One way to increase the health of your chicken is to ensure that the chickens have a chicken run so they can do what they would do in their natural setting. Chickens are more emotionally happy when they are outside scratching the soil for worms and other bugs. Eggs and meat from such animals are also tastier and healthier.

Another way to increase the health of your chicken is to make sure the size of the nesting area is at least 3 to 5 square feet for each chicken and the chicken run 12 to 15 square feet for each chicken. This way, problems such as the coop being damp are eliminated and so the chickens are more comfortable and diseases caused by hot and humid conditions such as Coccidiosis and Botulism are avoided. Highly contagious diseases such as Newcastle disease and Coccidiosis will also spread at a slower rate.

However, the best way to maintain chickens health is to put in place preventative measures. Preventing the disease instead of curing the disease has several advantages. Some of the highly contagious diseases such as Newcastle disease are also very deadly, meaning you may lose all your chicken if there is an outbreak. Preventing diseases has cost benefits because you will avoid huge expenses with vets and medicines and you will avoid having to replace some or most of your chicken. Preventing diseases means if your neighbor’s coop has an infection, you will not be affected.

There are different ways of preventing diseases, but it depends on the disease, the amount you are willing to spend and the availability of things such as creams and medicines. A vaccine can prevent diseases such as Newcastle disease. However, most diseases are prevented by elimination of the factors that cause the disease. For diseases such as Coccidiosis and Botulism can be prevented by keeping the coop dry and clean since they are caused by warm and moist conditions in the coop. Removing decaying animals can also prevent them and plants from the coop and making sure you get rid of droppings often. Giving the hen mineral supplements, especially calcium, can prevent others such as caged layer fatigue.

To guarantee the health of your chicken, it is important to notice the disease on its onset to prevent it from spreading. There are different ways of detecting chicken diseases – it depends on the disease and the equipment you have. Ways of detecting diseases in common diseases are looking at the droppings because droppings from sick chickens are bloody for Coccidiosis, the legs and feet of chickens with scaly leg are rougher than usual, chickens with Mycoplasma infection are always sneezing and coughing and they emit a bad odor and chickens with caged layer fatigue disease are often lazy.

You should get in touch with the relevant authorities to learn more about their requirements and guidelines. Failure to abide by these laws and regulations may lead to hefty fines or your chickens been confiscated – ignorance is no defense.

As you familiarize yourself with the laws and regulations in your locality, you should also check if your landlord permits rearing of chickens in his / her premises. Again, ignorance is no defense and failure to follow the laws and regulations may lead to law suits and litigations if not forceful eviction from the building for breaching the rules.

It is important to note that the restrictions are less severe in the suburbs and more stringent in urban cities. It is also important to note that even in situations where the city and the building or house owner allows you to keep chickens, you should always check with your immediate neighbors. This is because permission to keep chickens will not prevent them from suing you for such things as foul odors, noise and erecting chicken structures, which they may deem to be an eyesore among other things.

Asking your neighbors for their views before you decide to rear chickens will prevent future misunderstandings. They will see you respect them and you will be able to incorporate their views and demands in the design of the chicken coop.

Content of most laws and regulations

Although different states have different laws and regulations regarding chicken husbandry, there are a few laws which are uniform for every state. One such regulation is on the aesthetic value of the structure. This law demands that the structure / coop should not be an eyesore. However, this is mainly confined in cities and metropolitan regions and less in the suburbs regions.

A law common law in every other state is restriction on the number of chickens you can keep.

Most states and counties have laws governing where you can put up the chicken coop structure. In most areas, you are only supposed to put up the structure in the backyard if you have a house and on the roof if you are living on an apartment building.

Another common law touches on the materials used to construct the chicken coop – most laws encourage people to use recycled materials.

Other than laws meant to protect other people’s privacy, there are also laws that touch on hygiene. One such law is the one governing how often you are to remove the droppings. The law is meant to minimize foul odor / air pollution. Note that most garbage disposal companies charge extra for the disposal of chicken waste.

