Caring for chickens is a rewarding experience that involves various essential aspects to ensure their health and happiness. This comprehensive guide covers everything from housing and feeding to health care, ensuring you provide the best possible care for your feathered friends.
Housing for Chickens
A secure and comfortable living space is vital for your chickens' well-being. To ensure they thrive, the coop should offer ample space for them to move around freely. It’s recommended to provide at least 4 square feet per chicken inside the coop. Proper airflow is crucial to prevent dampness, which can lead to respiratory issues. Additionally, a predator-proof coop is essential, so it must be equipped with sturdy wire mesh and secure locks to keep unwanted pests at bay.
Chickens also require designated areas for roosting and nesting. Roosting perches allow them to rest comfortably, while nesting boxes are essential for egg-laying. A good rule of thumb is to provide one nesting box for every 3 to 4 hens, ensuring each chicken has enough space to lay eggs peacefully.
If you’re looking for the perfect chicken coop, Woonona Petfoods offers a variety of excellent choices. The iPetz Barnyard Chicken House is a spacious, two-story coop, ideal for chickens who need room to roam. This secure chicken house features a fully enclosed laying box for easy egg collection and a weatherproof roof to protect against the elements.
Alternatively, the Bono Fido Chicken House K204W is a deluxe, country-style chicken house designed to house up to 4 chickens. With its attractive white-wash finish and insulated roof, this coop will keep your chickens cool and dry. It also includes a side-layer box with a roof that opens for easy egg collection. Ideal for free-range chickens, the Bono Fido Chicken House offers a solid structure with strong wooden panels to provide maximum protection and comfort.
Bedding
When selecting bedding for your chickens, it's important to choose materials that provide both comfort and hygiene. Straw and wood shavings are two of the most popular options, each offering unique benefits. Straw is a natural, highly absorbent bedding material that provides excellent insulation, helping to keep your chickens warm during colder months. It also creates a soft, comfortable surface for your chickens to nest in, reducing the risk of injury. Additionally, straw is biodegradable, making it an environmentally friendly option. However, it’s important to ensure the straw is clean and free of mold or pests before use.
Martins Premium Wood Shavings, made from natural pine, are another great bedding choice. These shavings are highly absorbent, helping to manage moisture and control odours effectively, which is essential for maintaining a clean and healthy environment for your chickens. The natural pine scent also contributes to odor control, keeping the coop smelling fresh. Premium Wood Shavings are screened to remove dust, ensuring a clean and comfortable bedding option that won’t irritate your chickens' respiratory systems. These shavings are versatile and can be used in various animal enclosures, from horse stables and chicken nests to small animal habitats, making them a cost-effective and reliable bedding choice for your poultry.
Feeding Your Chickens
Feeding your chickens a balanced and nutritious diet is essential for keeping them healthy, productive, and happy. Providing the right nutrients ensures your hens remain active, lay quality eggs, and have strong immune systems. Here’s a guide to what you should feed your chickens:
A high-quality layer feed is crucial for laying hens. This feed should contain the necessary nutrients, including calcium, which helps to strengthen eggshells. Choose a mix that provides the right amount of proteins, vitamins, and minerals to support overall health. Grains and seeds are another great addition to your chickens’ diet. Whole grains like cracked corn, oats, and millet offer extra energy and essential nutrients. Chickens also enjoy fresh vegetables like leafy greens, carrots, and broccoli. However, be cautious not to feed them anything too salty or sugary, as this can lead to health issues.
At Woonona Petfoods, we offer a variety of products that can support your chickens' dietary needs. Vellas Layer Pellets are a great choice for free-range laying hens aged 18-20 weeks and older. These pellets are hormone- and antibiotic-free and provide a rich source of protein, ensuring high egg production and overall flock health. With trace minerals included, Vellas Layer Pellets are designed to maintain the nutritional balance your hens need to lay consistently.
For a more varied diet, Vellas Scratch Mix is an excellent option. This grain-based mix combines high-quality protein sources with energy-dense ingredients, making it perfect for boosting egg production and growth. With molasses oil to enhance flavor and energy density, it’s a great supplement to your hens' main feed.
