Always greet the day with anticipation. Many great delicacies await.
2. Simplicity and a thankful heart are some of life’s greatest virtues.
3. Bring up your young well. They are the next generation, and the key to your legacy.
4. When getting into mischief always make sure you have a buddy. Partners in crime always have more fun.
5. Make sure that you leave a little something for those who care about you. Giving is always better than recieving.
6. Try to appreciate the season of winter. Although bleak, it prepares the ground for spring flowers and other delectables.
7. Tend your gardens well. A well groomed garden makes the heart sing.
8. Choose your flock wisely, they will be your groupies for life.
9. Make time for friends. Friends make the heart happy.
10. Above all, be like butterflies, they hold the key to true freedom.
Hens can teach you so much about the simple pleasures of life. They are simple creatures that require little. They are happiest when they are allowed to do what nature intended them to do.
I hope you enjoyed this lesson on the simple pleasures of hens. They can teach us many things if we just take the time to watch and learn.
I am a published author, multi-disciplinary writer, and web content creator. If you like this post, please visit my writing portfolio or other blogs.
Me observing the eclipse at the Cincinnati Natural History Museum.
On April 8, 2024, the United States was in the path of totality of a Solar Eclipse. I recorded the flock’s reaction with a time-lapse camera and the eclipse with a Celestron telescope and Canon camera. Due to my location, I am just outside the path of totality; for better observation conditions, I traveled to Cincinnati, Ohio, and recorded the eclipse at the Cincinnati Natural History Museum. While there, I took in the museum’s dinosaur wing and captured some images of the Mesozoic ancestors of my backyard theropods.
Daspletosaurus and Tyrannosaurs Rex display at Cincinnati Museum Center. Daspletosaurus-Jurassic ancestor of Cretaceous apex predator T-rex-the blood of these dinosaurs’ pumps through the veins of my backyardflock.
While this blog is about raising and caring for backyard chickens, given the notoriety of the celestial event, observing the flock’s reaction to the solar eclipse is fascinating.
Image Credit: Noelle K. Moser.Cincinnati Natural History MuseumCenter prior to the onset of the solar eclipse.
Before leaving, I set up a time-lapse camera in the backyard to capture the flock’s behavior as the sun, blocked by the moon, darkened the land below. Like all birds, the behavior of the Klucker Crew is predictable but fascinating to witness, nonetheless.
As I was in two places at once, I will pair my observation and progression of the eclipse with the reactions of the flock for this post. As chickens are diurnal creatures and associate the waning of sunlight with nature’s ques to begin roosting, the flock demonstrated these behaviors only to be caught off guard during midday.
Image at inception of the eclipse taken with Celestron refracting telescope with solar filter. Image of eclipse captured with Canon T7i 19-250mm Lense with solar filter.Smaug (Silver Lace Wyandotte Rooster) and Brian (Buff Lace Polish hen) eating at the feeder at the onset of the eclipse.
As the first signs of the moon moving in front of the sun began, activity in the backyard was routine. Occupying their time with hunting and pecking, the flock is blissfully unaware that something spectacular is about to unfold above their heads.
Image taken with Celestron Refracting Telescope with solar filter.Image of eclipse captured with Canon T7i 19-250mm Lense with solar filter.
As the moon traversed more of the sun’s disk, the land below became transformed by the hint of waning sunlight. At this point in the eclipse process, the anticipative effects became apparent.
Back on the farm, as the sky slowly darkened, the flock noticed the early evening waning sunlight. Continuing to graze without sense of urgency, the flock slowly approached the pen.
Image taken with Celestron Refracting Telescope with solar filter.Image of eclipse captured with Canon T7i 19-250mm Lense with solar filter.Image of eclipse captured with Canon T7i 19-250mm Lense with solar filter.
As the eclipse approached totality, the landscape was transformed into a mural of twilight. On the ground crescent shaped shadows filtered through the leaves of a tree near my observation location at the Cincinnati Museum Center.
Crescent shaped shadows from the eclipse sun filtering through the leaves of a tree surrounding a Moon pie box, my snack of choice during eclipse observing.
As the sky above the Kuntry Klucker darkened, the solar lights on my grape arbor turned on, and the flock members stranded in the yard found themselves in the panorama of momentary darkness and confused before the sunlight returned as fast as it had receded.
Below are stills from a time-lapse camera in the pen recording the flock’s reaction to the eclipse. The camera shows that it got dark for a few moments, but not long enough for the flock to make their way up the ladder to the coop. Instead, they froze in place as sudden momentary darkness fell, only to be subsumed into increasing daylight.
The flock’s response was dumbfounded confusion as evening came on suddenly, not giving them much time to react. I hoped they would go to roost to have the sunlight return, rendering their efforts mute. Although I did not get the pics I anticipated, I captured some stunning images of the celestial event. Below is a chronological order of the eclipse as the moon traversed the sun.
At the Cincinnati Museum Center, the darkened sun yielded incredible photos of the landscape during the fleeting period of totality, allowing me several seconds of naked-eye observing.
Cincinnati Museum Center at the inception of the eclipse.Cincinnati Museum Center illuminated by indoor lighting at the peak of totality.Diamond ring eclipse taken with Celestron Refracting Telescope.
This solar eclipse was an incredible celestial event that I am glad I had a chance to observe. While the flock’s reaction was subdued – due to the diminished totality and location at home – the images I captured in Cincinnati are incredible.
Below is a slideshow of the dinosaurs on display. Noteworthy, and one of the reasons I chose this location is the only mounted Torvosaurus in the world is at the Cincinnati Museum Center.
I am a published author, multi-disciplinary writer, and web content creator. If you like this post, please visit my online writing portfolio and my other blogs.
Dirty vents are not only unattractive but a sign that something is wrong. In this post, I will discuss the reasons for dirty vents in chickens and how to treat conditions that cause this problem.
A healthy Buff Silkie fluffy bottom.
A chicken is not supposed to have a dirty vent; underlying conditions and environmental factors cause excrement to be runny, sticking to feathers surrounding the vent and causing a messy and unsightly situation. Some conditions are as simple as placing supplements in the water; others require a closer examination and treatment.
Worms:
Treating worms in a bantam cochin hen with SafeGuard.
One of the most common reasons for dirty vents in chickens is worms. Intestinal worms wreak havoc on the digestive tract, causing malnutrition and dirty vents. Worm infections are evident in dropping.
A chicken’s body can withstand a baseline worm parasitic load without ill effects. Once the parasite load exceeds the point at which the body can manage the load, health problems will result. Worms visible in the droppings or on the dropping board when cleaning the coop are a reliable indication that the parasitic load has reached a critical point. At this point, it is advisable to treat the flock for worms. Once the flock has completed treatment, dirty vents associated with worms will resolve.
I have a post and YouTube videodetailing the correct dosage and procedure for worming a flock.
Mites and Lice:
Treating mites and lice in a Silver Lace Wyandotte Hen with Eprinex.
Like worms, mites and lice will deplete a chicken of energy, leaving them anemic and lethargic. Dirty vents are one of the first indications that an individual may be dealing with a mite and lice infestation. To determine if mites and lice are present, pick up the chicken and examine the vent area for small dark brown to red bugs crawling on the skin; these are red fowl mites and are detrimental to the individual. They multiply fast and will suck the lifeblood out of a chicken in a short about of time.
