Training Hens to Lay in Boxes

We’ve all had that one or two hens who love to lay their eggs in the most surprising places We had a hen that sat on the front seat of the side-by-side every single day, and left us a tan egg There was also our hen Dotty, who loved to lay her eggs in the dog bed, making the perfect organic dog treats Although it can be funny later, when you can’t find your chickens’ eggs, it can become frustrating very quickly

 

There are several reasons why a hen would prefer to lay her eggs anywhere other than the nesting

How to Clean Chicken Nesting Boxes

Chickens are beautiful, friendly (most of them anyway), and wonderful birds But they are also very messy! I feel like Pinterest chicken coops give you a false idea of how clean (or lack thereof) raising backyard chickens can be With that said, it’s actually very important to keep a clean coop!

 

How to Get Hens to Lay in Nest Boxes

Happy New Year! I hope you all made it through the holidays with abundant joy and laughter Since it’s the middle of the winter, our girls have slowed down a little bit in the egg department So, I’m going to take this opportunity to try and “retrain” them to lay in the nesting box I have a very nice, roll out nesting box but the girls prefer the coop floor! I have no idea why this is, but they definitely prefer the floor Honestly? It

Tips and Tricks to Get Your Chickens to Lay Eggs in Nesting Boxes

Encouraging chickens to lay in their nesting boxes is sometimes easier said than done While many chickens will naturally gravitate to their nesting boxes, sometimes they need a little encouragement to lay their eggs in the convenient boxes you give them

 

Here’s how to encourage nest box laying in your backyard flock

First, make sure you have the right number of nesting boxes The general rule of thumb on nesting boxes is three to four chickens per nesting box If you have 12 chickens, you want four nesting boxes

If you have too many nesting boxes, the chickens might start sleeping in

Harvesting Clean Eggs: Tips to Collecting Eggs That Don’t Require Any Washing

“To wash or not to wash” seems to be a big question when it comes to farm fresh eggs Some people prefer them washed; others (like me) prefer their eggs untouched I’m often asked how I clean my freshly harvested eggs, but truth is, I don’t They go straight from the hens hiney, to the nesting box, then to the egg cartons No cleaning in between When you have a flock of 50 hens (and counting, yikes),

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What Do You Need In Your Coop?

Your chickens are here and you want to provide them with the best possible life  But, you may feel overwhelmed with all of the coop equipment that you see  What do your chickens need and what’s a waste of money?  Let’s talk about what your chickens need in the body

A Feeder

Your chickens will need a feeder  Although you could get by with an ice-cream bucket full of feed for a while, eventually you’ll want to invest in a good quality feeder  Look for a feeder that is easy to clean and will last a long time  Stainless steel feeders

Tips on Keeping Your Coop Clean

Your chickens may be pretty and clean themselves, but without your help, they probably won’t keep their coop clean  Cleaning the coop doesn’t have to be a major ordeal though  There are a few things that you can consider when designing your coop that will help to keep it clean  There are also some things that you can quickly do each day that will take less than five minutes

Coop Design

Are you thinking about building a coop from scratch or modifying the one that you have to make it better?  There are a few things that you can do inside

4 Ways to Encourage Chickens to Lay in Nesting Boxes

The time of year when spring chicks start laying eggs is a very exciting time! Finding the first little eggs is such a reward for all the hard work we put into our chicks all summer long You know what’s not fun, though? Having to conduct an Easter Egg hunt to find the eggs! Here’s 4 ways to encourage chickens to lay in nesting boxes

If you’re wondering how to encourage your spring chickens to actually use their nesting boxes, you’re not alone Sometimes it seems like chickens go out of their way to make egg collecting difficult Instead of