Poultry watering systems come in many shapes and sizes these days, and your local feed store will have several options. So, which one is right for you?

There are advantages and disadvantages to any product, so choose the one that is best suited to your situation. As I tell any farmer, beekeeper, or gardener: “Do what works for you!”

Some of your choices for watering systems are:

-Metal founts

-Plastic founts

-Water troughs

However, my personal preference is poultry nipples. While the founts work, I found not only did they have a tendency to get dirty, but they would also often develop a tiny leak that would cause the whole thing to dump out, leaving a wet spot in the coop. If we didn’t catch it on time, the flock would run out of water. If you are going to use a fount, I recommend building a stand to keep it up off the ground and minimize some of the contamination issues.

The main advantage to poultry nipples is that the water you are giving your birds stays clean and cool as long as it stays in a shady place where the chickens can have constant access. They are also inexpensive and can be installed in a variety of ways to suit your needs.

For mobile coops, you can simply install them on the bottom of a five-gallon bucket and suspend it inside your coop. This setup should be sufficient to keep a small flock of backyard birds well-hydrated for a week without needing to refill.

If you have a larger flock in a mobile coop, you can attach the nipples to a PVC pipe by drilling the recommended size hole and screwing them in. I like to have at least one nipple per six birds, spaced out every 12 inches along the pipe. This pipe can then be attached to a 30- or 55-gallon drum as the water source. Fill your drum with water weekly and your chickens will have plenty of cool clean water to drink.

For a more permanent coop, you can use a set up a similar system using a PVC pipe attached to a water supply. If you are going to go this route you will also need a pressure reducer to take your pressure down to below 1 PSI. These are available to order, just be sure to look for the reducers specifically designed for poultry nipples. For the DIY enthusiasts, you can also build an inexpensive reducer by putting a stock tank float in a five-gallon bucket. Then hook the PVC pipe up to the bottom of the bucket and allow the water to feed into the line using gravity.

A few recommendations I have no matter which system you choose:

-Always plan on having a way to clean out the system. For the PVC pipe design, this can be as simple as a ball valve at the end of the line that allows you to flush the system. I like to run a bit of bleach through the lines at least every 6 months to keep things sanitary.

-In colder climates, plan on keeping your system from freezing by using heat tape.

-Train your birds to use nipples from the youngest age possible. I put them in the coop along with a fount when the birds are about a week old, then I raise the bucket as they grow and can reach up higher.

-Make sure your waterer stays in the shade on hot summer days.

-Have fun raising your birds, take time to observe their daily activities, watch and listen as they peck at the watering system to fulfill their needs. They are fascinating creatures, especially ducks!!!

Drew Erickson is Farm Manager for Rodale Institute Midwest Organic Center in Marion, Iowa. Learn more about Rodale Institute and their work in the Midwest at RodaleInstitute.org/Midwest.

One day, on my way to work, I had customer call me at our family pet store and say, “I have all these chickens I don’t want. They are young, do you know anyone who could take them!?” My only thought was ME ME ME! Annnndddd that is exactly what I said. My husband had mentioned that in the future he would love chickens and I took that as in, today was the future! Hehe, so on my way home for $10, I got a box of 10 White Leghorns. They were so cute! They were not tiny chicks, but my heart exploded with joy! I picked up a bale of straw and bag of feed on my way home from work and when my hubby got home he was like, “Why are you so happy!?” Clearly, he knew something was up because I am usually very happy but I am telling you…I WAS ON ANOTHER LEVEL OF HAPPY!