Lice live in the feathers of a bird and will cause dirty vents and extreme discomfort to the individual. Like mites, lice will congregate around the vent area, appearing as light brown or tan bugs crawling on the feathers. In a progressive lice infestation, bundles of eggs will be visible on the quill near the skin.
Treatment for mites and lice is simple and requires one topical product to address both parasites. I have a blog post and YouTube Video demonstrating the correct dosage and procedure for treating mites and lice using my flock as examples.
Egg laying Issues:
Silkie eggs on a nesting pad.
Egg-laying issues such as soft-shelled eggs can result in dirty vents in hens. During the formation of the egg, reproductive medullary bone deposits form the shell around the yolk cell. When the calcium supply in the hen’s body is low, soft-shelled eggs cause the egg to break during the laying phase.
Adding supplemental calcium to the flock’s diet will address soft-shelled eggs. Most poultry feed contains calcium for hard shells that the hen’s body uses quickly. Oyster shells available at farm/feed stores add valuable long-absorption calcium that the hen’s body will process over 24 hours, providing the resources for hard shells that do not break during laying.
Oyster shells for stronger eggshells.
Offer oyster shells in a separate container in the pen or where the flock eats. The hens can determine the amount of supplemental calcium their body requires and will consume from the available oyster shells. Keep oyster shells available for laying hens during active laying periods. The hen’s body will use the long-absorption calcium to produce hard eggshells, reducing dirty vents.
Heat-Related Issues:
Apollo and Aphrodite (White Crested Polish hens) enjoying a summer evening sampling from a pot of marigolds.
A hen will drink more water during excessive heat and high humidity. The unbalance in the gut biome results in loose excrement and dirty vents. Adding electrolytes and probiotics to the flock water will address this issue. Not all electrolytes are alike; purchase a probiotic marketed for use in poultry. While watermelon and cucumbers are a nice treat for a hot summer day, they lack the essential electrolyte balance that a hen’s body needs during extreme heat.
A product I readily provide for my flock is Rooster Booster Vitamins and Electrolytes, found at Tractor Supply. Containing Lactobacillus, this product promotes a balanced gut biome during extreme heat. Since I have started using this, dirty vents due to summer temperatures have notably decreased.
Vent Gleet:
Unlike parasitic or environmental causes, vent gleet is an inflammation of the cloaca (the vent), causing an unsightly condition called cloacitis. The most obvious symptom of cloacitis is a yellowish discharge from the vent that sticks to the feathers around the vent area and presents with a foul odor. In addition to the aforementioned, a hen will have a bloated abdomen, and the vent area can appear red and inflamed.
Treatment for vent gleet involves a two-pronged approach with probiotics – Rooster Booster administered in water mentioned above – and anti-fungal cream. Begin treatment by isolating the affected hen from the flock. Wash the vent area with warm water and mild soap to remove the debris and dried excrement from the feathers. Carefully cut away feathers from the vent if necessary.
Monistat 7-day cream – treatment for yeast infections in women – works well for vent gleet in hens. For hens, apply a pea-sized amount of the cream externally around her vent daily. Repeat for 5-7 days or until the redness has subsided around the vent. Continue to keep the hen in isolation for treatment till her condition improves. In my experience, vent gleet treated with probiotics and anti-fungal cream will resolve in two weeks.
Buff Orpington hen’s healthy fluffy butt.
I am a multi-disciplinary writer, published author, and web content creator. If you like this post, consider visiting some of my other blogs.
If you have any questions or comments, please leave a comment or reach out to kuntryklucker@gmail.com. I check my email daily and will get back to you as soon as I can.
Thanks for reading! Till next time, keep on crowing!
Image Credit: Noelle K. Moser. Tyrannosaurus Rex. Perot Natural History Museum. Dallas,TX
I recently wrote an article examining medullary bone found in a tyrannosaurus rex fossil and how chickens were used to help determine the gender of the fossil. While I focus on backyard chicken-related topics on this blog, I thought my fellow backyard chicken enthusiasts would find this subject matter meaningful and help further understand hens and their biological processes during laying. While this article is scientific, I hope it will bring an appreciation to the marvelous workings and the incredible design of mother nature and our backyard hens.
Image Credit:Noelle K. Moser. Tyrannosaurus Rex. Perot Natural History Museum. Dallas, TX.
Since the discovery of the holotype Tyrannosaurus Rex in 1902 by Barnum Brown in the Hell Creek Formation of Montana, no other dinosaur has captured the human imagination. Upon its discovery, Barnum Brown wrote this to Henry Fairfield Osborn, friend, and curator of the American Museum of Natural History in New York. “It is as if a child’s conception of a monster had become real and was laid down in stone” (Randall, 2022).
Image Credit: Noelle K. Moser.“Walter” Tyrannosaurus Rex. The National Museum of Natural History. Washington, D.C.
Though most of the skull and tail were missing, everything about this monster would overwhelm the human imagination. The specimen that Brown found stood 13 feet tall at the hips, its jaws measured over 4 ft in length, and would have weighed 6-8 tons. This was the only known specimen to science and was given the appropriate name Tyrannosaurus Rex by Henry Osborne in the fall of 1902. Tyrannosaurus which means “tyrant lizard” in Greek and “rex” which means “king” in Latin; Tyrannosaurus Rex, the king of the lizards, no other name would capture in two words the sheer power contained within this beast.
We crave to learn all we can about the largest therapod dinosaurs that ever existed. Over the past one hundred years, we have gleaned a wealth of information from the fifty Tyrannosaurus Rex specimens currently housed in museums around the world.
Image Credit: Noelle K. Moser.Tyrannosaurus Rex and an Alamosaurus (a titanosaurian sauropod). Perot Natural History Museum. Dallas, TX.
Tyrannosaurus rex gender is a tribute to the founder of the specimen. Sue (FMNH PR2081), discovered in 1990 by Sue Hendrickson, the largest and most complete Tyrannosaurus-rex, is aptly considered female. Stan (BHI 3033), discovered in 1987 by Stan Sacrison, containing the most complete skull, is considered male.
Stan and I. Perot Natural History Museum. Dallas, TX.
While these attempts to assign a pronoun to tyrannosaurus specimens offer a sense of personhood, a link to the actual gender of tyrannosaurus rex specimens rests in the most unlikely of places – chickens.
Smaug: (Silver Lace Wyandotte Rooster). Chickens have much in common with their ancestor, Tyrannosaurus Rex. By understanding chickens, we can much better understand T-rex.
Birds are dinosaurs. Specifically, birds are a type of therapod rooted in the dinosaur family tree that contains the same ferocious meat-eaters as T-rex and Velociraptor (Brusattee, 2018). Birds lie within an advanced group of therapods called parades – a subgroup of therapods that traded in the brute body plan of their gargantuan ancestors for larger brains, sharpened acute senses, and smaller, lighter bodies that permitted progressive lifestyles above their land-dwelling relatives. Anatomically, chickens and tyrant theropods have many common characteristics that define the body plan of these magnificent creatures.
