Are some of your chickens looking different than the others? Do you know how to determine, early on, if you are raising a pullet or a cockerel? Lets say you wanted to raise chickens for eggs and purchased some hatching eggs. Or, perhaps, you couldn't resist the fluffy little munchkins at the feed store this spring. In any event you now have chickens growing up in your backyard. You are feeding them and caring for their every need. But wait! Some of the chicks are starting to look … [Read more...]
When is the Best Time to Start Chicks?
Waiting until spring for the best time to start chicks, can be too much to handle. Nothing starts a severe case of chicken fever like a brooder full of baby fluff butts. Chicks are extremely susceptible to the cold weather and unless you live in an area that has warm weather year round, It can be much easier to wait until close to Spring. Here are my reasons for waiting for the best time to start chicks. Baby chicks are mailed from hatcheries soon after hatching. They are mailed … [Read more...]
How to Fix a Muddy Chicken Run
Rainy seasons are necessary but what do we do with the resulting muddy chicken run? Are you tired of muddy eggs, messy coop floors and slippery chicken run? I'm not going to sugar coat it. If you have an extremely muddy chicken run, it will take some labor to return the run to a better state. You will have to correct the grading and the drainage. The good news is, once you do it correctly, it's much easier to avoid a muddy chicken run. What causes the Mud When rain sits on top of … [Read more...]
Three Things Chickens Don’t Need For Winter (and three that they do!)
When raising chickens naturally, there are three things chickens don't need for winter. I know it's hard to believe that chickens can and do make it through the winter months, even in very cold climates, without our interfering. How can a chicken possibly survive the cold and reach the warmer spring months healthy and happy? Because this happens over and over. Chickens all over the world weather the winter without these three things chickens don't need for winter. What are … [Read more...]
Keep Your Chicken Coop Smelling Fresh
Here are five quick tips to help you keep your chicken coop smelling fresh. If your coop makes you hold your breath when you go in to collect eggs, think about how the chickens feel! It's not too hard to keep the coop clean and fresh, if you do a little bit of cleaning every few days. I am listing a few important basics for you. Keep Your Chicken Coop Smelling Fresh with These 5 Tips 1. Water and moisture are not your friend. If you slop or spill water when filling the water founts or … [Read more...]
