Chickens droppings supply many of the nutrition needed for gardens so a few fun facts can be helpful in raising your own chickens. Learning and knowing our backyard chickens is not only informative but can help make raising chickens fun.
Chicken Facts Also Known As Poultry Facts
Poultry is another name used for chickens, turkeys, ducks, and geese. Many people raise these birds for either meat or eggs. Knowing the facts about your backyard chicken can be helpful and informative. Here are some fun and interesting facts:
- Boy chickens known as roosters can be as small as 22 ounces to 12 pounds.
- There are 150 breeds of chickens and they come in 340 different colors.
- Some chickens have 4 toes others have 5.
- Chickens are raised all over the world.
- Chickens have been raised by people for over 10,000 years.
- Roosters (males) will crow at any time during the day.
- Roosters crow to let others know that it is their territory.
- Hens (female) can lay up to 260 eggs per year.
- You can trim a chicken's beak and toenails with a nail trimmer.
- Eggs are an excellent source of protein.
Chicken Words And Talk And What Some Of Them Mean
The words that people often use to describe or talk about their chickens can be confusing to the new owner of backyard chickens. A few words and their meaning listed here may help.
- Hen: A female chicken over one year.
- Cock: A male chicken over one year.
- Pullet: A female chicken under one year.
- Cockerel: A male chicken under one year.
- Breed: Division of poultry according to country of origin.
- Type: The general shape and form of a bird.
- Bantam: Small miniature chickens
- Large Fowl: Standard size chicken.
- Coop: A chicken housed or exhibited.
- Fowl: domestic chickens, ducks, geese, and turkeys.
What do chickens need? What Kind Of Things Keep A Chicken Healthy?
- Chickens need at least two square feet for each bird.
- Chickens living area should be kept dry and clean.
- Chickens should have adequate sunlight.
- A chicken’s house (coop) should be able to keep dogs, cats, raccoons, and other predators out.
- Chicken feeders and an adequate water supply are always needed.
Raising chickens can be a fun way of getting eggs for free and they supply a bunch of entertainment as each chicken has its own personality and character. Many 4H groups have information to help the beginner in raising chickens. You can visit
National 4-H Cooperative Curriculum Systems or Murry McMurry Hatchery for more information and maybe even starting your own little backyard flock of fowls.
Find this article helpful? Are you also interested in raising the backyard rabbit?
Read articles: How to Keep Rabbits Cool For the Summer or What Not to Feed Your Bunny and Rabbit Nutrition.
Source:
National 4-H Cooperative Curriculum System, Inc. Scratching The Surface:
Poultry 1(2003)
Mary Moustakas - Working on Masters in Clinical Psyc. Have a son on the autism spectrum so, I hope to pursue a Ph.D in neuropsychology.
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