I ran him out to the barn and said, “Look inside the whelping room!” FYI: Our home was previously owned by an amazing, A-MAZING German Shepherd breeder named Fred Migilore. He had a beautiful whelping room that I decided was the perfect space for chickens! Plus, it had a doggy door that went out into dog runs under a lean-to off of the barn. IT WAS PERFECT! He opened the door and said, “Wow, you put straw in here, it looks great.” (Full of sarcasm too!) I kept smiling and said “Do you see anything in the straw!!!!!!!” I was so excited, BUT his face went white… as white as the chicks’ new feathers and he was like “OH MY GOSH MANDIE! I SAID FUTURE! NOT NOW!” And smiling I said, “Technically this is the future, to when you told me.” Hehe, he just

laughed and said “Well now we are chicken owners!” Little did he know, our chicken numbers would go from 10 to 75 and I would get ducks, guinea fowl, quail and pheasants! I have been so blessed to have the home we have and the land to have our tiny farm and I am sure Fred is rolling around in heaven laughing at all the things I put my husband through! Sometimes I feel like I can hear him or my mother saying “Mandie, ask for forgiveness instead of permission; if it brings you joy and will bring your children joy, DO IT!” So… I do! Let me tell you, I drove home once with a 1-week-old baby cow in the back seat of the Buick Enclave and sent a video of it to my husband as a way of saying, “YAYY BABY COW OWNERS!!!” But anyways, I am getting distracted! One thing I never did as a chicken owner was look into who lays the most eggs and who could handle the winter weather! I just wanted chickens, cute little raptors running around my yard eating all of the bugs and scraps! I knew this would make my heart happy, but I wasn’t thinking about what would fill the fridge with eggs! So, I am going to share with you who I feel are the top breeds and based off of Hoover Hatchery in Rudd, Iowa and who’s laying the most!

Below, I will list who lays the most, color eggs and size, if they can handle the colder weather and if they are great if you have children. BUT I am a bit biased I do believe every chicken breed is good with children, it depends how much you expose your children to them while they are young. It is so important to do this! Have them helping feed, help clean, grabbing eggs and just enjoying the chicken’s presence.

My mind was blown when I saw how many some hens lay per year!

300 to 325 Eggs Per Year (so crazy!!!!!!)

1. White and Brown Leghorn

a. Large white eggs

b. Not a bird for meat for they are fast and lean

c. Do very well in the winter at least in Mid-Michigan temps.

d. These are good with kids, but they are fast and not the cuddliest breed.

2. California White

a. Large white eggs

b. Hardy, dual purpose

c. Same with kids as the Leghorn

3. ISA Brown

a. Large Brown Eggs

b. Hardy in cold weather

c. Great with children, they are very chill and very easy tohold and have a lot of personality

4. Amberlink

a. Large Brown Eggs

b. Great in cold weather

c. Great with children

d. I love their colors, personally

280 to 290 Eggs Per Year

1. Smokey Pearl

a. Large brown eggs

b. Hardy in my opinion, do great in Michigan temps

c. Good with children

2. Cream Legbar

a. Medium blue eggs, so pretty!

b. Hardy

c. Great with kids and full of personality

3. Starlight Green Egger

a. Large brown or olive-green eggs, 5% of this breed will lay brown or shade of brown olive-green color eggs

b. Hardy and fun in the snow

c. Great with kids

4. Sapphire Splash

a. Amazing colors

b. Large brown eggs

c. Hardy in my opinion

d. Great with kids

5. Sapphire Gems

a. MY FAVORITE!

b. XL Brown eggs

c. Hardy for extreme cold

d. AMAZING with kids

e. They are so much fun to have around the farm!

6. Calico Princess

a. Large brown eggs

b. Hardy

c. Friendly all the time, so great with kids and very calm

These are my top 10! They are amazing birds to have and all of them are great with kids, just some are not into the whole pick me up and cuddle me, that kids love to do! I hope this helps you as a chicken owner and someone who wants to raise birds. Not all of these breeds are dual purpose. Some are strictly layers, but if you do have to cull one it will still make a great soup.

I personally love the sapphire gems, because we have 3 children and they literally will just walk up to them and just let them pick ‘em up! It is so comforting knowing this and the XL eggs are always appreciated.

Our farm consists of a lot of breeds and I am excited to see our Barnyard mixes this year. We have so many breeds and they always hatch eggs in the classrooms at our children’s school, so OF COURSE we bring some home! Last year, my oldest brought home 3 and guess what…it was 2 roosters and 1 hen! Pshh, stinkers! BUT! I do have to say they are so friendly and so wonderful! AANNNDD BEAUTIFUL!

