#chickenkeeping

[ahedderick]

Fight and Flight

The new young roosters are making pests of themselves (they are roughly 'teenagers', so you can imagine). The older hens do not like them at ALL. Yesterday I was taking food to their trough, and I suddenly got hit in the back! Lightly! Followed by squawking and flapping as the old brown hen scrambled gracelessly up to perch on my shoulder. Apparently, a rooster was chasing her and she decided "on top of human" was the best place to hide. I looked at her (from a distance of about 4 inches). She was not budging. Shoulder is safe place. I sighed and let her eat some of the chickenfeed out of the scoop I was holding. Then set her down, ruffled but triumphant, inside the coop. We are overdue to butcher some roosters.

[caits-creatures]

My two hens <3

They’re called Terry-Anne and Freja and I love them so much they’re my little ladies. They’re both Bovans Brown hens, basically the bog standard.

I am in the market for at least one more, since I had to rehome my rooster since he was too loud and I don’t want to upset neighbours, but with flockdown I can’t really introduce new birds to my flock for the safety of them and my own Incase someone is a carrier. Speaking of, this is an old image when they didn’t have to stay in a covered are so don’t worry, I’m responsible :)

[oldmanbayou]

getting through a cold spell with chickens

Wow, the discourse on chicken facebook has gotten heated this week! We're getting 2-day cold spell starting early tomorrow morning and the temperature is supposed to dip down to -15 degrees with a record breaking windchill of up to -50 degrees. YIKES. There's a mix of people, mostly newbies, who are unsure if they should bring their chickens inside or give them supplemental heat during this cold spell, and then there's the other extreme: the grizzly tough love old-timer types who say they've never lost a chicken to cold in their 800 years of chickenkeeping, they'll do just fine, and they have to go off on their lecture: "You stupid fools! You'll just kill them if you bring them inside! They can't survive the drastic temperature shifts! Rarrr!!" Seemingly few middle-ground folks, but I suppose that’s the internet. 

For my own personal flock, I've always taken the side of the second group with the old folks, and have found myself in many irritating arguments with people who don't even have chickens but feel a need to call me cruel for refusing to provide heat in the coop or refusing to bring them indoors during cold spells. My chickens are cold hardy as fuck, why on earth would I ever risk burning their coop down or pampering them to death with heat when they were bred specifically for the cold?! And truth be told, they've always done just dandy even on the coldest days. They cope far better with winter cold spells than they do with summer heat waves. (I would like to be perfectly clear though -- I do not judge or fault people who do use heat in their coop. People have their reasons and their own unique circumstances that differ from my own. The reason why this discussion gets so heated in the chicken community is because is NO correct one-size-fits-all answer to this dilemma.)

But this upcoming cold spell is exceptional...While it’s teetering on extreme even for Massachusetts and it might be a record for my birds, we do always get some freak cold spell like this every year and it’s not exactly new to them. And they are pretty well protected from the asinine windchill in their coop. Nonetheless, despite having a few winters now with the hens and having a decent enough understanding of the types of weather extremes they’re capable of enduring, I'm finding myself agreeing with the newbs this time around and vehemently disagreeing with the veterans. 

Do the old folks not know how to do math? Or maybe they haven't gone outside in few months and don't realize it's been fucking March? Cold hardy breeds first need to acclimate to winter before they achieve their cold hardiness points in the winter. They cannot just suddenly have a heavy dose of extreme winter and expect to be as hardy as ever. It was 45 degrees out this afternoon, and has been in the 40s for virtually this entire winter. My fucking hydrangeas have had leaves on them and my mother’s daffodils are blooming. Even people as old as time have NEVER experienced a winter quite like this. You would think the ladies would be well acclimated to winter by February, but no. Doubtful. This year they are acclimated to...40s. Spring. Would the old folks feel concerned if it dropped to -15 degrees in say, September? Just because they’ve survived harsh winter weather before? Let’s not make the mistake that so many chickenkeepers in the midwest made when it was -30 in late fall. My feed was just flooded with gnarly pictures of frostbite that week and grief over dead chickens. We've had a few days here and there where it was in the 30s. That's genuinely the coldest it's been. We've had more days in the 50s than the 30s this winter! It’s been so unseasonably warm that I’ve had a winter layer for the first time ever. Very few nights, possibly none even, have dropped below 20. Going from 45 degrees to say, hypothetically, a 65 degree home for a couple of days (and this is rather generous for a New England home, I think most of us suffer with the thermostat on 55 just to keep the pipes from bursting) -- That's a 20 degree difference. They're perfectly capable of coping with that. But going from 45 degrees to fucking -15?! 60 degree difference. Last I checked, 60 > 20. Shouldn't these old timers who are soooo concerned about other people killing their chickens with temperature shifts in their homes, shouldn’t they be concerned about their chickens dying of shock in this cold?!