Air Sacs:
Birds achieve flight by two fundamental anatomical adaptions – feathers and hollow bones. While feathers provide the ability to soar above our heads, the real secret lies in their bones. Saurischians – the line of the dinosaur family tree containing both the giant sauropods and therapods – possessed skeletal pneumaticity – spaces for air in their bones. Skeletal pneumaticity produces hollow bones that lighten the skeleton, allowing for a wide range of motion. For example, without pneumaticity, sauropods would not be able to lift their long necks, and giant therapods would lack agility and ability to run because their skeletons would be far too heavy. In birds, air sacs are an ultra-efficient lung oxygen system. This flow-through inhalation and exhalation provides the high-energy birds need during flight. Evolving one-hundred million years before birds took flight, this is the true secret to their ability to take to the skies.
The signature feature of birds – feathers – evolved in their ground-dwelling theropod ancestors first noticed in Sinosauropteryx, the first dinosaur taxon outside parades to be found with evidence of proto-feathers.
Image Credit: Sinosauropterys fossil with evidence of proto-feathers.
The earliest feathers looked much different than the quill feathers of today. Initially, feathers evolved as multipurpose tools for display, insulation, protection for brooding, and sexual dimorphism. These early feathers were more like a fluff – appearing more like fur than feathers – consisting of thousands of hair-like filaments. Silkie chickens possess feathers that lack barbs that form the classic shape we associate with feathers. The first proto-feathers in dinosaurs were much like the texture of feathers on the Silkie. The breed name “Silkie” is derived from this unique feather texture.
Black Silkie hen. Silkie chickens possess hairlike filament feather texturefrom which their name is derived.
Wings:
While large theropods like Tyrannosaurus Rex noticed diminishing forearms throughout the Mesozoic, other dinosaurs like Zhenyuanlong and Microraptor traded in forearms for wings.
Image Credit:Life restoration of Zhenyuanlong, a small theropod that possessed feathered wings but could not fly.Image Credit:Microraptor, feathered dinosaurs that possessed wings on both forelimbs and hindlimbs and could glide from treetop to treetop.
Despite possessing wings, these feather-winged dinosaurs could not fly. Their bodies were far too heavy to achieve flight observed in birds today. Aboral dinosaurs glided from tree to tree or used their wings to fly flop on the ground. These first fully feathered dinosaurs also used their plumage as display features to attract mates or frighten enemies, as stabilizers for climbing trees, and protection and warmth for brooding offspring.
As the body plan for feathered dinosaurs continued to fine-tune the use of feathers, flight happened by accident. More advanced paravians had achieved the magical combination to achieve flight – large wings and smaller bodies (Brusatte, 2018). As the body plan of birds continued to refine, they lost their long tails and teeth, reduced to one ovary, and hollowed out their bones more to lighten their weight. By the end of the Cretaceous, birds flew over the heads of Tyrannosaurus Rex and other land-dwelling dinosaurs. Sixty-six million years ago, the birds and T-rex witnessed the Chicxulub impact that brought the Mesozoic to a close. While therapods with large and expensive body plans died out, birds sailed through to the Cenozoic. For this reason, we say that all non-avian dinosaurs are extinct, but dinosaurs are still very much with us – we call them birds.
Dignitary Locomotion in feet:
Foot of Stan (Tyrannosaurus Rex specimen 3033). Stan walked with digitigrade locomotion.Smaug; Silver Lace Wyandotte Rooster. Like Stan, Smaug walks with digitigrade locomotion.
Theropod means “beast foot”, and for good reason. Adaptions in the metatarsals (foot bones) of theropods allowed them to walk with a digitigrade stance. Unlike humans that walk plantigrade (flat-footed), tyrannosaurus rex walked on their toes. Digitigrade motion has many benefits, as it allows the animal to run fast, increased agility and splayed toes offer better balance on muddy or slippery surfaces. Birds are coelurosaurs and inherited these anatomical characteristics from their theropodian ancestors. Chickens like tyrannosaurus rex walk with digitigrade locomotion, making them swift runners on land and providing excellent balance and stabilizing ability when resting on roosts.
Wish Bone:
Image Credit: Noelle K. Moser. Walter (tyrannosaurus rex) possessed a furcula or “wish bone”. The Furcula can be seen in the image that attached to the forelimbs.National Museum of Natural History. Washington, D.C.
The Thanksgiving tradition of “the lucky break” of the turkey wishbone is possible thanks to theropods who passed this anatomical trait to birds. In Tyrannosaurus rex, the furcula provided strength and power to the diminished but muscular forearms. In birds, the furcula fused from the two clavicle bones and function to strengthen the skeleton in the rigors of flight.
Image Credit: Coracoid and supracoracoideus muscles in a bird’s wing.The furcula provides support to these muscle systems in flight.
In conjunction with the coracoid and the scapula, it forms a unique structure called the triosseal canal, which houses a strong tendon that connects the supracoracoideus muscles to the humerus. This system is responsible for lifting the wings during the recovery stroke in flight.
S-shaped Skeleton:
Image Credit: Noelle K. Moser.Coelophysis, basal coelurosaur with an S-shaped skeleton possessed by both T-rex and modern birds. Perot Natural History Museaum. Dallas TX.
Chickens and all birds have a unique body plan visible in the skeleton. Comparing the skeleton of Tyrannosaurus rex with modern birds will yield similar anatomical attributes. T-rex has a skull attached to a spine, ribs, and two legs with splayed toes providing swift bipedal locomotion. Focusing on the appendicular skeleton, we see that T-rex and modern birds have an S-shaped skeleton. The reason is that body plans do not have unlimited parts from which evolution can choose but rather build upon earlier ancestral shapes (Horner, 2009).
While birds lack teeth and long tails, the genes to manipulate these features still exist in the gene sequence of birds. In 2006, researchers at the University of Wisconsin published a report on manipulating the genes responsible for teeth in chicken egg embryos, resulting in buds that would later develop into crocodile-like teeth. The embryos were not allowed to hatch, but this research shows that the genes related to “dinosaur-like” features still exist within the genes of chickens; mother nature has just switched them off.
While it’s easy to say these features are of birds, they are not attributes of birds at all but are of dinosaurs.
Image Credit:Noelle K. Moser. Close up of teeth on tyrannosaurus Rex. Inside the genome of birds lie the genes for teeth and long tails. Mother Nature just has them switched off. Perot Natural History Museum. Dallas, TX.
By studying the anatomy of chickens and comparing these findings with the tyrannosaurus Rex skeleton, we see many of the same features. As we look closer, it becomes increasingly clear that T-rex is an overgrown chicken. Since the backyard chicken and the mighty T-rex have these characteristics in common, it stands to reason that these similarities are transferable to the study of tyrannosaur fossils, sexual dimorphism, and gender.
Medullary Bone in Egg Laying Hens:
Polish trio roosting on macramé swing suspended under my grape arbor.
In 2006, while studying bones of a newly discovered tyrannosaurus Rex, B-rex (Bob Rex, a tribute to the finder of this tyrannosaurus skeleton, Bob Harmon), a spongy-like mesh of tiny transparent flexible tubing was visible under a microscope. In attempts to determine the nature of this bone material, researchers turned to the closest living relative of the mighty T-rex – birds, specifically hens.
Buff Orpington chick resting amongst farm fresh eggs from my backyard flock.
This bone medullary bone is a reproductive tissue found only in living female actively reproducing hens. As a hen advances to maturity, marked by egg laying, her body will produce medullary bone and continue to produce this bone throughout her laying duration. In some birds, this is seasonal in hens such as chickens; medullary bone is produced from her first egg at about 20 weeks of age throughout her subsequent laying lifetime. This reproductive bone tissue serves as mobilized calcium storage for the production of eggshells (Larson and Carpenter, 2008).
