Chicken Housing

							Chicken Housing
Run covered will keep chickens dry during wet
weather. Also helps to keep feed dry.

The chicken house portion is awful small for such a
large run though.
Nice way to keep just a few birds. Pen is easily picked
  up and moved allowing the birds fresh grazing each
  day and a cheap way to fertilize the lawn.
A twenty foot diameter pen made out of PVC
 pipe. A quick way to make a nice movable
 pen.
Good for 3 to 7 chickens. Especially for small breeds like
these Silkies.
Simple easy to build good for a few birds or
  raising chicks.
Don’t have to worry about letting the birds out every morning
  when the house is part of the pen. Just not as protected from
  the elements.
Movable pens are really handy!
Putting down
  vinyl flooring is
  really helpful!
Makes for easy
  cleaning and
  disinfecting.
Have old dog pen panels lying around?
Make good use of them for a chicken run.
Hoop House design
Backyard Poultry
   by Michelle Berri
Getting Started
                Housing
„   Space Requirements
    „ Roosts: 8-10 inches per bird
    „ Feeders: 1ft ever 6-8 birds

    „ Water: 1 gallon to every 12-15 birds
              daily
    „ Floor: 2-3ft per bird

    „ Nesting: 1 nest to every 5 hens
            Housing cont’d
„   Air Flow
    „   Windows
        „ Open to draw cross breeze may need
          added help from fan in summer
        „ Cover screens in wire

        „ Windows either tilt out or slide open
       Housing cont’d
„   Flooring
    „Concrete

    „Vinyl

    „Wood

    „Dirt
                 Pen/Run
„   Wire
    „ 1in poultry wire
    „ 2x4 welded wire

    „ Hardware cloth

„   Stop digging predators
    „ 1ft or wire under the ground around the pen
    „ Electric wire around the pen 8in from
      ground
            Pen/Run cont’d
„   Covered pen
    „ Keeps critters out and chickens in
    „ Wire types:

        „ Poultry wire
        „ Flight netting

        „ 2x4 welded wire
             Equipment
„   Water
    „ Water fountains for both
      chicks and adults
    „ Heater for the winter

    „ Scrubber (long handle helps)

    „ Bleach for occasional deep clean, sun
      dry afterwards.
        Equipment cont’d
„   Feed
    „ Trough
    „ Hanging

    „ Grit Hoper

    „ Oyster shell Hoper

    „ Bins (Raccoon proof)

    „ Keeping feed dry
Water Heater Base
         Equipment cont’d
„   Nest Boxes
    „   Pre-made
        „ Galvanized
        „ Wood

„   Roosts
    „   Wood: old broom handles, convenient
        branches, or 1x1 boards
Roost using tree branches
             Getting Birds
„   Chicks
    „ Local Feed store (usually order in the
      spring)
    „ Order from hatchery

    „ Local farmer

    „ Farmer’s Market

    „ Craig’s List
        Getting Birds cont’d
„ Youth 3-6 months old
„ Adult 6 months and older

    „ Local Farmer
    „ Farmer’s Market

    „ Craig’s List
                  Breeds
„   Egg Layers
    „ White: Leghorns
    „ Brown: Rocks, Rhode Island,

      Hampshire, Wyandotte, Orphington, etc.
    „ Chocolate: Welsummer, Maran,

       Barnevelder, & Pendesenca
    „ Blue/green: Americauna & Aracauna
                Breeds cont’d

„   Meat Birds
    „ Cornish cross
    „ Broilers

        „ 6 weeks till processing weight
        „ 3-4 lbs harvest weight
              Breeds cont’d
„   Fancy Breeds
    „   Bantams
         „ Bug control
         „ Pets

         „ Show birds

    „   Standard birds
         „ Show birds
         „ Breed preservation

         „ Eggs
Starting with Chicks
What Chicks “Must” Have
„   Temperature
    „   Draft free
    „   Start at 90-95 degrees and decrease by 5 degrees
        every week till 70 degrees.
    „   Heat bulb, Heat lamp, & Thermometer
„   Water
    „   Clean fresh water always available
    „   Keep litter out of water as much as possible
    „   Not deep enough chicks can drown
    What Chicks “Must” Have
            cont’d
„   Feed
    „   18-20% protein mash
    „   Starter given till 18-20 weeks old
    „   Keep feed manure free
              Chick Brooder
„   Raised wire
    „   Easily cleaned
    „   Do not build immunity to natural enzymes in
        manure
„   Shavings
    „   Hard to keep out of feed & water
    „   Build better immune system
    „   Keep litter clean to prevent coccidiosis
„   Protected
    „   Cats, Small children, Draft, etc.
        Pullets & Cockerels
„   3 months
    „ Can be moved outside weather
      permitting
    „ Protect from harsh elements

    „ Add scratch to diet

    „ Fully Feathered
               Start of Lay
„   6 months
    „ Start laying small eggs at first
    „ Layer Ration start at 18-20 weeks a
      16% ration
    „ Pellets vs. Mash

    „ 1 rooster to every 20 hens
          Feeding Adults
„   Scratch “filler feed”
    „ Encourages natural scratching behavior
    „ Cheaper then layer ration helps keep
      feed cost down
    „ Way to entertain birds and good way to
      round up the birds
    Feeding Adults cont’d
„   Oyster Shells
    „ Adds calcium to diet
    „ Already built into most layer rations

    „ Helps maintain thick egg shells

„   Grit
    „ Aids in digestion
    „ Also built into most layer rations

    „ Good for all ages hard to find chick size grit

    „ Not necessary for free roamers
    Feeding Adults cont’d
„   Corn
    „ Good for winter helps build body heat
    „ Can be used to replace scratch

„   Water
    „ 1 gallon to 12-15 hens daily
    „ Eggs r made up of 66% water
                      Acknowledgments
„   McMurray Hatchery
     „   www.mcmurrayhatchery.com

„   Ideal Poultry
     „   www.ideal-poultry.com

„   Feathersite
     „   feathersite.com

„   Chicken Tractor Gallery
     „   http://home.centurytel.net/thecitychicken/tractors.html

„   Housing
     „   http://www.thecozynest.com/hen_house.htm

„   Wells Poultry Housing and Equipment
     „   www.chicken-house.co.uk
                        Useful Sites
„   The Easy Chicken
     „   http://shilala.homestead.com/title.html

„   Feathersite
     „   feathersite.com

„   Chicken Encyclopedia
     „   http://www.geocities.com/kelliann293/soyoudetails.htm

„   Poultry Feed & Nutrition Help
     „   http://www.poultryhelp.com/link-feed.html

„   Chicken Feed: The World of Chickens
     „   http://www.lionsgrip.com/chickens.html