Chickens

History of Chickens

​Chickens have evolved from the red junglefowl. They were domesticated over 5000 years ago. Chickens are highly social and live in dominance hierarchies. The red junglefowl are foragers, they peck at insects and scratch through the leaf litter on the forest floor. To avoid predators at night the birds would roost themselves high in the trees. Today we have different breeds of chickens which we have developed for different purposes; such as, egg production, meat production, physical characteristics, and behavior. 

Husbandry Practices

​Generally backyard chickens are housed in free-range systems so they have access to covered shelter to protect them from predators and the weather. This system also allows them to have an outdoor yard for foraging.  Chickens don’t like open fields, they would rather have a terrain with trees and bushes so they are able keep out of the sun and to hide from hawks. You should make sure the coop is made out of durable materials and that it is well insulated so it can withstand all types of weather. It may be necessary for you to provide a heat source if your temperatures are dipping below freezing. A heat lamp’s or ceramic heater’s are able to provide that heat source.

​ The inside of a chicken coop should be easy to clean; in addition, nest boxes and perches should be available to them.  You should also make sure the coop is well ventilated. Straw, hay, or wood shavings are good to provide substrate within the coop; however, you should not use cedar shavings due to the clay dust irritating their lungs and making them more susceptible to respiratory issues later in life. You should also be aware of their water making sure it is not freezing causing the chickens no source of water and potentially life threatening dehydration. 

​A secure enclosure is vital to prevent predation, especially at night. Burying a wire fence one foot beneath the ground level can insure that predators can’t dig into a coop. Neighborhood dogs can also attack chickens, so keeping them in an attended yard is desirable. 

Behaviors

​The main activities for free-range hens are grazing, ground pecking, ground scratching and dust bathing. Free-range hens will still forage even though you have provided ad libitum (providing food at all times). This behavior may result in intoxication because of ground contaminants; such as, leaves, pine needles, and any debris in the coop. 

​Chickens will dust bathe to maintain healthy plumage and control ectoparasites. The chickens will bill-rake at the ground causing dust so they are able to squat with their feathers erected. This way their feathers are thoroughly coated in dust. The bath itself may take up to 20 minutes; afterwards, the bird will vigorously shake and then preen itself. When allowed free access to appropriate substrate the birds will likely dust bathe at least every other day. Chickens will likely dust bathe in the middle of the day, in warmer weather, if they see another bird doing it, or if they have been denied access to a dusty substrate, suggesting this behavior is highly motivated and has important welfare benefits. 

​It is important that you monitor flock behaviors, as individual chickens may become dangerously bullied to the point of being denied access to food or water or being seriously injured. The roosters tend to fight each other or get really aggressive with the hens during breeding season. 

Nutritional Concerns

​Chickens require at least 38 nutrients in their diets in appropriate and balanced concentrations. The criteria to determine the requirements include growth, feed efficiency, egg production, prevention of signs of deficiency and quality of poultry product. Diet adjustments should be made based on production and bioavailability. The requirements assume the nutrients are in a highly bioavailable form but they do not include a margin of safety. You should add a margin of safety  based on changes in rates of feed intake due to environmental temperature or dietary energy content, genetic strain, husbandry conditions (especially the level of sanitation), and the presence of stressors, including infectious diseases and other illnesses. 

​Chickens who are allowed access to forage may consume myriad plant and animal material; however, this should not be counted as part of their diet, it should be looked at as supplemental. When the hens are producing eggs they are more susceptible to hypocalcemia because of the massive amounts of calcium they use from their own bones; even if they are provided with a calcium-rich diet. A high-quality pelleted feed with oyster shell added as an additional mineral source will help laying chickens meet the calcium and energy requirements. You can clean and break their own egg shells into small bits and feed it back to them as a good source of calcium. It is also important for laying hens to have magnesium, phosphorus and vitamin D. 

​Chickens need a clean water source available at all times; therefore, their water should be cleaned frequently to keep it fresh and not contaminated. Changing the water will help prevent gastrointestinal impaction.  Some chicken owners will put bleach tablets in their water to help reduce microorganisms but it could cause harmful health effects. The birds also may refuse to drink the tainted water. 

*The information gathered for this post is directly from Vetcom Volume 58 Backyard Chickens*