Here are the Pros and Cons of having a rooster you should consider:
Chickens can lay eggs without roosters. However for an egg to form a chicken and hatch, it has to be fertilised. No rooster equals no chicks. If you want more chickens or a self-multiplying flock, then you will have to get a rooster. Otherwise, you’ll be begging or buying fertilised eggs whenever you have a broody hen!
It is a rooster’s job to look after his crowd of ladies. He is the one who watches for predators and voices a warning when a threat is spotted. He is the one who finds nice nesting spots. He may even watch and protect laying hens. And he is the one who calls hens to good sources of food.
Now, admittedly, in a backyard flock, hens are just as likely as a rooster to spot the bucket of scraps or a handful of mealworms that you just threw into the pen. But the evolutionary instinct of the jungle is still around, and hens seem to like having a provider and protector in the flock. They’ll even lay a little more.
Hens can be mean. Chicken society is rigid. The term pecking order exists for a reason. Hens will fight brutally for their place in the pecking order. Some hens are just plain bullies. Roosters, on the other hand, will usually not clash with the hens. Nor will they participate in bullying. Also, they frequently break up hen-fights. So while the question of "Do you need a Rooster to lay eggs" is no, you can certainly have a more balanced flock with a rooster.
Although uncrowded hens generally get along with each, a flock with a rooster is usually more peaceful. There is less fighting for the top spot by the hens. This is because roosters are the natural leader. Their physique is more substantial as well as more muscly. If you watch hens which have a rooster in the flock, they tend to be more relaxed as well as less likely to indulge in bullying or fights.
There is something special about watching a proud rooster foraging in the farmyard. His gentlemanly prowess as he woos the hens with a dance is beautiful.
When you conjure up the image of a rooster crowing on the apex of a barn shed at the crack of dawn you think of a rooster announcing the first morning light. Now take that image and forget it — Roosters crow at all hours and for almost any reason.
Some things which can get a rooster crowing include:
Roosters will crow, no matter what you do. It’s their instinct. And despite what folklore says, roosters don’t just crow at dawn. They want to remind the rest of the world that they are alive and also have a lovely flock of ladies to prove it.
If you have small children or you don’t sleep well yourself a rooster might take a bit of getting used to. If you have neighbours nearby who may not appreciate a midnight recital, a rooster might not be for you.
In urban and suburban areas, there are strict regulations about keeping chickens. These laws often determine how much land you need as well as how many chooks you can have. And in the interest of friendly neighbourhood relations and also urban noise pollution, they often also restrict the keeping of roosters. Before purchasing your Rooster check the local council to avoid unnecessary conflict or potential fines.
Generally, show breeders keep breeding pairs. But in a backyard chicken flock, the ratio is usually six hens to one rooster. Less than that can lead to one hen being favoured. This can cause feather loss on the hens back and other related problems.
Try to keep the size of the rooster in mind with the smallest birds in your flock.
There’s nothing wrong with keeping a rooster in most mixed flocks. But if you have a significant discrepancy in the size of birds, it may cause problems. For example, a big Rhode Island Red rooster could cause serious injury to a bantam hen. If you want to introduce a rooster to a mixed-breed flock, consider getting a smaller breed. Then observe to ensure it doesn’t accidentally harm the smaller hens.
Some customers have said they don’t keep roosters because they are mean to the hens. We agree some roosters take what they want without asking. However, nice roosters generally woo the hens. Once a rooster has chosen a hen, he will dance around her, cluck to her, as well as possibly present her with food. If a hen crouches for the rooster, she is indicating that she accepts the advances. They may seem to us to be brutal. Nice roosters rarely go after a hen that tries to evade them.
While it is unclear why some roosters are more chivalrous than others, it may be genetic. If you have ended up with an unkind rooster, think about replacing with a Romeo-type for the hens.
Also, in flocks with competing roosters, the roosters are less-gentlemanlike. This is because they are trying to protect their territory as well as mate with as many hens as possible. The same may apply to roosters who are paired with a substantial number of hens.
