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

Chicken Breed Characteristics That Will Love You Back

Late each winter both novice and experienced chicken owners face a dilemma Read the Hoover’s Hatchery catalog or visit our website and every one of a dizzying array of chicken breeds seems perfect Placing the order is challenging It’s tempting to buy a chick of each breed but there’s only enough coop space for a few birds Narrowing choices down to the best breeds to order may be the hardest part of keeping chickens
It is hard to go wrong All breeds excel in one or more valuable characteristics, but it’s important to choose those

Demystifying Chicken Feed

When it comes to food, chickens are just like people Both need a nutritious well-balanced diet to be both healthy and productive
That’s a simple concept but visit a feed store and a customer confronts a dizzying array of feed types There’s starter feed, both medicated and unmedicated, layer feed in crumbles or pellets, feed for molting birds, meat bird feed, organic feed, scratch, and cracked corn Figuring what bag to buy can be confusing
There is a simple solution Read information printed on most feed bags and on the label to decide what’s best to

Coop Spring Cleaning

Spring never seemed to arrive this April throughout the Midwest Waves of snowstorms and cold swept across vast areas of the American heartland, but finally toward the end of the month warmer weather eased in
Warm spring weather means it’s time to do a thorough coop cleaning The tasks are messy and completing them makes the coop a comfortable home for the flock as warm weather arrives and a pleasant place for folks to visit So, don your old clothes, put on work shoes, and slip on gloves and get that coop spruced up

Neighbors, Neighbors, Neighbors

A century ago most Americans lived on farms or in small towns That’s changed
Today’s people either live in suburban neighborhoods or big cities and are far removed from cattle, hogs, and chickens that produce their animal based food
That can be a problem for a family wishing to raise chickens in a small backyard As suburbs grew following the Second World War, many city councils believed that chickens were noisy, smelly, dirty animals that only belong on the farm and not in town They passed ordinances banning them Fortunately, the trend is reversing Ordinances are being