BackGround

Commercial egg production is a very tricky situation for animal protection services.  Although chickens are usually now 'free range' the cheaper the eggs are the worse the chickens are kept.  Chickens that produce these cheap eggs are kept in small cages with wire bottoms for their whole lives until they stop laying daily which means they are then sent to either to slaughter or possibly (like mine) rescued.

Health

It is difficult for animal standards because on paper the chickens are 'well cared for', they have a huge amount of food and all the vaccinations they need.  The problem comes into play with their environment.  They are stuck in a small cage so they are very weak.  There are lights left on at all times so the chickens will lay more which shortens their lives and wear their bodies out.  Their nails become very long and all of this causes stress which makes them pull out their own feathers.

What You Can Do

The least you can do to help is buying more expensive, free range eggs.  This, however, doesn't stop all of the problems above as 'free range' chickens are kept the same way but just crammed in a shed will hundreds of other chickens.  The best thing to do is either find someone locally that sells eggs from well cared for chickens or buy your own chickens.  If fewer people bought eggs from shops, chickens wouldn't have to suffer.


*Disclaimer*  

I am not any type of animal expert but instead only an animal lover who wants to share her tips.  Please consult relevant animal specialists and do not only take my advice.

 The Rider's Pets

Whether you want to keep your ducks or sell them to pet homes, you really want your ducks to be happy and friendly for their whole lives.  It makes it much easier to handle them for whatever reason and it just makes them more enjoyable as pets if they will just come up to you!

1.  Handle them daily as babies

If you are hatching your ducks in an incubator it is so easy to get them to think that you are their mum!  I have had ducks follow me around thinking that I was their mum and they have turned into such friendly ducks!

I will handle them as many times a day as I can from the day they are born.  This is the best way to get them used to you touching them as they don't know to be scared of you.

2.  FOOD

Ducks are very greedy animals and they will do anything for it!  Whether your duck is a baby or an adult they will come to notice that you are the person that gives them the food and water that they love.  My ducks eat from my hands and come running from the other side of the field when they see me because they know I have food for them.

3.  Seeing other birds being friendly to you

I found that it really helps to have other chickens and ducks that are friendly if you have an adult duck that you want to tame.  I usually go to a friendly one with food and hand feed them.  It will take some time but they will eventually come over to get the food from your hands.

4.  Never scare them

I never chase my chickens and ducks!  I know by doing this they will only become more scared of me.  I hardly ever catch them by hand unless it's an emergency so that they know they can trust me.  If you want to get them somewhere I just take the food away for half an hour then put the food in the place I want them and they will go.


*Disclaimer*  

I am not any type of animal expert but instead only an animal lover who wants to share her tips.  Please consult relevant animal specialists and do not only take my advice.

 The Rider's Pets

1.  Layer Pellets

I really do recommend feeding your chickens *layers pellets*.  They are made to have all of the essential vitamins and minerals that many farm birds will need to have a healthy life.  I tend to make up around 80% of my chickens and ducks diets with layers pellets.  They pretty much have an endless supply so that can eat whenever they want.

2.  Natural Foraging

I allow my chickens to 'free range' in a 1-acre field every day.  I think it is really important to let your chickens have some time to be normal.  I would say my chickens and ducks will naturally forage over their layers pellets whenever they are let out.  It's hard to really say how much little bugs they manage to eat but I just treat this as a bonus.

3.  Fresh Fruit and Vegetables

The other 20% of my bird's diet is fresh foods.  I feed A LOT of fruit and vegetables that have been left over from feeding my other animals.  I also give extra treats sometimes like cooked pasta, seeds and anything else that is safe for them to eat.

4.  Prebiotics

I like to supplement my chickens with some natural and shop bought *probiotics*.  There are plenty of brands of shop bought ones that you can use or you can use natural prebiotics as treats such as honey and natural yoghurt.



*Disclaimer*  

I am not any type of animal expert but instead only an animal lover who wants to share her tips.  Please consult relevant animal specialists and do not only take my advice.

 The Rider's Pets

1.  Set up an area for the night

I really like to set up a clean area for my animals for the first night when they get home.  Here is how I set up areas for different types of animals.

Dogs

For my dogs I usually set up an area on the floor in the room I am in the most.  I will get a clean bed and a big bowl of water close enough to the bed that they can reach it without moving too much.  My dogs usually stay in that area without walking away but you may need to set it up in a crate.

Cats

I always use a big dog crate for my cats after an operation.  I put their litter tray, a bed and a bowl of water in it.  You want to make sure everything fits in nicely and that it's not too cramped or big enough that they can walk around too much.

Small Animals

On the odd occasion that one of my small animals (Rabbits and Guinea pigs) get an operation, I set up a small, blocked off area in their cage.  I use fleece instead of shavings and make sure I remove it and replace it with a clean one every 12 hours of so.  I also put their litter tray, hay and water bottle in there.

Farm animals

With farm animals, I usually set up a disinfected stable with clean bedding, water and food.  I will make sure they can see their friends but not let them in together.

2.  Keep to a routine

Keeping a routine after your animal's op is so important because of the medicine.  You should make sure you are feeding your animal their medicine at the same time every day to avoid them getting it too soon or it wearing off.

3.  Keep things quiet

After your animal gets home from the vets, it is important to provide a good place which is quiet and doesn't have any other pets or people to disturb them.  Your animal will sleep a lot so it is best to keep things quiet and calm.

4.  Easy Foods

You vets will probably recommend certain foods for after an operation.  I am always recommended for cats and dogs to feed simple, quite plain food.  I will usually feed my cats and dogs plain chicken or fish.  For small animals and farm animals I usually stick to only hay until they have recovered.

5.  On Lead toilet breaks

It is very important to only allow your animal to walk around slowly and avoid running and jumping.  It is recommended for dogs to use a lead for exercise until their stitches come out.


*Disclaimer*  

I am not any type of animal expert but instead only an animal lover who wants to share her tips.  Please consult relevant animal specialists and do not only take my advice.

 The Rider's Pets

2.  De-shedding tool

This type of brush is great for long haired cats or just in the shedding times.  It helps to get lots of hair out quickly and cleanly without the hair sticking to the brush.

3.  Nail Clippers

You should try to keep your cat's nails short especially for indoor cats.  Long nails can become dangerous and may get ripped out or broken so check your cat's nails every week and trim every month or so.

4.  Cat Shampoo

I think this a newer product as cat shampoo has never really been a thing before recently.  When I got my two new kittens and adopted a farm cat I decided to look for some shampoo to use on them.  I bought this and really love the peach smell.

5.  Flea Comb

Another essential for outdoor cats or if your cat comes into contact with other animals often (like the vet, the groomer or animals coming to your house).  I usually run this through my cat's coat every few weeks to make sure they haven't got any fleas.

*Disclaimer*  

I am not any type of animal expert but instead only an animal lover who wants to share her tips.  Please consult relevant animal specialists and do not only take my advice.

 The Rider's Pets

1.  Litter Tray Liners

I never used litter tray liners until I recently got up two new kittens and these liners have been amazing!  Instead of washing the litter trays outside after every change I can just pull out the liner full with dirty litter and throw it in the bin.


 The Rider's Pets