Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Never start building a structure without checking out the building permit process,
or you may be wasting time and money.
Necessary Equipment
What else is needed to keep poultry comfortable? Thankfully, saddles and iron shoes are
not essential, but your birds will need food and a source of fresh water. And, if you want
them to sleep at night and lay eggs from time to time, roosts and nest boxes are appreci-
ated.
Feeders
In most cases, you don't want your flock's food source to be right at ground level or a
lot will be wasted. Using feed pans on the ground is successful only if you are giving
crumble or pellet feed that is all the same size and texture. Feed pans do not work well
if you want to offer ground feeds mixed with scratch grains, as the birds will pick out
what they want and waste the rest.
The easiest and simplest way to feed your birds is with a hanging feeder, with the
height adjusted periodically, as they grow. Hang the feeder up so it's almost level with
the birds' heads; that way, a lot less feed is wasted on the ground. Hanging feeders can
be purchased in sizes that hold between 5 and 50 pounds (2.2-22 kg) of feed; each size
can be adjusted to meet your particular flock's needs.
When purchasing feed equipment, keep in mind that metal feed pans tend to rust out
very quickly. The best feed pans for floor use are rubber or hard plastic. Rubber pans
tend to last the longest and take the most abuse.
Search WWH ::




Custom Search