All About the Sapphire Splash

Today I’m here to tell you about a chicken breed most of you have never heard of before, the Sapphire Splash
Most of us have heard of the Sapphire Gem, a beautiful dark grey chicken that adds a sophisticated touch of color to a mixed flock The Sapphire Gem has a cousin, the Sapphire Splash Both are breeds originate in the Czech Republic
I just love Sapphire Splash chickens, and not just for their color Sapphire Splashes have some of the best temperaments of any chicken on the market now My family has always had at least one SS

How to Store Chicken Feed

You don’t need a fancy barn or coop to keep your feed organized! For years I spent so much time walking from coop to barn, to barn to house, and back down again Having all my feeding areas spread out was frustrating and a lot of extra work Of course barns are important for animal shelter, but you don’t need a barn to store your feed!
Just make a metal storage box instead!

Here’s a fact for you: feed attracts vermin
No matter where you decide to store your flock’s feed, mice will smell it and they will come It’s for this reason,

Entertaining Your Flock on a Budget

Chickens really live their best lives when they are free ranging outside Unfortunately, not everyone has the option of letting their chickens out of the coop Space restrictions, local ordinances, and job schedules are just a few of the reasons why many chickens are cooped up all day

Owning animals is like being a zookeeper A good zookeeper takes care of the physical needs of an animal However, a great zookeeper comes up with ways to keep their animals’s minds healthy and active! It’s called enrichment! There are countless ways to provide your flock something to keep their brains busy

That

Clipping Feathers

There are many reasons why you may need to clip your chickens’ wings 

Chickens escaping their run, flying up into feed containers, roosting in trees, and just plain wreaking havoc are a few

Lately, at our place, my chickens have been wanting to sleep in the trees, instead of their deluxe coop! This was fine with me all summer, but now with cold temperatures depending on us, they need

Daylight Savings Time and Chickens

Does Daylight Savings Time affect chickens?

Well, the short answer is no Of course chickens don’t have a need to understand numerical times, but YES they are affected by the shortening of days

 

Autumn can be a rough time for chickens You probably have noticed all of your birds molting Molting happens to every chicken, every fall They drop their old feathers, and grow in a new, fresh set for winter They can be more vulnerable to cold during this time Some of my girls go almost completely naked during molting season One named Smarty, gets so puny, she literally looks

Starlight Green Egger

If you’re looking for a hardy, beautiful layer of green eggs, look no further than the Starlight Green Egger, only available at Hoover’s Hatchery!

One Starlight Green Egger has been a loyal flock member at my home for the past 4 years Her name is Christmas, and she’s named after her bright red feathers and the gorgeous green eggs she lays I’ve had the pleasure of owning some hens from this breed for several years now, and I’m convinced they’ll always have a place here Productive, beautiful, foraging experts, here’s a few reasons you should add some to your flock!

Broadcast Feeding

The simple definition of broadcast feeding is throwing chicken feed on the ground! Before you lose interest, let me tell you the real advantages of feeding your birds this way!

You’ll have less pests!

For a few years now, I have totally stopped keeping my chicken feed in feeders Feeders are convenient, but can attract a ton of unwanted mice and rats! (And the occasional opossum!) Leaving a huge amount of feed open to the public everyday-and night- is an open invitation to nasty pests

My chickens are free range all day They have access to water in the coop and in

The Science Behind Eggs

In today’s culture, there is a movement to return to the wholesome foods of our ancestors We are looking for pure foods, unadulterated by preservatives and chemical ingredients You don’t have to look far, and I bet one of your hens has already made one for you this morning-an egg!

Cool Egg Facts

  • One medium sized egg contains around 160 calories
  • The total cholesterol in an egg is about 200 mg
  • The fresher,the more nutrients are retained
  • It is recommended to eat 1-2 eggs per day to maintain heart health
  • Eggs have been proven to help lose weight!
  • The healthiest egg

How to Repel Summer Flies

Flies are an ugly part of every homestead Whether you have 3 backyard hens or 100 free ranging jungle fowl, flies come with the territory Attracted to poultry feed, feces, and anything gross and moist, flies love a good chicken coop!

To make matters worse, the humid heat of summer provides the perfect fly spawning environment Doesn’t it seem like flies pop up out of nowhere after a summer rain? They suddenly appear, landing places you don’t want them, and spreading germs It can make animal husbandry in the summer miserable!

Luckily there are MANY ways to combat flies around your