Chickens

92 articles
Chick Roosting

Chick Roosting

Why do chickens roost?  To stay safe from predators at night, of course :-)  Apparently the Little Ones like to roost even though they're safe (er...trapped) in their nice, warm brooder!I have found, at different times, both the Ameraucanas and the Astralorps on their mini, impromptu roosting bar.  I have not, however, found the Buff Orpingtons on said bar.  Interesting.…
February 21, 2012
Chick Training

Chick Training

Chicks are super cute and fuzzy and brand new and everybody loves them...and then they grow up to be actual chickens who peck and squawk and poop everywhere all the time.  Who knew, right?!So, how do you get those cute, cuddly chicks to stay semi-cute and lovable once they're grown and look like weird dinosaur birds?  Well, we do it by handling…
February 14, 2012
The Newest Newbies!

The Newest Newbies!

Our new chicks are in and are officially the cutest little ladies ever!  I'll post more about how we plan to build a new brooder and expand the chicken run to accommodate our 9 new cuties (3 Ameraucanas, 3 Australorps & 3 Buff Orpingtons) , but for now, let's just enjoy the cuteness for a bit... Yay for backyard chickens and intense cuteness!
February 10, 2012
Dirty Eggs & Cute Chickens

Dirty Eggs & Cute Chickens

So, last week our chickens decided to lay their eggs not in their cozy nesting boxes, but in the back corner of their coop, right under their roost.  The problem with this?  Well, it is the only part of the coop that is not easily accessible to us without a shovel, broom or big stick.  So, in order to retrieve…
January 26, 2012
Do Our Chickens Pay for Themselves?

Do Our Chickens Pay for Themselves?

Back in August I asked this question, so we've been tracking it on my sidebar ever since.  This is what's happened in a nut (egg?) shell...For a while (read: when we first started this challenge), we were getting 6-7 eggs a day and I was feeling extremely optimistic about our little experiment.Then, the ladies started molting, their eating habits changed, their…
December 11, 2011
The Chickens are Molting!?! Now What?

The Chickens are Molting!?! Now What?

Why the heck are my chickens losing all their feathers and not producing eggs!?!?  Are they sick?  Pissed?  Dying?  Hungry?  Revolting against the colder temperatures?  WTF?! Wait, they're what?  Molting?  What the heck is molting and why is it happening while I'm tracking egg production vs. the cost of their feed? After a little research (the internet is truly an…
November 12, 2011