Thursday 21 March 2013

Pet Chickens

There are many distinct types of hens. The silky bantam hens are abundant layers - some even lay eggs with a pretty, light colored green shell. They make quiet, quaint pets with individual personality's for the children.

Other hens are larger and more robust and come in a variety of colors; black, brown, white or speckled. They all eat bugs, snails and slugs - good news if you are trying to slim down the number of these pests around the yard!



Did you know that hens are able to eat the Sydney funnel web spider without any ill affects? They make your yard a safer place to be and double as a pet for the children.

Chickens can be purchased as week old or over a week. You can buy them fully grown as well, but they make better pets when bought young. Make sure you buy from a reputable breeder who can tell what sex they are. The neighbors will not be pleased to be woken at dawn by a rooster crowing.

A young chicken will need to be kept inside where it will be safe and warm, until it grows older. A newspaper lined cardboard box with sawdust or straw in the bottom is fine. A day old chicken will benefit from the extra warmth of a pretend mother. To make one of these, push many strips of fabric through a strong piece of cardboard and hang it so it dangles to the floor of the box. This would be a good project for the kids. Chicky will run straight into it and be perfectly content. Alternatively, you could use a new mop head.

To make a drinking trough that the chicken will not drown in or tip over, take an empty tin can and hammer a hole through each side just under the rim. Fill with water and place a saucer over it. Invert the whole quickly and you will see that water trickles out of the holes, but stops when the level rises to the rim of the saucer. It's a fascinating experiment for the children. Another tin to hold the special chicken growing mash is all you will need. Of course, keep the bottom of the box clean and dry.

When the chicken is grown up, change the food to laying pellets and gradually introduce chopped kitchen scraps. It will eat what it wants and leave the rest to be castaway with the soiled sawdust. If you have a garden, this is excellent fertilizer.

The hen will need a warm, dry place to live outside. An old coop is fine, but it's not much trouble to hammer in some stakes and wrap wire mesh around them. This will keep the hen safe from stray dogs while you are away. If it flies out, cut the long wing feathers back to about half, on one wing only. This will not hurt the hen, but will stop it from flying.

Remember that a hen is actually a bird and it is natural for birds to roost in trees. Make a perch for your hen by poking an old broom handle through the mesh of its cage under the roof, but about 3 feet from the ground. Check on whether your hen is actually roosting. Some hens need to be taught. Dusk is the right time to gently pick up the hen and place it on the perch. It will soon understand what it is supposed to do.

A small drum, box or even a dog kennel filled with straw will make an ideal nest for your hen to lay eggs. If you use a larger dog house, it can double as a nest and a night shelter too, with the simple addition of the perch. Or if you have a garden shed, the hen will not mind sharing with a few rakes and spades. If you live in an area where the winters are cold, it will be best to keep your hen in the barn or shed.

As with any hobby, take your time, enjoy and learn along the way! Julie is a freelance writer that loves to share her insite and expierences. Visit her website at Chicken Pets





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