So anyway, I’m probably not going to bring them inside, but I am swallowing my pride and resorting to a panel heater in their coop for the first time. JUST to get them through this wicked cold spell. The temperature is going to swing straight back up to 45 on Sunday and stay in the 40s again until the end of time. A panel heater is NOT like a heat lamp (another thing the olds like to wail about any time someone mentions heat for the coop) -- the fire risk is extremely minimal/almost nonexistent as it doesn’t get nearly hot enough to be a concern. It’s just designed to provide radiant heat. It will bring the coop up by 5-10 degrees depending on setting, and the hens need to be near it to even feel the heat so the risk of shocking them is pretty nonexistent even if the power were to go out suddenly.  It sort of feels like an electric blanket to touch. I would not spoil them with this throughout the winter as you really do need to give them some tough love so they can achieve winter hardiness. But, it being February...I’m not really concerned about prepping them for winter at this stage. They’re as prepped as they’re going to get, which unfortunately, I don’t imagine is very impressive...

Whatever happens, whomever is right or wrong, if that even matters....I just really hope my feed isn’t flooded with gross frostbite pictures again in a few days....

[rooftoprooster]

Sweet Memories

It was the first spring my flock was about to experience, a season filled with renewal and new beginnings. After surviving a harsh winter, characterized by freezing temperatures and relentless winds, we had managed to evade all sorts of diseases that could have wiped out our little family. Reflecting on those months, I realized just how much I had learned through trial and error. Each challenge…

[outtaashes]

Chicken food Critics- Chipotle Burrito

https://youtube.com/shorts/z0vbs4tJ1KU The chickens are trying the Chipotle burrito bowl. Will they like it? #chicken #hen #backyardchickens #chickenkeeping #chickencoop #chickensofyoutube #petlover #texas #restaurant  @chipotle 

[mrlipet]

🐔🌦️ Keep Your Chicken Feed Dry: DIY Rainproof Poultry Feeder for Easy Feeding with Buckets, Barrels, Bins, and Troughs

Hey everyone! I recently came across this super handy DIY Rainproof Chicken Feeder that works with buckets, barrels, bins, and troughs, making it easier for us to feed our poultry. 🐔🌿

This DIY Chicken Feeder Rain Proof Poultry Feeder effectively keeps chicken feed dry, preventing it from getting wasted due to rainwater. It features a gravity feed system, ensuring your chickens always have clean and sanitary feed. 🌦️🌾

✨ Key features include:

Rainproof design: Protects feed from being ruined by rain.

Gravity feeding: Automatically dispenses feed, reducing waste.

Versatile container compatibility: Can be installed on buckets, barrels, bins, and troughs.

Easy installation: Simple tools and materials are all that's needed.

👩‍🌾 For those of us raising poultry, this DIY Rainproof Chicken Feeder is undoubtedly a practical solution. I've installed one in my backyard, and it works great! If you have similar needs, I highly recommend giving it a try. 🌟

Does anyone have more experience and advice in this area? Feel free to share your stories and insights! 🙂

[homesteadhens]

New episode going live at 9am EST!! This week, I continue my farm story series by sharing how my neighbours and I worked together to help trap, neuter, and return our local stray/feral cats. Over the course of this adventure, I made a sweet kitty friend! 🤗 At the beginning of the episode, I share some sad news about my hen, Boo. She passed away last week due to egg peritonitis. We made sure her passing was peaceful. ❤️ The last photo in the roll shows what I removed from her body cavity during her necropsy. There's no organs or viscera on display but it might still be upsetting to some, so please view with caution. Next episode will be about frostbite in chickens! What causes it, how can we prevent it, and how should we treat it? I hope you'll join me again then! ❤️ #homesteadhensandhoneypod #homesteadingpodcast #farmstories #tnr #straycats #kittyfriends #chickenhealth #chickenkeeping (at Portage Lakes, Ohio) https://www.instagram.com/p/CpVCjr3OLNK/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[halbertfarm]