This year I will be supporting Hoover Hatchery, because they use the same essential oils that’s in the feed I use, NatureServe Layer Pellets! I love their set up and they even give virtual tours online on Youtube and have a very open curtain policy, with not hiding the way things are done at their hatchery. I will be purchasing California Whites, Brown Leghorns and Amberlinks from them.

Be sure to request if you would like your chickens to be vaccinated. They provide 2 types of vaccines.

 Cocci Vaccination

 Marek’s Vaccination

We have never requested any, but I do believe I will be requesting the Marek’s this year. I have such a beautiful flock; I do not want to take any risks losing anyone. The cocci vaccine covers coccidiosis and if you feed medicated feed, you do not need to get this vaccine, but if you do not, then it would be a good idea to or simply purchase Corrid.

Corrid is specifically designed to only treat coccidiosis and only needs to be added to water for 3 to 5 days. It can be found at your local feed shops and larger box stores.

Anyways! Please, please, please keep me posted and leave a comment on what your favorite breed is, even if it doesn’t lay a bunch of eggs! I want to know! This blog ismy way of sharing with you, so NEVER hesitate to share with me! We are here to support each other!

Talk soon!

Your Crazy in Love with Chickens Friend,

Amanda B.

There are many factors to consider when collecting eggs, from the breed of chicken to the time of year. But one of the most important factors is what time of day you collect them. According to science, there is a best time of day to collect eggs – and it’s not when you might think! In this article, we will compare the best time of day to collect eggs with less than-ideal times and explain the difference. We will also discuss the benefits of collecting eggs at the best time of day!

So, when is the best time of day to collect eggs? The answer may surprise you – it’s actually in the evening! Chickens are most productive in the late afternoon and early evening, so this is when you will find the most eggs. However, there are a few things to keep in mind if you plan on collecting eggs in the evening. First, chickens tend to roost in the evening, so you will need to be careful not to disturb them too much. Second, it may be difficult to see the eggs in the dark, so you will need to use a flashlight.

You may be wondering- “but what if my flock lays first thing in the morning?” This is something that many flock owners wonder because they often hear their hens’ ‘laying songs’ early in the morning.

If you can’t collect eggs in the evening, don’t worry – there are still plenty of times during the day when chickens are productive. The early morning is also a good time to collect eggs, as chickens typically start laying around sunrise. Hens tend to choose one particular laying box that they prefer, so you may notice a line of hens waiting to get to their favorite laying box.  If you have enough hens, this might mean that some of your hens won’t get to lay until later in the morning.

Eggs are also laid with a protective coating called a bloom. This natural coating is water-resistant and helps to keep the egg fresh. It will keep the eggs fresh by preventing bacteria from entering in to the shell.  Even if your hens lay eggs in the morning, and you collect them in the evening, your eggs will still be fresh.

If you collect your eggs in the evening, you’ll likely get all of the eggs for the day.  If you collect eggs in the morning, you might collect them before all of your hens have had a chance to lay.  When a hen lays often times has to do with where she stands in the flock pecking order.  The higher up in the pecking order she is, the earlier in the day she may lay.  Hens higher in the pecking order tend to get first dibs on laying boxes.

So, there you have it – the best time of day to collect eggs is in the evening or early morning. But don’t forget, even if you can’t collect eggs at the perfect time, there are still plenty of times during the day when chickens are productive!

I know some people thrive in the colder weather, enjoying the snow sports and getting outside as much as possible, but for animal people, this year has been depressing… and wet. I live in Mid-Michigan and my flock and me have the winter blues! I do not mind the cold weather one bit, it is why I chose to live in Michigan. It’s a relief when we have cold weather, because a lot of the bugs pass away or go dormant and we do not have as many to deal with the following Spring. 2023 will be bug filled…we have had only one major storm and maybe 3 separate snow days and the rest has been wet and SOOO GLOOMY!

YES! A chicken can get the winter blues! They show it differently though, mostly by changing a few things like the pecking order, aggression, extra appetite and boredom. Below are a few things we do to keep our flock busy in the winter and feeling more lively!

