Posted on May 02, 2009 under building a chicken coop |
Just a little clip of my hens and my rabbits on a sunny Thursday morning in Montana. Chickens are quite hardy - but when you first start, do make sure you choose breeds that thrive in the cold, if you have cold winters.
Damp is another problem which can lead to health issues so when you are building a chicken coop, do consider one with good protection for rain and snow and space for them to roost together to keep each other warm.
Duration : 0:0:53
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Posted on Apr 30, 2009 under Chicken Coops, chicken ark |
Chicken arks and hen houses come in a range of shapes and sizes, suitable for different numbers and sizes of chicken.
When you’re starting out in keeping chickens you need to ask some key questions to identify what sort of hen house to choose.
Start by working out what size and type of chicken house you will need.
Ask yourself:
• Whether you want a permanent structure or one you can move around
• How much space you want to take up
• How many chickens you are going to keep
• What you want to spend
• Whether you want an enclosed run
• Whether you can build the chicken ark yourself
You need about 4.5 sq ft of space per chicken, somewhere for them to scratch and peck around, space for them to perch (each bird needs 9 inches of perch length) and of course somewhere for them to lay eggs.
Part of the chicken house should provide shelter from wind and rain, but chickens are surprisingly hardy and generally don’t need additional warmth – they will tend to huddle up together when its cold.
Many people let their chickens roam free, and choose a design without a run, shutting their chickens up in the house at night.
Others prefer to give their chickens their own space but in a confined run. This will depend on whether you want your chickens in your vegetable patch and scratching around your prize blooms, or not. It’s also important to think about predators – some, like foxes, can be active even during the day.
Chicken arks have an integral run as part of the design. They either have a roosting space and nest boxes at one end, and an attached run (these are very easy to make and move around your yard), or they have run at the base and space above in the apex for the chickens to roost.
A taller, rectangular hen house allows you to get inside the run and the house for cleaning, but will need a permanent site.
With a larger flock of hens you will need a more sophisticated chicken house. Even this type is not hard to build from a good set of chicken ark plans and instructions.
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Posted on Apr 27, 2009 under Breeding Chickens |
Duration : 0:1:39
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Posted on Apr 27, 2009 under Breeding Chickens |
Made under Lunchbox Films this crazy little animation is about a roundabout inhabited by chickens! The roundabout does actually exist and has become home to a large amount of chickens and erills! Made by the children of class 3 in Bungay, Suffolk (06/2006) —– Lunchbox Films offers animation workshops in Schools and Communities. To learn more about Lunchbox Films log on to www.lunchboxfilms.co.uk — Keeping Kids Animated!
Duration : 0:3:38
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Technorati Tags: altarelli, animation, bungay, chickens, double, film, films, godley, in, leo, lunchbox, roundabaout, schools, suffolk, theo, trouble
Posted on Apr 27, 2009 under Supplying Chicks |
Village pet store and supply
Duration : 0:0:10
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Posted on Apr 27, 2009 under Keeping chickens |
This shows a number of chickens in a large hen house. If you have issues with pecking order a simple chicken ark can be used to isolate the chickens that are causing the problem.
These can easily be be made from chicken ark plans
Duration : 0:3:4
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Posted on Apr 26, 2009 under Keeping chickens |
The revival of backyard urban chicken-keeping, as practiced by some residents of Metro Atlanta. Some even have goats. This story was featured on “This is Atlanta with Alicia Steele,” a Telly Award-winning and Emmy-nominated magazine show on PBA, Atlanta’s PBS Station. View more from “This is Atlanta” at http://www.pba.org/atlanta.
The chicken ark featured is the ‘Eglu’ a plastic high-tech coop. It works extremely well, but is expensive.
Try this for more on making a simple chicken ark from plans.
Duration : 0:9:26
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Posted on Apr 21, 2009 under Keeping chickens |
Avian influenza affects chickens and the poultry industry, recombined with the human influenza viruses form a totally new influenza virus to which people do not have protection that spreads in the population and that causes serious illness and death in humans. Bird Flu is an infectious disease of birds that can also affect people. It can present mild or severe forms of illness. The only subtype that can cause severe illness to people is Influenza A /H5N1 virus, initially it affects chickens, ducks and other birds by the process of mutation they can become highly pathogenic. If the bird flu virus recombines with a human flu virus and mutate it may become possible the transmission from human to human as happened in Asia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia Thailand, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Eygpt, China, and Iraq where people died. Bird flu affected Australia in 1997 but, was eradicated.
Water birds are supposed to carry the avian influenza type A virus inside their intestines and to distribute it in the environment through bird faeces.
Infection determines many symptoms in wild and domesticated birds from mild illnesses to highly contagious and severe epidemics. Among them a decline in activity and in egg production, facial swelling and bluish-violet colored combs and wattles, diarrhea, hemorrhages, paralysis, sudden deaths. Signes and symptoms of bird flu in humans are similar to other influenza viruses: sore throat and cough, fever, muscle weakness and/or pain with complications such as: severe viral pneumonia, respiratory distress syndrome, multi- organ failure, eye infections, pneumonia, inflammation of the brain and heart. Health experts have made research into tests and vaccines, and rigorous quarantine practices. Spanish flu was the worst influenza pandemic and occurred in 1918â19. There have been adopted governmental federal plans Australian Action Plan for Pandemic Influenza, to prevent an outbreak among poultry farms. Treatments of bird flu are antiviral drugs, Relenza and Tamiflu, but some of these drugs are expensive and supplies are limited. To prevent recombination of avian with the human influenza virus: is recommended a vaccine used against circulating strains in humans to those exposed to bird flu. A vaccine against bird flu is in development.
Suggestions for people travelling to affected countries:
Wash eggs thoroughly before breaking and wash your hands thoroughly after handling eggs. Donât go to farms or market places. Wash hands, utensils thoroughly after handling raw poultry. Cook poultry at high temperatures.
You may get help from: a doctor, Avian Influenza Hotline, Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Communicable Diseases Section.
Remember: Although bird flu is spread between birds it affects humans through bird faeces and discharges.
If you seem to get flu symptoms see immediately a doctor and explain him how exposed you have been to avian influenza.
For more information about bird flu or even about bird flu treatment please review this page http://www.bird-flu-info-center.com/bird-flu-treatment.htm
Groshan Fabiola
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/avian-influenza-prevention-and-treatments-113864.html
Posted on Apr 11, 2009 under Hatching Eggs |
Well we did it , we ordered black copper marans eggs in the mail from Dave in Ohio. Out of 12 very nice dark eggs we had 10 hatch. Video shows the dark eggs and the quality of Chicks that hatched, couldn’t be happier with the result. Beautiful black copper marans chickens. For more information feel free to email me at nolting1@loganet.net or call 1-712-648-2150 for more information.
The first time (actually every time) you hatch a brood of chickes is just so excitiing.As more people are starting to take an active interests in rare and endangered breeds, the quality of a number of breeds is increasing,
Duration : 0:2:26
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Posted on Apr 11, 2009 under Keeping chickens |
Keeping Chickens helps children to take reponsibility for caring and cleaning, and ensures they understand much more about where our food comes from. An old shed makes a reasonable chicken coop - but these chickens may be vulnerable to predators if they are left unattended.
Even in the daytime, foxes and racoons can strike, so a moveable chicken ark run can be a good solutiion.
Duration : 0:9:43
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