Free Ranging Chickens May Not Be The Best Method For Raising Backyard

Free Ranging Chickens May Not Be The Best Method For Raising Backyard Chickens - Here's Why

According daily mail science reporter, free ranging chickens may not be the best solution. I can second that 100% 

• Free ranging chickens will eventually put your chicken at risk or death from predators that have been hunting for their food and they are hungry too.
• Free ranging chickens will "eggspose" the chickens to more diseases from migrating birds 
• There is increased risk of mortality and increased risk of disease and injury.
• Pet dogs LOVE to chase chickens and unless you have spent hours with your dog training him there is a great risk in letting an untrained dog play unsupervised with chickens
• Many more reasons not to let your chickens out. Its your personal choice.

We raise our chickens "cage free" in open pens at Blue Star Ranch in Austin Texas. Over the years I have found that with many of my customers that the most and biggest mistakes, accidents and even death can occur in the first month of having chickens. Most new chicken owners simply can't resist the look of flocks of chickens running around catching bugs. But if your run is large enough attached to the coop then you do not NEED to let your chickens out. You WANT to let them out. 

If you feel that you really want to watch your flock outdoors, then lets make it fun. Here is a product on Cheep Chicken Store that will allow you to not only watch your chickens but you can find lost chickens, track chickens as they are wandering around and even keep them safer by watching your free roaming chickens on your cell phone.  This is "Chicken Trax" that will allow you to track your free ranging chickens by cell phone and app.  Order your Chicken GPS today to start protecting your chickens and have more FUN watching them rather than worrying about them. 

​​ Predator Control - Don't let Your Chicken Become a Predator's Dinner

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 Predator Control In & Out Of The Coop 

Predator proofing your coop against animals is as individual as each chicken coop is different. Here at Blue Star Ranch in Austin Texas we help our customers BEFORE break ins occur in your coop. Some animal proofing works for some chicken owners, but it may not work for you. In MOST cases you may have to try several of these methods and or a combination of methods to see what is best for your coop to prevent predators.

 In ALL cases building the BEST and STRONGEST coop and predator
proofing your coop BEFORE you get started is the best way to have chickens in the morning. Remember, predators may still try to get into your coop.

Remember, hungry predators have been around for millions of years. 

Available Coop Cameras With Cell Phone Alert

If adult chickens are missing from your coop but  there are no other signs of disturbance exist, the predator probably is a dog, a coyote, a fox, a bobcat, a hawk, or an owl. These predators typically are able to kill, pick up, and carry off an adult chicken. Hawks typically take chickens during the day, whereas owls take them during the night.

There are not too many things to stop a very hungry critter from eating your chickens if you free range. 

Especially if you are new to chickens - build a predator proof coop (and keep chickens inside for protection) as the BEST solution to prevent the loss of chickens from free ranging.

If adult chickens are missing but no other signs of disturbance exist, the predator probably is a dog, a coyote, a fox, a bobcat, a hawk, or an owl. These predators typically are able to kill, pick up, and carry off an adult chicken. Hawks typically take chickens during the day, whereas owls take them during the night.

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Coop and Next Box Cleaning - Hospitals & Restaurants Use Ultraviolet Lights - Clean Your Coop Like the Pros - High Ozone Sterilizer for Coops

Coop and Next Box Cleaning -  Hospitals & Restaurants 

Use Ultraviolet Lights - Clean Your Coop Like the Pros  

High Ozone Sterilizer for Coops

Buy ultraviolet lights - www.cheepchickenstore.com

Hospitals are using ultraviolet lights to kill super bugs in patients rooms for 100% sanitation. Homes, restaurants, schools and now chicken coops are using the powerful cleaning and sanitation that only pure ultraviolet light can achieve. 

