What Not To Feed Your Chickens

Hey Chicken Raising Chicks,

Today I am going to share with you what foods to that you should not feed your chickens. Some of these may be surprising but they are true.

We (before finding this list) have feed our chickens several of the foods on here. Thankfully, it wasn't a large quantity, but still, it wasn't good for them. We want our chickens to be as healthy as possible, so we try and keep them happy with foods that are safe to eat.

      Apple seeds

 Apricots 

      Artichokes 

   Avocados

           Balsam Apple 

        Balsam Pear 

      Buckwheat 

Catcus

 Cherries

Chives

      Chocolate 

   Clovers 

         Dried Beans

    Eggplant

      Fast Food 

Flax

             Flower seeds

 Garlic 

Holly

    Ivy 

   Jasmine

         Junk Food  

Kale

Leeks

         Lima Beans

    Mistletoe

           Moldy Foods 

        Mushrooms 

     Mustard    

    Oleander

Onions 

Oranges

Parsnip

Peaches
Peanuts

Peppers 

Plums    

Potatoes

Raw meat

Rhubarb

Rotten or spoiled foods

Sage

Soybeans

Sugar beet

Sunflower

 Tomatoes

These are very odd things and when I read these I was very surprised. As I said, we have fed our chickens many of these foods, especially the vegetables.

Please be on the lookout for my next post What Your Chickens Can Eat. And remember, if your chickens eat something on this list by mistake, or you have fed it to them before, don't worry. It isn't good for them and we need to try to keep their diets as safe as possible, but in small quantities, it isn't the end of the world either.

Well thanks for stopping by and hope ya'll will come back soon,

Thanks-

Beginning With Chicks Series: Putting Your Chickens Outside

Hey Chicken Raising Chicks,

This is the fifth and last post in our series Beginning With Chicks. If you have missed any of the posts and would like to read them here is our series announcement which contains links for all of the previous posts in the series.

http://chickenraisingchicks.blogspot.com/2013/07/new-blog-series-beginning-with-chicks_30.html

Most people wonder when to put there chicks outside. Well, I'd like to answer to that question.

When they begin feathering out or at 6 weeks.

 Here is also some tips on putting them outside.

1. If  it is cold outside can they still stay out?

Not a good idea. They are still chicks they will get too cold and could possibly die.

If you already got rid of the brooder you had them in you can get a heat lamp and put it over the cage, but it is best to bring them inside.

2. When will chickens start laying?

It will vary by breed, but most chickens start to lay at about 5-6 Months.Some chickens will not lay eggs in their nesting boxes, they will lay eggs in the coop or yard.Our chickens did that at first but we taught them to lay in the nesting boxes. The best way to do that is to put a golf ball or plastic Easter egg in the nesting box. The chickens will think it is one of their own eggs and they will start to lay next to it. Once they have gotten the idea you can remove the golf ball.

3. Bedding can be added.

 Bedding can be added to reduce smell. But if the bedding gets wet you have to  get it out or it will smell worse.

4. How much space does a chicken need?

 Each chicken needs about 3-4 square feet. Chickens need to run around. If they are crowded the coop will begin to smell.

5. How old do chickens need to be to eat adult chicken food?

They need to be 18-20 weeks old. If they are any younger it can make them very sick and even possibly kill them.

6. Keeping your pen predator proof.

 Most people have trouble with predators killing their chickens.

If you have any bricks you can place them around the bottom of the coop. Make sure that if there is chicken wire on your coop it is small enough and that there are no holes anywhere. Raccoon's are very good at finding a hole and pulling the chicken wire big enough to climb inside.

Now you can put your chicks outside safely,

Thanks-

 

Beginning With Chicks Series: Picking Up Your Chicks

Hey Chicken Raising Chicks!

Today's post is the third part of our five part Beginning with Chicks Series. If you would like to read more of the series, please visit the series announcement post for the full list of links.

http://chickenraisingchicks.blogspot.com/2013/07/new-blog-series-beginning-with-chicks_30.html

Today I will be talking about bringing your chicks home.

Either you will get them in the mail or you will pick them up. We will first start with getting them in the mail. I may  need to inform some parents that  if you get them in the mail you might not want to open the box with small kids around, because in the delivery some may have died and seeing this may upset some children.

Okay so lets get started.

1. Going to get your chicks from the post office.

Make sure that your chicken pen is ready for the chicks. The chicks need a warm place ready when they get to their new home. Make sure the chicks have water and nice clean bedding. The chicks may be thirsty they have gone a long way without water. Okay now if everything is good you can go and get your new family members!

2. Going to get your chickens from the store.

Okay same with getting your chicks in the mail before you leave make sure that their pen is ready. This includes water, feed, bedding, and a heat lamp. Without these things your chicks will die. Also take some water and feed with you. Whenever we go to get our chicks we take water and feed and they always seem  hungry and thirsty. Also the pet store may give you a box but you may want to take one just in case they don't.

Now you can go and get your chicks. Good luck!

Bye,

5 Tips On Keeping Your Chickens Healthy and Happy

Hey Chicken raising chicks,

Here are five tips on how to keep your chickens healthy and happy.

1. Keep your chicken coop clean.

 Chickens love when there coop is clean. They can run around more.  Their food and water has to be clean as well.

2. Let your chickens run around.

If you keep your chickens in a pen you need to let in run around out of the pen.
About a couple of hours for about three times a week.

