When you are preparing to raise chickens, there is some essential equipment that you need to obtain, before you will be ready for the chickens’ arrival. Adequate preparation is very important so that your chicks will have a safe, healthy environment to grow in. You can help your chicks to adapt to their new surroundings, and reduce their anxiety, by taking the necessary steps to ensure that they have everything that they will need.

You want to be sure that you obtain all of the equipment and supplies that will provide your chicks with a cozy, secure home. When you make every effort to provide your chicks with the best care possible, you will feel confident that you have raised them as healthy as possible. Here are some ideas to help you get started.

Food is needed to sustain all life. Different types of chickens will require different kinds of food. The bottom line, though, is to provide them with a “total” food. Your chickens will require food that contains fats, minerals, carbohydrates, and proteins, and vitamins are also beneficial, if this is within your budget. Organic and conventional, are the two types of feeds that can be purchased. Agricultural poultry stores, as well as online merchants, offer both of these options.

Your chicks will need a feeder and waterer. The feeder and waterer that you buy will need to be hung off of the ground. A minimum of a few inches clearance from the ground is recommended. By suspending the feeder and waterer off the ground, the chickens will not be able to jump up on it and contaminate the container with the feces that they have walked in. When you will be away for a few days, you can be confident that the automatic refill feature on your feeder and waterer, will ensure that your chickens are fed and hydrated. This takes the stress off of you.

Your chicks will need appropriate bedding. That’s right, even chicks need cozy, warm bedding that will ensure that they are satisfied and healthy. The ideal bedding for your chickens will be a clean stack of hay, recycled newspapers, or, for added luxury, poultry stores and online merchants offer bedding designed for chickens.

Your chickens will be most comfortable with bedding arranged inside their coop, where they can enjoy the cushioned surface. You will also find that the bedding provides the added advantage of absorbing and controlling droppings and odor. This will keep your chicken coop smelling much fresher. The soft bedding also provides a cushion so that the eggs your chickens lay, will be protected from cracking.

You have several types of bedding to choose from. When you make your bedding selection, you will want to be sure that it absorbs droppings and odor effectively, and is a minimum of two inches thick.

Have you noticed that your chickens are making a mess in the dirt, by digging out a hole? This means that your chickens are dust bathing! Dust bathing is a favorite pass time for chickens. Although the chickens enjoy this activity, a dust bath is, in reality, a way to prevent parasites and other creatures from taking up residence in their feathers and legs. For this reason, you should provide your chickens with areas appropriate for dust baths.

The best areas for dust baths are dry spots of fresh ground in the chicken run. You may need to purchase a manufactured dust bath from an agricultural store, if you chicken pen has a cement floor.

It’s also a good idea to build a chicken coop to house them and protect them. Once you do that then you’re all set to raise your own chickens.

Author Bio: For more information on how to properly build a chicken coop, go to http://www.easilybuildachickencoop.com/.

Category: Family Concerns
Keywords: how to properly build a chicken coop, raising chickens