Buff Orpington eggs from my backyard chicken flock.
The hens in my backyard flock possess the same medullary bone discovered in B-rex. When my hens lay eggs, the shells that protect the egg are medullary bones stored in their bones. As she continues the lay year after year, this reproductive tissue replenishes. Since hens lay several eggs a week vs only seasonal, chicken feed is fortified with additional calcium to extend the egg potential of laying hens. While man’s attempts to lend support by increased calcium allow hens to produce stronger eggshells, the fundamentals are the same. My hens produce medullary bone because it is an attribute that they inherited from their ancestor, tyrannosaurus rex.
Buff Orpington Hens, White Crested Polish hen, and Mottled Cochin Rooster. My hens-related to tyrannosaurus rex-possess the same reproductive medullary bone as that of B-rex.
Unlike other bone types, medullary bone has no other function. It exists solely as a calcium storage for the production of eggshells. The formation of this reproductive tissue osteoclasts in the femur and tibiotarsus bones begins to deposit about 1 or 2 weeks before lay.
It’s a Girl!!!
Image Credit:Femur of MOR 1125 where osteoclasts of medullary bone were found.
The discovery of medullary bone found in the femur of MOR 1125, triggered by the increase of estrogen in her body, signified that this tyrannosaurus rex was not only a female but pregnant.
Living near the end of the 140-million-year reign of the dinosaurs, B-rex moved through the lush forests of a delta that fed several winding rivers in the Hell Creek Formation. She hatched 16 years prior, wandering about this tropical landscape, growing to maturity and preparing to mate.
Image Credit: Noelle K. Moser. Mesozoic plants at the National Botanical Gardens in Washington. D.C. Bob-rex would have seen many of these same plants as she wondered the tropical regions of the Hell Creek Formation sixty-eight million years ago.
Whether or not this was her first mating season, we do not know. Perhaps she died without ever producing offspring, or she was preparing to be a mother for the first time. We know that sixty-eight million years ago, she died young of unknown causes, and her burial was quick because her skeleton was well preserved.
The discovery of B-rex is the holy grail for paleontology and dinosaur studies. We can now assign gender and learn more about the intimate lives of tyrannosaurus rex specimens and other medullary bone-bearing dinosaurs through the lessons of B-rex, the pregnant T-rex.
I hope this post was resourceful and brought more understanding to egg laying in backyard hens and where the eggshell is derived. By understanding the ancestors of our backyard flocks, we can better understand their biological processes.
If you have any question, feel free to post in the comment or you can e-mail me: kuntryklucker@gmail.com
Thanks for reading. Till next time, keep on crowing.
Tyrannosaurus Rex and I. Perot Natural History Museum. Dallas, TX.
~ Noelle K. Moser ~
Resources:
Brusatte, Steve. The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs: A History of Their Lost World. William Marrow of Harper Collins Publishers. New York, NY. 2018. Pgs. 282, 298, 299.
Harris P Matthrew, Hasso M Sean, Ferguson W.J. Mark, and Fallon F John. The Development of Archosaurian First-Generation Teeth in a Chicken Mutant. Current Biology Vol. 16, 371-377, February 21, 2006. URL
Horner, Jack. How to Build a Dinosaur. Plume, Published by Penguin Group. London, England. 2009. Pgs. 8,9,57, 58, 60.
Larson, Peter and Carpenter, Kenneth. Tyrannosaurus Rex: The Tyrant King. Indiana University Press. Bloomington, Indiana. 2008. Pgs. 40, 93, 95, 98.
Randall K., David. The Monster’s Bones: The Discovery of T. Rex and How it Shook Our World. W. W. Norton & Company, Inc. New York, N.Y. 2022. Pgs. 153.
As a dangerous winter storm will soon impact the Northern Hemisphere, people are preparing for impacts of snow, ice, and severe cold temperatures. Store shelves are picked clean, and pet and livestock owners are stocking essentials for their animals till the storm relinquishes its grip.
During this time, many backyard chicken keepers will need to confine the flock to the pen and coop. While the flock is cooped up, providing stimulating activities will assist the flock in weathering the worst of Old Man Winter.
The Kuntry Klucker and Henwarts covered in a blanket of freshly fallen snow.
When winter storms impact our region, I like to prepare my flock a homemade flockblock for my hens and gents. All ingredients are available in most home pantries or easy to obtain in stores. Over the past decade, I have had much success with this recipe, and the girls greatly enjoy the break from the winter blues with this boredom buster.
Ingredients:
2 cups of scratch grains (cracked corn is also good)
1 cup layer feed (pellets or crumbles)
1 Cup old fashioned oats
1/2 cup flax seed (ground or whole)
1/4 cup flour (whole wheat is best)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 eggs (shells included)
1/2 cup blackstrap molasses
1/2 coconut oil
1 cup raisins (dried cranberries, blueberries, or bananas will also work)
Begin by placing the scratch and layer feed in a large bowl.
Add the oats.
Next, add the spices. The cinnamon aids in respiratory health in the cold weather and the cayenne pepper helps circulation.
Next, add the raisins. The raisins will promote pecking as they look like tasty bugs, plump after baking.
Mix all the dry ingredients together well. After mixing, add the flour and the eggs. Crush up the eggshells into smaller pieces when mixing. The eggshells will dehydrate while baking adding calcium to the final product.
After mixing the eggs in well, add the blackstrap molasses and coconut oil.
Continue to mix. As the molasses and coconut oil combines, the mixture should be sticky and hold a ball shape when compressed in the hand.
Select an oven baking pan and line with foil. Spray the foil with a cooking spray for easy release after baking.
For a large flock block, select a square baking dish. If you prefer to hang the flock block in the pen, bread pans work best because it is roughly the size of a standard suit feeder. For free-hang, a round pie dish works best. Poke a hole in the area where rope or twine be will inserted. You can also double the recipe to create a large flock block to fill a 9 x 13 baking dish.
Press the mixture into the chosen baking dish. Press hard to compact the mixture as much as possible. This will result in a dense flock block that will not fall apart when removing from the pan.
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Place the baking dish or dishes into the oven and bake for 35 minutes.
After baking, cut the flock block into the desired size. If you plan to hang the flock block in a suit feeder, a bread pan flock block can be cut in half, into two equal sizes that will fit nicely. If you prefer a larger flock block to free-hang in the pen, cut a hole for the rope of twine.
Flock block cut to fit a suit feeder.
Do not try to remove the flock block from the baking pan till cool. Removing the flock block while warm will increase the chance that it will fall apart. As it cools, the flock block will harden making removal simple.
Once the flock block has cooled, remove by lifting the foil out of the pan and turn over. This recipe will freeze for several months when wrapped in plastic wrap and foil.
Wishing everyone the best. Stay safe during this historic winter storm and cold weather and remember to give your flock boredom busters to help them bide the time while cooped up.
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Snow covers the ground as flurries silently whisp through the air. The flock anxiously waits for me to open the coop door to the outdoors as the sun illuminates the land. Nature has intelligently equipped chickens to live outdoors and embrace the winter season. Winterizing a flock includes preparing the pen and coop for winter while allowing the flock access to fresh air and a few rays from the winter sun. Here are my five tips to free-range a flock in winter.
A Winterized Coop and Pen.
The Kuntry Klucker wrapped in plastic to keep the coop and pen clean and dry.
