General
Chickens are birds and descend from the Bankiva fowl from Southeast Asia. The wild variety lives in the forests, chickens like shelter and do not like to walk in open areas. In nature, chickens live in large groups consisting of one rooster and several hens with their chicks. At night, the chickens sleep in trees. During the day, they scratch together their food. This diet consists of seeds, insects, worms and plants. Furthermore, chickens keep their fur and skin clean and parasite-free by means of dust baths. The preen gland at the tail has a caring function of the feathers. Chickens moult once a year, this usually happens at the end of the summer or beginning of the fall. This moulting period requires a lot of energy and the hens will often not lay eggs. The comb and wattles become smaller and paler.
Roosters are fertile from about 6 months to 6 years of age. Hens can lay eggs from the age of 6 months, but only become truly broody from one year of age. Hens often stop laying eggs from about 5 years of age. On average, chickens live for 10-15 years, although older cases have also been reported. The number of hens per rooster varies by breed; for heavier, average and lighter breeds, these are 3-5, 3-6 and 3-12 hens per rooster respectively. Fertilised eggs hatch after about 21 days; for laying breeds that do not become broody well, you can consider using an incubator.
It is during the brood important that the hen is not disturbed by other chickens and that she gets the right food in the form of a grain mixture. Also make sure that she leaves the nest at least once a day to eat and drink, to relieve herself and to exercise a bit. If she does not do this, remove her from the nest yourself. Preventative treatment against lice and parasites prevents the hen from leaving the nest. After the eggs have hatched, it is wise to keep the mother and chicks separate for a few weeks, after which they can rejoin the group. At 3 months of age, the cockerels will start crowing and chasing their sisters. This is the time to separate them.
Care, housing and nutrition
Care:
The most important thing in the care of chickens is hygiene. The perches, nests, feed and drink troughs and the floor of the coop must be cleaned regularly. There must be absolutely no ammonia smell in the coop. The outdoor run can be dug down to a depth of 20cm once a year and filled with sand.
The best way to catch a chicken is to walk up to it calmly and gently push it to the ground with one hand on its back. With the other hand you can then grab the legs from underneath. Do not press too much on the chicken's body, as this will prevent it from breathing. Chickens are best transported in special baskets or a box with holes in it. Always place the chicken at right angles to the direction of travel so that the tail is not damaged. Chickens can be made very tame by, for example, letting them eat from your hand on your lap or while you are crouching. Always check the feathers and how the nails and beak (tip) look.
Housing:
Chickens cannot be kept alone and should be kept in pairs or preferably even with multiple animals. When introducing new chickens, it is wise to do this in the dark when the chickens are on their roosts. During the day, it is important that there is enough space to escape in case of hierarchy fights. Each chicken house must consist of a night shelter and an outdoor run. They can stay outside all year round, provided that the night shelter is freely accessible.
There are ready-made cages for sale, but for larger breeds or multiple animals, the bigger the better! In that case, it may be necessary to build a cage yourself. Chickens do not tolerate heat and drafts well, make sure that the cage is sheltered but that there is ventilation. The inside of the cage can best consist of smooth material that is whitewashed at least once a year, this is to prevent blood lice. A concrete floor is good and there are different types of ground cover possible. The ground cover must always be dry and not smelly. A night corner must also contain perches, but do not place them at different heights as this can cause fights. Place the perches at least 1cm from the wall and 40-30cm apart. The nests must be lower than the perches and preferably in the darker parts of the cage.
It is useful to have an electricity connection in the coop to provide light (no fluorescent!) and to prevent the water from freezing during frost. At least 10 hours of light per day and 8 hours of uninterrupted darkness are needed for laying.
To prevent wild birds from pooping in the outdoor run and thus bringing in diseases, it is advisable to cover it. In addition, it is important to keep predators such as cats and foxes outside, make sure that these animals cannot dig under the run.
Chickens really enjoy taking a sand bath as part of their own care and daily routine. A tub of clean white sand in the sun will give them great pleasure!
Nutrition:
There are many different types of feed for chickens for the different moments in their lives, however, everything is in granular or meal form. Meal has the advantage that it takes longer to eat, the disadvantage is that more is spilled and that with chickens with beards or long feathers it can stick and other chickens will peck at it. The basic diet should be a complete feed of which the chicken, depending on its size, will ingest 30-100 grams per day. Regularly check the condition of the chickens, the breastbone should be moderately muscular and should not feel sharp. The abdomen should not be too full, because then the chicken is overweight.
Chicks up to 6 weeks old can best be given a chick or starter feed, after which they can be given rearing feed until the age of 6 months. After that, you can switch to adult feed, which partly depends on the purpose. Laying eggs or for meat. During the moulting period, so-called maintenance feed can be given. Hens that lay eggs have an increased need for calcium for the eggshell, which they can get from grit. You can offer this in a bowl or as cover in the laying nests.
In addition, chickens like to eat greens such as fruits and vegetables, remove uneaten remains quickly. In addition, you can offer chickens earthworms or maggots every now and then. Fresh and clean drinking water must be available at all times!
illnesses
Chickens mainly suffer from parasites such as the red mite which can cause anemia or the mite that lime leg causes. They can also suffer from internal parasites such as worms or coccidiosis. In the case of diarrhea, have the manure examined. Chickens can also become ill with the respiratory system, you will then see coughing/snoring, discharge or snot and breathing with an open beak, the chicken will also be ill. Problems with the respiratory system usually occur in coops with drafts, overcrowding and poor hygiene.
A sick chicken sits hunched over, has its eyes closed, does not want to eat and is less active. If you have a sick chicken, contact the veterinary practice.
Chickens that go to an exhibition must vaccinated are against Newcastle Disease (NCD), also known as pseudo-bird flu. In the case of Avian Influenza, hobbyists with fewer than 250 chickens are allowed to have their animals vaccinated. For the most recent laws and regulations, it is best to keep an eye on the government websites.
For further questions or advice, you can always contact the veterinary practice.
