On other occasions we have talked about chicken farming, today we return to the topic to give you the 10 keys that you need to know to start in the world of chickens, giving answers to the main questions we could ask ourselves.
1. Is water very important for chickens?
Fundamental, in times of heat they can consume up to half a liter of water a day.
You must have a drinking fountain in which the chickens cannot get in to avoid infections, and the water must always be clean.
In case of a lack of water, they would stop laying eggs immediately.
2. How should the feeder be?
A feeder must be large enough so that all hens can eat, and be placed so that the food cannot be contaminated with the activity of the chickens themselves.
3. What food should I provide?
If we have an orchard or space for it, it would be ideal if the hens could walk free looking for insects, plants or seeds to eat.
It is also convenient to throw whole grains through the pen to peck and supplement their diet with a mixture of cereals in their trough, so they can eat until they meet their needs.
4. At what age do they start laying eggs? How long does a chicken live?
From 5 or 6 months of age, a hen should start laying eggs, reaching the maximum of laying at 2 years, thereafter the production of eggs begins to decline gradually.
A chicken can live for about 15 years, but it will always depend on the conditions in which it is found.
5. Is a rooster needed for the chicken to lay eggs?
No, the only difference is that if they have rooster the eggs they produce will be fertile, and a chick could be born if it were incubated.
6. What do I do with the eggs I collect and how should I keep them?
The eggs you collect will be generally clean.
In case they are slightly dirty, you can dry-clean them.
It is not necessary to acquire the habit of rinsing the eggs that we collect since they eliminate the cuticle that helps preserve its freshness.
Store in the fridge, in a clean egg cup, and with the most pointed part down.
7. How do you know if an egg is good or bad?
Before opening it, we place it in a container with cold and clean water, those in poor condition will float.
When it is opened, if it is fresh, the yolk will stand out rounded above the white.
If it is old it will look almost at the same height as the white, and if it is bad we will not distinguish the yolk.
8. Do chickens need a lot of light?
In order for the hens to lay eggs, they must have at least 14 hours of sunshine daily, so it is important to orient the chicken coop towards the south.
9. How do chickens sleep?
They will need to have hangers at different heights high in the chicken coop so they can sleep.
Separate the hangers from the laying or nest area.
10. Can we use the compost of the hens for our garden?
The chicken manure, obtained from the excrement of laying hens, is the organic fertilizer that provides more nutrients to the plants since it is rich in minerals and proteins.
However, because it contains a lot of nitrogen, it should be previously mixed with plant debris, and manure from other animals, to obtain a high-quality compost.
In addition, you already know that in Planeta Huerto we invite you to have chickens at home and we have everything you need for it, with these products we will help you to make your chickens in the best conditions.