My Chirpy Chicken Coop

Healthy Treats February 28, 2021 (A shot of the hens eating some cheese!) Chickens are true omnivores. They are not vegetarians. When left to their own devices as they have been for generations on family farms, they will seek out a wide variety of weeds, grasses, seeds, grains, fruits, vegetables...and yes even "meat" or protein, usually in the form of bugs, slugs, and worms. Woe to the lizard, snake, mouse, toad or even small bird that ventures into a chicken run. (It's lizard season where I live, and Lafayette, our rooster, has been killing and eating every single lizard  that crawls into the chicken coop!) I've read that farm chickens have even been known to drink fresh cow or goat milk when the opportunity presents itself! As with humans, a varied, healthy diet will lead to healthy chickens and more nutritious, delicious eggs. While their layer feed should comprise the majority of their diet and always be fed first thing in the morning to ensure the chickens are f...

Flourless Brownies February 21, 2021 (A photo collage of my recipe process!) WARNING: THIS RECIPE IS THE REAL MEANING OF "DEATH BY CHOCOLATE"! If you are looking to bake a beautiful batch of gluten-free brownies, there's no need to turn to alternative flours. In fact, a perfect brownie can be baked without any flour at all! These flourless brownies are rich and decadent. The best part is, the batter is all mixed together in just one bowl, so cleanup is a snap when you use this recipe. Ingredients : 1/2 cup salted butter 1 cup semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips 1/2 cup granulated sugar 3 eggs (I use backyard chicken eggs!) 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder Optional: Powdered sugar, for dusting Steps : Gather the ingredients. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease a brownie pan. Place the butter and chocolate chips in a large microwave-safe bowl. Heat in the microwave for about 2 minutes. Remove bowl from microwave and stir to combine until smooth. St...

Mealworms February 14, 2021 (A shot of Hamilton about to gobble up a mealworm!) My chickens love mealworms. In fact, they gobble them up at such an alarming rate! After all, what could be better than a continuous, free source of healthy protein for my chickens? You can train chickens to do amazing things, especially when they are rewarded with mealworms! People have used ‘bribery by treats’ to teach hens to run obstacle courses, do a variety of tricks and even modify some anti-social behaviors. It is also the easiest way to get reluctant teenage hens into the coop. They would rather have the snack than party outside. Chickens are intelligent and can easily be trained to do things as long as there is a reward at the end, after all, no one works for free! The most useful time of the year to feed mealworms is around the time of the molt. As you all know, the molt depletes a huge amount of protein from the bird. Through the stress of molting, the high amount of protein used in replacing th...

The Big Day   February 7, 2021 (The chicks free ranging together!) Last Saturday was "the big day" for the chicks. They were officially 6 weeks old!!! Which means they now have a world of opportunities to unlock! The chicks were introduced to 3 new experiences that revolve around the 6 week point in their lives: free ranging, no heat lamp, and treats! It really was a big day for them! Free ranging : First thing in the morning, I took the chicks outside of their brooder and into a world of grass and sunlight. They got to free range with the hens and Lafayette! I think the chicks did well around the older girls. They were brave enough to try to eat grass along with Angelica, who is usually known to be the meanest henpecker. A few times, the hens ventured to try a peck at one of the chicks, but Lafayette wouldn't allow any such thing. If he noticed a hen sneaking over toward a chick, he would grab them by the neck and shoo them away from the chick. He was set on making the c...