How to arrange the hen house?
How to arrange the hen house?
A well-designed hen house!
The hen houseis not just where hens lay eggs. It is also a place of well-being for them.
So, before asking yourself about what you need for your hen house, it is important to understand the lifestyle of hens.To start, you need to know that they can live alone, but they prefer to live in groups. Like other species, there are rules of hierarchy and quarrels do happen because some are more assertive than others. To make thiscohabitationsmooth, it is recommended to introduce the hens at the same age. This simultaneous introduction thus avoids the appearance of new germs.
Now let’s look at the hen house. Inside the hen house, the hens set up a system in which each one manages their own space. It is therefore essential for the hen house to be large enough in relation to the number of hens. On average, one hen requires 0.5 m² to 1 m².In terms of space, the main thing is to avoid over-population. Be careful: if the hens do not feel calm, they will not laycorrectly.
Living areas to respect
More concretely, what do I need to put in my hen house? There must be feeders, troughs and nesting boxes. Make sure that these are protected from draughts and do not expose them to the sun.Also ensure that there are enough feeders and troughsso that each one can eat and drink regularly. Concerning nesting boxes, the only recommendation to follow is that they must be raised. Hens lay better when they are at a height. So that they can reach them, install ramps or ladders. Don’t forget to put down straw or litter to absorb the fall of the egg and for hygienic purposes.
Orientation is crucial
Now, let’s look at the orientation of the hen house. It mus be sheltered from draughtsbecause hens are very sensitive to wind.The entrances must be situated on the same side as the sun and to the south, to avoid exposure to the wind from the west. To avoid the appearance of illnesses or infections, ensure that the hen house is sufficiently airedand that it does not get damp. For the comfort of your hens and the appearance of your garden, Gasco has developed a practical designer hen housewhich meets these criteria and can be assembled in less than an hour.
But a hen house is only well designed if it is well protected! Hens are prey to outside predators such as foxes and even sometimes your pet dogs, which see them as game. To avoid this, bring the hens inside the hen house over night. If necessary, install an electric fence.
Mmm, lovely fresh eggs!
Mmm, lovely fresh eggs!
How to have lovely fresh eggs?
To have lovely fresh eggs, the main thing is to have a healthy hen. Okay, but what is a healthy hen? A hen that does not have a cold, diarrhoea and whose feathers are not dirty. The condition of the plumage is essential because the feathers provide insulation from the cold in winter and from hot temperatures in summer. Plumage therefore keeps the hen in good health and tells us about their condition.
A regular laying cycle
The second most important element for eggs is knowing the hen’s laying cycle. The first egg production is between the 18thand 20thweek, to the rhythm of one egg per day. The laying season is 50 weeks.A moulting period follows, and then a new laying cycle. A good egg should not be too big or too small and weighs on average 60 grams. The colour of the eggs depends on the breed of the hen.For dark breeds, the eggs are orange; for light breeds they are beige. However, if the egg shell is cracked,this means that the egg is no longer sterile and it is not edible.
The nesting box, or the need for privacy
In your quest for lovely fresh eggs, you need to respect the hen’s laying habits. To lay, hens need a private nesting box which is not over-exposed to light. They are particularly sensitive to light and the alternance between day and night.
Once your egg has given you lovely fresh eggs, do not leave them in the nesting box for too long. Collect them daily, otherwise your hen will start to incubate them. For information, if a hen starts to incubate, you will not get chicks. Your need a cockerel to fertilise the egg and to have chicks. To come back to our lovely fresh eggs, collect them once or twice a day, but before 5pm because after this time, hens stop laying.Keep them at room temperature for sevreal weeks and enjoy them in a variety of ways.
Find out about living space for ducks
Find out about living space for ducks
The pond
In the wild, ducks live close to ponds or lakes. These bodies of water are a source of well-being and a source of food.
If you want to adopt ducks, you will need to reconstitute their natural environment as closely as possible. The first question to ask is whether it is compulsory to have a body of water. It is recommended, because the body of water is a factor of well-being for ducks. In summer, for example, it lets them have a dip and cool off. However, the body of water must be big enough. If this is not the case, it will quickly become dirty and illnesses and infections will appear. For these same health reasons, regularly change the water.
A comfortable shelter
In addition to the water, it is preferable to install aclosed shelter in which you can put troughs, feeders and laying areas, because yes, ducks lay eggs. This will allow the ducks to protect themselves from predators, but also to shelter from wind or rain. Around this shelter, it is also necessary to install an electric fence or a barrier that is sufficiently deep and high. Little reminder: ducks fly.It is therefore not sufficient to just install a barrier; you will also need to cut their flight feathers. The flight feathers are the long wings that allow the duck to fly. Rest assured, this is painless for the animal. It is necessary if you do not want to see your ducks fly away.
The vet's advice
“The presence of a pond is also useful in terms of food.In everyday life, ducks filter the mud. More specifically, they look for silt. This is a substance where little freshwater crustaceans live, which ducks really like. Naturally, duck food does not consist only of these little crustaceans; they also need additional nutrients. The majority of duck species are seed-eaters.Like for other seed-eaters, there are all-in-one food mixes that comprise pellets and seeds: wheat, maize, oats, sunflower or peas. You can also make your own mixes adding bread, for example.