To successfully free-range a flock in winter, a winterized coop and pen are necessary. In addition to growing in new feathers, chickens will grow in winter down for the coming winter during the annual molt; the coats we put on when the temperature dips are the same coats the flock is wearing factory-installed. A backyard flock does not need artificial heat to survive the winter elements, just a draft-free, dry, and clean. A draft-free winterized coop allows the flock to gauge their comfort level, venturing outside and returning as necessary.
Access to a dust bath.
Buff Orpington Hens taking advantage of a prepared dust bath in The Kuntry Klucker pen.
Dust bathing is a natural instinctive behavior in chickens. Dust baths help to keep feathers clean and in good condition. During the winter, the ground covered with snow or wet limits access to natural dust bathing sites outside the coop. Providing a dust bath in a winterized pen allows the flock to continue their natural behaviors in the bleak winter. A mixture of peat moss, play sand, and wood ash is the perfect medium for a dust bath.
Boredom Busters.
The flock pecking at a pumpkin.Scratch in a peanut butter jar is perfect for a winter game.A flock block to keep the flock entertained on cold days.
During the winter, when snow covers the ground, the flock will appreciate boredom busters that will keep them entertained and engaged. Throwing some chicken scratch or corn on the ground will keep the flock entertained as they forage for the morsels. A flock block in the free-ranging area will help engage pecking instincts while snow covers the ground. Scratch placed in a plastic jar with holes will engage the flock with game play on cold winter days. Boredom busters keep the flock mentally engaged, promoting position behaviors that ease the winter blues.
Provide paths in deep snow for the flock to follow.
The flock following paths in the deep snow left by a winter storm.
Clearing paths in snow will allow the flock access to the outdoors. Chickens do not like snow and resist going outside if the snow is deep. Paths will encourage the flock to venture outside and natural behaviors. Scattering scratch or cracked corn on the paths will engage the flock in foraging behaviors that will keep the flock happy on the worst snow days.
Install Lighting in the Pen.
The Coop De Ville residents silhouetted by the glow of a red light in the coop.
During the short days of winter, the flock appreciates an illuminated pen. Placing a light in the pen will guide the free-ranging flock toward the coop as the sun sets. An illuminated pen will allow the flock to consume sufficient nutrients before roosting for a cold winter’s night. Laying hens will also produce eggs during winter in a well-light pen. Once the flock is locked up and secured, turn off the light to allow the flock adequate sleep.
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The red glow of a LED bulb in The Coop De Ville bachelor pen.
As fall transitions to winter and temperatures begin to plummet, many backyard chicken keepers are looking for ways to overwinter their flocks and prepare for the anticipated cold weather. While steps to winterize the coop and pen will yield positive impacts, there are potentially dangerous mistakes to avoid when overwintering your flock. The most destructive of these is heat lamps.
In this post, I will explore the dangers of heat lamps and new and safer methods to implement in overwintering backyard chickens. While it is good husbandry to see to the needs of your flock, the most dangerous mistake a chicken keeper can make is judging the flock’s comfort level by your own.
The Kuntry Klucker winterized to keep the coop and pen clean and dry.
Heat lamps-synonymous with chicken coops-began in our grandparents’ days. During the 1940s through the 1980s, heat lamps were used in brooders to keep chicks warm and then used in the coop during winter as a supplemental heat source. While the intentions of these generations of chicken keepers were good, many unfortunately suffered the consequences of using heat lamps in these settings.
During the early 2000s, better methods of providing heat to the brooder setting reduced the need for heat lamps and the associated unintended consequences. However, despite the development of safer products specifically designed for the needs of a backyard chicken keeper, the tradition of heat lamps has progressed through time.
Ganondorf (white crested polish rooster) peering out of the window in the Coop De Ville illuminated by the red glow of a LED light in the coop.
Large, inconstant bulbs, blasting long wavelength red light at an impressive 250 or 500 watts, may seem benign, harmless, or passive. However, the dangers of these bulbs when used in the coop environment are anything but innocuous. A chicken coop filled with dry wood shavings, dust, and feathers is prime kindling for a swift, vehement, and exhaustive fire.
The path of destruction set forth by these bulbs is possible in two primary ways. First, there is no assured way to mount heat lamps in a habitat where the residents can fly. Heat lamps, by the antics of the chickens, are easily knocked down. Once they fall, if the bulb does not bust, the radiating heat will quickly ignite the dry shavings, and a fire ensues.
Secondly, due to the incandescent nature of heat lamp bulbs – at the end of their lifespan – the filament within the bulb can burst, causing the bulb to explode. Releasing a burst of light, heat, and sparks, the instability of heat lamp bulbs when making contact with the kindling in the coop will result in a fatal fire.
Silkie flock roosting in the coop.
Despite best efforts to mount a heat lamp in a chicken coop, the flighty nature of the residents inside makes a coop fire an ever-present danger. Given the volatility of heat lamps in an enclosed environment, there are much safer ways to keep the flock comfortable as the winter weather rages.
Plastic sheeting for winterizing coops.The TARDIS winterized.The Kuntry Klucker winterized to keep the coop and pen clean and dry.The flock in the Kuntry Klucker warm and cozy on a cold winter night.
To successfully overwinter a backyard flock, only two things are required – a clean and dry place to call home. Chickens are wearing down coats, factory installed. Artificially warming the coop can be life-threatening in severe winter weather. The loss of power is common in winter storms. We survive these events by wearing warmer clothes, huddling under thermal blankets, and consuming warm food and beverages. All of these creature comforts are unavailable to the freezing flock outside.
Miss Bossy (Buff Orpington Hen) trudging through the snow.
When faced with the same situation, a flock that has become dependent on supplemental heat can freeze to death. During the winter, I will receive several correspondences from other chicken keepers seeking help after a power outage that accompanied a winter storm resulted in death among their flock. In addition to sharing their sympathies, I will take the time to educate them on why this happened and how to avoid a reoccurrence in the future.
Chickens evolved to live outdoors and acclimate to the changing temperatures naturally. During molt, in addition to growing in new feathers, chickens will also grow in winter down to keep them warm during the winter. When the coop is artificially warm during this time, a variable that will cause a flock to be ill-equipped for the coming cold weather is introduced. With the added consequences of power loss during winter storms, flock’s dependent on artificial heat sources suffer when factors outside their control ensue.
The flock venturing out in the snow.The flock following paths cleared of snow.The flock investigating newly fallen snow.
Installing plastic sheeting around the coop and pen does two things. First, the plastic is a wind barrier. Secondly, winter precipitation will stay outside the pen and coop area. This simple improvement will keep the flock’s living habitat clean and dry, which makes cleaning much easier in the winter.
The natural body temperature of a chicken is between 107- and 109-degrees F, fatal for us but necessary for their survival; chickens are little furnaces wrapped in down feathers. A wind barrier is crucial for overwintering a flock because it allows the chickens to trap this heat next to their body where they need it to keep warm. Exposure to winds will lift their feathers, and they will lose the heat they worked hard to maintain. Given a draft-free place to call home, the chickens do the rest.
Roy (Buff Orpington Rooster) inspecting a snowman in the backyard.
Is it safe to free-range the flock during the winter? The answer to this is absolutely yes. A winterized coop and pen protected from the wind, elements, and temperatures will allow flock members to determine their comfort level. Given access to the outdoors, individuals will spend some time free ranging, if they get a chill from the wind or precipitation, they will come to the coop, warm up, and then continue free ranging. Access to the outdoors will keep a flock happy and healthy as they have natural resources such as sunshine and fresh air.