Roosters, even gentlemanly roosters, can also cause injury to the hens. Usually, the roosters damage the hen’s back when they are treading on her. It may lead to feather loss and also potential skin damage. This can be the result of:
The feather loss is uncomfortable for the hen. It may also lead to feather pecking and eventual death. The best treatment for this damage is to remove the affected hen and treat the feather loss. If it continues to be an issue, get a chicken saddle to protect any suffering hen from the rooster’s claws.
While everyone thinks about the leading question, "Do you need a Rooster to lay eggs", a hens happiness goes a long way to egg production. By having a Happy Rooster, you can have confidence the flock shall be high spirited and happy.
Keeping a flock with a rooster happy is pretty simple. Have one rooster and plenty of hens.
Remove chicks that turn out to be roosters before they get big enough to upset the status quo, and ensure your rooster is a lover, not a fighter.
If you still want a rooster and live in the UK, check out the options and connections available on our Where can I Buy a chicken in the UK article.
]]>And this recipe for The Best Egg and Avocado Recipe is so simple to make.
Serves Two Persons
Ingredients
Place eggs in a pot and fill the saucepan with cold water to cover the eggs with say 5cm on top. Add half a teaspoon of salt. Heat water until boiling.
Remove the heat and cover the pot with a lid.
Once the eggs have cooked cool them by draining out the hot water from the pot and filling with cold water for a few minutes.
Remove the Avocado skin and seed and place in the compost bin. Roughly cut the Avocado into thin pieces.
It is important to leave this last so you have crisp, hot toast. Slice the Rye or Sourdough. Toast in your toaster until you achieve your preferred crispness.
While the Rye or Sourdough is toasting, remove the shell from the eggs.
Place two slices of Toast on a plate. add butter or margarine if you like.
Place the Avocado on the toast.
Slice the eggs in half and place on top of the Avocado.
Season with Salt and Pepper, optionally sprinkle with Pine nuts or Roasted Cashews.
Bone Appetit.
*Don't forget to write to us and let us know if you love this recipe for The Best Egg and Avocado Recipe
]]>When it comes to your Chickens and laying hens you should consider their:
As long as you adequately provide the things mentioned above the you shall be able to go away for a few days. However, it is important to remember:
These are some of the things to consider when you think of How to Care for Chickens when you go away.
It is probably best to have a chicken sitter drop by in the morning and evening if:
If you do need a pet sitter, remember that chickens are not like dogs or cats. The most attention they will need is a quick morning and evening visit. Don't forget the chicken sitter will be handsomely rewarded with beautiful fresh eggs.
By following these guidelines, you can go away for a few days and know that your chickens will be perfectly fine without supervision.
Water is always the biggest concern. Dehydration can arise quickly in the hot Australian summer. Even when you are at home dehydration is a risk in high temperatures.
Open Drinking Buckets and Containers
Avoid using open containers as a waterer for Chickens. They can cross-contaminate drinking water with chicken faeces. Also, they can topple over leaving the hens with no water. Chickens need and will die quickly without it.
Chicken Drinkers
A Dine A Chook automatic chicken drinker provided fresh, clean drinking water for your hens. At a minimum, birds should have access to 500ml of clean, fresh water per day. In hot weather, closer to a litre may be needed. Whichever Chicken waterer option you use, ensure there is adequate water at all times. Two Dine A Chook Chicken Drinkers provide enough water for 8 Hens for two days or 4 Chickens for 4 days
Because hydration is critical to Laying Hens, having access to water from a Chicken Waterer is top on our list of Top 5 ways to Care for Chickens when you go away.
Chickens should not be left unlocked at night. Even if you have never had signs of a predator, they are simply defenceless if unlocked. If you have time to plan before you go away, you should check the fencing and roofing of the coop and pen to ensure it is predator safe.
One solution to the security issue is an automatic chicken coop door, also known as an auto door. These generally are run by battery or solar. For more information on these, we suggest you make contact with your local Chicken Breeder or Farming Supplier.
