must be edible. Anything that came out of your fridge that is considered as moldy or spoiled is not advisable. Don’t give anything salty.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, feel free to visit his new GVO affiliate site: GVO

Chicken Raising Terms from N – W

Saturday, July 24th, 2010

It is necessary to know all the terms needed for raising chickens for you to be more equipped on what to buy or need. With this information, you can fully comprehend what needs to be done to raise chickens effectively.

Nest box ? a box, usually improvised, that is designed for hens to lay their eggs. It is a requirement that for a number amounting to 4 to 5 hens, one nesting box is needed.

Non-setter ? this is a kind of chicken breed that don’t have any desire to care for their chicks, if they have one, or never wanted to incubate or hatch fertilized eggs.

Ornamental breed ? a kind of chicken that is used only for ornamental purposes and nothing more. These breeds are the ones that are often seen in fairs and poultry shows. They are appreciated because of their stunning stature and appearance but not used for producing eggs and chicken meat.

Poultry show ? this is a kind of show that is organized for the sake of judgment. The proudest breeds are displayed and are judged according to their standard breed. This show is organized by the APA or American Poultry Association. Not only chickens are brought to this kind of affair but also other poultries like geese, ducks, turkeys, etc.

Production breed ? are the kind of breeds that are used for mass production of eggs.

Pullet ? a juvenile or young hen.

Roost ? the time when chickens are resting on a pole to sleep. It is also what you call the actual pole where chickens use to perch.

Rooster ? male chicken.

Roosting pole ? a perch that is made out of wood. It can be constructed and put inside the coop.

Rumples ? a kind of chicken breed that does not have feathers on their tails.

Run ? an area connected to the coop where chickens can roam around freely.

So far, we’ve uncovered some interesting facts about Raising Chickens. You may decide that the following information is even more interesting.

Scratch ? a treat made for chickens that are composed of different kinds of grains; this is the one that is scattered on the ground. It can also be referred to as the behavior chickens make wherein they use their claws to dig up either worms, bugs, rocks, and tiny little insects that are inside the ground.

Sexing ? determining the sex of a chicken.

Sex link ? a type of new chicken wherein the chicken’s sex is soon indicated even before the eggs hatch. Female of the sex link kind is known for producing eggs in a massive state.

Shanks ? part of the chicken’s legs which can be seen at the bottom.

Sickles ? what is called to the rooster’s tail feathers.

Spur ? this is the protrusion that is seen on the shank of a rooster that used for fighting.

Started pullet ? a hen that has started laying eggs but is only on a juvenile stage.

Starter feed ? it’s the complete feed that is formulated and made especially for baby chicks.

Vent ? part of the chicken where poop, eggs and other waste matters pass. It’s like the anus of humans.

Waterer ? this is the trusty partner of the feeder which delivers and holds the water supply.

Wattles ? it’s similar to a chicken’s crow but instead of being on top of the head, it’s found under the neck of the chicken. It’s composition is red and has rubber-like flaps.

Wheezer ? in colloquial terms, it’s what they call a chicken’s butt.

Wormer ? a kind of medicine that can treat or rid animals of parasites inside their intestines like worms.

Now you can be a confident expert on Raising Chickens. OK, maybe not an expert. But you should have something to bring to the table next time you join a discussion on Raising Chickens.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, feel free to visit his new GVO affiliate site: GVO

Raising Chicken Tips: Requirements for Building a Coop

Thursday, July 8th, 2010

A coop is what you normally call a chicken’s house. It’s their kingdom! A hen’s castle. So you have to make sure to keep their house maintained at a four star accreditation for this will help the chickens grow healthy and happy. Therefore, to keep it the way it should be, there are specific requirements to cope up with to build a coop that will satisfy both you and your chickens. You, the poultry owner, of all people should understand this.

Requirement #1

Regarding its design, the coop must be secured from any kind of predator. Every single angle in the pen ? sides, below and above, must be structured to withstand the wrath and longing of predators who are always on the lookout for a free meal. When selecting a wire mesh, be sure it is the right one. Predators are more than one. They scour within the area of your coop unnoticed just waiting for the time when they can attack. You have to make sure that the coop is impenetrable because some predators like raccoons just reach out for their prey, easily.