While it may seem daunting, overwintering a backyard flock is simple and affordable. Providing a clean and dry coop and pen stocked with fresh water and feed is all that chickens require. Keep it simple and let the chickens do the rest.
I hope this post was helpful and made the process of winterizing your coop and overwintering your flock much easier. If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment. You can also reach me as the following e-mail address: kuntryklucker@gmail.com
I check my e-mail often and will respond as soon as I can.
To watch a YouTube video on my procedure of winterizing The Kuntry Klucker, please click here.
To watch a YouTube video where I go more in depth on overwintering my flock, please click here.
Image Credit: Noelle K. Moser. A male cardinal perching on a snow-covered tree.
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Summer has surrendered to fall, leaves wrestle in the wind, fall, then scatter on the ground. The gardens have been harvested, tilled under and prepared for the coming seasons rest. The girls are finishing their yearly molt, roosting increasingly earlier each evening. All this signifies the coming of winter, along with all its challenges for the backyard chicken keeper.
Many new backyard chicken keepers find themselves intimitated and overwhelmed wondering how to overwinter their flock. I know because I have been there. Over the years, I have learned a trick or two on how to keep your girls happy, healthy, and comfortable as outside temperatures plummet and winter weather rages.
The secret to successfully overwintering your flock is to keep it simple, enhancing your flocks naturally ability to weather the elements. Many new backyard chicken owners make the mistake of judging their flocks comfort by their own. This is the first and essentially the riskiest mistake that a flock owner can make. This is true for several reasons.
Chickens come factory installed with a down coat, the same coat that we put on when the mercury dips below a certain point. Many owners often forget that their ladies and gents are already bundled up for winter. Increasing the temperature in the coop hinders their health and can even cause death. Reasons are these.
Heating the coop: Additional heat to the coop or pen hinders the flocks ability to naturally adjust to falling temps. In the presence of a heated coop, your ladies will fail to grow in the down coat necessary for winter temperatures. This becomes problematic in events such as a winter storm knocking out power for hours or even days. The flock has acclimated to a warmer living environment, when this heat source is abruptly removed, shock and death can result. Like us, if resources to keep warm are removed, inability to adequately adapt to the cold environment may result in one falling prey to the harsh conditions . In the same situation we put on warmer cloths, huddle under blankets, sit by a fire, or drink and eat warm substances. All these necessities are not available to the backyard flock who suddenly finds themselves freezing due to depedence on a heat source. This is the first and the most serious mistake that a backyard chicken keeper can make. It is best to let them adjust to the cooler temps gradually, growing in their thick and heavy down coat as nature intended.
Heat lamps: The second mistake that new backyard chicken owners can make is the use of the humble heat lamp. Heat lamps = coop fires!!! I cannot recount how many times I saw on social media or heard about coops destroyed due to heat lamps. Heat lamps are very dangerous for a variety of reason, when used as a winter heat source, they can be deadly. Heat lamps, (sometimes called brooder lamps), consist of a large 500 watt red bulb that is used to create a warm environment to raise chicks. While heat lamps are a danger even when used as a brooder heat source, they are even more dangerous when used around adult birds in an enclosed space. Why? There is no way to safely mount a 500 watt heat lamp in an enclosed space where the occupants can fly, accidentally knocking them down. With a coop full of pine shavings, dry straw, dust and feathers, this is perfect kindling and prime to start a fast, furious and complete coop fire. If you take anything away from this post please, please do not use heat/brooder lamps to heat your coop. They will in most cases cause a devastating disaster. There are much better natural ways to assist your girls in overwintering the cold months. Below I will share with you safe methods that I employ to keep my flock happy, healthy, entertained and content during the long winter season.
But first, let’s answer a simple question. What does a backyard flock need in order to weather the worst of Old Man Winter? The needs of backyard chickens in winter are very few. All they really need is a clean and dry place to call home. They do the rest. It is the job of a keeper to provide the necessary accommodations in order to meet their basic needs. Chickens are well adapted to live outside, all they need is a little help to weather the bitter winds and elements.
How is this achieved? The main thing I do to overwinter my flock is enclosing their pen with construction grade plastic sheeting. The purposes are tripple fold.
Wind Break: The plastic acts as a wind break. As the bitter winter winds blow, the plastic surrounding the pen blocks the wind, allowing the girls to retain their body heat. Chickens are more than capable of generating their own body heat. Using their feathers and down coats, they can regulate heat their bodies produce, thereby keeping warm in the winter. The cold winter winds disrupt this thermal regulation by lifting up their feathers, exposing their skin to the bitter winter winds, loosing the warmth they worked so hard to maintain. A simple wind barrier helps them immensely. If allowed access to free range on a cold day, they will come and go from the protected pen as needed depending on their individual needs. If it’s a cold day, they will stay in the wind free environment of the pen. If it’s warmer, they may spend more time outdoors hunting and pecking. Allowing them access to the outdoors while providing a wind free place to retreat, will keep them happy and content as they weather Old Man Winter.
Precipitation Barrier: The plastic keep the elements out of the pen, providing a dry place to call home. We are all familiar with the mystery that the cold winter rains can elitist. The same can be said for the snow and ice. Chickens prefer to avoid these elements if they can. However, since they live outside, their options may be few. This is another benified of enclosing the pen with plastic sheeting. As the elements rage outside, the girls are protected from the snow, rain, sleet, and ice that pleague the winter season. This simple barrier from the elements creates a dry and wind free place for your flock to call home. Simply keeping the elements out of the pen helps them immensely as they weather the worst of Old Man Winter. If protected from the wind and precipitation, the cold temperatures are not an issue for the flock.
Clean and Dry Digs: Providing clean and dry digs for your flock is essential. Along with providing a wind and precipitation break, a clean coop and pen goes a long way. The flock will undoubtedly spend more time in the protection of the coop/pen during winter. It’s a keepers job to see that their digs remain clean and dry. This is simply done by making sure the coop and pen are cleaned and maintained on a daily basis. This is necessary to keep moisture down their living areas. We all know that chicken poo can be wet and sticky. Due to the moisture content of their poo, this creates the ideal situation for frost bite. When too much moisture is presnent in the coop, frost bite will settle on the combs and wattles of your roosters and larger combed ladies. Removing the poo daily from both the coop and pen prevents these conditions. Frost bite is no fun, it hurts and can be dangerous if not properly treated. As they say, an ounce of prevention is better than a cure.
By simply enclosing your coop/pen in construction grade plastic, you provided a condusive habitat for your flock to weather Old Man Winter. Below are some pictures of my coops and pens that have been prepared for the coming bitter season.
As the bitter weather rages, the girls will be safe and warm in their pens. Below are some pictures of the ladies braving the elements in their winter digs.
Along with enclosing the coops and pens in plastic, providing your flock with some entertainment will go a long way. During the coldest days, your flock will undoubtedly spend more time in their pen. If this occurs for consecutive days, they may begin to suffer from coop boredom. Just like us, if we spend a lot of time in a tight enclosure, we get a little restless and bored. Chickens are no different, it left too long in these conditions, they will begin to peck at each other, creating injury and a hostile flock environment. To prevent this, provide games to play and things to peck. Below are a few things that I do for my flock, keeping them happy and healthy.
