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� � , <br /> ground, insulated and sealed properly. It is a good idea to throw litter on the floor wherever the chickens will <br /> be to absorb moisture and facilitate cleaning. , <br /> CLEANING <br /> How often the coop is cleaned depends on a lot of variables. If the chickens are kept inside,ideally droppings <br /> should be removed every day, but not less than every two to three days. Perches/roosts should get a quick ' <br /> , wiping off at the same time. In a larger coop outdoors, once a week�might be appropriate,but a major cleaning <br /> must be done twice annually: once in the spring and again in the fall. All of the litter must be removed, and all � <br /> parts and accessories washed, scrubbed and thoroughly disinfected and dried before returning the birds to the <br /> coop. � <br /> FEEDING <br /> It has been found that chickens, like people,need a variety of foods in order to remain healthy, and like people, <br /> suffer several nutritional disorders if certain things are missing for their diet. Prepared chicken feeds are <br /> designed to provide a perfectly balanced diet. Most prepazed feeds contain such ingredients as meat and bone <br /> � scraps, blood meal, bone meal, molasses, ground grains and grain meals. They also contain minerals and <br /> vitamins that chickens axe knawn to need. <br /> • Scratch: This is an old time favorite chicken feed and is a mixture of various whole grains and cracked <br /> corn. This feed goes over big with chickens,but is not complete dietary ration. Scratch mixiures with a high <br /> proportion of corn are not recommended. Some corn is fine, but as grains go, corn is lower in protein and <br /> higher in fat, and it tends to make the chickens obese. � <br /> • Grit: Chickens must have acce'ss to grit in order for their digestive systems to function properly. Since <br /> chickens do not have teeth,the grinding function is performed by their gizzards. The gizzards uses grit as a <br /> grinding agent, which may simply be pebbles and other small stones. The grit gradually gets ground up along <br /> with the grain so it must be continuously renewed. � <br /> • Greens: Chickens love fresh greens, salad scraps,weeds and surplus or overripe fruit and vegetables <br /> from the garden. These are an important part of feeding program for a backyard flock. Not only will it help � <br /> keep down your feed bill, but it adds variety and needed vitamins and nutrients to their diet. When you feed <br /> scraps, sort out anything that has begun to rot as it might make the chickens sick. <br /> HOW MUCH AND HOW OFTEN TO FEED <br /> An average bantam in confinement may consume 40 to 50 pounds of feed annually,while a larger breed may <br /> consume twice that amount. Chickens won't eat more then they need, so they should be allowed to eat as much <br /> as they want. Although feed should be continuously available, it is wise to feed them each day rather then put a <br /> lot of feed out every few days. Feeding troughs are more sanitary and economical then just throwing feed on the <br /> ground. Once a week you should clean out the feed troughs and dispose of any residue to help keep the feed <br /> fresh. <br /> :�;• � <br /> WATER � <br /> Fresh water must be available to the chickens at all times. This cannot be overemphasized. They must have <br /> clean water with their feed to be able to digest it properly. A chicken is more than 50% water. A'large chicken <br /> will drink from one to two cups of water a day, depending on the weather. Chickens cannot drink much at one <br /> time, so they must drink often. Puddles of stagnant water from rain or leaky waters are a breeding ground for <br /> hannful bacteria and other disease-causing organisms, and also tend to become fouled by the chickens' <br /> 5 <br />