Idea Number 1: You will need several oranges or grapefruit, string, any 16 oz. nut butter, 1

scoop of NatureServe Layer pellets, and extra seeds optional.

COLOR! I love color, so we take oranges or grapefruit and cut them in half. Then, spoon out the inside. When you do this, it should look like a beautiful orange bowl. Next, head to the cupboard and grab any nut butter and make sure you have your Layer pellets. Mix your 16 oz. of nut butter with the Layer pellets in a separate bowl. Once it is mixed well, put it to the side. Also, you can be creative and add whatever seeds you want to this. They are your birds so spoil them this winter. Next, grab your string, a tiny knife, and those orange bowls. Add two holes, one on each side toward the cut part of the orange. You will be adding the string into it to create a hanging basket for your feathered friends. Add the string and knots so that it holds together well. Once this is done, stuff with the Layer and nut butter mixture then freeze. Once it is frozen take it outside and hang around your coop! Voila! This will be distracting, exciting and new to your birds, as well as 100% edible. (Use 100% cotton string if your birds are savages and will eat it)

Idea Number 2: Anyone with a real Christmas tree, go ahead and keep it and put into their run. Add some nut butter to branches, then sprinkle fun treats like meal worms, some Layer pellets or seeds to the tree and this will keep your birds busy PLUS pine needles are great for your birds lung sacs. Did you know chickens have several lung sacs in their body and adding pine needles to their diet can increase circulation as well as improve respiratory health? So, this is a win win! No trees in the dump and healthy happy birds.

Idea Number 3: You will need a nut butter, maple syrup, seeds, some chicken feed, 1 jar of cayenne pepper, parchment paper and 2 medium size bowls.

In one medium bowl, add 16 oz. nut butter,

¼ cup of Maple Syrup, seeds and some feed together. I recommend adding 4 tablespoons of cayenne pepper or if you don’t have that, add red pepper flakes. (4 tablespoons is ¼ of a cup) Cayenne pepper and red pepper flakes can both help increase temperature and help hens produce more eggs.

In bowl number 2, add parchment paper. Pour in mixed ingredients, form into a ball or square. Go ahead and freeze. Once frozen remove the parchment paper from the bowl and put the ball or square in the coop.

I hope these ideas can help your flock keep things flowing smoothly and keep them happy. As for you, this will help too. When we suffer from the winter blues sitting inside and being on our phones will not help, so get your butt up and make some cool snacks for that bad*ss flock you have outside!

But, speaking of being on the phone… since I have been inside, I have also been doing more reading and going online more. Which…has led to some fun chatroom adventures and seeing what people have to say has been going on in their state and their flock. I have been looking online and watching group chatrooms about what people and their flocks are experiencing and it seems like some people have a wet mess and some random deaths due to respiratory issues. I did not realize what humidity was in winter until this year! I can honestly say this year has been so wet and humid, that what type of bedding you chose for your flock is going to play a key factor in this. Respiratory issues or sudden death are on the rise. If you are having this issue with your flock, please try this.

• Step 1: Empty the coop…that’s right… kick those chickens out and start cleaning out the bedding. It is not going to be easy if you’re like me and did the deep liter method. In fact, it’s going to be heavy and time consuming, BUT WORTH IT!

• Step 2: Sweep it up, even if it is a dirt bottom and go ahead and get as much of the excess material up. It is important to make it clean!

• Step 3: Lay barn lime down. Some people use First Saturday Lime, but I just buy 50# bag of crushed barn lime and spread it in all the areas that are very moist. This reduces the ammonia smell in your coop as well.

• Step 4: Throw down pine pellets mixed with any other bedding of choice. As the moisture enters the bedding, the pine pellets will absorb it and turn into a crumble. This comes in handy!

• Step 5: Remember to remove all the roosting pieces and power wash them off. If your worried about the moisture, you can just scrape them clean and put them back in place.

• Step 6: Essential oils…that’s right, you can use a bottle of certain oils outside, slowly walk about and add a few drops to the bedding. With the humidity so high, if you add eucalyptus and lavender it can work in your benefit. They are known to open up the lungs and allow any infection to pass.

