Archive for the Chicken Care Category
Chickens and Frostbite
First, know that frostbite is NOT caused by cold temperatures. Instead, it is moisture in the cold air that does the damage. The moistness comes from the hens pooping and breathing in their coop at night. Therefore, it is very important to keep the coop well ventilated. Having a vent at the top of the coop, as well as some kind of vent near the bottom, will keep the moisture to a minimum. (The Smart Chicken Coop is set up for this.)
Ventilation is different than wind. As long as the hen’s feathers don’t get ruffled, thereby releasing all the warmth trapped in their feathers, the chickens do just fine.
Cold Weather and Chickens
The first winter I had chickens, I spent a bunch of time hanging plastic tarps inside the coop to keep the girls warm and free from draft. It was a major pain and it looked ugly. Imagine my surprise when I visited a lady with 50 hens who lived about 30 minutes from me. She didn’t even have a coop; just an enclosure to protect them from predators! It dawned on me that chickens are birds with feathers—like the ones who sleep outside in trees all winter long.
That said, we here in Southern California rarely deal with freezing temperatures (it was 52 degrees last night…mid December), and very cold weather does bring a set of challenges that need to be addressed. So….
The Annual Molt
At this time of year, many hens begin to look rather crusty and bald. Most likely it’s because they are molting. Once chickens reach 1.5 years old, they annually replace their feathers. This molting process lasts an average of 2 months and typically begins once the days shorten in late summer/early fall. That way, the hens will stay warm over the winter, as their new feathers retain body heat better.
Dealing with Roosters
Not all is quiet on the eggShell farmette. A young rooster found his voice two mornings ago. He is one loud mama. I knew he was going to crow because he began to flap his wings and put his beak up to the sky, a sure sign, I’ve found, that we’ve got a roo on our hands.
Potty Train Your Chicken
Did you know you can potty train chickens? I didn’t. But, it does make sense. During WWII, highly trained ravens to held little cameras in their beaks to aid in spying activities. This training is largely based on operant conditioning, sometimes called clicker training. It is the basis for training chickens.
Hypnotize your Chickens
Though not actually hypnosis, chickens can be put into a trance using several methods, such as laying her on her back and drawing a line on the ground or running one’s finger from her wattle to hind end.
Typically, the chicken will stay immobile for up to 30 minutes. Experts posit that it is a throwback way for them to deal with danger, like an opossum playing dead. Watch this hen get hypnotized.
Products
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DIY Chicken Coop Kit
$399.00$325.00 -
The Smart Poultry Gravity Feeder
$55.00$50.00 -
Dripper Waterer
$36.00$25.00 -
Coop Expansion for 3 Hens
$75.00 – $215.00
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Smart Chicken Run
$125.00
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The Smart Coop for 6 Chickens
$725.00$650.00 -
Run Door
$35.00
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Trim Kit
$26.00$18.50 -
Chicken Run DIY Kit
$95.00$65.00 -
Predator Proof Screen Floor
$27.50$20.00 -
Winter Covers
$60.00$40.00