Day 11: Warmth⁠ ⁠ It was Chicken Washing Day for my show chickens, we are going to the Fort Worth Stock Show this weekend! It was 83 degrees out today! Normally, I would have to wash chickens in the garage or house to try and keep them warm. We have been having oddly warm weather here in Texas but I'll take it!⁠ ⁠ Hosts of the #newyearsamehomestead challenge:⁠ ⁠ @woodlotonpotts⁠ @the5beesfarm⁠ @pineyoakshomestead⁠ @mountain_girl_makes_it ⁠ @hoopeehomestead⁠ .⁠ .⁠ .⁠ .⁠ .⁠ .⁠ #chickenbreeder #lifeonthehomestead #farmlifeisthebest #farmlifeforever #rarebreeds #iloveallanimals #chickensofinsta #chickenfarmer #freerangechicken #farmsofinstagram #chickenmama #chickenkeeping #chickenfarm #lovemychickens #chickenmom #raisingchickens #homesteadersofinstagram #localfarmers #animalfarm #homesteader #happychickens #farmstead #happyhens #farmfresheggs #chickensofig #chickenlife #freerangechickens #chickenlove #chickensofinstagram (at Halbert Farm Kunekune Pigs) https://www.instagram.com/p/CnS5kWMrVfQ/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[ahedderick]

You clearly didn't need the phone; this is exquisite!

Hanging out outside to enjoy the weather this morning and one of my hens wanders by to give me the most judgmental stare. She moved on as soon as I pulled up the phone for a picture, so please enjoy this artistic rendering..

Rude..

[thegoodlittlechickens]

The cat has Ideas and Plans

[fairyoctopus]

they keep releasing all these chickens and other fowl but my only ornithologist dragon is an ancient

[ahedderick]

Yes, OP, that's great work! Love the nestbox access. Your young ladies should be very happy there.

Thanks for tagging me, @gargelyfloof118

Long time Tumblr enjoyer, first time poster.

Here is a chicken coop I have been building. In true goblin fashion it is 90% made from pallet wood and reclaimed materials aka trinkets from my travels. See list below for examples

Palletwood- taken from local shipping company

Nails- removed from mallet Pallet wood, bent back to shape

Windows: made from a scrap of acrylic found in the dumpster at work

Vertical posts: dug out of the creek behind my house

Cain link fence for the run: also dug out of the creek

Concrete pavers: also also dug out if the creek

These pictures are from various points in the process and trust me, I have taken loads more if anyone is interested… I’m still working on a more permanent run but hopefully that will be done soon. I’m glad to finally have the chickens in it!

[overmorrowpine]

hey chickenkeepers

you know that ridiculous heat wave in the us right now? a few years back we had 109 degree (f) heat where we were, and this is how we avoided losing any chickens to the heat

get a big bucket, like one of those five gallon ones from home depot or whatever, and fill it with water

grab your chicken and swoosh them around in the water, keeping their head above the surface, and try to get the water into their down and not just their surface feathers

[image ID: a photo of a person lowering a grey easter egger into an orange five gallon bucket. the chicken's wings are pinned at her sides. end ID]

they'll fight you because they won't want to be dunked but we didn't lose a single chicken in the heat wave and others lost several so do it anyway

[image ID: a photo of a speckled sussex chicken kicking and flapping while held above the bucket. water is going everywhere, and the person is trying to pin the chicken against his chest. end ID]

when they are sufficiently soggy let them go do what they want and repeat with the next bird. our birds went and sunbathed because they were drying themselves off but the dunking still helped i think

our measure of if it's hot enough to dunk the chickens is if it's over 100 f, and if it is then we dunk them

good luck with your birds!

[rooftoprooster]

Where it all began...

It all started with a subtle glimpse, followed by a sudden thought that struck my mind: “Why?” You see, I had always been an animal enthusiast, fascinated by the myriad situations and adventures I could have with them. The allure of animals intrigued me deeply, and I often wondered how these thoughts processed within me—it simply was. One day, I passed a small shop brimming with countless…