Ensure chickens have access to 120g - 150g of feed per bird, per day. Shop our range of Chicken Feeder and Chicken Drinker packages to entirely equip your chicken coop before your holiday.
Cooped up chickens are physically okay, but they get bored. And boredom = trouble. They might not rip up your cushions or chew your shoes, but chickens will pick on and peck each other. It may only be a few days, but providing your chickens with some amusement while you’re gone can help if they’re not going to be able to free-range.
You could consider:
And if you have enough room, making sure birds have a good-sized dust bath will also amuse – a kid’s paddling pool (the hard plastic kind) filled with sand is perfect.
An extra couple layers of bedding on the chicken coop floor is also a great addition if you are going to be away. It keeps the coop that little bit cleaner, and gives your birds yet another thing to peck at that isn’t each other.
Any chicken keeper knows that things don't always go as planned. Caring for Chickens when you go away doesn't have to be a major obstacle. A little planning as well as considering the important things will allow you more time to enjoy yourself.
How to Keep Chickens and Laying Hens
]]>Keeping a clean chicken coop is very important for the health of your laying hens. Chicken faeces can spread disease and infection through the flock. It can be time-consuming to clean out the coop and if required disinfect it on a regular basis with Apple Cider Vinegar.
Generally, chickens prefer to roost up high at night. By simply placing a droppings board under the roost you can easily catch most droppings so they don't end up on the coop floor.
A droppings board is a board placed directly under the roosts. It catches overnight chicken poop. Installing a dropping board should allow you to reduce your serious coop cleaning time down to once a month. If your coop does need a good clean here read our popular blog article on the Best Ways to Clean a Chicken Coop Naturally.
Modern dropping boards are made using sheet metal or plastic. They work better than older style timber boards as they do not absorb liquid from the droppings. If you choose to use wood, put some old lino or vinyl over the top. Another option if using a timber board is using newspaper. Once soiled it can be put straight into the compost. Without question, using a dropping board is our number one idea for Time Saving tips for Chicken Keepers.
If you are into recycling then here is a time-saving tip you will love. Old grass catchers from push mowers are fantastic nesting boxes. The plastic ones are best as the fabric ones harbour bugs like mites and also lice.
Lawnmower catchers are enclosed and also dark, which the chickens love. Also, they are a breeze to clean.
We also love grass catchers because when you have a mother hen, you can lift the whole catcher out at night and resituate her in a breeding pen without even waking her up!
If you're lucky, grass catchers will just slot into your existing nesting boxes. Or you can line them up along a shelf in the chicken coop. Install a droppings board above if the shelf is under the roosts. You can also install a few 2 x 4s and make a rack, but as not all grass catchers are the same size, this requires some planning.
This is one of our Time-Saving favourite tips for Busy Chicken Keepers.
Use a couple of whole old newspapers to line the bottom of your nesting boxes. Some keepers use plastic pads but newspaper work just as well. A thick layer of paper is very cushioning. So even if your chooks scratch out most of the nesting material, their eggs still have a soft landing and are less likely to crack or break. Also, a layer of paper makes cleaning the nesting boxes a lot less time-consuming. Just bundle up the paper as well as old bedding, and place in the compost.
The newspaper will pay off the next time your chooks step on an egg or decide to use the nesting box as a toilet.
Deep litter systems are a commitment with a steep learning curve. They are not suitable for all chicken coops. But if you decide to go down the road of implementing a Deep litter system for your chicken coop, it shall reduce coop cleaning to a once- or twice-yearly job.
In a deep litter system, you start with 15-30 cms of high carbon bedding material on the floor of the coop. It should be something dry and brown. Paper, straw, sawdust, wood chip etc. Pretty much anything except hay, lucerne or grass clippings which has too much nitrogen. Then whenever you can smell ammonia, or the coop looks dirty, you add another few inches of bedding.
The system is essentially a self-turning compost pile without food scraps, so no botulism. The bedding plus the chicken manure has the right carbon to nitrogen ratio for composting.
