Successful Chicken Coop

By Kor Rassad

Before you start the construction of your chicken coop project, it is vital to remember that planning beforehand is essential for your success.

It will save you hours of extra work and plenty of money because you will have planned what you want with absolute precision. You will be fully aware of how you want you coop to be, the number of chickens you plan to house in that coop as well as the kind of chicken you want to raise. Remember that the main purpose of this coop is to provide the chicken with a comfortable place to live, so do not try to reduce costs by using cheaper material.

A well-constructed, properly planned coop is the key to raising healthy chickens. Here are some guidelines you should follow for the construction.

Avoid overcrowding the coop. each chicken needs around 3-4 sq feet. Make sure that the chickens have ample room outside the coop. 8-10 sq feet would be enough. There should be a place for you to enter the coop as well, for egg collection and regular cleaning. The coop should be tall enough for you to enter.

Take care that predators cannot get in.

Keeping in mind these practical matters, you are free to build the coop however you want. Ensure that the materials you are using will last long, keeping into account the climate of your area. Though wire mesh is an option for those who live in warmer climates, a cooler climate requires solid walls and even insulation to keep the chickens warm.

You can also consider constructing the coop elevated from the ground. This will not only keep water from flooding the coop, but it will also keep out weasels and snakes. To enable your chickens to enter the coop with ease, you can add a ramp that leads up to it.

Now that everything has been planned properly, you can start with the construction process.

Remember to avoid trying to cut down on costs with poorer quality materials, because using better quality materials will ensure that the coop is sturdy and that will be able to withstand the weather as well as predators. It is alright to re-use what other people have discarded. You can find cheap but good quality construction materials from local recycling centers. If the chicken coop design has been properly planned, construction can be a lot of fun as well as being easy - 32194

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For more great tips and advice on Chicken Coop, visit http://www.chickencoopadvice.com.

Ask Your Parrot Breeder Before Purchase

By Gimm Peake

This may seem a bit odd, but if you ask the correct questions, you can learn volumes about your new potential buddy. A good breeder will help you out along the way. A good breeder's sole motivation is not to make money. A good breeder very much wants his baby parrots to go to good homes. So if in the process you forget a few of these questions, he'll probably jump in and answer them anyway. These simple questions can help increase the chances that the baby parrot you bring home with you is healthy.

When were these birds hatched? You want a baby bird who is old enough to leave the nest. If he's not old enough a good breeder will tell you this. He'll also tell you when you can return to adopt your friend.

Do you keep a closed aviary? Optimally, your breeder tends a closed aviary. A bird raised in this environment has a lower chance of developing a disease. Many avian diseases travel through the air. That means they spread quickly.

Ask whether the bird has been tested for any diseases, and if it has ask to see the documentation from the lab at which the tests were undertaken. It is common for disease checks to be undertaken at the same time as sexing, so if your parrot has been sexed then it is quite likely that this disease check has been undertaken and a certificate will be available.

Indeed you should always ask has the parrot's sex been determined? If you are going to keep your parrot with other parrots at home then this is an especially important question, as you want to know whether there is a chance they will start mating. If you are just looking for a companion it doesn't really matter if they are male or female.

Make sure that you ask what your parrot has been eating and continue this diet once you bring it home. It is very important that you don't cause a baby parrot undue stress by bringing it home and making sudden changes in its diet.

Can I view the baby's parents? You'll probably discover that, indeed, the baby's parents are on the premises and you can view them. But the odds are very unlikely you'll be able to hold them. Many breeding parrots are not raised as pets and the parents of this bird may not be tame. In the parents, if they look generally healthy, then they probably are. And healthy parents most often produce health babies.

Has the baby been hand fed or parent raised? If the bird has not been hand fed, don't necessarily dismiss his adoption right away. It's more important that the breeder socialized the baby. - 32194

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If you are into sexing parrots then view http://ezinearticles.com/?Sexing-Parrots---How-to-Tell-If-Your-Parrot-is-Male-Or-Female&id=2257223

Pet Insurance Advice - Keep Your Pet Happy and Healthy For Longer With A Pet Insurance Plan!