These steps should help keep the humidity down and gather up any moisture that is building up. Be sure to flip your bedding weekly to prevent stagnant spots from getting moldy, especially if you are not doing this method and are using the deep liter method. If you try this method above, let me know what you think!

I also think it is so important to add essential oils to the water bowl! It will not hurt the birds if you use the right oils and dosage. Or you can purchase VetRx or other water additives to add into their water bowl to keep them healthy. But, KEEP THE WATER BOWL OUT OF THE COOP! Especially if you have a heater in it. That will create condensation inside the coop and freeze! It will be bad for your flock to breath in it and for their little toes, crops and waddles to come in contact with. No one wants to deal with frostbite!

I hope this helped if you have an issue like this occur in your flock. These are just my ideas and things that have worked for me! If you have special techniques, please share them! I always game to and love to try new things!

Keep warm and dry out there!

Your chicken friend,

Amanda B.

You come home from a long winter day at work or school and visit the coop to collect the day’s eggs. They’re cold.  Really cold with hairline cracks in some of their shells.     That’s not surprising. Those eggs have been sitting in the nest for hours on a subzero day.

Egg whites and yolks contain plenty of water but are loaded with dissolved solids.  These lower the egg freezing point to about 29 degrees. Eggs rarely freeze in moderately cold weather but if the temperature drops like a stone eggs freeze and crack in just a couple of hours.

In many ways eggs are the perfect product.  They are delicious nutrition packaged in a protective shell and membrane that keeps bacteria and dirt out.  Unfortunately, that tiny crack in a frozen egg can be an ideal passageway for dirt and microbes to enter.   Eating that contaminated egg could be a health risk.

What do you do with a frozen egg?  The best solution is to never let it happen.  It’s wise to collect eggs often throughout the day, but when the mercury drops toward the bottom of the thermometer it’s essential. Collecting eggs every couple of hours makes it unlikely that any will freeze. Unfortunately, when chicken keepers are stuck at work or school all day, they can’t saunter to the coop often to gather their eggs.  A few eggs are likely to freeze on a frigid day. For those who cannot collect regularly, some heat in the coop can keep eggs from freezing.  Even, enclosed nest boxes can maintain some warmth and possibly prevent eggs from freezing.

What’s the safest thing to do with a rare frozen egg?  Either toss it somewhere so night time raccoons or opossums can snack on it, or mix it into the compost pile. It may seem like a waste but it beats getting sick.

Purposefully Freezing Eggs

Deliberately freezing eggs for future use is far different from finding frozen eggs in the nest.  A frozen egg is one that was in the nest too long on a frigid day. To be safe, toss it out. Freezing eggs purposefully in the freezer is a way to store them for months.   Almost any family who keeps a flock of hens has times when eggs build up in the refrigerator and days when there just aren’t enough for baking and cooking. A solution is to freeze them when they are abundant. It’s easy. Crack them into a container, scramble them up, seal the container and freeze. They should last about a year.

For information on egg freezing, safety, recipes check these websites:   www.incredibleegg.org or www.eggindustrycenter.org.

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!

No Two are Alike!

Starlight Green Eggers often lack the fluffy cheeks and ears of other colored egg layers. They retained the pea comb and small, hooklike head. One (as of now) common thread in this breed is the probability to be red. Any variation of red! As deep a mahogany as a Rhode Island Red, to almost totally golden with orange stripes, or even a deep red body with a bronze head- they’re all red! (Usually) If you order a colored layer mix from Hoover’s, chances are if it’s a reddish chipmunk chick, it’ll probably be a Starlight Green Egger.

Awesome Eggs

The evolution of colored egg laying genetics has come a long way in recent years. It all started with the Aurucnana from South America, that lays blue eggs. Their descendants are easily recognizable by their fluffy cheeks and styled ear muffs.

After much trial and error, the range of colored layers has grown! Hoover’s has several variations of colored layers, all hybrid types that contain the best of both worlds.

I get an egg from my 3 year old SGE, Christmas, almost every single day, without fail. I have so many SGEs at the moment, that my egg basket is mostly all green! The Starlight Green Egger’s eggs are usually a delicate, pastel green. I like to liken it to a minty green.

