This article has been contributed by James Smith, a reader of the blog.
Chickens are by and large healthy, tough, and cheerful creatures that likewise can be pleasant to individuals and one another (and different creatures). In any case, tragically, one reality about raising chickens is that chickens are extremely inclined to illness, malady, and behavioral issues. It never appears to matter how watchful chicken keepers are – issues with health and conduct always appear to emerge even with the best of care and the most cautious attendants. Truth be told issues emerge with raising chickens.
Most issues with chickens are basic and are for the most part genuinely benign. Some require negligible adjustments to settle. A percentage of the regular issues, regardless of how watchful you are, require quick and serious reaction as to not lose the whole flock. Here are the most widely recognized issues that you can expect with chickens, and how you can settle them.
Problems You Should Expect With Raising Backyard Chickens
Predation
This is one very common but grievous issue that each chicken keeper will most likely need to manage at some point in their life. It appears that everything likes to eat chickens – from the common eagles and falcons that fly in the sky, to the neighbor’s pooch. Raccoons, fox, wildcats, bears, snakes, felines, owls, and numerous different creatures are basic issues. Securing your chicken coop properly or buying well-made chicken coop packs can debilitate predators from taking chickens while they’re in the coop (which is quite common). While the chickens are out of the coop, having secure chicken runs that is secured will debilitate ethereal predators and daytime predation. On the off chance that you demand free ranging your flock outside of the bounds of a fenced chicken run, provide tree cover to suppress peddle and hawk assaults, and buy chicken breeds that do well free ranging and are extremely predator-adroit.
Illness
Chickens are generally as vulnerable to viral, bacterial, parasitic, and inborn infection as whatever other creature. There are immunizations that are accessible to vaccinate your birds against common yet savage ailments, for example, Mericks’ Disease. You ought to check with your neighborhood expansion specialists or veterinarian about whether these illnesses are predominant in your general vicinity before you purchase chicks, or in the event that you have birds that are healthy yet haven’t been inoculated. Different ailments, for example, the Avian flu that struck the US poultry industry as well as other viral contaminations, can manifest themselves in chickens from various perspectives and are normally best sat out, as you would in a man, in isolation. Practice the best sanitary care, and don’t be hesitant to utilize items, for example, diatomaceous earth or poultry dust. There are meds available for homestead use that you can get at food stores, although you should always check with a vet first before you cure. Have an isolate framework prepared to go at all times, spotless and arranged. A dog kennel lined with old however clean towels are a decent start. Any sick chicken ought to be secluded from the group.
Hostility
Roosters are usually the culprits; however in some cases hens can be forceful towards individuals and different chickens in the herd. Aggressive hens can be exceptionally dangerous on the off chance that they assault individuals and different hens. These hens often do more harm than good to the flock and are frequently difficult to rehome and might need to be euthanized. Thankfully, aggressive hens are uncommon. If there are more roosters in a little run with hens will just guarantee chicken animosity towards one another, towards hens (with forceful, commanding mating conduct) and towards individuals. In the event that you’d like a rooster, keep one for every 6-10 hens to subdue forceful constrained mating conduct and reduce his need for rivalry. In the event that your rooster is assaulting individuals, for the most part this is an issue that can’t be unraveled through preparing or expansion of hens to breed with and protect. Human-aggressive chickens ought to either be rehomed, or in compelling cases euthanized. Now and again individuals report being able to retrain a forceful chicken by catching and holding him, which can work. Furthermore, obviously, not all chickens are aggressive towards individuals.
Apart from giving you fresh eggs and meat on a daily basis, raising chickens can teach you a lot about survival and growing your own food in case of an emergency. Expert preppers suggest this is one of the best ways to prepare yourself for an emergency or catastrophe that may force you to live out in the wild and grow your own survival food.
Growing chickens in the backyard is often considered to be a difficult task and it may also seem to some after reading this blog. However, be assured that it is not half as difficult as people say and it may truly help you some day.
