Rooster’s Serenade: What in the World Do You Do with A Rooster?

The day a box of peeping chicks from Hoover’s Hatchery® arrives is joyful

 

Unfortunately, one or two of those delightful chicks may cause a dilemma Most city ordinances welcome families to keep hens but their boyfriends are forbidden Everyone “knows” that roosters are noisy, and the last thing the city council wants is complaints from neighbors awakened by gusty crowing

 

To avoid roosters most people buy female, or pullet, chicks It works, at least most of the time Few people can distinguish between male and female baby chicks but   Hoover’s Hatchery sexors can These highly trained workers separate the genders shortly

Should Chicken Keepers Be Arenophiles?

Some chicken keepers may be secret arenophiles!  They lug sand into the coop and use it for bedding Is that a good thing?

 

The word “arenophile” is a blend of Greek and Latin tracing back to ancient Rome

In those days crowds gathered in huge arenas to watch gladiators fight to a gory death

Before bouts workers covered the arena’s surface with a thick layer of sand to absorb blood  Gross!

 

Fortunately, those violent days are gone  Today the word “arenophile” generally means someone who collects samples of sand from such far-flung places as the beaches of Tahiti or Normandy Others may come

A Chicken’s Quirky Vision

If chickens sometimes act in quirky ways, it may be because of their vision

 

It’s easy for people to assume that animals see things the way we do, but that’s not the case  Animal vision varies greatly  Like most birds, chickens see the world differently than their human caretakers

 

Anyone who has filled an empty bird feeder is often surprised to see chickadees, nuthatches, and other wild birds almost immediately flap in for lunch How do they know delicious seeds are in a feeder that has been empty for several days? Chickens do the same thing Open the back door with

DIY Composter

In addition to gifting a family with fresh eggs, a backyard chicken flock yields another benefit Their poop

 

“Soil needs animal manure to maintain health, and few additions to garden soil help produce abundant vegetables as chicken poop compost,” said Drew Erickson, Farm Manager at Rodale Institute’s Midwest Research Center north of Cedar Rapids, Iowa

 

Our garden produce is a side gift from our hens, and we use their manure in two ways   We sprinkle a thin layer directly on the garden soil and gently work it in Chicken manure is nitrogen rich Adding too much can over fertilize plants, so

How Long Will Hens Stay Broody

Some chicken traits are both admirable and frustrating Patience is an example

 

People often lack patience They grit their teeth waiting at a red light, and zoom off the second it turns green Instant gratification is expected Fortunately, in this fast-paced world, a broody hen teaches us the merits of calmness and patience

 

At one time, the only way to get new chicks was to let a broody hen warm egg for a 21-day incubation period Nature programmed hens to develop a maternal urge, usually in the spring, and raise babies  After filling her nest with fertile eggs she’ll fluff up