Frequently asked questions

Many people have tried to link the color of the chicken to the color of eggs produced; it is commonly thought that very white chickens are likely to lay equally white eggs. Another trivial question is the relation between a rooster or cockerel and the ability of hens to lay eggs. Others are even interested in knowing which is the best method of keeping chickens. We will try to answer some of these questions by giving you the facts about chicken that may help in clearing some of the concerns raised in this paragraph.

Facts about keeping chicken

Chickens are animals like any other and each hen has its own genes, which determine its own individual traits like the color of eggs it lays. It is however factual that the food your hens eat will influence the type of eggs they lay. If hens feed on calcium and good protein, they will lay strong-shelled protein rich eggs however, each hens breed will determine the color. Some hens’ lay very white eggs and others lay brown eggs but it has totally nothing to do with the color of the hen. If it did, we would no doubt have even black chicken eggs.

It is assumed that since reproduction in most animals take the combined effort of both the male and female, hens should therefore not lay any eggs unless they are allowed to mate with roosters. This is not true; hens will lay eggs with or without the participation of roosters. It is however important to note that  the presence of a rooster is only vital in case you need eggs that can hatch into chicks as only fertilized eggs can hatch into chicks. This factor means that you can keep chickens without including a rooster as long as you do not intend to hatch any chicks.

Other people also would like to know whether hens lay eggs according to seasons, the answer is no; hens will continue laying eggs as long as they are well fed. They may only stop if they get broody in the case of chickens that are reared using natural method where the hens have to sit on their eggs for a number of days until they are hatched.

With these facts at hand, hen keeping cannot be more simplified. Good chicken breeding methods also translate into good chicken and chicken products. The best-recommended method of keeping hens is the free-range method as they get to walk freely like in a natural habitat. Such hens will lay highly nutritious eggs and are less exposed to infections as they always have well balanced diet

Where do Broilers (meat birds) come from?

Broilers are hatched from eggs laid by broiler pullets, broiler breeders. The breeding broilers can lay eggs for up to 10 months. After that, they are also slaughtered for meat.

There are a number of ways of acquiring broiler chickens. One of the ways is to buy grown chickens from chicken farms. This is a safe option in that the chicken history is well known and the chickens will already have been vaccinated against most chicken disease. The downside of doing this is you will have to pay more for the grown birds.

Day old chicks are cheaper to purchase, but they are delicate to look after. The chicks have to be properly housed, fed and vaccinated against various diseases. The care provided would vary depending on which phase of growth they will be in.

Popular Varieties

There are various varieties of meat chickens. Traditional breeds include the Indian game (Cornish), Rhode Island Red, Sussex and the malines. These birds are not broilers per se as their pullets are also excellent layers.

Modern broilers are a cross between the Cornish and some other variety. The most popular breeds to raise for meat include the Cornish game hens, Cornish roasters and the Cornish rock. These breeds are favored by many hatcheries because they do not consume a lot of feed, are fast growing and are survivors.

Housing the Broilers

The chicks will definitely have to be housed in a brooding area before they are old enough to be transferred to a coop. The coop should be well constructed, lit, and ventilated.

It is recommended that the floor of the coop be made from concrete and be covered with some form of litter, chopped straw and wood shavings, this will make it easy to clean the coop.

Adequate lighting is important, as it will stimulate the birds to be active. However, the birds should be shielded from direct sunlight and extreme heat and humidity, as these can cause them to die of heat stress.

Health Issues

When raising chickens for meat they tend to gain weight at such a fast rate that it becomes difficult even for them to support their own weight. This makes the birds docile and inactive. Thus, the chickens spend most of their time lying down making them prone to health conditions such as heart failure, lameness, breast blisters among others.

Sussex hens are some of the best egg layers. Although they only produce about an average of 260 eggs per year, the eggs are large and each hen weighs about 7 pounds. Other advantages of the Sussex breed are that the hens can adapt to different living conditions, the hens are also good meat producers and they can live in cages or in the open. The Rhode Island Red is another impressive egg layer. The breed can lay as much as 300 eggs every year and the average hen weighs about six and a half pounds. However, the breed is known for being aggressive.