Your chickens provide aeration by turning and scratching around in the litter. Once the right bacteria is established in the coop, the compost makes itself, and all you have to do is keep adding more bedding. Then shovel it out every six months or so.
It sounds simple, but you need to get the right C:N ratio. You also need the right bacteria going and keep the coop environment balanced for the compost and the chickens. This means not too wet or dry, hot, cold or humid.
Deep litter systems are better suited to cooler areas where they also provide some warmth in the coop during winter. Do your research, try to find someone in your area with deep litter success and count on a bit of trial and error before the system gels. Just keep thinking of how much time you save as a chicken keeper when you clean the coop every six to twelve months.
There are a number of options when considering a Chicken Waterer for your -Chicken coop. You can look towards a Do it yourself Mains pressure Watering System. This is perfect for large flocks especially if you do not have time to top a waterer system up. Another option a is purchasing a couple of the Dine A Chook Chicken Waterers. Depending on how many you purchase and also how many birds are in your flock, the Dine A Chook Chicken Watering System could allow you the time to go away for a week or two without worrying about your chickens being hydrated. Just remember they also need food.
]]>If you have noticed one or more of the hens seem to be disappearing, sitting on a nest, or your egg production is dwindling, or perhaps the chicken races its feed down in a minute then runs off in a frenzy, your chicken is likely broody. This type of starving chicken routine is a classic symptom of a broody chicken racing to get back on the nest.
The cause of Broodiness in chickens is varied. Warm weather in the United Kingdom can contribute to the chooks going crazy. All of a sudden all the locals have broody hens. Once one hen starts sitting on eggs, it seems like they all want to. So what can you do to help correct this behaviour?
The first signs of broodiness are a drop in the number of eggs produced. This does not mean they are not laying. It just means they are no longer laying in their nesting box. For no apparent reason, the hens now prefer somewhere more secluded to nest. This nest may lie behind a shrub, under a bush or a private clump of grass. You might also look behind the chook pen as well as under it if height allows them access. Interestingly, if one hen decides they’ve found a right spot to lay an egg, soon they all want in on the change of scenery.
Other signs of a Broody Chicken include spending an extended amount of time in the nesting boxes, building nests in dark, private spots. A sure sign is if the chooks start spending the night in their nest, wherever it is, rather than roosting with the rest of the flock. Ignoring the behaviour will not change it. Intervention is the only way.
Broodiness is not linked to a particular breed more than another. However, most white egg breeds seldom go broody. Broodiness does have a link especially for backyard chicken keepers who keep larger, heavier breeds of chickens for their brown eggs. In the United Kingdom, there are a number of backyard chicken keepers with larger breeds due to our cold winter climate. If you know someone with larger hens, share this story with them on Facebook or Instagram, they most likely will thank you for the helpful advice. The three main reasons for broodiness in poultry are the environment, the chicken itself and also the chicken's hormones.
If you want the addition of chicks, then Broody hens are great news. Our customer chose to let her leghorn sit. There are however negatives of having Broody Chooks:
I’ve even read about hens sitting on golf balls as well as rocks. It takes twenty-one days to hatch a chicken egg. Despite this, a broody hen will not stop sitting even on day twenty-two. The chicken fails to notice the egg is not fertile and interestingly keep sitting.
Extended time on the nest means broody hens are not eating or drinking adequately. They are also avoiding dust bathing as well as generally taking care of themselves. They are sacrificing their health for the needs of their eggs. So if you do not want chick hatching, it is better not to allow hens to sit for extended periods. Some hens are so broody they choose not to eat for a day causing them to lose their condition quickly.
Not all chickens make good mothers so just because a chicken seems determined to be broody does not mean that it will see it through. Some abandon the nest before the 21 days are up. Some may harm their chicks although this is usually unintentionally. If you are going to let a hen sit, choose the bird carefully. If you choose poorly, you can end up with a lot of work on your hands.
If you want to expand your flock with some chicks, having a broody hen is excellent news.
