Manage an Organic Chicken Farm
A few still have the chance to eat fresh eggs laid by hens raised outdoors or in a home environment. Even if the eggs we buy at the supermarket are fresh, or laid by a few days, however, come from hens subjected to intensive farming. So if we have full availability ground,we can use it to build a fence and create our own chicken coop, where the chickens scratching in freedom and will lay their eggs.
Steps
- Build a fence (with wooden stakes driven into the ground or metal and wire mesh) and an area of the enclosed space, settle a locked cage (h 2m - 3x3 m) with door, full availability in the soil, preferably covered with grass.
- Settle inside the cage of plastic crates, such as those used for the transportation of fruit, we have previously filled with straw.
- Each box will be the bed and the hen will deposit its egg.
- You can buy in stores that specialize in farm animals chicks. We ensure that the animals have been vaccinated already. The number of chicks to buy depends on the amount of fenced land that we have full availability, to let her roam, and size of the cage.We calculate in each case 2 square meters of land for each animal.
- Near the cage, settle the troughs (possibly equipped with drip), and plastic trays which will serve to contain the food that will give to the chicks.
- Fill the trays periodically, so that the chicks can eat. It is recommended a diet based on corn, wheat, bran wet, but hard bread and sometimes fruits and vegetables.
- During the day, roam the chicks outdoors. Take care of cleaning the cage, to sweep away the excrement, and change the straw when it is dirty. Let us also to clean the outer area, to avoid build up of the excrement. During the night we close the chicks inside the cage.
- When the chicks have reached 6 months of age, they will begin to lay their first eggs. Every day we check the bedding and collect your eggs in one basket.
- Continue to raise the chicks following these instructions. They will grow to become laying hens that will lay one egg per day for about 19 months.
Tips
- When the hens stop making eggs, we can use them to make the classic chicken broth. If necessary, ask for help from our butcher.
- During rainy days, we open the door of the cage and if they want to, let the hens out freely, without worrying that they can get wet.
