How NOT to Chicken Farm
The Cardinal Rule of chicken farming? Don't get more chickens than you can care for!
If you buy too many chickens for the amount of time/money/energy/space you have, chances are they are not going to flourish- and could actually get sick, or in some drastic cases, the outcome may be even worse.
For example, imagine you don't have the correct watering system, or your waterer is too small for your flock -- or, you live in the Northwest where summers are hot and chickens need water.
No matter the manner, without water, chickens, like people, cannot survive.
Going too Big, Too Fast
Chickens can also get sick if you go too big, too fast. And when that happens, it happens slowly and you might not catch it at first- Imagine your life as a chicken.
If there is not enough space for the pursuit of life, liberty and the decent meal worm, you will soon be up to your eye balls in feces and fouled water and this is the perfect breeding ground for disease and/or parasites and that will change your flock for the worse. Don't let that happen! Plan for your coop!
Another reason you need to be careful when going to chicken crazy in the beginning? When chickens live in quarters that are too tight, they will peck each other- and in some cases, even go so far as to cannibalize members of the flock.
No one wants a zombie chicken, so follow this rule: On average, a flock of 3 chickens, if adequately fed and cared for will produce ~2 eggs a day. Plan for your flock!
Hypothermia Happens when Chicken Farming
Want to know other way new chicken farmers turn their flocks into carryout? They select the wrong lamp, no lamp or put the right lamp too close to your flock. (You can keep them warm without electricity as well, this is how.)Â In each of these situations, this is your result:
- Your chicken's feet turn black with frostbite, they develop gangrene and then you're looking at a long, winding road to recovery.
- Ibid... means, "See above."
- This is perhaps one of the most likely ways a beginning chicken farmer will kill their chicks. If you place your brood lamp or heat lamp too close to your flock they will overheat. Don't do that. Make sure there is room for your chicks to move around in their new brood bin. They will self-select the right temperature, and you will have a great start to a new flock!
Why Build your Chicken Coop on the Ground?
Chickens are ripe prey for many animals including fox, feral cats, raccoons, stray dogs, coyotes and many more predatory animals.
If you build it directly on the ground, predators will burrow under the lip and you will spend countless days trying to "proof" your coop, only to find you are still losing chickens.
If you want a sure-fire way to becoming an unsuccessful chicken farmer, building your coop on the ground would be a great place to start.
Don't do this.
An easy way to address the majority of these furry terrors is to build your chicken coop OFF THE GROUND. A chicken coop that is off the ground will greatly improve your chances of keeping your chickens in the coop, and the pesky predators out.
Chicken Coop versus Bear: A Final Note
Not all predators are created equal, for example, bears. Bears certainly present a different set of concerns then say, your neighbor's cat.
Bear proofing certainly takes a different approach than your typical feral cat. Our idea? Try a Gallagher electric fence.
Do you have any bear proofing tactics? Make sure to let us know by using the form below... or use it to ask us any questions you have and we'll work to get back to you within 24 hours.