Flock Block: A flock block is a very simple entertainment tool I often use during the harshest part of winter. Additionally, due to the fact that they are unable to forage for grains and seeds, a flock block provides these nutrients. Flock blocks are large blocks that consists of seeds and other goodies compacted in a hard square shaped formation. The chickens will spend hours happily pecking at the block, keeping them entertained for days on end. One block will last my flock for an entire winter. They are found at most feed stores, usually under $20. It is also possible to make your own. At the end of this post, I will leave a recipe that I use when I want something a little more tailor made for my girls.
2. Peck the Bottle: This is a little chicken game that keeps my girls busy for hours. Additionally, it is very entertainment to watch them peck at the bottle. The supplies needed for this game are very simple. An empty plastic water bottle add some scratch or cracked corn. Take the bottle and poke some small holes large enough for the corn or scratch to fall through. Inside the bottle, fill the bottle half full of the treat. Place the bottle in the pen.
The flock will peck at the bottle, trying to free the corn or scratch contained inside. One by one, the flock will each peck at the bottle, moving it around the pen in efforts to consume the treat. This will keep a flock busy for days. If you have a larger flock, place a few more bottles in the pen. If you want to step up their game, fill the bottle with dry meal worms. Your flock will go crazy, working extra hard to get the worms out of the bottle.
3. Cabbage in a basket: If you want to add some greens to your chickens winter diet, veggies in a basket or suit feeder is a great choice. With grass and other delectables long since dormant for the season, greens are in short supply. To supplement your ladies diet with green veggies, this winter time trick is ideal. Simply take a suit feeder, open it, and place the veggies inside. Hang the feeder in the coop and let the games begin. Your ladies will go crazy for some fresh greens. Since it is cold outside, the greens will stay fresh for a while. Once the suit cage is empty, refill and play again. You can also put a head of cabbage in a metal hanging basket, placing it in the pen or yard for you girls to pick at. They will enjoy the fresh greens, all the while staying healthy and entertained.
4. Sand Box Spa: As winter sets in, the ground becomes covered, saturated with snow or rain, the girls will find it hard to keep up their beauty regiments. Simply placing a sand box in the pen and filling it with sand goes a long way. If your pen is too small for fit a sand box, pour the sand directly on the pen floor. Not only does this provide them a place to dust bath, it is also provides them a great way to scratch around.
Chickens love to scratch at the ground as they hunt and peck for delectable to dine on. In winter however, this past time is hindered due to the ground conditions caused by winter. To keep them further entertained, sprinkle some scratch or mealworms on top of the sand and watch the fun begin. They will spend hours digging in the sandbox, making sure that they have found and consumed every last morsel. This will quickly become a flock activity that they love and relish during the cold miserable days of winter.
Finally, I come to my last tip for winter care for your flock, water. Many keepers underestimate the need for clean and fresh water during the winter months. While they will drink more water in the summer to stay hydrated and cool, water is necessary for them to regulate their body temperature. During the cold months while a flock is working hard to regulate their body temperature, water is essential. For their little bodies to keep their furnaces stoked, access to liquid water is necessary. One of the major hinderances to this process is the cold temps causing the water to freeze. To combat this, I use several methods.
The haul it method: For those who do not have a large flock, simply hauling fresh unfrozen water to the backyard several times a day is ideal. If your flock is small and someone is at home during the day, this is the simplest and cheapest method to combat freezing waterers. Since it requires no electricity or expensive accessories, this method is best if applicable.
Heated waterer: If your flock is larger and no one is home to see to the water needs of the flock, a heated waterer is ideal. Although these waterers are a little bit on the pricy side, they are a life saver. You can find electric heated waterer at most feed stores. They range from $40 to $60 and long lasting. I am still using the one I purchased 5 years ago and its still going strong.
3. Light bulb in a metal tin: The last method that I use is the light bulb in a metal tin. Like the heated poultry drinker, this method requires electricity supplied to your coop. If you have several coops, purchasing a heated poultry drinker for each one can get expensive. I use the purchased heated drinker for my largest coop, the rest I use this simpler method.
Simply take a metal tin (cookie or other round tin), drill a hole just large enough for a cord, string the cord through the hole in the tin, purchase a light bulb and a socket cord (used for restiringing lamps) and simply screw the light bulb into the socket that is connected to the tin. Put the tin lid on, place the plastic or metal drinker on top and presto, you have a heated poultry drinker.
The radiant heat from the bulb will keep the water from freezing. Since all you need to keep the water warm enough to remain liquid a 15 or 25 watt bulb is best. You don’t want to heat the water too high, making it too warm for the flock drink. The goal here is to keep the water from freezing. This low watt bulb will supply just enough heat to keep the water in a liquid, drinkable state. If you don’t have any metal tins around suitable for this purpose, a terra cotta flower put turned upside down will also do the trick.
That’s a wrap. Above are all the techniques, tools and tricks of the trade I use to keep my flock happy, healthy, and content during the harsh winter months. As promised, below I will leave the recipe that I use to make a homemade suit treat for my girls. The ingredients used in this flock treat are typically found in every kitchen and cheap to purchase if needed.
The Kuntry Klucker Crew’s Favorite Flock Block
2 cups scratch grains
1 cup layer feed
1 cup old-fashioned oats
1 1/2 cup of raisins (for added fun)
1/4 cup whole wheat flower
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (aids in respiratory health)
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (helps circulation)
3 whole eggs (provides calcuim , shells included, crushed to fine pieces)
1/2 cup blackstrap molasses
1/2 coconut oil, liquified
preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, mix the dry ingredients. Add the wet ingredients and mix well. Pat into several small baking dishes, so your blocks are approximately 2″ thick (this way they can fit into suit feeders).
If you plan to hang the flock block treat in your chicken pen, use a chopstick to make a hole large enough for twine or rope to fit though.
Bake for 30 minus, then cool completely. If you try to remove them from the pan while still warm they will fall apart. Once cool, run a knife around the inside rim of each pan and invert to remove the block. Serve to a flock of very happy girls.
Leftovers can be refrigerated or wrapped in foil and frozen then defrosted as needed.
Enjoy!!
I hope you have enjoyed reading this post and found it helpful or useful. If you have any questions please post them in the comments.
As always, thanks for reading. Till next time, keep on crowing!
Chickens owners know the struggle to keep a brooder neat and clean all too well: The bedding that covers the feed, the water absorbing into the bedding and causing a wet mess, the creative means required to keep the feed and water accessible to the chicks, and the flock growing faster than one can keep up with. Managing a brooder can be exhausting and frustrating.
Roosty’s, a brand dedicated to bringing the highest quality products to chicken owners across the globe, has engineered an ingenious chick feeder and waterer that eliminates much of the brooder hassle.
Adult White Crester Polish hens (Ruto and Zelda) eating from Roosty’s chick feeder
Made of durable construction and designed with a 2-stage elevation leg system, this feeder and waterer will keep feed and water fresh and accessible. Raising the feeder and water above the bedding level will keep the brooder neat. As the chicks grow, the legs raise to a higher level keeping the brooder environment tidy and clean.
