How to protect Chicken from Predator

Raising chicken in backyard is risky too. Some predator could kill the chicken especially the chick because it is weak. A chick cannot run out from the predator.



The examples of chicken predator are eagle, hawk, falcon, raccoon, fox, coyote, opossums, wolf, bad people, cat, and others. If you live at small town, you must often see the animal.



In my country, bad people often steal chicken. They bake the chicken or sell it to market. If they are caught, they will get in the neck by the citizen. For your information, a chicken thief sentence longer than a corrupter. It is because the thief cannot hire a good lawyer. To protect your chicken, you can do like this:


1. Construct a strong pen or buy a strong pen that can protect your pet from predator. Some rat can bite the wood and finally eat the chick.



2. Fence the free range is with strong enough wire. It can bar the predator enter to your pen.



3. Use the roof fence or canopy. Unfortunately, it must be expensive.



4. Build small a fan tower. In my country, it is useful to expel the hawk or eagle.People use it from plastic or bamboo.



5. Do not put the chicken food in anywhere because it will invite the rat. Finally they eat the chicken. Save the chicken feed at dirty place.



6. Use Broody chicken pen to raise the chick. If your house environment has so many predators, you need to make it.



7. Lock the pen so the bad people cannot steal your chicken. Be sure the pen is clocked in the night.


8. Trap the predator. It is easy to trap mouse. You can try other traps. I do not whether United States allows the chicken owner to trap coyote or fox. 

I am a chicken expert. I have write hundreds article about chicken and bird. Visit my blog http://backyardpen.blogspot.com and http://hubpages.com/profile/Chapter

Aracauna : Chicken breed form Chile, South American

Aracauna is native South American Chicken or Chile. As guest its name, Aracauna Indian tribe is the first man who breed this chicken breed. The breed is descendant of two breed chicken i.e: Quetrro and Collonca. The origin of this bird is debatable. Did Colombus bring the chicken? or, The chicken is Polynesian native chicken.

This chicken is medium size. It is not fat like American breed chicken. This chicken is slim. It has pea comb, double wattled, and read earlobes. The unique characterized of the bird is ear-tuft and rump-less ( no feather tail). Aracauna is the blue egg shield layer or egg easter like indian runner egg. You should know that blue shield eggs is not more nutrious than brown eggs or white eggs. They have many color variation like black, white, cucko, red, silver, lavender, and else.

British has developed this bird too. American has been success to make a new breed from this chicken. It is called Ameraucana or American and Auracana.

Photo by: jackberry

Ameraucana Profile

Ameraucana is a rarely chciken breed whose has blue egg. Most chicken lays brown or white eggs. The ancestor of Ameracauna is Easter Egger in Falkland Island and Argentine. They are believed that bring blue eggs from Araucana gens. The egg shield color is similar with Indian runner egg shield color.

This chicken is medium size. The cock weighs only 6.5 pounds; while, the hen weighs 5.5 pounds. The ameraucana is also available in Bantam type. The Bantam weighs 26 to 30 once. This bird is similar with Mediterrinean class. It is not fat as other American class chicken.

They have many color variation such as Black, Blue, Blue wheaten, Brown red, Buff, Silver, Wheten, and White.  The special characteristics of this chicken is feather bellow the beak. Both cock and hen has "beard". It has red blood pea comb. The head is oval in shape like egg. The head is small relative to its body.

Photo by : Linda N

Rhode Island White

Rhode Island White is not famous as their brother Rhode Island Red, but it has been recognized by American Poultry Association (APA) in 1922. Like the Red, this chicken is dual purpose. The chicken bring White rose comb Leghorn, White Wyandottes, and Partridge Cochin. Therefore this chicken has two type comb : single and rose comb. 

The cock weighs 8.5 lbs (3.6 kilos); while, the hen weighs 6.5 lbs (3 kilos). Now, the chicken is very rare because the breeder does not want to care this breed. Perhaps they prefer the Red.

The body is fat like most American Class chicken. They have brick-rice appearance  like the Red. The cock tail is curve short like Cochin. The breast deep, full, and round.

Some breeder also cross the white with the red that result Red Sex Links Hybrid Chicken.

