Homeowners with large backyards often use this open space to run home-based businesses and earn an additional income. Backyard poultry farming is one of the most preferred business avenues for its sense of routine, moderate investment and steady returns. If you’re looking to kick-start your backyard poultry farm, here are seven useful hacks to remember.
Invest In The Right Coop
A coop is where chickens live, thrive, lay eggs and sleep. It is only natural that a coop is integral to the productivity, happiness quotient and health of chickens. Choose a coop that offers plenty of space for chickens to move around. Ideally, you need at least 8-12 inches per chicken, so plan for a little extra space as chickens tend to multiply quickly. Ensure the nesting boxes are warm and humid as such an environment is essential for chickens to thrive in. there must be plenty of roosting space for chickens to be well-rested, only then can they be productive and active. Most importantly, every chicken coop must have at least one way for easy human access to facilitate cleaning and maintenance. That’s where a walk-in chicken coop comes in handy, allowing easy walk-in access for humans.
Set Up Fixed Processes
Rearing chickens is all about following processes and protocols. While some routines can get mundane, others thrive in them. Set up clearly defined procedures and tasks within each procedure to avoid errors and upkeep quality and cleanliness. For example, the collection and storage of eggs must be a thorough procedure to limit bacteria festering. Cracked eggs must be put away and good eggs must be refrigerated immediately. Eggs must be collected every day to avoid hatching. Similarly setting up processes for different activities such as cleaning the food, changing water/food bowls, vaccinations, daily inspection etc ensures minimal errors and thorough jobs.
Get A Good Team on Onboard
Having a good team behind your back is a great way to destress when in business. Poultry farming is a labour-intensive business and cannot function as a one-man show. Several hands need to come together for periodic chores in and around a poultry farm. Having said that, it certainly requires the right kind of people with a flair for farming and the necessary skill sets to be good at the job. Choose people who can handle chickens and have attention to detail. Someone who thrives in routine and doesn’t get bored of monotonous tasks is your go-to person in poultry farming. A team that is quick to respond to emergencies is one you need in your corner. Also, choose people who can handle being around chickens the whole day – this includes the noise, odour, droppings and everything that comes with being around chickens.
Vaccinate Your Flock
Vaccinations are extremely important in ensuring a healthy, productive and thriving flock. Regular vaccinations prevent diseases or sicknesses from taking a turn for the worse and causing widespread death in your flock. It allows prevents the rampant spreading of sicknesses and the cross-transfer of viruses from humans to birds and vice-versa. Different countries, regions and chicken breeds require different vaccines based on the poultry diseases that are prevalent around there. Approach a reputed vet doctor and get your flock on a periodic vaccination routine. Follow the advice of the doctor and his poultry vaccination program comprehensively to prevent any health hazards.
Choose The Right Breed
Well begun is half done. This statement couldn’t be truer when it comes to poultry farming. Oftentimes, newbie poultry farmers do not give due thought and research to the different kinds of chicken breeds available, which leads to poorly met goals, frequent sickness and overall mismanagement. Choose your poultry breed based on whether you want to earn out of eggs or meat. Also read up on chicken breeds that are most suitable to your climate and region, reducing the chances of sickness. When you zero down on some chicken breeds, also keep in mind the effort required to raise them in the form of activity, food, water, supervision and overall care. The biggest mistake newbie poultry farmers make is letting cost be the sole consideration in breed selection. Approach a reputable poultry farming consultant to help you choose the right breed.
Maintain Cleanliness
Cleanliness is next to godliness. Surely the person who coined this phrase knew how apt it must be to poultry farming. Cleanliness is the singular most important factor in making or breaking a poultry farm. Dust, droppings, debris, state food/water and other unkempt elements can cause sickness, diseases, reduced productivity and even death in chickens. Maintaining cleanliness is critical to ensuring a good and healthy supply of top-quality eggs and meat. Clean the chicken coop and the surrounding areas regularly, replacing food and water bowls every few hours. Also clean up droppings as these can lead to insects and mosquitoes, posing a risk to both humans and poultry.
Wrap Up
Backyard poultry farming is one of the leading avenues of earning an additional income from home. We hope the above list of essentials gives you a heads-up on getting started on the right note and running a successful backyard chicken coop.