The Single Comb White Leghorn is also a prolific egg layer that produces around 280 white eggs each year. However, the hens lay very small eggs and each hen weighs approximately 3 pounds. Single Comb White Leghorns are very nervous around people.

Golden Comets are hybrids and they are engineered for egg laying purposes only. Golden Comets are bred from good egg layers such as Rhode Island Red and Leghorn. They are designed to have big eggs and the average hen averages seven and a half pounds. Golden Comets are designed to lay eggs frequently and to eat as little as possible. Finally, the Barred Rock breed, which is also known as the Plymouth Rock breed, is a good egg layer that weighs around 8 pounds. The breed averages 200 light brown eggs every year.

The main reason why people are raising laying hens is the health benefits of eggs. However, there are other benefits too. The greatest advantage of eggs is that they are nutritious whole foods, meaning they have carbohydrates, vitamins, proteins, essential fats and beneficial micronutrients. The white part of the egg is rich in vitamin B. The yellow part or the yolk is rich in vitamin B12, vitamin A, and Vitamin D and in choline and riboflavin.

The egg is also rich in minerals that are important for good health such as selenium and phosphorus among others. Omega-3 fats are important for good health and for prevention of diseases and eggs from hens that are fed with greens and flax seeds are rich in these fats. Eggs are good for preventing cardiovascular problems and many doctors recommend them, especially to the elderly.

Eating eggs protect you from diseases and heart conditions such as heart attacks, blood clots and strokes. This is because eggs have choline which converts homocysteine, which is responsible for damaging blood vessels, into safer molecules. It is recommended that people take at least one egg per day, but people should eat the white part more than the yellow yolk. The choline is also helpful in regulating the nervous system and the cardiovascular system.

Raising chickens in the city means the family can save on money that would have been spent purchasing eggs and meat. The eggs and meat can also be sold to supplement the family income. The white meat from chickens is low in fat and very nutritious. Many healthy conscious individual avoid red meat due to the health linked problems associated with it. Some of the problems attributed to high intake of red meat include high cholesterol levels, blood clots and stroke. Eggs are whole meals containing proteins, vitamins, carbohydrates, essential fats and other nutrients. They reduce the risk of heart diseases and other diseases.

Chickens are also kept in the city because they make great pets. They do not need a lot of care and working on a chicken coop after a hard day at work is a good way of unwinding and releasing stress.

Keeping hens in the city gives the kids an opportunity to learn important life lessons such as the value of hard work and responsibility. It also brings the family together in that they have a common activity, it gives a sense of accomplishment and it teaches everybody, especially kids, valuable skills such as how to use different tools, how to market farm produce, etc.

Steps in Raising Chickens in the City

When you want to start raising city chickens, the first step should be checking the laws and regulations. This is because different city councils have different rules. You should visit the local council office for such information.

You should also check the building regulations on keeping chickens. Even if the city allows people to keep chickens and your building or home has no restriction, you should always check with your neighbors to avoid problems such as being sued for noise pollution, the structure being an eyesore or foul odor. You will also be able to incorporate their views and demands in the plan of your chicken coop.

After getting the go ahead from all the relevant authorities, proceed to build the chicken coop. The size should be determined by the number of chickens you want to keep, future expansion plans, the rules and regulations, the demands and views of the neighbors and your personal preferences.

Most cities have rules touching on chicken coop structures. These laws stipulate that the coops should have aesthetic value.

For cleaning ease, the chicken coop should be inclined at an angle and have large windows for ventilation and natural lighting because in most cases, it will be impossible to construct a chicken run due to limited space. The structure should also be secure enough to protect the chickens from predators and thieves.

After Building the Coop, then What?

After putting up a structure, determine the breed you want to keep and buy the chicks from a reputable chicken farm. Grown chickens are also available in most farms, but chicks are less expensive.

The decision on what breed to go for should be informed by the following:

1.    Reason for raising city chickens, for meat or for eggs,
2.    Amount of chicken feed consumed,
3.    Climatic conditions in the city, etc.

Tip and Advice

When purchasing the chicks, you should make sure they are immunized against diseases such as Newcastle disease.