It has good reputation in laying, The hen could lays up to 306 eggs in year or similar with Rhode Island Red. It can lay in winter too. This chicken is easy to going and pleasant so it is good for backyard farm. 
Photo by : Steven L. Johnson

Ancona : A good white egg layer chicken

Ancona chicken is a famous chicken in United States. It domesticated at Ancona, Italy. This Mediterranean bird is a game bird, or ornamental bird. Like their brother in Italy, Leghorn, this bird is slim. Both Ancona and leghorn has same ancestors. It has closely feather. The bird has been imported to England in mid 19th century. US people called the bird as mottled leghorn because they did not know Ancona.

The color of bird is black dark. Some bird has mottled black color. It has a red single comb, while the cock has bigger than the female. There is a white spot behind the ear or earlobes. Some Ancona has rose comb.

Ancona male is 6.6 lbs in weight; while, the male is 4.5 lbs. The bantam is smaller. Ancona bantam cock is 26 oz; while, the hen is 22 0z.

The shank and feet is black in color and featherless. The toe of the breed is four like most chicken (three in front and one in back). The cock has long flowing tail.

This bird is prolific chicken too. The hen can lay 150 - 190 eggs a year. The eggs is white color. Some hen also lay hint color eggs. This is the good layer that can still lay in the winter.You can consider this bird as layer.

How to raise Poults or baby Turkey

Raising poult is profitable and fast. In four month, you can get at least three kilos Turkey. To get heavy turkey, you can care it longer. You can eat it or sell it. Raising this bird is not different with chicken.

First, you need a broader cage for the poults. The poult can use this cage up to two weeks. Than, you can remove the poults to common turkey pen. To make the chicken warm, you should add light. Fits the light with the weather. If the weather cold, you should use hotter light. Maintenance the temperature inside the cage aroun 90 degree Fahreinheit. Put pine straw below the brooder to keep the chick warm.

Feed the poulth with starter for game bird turkey. In my country, a farmer just used the factory chicken food. He mis the factory with seed like red rice, corn, and other seed. They need at least 28% protein. This is the great  

You can care the bird outside the cage or backyard. Let the bird eat at pasteur. They may eat grass, insect, worm and others. Fence your backyard, so they will not run. Some turkey can fly. You need to build the fence.  

Put the waterer inside the pen. Water is very essential for the poult. Keep the waterer clean. Put marble to waterer and feederer to attract the bird to drink and eat. Purchase those tools at farming supply store.

You should often check the pen. Perhaps the chicken get trouble with the feeder or waterer. You can improve those tools.

Clean the cage periodically. Use disinfectant if necessary. Do not let the cage dirty and stinky. The bird will sick if you let the pen dirty.

Vaccine the bird to protect from dangerous disease such as Newcastle Disease (ND) and Avian Flu (AI).

read also : domesticated turkey
 

How to produce quail eggs

Quail can produces delicious eggs too. We can make quail egg soup or we can fry it. Quail is the faster egg layer because it can lay at six week age. If you want fresh egg everyday, you can raise some quail layer.

1. Provide the pen for the layer. You just need small pen for this bird 
2. Feed them with layer special food. Do not forget to provide water for the layer.
3. Clean the cage periodically.
4. Use the light to make the quail comfort.
5. Collect the eggs three times a day. Keep the egg clean from feces, quail food or water. Save the eggs at eggs cartoon.
6. If you want produce fertile eggs, you must add the cock in the pen. A Health cock can serve three quail hens.  

Leghorn profile

The bird is originated at Tuscany, Central Italian. But some country such as United States, Denmark and Britain developed this strain well.This chicken is famous breed in the world as commercial farm layer. It is imported to United States in 18th century. American Poultry Association (APA) recognized this strain.

They have color variation like white, red, black red tail, grey, partridge, red, columbian, golden duckwing, and so on. The most layer is white leghorn. The skin, the beak, and the shank is yellow in color. Few leghorn has rose comb.

It is 3-4 pounds in weight. The body is slim so this bird is not viable for meat. Leghorn is viable layer strain. The hen can lay up to 280 eggs in a year which is lower than New Hampshire red. They lay white eggs.The hen also has not broodiness ability. Therefore, you cannot use the chicken to hatch the eggs.