slugs and snails<\/a> and weeds, while providing natural\r\nfertilizer for your garden. Be aware, however, that their foraging isn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t\r\nlimited to the plants you don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t like, so protect your garden and flower beds\r\nwith fencing. Be sure to maintain your fences throughout the year to keep your\r\nbirds safe from predators and also from wandering tendencies. <\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nAn essential addition to any chicken-friendly back yard is a\r\ndust bath, which can help to prevent external parasites such as mites and lice.\r\nAn easy way to create one is to find a container at least 12″ deep,\r\n15″ wide and 24″ long and fill it with an equal blend of sand, wood\r\nash and natural soil. Your chickens will be in dirt-bath heaven! <\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Your first eggs \u00e2\u20ac\u201c 18 weeks<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Many people new to keeping chickens don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t realise that a\r\nrooster is not necessary for egg production. So, if you (and your neighbours) would\r\nlike a quieter life, consider keeping your flock rooster free!<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Over the lifetime of your hens, you can expect each bird to\r\nlay approximately 580 eggs, with up to 250 eggs per year laid during her most productive\r\nyears. Good nesting boxes are essential, with at least one 1-foot cube nest box\r\nlocated up off the floor for every four hens, lined with a thick layer of straw\r\nor other bedding to cushion the eggs and keep them clean and unbroken. <\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Once your hens have reached egg laying age they will not\r\nonly provide you with hours of fun and entertainment, but will also hopefully\r\nprovide a plentiful supply of delicious fresh eggs. From here you will need to\r\nensure their continued good health with a constant supply of fresh water, good\r\nnutrition, a clean environment and good health care practices. <\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
If you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re already underway on your backyard chicken journey,\r\nwhat has been your favorite thing about raising chickens so far? And what have you\r\nfound most challenging? Please do share your experiences in the comments below.\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
In our next article we look at how to keep your hens happy\r\nand healthy. <\/p>\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
So, you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve decided to raise chickens. You know what you want out of your new venture, considered how much space you have for your hens and confirmed that you will be abiding by local laws. The next step on your journey as a back-yard chicken carer is to make sure you have all your new […]\n","protected":false},"author":39,"featured_media":9604,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[113,81],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7667","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-avian-health","category-natural-pet-health"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
Raising chickens \u00e2\u20ac\u201c the crucial steps to healthy flock - HomeoPet UK<\/title>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\t \n\t \n\t \n \n \n\t \n\t \n\t \n