Raising Chickens | The Kuntry Klucker

What to Know Before You Get Chickens.

Posted on April 23, 2021 by Noelle K. Moser

***The girls spending the evening grazing on a freshly cut lawn.***

Know your Zoning laws:

First and foremost, before you get chickens, know your zoning restrictions. Many cities, states, and counties have different laws regarding keeping livestock. If you are in the city, if you are allowed backyard chickens, you will most likely be restricted to a small number of hens, omitting roosters.

In the county or country, you may have more freedom, but you will still need to abide by guidelines.

**My flock is confined to my backyard by the use of a wood privacy fence.**

For example, based on my location, I am not restricted to the number of chickens I can have. However, I am restricted on how far my coops need to be from my neighbor’s front door. My animals must be confined to my property by a fence or attached pen to a coop. I need to practice good manure management to reduce rodent and odor issues for my neighbors. Even in the country, some guidelines need to be followed.

**Caster making his way out of the Coop De Ville to the outdoor pen area.**

If you are unsure of what your zoning laws require, you can find out simply by calling the State Veterinarian for your state and asking. They will be able to tell you based on your location what your restrictions are.

Addiction

As the saying goes, “You can’t have just one”. This more than applies to owning chickens. I started with 17 Buff Orpington chicks and now have ballooned to a flock of 50+ of various breeds. I underestimated the addiction risk of chickens. I love my backyard divas and have plans for more.

‘ **Buff Orpington Chick sitting amongst farm fresh eggs.**

Today my flock is a thriving multicultural mesh of different breeds. By acquiring a variety of breeds, I can profile the behavior of various breeds along with any advantages and drawbacks. After owning several breeds, I can honestly say that the Polish are my favorite breed of all my Backyard Divas.

**Aphrodite in a barrel of Gerbera Daisies.**

Time/chores

*Clean coops and happy hens after morning chores*.

Chickens require time and daily care. Like all pets, chickens require dedication. However, chickens require little but give much in return.

To illustrate. My flock of 50 and 7 coops requires about 30 minutes of my time every morning. Daily chores consist of cleaning the coops, filling feeders, filling waterers, collecting eggs, and maintaining nesting boxes. All of this, while sounding like a lot does not require much time out of my day.

However, like a dog or cat, maintenance needs to be performed daily. Also, like your cat or dog, if you go on vacation, care will need to be arranged in your absences.

Eggs

Most people keep chickens for farm fresh eggs. However, this pursuit, although positive has some drawbacks.

First, once you get a taste of farm fresh eggs, it’s hard to eat any other type of egg. For example, store-bought eggs after eating farm-fresh eggs taste differently. You will find yourself becoming an egg connoisseur of sorts, an egg snob if you will.

***Basket full of eggs. The girls were busy today.***

Second, you will come to realize that at first, your flock will produce the most expensive eggs that you ever collected. Allow me to explain.

Once obtaining your flock, it will be about 20 weeks or 5-6 months before you collect the first egg from the nesting box. But during the “waiting period”, you will have to feed your flock. Egg laying or not, feeding your flock is a necessity. By the time you get your first egg, you will have spent a hefty amount on chicken feed, flock supplies, and coops/pens. However, once the flock starts to lay dependably, your cost and reward ratio will begin to align. But until then, you will be putting money into a “timeshare” of sorts without any benefit. Many people do not realize this, they falsely assume that chickens lay eggs right away and do not factor in a period of egg drought.

Egg droughts do not only happen during the development/maturity of the hens toward laying age but also at various times throughout their lives. Yearly molt, the coldest part of winter, or the hottest part of summer depending on the breed. The point is, your flock will go through dry spells where they are not laying but you will be spending money on chicken feed. During these times of declined egg production, I humorously refer to my girls as “free-loaders”. All in good spirits of course. I understand my girls need a vacation now and then and grant them time off.

**Premium chicken feed the girls earned with the sale of their eggs. My flock is a big fan of Purina chicken Feed. They prefer it to any other brand. My girls are indeed pampered poultry.**

Third, they will find you. When an egg recall or egg ration is suffered by the egg industry, backyard chicken keepers become everyone’s favorite neighbor.

**Empty egg coolers at my local Walmart during the past bird flu scare and massive egg recall. And just like that the crazy chicken lady is everyone’s favorite neighbor.**

For example, during the past egg scare when the bird flu raged havoc throughout the egg industry, I got a few unexpected visitors at my door. It takes quite a bit of gut to knock on a stranger’s door and ask for eggs.