3. Use bedding.

If your chicken coop has nesting boxes then in it it needs some soft grass, hay or bedding. This will keep your chickens happy and comfortable.

4. Treats

Chickens love feed but they also enjoy little leftovers. We feed our chickens left over corn, beans, and other vegetables.

5. Feed them bugs!

Have a bug problem in your garden or yard feed them to your chickens. Chickens love bugs especially  worms. We have tons of grub worms and the chickens just love them!

                               Now your chickens should be healthy and happy!  Thanks -

                                               

Happy Fourth of July

Hello Chicken Raising Chicks!

We just wanted to wish ya'll a Happy 4th!

Keep safe and have fun!

Ways to Keep Your Chicken Coop Clean and Fresh

Hey Chicken Raising Chicks,

Today I would like to share with you how to keep your chicken coop smelling better.
I know that most chicken raising people have trouble keeping there chicken coop smelling good.

Photo courtesy of HGTV

So here is what ya'll need to do!

1. Clean up your coop and get all there feathers out.

2. If the chicken coop comes apart take the pieces and then get your water hose and spray them off. (It is best if you leave them to dry in the sun)

3. Get wood shavings or hay from your local feed store. These help keep it looking nice and smelling fresh.

4. Make sure that there are not holes or anything that will allow water into where they sleep.

5. After chicken coop dries put it back together and put wood shavings or hay into the coop.

6. Put fresh water and feed into the coop feeders. If water gets moldy it will begin to smell bad.

 Your chickens will love their clean and fresh smelling home and you will too. 

                       
                                                                                     

Raising Chicks Grows More Popular

Hello Chicken Raising Chicks!

Today I am featuring an article fom Mother Earth News called....

Raising Chickens Grows More Popular as More People Seek Sustainable Food

"As the popularity of chicken ownership continues to increase across the country, more families are taking control of what they put on the dinner table by raising poultry as a fun and educational family activity, or even as a small business opportunity in support of the local food movement. Whatever the reason, to make your experience of owning chickens the best it can be, it's a must to arm yourself with all you need to know to successfully own and raise healthy, productive chickens.

The first consideration to address, if applicable, is determining whether residential zoning ordinances allow chickens, backyard coops or chicken houses. Residents should check with their municipality's zoning board for relevant codes and to see if approval is needed before structures are erected. When applicable, check neighborhood homeowner associations as well.

Once conditions of ownership are understood, expert advice and information from the seasoned professionals at Tractor Supply Company can help potential chicken owners start successfully by setting expectations and removing doubt caused by myths and misperceptions.

“One of our main questions was how much noise a flock of chickens would make and how it could affect our family as well as our neighbors,” said Danielle Newman of Livermore, Calif., who has been raising chickens with her family for the past seven years. “We asked the store manager at our local Tractor Supply and were told that since we had no plans to own a rooster, the noise would not be an issue, and it certainly hasn’t been at all.”

In fact, hens are fairly quiet. And roosters are not necessary for hens to lay eggs for consumption. Hens will let out a brief squawk to show off a new egg or if they become distressed. Otherwise, the noise from a hen is almost nonexistent.

Another common myth about raising chickens centers on the smell created by a small flock. In reality, chickens create no more odor than any other household pet.

“We’ve found that smell isn’t an issue in the least,” said Jenn Butt of Ruckersville, Va., a chicken owner for nine months. “We clean the coop regularly, and we really like having the compost for fertilizer. Honestly, the compost was a surprise bonus we weren’t expecting. We saw fantastic results in our garden and flower beds.”

Keep reading: http://www.motherearthnews.com/biz-bulletins/raising-chickens-tractor-supply.aspx#ixzz2NCQnS4GT

Hello Chicken Raising Chicks!

Hello Chicken Raising Chicks!


This is Cassandra and Miranda Hart on our new adventure in the land of blogging!


Cassandra says: "Hello and welcome!

Miranda and I have started a new blog together. This blog is about all things chickens.

You may recognize the name, as when Miranda first started out her blog name was "Chicken Raising Chick", but she later decided that she would rather run a craft blog. However, when we deleted Chicken Raising Chick, we found out that people were searching for it. So Miranda decided to start it back up, this time with me, her sister.

I also thought an all-chicken blog would be a great idea, as I have had people ask me questions and express their desire to possibly begin raising chickens.

So this blog is for all those gals. All those who want to be (or already are) Chicken Raising Chicks. On this blog you will find: chicken raising tips, tutorials, funny stories, ideas, features from other blogs, and pretty much anything else we think will help you on your chicken raising journey.

If you have any questions, comments, or suggestians please feel free to email me at chickenraisingchicks.cassandra@gmail.com

Thanks for visiting us and please come back soon to hear more."

Miranda says: "Hi this is me, Miranda!

Thanks for coming to our blog. I hope ya'll gals will enjoy it.

I can't wait to share some of our chicken raising adventures with you. In the future I will feature articles from: Mother Earth News, Homestead Blessings, Grit Magazine, and other blogs that I will find along the way.

We hope to give ya'll easy, simple, ways to raise chickens.

Chickens are great pets and they're also moneysavers. They produce eggs which over time can be costly. Sometimes, chickens can be really stubborn and complicated, but in the end it is always worth the trouble."

We both thank ya'll so much for coming and can't wait to get some chicken raising tips on here right away!