NEW! For Coop Cleaning, Nest Boxes, & Sanitizing UV Lights, Lamps & Bulbs 80% Off  - Free Delivery

We at Cheep Chicken Store have many sizes of coop sterilizers available for sale at large discount pricing. These ultraviolet lights can be used to kill many germs and super bugs. Along with keeping your family safe from diseases. See below:

Diseases shared between people and poultry include:

• Bird flu, Avian influenza. Avian influenza is a virus whose natural hosts include many species of waterfowl. ...
• Campylobacteriosis (Campylobacter spp.) ...
• E. coli (Escherichia coli) ...
  
• Salmonellosis (Salmonella spp.) ...
• West Nile virus (WNV)

We have researched UV lights here at Blue Star Ranch in Austin Texas and used them and other methods for cleaning and the care of our poultry. 

Coop ultraviolet sterilizers come in hand held, battery or electric models. UV light is portable and powerful and will kill all dangerous germs and super bugs if applied correctly.

Other applications and uses for UV lights are 

• Nest box cleaning
• Counter cleaning in kitchens
• Sanitize all collected eggs 
• Sanitize for poultry meat and slaughter preparation
• Room area clean and sanitize
• Water and food systems cleaning
• Feed room, tools and supply cleaning

Top Dangers For Baby Chicks | Please Read this Page For Healthy Chicks

https://cheepchickenstore.com/

Do you want healthy baby chicks? 

Then please READ this!

Too many people that buy baby chicks also pick up a bag of TOXIC wood shavings (really it is!) The wood shavings have toxic poisons in the wood. Chicks that eat small pieces of wood can DIE. Some chick owners can use magazines or news paper. (ink and chemicals are not good for chicks either......Or other pet shavings are recycled and bleached rags or paper particles.

(some people get lucky and do not lose chicks but most will have sick chicks and never know why.....)

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I know why!

Blue Star Ranch Austin Texas

This is how we raise chicks at Blue Star Ranch in Austin Texas. Baby chicks need: sunlight, dirt, or garden soil, green clover or grass and some type of organic matter (decayed garden compost or manure) in order to establish a natural immunity to bad bacteria. A chickens gut system NEEDS balanced good bacteria!

DO NOT BUY BAGS OF COMPOST AT GARDEN CENTERS THEY CONTAIN BUG SPRAY!To all new chicken owners: Baby chicks also need SUNLIGHT!You can keep chicks on a dark shelf in the barn or in your bathroom... but chicks that are 'eggsposed" to a bit of early morning or late afternoon sunlight with proper bedding and grass, dirt soil will be much healthier than the chicks grown in storage tubs on a dark shelf in your laundry room with toxic wood shavings and using a light bulb!

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Lets think about the health and happiness of our tiny friends.

I won't use "fowl" language here.... 

Surprise! Chickens are BIRDS. So use a bird cage for your brooder instead of a plastic tub. Plastic tubs do not provide enough airflow.  Save money and your new baby chicks health by providing them with a BETTER brooding start than a plastic bucket or wood box. Keep the chicks in here for about 3 - 5 weeks for the perfect start!

No more toxic wood chips or poisonous pet bedding 

A medium to large sized finch or parakeet cage (with small enough wire at the bottom) is PERFECT FOR RAISING ABOUT 4 TO 8 CHICKS - (more than this amount of chicks you will need a different brooder system.)

And its "cheep cheep" too.. There are lots of styles of pre made bird cages from about $10 / $20 up (get some for almost free at the SPCA or animal shelter!)

You can put your brooder light or small fan/heater nearby the cage or clamp to side of cage. This way you can see your chicks even better AND the chicks will have better ventilation. (chicks need proper HEAT 95 degrees and AIR FLOW!)

Top Dangers For Baby Chicks:

1) Too much handling

Chicks are too tiny to be played with!

2) Too hot/cold/ poor ventilation

Chicks need fresh air circulation and proper temperature (90-95 degrees)

3) Your pet dogs/cats 

Your pets may hurt your chickens

4) Not using proper bedding

Pet shavings and pre-bagged material not healthy! - Use natural garden compost.

