My Chirpy Chicken Coop

  Chicken Scratch ~ Pt. 1 December 27, 2020 (The ladies scratching for scratch!) If you have ever fed your chickens scratch grains then you know that they go absolutely nuts for it. They scramble around pecking up the various grains and seeds as fast as they can, fighting and scratching for each last piece (hence the name 'scratch'!). It's not very nutritious, but a great cold weather energy source for the chickens and they love it! Since its not nutritionally complete, scratch is not a substitute for layer feed, but should be considered a treat. While the mixed grains are nutritious, they only contain about half the protein that chickens need in their regular diet, so should be only given after your chickens have had a chance to fill up on their regular feed. More importantly, the body heat generated digesting the corn and grains in the scratch helps keep chickens warm during cold nights, so it should only be fed during the colder months. It also gives the chickens somethi...

A Memoir To Washington December 20, 2020 (Washington's gravesite.) I am so grieved as I write this. As you all know, Washington, our Production Blue pullet, has suffered and overcome many injuries. She had had her brain pecked into, as well as her back. Now, she will suffer no more. Washington has gone home. On December 14, 2020, we came home from school, and I headed outside to the chicken coop to collect the eggs. What I saw next broke my heart in two: Washington was draped over the roost. She was...dead. Never in all my dreams did I expect for this to happen. As the sun set over Southern California, I took two feathers from her, and we buried dear Georgia Washington in the ground, and placed a tire (the reason for that being if a predator found her body, we would know, hence the tire) and a headstone over her grave. I never got to say goodbye. As you know, two of our hens detest Washington, and gave her two severe injuries: A brain injury, and a back injury. When I found her in ...

All About Fertilized Eggs December 13, 2020 (From left to right: fertilized egg, unfertilized egg.) One of the most common questions asked in the world of backyard chicken-keeping: "How do I know if my chicken eggs are fertile?" Well, in this week's post, I'm going to explain the mating process, how chicken eggs are fertilized, and how to know whether they are fertilized. By the way, in case you didn't know: You don't need a rooster for a hen to lay eggs, but if you want the eggs to be fertilized, then you want a rooster. The short answer is, if you have a rooster, then all of the eggs you collect from your chickens are most likely fertile. Breeders will often separate a rooster with just one hen or maybe up to 5 or 6 hens for breeding purposes, but some people have had as many as sixteen hens and only one rooster, and still collected fertilized eggs. Roosters really manage to get around the barnyard quite well! One rooster can easily mate with a dozen or more...

All About Dust Baths December 6, 2020 (Hamilton taking one serious dust bath!) Have you ever noticed your flock digging inside bowl-shaped craters in the ground? Well, that's called dust bathing. In this post, I'm going to explain the science behind why chickens dust bathe, how to improve their dust bathing, and also a funny story about our experience with dust bathing! Dust baths are a chicken's way of keeping clean. The fine dirt keeps their feathers clean, and free of mites, lice, and other parasites. You can help make bathing easy for your flock by adding fireplace ash, food-grade diatomaceous earth, and dried herbs. Unless your chickens decide they like the spot where you have chosen for them to bathe in, your run/free-ranging area will look something like the surface of the moon, with depressions and craters all over it! Things to add to the run to improve dust bathing- Wood ash Food-grade diatomaceous earth Dried herbs A good idea to get your chickens to dust bathe, ...