Three Items To Have On Hand For Chickens
Kevin Felts 03.14.18
Over the years, there have been three items used on my chicken flock more than anything else. The items listed in this article are not used on a daily basis with the main flock. These are kept on hand, such as in a storage building, then used as needed.
Whether someone bought some new chicks or dealing with an injured full grown hen, these three can be a lifesaver.
One Gallon Waterer
There are some much larger than one gallon, and some smaller than one gallon. The one quart size chicken waterers are too small to do just about anything with. My main chicken house has a 35 gallon drum that provides water to the flock.
One gallon size is large enough for almost anyone to handle. Even a young child should be able to refill a one gallon chicken waterer and put it back in the chicken house.
What would something this size be used for? Everything from day old chicks to injured full grown hens and roosters. This is plenty of water for a full grown chicken during the hot summer months. So if someone has an inured chicken and has to separate it from the flock, they already have a waterer on hand.
Feeder
I have a couple of feeders that hold around 5 pounds of chicken feed. These will usually be around 12 inches tall, and the base around 10 inches in diameter.
Everything from day old chicks to a full grown chicken can use this feeder.
I used to start my chicks off with a small feeder then move them up to a larger one. Having several different size feeders seemed like a waste or time and money. One size will work for both chicks and and injured chickens.
The ones in the main chicken house hold 25 pounds each.
Heat Lamp
New chicks can not regulate their own body heat, the mother hen does that for them. The heat lamp replaces the mama hen.
When a grown chicken is injured, it may go into shock and die. That’s right, chickens can go into shock, which causes their body temperature to drop. Even if the injuries are not fatal, the shock can be. A heat lamp can mean the difference between life and death for a full grown chicken.
It may take a day for the chicken in shock to recover and get back on its feet.
Final Thoughts
These are not expensive items, and once bought will last for a long time. If feeder and waterer will usually be made from plastic. If left in sunlight for extended periods, the plastic will break down and become brittle.
For the heat lamp. These have a metal housing and can be hung from top of a chicken cage. I use a piece of dog chain to suspend the heat lamp from the top of the brooder house.