Requirement #2

In connection with requirement number one, this is a continuation. Aside from predators, you have to secure the coop from those nasty rats. They burrow through the ground and come up from below. If the coop floor is not blocked, these rodents will slip into the hen’s quarters. Rodents are attracted to the food you’re giving your chickens and the droppings they excrete.

What’s more devastating is that these pesky rats love eggs. So whenever laying season comes, they gather too. Want to get rid of them? Good idea. But prevention is better than cure. That is why preventing them to come into the pen is better that getting rid of their presence completely. All you need to do is construct a floor within the pen, otherwise, bury a fence about 12 inches deep around the hen’s house. Be sure that the materials you will use for the fence and the floor is thick or hard enough for them to impossibly bite through.

Requirement #3

See how much you can learn about Raising Chickens when you take a little time to read a well-researched article? Don’t miss out on the rest of this great information.

The way you build your coop must not be drafty or breezy. Subsequently, seasons will change and so would the weather. That is why; your coop must be able to endure any kind of natural effects.

Requirement #4

Roosting poles must be provided for your hens to slumber. It must have an approximate 2-inch wide rounded edges. You allot an 8 to 10 inch space between every bird. Put nest boxes to encourage egg laying. One nest box is equivalent to three to four chickens. Situate the boxes inches above the ground. Do not let it touch the soil. Place these nesting boxes somewhere private where no one can bother them while they’re doing their thing. Safety is the very first policy one should follow.

Requirement #5

Your coop must be roomy. Spacious. You have to allot at least 3 square feet for every bird. There should also be space where the feeder and the waterer can hang to which is 7-8 inches above the ground.

Requirement #6

The coop must be accessible for the owner’s sake ONLY. Predators and rodents not allowed. Easy accessibility can help you clean the coop so that bacteria and bugs do not fester.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, feel free to visit this new site for my swedish customers: Billigt Webbhotell – from SEK 10:- per month!

Choosing a Chicken Breed to Raise

Saturday, June 12th, 2010

There are varieties of chickens to raise. Choosing a breed will depend on the kind of chicken that you want to raise. There are chickens that seem healthy but their egg-laying capacity is frail while other chickens give out lots of eggs every day. Before finally choosing the right chicken to raise, you have to consider a lot of things.

Different angles must be taken into consideration like the place where your chickens will live. Do you have a big backyard? Is it wide enough to let your chosen number of chickens to roam? You have to think about this factor because chickens differ in breeds ? some are small and others are large.

Also, another factor is the environment you are living in. If you’re living along the equator, it is expected that the temperature within that place be, most of the time, scorching hot. But if you’re living somewhere up above or down below, it becomes colder. Now, which of the two are you?

There are cross breeds that can resist whatever the weather that may come. Production Reds is one of many typical examples. They can be tamed and are resistant to cold temperature. That is why, when you live in a place where it’s always cold, this breed is the right one for you.

Bantams can be a little bit hardheaded. They love to fly around, a very good reason why pens can be worthless. These breeds are tough but pretty for their fluffiness is incomparable. They are not good in laying eggs but if they do, their product is very small and is not advisable for selling.

The Pekins and Silkies are two of the best choices when it comes to laying eggs. They come in various colors and types. If you try to crossbreed a silkie with a cochin bantam, you will have a wonderful breed because the outcome is a kind which never bit, hurt or clawed anyone as proven by top breeders.

Knowledge can give you a real advantage. To make sure you’re fully informed about Raising Chickens, keep reading.

Be careful with purebred chicken meat because they are very fragile, they tend to choke their own food, and are prone to having heart attacks without any probable cause.

If you are looking for a cheap egg-laying chicken, you can settle with a leghorn. Although you have to eventually clip their wings because they are flighty. Also, they are a bit scrawny so watch out! Some breeders dare not choose a leghorn because they are ugly and are high strung.