However, if you don't wish to have chicks you shall need to 'break' your broody hen, this means to stop her being broody as soon as possible. But if not, it is best to “break” your broody hen. The mission should you choose to accept it is to stop her from being broody, as soon as possible.
The less time a hen has spent sitting, the easier it is to convince her to give up the nest and return to normal flock life. It is better for the chicken’s health, prevents the broodiness spreading, and also means egg production generally returns to normal. Breaking broody hens - it's not as brutal as it sounds
There are loads of ways to break a broody hen, and everybody has a favourite. The first step in any method, of course, is to take away the eggs! The favourite way of most chicken keepers that I know is the BBB - the broody-breaking box.
Cooling a hen's body temperature can help convince them they are not broody, as the heat is essential for the eggs. There are many ways to do this, some kinder than others. Some people bathe their birds in cool water on a warm day. Others suggest placing ice cubes or frozen water bottles in the nest.
Increasing a bird's activity also help decrease the hormones that make them broody. The lock-out method relies on this. You can also use the boomerang method but take the hen as far as possible from the coop so there is lots of activity as well as distractions before they get back to their nest.
Probably the kindest as well as the most reliable method of breaking a broody hen. The idea relies on placing the hen somewhere that they can’t nest. You could use hospital pens or a bird cages. The containment box should be raised and have a wire floor so that air can pass underneath and cool the hen. Ensure the wire floor is thick enough that it doesn’t damage the hen’s feet. There should be no nesting material as well as no dark corners. Provide food and also ensure adequate water. Even add a roost if you like. After a couple of days, let the hen out. They should re-join the flock, but if they’ve been broody for a while or have extra strong instincts, they may go back to the nest, in which case leave them in the box for a bit longer.
If you have a topic you would like us to write about, send us your ideas through the contact us page of our website.
Lice do not bite the Chicken but instead eat dead skin. They make Chickens extremely uncomfortable. One of the signs of chickens with lice is they start pecking at themselves. Lice infestation causes irritation and also wounds. Other hens in the coop or pen are attracted to blood. The chickens even begin pecking at the wounded chicken. This can cause depression, infection as well as the death of the bird.
The introduction of unclean new hens to the flock is also another way of lice transmission. You should treat new birds for lice before introducing to the coop. To treat lice, spray the infected Chicken with sulphur based dust sprays. Malathion solution baths are also useful.
Hands down, Red mites are a severe problem as they spread incredibly fast. Red Chicken mites breed fast in damp as well as dark areas. If a chicken is infected with red mites it will allow them to spread through the entire flock fast. Red Chicken mites can breed up to several million in as short as a few days. Red chicken mites may also become a problem for other household pets including cats and dogs. Household pets may bring the infestation into your home.
Red Mites feed on blood and are a major cause of death in Chickens. Any infestation must be swiftly addressed. They are generally transmitted to flock by wild birds as well as rodents. Red mites are blackish red in colour and prefer dark or poorly lit areas. When there is evidence of red mites in the area, a Chicken bath in Malathion could cure the Chicken. However, you must treat the breeding ground of the mite, not just the bird. |
All hiding places of the red mites must be disinfected if not burned.
The Best way to combat mites is by keeping the pen or coop clean. Regularly clean the coop naturally with Apple Cider Vinegar. Do not underestimate mites. Low numbers irritate Chickens. Red Mites in large enough quantities can cause death to your Hens. Another option for killing off minute pests and bugs is to treat the coop floor with boiling water.
If the chickens and poultry are afflicted, Chicken Vet Mite Powder can be applied to the hen to kill off mites. You can purchase this product at www.chickenvet.co.uk. It is recommended to replace the bedding regularly.
The simple reality is mites can be lessened and controlled by regularly cleaning the coop. There are many reasons outside parasites to regularly clean the chicken coop. This article will share with you the importance of Why you should keep your chicken coop clean. Also another great idea is to use a droppings board.
