This is the speech I gave for the 4-H competition. I only had 10 minutes to talk and show the displays. That's longer than you would think! But that doen't leave room for too much information. I'll be adding more sections later.
The three key factors in getting the most from your laying hens are:
To have a proper environment for your chickens they need the following:
0 to 24 week old chickens should have 12 hours of light a day.
Too much light and they will grow too quickly and not produce
as many eggs. Too little light and they will not grow properly
(small breast size, chicken scrawny).
24 week old chicks and up should have up to 14 hours of light a day.
The best source of light is sun light. Chickens do best when they are allowed to wander around in the sunlight searching for bugs and other treats. You should also have a window in the coop for light and ventilation. When the winter comes, you may need to use lightbulbs as a light source.
Chickens should be kept at a temperature between 45 degrees F and 85 degrees F. In the summer, open windows or even use a fan to keep them cooler. In the winter, you may use a heat lamp. The heat lamp should be at least two to three feet from any litter or hay as it may catch them on fire.
Young chicks are unable to maintain their body temperature without another heat source. Use a brooder to protect the chicks from the cold. The temperatures varies with the age of the chicks, and are as follows:
Temperature Age of Chicks
95 F 1 day to 1 week
90 F 1 week to 2 weeks
85 F 2 weeks to 3 weeks
80 F 3 weeks to 4 weeks
75 F 4 weeks to 5 weeks
70 F 5 weeks to 6 weeks
At six weeks of age, the birds should be wellfeathered and supplemental heat is no longer needed.
Dirty and wet litter can cause diseases. Sweep out the manure as soon as it builds up. Sweep out the hen house and scrub with a commercial cleaner especially for chicken coops at least twice a year. It is best to do this before and after the winter when the smell won't be so bad. I sweep the manure and straw out of our hen house every weekend and give the chickens fresh bedding of straw and some pine chips.
Production hens need nest boxes to lay their eggs in. You should have one nest box for every four chickens, but it is best to have one nest box for each chicken to prevent dirty and broken eggs. You should also collect the eggs first thing in the morning and again in the late afternoon for the same reason. Keep the nest boxes clean to prevent diseases.
The cost of food should equal 2 thirds the cost of a dozen eggs. To make a profit, the food should be nutritional and not wasted.
The feed should contain:
Table 1. Minimum protein, calcium and phosphorus requirements for broilers, pullets and laying hens.
% Protein % Calcium % Phosphorus
Broilers
Starter 23 0.9 0.5
Finisher 20 0.8 0.5
Pullets
Starter 20 0.9 0.5
Grower 17 0.8 0.5
Laying Hens
Layer 16-18 3.0 0.5
You can use may types of feeders to hold the food.
Automatic feeder
limits wasted food because chickens can't scratch it out.
Trough
easy to make and less expensive
***Make sure you give 5 to 6 inches of space for each chicken so they won't fight over the food.
You may also need to give the chickens oyster shells for extra
calcium and grit to help digestion. For these you may use a
Hopper
One of the most important thing to a chicken is water. For a chicken, 24 hours without water equals 24 days until they begin producing eggs every day again. You may use several types of waterers.
Automatic waterer
limits the chance of the chickens going without water
Plastic Waterer
a bit less expensive, easy to use
Trough
easy to build and cheaper
****Make sure you give 1 inch of water space for each chicken.
As you now know, to make a profit from Laying Hens they need to have 4 key items:
A GOOD ENVIRONMENT
PROPER FOOD
PLENTY OF WATER
My SOURCE:
4-H Laying Hens Project Book, Countryside Magazine and my own experiences.
For more information CONTACT:
Local Chicken Farmers or your County Extension Agent or your 4-H Leader.
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