How to organise small rodents' cages?
How to organise small rodents' cages?
Specific requirements for each species
There are many species of small rodents: guinea pigs, hamsters, chinchillas, rats and miceare some.
Each of these species has its own character, behaviour and requirements. The guinea pig, for example, is a herbivore, while rats and mice are omnivores. There are many ready-made mixes available suitable for the needs of each one. Gasco proposes all-in-one mixesfor hamsters, chinchillas and guinea pigs, some of which comprise an assortment of seeds and cereals.
The need for peace
With regard to the living environment of these small animals, there are some common rules.
First tip: put their cage in a safe place.Small rodents tend to be stressed. The presence of other pets is particularly stressful for them, particularly cats, which consider them as prey. Despite this, some of these pets are very sociable, very adaptable and learn very quickly how human beings work. This is the case of mice and rats which, after a phase of distrust, quickly become friendly.
Another piece of advice is not to mix different species in the same room.Rabbits, for example, do not like the smell of rats and even flee places where they sense them. Be sure that you have enough rooms to allocate a different room to each species.
An easy-to-organise cage
Lastly, concerning what to put in their cage, it isn’t very difficult. The cage has to be big enoughand must have sufficient feeders and troughs. Ensure that clean water is always available. Lastly, don’t hesitate to add little shelterswhere they can sleep, as well as some toys. As for their hygiene, choose good quality litter and change it regularly. Litter based on Gasco maize kernelsis naturally hypoallergenic to ensure better hygiene and comfort for your pet.
Our advice for feeding your garden birds.
Our advice for feeding your garden birds.
How and when to feed them?
By definition, garden birds are wild birds which need to find their own foodto meet their needs. These little birds can swallow up to half of their body weight per day.
But you have perhaps wondered if you should give them food. This may be advised in certain periods. Particularly in winter, when their energy requirements are higher.Species which do not migrate are faced with lowering temperatures and therefore they use more energy.
Added to this is the fact that, for many years, hedges have been becoming scarcer and this is where garden birds find their food. This is therefore leading to a reduction in their food source. Some regions of France are trying to counter this with policies to regrow hedges. Until we can reap the effects of these policies, we can make up for this shortage by providing food.
Put the food on feeders and make sure that it does not get too soft or too dry. The most important thing is to provide a supplementary food supply, without the birds becoming entirely reliant upon it.The risk in this case would be that these birds would stop looking for their own food. If you were to go on holiday and nobody was around to feed them, they would be confused and would not know how to feed themselves.
The vet's advice
“The majority of garden birds are seed-eaters, some areinsectivores. However, birds adjust very easily and eat what they can find, even if this does not correspond to their usual diet.Therefore, if you give them seeds when they prefer insects, they will eat them anyway, as long as it nourishes them. Garden birds also like food rich in oil,which is very nutritive. You can, for example, give them sunflower fat balls,which they particularly like. Just make sure that the fat does not become rancid as this can cause poisoning.
Don’t forget to install a little bowl of waterbecause it is difficult for garden birds to get any, especially in towns. They can also bathe in this bowl, which amuses them. Ensure that this bowl is sufficiently high off the ground to be protected from cats, which are the main threat for garden birds.”
The lifestye of cage birds
The lifestye of cage birds
How to choose them?
There are so many species of cage birds and therefore a wide range of behaviours. Some bird species are more evolved than others, to the point that there are as many differences between them as between a rabbit and a dog. Over the years, some have even developed a form of intelligence allowing them to communicate with humans.
It is essential to consider the evolution of these birds if you want to adopt one. Here are a few recommendations that may help. First thing to know: cage birds are made to live in a couple or group.A cage bird that lives alone can quickly feel unhappy and will show it in different ways. For example, it might refuse to eat, or it might pull out its feathers. If it is your first adoption, opt for so-called classic species which are easier to look after. Among these examples start with canariesor budgerigars. This will give you the opportunity to observe cage birds. In fact, some birds, like the parrot, are expensive because they are said to be “sophisticated” and very intelligent. Concretely, these birds are complicated to keep because some situations lead to the appearance of disorders. For example, a parrot that lives alone can quickly become depressed and hurt itself. Parrots develop very complex relationships with each other, but also with humans.These relationships have a major impact on the behaviour and well-being of this type of bird. It is also important to know that these species live for a very long time, sometimes over the age of 40. Therefore, opt for birds which are easier to keep, which will confirm or not your decision to go on to adopt more complex species.
How to feed them?
The diet of cage birds varies greatly from one species to another. Some are seed-eaters, others fruit-eaters and others insectivores.
It is very unlikely that you will have to buy insects for your bird because the majority are seed-eaters. Parrotsand budgerigars, for example, are both seed-eaters and fruit-eaters. Concerning their diet, there is not a single diet common to all species. In fact, each species has very specific requirements. This is why there are mixes designed for budgerigars and others for parrots. At the start, opt for ready-prepared mixes before preparing your own. What you really need to know is that the diet of birds depends on the environment in which they live. In other words, if a bird lives in a cage, it will eat what it can eat, therefore seeds. In the wild, however, as they can eat insects and fruits, their diet consists of these items. Be sure to find out your bird’s food habits.Final recommendation: it is essential to add perches, feeders, troughs and other other objects that make their environment enjoyable.