Looking for a chicken that’s sweet? Try cross breeding Cochin bantams. Breeds that came from a Cochin bantam’s bloodline are amazing because of certain qualities like sweetness, manners, and you have a very good breed that can easily be noticed in exhibitions.

Barred Plymouth Rocks are also one of the top breeds. It’s like the best deal ever, all in one package. Why? Well, during summer time, they lay almost every day. They have a healthy and good weight, are astonishingly pretty, and are not vicious.

Americaunas have an impeccable beauty that is more radiant because of their feathers. They have a color resembling a falcon’s ? dark, golden feathers. Their beaks are almost similar with a falcon’s because some breeds have pretty curved beaks. They are indeed beautiful breeds and can withstand the coldness of the night or during wintertime but if you like squeezing eggs out of these breeds, what luck! Sadly, they don’t lay very well.

Breeds that are unusual need more attention from the breeders so their breeds can survive. Choose the right chicken that you will raise.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, feel free to visit my latest acquisition: Adsense Sites and make sure to download the free adsense sites package!

Bird Flu: A Chicken Raiser?s Nightmare

Wednesday, May 26th, 2010

The following article lists some simple, informative tips that will help you have a better experience with Raising Chickens.

Since its outbreak, every poultry owner had become aware of the consequences that can happen if this deadly disease is not prevented. Bird flu or what is also known avian (meaning bird) influenza (flu), is the number one killer of poultry chickens in Asia and some parts of the world.

Bird flu started in China and became a widespread disease for their chickens thus wiping out over millions of poultry businesses and dropping the chicken industry to a devastating point. The thing about avian flu is that, not only can it affect birds but also humans which makes the illness more dangerous to various lives. It can be passed from chicken to chicken, chicken to person, person to person, person to chicken, and so on. That is why authorities in the health sectors are taking this serious matter in their hands and are making strict surveillance.

Avian influenza is not just a disease underlying a typical cold. It is more than that. In fact, it can kill an entire poultry habitation within a week. If passed onto a person, it can be more lethal as a person can interact with hundreds of people in a day without even noticing that they have become the perfect carrier of the disease. Worse, this sickness is not a picky disease. It could affect everyone including children.

The incubation period, if passed to a human, is not exact but as record shows, it may take about three to five days from the exposure to the disease-causing virus. Till then, the person will experience signs and symptoms that are similar with the common cold like fever, cough, sore throat, and aching of the muscles. Sometimes, the only thing that could indicate if the person has bird flu is if they are having conjunctivitis.

If the person who was affected and has experienced the signs and symptoms stated above ignored the indications, it may lead to severity of the disease. The person now will start to experience viral pneumonia and eventually, acute respiratory distress which is the most common cause of deaths among bird-related diseases.

Most of this information comes straight from the Raising Chickens pros. Careful reading to the end virtually guarantees that you’ll know what they know.

But this pandemic crisis can be pretty much prevented if certain precautions are practiced if everyone who is involved will cooperate with the measures that were given out by the authorities.

Through thorough surveillance, WHO (World Health Organization) supports in eliminating the disease. Through this, they can trace the source of infection and track down those who were affected by the flu. They will confirm instances of the disease and how many deaths were known. Once WHO officials find out the extent of the disease’s proximity, they will contain the area under quarantine.

Those who are in the zone will not be allowed to go beyond it and those who wanted to enter will be prohibited. That is why the concerned officials must be responsible enough to bring in reliable data otherwise there would be miscalculations that can result to more chickens and people being affected instead of being saved.

With the word spread out all across the globe, the government is also having strict participation for the observance if there are any occurrences of the virus in their community. Residents are the one who have to be more watchful because they will be the one more affected.

Their communication and participation is the most important tool to evacuate the presence of this disease and make raising chickens safer to both chickens and owners.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, who just launched this great product..
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Raising Chicken Tips: Baby Poultry Brooding Plan for the Floor

Monday, March 29th, 2010

You should be able to find several indispensable facts about Raising Chickens in the following paragraphs. If there’s at least one fact you didn’t know before, imagine the difference it might make.