You will find scaly-leg mites in between the scales of the leg of the fowl. Once they penetrate the scales, the scales lift and cause lameness in the Chicken. Unlike the red mites, scaly-leg mites come from a ground infestation.
To remove the mites, brushing the Chicken leg with warm soapy water. Then apply the leg with a mixture of methyl and olive oil in equal parts plus half a part of kerosene. This will kill any remaining scaly leg mites on chickens. Make sure though that the solution penetrates the scales.
These Chicken parasites are very similar in nature and treatment to the red mites. The fowl ticks however produce tick fever, paralysis, and death when unchecked.
For further advice on treatment and prevention of Chicken Lice, Red Mites, Scaly Leg mites and Fowl ticks speak to your vet professional.
]]>The simple answer from what we have researched is no. The reason behind the shell colour difference is the hen's ear lobe colour. Hens which have white earlobes lay white eggs. Seriously. The link in the eggshell colour is the colour of the chicken earlobe. Chickens with brown or red earlobes lay brown eggs. So in respect to are brown eggs better, the shells have nothing to do with quality or health benefit.
There is no linkage between the eggshell colour and the nutritional value. So don't judge a book by its cover. Brown and White eggs are the same.
Brown eggs usually come from larger chicken breeds. Large hens cost more in feed and keep. So essentially it requires more to produce brown eggs.
While some people prefer brown eggs to white, it could be contested there is no difference in taste. To get the most flavour from coop eggs regardless of the colour, chickens should eat:
White eggs and brown eggs under the magnifying glass seem to have the same value nutritionally.
No. Organic is related to the feed and nothing to do with the colour of the eggshell. To be called organic it means the feed has been grown in strict conditions. Generally and mostly grown without pesticides, herbicides, fungicides and also fertilisers. In so far as eggs are concerned, the fewer chemicals in the feed, the less we consume in the egg.
This comes down to personal preference. Some people insist they may taste better when compared to white eggs. It would be fascinating to do blind testing on a large number of people to see if anyone could tell them apart.
Regardless of what egg you choose for your cooking or baking, they are packed full of goodness. The old 1960's myth of being full of bad cholesterol was disproved decades ago. Eggs are a healthy, low fat, nutritious additional to so many things.
]]>Healthy chickens that lay nutritious eggs need a proper diet. But what is a healthy diet for chickens? So many backyard chicken keepers make common, costly mistakes that affect the health of their hens. Simple errors in dietary requirements can not only affect the health of your hen but also impact on egg production and quality.
Scratch mix is a mixed-grain chicken feed. It might look appealing and healthy but is one of the worst feeds for chickens.
Scratch mix is poor choice because it encourages selective feeding. Chickens see seeds and grains they particularly like, so they eat these first, scratching other ingredients in the mix onto the floor. In other words, chickens are not getting a balanced diet. Also, the wasted feed costs money, creates a mess and attracts rats. As a balanced nutritional diet is essential for an egg-laying hen, scratch mix tops our list of what you should not feed chickens. Scraps can be a great treat for Chickens and other poultry, but it should not replace a complete diet. Hand feed scraps and to help avoid mice and rats only give your birds what they can eat in the space of 15-20 minutes. Any more will sit on the floor of the pen and attract vermin.
When answering what should you feed chickens, the short answer is a nutritious, balanced protein-rich diet. In the wild chickens get their food from between 25 - 40 different sources each day. In a pen or coop, they are limited to what you give them. Therefore for the healthiest Hens, you need to ensure the diet provides everything they need. The best feed for chickens is a complete feed in mash as well as pellet form. In the first place, a complete feed contains everything a chicken needs to thrive. Furthermore, because mash and pellets look uniform, they discourage selective feeding. A complete pellet feed = less mess + less cost + healthier chooks.
In addition to a complete feed, chickens also need access to grit for calcium and to help them digest their food. They should have free access to a mixture of insoluble grit (ground rock) and soluble grit (crushed sea shells).
In a balanced diet, scraps should be a treat, not the main course. A little roughage and variety do not harm your hens. , but it must be remembered their primary source of energy and nutrition should be a complete feed.
