Unfortunately, the terrible conditions in which they are forced to live have long been known hens in Italian intensive farms. Many news reports reported overcrowding, maltreatment by operators and poor sanitation.
Poor little animals forced to live in a few square meters in cramped places, full of mites and parasites and with dead corpses of chickens. All this causes a high probability of contracting diseases and consequently of dying. A widespread phenomenon is also the pica of feathers or cannibalism, that is, pecking on each other parts of the body up to causing serious injuries due to strong stress due to the lack of living space and the few mangers and drinking troughs.
Hens are fundamental creatures for man, since they produce a precious food such as egg and for this reason they must be treated with the utmost care and attention.
Fortunately, there are cases of ethical breeding where the aim is animal welfare. But these specimens are also perfect to keep and grow in the home garden in exchange for fresh and natural eggs. Of course, you also need a quality chicken coop of the right size, where they can rest, shelter from outside temperatures and hatch in complete safety and tranquility.
Create a chicken coop in the garden or an educational farm is a great way to lead one healthy living and self-production, even in a small way, fresh eggs and excellent quality meat for family and friends, as well as being an additional opportunity to spend time outdoors in the company of cute animals. Before you decide to start ad raising laying hens it is good to be prepared on how you manage a chicken coop and how to organize the space where the animals will be placed.
Characteristics of garden hen houses
The first thing to worry about is the place where to put chicken coops or houses for our laying hens. In fact, animal welfare comes first. How to choose the the right house for chickens and hens? There are those who rely on do-it-yourself and create houses by recovering boards and wooden boards and those who prefer prefabricated garden hen houses more professional and design.
On the market there are chicken coops of all sizes and shapes, but in general:
- it is important that the place first of all respect the needs of the hens, allowing them to move freely: an estimated 1/3 square meter per chicken in an enclosed space and approximately 1/2 square meter per chicken outdoors;
- the chicken coop must be well insulated e protect animals from the cold in winter and shelter them from the heat in summer, without neglecting the right exposure to the sun, essential for the health of the hens and for the quality of the eggs we want to produce;
- make sure the houses or chicken coop are always clean: if the floor seems damp, throw hay or straw on the ground and if the walls seem dirty, disinfect them;
- inside the chicken coop laying hens need have available feeders and drinkers, as well as an area where to sleep and rest and where to build nests.
The hen house or educational farm in your garden, courtyard or open space must also be well protected from any predatory animals: Pollai Cucciolotta Polly e Polly Farm for example, they are equipped with a lockable door which avoid night intrusions. Before choosing your new chicken coop, remember that this must be weatherproof and termite resistant, having a sturdy supporting structure and built in fireproof and antistatic material, free of heavy metals, harmless to animal health and for the environment.
Cucciolotta offers high quality products that are the result of a Made in Italy design and production that require no maintenance.
Le laying hens houses they are made of an excellent material, namely multilayer HPL: it is indestructible, resistant and long lasting. In this way you can be sure of making an excellent investment since you do not have to adjust or change after a short time, going to spend more money.
It is important to emphasize that whatever the choice, all are equipped with a practical compartment for eggs, which makes harvesting easy without disturbing the animals. They also all have the sunroof to facilitate cleaning and are thermally insulated, that is, you are guaranteed to give the hens a place of the right temperature, always warm and welcoming. In addition, assembly is not a complex operation, but takes place in a short time thanks to the interlocking mechanism.
The Advantages of Managing a Chicken Coop
Managing a small chicken coop in the garden or an educational farm in the courtyard has many advantages for adults and children. The first is to be able lead a healthier lifestyle and eat well: working in the open air is good for health and a production of fresh eggs and quality meat, without the use of chemicals, also guarantees a certain economic saving.
From an ethical point of view, starting a small home breeding helps decrease the massive exploitation of hens and chickens for the production of eggs and meat. Laying hens and chickens can help us be more attentive to the environment: the space in the courtyard or garden where they run around can be fertilized naturally and our pets can contribute to dispose of organic waste and leftovers from the house. Also the psychological advantage that derives from it is not to be underestimated: hens bring good mood and satisfaction!
The hens' houses for hens of Cucciolotta
Cucciolotta, made in Italy company, offers pretty hens houses for those who want to raise them properly in the home garden.
The first model is the "Polly chicken house" a stylish modern chicken coop and refined in a beautiful white color, available in sizes S and M.
Then there is also the "Polly Farm chicken house", in shades reminiscent of wood.
For those looking for a chicken coop for 10 hens and wants to provide him with a larger place to stay so that we have all the space necessary for their livelihood, there are two more suitable types on the market: the first is "Polly Gothique chicken house" available in size XL (115 X 137 X 97h) or you can buy the "Polly Maxi Country chicken house" in the 3XL (180 X 110 X 111h).
Why install a "Chicken Guard" automatic door
Raising chickens is a choice that requires dedication. It is not enough to have all the necessary material, you have to take care and monitor your animals daily. If you have a chicken coop, it is important to protect your hens during the day, but especially at night, and make sure they are all back in their shelter. Predators such as foxes are always lurking and ready to attack and for this reason it is essential to keep them away from external dangers. Obviously, those who own a farm can prevent this from happening by making sure that all the animals owned are returned to the shelter. The breeder must, therefore, take care of opening and closing the door of the house at various times of the day. However, this operation can be simplified through a automatic opening mechanism which is installed directly on the access door of your chicken coop.
La Chicken Guard automatic door has an electronic device that is applied to the cottage itself and which is connected to the sliding door. The opening mechanism can be activated manually, by pressing the button, or the opening and closing time can be set so that it occurs automatically. The movement is slow to allow all hens to enter or exit and prevent them from getting hurt during the passage.
In this way, it is possible to regulate the flow of their movements and protect them from any external aggressions: if the door is closed and the hens are inside the shelter, predators will not be able to access it.
Il Chicken Guard it is a tool that simplifies some fundamental operations that the chicken farmer must carry out every day, making the activity more enjoyable.
Proper nutrition for your laying hens
The power supply of laying hens it is a fundamental element for the care of their health and their immune system. In fact, one chicken malnourished it could produce eggs with too soft shells, stop producing them or lay them incorrectly.
Obviously, the daily requirement depends on various characteristics of the hen itself, such as age, weight, sex.
In general, the hens they independently go in search of food. In fact, they peck the ground in search of herbs, insects and worms that guarantee an important protein intake to their diet. For this reason it is advisable to keep the hens in a garden or in an outdoor area.
As already mentioned, the daily protein intake is important for their proper nutrition; in fact it should be equal to 16%. It is satisfied by numerous foods such as insects, pea protein or whole soy. You can also buy high-protein feeds. Carbohydrates, on the other hand, make up 35% of their diet; for this reason it is necessary to ensure a high dose of grains, such as wheat, oats, corn, rye, rice, barley and more. Even oil seeds must be introduced into their diet, for a percentage ranging from 15% to 25%. They can be, flax, sunflower and hemp seeds. It is precisely this latter food which, being rich in Omega 3, favors proper egg laying. It is also necessary to integrate vitamins, contained in herbs, and calcium, present in sand, sunflower seeds and other foods, for the production of eggs with a resistant shell.
Laying hens must be looked after carefully and proper nutrition is the essential element for the production of quality eggs.
This device seems to be really useful. I had problems with other animals entering the chicken coop. I bought here my chicken coop hens mobile and I am very satisfied. However, I will consider purchasing another larger one. Now I have 5 chickens and the space is too small it seems to me now. Thanks for the information on daily protein feeding - I fed my hens cmq manually at first.