If you’re looking for an all-natural, high-energy diet, the Red Hen Free Range Green Layer Mix is ideal. Formulated for breeding and laying poultry, this mix contains whole and rolled grains, vitamins, minerals, and essential nutrients in a micro pellet form. Coated with vegetable oil and molasses for extra energy and palatability, this feed is medication- and meat-free, supporting high production and fertility for your hens.
Feeders and Waterers
Providing your chickens with fresh, clean water is essential for keeping them hydrated and healthy. Dehydration can quickly lead to health problems, so it’s important to ensure your chickens always have access to water. Using high-quality waterers and feeders not only helps keep your chickens hydrated and fed, but also reduces waste and makes it easier for your chickens to eat and drink without mess.
For an effective and practical waterer, the Elite Pet PVC Chicken Drinker is a great choice. This waterer holds 3.78 liters of water and features hanging brackets for easy installation and a removable lid for simple cleaning. It can be connected to a standard garden hose, providing a continuous supply of water to your chickens without the need for daily refilling.
The Chook Tower Feeder is an excellent choice for reducing feed wastage. Its design minimizes unnecessary flicking and scratching, helping to keep the feed contained while preventing debris from entering the feeder. With a range of hanging options, the feeder can be suspended on a wall, wire, or centrally in a coop to limit access for rodents. The weatherproof lid and tube ensure that rain or wind won’t spoil the food, while the feeder’s disassemblable parts make it easy to maintain and clean, promoting better hygiene and feed quality.
Health Care for Your Chickens
Keeping your chickens healthy is vital for both their well-being and the quality of eggs they produce. Regular health checks and maintenance are essential for addressing common health issues. Below are some common problems chickens face, along with recommended solutions to help you maintain a healthy flock.
Mites and lice are common external parasites that can cause discomfort for your chickens. These pests often infest the feathers, leading to irritation and potential health problems if not controlled. To manage this issue, we recommend Pestene Powder. This powder is designed specifically for controlling lice, mites, and fleas on poultry. Simply sprinkle it through your chickens' feathers and in their bedding and environment. Regular weekly application helps keep these pests at bay, promoting healthier chickens.
Chickens can also suffer from internal parasites such as large roundworms, Caucal Worm, and Hairworm. These worms can lead to digestive issues and affect overall health. To protect your chickens from these pests, Vetsense Kilverm is an effective treatment. Kilverm is easy to administer, simply add it to your chickens' feed or drinking water. It works against the most important intestinal worms in poultry, ensuring your flock stays healthy and free from internal parasites.
For hens that are laying eggs, maintaining strong eggshells is crucial for overall egg production. If your hens are producing eggs with weak shells, it may indicate a calcium deficiency. Vetsense Avi Calcium is a soluble calcium supplement that contains extra vitamin D3 to aid in calcium absorption. Mixing this supplement with clean drinking water helps support eggshell integrity and normal bone development in both laying hens and young birds.
Finally, Coccidiosis is an infectious disease that affects chickens and other poultry, often leading to severe health issues. If you notice signs of coccidiosis in your flock, such as lethargy or diarrhoea, Vetsense Cocciprol can help. This product is designed to prevent and treat coccidiosis in chickens, turkeys, ducks, and pigeons. Simply mix it into their drinking water, and it will help combat the disease. It can be used both preventatively and as a treatment, and there is no withholding period for eggs or meat.
By addressing these common health issues with the right solutions, you can help ensure your chickens remain healthy, productive, and comfortable.
Exercise and Enrichment
Chickens, like all animals, require both physical activity and mental stimulation to stay happy and healthy. Allowing your chickens to engage in natural behaviors, such as foraging and exploring, helps keep them content and reduces the risk of boredom. Providing them with opportunities for enrichment ensures they lead a fulfilling life and stay active.