To begin with, the enclosure, also known as the chicken run, should be made from a wire mash that should run about a foot underground to protect the chickens from animals that might burrow their way into the chicken run.

The top should ideally be covered to protect the chickens from hawks, owls and other aerial predators and to prevent the intrusion of birds that may compete for food. Although there are some deviations from what the birds may do in their natural settings, such as you picking the eggs and housing them in a chicken coop in the evening, the setting should be as natural as possible. If possible, the chickens should even lay their eggs outside.

The benefits of keeping free range chickens

One benefit of raising chickens free range is that they produce organic eggs and meat. Research has shown that organic foods have many health benefits. There are no harmful chemical substances in these foods and the poultry products are tastier because the chickens live how they are supposed to live. Free range chickens diet comprises of whole grains or pre-mixed organic feeds, which are not genetically, modified GMO foods. Organic foods fetch more money and so if you are into chicken keeping for commercial purposes, you will not go wrong by rearing them free range.

Other important benefits are that you do not need to care for the animals as much as those in the chicken coops. All they need is a water source, but you may need to provide some chicken feed if what nature provides is not enough. You will not need to clean the chicken coop regularly and there is no need for an elaborate chicken coop because all they need is a place to sleep. Chicken coops, the ones constructed from recycled materials can cost as much as $300 and they take a lot of time and effort to construct.

Some advantages of using the free range system to raise chickens include:

• Raising chickens on free range system leads to better yields and productivity

• The chickens will feed on bugs and so they can act as natural pest control

• The free range system is most suited for areas where there are lots of insects such as grasshoppers and bugs. These make a tasty treat for the chickens.

• Free range chickens make great pets. After a hard day at work, caring for your free range chickens gives you a chance to unwind.

• Another benefit of keeping free range chickens is that they give the family a chance to bond in that they will have something in common.

• The children are taught important life lessons such as responsibility and the value of hard work and they are able to learn important skills such as how to market farm produce, how to care for animals and save money

Pure Breeds versus Hybrids

Before you start raising these chickens, you must understand what they are and what they require. Bantam chickens are breeds that were among the first breeds of chickens to be domesticated. These chickens are small and they have unique features. Although there has been a lot of interbreeding, it is still possible to find pure breeds of bantam chickens.

The crossbreeding is carried out to produce superior breeds. The superior breeds are more resistant to harsh environment, disease, they lay eggs of a certain color, size, can withstand harsh weather conditions, etc. For this reason, it is important to find out if what you have is a pure breed or a hybrid.

What is Your Objective for Rearing Birds?

If you want to keep chickens as pets, then bantam chickens are a good idea. However, if you want chickens for commercial purposes, meaning chickens for their meat or eggs, you should consider getting other breeds because bantams are very small whereas you get paid depending on the weight of the chicken meat and they usually produce very small eggs due to their small size.

However, bantam chickens can take care of themselves better than other breeds of chickens in terms of looking for their own food – this is important when you want to keep free range chickens and you do not spend a lot of time at home because of work or other reasons. Bantam chickens are also important when you want to use chickens as natural pest control because they are very resourceful in catching bugs. They are also valuable in areas that have grasshopper problems.

Good Husbandry

Bantam chickens always need to be clean and they usually fill the waterer with dirt very quickly because they are very curious. For this reason, you should always give them a fresh supply of water. They are small birds and you should build the chicken coop in such a way that they will not have difficulties in reaching the food, water or moving to different places in the coop.

The alternative is to build a waterer in such a way that it is difficult for them to fill it with dirt. Bantam chickens do not have a thick cover of feathers and so you should protect them from extreme weather conditions such as extreme heat, extreme cold, snow, etc. This means their chicken coops should be weather proof and you should even think of artificial heat sources and/or artificial ventilation.

Protection from Predators

An important consideration when raising bantam chickens is the threat of predators. They are especially at risk because of their small size and their curious manner. You should surround the chicken run with a wire mesh perimeter fence that runs about a foot underground to prevent attacks from predators such as snakes and raccoons and you should consider a wire mesh on top to protect the chickens from hawks, owls and other aerial predators.

