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

How to Keep Chicken Water from Freezing in Winter

Just like us, chickens enjoy sipping cool, clean water throughout the day What surprises many new flock owners is how much they drink, even in the dead of winter How to keep chicken water from freezing in winter is one of the most important parts of cold-weather flock care, because

How to Care for Backyard Chickens: Simple Ways to Show Your Flock Some Love

Few backyard experiences are as rewarding as carrying a basketful of freshly laid eggs from the nest box into the kitchen, but learning how to care for backyard chickens well gives you far more than the makings of a good breakfast Hens provide hours of entertainment with their antics in the

Chicken Breed Characteristics That Will Love You Back

Late each winter, both new and seasoned chicken keepers run into the same happy problem You flip through the Hoover’s Hatchery chick catalog or browse the website, and every single breed looks perfect Placing the order suddenly feels impossible It is tempting to grab one chick of every breed, but most coops only have

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