With a large capacity and an option to hang, this feeder and waterer will accompany the flock as they acclimate to the coop. Most feeders do not have the growing brood in mind requiring a backyard chicken owner to purchase another feeder and waterer when the chicks outgrow the brooder and move outdoors. Roosty’s all-in-one design meets the need of a growing flock meaning that a chicken keeper planning for the brooder and beyond will only need to buy one feeder and waterer for their flock.
The Kuntry Klucker Crew enjoying fresh feed from Roosty’s Chick Feeder.
Nesting Box Pads:
Fresh eggs from happy Silkie hens on Roosty’s soft nesting box pads.
Soft, durable, and easy to clean, Roosty’s nesting box pads provide comfort and security to laying hens while helping to keep the coop neat and clean.
Other nesting pads on the market are rough and uncomfortable, which would discourage laying hens from using the nesting box. My hens transitioned from pine shaving to Roosty’s nesting box pads overnight. I expected my hens to resist the pads being unfamiliar, but I was pleasantly surprised when two eggs rested in the nesting box the following morning.
Easy cleaning of Roosty’s nesting box pads.
The lightweight and soft mesh allows ventilation, and holes on the underside of the nesting pads make cleaning convenient and easy. Spray with water to clean and release the debris, shake it, and place it back in the coop. Keeping the nesting box clean and tidy has never been so effortless.
My hens are happier because the nesting boxes are tidy. I am thrilled with the ease of care required to keep the coop clean and nesting boxes orderly.
The backyard chicken movement has taken the nation by storm with chickens being the most popular backyard pet. Quality products for backyard chickens make maintaining a healthy flock straightforward, effortless, and enjoyable. Roosty’s chick feeder, waterer, and nesting box pads will take the hassle out of keeping a brooder and coop well-kept and tidy.
To watch a video of this product review, please visit my YouTube Channel.
Roosty’s understands what chicken owners need and designs high-quality products to take the frustration and mess out of caring for chickens so you can spend more time enjoying your flock. The girls give Roosty’s chick feeder/waterer and nesting box pads a 10/10. Roosty’s can be found on Amazon.
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You don’t need a large property to enjoy gardening. Indoor and container gardening is becoming increasingly popular due to the accessibility and easy maintenance of the hobby. If you don’t like weeding or having to worry about time-consuming chores, container gardening just might be for you. In this post, I will share how I implemented container and indoor gardening into my hobby.
One advantage of container gardening is the ability to garden year around. During the cold months, you don’t have to say goodbye to the flowers you have tended to all summer and grown attached to. Not only can you bring them indoors, but you can also even grow them exclusively inside.
The keys to container gardening are light, water, humidity, and soil. If you are familiar with houseplants, you are well aware of these parameters. If not, don’t worry, I will walk you through how I utilize container gardening in my home as well as outside.
Schlumbergera (Thanksgiving Cactus) in bloomThriving Monstera DeliciosaHouseplant Assortment on Hearth
Lighting:
Plants need light to photosynthesize. Outside, these conditions are provided by the sun, and indoor lighting needs to be replicated as naturally as possible. Plants need specific wavelengths of light to photosynthesize; not all light is created equal in the indoor environment. To mediate this, growing plants need light in the spectral range of 400-700 nm. Light near 400 nm humans see as the color violate, and light around 700 nm our eyes percieve as red. Many grow lights emit light with LED lights, making them both bright and cost-effective. I will link the grow lights here, here, and here that I like and produce good growth for my plants. Natural sunlight is always best. If you have large windows that allow natural light to fill the room, your plants will be very grateful. If not, grow lights are a good investment for a container gardening hobby.
Kitchen Herb GardenLiving Room Monstera D. leavesMonestra D. plant basking in the light from a LED growlight.
Water:
Sage Leaves after a gentle rain.
All plants need water. Without water, plants can not absorb nutrients from the soil or complete the photosynthesis process. Unlike outdoor plants that reap the benefits of rainwater, indoor plants rely on the gardener for all essential water. Additionally, due to the controlled indoor environment, the needs of plants are much different. To tell if your plant needs water place your finger about 2 inches into the soil. If the soil is dry, your plant needs water. If the soil is damp, wait a few more days and check again. The most common mistake indoor gardeners make is overestimating how much water their plants need. In the indoor environment, plants need water less often but more deeply. When watering your plants, soak the pot until water pours out from the bottom. Wait a few weeks and check the soil before watering again.
Humidity:
Humidity is often the most overlooked element of growing plants indoors. In their natural environment outdoors, plants can regulate how much water they release through their leaves by judging the humidity levels allowing them to maintain a healthy balance. Indoors, especially in the dry climate-controlled air, plants will release more moisture into the air at a greater rate leading to dry leaves. Adding a humidifier or placing plants in naturally humid rooms such as a bathroom will help to meditate humidity issues with your plants.
Soil:
Soil is necessary for all plants, but indoor gardens need special attention concerning growing medium. Luckily, most garden centers will have multiple formulas, and knowing your plant specifications will help in soil selection. For houseplants, a general all-purpose soil formulated for indoor plants is ideal, as the growing medium will contain all essential fertilizers and food needed for the proper growth of houseplants. For cactus or succulents medium that drains well is ideal for the health and vitality of these plants. Citrus, cactus, or palm soil has the desired balance for growing these water-sensitive plants. Indoor herbs and other vegetable plants thrive in indoor soil made for houseplants mixed with a little seed starter. This mixture allows for the proper fertilizer balance and growth but resists holding too much water leading to root rot. Mixing equal amounts of houseplants soil and cactus soil or seed starter in the pot is an easy way to provide the ideal growing medium for your plants. A word of caution, do not use outdoor flower gardens or vegetable garden soil for indoor plants. Indoor potting soil has been sterilized and is free of annoyances and bugs in outdoor soil mixtures.
Container Gardening:
My patio container garden.
Light:
Outdoor container gardening is much like growing plants indoors with a few exceptions. The light requirement for your container garden will largely depend on how much sun exposure the plants need. A more sensitive plant is best placed in the shade while a plant that loves light is best suited in a sunny location.
Water:
Unlike plants placed in the ground, potted plants cannot source water. It falls to the gardener to gauge the needs of the plants and water appropriately. During the summer, it is common for outdoor container gardens to need water daily. As with indoor plants, check the soil before watering to avoid over-watering.
Soil:
Flower pot atop the Bantam Botique Pen.
As with indoor gardening, soil is a critical element in the success of the plants. For outdoor container gardens, an all-purpose outdoor potter container soil is ideal. Select a soil that is formulated for containers as the in-ground garden soil will have a higher fertilizer concentration that could burn the sensitive roots of plants in pots.
Container:
Besides watching your container garden grow, choosing the right pot is an enjoyable process. When selecting a pot size is key. Choose a pot that is not too large but allows the plant some room to grow, as the plant matures you can repot into a larger pot if needed. A pot that is too large can stress the plant as the soil remain moist for too long leading to root rot and fungal issues.
There are so many types of pots available it can be over-overwhelming. To help narrow the selection look for pots that have ample drainage holes. Many planters look attractive but are not functional for plant health. Terra-cotta pots are great for outdoor container gardens. As they are porous, air can exchange, allowing the roots to breathe. Wooden planters or large whiskey barrels are other attractive options that allow air to reach the roots and drain well. Choosing a container is the beginning of a wonderful adventure in the world of container gardening.
Above all, have fun and enjoy your gardening advanture. Happy growing!
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3. Bring up your young well. They are the next generation, and the key to your legacy.
The Kuntry Klucker 