A brooding plan for the floor of poultries must be clean and sufficient enough to raise chickens. If not, there would be problems you dare not want to encounter. For planning, preparation is the best way to welcome your backyard mates. First, we plan the necessities, then you worry after everything is intact.

How do you go about planning and building the brooding floor?

Step 1

There are wide selections of products that can be purchased for brooding that will provide a draft free and comfortable environment. For a cardboard ring that is formed around the area suitable for brooding, the popular 13 to 19 inches high ring is commonly used. If you’re planning for a 50-chick capacity, a diameter of 5 ft circle is needed.

Assuming you want to increase the number of chicks, the ring diameter must also be increased that is proportioned with the number of chicks added. This is to reduce the negative outcomes of overcrowding. Aside from the huge cardboard boxes, your child’s plastic pool or an old tank can be an alternative.

Step 2

You have to cover the floor using one to two inches of materials that are absorbent and do not mat that easily. Shavings, ground corncobs, rice hulls, etc. can be your choices. Cedar shavings are not to be used for these are toxic and can lead to chicken poisoning. For the litter, the covering must be of cheesecloth, burlap, towels made of paper, and other materials that are non-slick.

This is appropriate for the first 3 days. With this, there will be easy access for feeding the babies via sprinkles above the material. It will also lessen the possibility for the chicks to have sprattle legs. Lastly, it will prevent litter eating.

Step 3

For a 50-chick capacity, you have to provide adequate heat from lamps. It must be a 250-watt with reflector. Regardless of the baby number, it is required to install at least 2 heat lamps. Picking is the result if the lamp reflects excessive light. That is why red heat lamps are more preferred. Red heat lamps provide sufficient light without going beyond its temperature. Heat lamps are hung at least 18? just above the litter. Inspect the light if they really provide the needed heat.

If you find yourself confused by what you’ve read to this point, don’t despair. Everything should be crystal clear by the time you finish.

Step 4

Feeder lids should be made available for feeding. Cut a box down to an inch on its sides. If you are raising game birds and bantams, sides with only three quarters or less is preferred.

Step 5

Wire the brooder system of the floor. A wire floor is required out of materials that are not larger than a half-inch cloth. For raising game birds and bantam, a floor with a size of one-fourth inch is preferred.

Step 6

As specified by the manufacturer, the floor should be of adequate space. This is because the manufacturer recommends the appropriate number of chicks that can be started within the vicinity of the brooder. Check the heat if it is working properly.

Step 7

Provide a 15-watt red night-light. This serves as the brooder’s light during the night for them to see properly.

Step 8

Providing water troughs is wise but can also be a problem for it provides not only sufficient but also excess water access.

After all of these are brought together, make sure that things are working properly and things won’t result to jeopardy. These are just the basics for raising your chickens.

So now you know a little bit about Raising Chickens. Even if you don’t know everything, you’ve done something worthwhile: you’ve expanded your knowledge.

About the Author
Have you visited Anders’ latest site for adsense publishers? Download new fresh sites in this all new site, called Adsense Ready Websites

Bird Flu: A Chicken Raiser?s Nightmare

Saturday, January 30th, 2010

Since its outbreak, every poultry owner had become aware of the consequences that can happen if this deadly disease is not prevented. Bird flu or what is also known avian (meaning bird) influenza (flu), is the number one killer of poultry chickens in Asia and some parts of the world.

Bird flu started in China and became a widespread disease for their chickens thus wiping out over millions of poultry businesses and dropping the chicken industry to a devastating point. The thing about avian flu is that, not only can it affect birds but also humans which makes the illness more dangerous to various lives. It can be passed from chicken to chicken, chicken to person, person to person, person to chicken, and so on. That is why authorities in the health sectors are taking this serious matter in their hands and are making strict surveillance.

Avian influenza is not just a disease underlying a typical cold. It is more than that. In fact, it can kill an entire poultry habitation within a week. If passed onto a person, it can be more lethal as a person can interact with hundreds of people in a day without even noticing that they have become the perfect carrier of the disease. Worse, this sickness is not a picky disease. It could affect everyone including children.

