How to Raise & Breed Poultry

Maintain an appropriately sized coop for the number of birds; chickens need at least 2 square feet per bird, while bantams and quail require 1.5 square feet. Turkeys, being much larger, need about 5 square feet. Overcrowding should be avoided, as it may lead to disease and bullying. The coop should provide protection against predators such as foxes and dogs, and should be able to withstand -- and provide shelter from -- adverse weather. It should also provide plenty of ventilation.

Feed your poultry the nutrients they require to grow, gain weight and produce eggs or meat. There is no proscribed way to do this; some people provide an all-day supply of various feed, while others prefer to supply a certain amount of food two or three times daily. It is important that the birds eat nutrients, which are provided in most commercial feed, and that their feed is supplemented with greens and vegetables. Ensure that they always have access to clean, cool water, preferably from a long trough, and that it is cleaned and refilled at least once a day.

Build nests for the birds for rearing chicks by maneuvering straw into a circular shape in a separate area of the coop. Each nest should be about double the size of its occupant. If possible, insert a slanting roof over the females, as this will deter other birds from roosting above and soiling the nests. Once the eggs are laid, they can be left with the female or removed to a brooder to be artificially hatched.

Monitor and control the heating of the area in which you are brooding the chicks, depending on the type of brooder you use. For instance, spot brooding entails giving the chicks a choice of a cool or warm area, while whole house brooding exposes an entire area to the same temperature. The most important requirement is thorough ventilation. If the chicks are stressed, brooder temperatures should be adjusted to 5 degrees F above the brooder's recommended temperature until the birds are calmer.

Provide the chicks with a starter feed from their first day until they are 5 or 6 weeks old, ensuring that at least 1/5 of this feed consists of protein. At nearly 2 months of age, feed the birds pullet grower, which has slightly less protein. When they're 5 months old, use layer feed, which has high calcium and mineral content. Birds being raised for slaughter, however, should be fed consistently high levels of protein (about 20 percent). Avoid layer feed, as the mineral-rich content may damage their kidneys.