TEN COMMANDMENTS FOR RAISING HEALTHY CHICKENS (PART II)
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LEFT: This old type of wooden brooder uses a kerosene stove or an alcohol lamp in the inner compartment to heat the small pipes on top. Chicks rest directly below the pipe. CENTER: A factory-like atmosphere is typical of many commercial egg producers. RIGHT: Chicks are much safer in a round brooder, underneath ordinary heat lamps
Photos by the Author
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You can have your own thriving backyard poultry flock by following these . . .
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By Randy Kidd
Regular readers of this publication know that I often work up lists of "commandments" on the proper care and feeding of various barnyard critters. In the last issue (MOTHER NO. 67, page 96), I discussed the first five of my ten commandments for chicken care. These tips included information on choosing the specific variety of clucker that best suits your needs . . . building and maintaining a safe, sanitary shelter for the birds ... distinguishing a healthy chicken from one that's not... and understanding the seasonal — and biological — cycles of your flock.
In my opinion, the best way for a beginning poultry producer to get started is to buy a batch (usually 25) of day-old, straight-run, dual-purpose chicks. (For all those who missed the first part of this article, "straight-run" refers to the birds delivered direct from the shell, and not separated by sex. "Dual-purpose" means that they're both adequate egg producers and meat makers.)
VI. CODDLE THE YOUNGSTERS
Day-old chicks will do little more than eat, drink, and sleep during their first few weeks in this world. And, unless you find a "broody hen" willing to adopt your flock, all the joys of motherhood will be yours to experience. (A broody hen, by the way, is one that demonstrates a desire to raise a family . . . usually by refusing to give up eggs, or even sitting in an empty nest box all day long.)
If you appear to be the most likely candidate for mothering, it's best to be prepared for the event before the chicks arrive. The young birds will need the warmth and protection of a brooder, a kind of "nursery" which can be easily built from sheet metal or cardboard. The containment area should be round (to prevent the little balls of fluff from crowding into corners and smothering themselves) and heated (to keep the young ones at a constant temperature of 95°F). A heat lamp, suspended by heavy-gauge wire over the center of the brooder area, works well.
The brooder's floor should be covered with three to four inches of clean, dry litter at all times. And, to insure that the chicks encounter sources of nourishment no matter which way they wander, place feeders and waterers in a spoke arrangement (see the accompanying diagram). The first feeders can be made from box lids or empty tuna cans. Homemade waterers can be fashioned from canning or mayonnaise jars inverted over plastic or metal dishes. Be certain, however, that the jars are not easily tipped over, as the chicks — and their home — should be kept dry at all times.
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