Chicken Keeping Secrets

“Dear Wendy, A few weeks ago, all of my chickens were wiped out by a pack of coyotes. There where, and still are, feathers laying all over the pen, along with a few other parts. I got some new baby chicks about a week ago. Before I let them into the run, should I completely sanitize the run, and take all of the feathers, etc. out, or could just cover them with some mulch or dirt? Thanks for the help. I love your newsletters.” ~ Leah

Hi Leah,

I’m glad you wrote and I’m sorry about your coyote troubles.

I think it would be a good idea to thoroughly clean out the run.

First of all you don’t want the chicks to start eating the feathers when they are old enough to put into the coop / run.

Most importantly though, because you mentioned that there were “a few other parts”. It’s important that the chicks have a fresh, clean start.

On that note, here’s a few other times when you should thoroughly clean out your coop and / or run.

Whenever you have finished (for whatever reason) with one batch of chickens and before you introduce a new flock, plan a cleaning day.

If you purchase a new coop, be sure to give it a good cleaning before you release your chickens.

If you use an existing coop (for instance if you move to a property with a chicken house), it’s important to thoroughly clean it, especially if it has housed chickens within the past few years.

Disease and parasites can live for months in the cracks of the coop, the dirt or surrounding fields, basically anywhere infected poultry have had access. So if you’ve had troubles with mites, lice or disease, a thorough cleaning is a must. (more…)

“Hi Wendy and Duncan, thank you so much for all the time and serious effort you put into answering questions and circulating this newsletter. We live in the South of the South island in New Zealand (a fabulous place) and have a temperate climate. A cold winter sees us having maybe a dozen frosts to -4 C and a couple of snow falls of 1-2inches that may lie for a day and night.

We have just moved house and are going to keep hens again :-)

My question relates to the coop we will build. I think insulating the coop walls and ceiling would help with feed bills, general health and more eggs, however I’m not sure what material to use. My concern relates to mites and other undesirables that may take up residence in the insulation. In NZ we use fibreglass or wool compressed into “batts” or polystyrene as insulating material.

Do you think we need to insulate, and if so, can you advise me which material would be most suitable. We would do our very best to seal all the cracks to prevent any bugs entering. Again thank you, I really enjoy your newsletter every week. Cheers,” ~ Karen

Hi Karen,

I’m glad you wrote.

First of all, I appreciate the fact that you’re thinking ahead to make the best provisions for your animals.

Insulation is worth considering.

During colder temperatures of the winter months, chickens have to work hard just to maintain themselves and they do indeed require more feed to do so.

This is a more serious concern in a very cold climate but not something to discount in a more mild climate like yours.

Every environment is going to have bugs that are specific to that area and that are more prone to take up residence in one material over another.
 
With that in mind, insulate with what is most affordable and available in your area. (more…)

“I have heard of a light moveable coop fence for giving chickens some time to forage out in the yard. We have 10 chickens. Where could we find a plan to make such a fence?” ~ Elinore

Hi Elinore,

Thanks for the question.

There are many options for movable chicken enclosures but if you don’t mind, I’d like to take a minute to explain the concept to new chicken keepers.

In it’s most basic form, a movable “coop” is an enclosed area that is portable, allowing you to move it around your property. It is similar to a run with the amenities of a hen house.

In some circumstances, having a movable “coop” is a real benefit.

If you have plenty of room for your chickens to roam but need to keep them confined for their safety, a movable coop is ideal.

You also might want to allow your chickens to roam but need to keep them out of the garden or some such thing. Confining them while they roam might be of benefit.

If your chickens happen to like ants, positioning the “coop” over an ant hill or in the middle of a grasshopper infestation provides excellent pest control. (more…)

“I’ve heard the term “egg mobile”, could you tell me more about the concept? Sincerely” ~ Dave in Wichita, Kansas

Hi Dave,

Thanks for the question.

I wanted to answer both yours and Elinore’s question this week because some people confuse the two ideas.

An “egg mobile” is a concept touted (and it think developed) by Joel Salatin of Polyface Farm in Virginia, USA.

Mr. Salatin raises both cattle and chickens, among other things.

He is a firm believer in letting animals do what God made them to do – in other words, he would not support the idea of battery houses for chickens and feed lots for cattle.

His cattle are grass fed on rotated pasture and he sends the chickens behind the cattle (within 4 days) to scratch the cow paddies. The chickens spread the manure and eat any fly larvae or parasites.

In this way, worming the cattle has become a non-issue and the cow pies are incorporated into the soil very thoroughly. (more…)

“We moved in Dec and my husband built a new chicken pen that is safe and has a nice roof so they can be out of the rain or snow. What we didn’t realize when we moved here… there are a lot of beautiful flowers and shrubs and grass. Well now when we let our girls out, they are eating everything. So we know we need to move them to a better place were they will not ruin the landscape.

We have 1.3 acres and have an area that is fenced and they love to go there… so we will make a new pen for them there…. question is: Can we just move them and put them in a new coop in the new area and they will adjust? We are going to leave the old coop where it is and we think we will use it for the “winter” home and there new one will be their “summer or warm weather” home. Can that work?” ~ Marilyn Wilkison

Marilyn,

How fortunate your chickens are to have a vacation home!

Seriously though, yes it can work.

There are a couple of things to keep in mind though before you consider moving them back and forth.

Anything out of the ordinary can cause stress in a flock and could cause a drop in egg production. It could also cause a stress induced molt.

In some cases, external stressors can’t be helped; a very loud thunderstorm, a close call with a predator, etc.

But as much as possible, we need to keep things pretty normal for the flock.

(Not boring, remember in recent weeks we’ve been talking about chicken’s destructive behavior when they’re bored.)

So Marilyn, when you initially move the flock to their new “home” there may be some stress involved while they adjust. Don’t be alarmed if you do see some molting or decline in egg production. Make sure they have a good diet and plenty of calcium to get back on track.

If they seem to adjust easily, I don’t think you’ll have any problems moving them from coop to coop.

An added benefit to having two coops is that if any health issues come up within the flock, you can quarantine easily in the second coop.

Best of luck to you.