​5) Wrong kind food

Bantams and small chicks need almost powdered or finely crushed feed commercial feeds are too big for them to eat! 

6) String! or small objects like plastic toys - Keep away from chicks.

7) Smothering in corners of bedding area to find comfortable area to sleep and trampling and smothering on top of each other. 

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8) Bad bacteria from wet or soiled bedding.

Hydrogen Peroxide Uses in Chicken Coops

Hydrogen Peroxide Uses 

in Chicken Coops

Understand that chickens outside of their coops are walking on the ground and can pick up disease from birds that fly overhead or winds that blow bacteria. Be sure to use safe health practices when handling your chickens. ALL Vets will say that your chickens are carriers of bacteria of one type of another. Its TRUE all chickens carry LOTS of bacteria!  Many kinds. 

Here at Blue Star Ranch hydrogen peroxide is in use in most of our pens to cut down on disease and illness in the flocks. 

Many poultry farmers are discovering the benefit of adding small amounts of hydrogen peroxide to the watering systems for their birds.

Farmers who have supplied poultry flocks with hydrogen peroxide in drinking water in specialized delivery systems which carefully regulate the amount of peroxide in the water have reported reduced incidence of in-flock predation (pecking disorder), healthier birds and increased egg production in laying hens

Just ONE Phone Call:

At 281-627-8009 

Can Save You Many THOUSANDS Of Dollars. 

Let the "Chicken Lady" at  Blue Star Ranch in Austin Texas help answer your questions

Shop "Cheep Chicken Store" 80 % Off of Everything

To our baby chick pens which we use kennel flooring to remove waste and sand I spray the chicks directly with a fine mist of 3% HP and also add some to the water and a small amount of HP to the flooring. 

This H202 really eliminates Coccidiosis  as well as other diseases in poultry.

What are the symptoms?

Coccidiosis works quickly as the incubation period is only about eight days. Symptoms can present either gradually or suddenly – it’s not uncommon for a chicken to appear fine one day and very sick or even dead the next. The most common symptom you might notice is blood or mucous in the droppings. However, don’t get this confused with caecal droppings chickens shed naturally that is also brown/red in color. While you can take an educated guess as to whether or not your chicken’s poop is indicating coccidiosis, only your vet can provide certainty by performing an analysis on dropping samples.

Also note, blood in poop is not necessarily always a symptom, so also look out for:

• Weak, listless looking chickens not moving around much
• Huddling together as if cold
• Pale comb and skin
• A loss of appetite
• Ruffled feathers
• Weight loss
• Baby chicks failing to grow
• Inconsistent egg laying – or not at all

Shop "Cheep Chicken Store" 80 % Off of Everything

What is Chicken Fever.....? And I Bet Your Chickens Gave it to You

What is Chicken Fever.....?  

And I Bet Your Chickens Gave it to You

Actually do not worry. Chicken Fever is NOT a disease. That is unless its a disease to want more and more chickens to add to your coop. 

Over the years at Blue Star Ranch I can see the "Chicken Fever" look in peoples eyes when they come to see chickens for their first flock. Most of the time, customers are glassy eyed and say...... "my coop holds 3 chickens but I really want 5!" 

And then the "disease" begins. Some people call it chicken math... when one chicken leads to another and another and then even more. 

Be sure to build your coop TWICE or THREE TIMES bigger than you want for the 3 chickens that will soon become twelve fluffy friends before you can say "poached egg" 

I have see wives that ACTUALLY buy chickens BEFORE the coop is finished in order to hurry up the husbands even faster. (now I'm not saying that there wasn't encouragement here LOL) 

Further, I want it to go on record that it should be a CRIME to sell chickens in public where children can see baby chicks and just won't let parents leave without a few, (or 6 or 8 !) 

So be prepared when you start your chicken flock for a big case of "chicken fever!"