advice for getting started & diagnosing problems

Poultry Keeper’s Guide

Includes pictures from Garden Poultry

Keeping Poultry is quite simple as long as certain guidelines are followed.

Drainage

Site your pen in the driest part of the garden you could give to your chickens.

Shelter

On hot summer days, and windswept wintery conditions, chickens benefit from the shade, and cover of trees or shrubs.

Vegatation

The pen, wherever possible, should be covered in vegatation. i.e grass

Pen size

In order to maintain grass within your pen, you should allow 80 sq ft/ bird. A pen 20ftx40ft would be sufficient for 10 birds.

Preparing the pen.

Firstly, mark out the size, and boundaries of the pen. This can be done with string. For a 10 bird pen 40x20, you will need 10 8ft posts (Knocked in less than 10ft apart) 2 3in square posts(8ft length). 1 pen gate, 2 lbs staples, 1 roll of 6ft(1 in guage) chicken wire. Mark out where the posts are to be sited, and where the gate is situated. Knock the first square post in, hinging the gate, and subsequently knocking the other post in. Fix the latch .Knock all the posts in 2ft into the ground. Dig a 6in trench in line with the front side of the posts. Attach the wire with the staples. Fill the trench. Alternatively, you may wish to employ someone else to save you all the work.

Poultry pens are ideally suited to planting shrubs, groundcover, and small trees. Strong, vigorous shrubs are best.

Climbers can be used to flank the wire netting, but could weigh the netting down after establishment.

The practise of keeping poultry in orchards is well remembered, and the use of flexible, movable electric netting is recommended.

Housing for poultry

The main issues are as follows.

* Good waterproofing qualities

* Considerable ventilation. If possible adjustable.

* Practical for egg collection and cleaning out.

* Suitable perching and nests.

These features are essential to keep healthy stock, and avoid a cumbersome design. Floor area requirements are 1 1/2sq ft per bird. Perching is 2in in diameter. The use of a slatted area in front of the shed is to be recommended.

It is a good idea to design your pen such that you will never need to move the shed. A solid base such as concrete blocks will help preserve the shed.

Face the shed in such a way as to prevent the prevailing breeze from blowing straight through the ventilation.

Many designs have found favour with poultry keepers, but a substantial house, with better ventilation and accessibility is a more practical choice.

Which Breed is best?

Whilst practical considerations are important, choice of breed must reflect personal preferences. Rhode Island Red, Light Sussex, White Leghorn, for example, should all be excellent layers. In fact, many breeds can be satisfactory layers if bred for that purpose.

Many examples of familiar or desirable breeds may not posess the characteristics one would expect. The purchaser is urged to be discriminating about the quality of birds they buy. This discrimination will be an enormous aid to serious breed conservation.

Pure breeds and first crosses are available from most breeders from day old to point of lay. Remember that for free range rearing, day olds are not available till after Christmas, and POL in late Spring until late Autumn.

Many different exotic and ornamental fowl may be seen at a poultry show. Details may be obtained from The Poultry Club of Great Britain.

Utility breeding is the practise of breeding and selecting for characteristics pertaining to a particular purpose. This involves trying to standardize and improve factors such as egg size, colour, numbers etc..

Because traditional breeds are not widely used commercialy, few utility breeders exist. Their stock is often remarkably practical for backyard poultry keeping, hardy, and long lived.

Looking after Hens

Hens need to be cleaned out at least every 3 weeks. If the litter becomes damp, and forms a mat quite quickly, it may be necessary to clean them out every week. The best litter to use is dust extracted shavings with a very thin sprinkling of straw mixed in. Allow 2-3in shavings. An adequate feeder need only be filled every 4 days. As a rough guide 8 birds need a 7kg feeder. The feeder must be slightly raised above the litter on blocks. Try to find a feeder design with a grill over the pan to prevent flicking the feed out. Place the drinker outside at all times. Mite powder must be sprinkled in the litter every 6 weeks. Most powders are suitable for many animals. The best way of ensuring that chickens always have perfect health is to purchase birds that have always had perfect health. Vet the parents they came from. Disinfect the poultry house, feeder, and drinker every 3 months with household disinfectant. To prevent puddles around sheds, or if the pen becomes muddy, put down chipped bark.

Hens will sometimes stop laying and go broody. Keep up daily egg collection. If birds begin moulting in late Summer/ early Autumn do not be allarmed. This is a natural process, and the hens will begin laying shortly afterwards.

Vermin should be controlled, as they can carry problems to your poultry. Multi vermin boxes are hygenic, safe, and effective.

Wing clipping is normally not required unless your birds have to small an area, or they are yet to begin laying. One wing is clipped to 2-3 inches from the outer tips.

During the winter months it is possible to encourage laying in hens(although pullets(1st year) will normally lay in any case) by the use of artificial light in the hen house. An additional 4 hours will not unduly effect the hens in any other way.

Should I keep a Cockeral ?

Although they create quite a display, they may not help neighbourly relations, and can attack. They also make quite a mess of your hens due to excessive mating. Often, people offer trios or pairs(1 male, 2 females ; 1 male, 1 female) Do not let this tempt you to buy a cock you otherwise would’nt.

Brooding chicks, rearing growers

Rearing chicks from day old is relatively easy. A heat source(100w ir bulb) suspended over a box, and feeders and drinkers as shown in the diagram.

Once they are fully feathered(6 wks) they are ready to go outside in a small shed.They need no special attention, and it is very enjoyable to see them flourish from tiny chicks to adult pullets. Sexed day old chicks are possibly best , as there will be no cockerals to dispose of.

Hens will live for 4-7 years. Replacements need to be reared seperately and join the flock at 20 wks.

If you have any further questions or problems do be sure to seek advice from Lisa .

Tel 01928 787979