Two days into a recent hatch and I had to revive a weak chick and then another! The hatch was sporadic. We had eight broody hens. There was no schedule to the hatch. The eggs were started sporadically and I was out of town. While I was away, new eggs were gathered by the broody hens! It was a bit out of control. One hen out of the eight allowed me to move her to the nursery. The other broody hens had a fit about being moved and so I put them back in the coop where they continued to brood. I … [Read more...]
6 Easy Brooder Ideas to Start Chicks
How difficult is it to set up a brooder? Here are my favorite easy brooder ideas for you to use for your own chicks. Easily cleaned and commonly found items can make a good home for the chicks to begin their lives. Your new flock of chicks will need a special home for the first few weeks. This home is called a brooder. It takes the place of what would naturally be provided by a broody hen. Chicks require a much higher level of warmth than full grown chickens. They are not able to maintain … [Read more...]
Water Glassing Fresh Egg Storage
Spring brings on the egg laying which can quickly lead to an abundance of fresh farm eggs. What methods work for fresh egg storage? One method called water glassing has been around since pioneer days and probably earlier. Is this method of fresh egg storage safe? Let me share with you what one of my friends learned using this method. Barbara Whitford Fox wrote the following guest post for this site. Barbara and her husband farm in Utah and she can be messaged through Facebook or … [Read more...]
Are Chicken Supplements Needed?
When you are buying supplies for your first chicken flock, the stores will also offer chicken supplements. If the daily chicken food is a complete feed, do you still need to add chicken supplements? What else is essential to raising a healthy flock of layer hens? Good quality chicken feeds are available in most areas of our country. It's even possible to mail order organic chicken feed, soy free and other specialty feeds. If we are going to all that expense and effort already, why are … [Read more...]
Homestead Chicken Terms – How to Speak Chicken
Are you hearing people use chicken terms, and you have no idea what they mean? Take a minute to brush up on the lingo and learn the often used chicken terms, before you bring home your first flock of chicks. When you go to the store or call in an order to a hatchery, it will be helpful if you know the basic chicken terms and what the supplies you will need are called. And if you should have any problems or questions after you begin backyard chicken raising, it sure helps to know the correct … [Read more...]
