In my “GoPro on a Rooster” series of videos, we are going undercover inside my chicken coop to see how my chickens behave when humans aren’t around. In this video, I can see one of my hens eating feathers…. Any thoughts or questions about this video? Send me an email or leave a comment …
I recently built an outside addition to my chicken coops. I’m always learning about my flock, and I learned last summer that I needed to both protect my vegetable garden from my birds and also protect them from the various predators interested in adding chicken to their diets. Allowing my birds to roam free is …
As fun, rewarding, and interesting as raising your own chickens can be, it’s also work! Great and worthwhile work, but work nonetheless. Paying attention to the details while raising chickens in their environment is really important. Being a chicken manager isn’t the easiest or hardest thing you’ll ever do, but it’s worth it! It is …
You have a few options when selecting a nest box fill. In my coop, I’ve chosen to use pine needles (also known as pine straw) for my nest boxes. I was really excited about my pine needles! They were dry, free to me from the forest floor, soft for my birds, and a sustainable use …
It’s amazing to watch the way in which innate instincts in a young pullet reveal themselves as she adapts to her new surroundings. Earlier, I mentioned some of the things I’ve been learning as a new pullet manager; namely, that the roost or perch bars I had installed were to high for my new pullets. …
Good day iChickeners! I hope you are enjoying the last weeks of spring as much as I am. I want to share a humorous, short story with you that serves as a reminder to me about what not to do. Last week, I planted some beautiful onion bulbs in my raised garden beds. They were …
Do you remember when I told you about the heritage chicken breed program at the University of Alberta? Well, I decided that I really want to be a part of heritage breed preservation in my own coops. I have purchased an egg incubator and made contact with the University of Saskatchewan, where some heritage breeds …
April 26 was an exciting day! We we brought home twelve 19-week-old starter pullets (young hen) from a reputable pullet operation here in Ontario. These beautiful pullets are ready to lay. By manipulating their feed (or ration) a bit and helping to increase their day length (I’ll explain in detail later), the hormones of these …
The first night with our layer chickens: April 26, 2013 Read More »
It’s been more than a year in the making, but our layer coop is finally built and is now abuzz with activity! I’ll devote plenty of upcoming posts explaining to you what I did, how I did it, and why I did it that way, but I’ll also spend time simplifying the process so you …
Healthy chicks become healthy chickens! So how do you know you have a healthy chick? Here are a few tips to keep in mind: ▪ Your chick should be vibrant and active. ▪ Your chick should vocalize contentedly. Is your chick engaged and vocal? ▪ Your chick should be alert. ▪ Your chick should be …
