how do you look after chickens?

Answer 1

There's not much you have to do. They need 1.5 square feet or something per standard bird. I think that = about 10 to 12 feet for 30 standard birds and 50 bantams. Not exact though. You'll need to provide feed -call a local feedmill, just tell them what you have for birds, they should make it then. Have feed AND WATER available at all times. They definetly need water and shade if it's hot. If you have layers provide a nestbox, I think one for every five birds, and at least two. Provide roosts (of varying heights) for birds - not meat birds! Their coop will not need to be cleaned more than once every three months if they are completely free range, once every 1 - 2 months if they have an outdoor pen (depends on size of pen and coop and how many birds) and definetly once a month if they are completely inside. Please allow your birds as much outdoor time and space as possible, they just love it! Collect your eggs once a day, and check water. If they are going to be outside let them out in the morning and shut the doors at night. They will all go in. In the winter unless you have a very warm climate you should keep them all inside except on the warmest of days. Definetly above 20 - 25 degrees farenhite. You may even want to put in some heat lamps, depends on your climate. They love stuff like spoiled bread, fruit, and cottage cheese! Have fun, if you're ordering chicks I suggest www.mcmurrayhatchery.com. If you're really into show then don't go with them, they're birds tend to not be grand champions unless you order tons to pick from. They do have by far the easiest and best service though, along with a huge selection of birds. Warning - unless you have the guts to butcher roosters - order females of the standard size birds. We can't bear to butcher our roosters, we had to give them away, and they (the standard ones) were beating up really bad on our hens. The ratio was 1:2 (r:h) so definetly don't go our way.
A good book that's designed for kids but I'd recommed for adults anyway: Your Chickens, the author, sorry I don't know, is Gail something, and it's published by Storey.

Answer 2

1.
Give your birds room to roam outside as well as shelter from the elements and predators.

2.
Feed them a store-bought feed designed for the purpose of egg production or quick and healthy weight gain. Look up farm supply ib your yello pages to find a local place. Supplement their diets with as much natural food as possible (let them eat a free range diet in the summer and give them your table scraps year round).

3.
Clean out the chicken coop or pen at least twice per year. Chickens can become infested with lice easily. Age the chicken manure in your compost heap for one full year, then add it to your garden soil.

4.
Don't feed meat birds any longer than necessary. Once they've reached their maximum or expected size, butcher them yourself and can or freeze them. Overfed usually means fat - and fat collects on the heart first which quickly kills or stresses your bird.

Here's a list of possible places to buy chickens

Leghorn chickens - Rockin' Rooster Ranch
www.rockinrooster.net Arizona
Chickens and Bantams - Belt Hatchery
www.belthatchery.com California
Wide Range of Chickens, Ducks, Geese, Turkeys, and more. Visit the site just for the fun of exploration and education about the wide variety of birds available to the small or large scale poultry farmer. McMurray Hatchery www.mcmurrayhatchery.com Iowa
Commercial chickens plus show birds - Shady Lane Poultry Farm www.shadylanepoultry.com Kentucky
Wide assortment of chicken breeds - Ideal Poultry Breeding Farms, Inc. www.ideal-poultry.com
(Texas)

Answer 3

They need fenced in shelter and a cover on top to prevent predators from coming inside--
We had o put up an electric fence near the bottom==
They do well with a little house for their nesting boxes---they are very easy to take care of and are helpful with eggs!
Provide hay nesting boxes a waterer (large plastic one from a feed store, and a tray for food---(feed laying mash and corn scratch feed)
When they are old enough to start laying eggs make sure you check their nesting boxes daily.
They need very little care besides what I have mentioned--They become very social when they see you and make great pets-

Answer 4

Corns and water. Bit of place to run around in.

Answer 5

They look after themselves just give them food

Answer 6

feed them corn, give them a fenced in run, and a home, lock them up at night to keep away from fox's

Answer 7

Keep the in your bedroom

Answer 8

make them shelter, food and water for drink.

Answer 9

spoil them.