Chicken Care Sheet

GENERAL GUIDELINES – These are our general guidelines for keeping ducks, chickens, geese and quail. We recommend personal research is also done prior to the purchase of our poultry.

WHAT SUPPLIES DO I NEED FOR MY CHICKENS?

Feed

· Chick crumb (until four weeks old)

· Growers Pellets (for up until they are put on layers pellets at sixteen weeks)

· Layers Pellets/Mash (From sixteen weeks onwards)

· Oyster Shell and Grit (for growers onwards)

Treats

· Greens

· Peas

· Corn

o Treats should all be fed in moderation to ensure that your chickens eat enough of their core diet of pellets

Heat Lamps

· If you are purchasing chicks (from day old until six weeks) they will require a heat lamp.

Bedding

· The best bedding to use for chicks is a fine wood shaving.

· The best bedding for growers or point of lay chickens is straw or wood shavings.

Housing

· For chicks – a large box or rabbit hutch

· For growers and point of lay – a fox proof house/shed

o This should be well ventilated, dry and include perches dependent upon the breed.

Run

· A large run or fenced area with wind protection, some sun shade and safe from the fox.

· Some breeds of chickens can be good flyers so ensure your run is completely enclosed.

KEEPING CHICKENS

· Chickens will need to be let out of their coop early in the morning and provided with feed and fresh drinking water at all times.

· A tub of sand is advisable as chickens love to dust bathe and it is a great method of keeping the mites/lice away

o We also add diatomaceous earth for extra mite/lice prevention

· Keep the chicken coops clean to keep your hens as healthy as possible. We recommend a full clean with fresh bedding weekly.

· We also advise a weekly check of your hens to check their health – this includes looking at the colour of wattle and comb, checking for mites/lice, weight and feather condition.

· A wormer can be fed to the chickens every six months – always check the product for specifications.

· Chickens will require putting away in a fox proof house at dusk to keep them safe.

EGG PRODUCTION

· On average and with enough light source chickens will lay at approximately 18 weeks onwards

o Some breeds may lay later than this

· A light source can be used in the winter to keep your hens laying longer.