Archive for the Hen Keeping 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.
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.
Chick Survival Skills: Nature or Nurture?
Today we have beautiful weather. The week-old chicks, who have been inside under a heat lamp, clamored to get out and explore, evidenced by them leaping around their crate. I let the girls into the chick yard, my fenced-off raised garden.
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.
Happy Thanksgiving from the Farmette
Hello to you fine people. Happy Thanksgiving from Marsha, the Naked Neck Turken, our version of a Thanksgiving Turkey.
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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Coop Expansion for 3 Hens
$75.00 – $215.00
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The Smart Duck House
$550.00$400.00 -
Predator Proof Screen Floor
$27.50$20.00 -
Auto Door Opener
$199.99
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Smart Chicken Run
$125.00
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DIY Chicken Coop Kit
$399.00$299.00 -
Chicken Run DIY Kit
$95.00$65.00 -
Dripper Waterer
$36.00$25.00 -
Trim Kit
$26.00$20.00 -
The Smart Poultry Gravity Feeder
$55.00$50.00 -
Winter Covers
$60.00$45.00
