How to Keep Chickens Safe From Harm

It is very important to get the relevant information on the needs of chickens. Many people believe they know how to keep chickens only to end up overlooking some of the basic regulations necessary. The highest numbers of chicken keepers mostly overlook safety related issues only to end up with massive losses.

Several factors contribute to the insecurity of chickens. Some of the most common security risks are predators like dogs and birds or even wild animals. Some areas have snakes or other wild animals like mongoose among others who enjoy preying on chickens. It is therefore important to know your area well to understand the looming danger to your birds.

Different security measures are possible depending on the potential danger. Of all the risks that your chicken may face, human activity is likely to be the most dangerous since this may affect our birds without you getting any warnings.

Take the example of a neighbor who decides to spray his backyard, including the fence that separates your property from his, without taking into account the fact that your chicken often forage for leaves and other foodstuff along the same fence. This simple human activity may result in you losing an entire flock within a very short time

In order to guard your chickens against such eventuality it is important to ensure you keep your compound covered and in cases of shared fences, please make sure you educate your neighbors on the safety precautions necessary. Giving the relevant information can save you a great deal of potential danger. It is also vital to take into account the direction of winds when constructing your chicken coops. Most chicken diseases are airborne and spread by wind; this means that your coops should not be facing the direction of oncoming winds.

If your neighborhood has a large tree population, birds like crows and eagles among other meat eating birds are likely to inhabit such areas, it is important to devise a strategy to tackle this danger since these carnivorous birds can wipe out all your chicken faster than you can imagine. You can raise high wire mesh fences to break the bird's access or even build strategic hiding places on the ground every few meters for your birds to reach safety incase of attacks. The use of scarecrows has also yielded results in some cases.

Keeping chickens at home can be interesting at times especially for young kids who may find the exercise thrilling, kids can also act as a source of security since most predators can not attack your chicken when the kids are playing around the yard. The danger posed by wild animals such as mongoose and monitor lizards among others can be minimized by keeping other pets like dogs, which can play a major role in keeping away predators from your compound.

Lastly, it is very crucial to observe health and hygiene standards for your chicken, getting frequent vaccinations for common diseases can save your chickens from death incase of disease outbreaks

For more information on how to keep chickens why not take advantage of the Free 11 part mini course on how to raise healthy chickens at http://www.chickenkeepinganswers.com.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jason_H_Perry