Keeping Chickens - A Poultry Guide
Owning chickens can be great fun and very rewarding too. They are incredibly easy to look after, don’t take up much room and give you a tasty breakfast every morning. How to get started, find out what is involved and what you will need!
(PRWEB) September 15, 2010
Before you start, you’ll need to choose which poultry breed or breeds you would like to keep. You need to decide whether you want them just for eggs or for meat as well. There are lots of different breeds to choose from, but the best kind for the first - time owner looking for a pet and a few eggs, is one of the hybrid breeds. These have been bred to be ‘human-friendly’ and to lay regularly – as much as one a day. A dual purpose bird lays eggs and is ideal for meat as well.
To get started, it is best to buy ‘point of lay’ (POL) chickens. They are around 16 weeks old and, as the name suggests, ready to start to lay. You should ask other local keepers for the name of a reputable poultry supplier. You could also check the noticeboard at your local Mole Valley Farmers or agricultural merchant, and the classified ads in your local paper. Rescue centres often have chickens that need rehoming and ex-battery hens make great pets. We stock poultry feed that is designed especially for ex-battery hens too.
If you speak to an enthusiastic poultry keeper, you will be given plenty of useful advice. They will be happy to explain the different breeds and the advantages of each. Once you have chosen your chickens, make sure that they have been vaccinated. Also, don’t forget to check whether or not they have had their wings clipped.
Even in small flocks, rearing chicks of your own will result in some young cockerels. Keeping more than one cockerel will usually mean fights (and a lot more noise!), so extra cockerels are often culled for meat or advertised locally. It is worth planning ahead before you start to breed your own chicks.
Many people keep chickens and other fowl purely for pleasure, some keep them for egg or meat production. Either way, there is a great deal of enjoyment to be had from seeing your birds happily scratching about.
Mole Valley Farmers is an excellent source of advice about everything from feeding and handling to housing and healthcare. We also offer a wide range of feeds and husbandry equipment, all at our famously low prices. Find out more now!
Http://www. molevalleyfarmers. com/mvf/info/smallholders/Poultry_Guide_Introduction (http://www. molevalleyfarmers. com/mvf/info/smallholders/Poultry_Guide_Introduction)
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