Hi Tylar! My name is Khara Cavendish. I'm not 100% sure what poultry knowledge you are wanting us to share, but here's what I can tell you:
You must have a hen and a rooster together to produce fertile eggs. Fertilization happens 24 hours before the egg is laid. The fertile eggs do not develop an embryo until incubation has begun. The chick begins developing within the first 24 hours of incubation. On average, it takes a total of 21 days for the baby chicks to hatch. During incubation, the eggs should be kept around 100 degrees. Eggs should be turned three times per day for days 1-18, unless an automatic egg turner is being used. In both cases, eggs should be set into lock down on day 19, and no longer be turned. This allows the chick to situate itself for hatching on day 21.
When the chicks hatch, they should be kept with a broody hen or in a brooder. The hen will keep the chicks warm, and teach them everything they need to know. In a brooder, there should be an ample supply of fresh chick feed and water, clean bedding, a heat lamp, and a thermometer to help keep track of the brooder temperature. The temperature in the brooder should be around 95 degrees F. for the first week, then dropped 5 degrees each week until the lamp is no longer needed and the chicks are fully feathered and ready to be placed outside in their permanent home.
A coop, or barn, is necessary to house your birds. It should be kept clean and dry, and have plenty of food, water, roosts, and nest boxes. It should be large enough to adequately support the size flock you are keeping. Roosts are used for the birds to sleep and perch on to help cut down the amount of fecal matter in the nest boxes. You can't always guarantee the birds will not sleep in the nest boxes, and should always keep them cleaned. If the birds are sleeping in the nest boxes, they can sometimes be taught to sleep on the perches by moving them to a perch each night when they are more dormant.
Fenced runs are not necessary to have. Many people like to allow their birds to free roam (range) the entire yard/farm. Others prefer to have a fenced run so to keep the birds in a specific area, while helping cut down the amount of predators that can get in. When using a fenced run, it should be large enough to give each bird it's space from others. When the birds are kept together in too close of quarters, they can get annoyed with each other and begin picking and fighting.
In the case of injuries resulting in open wounds, the owner should carefully clean and disinfect the wound(s), and cover with blue kote. The blue kote helps avoid the wound(s) being picked at not only by the injured bird itself, but by the others in the flock. In some circumstances, it can be a good idea to bring the injured bird inside, or into another separate enclosure, to avoid further injury.
During the hot summers, it is a great idea to keep many waterers available in different areas so that the birds have a constant supply of water so that they do not over heat or become dehydrated. As for cooling the coops, different people have different methods. Some people run fans in the coop windows, while others may simply place ice packs in different areas of the coop to help bring the temperature down. Also, it is important that the birds can get to areas of dirt or sand. They will "bathe" in this to help cool their bodies down. Some people also like to hose the birds down when it gets extremely hot out. It helps to cool them down, and though they may run away at first, they will come to love the cool water coming from the hose.
In the cold winter months, many people like to keep their birds comfortable and warm. Some people use space heaters in their coops, but this is not always the best idea in that the heaters could spark a fire. Another method some people like to use are heat lamps. The only down fall for this is that if the bulbs should burn out, then birds could die from sudden unexpected exposure to the cold after their bodies have been used to the warmth. A method I prefer to use is to place a few heating pads around the coop, underneath the bedding. This allows the coop to be somewhat warmer than the outside, and gives the birds the choice to sleep in a warmer spot. Not everyone goes to any measure to warm their coops. There are others who just allow the birds to warm each other with their body heat as they nestle together. This is perfectly fine with many breeds, though there are some highly tropical breeds that could die in the lower temperatures. These breeds should be kept in an area with a temperature no colder than 35-40 degrees F. Unless the birds are kept strictly inside, it is NOT a good idea to bathe the birds during these months. This could cause them to catch pneumonia, or other ailment, and die.
To protect the birds from frost bite during the winter months, owners should make sure the birds have a dry place to sleep and roost. Clean, dry, bedding (pine shavings) is the best option. Feces should be cleaned out to help cut down the amount of moisture in the air. Vaseline can be rubbed onto combs and wattles to help protect against frost bite and/or drying out. The birds should also have places to roost and perch off of the ground to help protect their feet. These roosts and perches should be wide enough that the birds body covers their feet as they sleep. This not only is another way to help prevent frost bite, but also helps them to keep their feet warm. They do not need to stay inside their coop/barn the whole winter. They could develop "cabin fever" if they are. They should be allowed the choice to go in and out of their "house" as they please.
There are many diseases that poultry can pick up. Many times it is hard to truly know what the bird is ailing from, but if left untreated they could die. Owners should always keep a medicine "cabinet" full of antibiotics, ointments, creams, bandaging, etc. handy. The one disease that many owners tend to mostly diagnose their young birds/chicks with is Marek's disease. There are many other ailments that have similar symptoms to Marek's. Before diagnosing, owner's should closely check every detail to determine they are making the right diagnosis. If unsure, they should consult a livestock, or exotic pets, veterinarian. The vet can run further tests to make sure the diagnosis is correct, and that the proper treatment is given.
Culling birds is somewhat of a lifestyle when raising poultry. When you have weak, or diseased birds that aren't going to make it, it is usually best to put the animal down. Some owners can easily cull by breaking the birds neck or cutting the birds head off. But this is not easy for everyone to do. Many people have soft hearts, or soft stomachs, and prefer other means of culling. Euthanasia by a veterinarian is a good method, but not everyone can afford this. There is a gas chamber method that can be used at home, and is approved of by the American Veterinary Medical Association. You can find the instructions by visiting this site:
http://www.alysion.org/euthanasia/
Culling is also used on meat birds. Birds being culled for food should not be put down by euthanasia. These birds should be culled by breaking the neck, cutting the head off, or being shot.
Tylar... this is only part of what I know. There are many other things such as collecting eggs, breaking a broody, birds kept as house pets, poultry shows..... I don't want to take up your whole page rambling on about every little thing. It would be best written into a book. lol I hope you are willing to give me a chance as your customer care advocate. I have sent you an email containing my resume` and cover letter. I look forward to hearing back from you. Thank you so much for your time!
Hello,