The incubation period, if passed to a human, is not exact but as record shows, it may take about three to five days from the exposure to the disease-causing virus. Till then, the person will experience signs and symptoms that are similar with the common cold like fever, cough, sore throat, and aching of the muscles. Sometimes, the only thing that could indicate if the person has bird flu is if they are having conjunctivitis.

If the person who was affected and has experienced the signs and symptoms stated above ignored the indications, it may lead to severity of the disease. The person now will start to experience viral pneumonia and eventually, acute respiratory distress which is the most common cause of deaths among bird-related diseases.

Those of you not familiar with the latest on Raising Chickens now have at least a basic understanding. But there’s more to come.

But this pandemic crisis can be pretty much prevented if certain precautions are practiced if everyone who is involved will cooperate with the measures that were given out by the authorities.

Through thorough surveillance, WHO (World Health Organization) supports in eliminating the disease. Through this, they can trace the source of infection and track down those who were affected by the flu. They will confirm instances of the disease and how many deaths were known. Once WHO officials find out the extent of the disease’s proximity, they will contain the area under quarantine.

Those who are in the zone will not be allowed to go beyond it and those who wanted to enter will be prohibited. That is why the concerned officials must be responsible enough to bring in reliable data otherwise there would be miscalculations that can result to more chickens and people being affected instead of being saved.

With the word spread out all across the globe, the government is also having strict participation for the observance if there are any occurrences of the virus in their community. Residents are the one who have to be more watchful because they will be the one more affected.

Their communication and participation is the most important tool to evacuate the presence of this disease and make raising chickens safer to both chickens and owners.

The day will come when you can use something you read about here to have a beneficial impact. Then you’ll be glad you took the time to learn more about Raising Chickens.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, author of this Free Adsense eBook — make sure to claim your free adsense ebook download!

Choosing a Chicken Breed to Raise

Saturday, January 16th, 2010

If you’re seriously interested in knowing about Raising Chickens, you need to think beyond the basics. This informative article takes a closer look at things you need to know about Raising Chickens.

There are varieties of chickens to raise. Choosing a breed will depend on the kind of chicken that you want to raise. There are chickens that seem healthy but their egg-laying capacity is frail while other chickens give out lots of eggs every day. Before finally choosing the right chicken to raise, you have to consider a lot of things.

Different angles must be taken into consideration like the place where your chickens will live. Do you have a big backyard? Is it wide enough to let your chosen number of chickens to roam? You have to think about this factor because chickens differ in breeds ? some are small and others are large.

Also, another factor is the environment you are living in. If you’re living along the equator, it is expected that the temperature within that place be, most of the time, scorching hot. But if you’re living somewhere up above or down below, it becomes colder. Now, which of the two are you?

There are cross breeds that can resist whatever the weather that may come. Production Reds is one of many typical examples. They can be tamed and are resistant to cold temperature. That is why, when you live in a place where it’s always cold, this breed is the right one for you.

Bantams can be a little bit hardheaded. They love to fly around, a very good reason why pens can be worthless. These breeds are tough but pretty for their fluffiness is incomparable. They are not good in laying eggs but if they do, their product is very small and is not advisable for selling.

The Pekins and Silkies are two of the best choices when it comes to laying eggs. They come in various colors and types. If you try to crossbreed a silkie with a cochin bantam, you will have a wonderful breed because the outcome is a kind which never bit, hurt or clawed anyone as proven by top breeders.

Sometimes the most important aspects of a subject are not immediately obvious. Keep reading to get the complete picture.

Be careful with purebred chicken meat because they are very fragile, they tend to choke their own food, and are prone to having heart attacks without any probable cause.

If you are looking for a cheap egg-laying chicken, you can settle with a leghorn. Although you have to eventually clip their wings because they are flighty. Also, they are a bit scrawny so watch out! Some breeders dare not choose a leghorn because they are ugly and are high strung.