Real Survivors

Mixed with leghorn lineage, the SGE is a superb free ranging chicken. More and more people these days are realizing that free ranging is best for chickens. If you have room and no regulations, letting your chickens out everyday is cheaper, cleaner, and more enjoyable for you and the flock! I’ve found that the SGE is custom made to free range. The leghorn lineage makes them small enough to fly and flighty enough to pay attention to danger. Our SGE hens are all so beautiful and awesome survivors!

The Starlight Green Egger is truly a backyard chicken star,as the name implies! I hope you’ll consider adding some to your flock this year!

As I weeded a patch of string beans one July morning, sadness overcame me.

The plants were loaded with beans, but the silence got to me.

My garden adjoins our chicken run. Whenever I’m planting, weeding, or harvesting, our 14 hens are my companions. They watch me from just beyond the fence and encourage my work with cheerful, expectant clucking. The hens joyfully feast whenever I toss tasty weeds or vegetable thinnings over the fence.  But, on that July morning no perky hens kept me company.

Whenever we bring a pail of kitchen scraps to our hens, they race to meet us, eager for treats.  When I open the pop hole each morning to let them go outside, I greet them with “good morning girls.”  As they watch me gather eggs I say, “Thanks.”  When I close their door each evening, they get a hearty “Good night girls, job well done,” from me. They are endearing. Is talking to chickens silly?  Nope.

Word came of an ailing relative 1000 miles away. Marion and I might need to leave at short notice to help him. Neighbors and friends take care of our chickens when we give them plenty of notice of an upcoming vacation trip. That wouldn’t work for a spontaneous need to be gone for an unknown duration. We decided, for the short term, that the flock should go. New birds will fill the coop with enthusiasm this fall.

Unexpectedly I was flockless. I grieved. That seems silly for a grown man to miss a few chickens, but it was real sadness. I was heartened to know that I can order chicks from Hoover’s Hatchery this fall. So, curious friendly chickens will again greet me, encourage my gardening, eat our scraps and give us delicious eggs. In the meantime, since we’re chickenless, we can travel without needing to find friends to care for the flock.

How to Eliminate a Flock

There are many reasons why a family must eliminate their backyard flock. The spontaneous need to travel may be one, but sometimes people simply lose interest or their life situation changes and chickens can’t be in their future. Also, like all living things, hens age. As years pass, they lay fewer and fewer eggs. To maintain production, trusty old hens must be replaced by youngsters every few years.

Saying goodbye to long-held chickens is hard.  They bring curiosity, intelligence, and beauty to the yard while recycling scraps and giving delicious eggs.  Although not quite pets, chickens are delightful life companions who bring joy as they stock the refrigerator with fresh eggs. Saying goodbye isn’t easy but may be necessary. Here are ways to empty the coop:

• Gulp. Old hens are tasty, if tough, but few want to eat their old friends.  Finding them a new home is preferable.
• Often friends are happy to add a few birds to their flock. It’s helpful to network with other families who keep chickens. Someone may cherish newcomers to the flock.
• When the decision was made to terminate our flock, I put an ad on Craig’s List. Within an hour a woman called and said, “I have a small flock and give eggs to low-income senior citizens.  I’d like to expand my flock.”  She picked them up two days later.
• Social media: Social media connections are effective in both disposing of chickens and acquiring new ones.

My flock landed in the yard of a woman who gives them great care and gives eggs to low-income senior citizens. They have a great new home.

Hoover’s Hatchery has good news for anyone who must temporarily end a flock. Most people prefer starting chicks in the spring, but Hoover’s sells chicks year round. Starting them in fall works well and that’s what I’ll be doing later this year.

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 like a disgruntled pigeon as she runs across the yard.

Chickens are creatures of habit. Their clock is the sun. It doesn’t matter to them if bedtime used to be at 9:00, but now it’s at 6:00. When the sun sets, that tells chickens it’s time to go up. Personally, the chickens going to bed earlier works for me! If you lock your flock up at night, you know the struggle of getting everyone in the coop when it’s still bright outside at 8:45pm in the summer.

