Chicken Keeping Secrets

To quickly review from last week, a newly hatched chick is unable to maintain its body temperature. The chick is usually kept warm by its mother when she hatches the eggs. When you hatch chicks in an incubator, you must move the chicks to a brooder box after they have completely dried. In the brooder box you will provide heat from an external source as a substitute for the warmth the chick would otherwise receive from it’s mother.

It’s important to have your brooder box completely ready before the chicks hatch.

When you move the chicks from the incubator to the brooder box, the space must be warm and toasty.

Many options are available to use as your source of heat. (more…)

“If we add a light to our coop during the winter months to try to increase egg productivity will it reduce the egg laying life span of the chickens? Also will it increase egg production enough to cover the electricity costs?” ~ Mechelle Meixner

Hi Mechelle, thank you for the question.

For those of you who are new to keeping chickens, here’s a quick rundown on why Mechelle is asking this question; as daylight decreases with the winter months, egg production also decreases. By using artificial light in your coop so as to provide your chickens with about 14 hours of light each day, you can keep egg production at a level closer to that of summertime.

I must admit that when I read your question, I had no idea how to answer. You see, I’d never really considered the possibility of artificial light usage reducing the egg laying life span. Most people who keep chickens solely for eggs tend to keep their hens for 3 years or so before they go to the stew pot. The reason is that egg production begins to decline at this point. (more…)

This week we’ll be addressing the brooder box or brooding area.

Newly hatched chicks need an external source of heat because they are unable to maintain their own body temperature. This occurs naturally when a hen hatches her clutch; the chicks snuggle up with mother hen and stay warm.

When you are hatching chicks in an incubator, or receiving mail-order chicks, you have to provide an area in which they will spend the first few weeks of life. This area is often referred to as a “brooder box” but can take many different forms other than that of a conventional box. We’ll address options for the “box” a little later. (more…)

“I would like no know how to stop your chickens from going broody? Thanks” ~ Dave Blair

Dave thanks for the question.

“Brood” seems to be the word this week; in our “Basics” series we’re discussing brooding boxes, the area in which you raise your newly hatched chicks. Now we’ll answer Dave’s question about broody hens.

First let’s define what we mean by a hen “going broody”.

Usually in the spring time and more likely in her second year, a hen will decide it’s time to start a family.

The presence or lack of a rooster has no bearing on this decision. (more…)

“If I let my chicken range freely, how far away will they wander? Can I get then to come when I call?” ~ Terrie Travers

Hi Terrie thanks for the question.

Chickens will indeed wander but not like a dog. Where you might find your dog on the other side of town, your chickens may wander only a few hundred yards. If you want your free ranged chickens to stay close to home, and more importantly come home at night to be safe, there are a few things you can do to encourage that;

First and foremost, your chickens need to know where “home” is. They will associate home with the place they receive food, water and shelter. In most instances, home will be a chicken coop. Feed and water your chickens inside the coop if there is room or just outside the chicken coop if space is limited. (more…)