Looking for a chicken that’s sweet? Try cross breeding Cochin bantams. Breeds that came from a Cochin bantam’s bloodline are amazing because of certain qualities like sweetness, manners, and you have a very good breed that can easily be noticed in exhibitions.

Barred Plymouth Rocks are also one of the top breeds. It’s like the best deal ever, all in one package. Why? Well, during summer time, they lay almost every day. They have a healthy and good weight, are astonishingly pretty, and are not vicious.

Americaunas have an impeccable beauty that is more radiant because of their feathers. They have a color resembling a falcon’s ? dark, golden feathers. Their beaks are almost similar with a falcon’s because some breeds have pretty curved beaks. They are indeed beautiful breeds and can withstand the coldness of the night or during wintertime but if you like squeezing eggs out of these breeds, what luck! Sadly, they don’t lay very well.

Breeds that are unusual need more attention from the breeders so their breeds can survive. Choose the right chicken that you will raise.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, feel free to visit my latest acquisition: Free Google Traffic System and make sure to visit my bonus site!

Chicken Raising Terms from B – M

Saturday, January 9th, 2010

Are you looking for some inside information on Raising Chickens? Here’s an up-to-date report from Raising Chickens experts who should know.

Familiarize yourself with these terms to get a hold of chicken raising.

Bantam ? chicken variety that is about half the size of the standard breed of chickens. These breeds are usually bred for ornamental reasons.

Bedding ? can either be shavings of wood, haystack pile, or newspaper that are added to the floor of the coop and inside a nest box. The purpose of this is for absorption of droppings and odor of chicken poop. It also provides as cushion for eggs to be safely ejected from its mother without the worry of breaking it.

Brood ? this could either mean the hens incubating their chicks or a flock of baby chickens.

Broodiness ? a chicken’s desire to incubate their babies ? unfertilized or fertilized. Broodiness can make an egg hatch or spoil it. There are a lot of factors that may arise in being broody. And the mother is a bit moody when she is manifesting broodiness.

Candling ? is a procedure wherein a candle or a light bulb is used. It is the process letting light shine through an egg to determine if it is fertilized or not. Candling can be useful especially if you are planning to separate the eggs with growing embryo and those that you wanted to sell.

Capon ? a rooster that has been castrated.

Clutch ? fertilized egg groups that hens tend to incubate.

Cockerel ? a juvenile or young rooster.

Comb ? this is the rubbery, red flat piece of flesh hanging on top of a chicken’s head. Roosters have a more prominent comb than hens. Some who are engaged in cock fighting preferred to cut the rooster’s comb so as not to interfere with the fight.

Coop ? house of chickens.

You can see that there’s practical value in learning more about Raising Chickens. Can you think of ways to apply what’s been covered so far?

Crop ? Part of a chicken’s digestive system that can be found in the esophagus wherein food is first digested before entering the stomach.

Droppings Tray ? a tray that collects chicken droppings, which is located under poles for quick disposal.

Dust bath ? A pattern of chicken behavior wherein they dig a hole in the ground and immerse their bodies in earth that has been loosened. They will get down and dirty until they get satisfied. Bathing in dust is a kind of defense mechanism to protect chickens from lice and mites that may invade their feathers and feed on their blood. A dust bath can either be natural or artificial.

Feeder ? a container that delivers and holds feeds for chickens.

Fertilized egg ? an egg that came from mating of a rooster and a hen and is destined to become a baby.

Grit ? bits of rock or sand bits that chickens tend to eat and is stored in the crop that is important for good digestion.

Hackles ? chicken’s neck feathers.

Hen ? female chicken.

Incubation ? process of egg hatching in which application of heat is required. The eggs that are incubated are those that are already fertilized. Constant heat, usual turning, and an environment that is humid are the essential needs of an egg that also comes in with the period. Incubation takes about 21 days before the eggs are expected to hatch.

Layer feed ? a feed that is complete and is made for the sake of laying hens.

Molt or molting ? this is the process of feather shedding and re-growing which happens once a year. When molting season comes, laying season is suspended.

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