Keeping Chicks Warm When the Power Goes Off

When an unexpected storm shuts down the power grid people are lucky  We can put a comfy fleece jacket over long johns and snuggle under a toasty quilt Baby chicks can’t   In the old days their broody mom would welcome them into her fluffed up feathers, where they’d be warmed and comforted by her  Today, most chicks rely on brooder heat that usually comes from electricity If they get too cold, they’ll perish So, how do you keep them warm when the power fails?   Fortunately, there are several ways to do it

Move the Brooder to the Warmest Place:  On

Technology Doesn’t Eliminate Visit

Hoover’s Hatchery™ recently produced a Facebook Live event at Etzel’s Sugar Grove Farm showing how Carl and Gavin Rosier have adapted modern technology to make managing their chicken flock easier One viewer responded saying, “If I don’t visit my coop every day too many eggs build up in the nest Some get broken Most get dirty”
Carl and Gavin never intended for their devices to eliminate the need to visit daily Technology just makes it easier to monitor the flock from a distance

Here are the devices they adapted to make managing the hens easier and visits somewhat less often:

● Electric

Off The Grid Chicks

Carl and Gavin Rosier have found solutions to problems shared by many backyard flock owners They are researching how to use chickens to reduce weeds and insect pests in corn and soybean fields Sponsored by the Rodale Institute, their test area is on Etzel’s Sugar Grove Farm about ten miles north of Cedar Rapids, Iowa

The problem? They live a half hour drive south of their chickens, so it’s not easy to just saunter out to the coop to check on the birds, deliver water or food, or shoo off predators The coop is way out in a farm field

Keeping Water Liquid

Like humans, chickens enjoy sipping cool refreshing water They drink a surprising amount, even in winter, and it’s essential that they always have it available
There’s a problem Winter! When the temperature plunges below freezing water soon becomes ice A chicken’s beak is a versatile organ able to snatch up even the tiniest morsel, but it can’t chip a hole in the ice to get a drink or substitute snow for water Fortunately, there are ways to keep water liquid through the nastiest cold spell
Old Fashioned Bucket Brigade
Buckets are the age-old way to

Showing Our Flocks Some Love

Few backyard experiences are as rewarding as bringing newly laid eggs from the coop’s nest box into the kitchen, but well cared for chickens give their owners more than the makings of a delicious breakfast Hens readily provide hours of amusement with their antics in the coop and run, add a touch of color to the yard from their varied features, and donate droppings to create the world’s best garden fertilizer Here’s how we show our flocks some love…
A flock of chickens deserves respect and kindness in exchange for all they give their owners Expressing appreciation