It is important to know what breed of chicken to keep in what area as some are tolerant to some climates while others are not. It has been noted that chicken can be easily conditioned to certain circumstances e.g. if you condition them to feeding at particular times and at a particular place, they will always avail themselves at the place at the very particular time. In this situation, it is easy to mix with them in your environment without interfering with your regular activities as long as you give them the little attention they may demand from time to time.

Chicken in a free-range system can some times wonder into strange territory causing conflicts in the neighborhood. Although some people may decide to put up fences to prevent the hens from straying they are usually surprised to discover that the chicken still managed to get through the fence. It is important for such individuals to know that chicken fly just like any other bird and thus may be capable of flying over the set up wall. To prevent this it is advisable to get hold of the hens and proceed to clip the end of their fore most feathers. This will hold them back when they try to take off.

Feeding

Many people assume that chickens will eat any thing especially in a free-range set up; this may be true although it is also important to know that some foods such as avocados are high in acidity and may cause death to your chicken it is therefore advisable to try to keep such food away from your birds.

Roosters

Roosters fight territorial wars and can prove very difficult to keep together. Some people have nonetheless discovered that two strange roosters may fight to death however, they have also come to realize that roosters who have grown together or in view of each other do not carry this rivalry too far and one usually surrenders making the dispute less disastrous. It would therefore be very advisable to avoid introducing new grown roosters into new territories to avoid such inconveniences. Another point worth noting is the fact that chicken can lay eggs without the presence of a rooster as long as you do not need fertilized eggs. On this point, you can therefore decide to avoid keeping roosters totally, if you do not need fertilized eggs and you do not like roosters either because of their loudness or for the reason that they keep fighting as they struggle for control.

Newcastle disease is probably the most common of all chicken diseases and it is highly infectious and deadly. To keep the disease at bay, all newly hatched chicks should be vaccinated against this disease. It is worth noting that the disease has no cure. Prevention is the only option.

Coccidiosis is another common disease that mostly affects young chicks. The disease is highly contagious. The disease arises due to poor housing conditions, mainly due to excess moisture in the coop. The best way of preventing a coccidiosis epidemic is by keeping the chicken coop clean, dry and well ventilated. Incase of an outbreak, quarantine the sick hens and use drugs to contain the spread. Bloody chicken droppings are a good indication of this disease.

Mycoplasma infection is also one of the more common chicken diseases. The disease affects the respiratory system. The disease is characterized by foul odor emitted by the sick hens, coughing as well as sneezing.

Botulism is another disease caused by poor hygiene and poor housing conditions. Toxins produced by a bacteria known as Clostridium Botulinum cause the disease, this bacteria thrives under humid and hot conditions. To help protect your chickens from this disease, always keep the chicken coop dry and provide some form of cooling when the weather is too hot.

Caged layer fatigue is a common chicken disease that affects layers. The disease is caused by a lack of calcium. Symptoms include tiredness, weakness and inexplicable breakage of bones.
Scaly leg disease is also common. It is caused by parasites under the feet of the chickens. To tell if a chicken has scaly leg, check for scales that are rougher and harder than usual on the chicken legs.

Why Take Precautions?

Prevention is better than cure this is true when it comes to chicken diseases because the diseases spread very fast and some of the diseases such as Newcastle disease are untreatable.

Preventing diseases is also cheaper because you will not have to spend money on meds and vet charges.

You should vaccinate the chicks at birth since most farms selling them offer the service at subsidized rates.

Signs of a healthy bird

To prevent these diseases, you should be able to spot a healthy chicken from a sick one.

• The comb should be the correct size and color,
• The eyes should be bright and clear, the gait of the chicken should be upright and alert,
• The feathers should be smooth and shiny and in the right place,
• The tail should be in its proper place,
• The legs should not be too scaly,
• The droppings should be dark with a white tip,

More tips

Apart from the physical appearance, you can also tell healthy chickens from sick ones by considering their behavior. You should make sure the chicken is calm and contented, but not silent, it should feed and drink normally, it should not lay an egg if it is too young or too old, it should move around, it should dust bathe and sunbathe regularly and there should be mock fighting in the younger chicks among other considerations.