My Chirpy Chicken Coop

Choosing The Right Fencing For Your Coop August 7, 2022 (The hardware cloth fencing of our coop.) Keeping your flock safe from predators is something important to consider if you are new to chicken keeping, or building/buying a new coop, chicken tractor or run. Conversely, keeping your garden veggies safe from marauding chickens, and also bunnies, deer and wild birds is always a struggle.  The choices when it comes to fencing can be a bit confusing, and sadly making the wrong choice can mean the difference between a predator-proof chicken run versus one a raccoon can easily gain access to, or a chicken-proof garden versus a garden that's stripped clean by your flock!  Hopefully this will help clear up any confusion and assist you in choosing the right fencing for not only your chicken coop, but also your chicken run and your garden.  Chicken Wire Chicken wire isn't good for anything except keeping chickens in (or out, as the case may be). A dog, fox or raccoon can rip through c

Weasels And Foxes And Hawks...Oh My!!! July 31, 2022 (The girls chillin' in the coop!) Not long after you start keeping chickens, every predator in the neighborhood will have your coop on their radar.  In fact, one of the hardest things about keeping chickens is keeping them safe from predators, but if you can figure out what you're faced with, it can make discouraging, trapping or otherwise dealing with them far easier. This is clearly not a topic that is pleasant to think - or read - about but as chicken keepers, our responsibility is to keep our chickens safe. No matter what.  They're so vulnerable and everything wants to eat chickens!  While most predators including raccoon, coyotes, and owls are mostly nocturnal, there are plenty of other predators out during the daylight hours including fox, dogs and hawks, so if your chickens free range, they are potentially at risk. The first line of defense is knowing what kind of predators you're potentially going to be deali

Summer Streak! July 24, 2022 (The girls' summer streak of eggs!) Ah yes...it's that time of year again!!! Noo, not Christmas silly! It's summertime!!!!!!!!!! And the girls have been loving every moment of it! So much so that they've been laying pretty much everyday. What a summer streak! You go, girls! Happy summer :)

From Coop To Kitchen July 17, 2022 (Me bringing eggs from the coop to the kitchen!) Face it: nobody wants dirty eggs. There's a greater chance of contamination from salmonella or E. coli when an egg has poop or even dirt on it. So keeping the eggs that your chickens lay clean is important for the health of your family. It's best not to wash fresh eggs until just before using them, so taking some simple steps to ensure the eggs are clean when you collect them is important. And here's why: The last step in a chicken's egg laying process involves the application of a thin, nearly invisible film on the surface of the eggshell called the "bloom". This bloom helps to keep air and bacteria from penetrating the eggshell, thereby ensuring the egg's freshness and edibility.  Washing the egg removes the bloom, so optimally you don't want to wash the eggs from your backyard flock unless absolutely necessary. Once an egg is washed, it has to be refrigerated, but un

Egg Eating July 10, 2022 (Angelica greedily spying on her eggs!) The last thing you want is for your chickens to start eating their own eggs. That kind of defeats the purpose of raising chickens. Egg eating chickens are obviously not what you want in a backyard flock. It's a bad habit that gets harder to break the longer you let it go on. Many say that culling the offender(s) is the only way to stop it, but I believe that there are a few less drastic solutions. How Does Egg Eating Start? Many people blame feeding their chickens eggs or eggshells, either raw or cooked, for introducing their chickens to eating eggs.  But in reality, egg eating generally starts by accident. An egg gets stepped on or otherwise breaks in the nest, one curious hen pecks at it and thinks, " hmm this tastes good ". And now you've got an egg eating chickens. She will then start breaking eggs as soon as they are laid, and soon other hens will follow her lead and you'll have a whole flock la

Herbs In The Nesting Boxes July 3, 2022 (Herbs sprinkled in the nesting box!) For the most part, herbs are really easy to grow, not picky about the soil conditions or even whether you water them regularly...and they add a delicious flavor to your cooking :) Well, there's another way to put the herbs and edible flowers you grow to good use - in your chicken nesting boxes and coop. Fresh or dried, most herbs have wonderful benefits for your flock ! What Herbs Can I Use? My coop and nesting boxes have never smelled so good until I started adding a mix of fresh-grown herbs and edible flowers that at different times of the year might include: basil bay leaves bee balm calendula catmint chamomile coneflower lavender lemon balm marigold mint oregano rose petals rosemary sage thyme violets yarrow Herbs For Broody Hens Broody hens particularly have a tendency to get mites and other bugs since they don't get out to dust bathe often, if at all, and the warm, dark space underneath them is

Nesting Box Wars June 26, 2022 (The hens pacing to see who gets the privilege of laying in the "coveted" nesting box!) Why, oh why, do they do it? Why will chickens literally sit on top of each other in the same nesting box - or stand just outside the box and cackle and carry on until the offending hen in the box is done - when there is a row of identical boxes completely empty and at their disposal? Why Nesting Box Wars Break Out Chickens prefer to lay their eggs in safe, private places that they feel are safe from predators. After all, in their eyes, every egg they lay is a potential baby chick to help propagate the breed. So, when they stroll past a nest and see an egg (or hen) in that nest, they think that since another hen felt it was a safe place, it must be a safe place for their egg.  A second school of thought is that in a flock, all the laying hens will lay their eggs in a communal nest in order to accumulate a 'clutch' which one of them will then sit on to

All About Nesting Boxes June 19, 2022 (One of the nesting boxes with some "gifts" from the girls!) Nesting boxes are where your chickens lay their eggs - or at least where they should lay their eggs! By providing enough boxes that are the right size, in the right location in your coop, filled with soft nesting material, you can encourage your chickens to use the boxes so your eggs will be clean and unbroken when you go to collect them. How Many Nesting Boxes Do I Need? Rule of thumb is that you should have one nesting box for every 3-4 hens, but realistically, all of your chickens will want to use just one or two boxes - even if all the boxes are nearly identical. Some call this the "Nesting Box Wars".  If you are fortunate, your chickens will act like ladies and patiently wait their turn to lay in the coveted box. How Big Do The Nesting Boxes Need To Be? Your nesting boxes should be at least 12" square - and closer to 14" square if you have larger breeds

All About Diatomaceous Earth June 12, 2022 (Hammy trying to sneak out of the run!) Here's the scoop. The answers to all your questions about diatomaceous earth. What Is Diatomaceous Earth? Diatomaceous earth, or DE, is a white, porous powder that is simply the crushed fossilized remains of diatoms (phytoplankton). Over time, these fossilized remains build up into large deposits that are then mined from bodies of water.  DE is used in many products because of its porous and abrasive nature. It’s used it when making gummy bears because it prevents them from sticking together. It's added to cereals to prevent caking. Along those same lines, it’s used in a cattle feed as an anti-caking agent. It’s also added to pesticides. You may have brushed your teeth with DE. Skin care products also use DE.  It’s a versatile product, so it’s worthwhile to do some research and see how it can benefit your chickens, home, garden, and family.  Why Are There Different Types Of Diatomaceous Earth? Th