Plastic Coops

Every chicken lover should know that there are plastic chicken coops such as the Eglu (made by Omlet) on the market.I ended up buying an Eglu Go due to Red Mite, my problems with this pest was endless due to small hiding places between the sides of the wooden coop. Buying a plastic coop was an expensive but effective solution as there are no places for the mite to hide and even then can just be hosed off in a summer clean.

Advantages:

• Being clean- as being plastic you can really quickly hose down that dirt
• No Wood Treatment- prevent that yearly cost of wood treatment
• Long Life- Plastic is more durable than wood
• Removable Plastic perches, which means you can keep the underside clean and remove parasites
• Insulation
• PREVENTS RED MITE - a non porous surface prevents these little blighter
• Some are made from recycled plastic adding that extra ECO feel to your house and garden

However, bear in mind the plastic does cost a huge amount more and their appearance may not suit your traditional liking! They are more suitable for domestic keepers because of this.


Websites:
http://www.plasticchickenhouse.co.uk/
http://www.omlet.co.uk/homepage/
http://www.poultry.allotment.org.uk/chicken-coop-ark/recycled-plastic-chicken-coops.php

Fortefog Fumers

Are you scared about the dreaded red mite? Don't allow red mite get to the stage where they are crawling up your arm through the day. I still have tiny pinprick bites from last years flurry of mites. Practical Poultry Magazines are now catching on with this fear of Red Mite and regularly producing articles about them, with next months issues on home remedies (I reccomend you get this issue). One of the simplest ways of preventing red mite is protecting your coop with diatom or poultry shield and keeping your coop in direct sunlight for a day every now and then. But when you get them they are almost impossible to get rid off. And I now feel like there is nothing I can do but keep the the population of Red Mite down, until I can afford a plastic coop. But, for now I think I have spotted something on the market really good. Regency Poultry are now stocking something called Fortefog Fumers. They are meant to fume out your house decimating any insects and red mite and leaving no residue in the house after 2 hours so the chickens can come back in safely.
Please check it out at : http://www.regencypoultry.com/heathcare/redmite_and_Lice/fortefog_mini_fumer.htm

Spring

Now its coming to spring and the chickens have got their plush new feathers, and the farmers are starting to plant the new grass. In the domestic garden again the worry of mites and lice has risen. The resilient pests like warmth and darkness so now is the perfect time for them to start breeding. Its worth now to cover your coop with diatom and poultry shield to prepare for the new year. Also with all those wet puddles its the perfect condition for worms so please keep up your worming routine I would recommend either Verm-x or Flubenvet. Remember- you should move you coop around at least twice a year if you can, so maybe its time to plan your summer coop position.

Frostbite

Now the snow is falling hard and the temperature is plummeting rapidly we are all hiding in doors resting by our radiators. Unfortunately for the chickens, they are at risk from frostbite. The frostbite will attack on the comb, wattle and cheeks. To protect them from this, use Vaseline, the wax will protect them from the harsh freeze. You shouldn't worry about the rest of the chickens body as they sleep close at nigh times and keep each other warm like penguins. Also you have to make sure the chickens have access to warm water to drink, not Ice. Remember, don't always eggspect eggs in the winter!

The National Poultry Show

The very exciting Poultry show is now scheduled to take place on the 20th and 21st of November based in National Agricultural Centre, Stoneleigh Park.As well as watching up to 5000 stunning poultry there will also be a visit from Omlet and BHWT, some poultry will even be for sale as well. Allthough I have yet to see this show it seems to have excellent reveiws and therefore this leads me to believe this a must for all chicken lovers.

For more information on venue please visit:http://www.poultryclub.org/home.htm
http://www.poultryclub.org/documents/Poster_000.pdf

Poultry Bedding

I recently bought Poultry Bedding by Cozy Coup for my chickens to replace those muddy wood chips.Also it is said to prevent mites (which is what I have). And what a revolution. I wanted to sleep in it. It was dry, and quite fine therefore my chickens were having dust baths in it! I use it for the floor of the coup not for nest boxes (I still use straw for that). Its easy to remove droppings, because with a cat litter scoop the clean stuff just falls through the gaps. What a relief, my girls feet are actually clean.
I got this for £6.99 at my local pets at home, but you could probably buy it from any poultry shop.

Kitchen Scraps

Most vegetables like broccoli, sweetcorn, cabbage, lettuce etc. chickens can eat. However, any potato skins should be boiled in plain water before feeding. Chickens also love mixed corn, maize and wheat, mine adore porridge. Although, you have to make sure your chook's aren't getting to fat!!! To stop this spread the corn across the ground so chickens have to scratch to find it, hang lettuce and broccoli from a feeding pole. For more info on chicken obesity scroll down the page. Chickens especially prone to obesity is the Orpington Buff.

Biology of a Chicken

Annual Moult

Feathers get changed once a year towards the ed of summer over about 6 weeks. During this time the chicken may look pale and unhappy. Some chickens will have a more severe moult than others and look a bit like a pine cone! This can be particularly worrying for new keepers, but it is entirely normal. She may stop laying and won't like being touched. Feathers are 80% protein so make sure they have some ACV and are well fed. They should have a new set of feathers by the end of autumn, chickens won't moult on their first year of life but it will start on their second. Don't be alarmed she may look like a battery hen for a while. In fact battery hens used to be forced into moulting to replenish the condition of egg shells, this was often fatal and has now been banned in Europe.

Brief introduction on breeds

There are over 5o breeds of chickens and they are all individual and unique, Some are rare and pure breeds are mostly only seen in shows. Hybrids are crossbreeds of chickens, they are known for laying a lot of eggs. This is why all battery hens are hybrids. Most lay around 300 eggs per year, they also tend to be a docile breed and one of the most immune to diseases.
If you are rearing chickens for the table, speckledy hybrids are great because they are naturally large and stocky!