Chickens eat more in the mornings, so feed scraps in the afternoon if possible and never more than they can eat in about 20 minutes.
The best scraps for chickens are fruit and vegetable scraps, weeds from the garden and cooked grains. Chickens should not be fed avocado, mouldy/rotten food, or anything with too much fat, sugar or salt.
As well as scraps, you might like to give your chickens some of these other healthy goodies. A point often overlooked is you can use treats to help tame your birds! Some of the best treats for chickens are:
It must be stressed to all Backyard Chicken Keepers clean, fresh water is essential. Chickens not only use water for their hydration but also to soften the feed pellets as well as aid in their digestion. Try swallowing chalk, and you'll understand a pellet without water. Shop our Dine A Chook Drinkers here. Love your Hens, and they will show their appreciation with happy clucking and lovely fresh eggs.
]]>We are often asked, Can I keep Ducks and Geese with Chickens?
Yes, you can keep ducks and geese with chickens. If you cater to the different needs of the birds and provide ample space, they tend to get along very nicely. Avoid problems by considering the following potential issues before you add ducks and geese to your chicken coop:
While ducks and geese will eat layer pellets, medicated feed is not suitable and they do best on a waterfowl feed. Ducklings and goslings need extra niacin and cannot live on chick starter.
Waterfowl nest on the ground. They can sleep on the floor of the chicken coop but ducks and geese rarely put themselves to bed like chickens and often prefer to sleep outdoors. If you have a safely enclosed run, try a separate house for your waterfowl that allows them to go in and out at night.
Ducks, geese and chickens tend to co-exist quite peacefully once a pecking order is established. However, in confined quarters, there can be ongoing conflict and there are stories of larger waterfowl harassing chickens to death. Allow enough room for the different flocks to avoid each other during the day, including a few areas where smaller birds can escape larger ones.
The key to keeping male birds content and happy in a mixed flock is having enough females of their own species. Usually eight hens per rooster and at least two ducks per drake. Having enough females is particularly important with ducks, because in breeding season an “unsatisfied” drake may try to mate with the chickens, causing injury and possibly death.
Waterfowl will splash and play in any water they can find, even a drinker cup! This creates mess and damp, which aren’t great for chickens. Nipple drinkers are better but waterfowl must also have enough water to fully immerse their heads in order to remain healthy.
Geese are great guard dogs and keeping them with your chickens will provide a warning system if predators are about. But guard geese are more dedicated to a flock they’ve bonded with, so if that’s your goal get one goose and raise it with your chickens.
If you have any other tips for the question of Can I keep Ducks and Geese with Chickens? Please contact us so we may consider adding them to this article to help other backyard Duck and Chicken Keepers.
Regards
Rachel at Dine A Chook
]]>You can get all the bells and whistles. You can even get a chicken swing! But all chickens need to be happy and healthy is:
Chickens can live in a small coop or hen house, but they are much healthier and happier if they have room to roam around. You can let your chickens out to free-range if you have space (and a well-established garden!). Or you might prefer to build a chicken run or yard onto your hen house. If you don’t have room for a chicken run, a chicken tractor is an excellent solution as these coops have a hen house attached to a small run and can be quickly moved around the yard every few days to give birds access to fresh greens and bugs.
Whether a chicken tractor or a traditional hen house is best for you will depend on how much space you have and whether you have fences. Both options are great as long as your birds have:
Chickens, especially laying hens, should always be fed a complete feed. The feed should be scientifically formulated and support all the vitamins and minerals the birds need. The best feed is a pellet or mash, not a scratch mix (where you can see all the grains).
Chickens also need grit, which is available from feed stores, for their digestion.
Outside of that, you will need a Chicken Drinker and Feeder. Always ensure chickens have an adequate supply of water.
You can give your chickens kitchen scraps and weeds as well, but the majority of their diet should be the complete feed, so don’t give them more scraps then they can eat in 20 minutes or so.
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