One of the best ways to promote exercise and exploration is by letting your chickens roam freely in a secure, fenced area. This allows them to scratch, peck, and hunt for insects, just as they would in the wild. If free-ranging isn't possible, offering toys and enrichment can help keep their minds and bodies active. Hanging treats, such as cabbage or corn, encourages natural foraging, while mirrors and cardboard boxes can provide hours of exploration and pecking fun.
Another way chickens stay healthy and happy is through dust baths, which are essential for cleaning their feathers and getting rid of mites. Make sure your chickens have access to an area where they can enjoy this natural grooming behaviour.
To help keep your chickens entertained and engaged, Woonona Petfoods offers a variety of enriching products. The Treat Roller For Chickens is an interactive treat-dispensing toy that encourages foraging, a natural instinct for wild birds. You can fill it with seeds or dried mealworms, promoting mental stimulation and physical exercise as your chickens work to retrieve their treats.
Another great option is the Pet One Skewer Fruit and Veggie for Chickens. This product helps reduce boredom while providing a healthy snack. Its design prevents chickens from stepping on their food, encouraging them to peck and forage naturally. The skewer promotes exercise and helps prevent food wastage, all while keeping your chickens engaged.
Cleaning and Maintenance
Maintaining a clean living environment for your chickens is crucial to their health and well-being. A clean coop helps prevent the spread of disease and keeps your chickens comfortable. Regular cleaning should be a part of your routine to ensure your chickens live in a safe, hygienic space.
Daily cleaning is simple but essential, remove any uneaten food and replace the water with fresh, clean water every day. This ensures your chickens have access to proper nutrition and hydration. Weekly cleaning involves changing the bedding to prevent the build-up of bacteria, especially during the warmer months when pathogens thrive more easily. Changing bedding regularly helps reduce odours and maintain a clean environment.
For routine odour removal and sanitation, Vetsense Coop Clean is an excellent option. This ready-to-use spray is specially formulated for chicken coops and aviaries, effectively removing unpleasant odours while acting as a powerful sanitizer. It's ideal for general use in and around poultry coops and bird aviaries to keep your chickens’ living space fresh and hygienic.
For a more thorough cleaning, consider deep cleaning your coop every few months. This involves disinfecting all surfaces, including perches, nesting boxes, and floors, to reduce the risk of disease. Use a pet-safe cleaner to scrub all areas, ensuring that you eliminate harmful germs and bacteria that can affect your flock’s health.
Woonona Petfoods offers excellent products to help with coop sanitation. Sani Chick is a colour-indicating germicide designed specifically for the poultry industry. It acts quickly to kill pathogenic bacteria, fungal spores, moulds, and viruses, including harmful strains like Salmonella pullorum and M. tuberculosis. With its high permeating power, it soaks into cracks and crevices for thorough sanitation. Plus, it is non-staining and non-irritating, making it safe for your chickens and their environment.
Egg Collection
Collecting eggs daily is essential to keep them clean and prevent them from becoming damaged. If left in the nesting box for too long, eggs can attract pests or even break, compromising their quality. Once collected, gently wipe any dirt off the eggs using a dry cloth to keep them fresh. It's important to avoid washing the eggs unless absolutely necessary, as moisture can promote bacterial growth and reduce their shelf life. After cleaning, store the eggs in a cool place, preferably in the fridge, to maintain their freshness and ensure they stay safe for consumption.
Winter Care for Chickens
While chickens are generally hardy animals, extreme cold weather can still cause them stress and impact their health. To ensure your chickens stay comfortable and healthy during the winter months, proper care and preparation are essential. Start by insulating the coop with materials like straw bales or blankets. This helps retain heat while still allowing for proper ventilation, preventing the buildup of moisture, which can lead to frostbite or respiratory issues.
Caring for chickens requires dedication, but with the right resources, it can be a rewarding experience. By providing a comfortable home, nutritious food, regular health care, and opportunities for exercise, your chickens will thrive. Woonona Petfoods offers a variety of products to support your chickens' needs, ensuring they are healthy, happy, and productive. From premium feed to eco-friendly coop cleaners, we have everything you need to provide the best care for your flock.
Remember, a healthy chicken is a productive chicken, and with these tips and products, your chickens will flourish for years to come!