By Josh LaForet

Pets make our lives special and more complete. They're not just animals, they are family members who need just as much love as anyone else. This love extends to more than just treats and healthy food. It also includes keeping those pets healthy no matter what the cost. To make sure that cost isn't too high, many pet owners are now buying the best pet insurance they can find. To help you choose the coverage that fits with your needs and your budget, I've put together an easy to follow process.

The first part of your research process should be checking the different pet insurance websites. You'll want to get an idea of what's available before you even start to get quotes. Looking at a few different options will help you to put together a list of the different features you would like included in an insurance policy.

Have you ever purchased insurance for you and your family? If so, you'll be happy to know that the process is very similar which means you won't have to completely start from scratch. You probably even know that the real work begins when you start getting quotes. You'll want to get as many of these as possible so you can make a comparison of the coverages and prices available. Avoid the beginner mistake of going only with the lowest quote though.

Beware companies who are relatively new to the market when choosing pet insurance. Many times these companies will pop up and give you amazing quotes with promises of the best coverage around. Avoid this hype and look at experience instead. If your potential insurance provider hasn't even provided enough coverage for the lifetime of one pet, you'll want to steer clear of working with them.

One of the most essential parts of choosing pet insurance is reading the fine print. You never know what might be excluded from the coverage and it's your responsibility to find it out. In fact, it's always best to ask your potential insurance company what is excluded rather than what's included. This will help you from getting distracted by fancy offerings but neglecting important ones that could end up costing you thousands of dollars.

You'll save yourself a lot of frustration if you ask the different insurance companies what their claims process is like. When your pet is sick, the last thing you want to worry about is having to make hours worth of calls that lead nowhere. A streamlined claims process will have you getting a reimbursement in a timely fashion without loads of frustration. - 32194

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You and your pet will benefit for years to come with the purchase of a pet insurance plan. To get an easy start on the search for the right insurance plan, I invite you to visit http://www.BestPetInsuranceQuote.info today to get a quote from a pet insurance company that will fit your needs and budget just as it has for thousands of other pet owners.

The Chicken Coop - Portable

By Kor Rassad

It is easy to construct a small chicken coop that is portable so that you can move it around in your yard. Look for plans for chicken coops online and you will find a multitude of options to choose from.

A major benefit of having a portable chicken coop is that when you move it around in your yard, you are fertilizing your yard, along with offering your chickens a feast of bugs, weeds and other insects.

Mobile chicken coops provide easy access when you want to collect eggs and you can also place them where you can watch over them to keep them safe from predators. They will have access to fresh air and you can also put the coop under a tree in the shade on hot summer days.

These coops are great for children because they can feed the chickens with ease and also look for their eggs. Simply build an average sized coop and house a small number of chickens when you begin to raise them. They are inexpensive and are typically small or medium in size.

As chickens are so prone to falling prey to predators such as rodents, foxes and other domestic animals, the coop you build must be strong enough to withstand them. You can also put wire fencing around, even on the bottom, to keep these predators from digging their way through the ground and reaching your chicken. Secure the coop with to make sure the chicken stay inside at night.

Chicken enjoy being able to freely roam around a large area and setting them free in your yard will be a good idea. This way, they will be able to find worms, weeds and more insects to consume. However, clip off their flight feathers to ensure that they don't fly away and make certain that you have a wire mesh guarding your entire backyard to stop them from escaping and also to keep predators from getting to them.

Before you start making a chicken coop, you must be aware of the local rules and regulations for housing chickens in your yard. The portable coop must abide by the regular requirements such as constructing with proper dimensions in accordance with the quantity of chickens you intend to have. It is always a good idea to have a look at chicken coops plans and designs beforehand so that you have a proper idea of what is needed. - 32194

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Visit chicken coop advice for more great tips and advice on chicken coop.