With the sun as their guide, chickens undergo some internal changes when the days shorten. They now will lay less eggs, even stopping completely in winter. The darker days trigger the molt, which I mentioned previously. They will be spending more energy staying warm.

Just remember to please give your flock more energy rich foods this fall and winter. Whole corn makes a great evening snack for them, and will heat up their bodies during nighttime digestion. (It’s also a great way to persuade them to go up!) Ensure the coop is free of drafts and remember- no water inside the coop. (This prevents frostbite.)

Daylight Savings Time can be rough on everyone, chickens and humans included. Just prepare to hunker down and bring plenty of snacks- for your flock that is!

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 to start going back to the coop! Clipping their wings is the first step of my “coop reset plan!”

Clipping your chickens’ flight feathers is super easy and can be an instant solution to a number of chicken challenges. You can do it alone, but it helps to have a second pair of hands available.

First, you’ll need to catch your chicken. 

Easier said than done, huh? Try waiting until the late evening when it is roosting. After you’ve got a chicken, cradle the bird under your arm against your waist. Grab a wing, and gently pull it away from the chicken’s body, unfolding the feathers.

With a sharp pair of scissors, slowly cut in a diagonal line. You are aiming to clip just the ends off of the longest layer of feathers, the flight feathers. Cut about half the feather off. This is where you need to be careful.

Feathers are “alive” in the sense that they do have feeling and blood flow near the base. Unlike hair, which can be cut to the root, feathers should be cut well past the bloodline. You’ll see the bluish, thick shaft of the feather, but you’ll cut a few inches past it. 

When you cut the first feathers, the chicken may squirm a bit. Don’t worry, you aren’t hurting them, they just are getting used to the sensation. Cut with a gentle, firm hand, all the way down the wing.

After that, you’re done! The great news is you’ll only have to cut one wing! Doing this puts the chicken off balance when they try to fly. If both wings are cut, some smart hens can learn how to compensate for the shorter wings, and still manage to fly. Cutting only one wing has always worked for us! If you have some escape artists in your flock, before spending lots of money on coop revisions, try clipping their feathers instead!

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 being said, chickens are simple creatures, and can live a happy and productive existence in a coop. Since we love them, we want them to have fulfilling lives. Here four affordable ways to give your flock enrichment!

Provide a dust bathing area. 

Chickens actually NEED a place on the coop floor to dust bathe in order to stay healthy. Part of a chicken’s daily routine is covering her feathers in fine dust, all the way down to the skin. After kicking around on her side, she will quickly hop up, and shimmy all the dirt, dust, and parasites off her feathers!

Add a dust area in your coop by clearing a clean 2ft. x 2ft. square on the ground. Leave it as dry as possible and add in a few buckets of dirt from anywhere on your property. There’s no need to use a tray, they’ll soon scratch all the dust out and around!

Put tree branches in the coop.

Chickens, like most birds, love to be up high. Their natural instinct to perch, leaves them always looking for the highest possible spot to rest. You can give them some new furniture simply by bringing in tree branches! The bark will help file down their toenails, as well as help work their muscles. The branches might last a few months before they’ll need to be replaced, and by then your flock might be ready for some new scenery anyway!

Rotate hanging treats periodically.

There are tons of resources and ideas for hanging chicken treats out there! In fact, I’m pretty sure there are some on the Hoover’s blog already! Whole cabbage heads, pumpkins, frozen watermelon; the possibilities are endless! Yummy snacks are always a great motivator to get chickens moving!

Give them a chance to hunt.

Chickens are meant to forage for their food all day. In today’s world of pampered pullets and designer coops, our chickens are often given 24/7 access to feed. This is fine! However, is it fun? Nothing pleases a hen more than being able to scratch for her food. Try broadcast feeding some yummy treats like whole corn, sunflower seeds, or dried mealworms. Speaking of mealworms, for even fresher insects, you can pickup some live mealworms or crickets from pet stores. They’ll make a great source of protein for your birds, and will be entertaining as well!

There are many ways still to entertain your chickens without breaking the piggy bank. Let us know some of your favorite ways to enrich the lives of your flock down below!