The situation of this particular visitor was rather unique. She was a friend of a friend, who worked with a friend who told her that she knew me and that I had a fairly large backyard chicken flock. Her husband was on a strict diet, eggs were his primary source of protein. Being that the bird flu forced many egg producers to recall eggs and euthanize their flocks, he was practically starving.

I gave her what eggs I had. I offered them at no charge given their unique and desperate situation. She insisted that she pay for them. This was the first day that a stranger knocked at my door and the girls turned a profit, but it was not the last.

All proceeds the girls make on the eggs, I turn back to them in the form of feed, treats, and other necessities.

This was when I first realized how self-sustaining my little farm is. A massive egg recall raging through the nation, had I not watched the news, I would have had no idea. Now, when egg recalls or egg scares make the news, I am prepared for a few visitors looking for eggs. The humble backyard chicken keeper to the rescue.

Illness and the importance of a Chicken first aid kit:

Just like kids and other pets, chickens too get sick. However, unlike a pediatrician for little humans and vets for cats and dogs, most vets will not treat chickens since they are technical “livestock”. While backyard flocks are rapidly reaching pet status, for now, they are categorized as livestock.

Thus, the backyard chicken keeper has to become a chicken doctor. Although this sounds scary, chickens are simple creatures. Most conditions that plague a backyard flock are relatively simple to treat.

The more common health conditions that a backyard chicken keeper will encounter are mites, lice, bumblefoot, fly strikes, respitorary illnesses, and sour crops. The good news is good flock maintenance practices will eliminate many of these conditions. If your flock has fresh water daily, fresh feed in clean feeders and a clean dry place to call home, most of these potential illnesses will be greatly reduced.

In my 10 years of keeping chickens, I have only had a few illnesses inflicted my flock. Mostly treatment for mites, worms, and bumblefoot. If your chickens are allowed to free range, at some point they will come down with a case of red fowl mites. You can think of mites as a badge of honor because your flock has access to grass, fresh air, and sun. Treatment is similar to flea/tick treatment for cats and dogs only for chickens. My favorite product for this purpose is Epernix. Found a Feed/Farm store in the cattle section.

Marketed for cattle, Epernix at a low dose is safe for chickens. Use 1/2 cc for bantams and 3/4 cc for standard-size birds. With a syringe, drop the liquid behind the neck, just like treating a cat or dog. Repeat in 14 days, and that’s it. After two doses, lice and mites are history. Treat every single flock member, I do this 1 to 2 times a year. I treat only when symptoms are present. Note: when using this product there is an automatic egg withdrawal of 20 days while the girls are in treatment.

Worming is the same. Marketed for goats, safeguard at small doses it is an effective treatment for chickens. This time, with a different syringe use 1/2cc for bantam and 3/4cc for standard-size birds. Drop the wormer on a piece of bread and feed it to each member of the flock, repeat in 14 days. There is a 20-day egg withdrawal for safeguards like Eprinex. That’s it, crises averted.

The most complex issue I have had to deal with is bumblefoot. I will link a post detailing my method for dealing with bumblefoot here.

Although chicken keeper needs to take their flock’s health into their own hands, it’s not hard. Most things you need to treat your flocks are found at feed/Farm stores. If you can find a vet to treat your birds, the price will be very high. However, most vets will put a gravely ill chicken down. Some keepers prefer this to put their sick hens down. I humanly euthanize my sick members, but most people are not able to do this which is fine. Most vets will assist in this event.

Things to keep in your chicken first aid kit:

Vet wrap, gauze, triple antibiotic cream, salve, plastic knives for administrating salve and creams, sterile scissors for cutting gauze and vet wrap, hydrogen peroxide, syringes without needles for administrating medication orally, Rooster Booster poultry cell (great for providing sick birds with iron, amino acids, and minerals for recovery), Rooster Booster B-12 (good for providing sick birds with essential vitamins for healing, high in B-12), VetRx for poultry (great for birds with respiratory issues, similar to Vicks for humans. Drop in water or place under the wing to help birds recover), bleach to sterilize instruments.

Most of these things are household items except for items specific to poultry. Keeping a first-egg kit (pun intended) ready and stocked makes it easier to treat on the spot rather than waiting till you can get the items you need.

Have a plan for winter

*The coops all bundled up for the* cold winter season.

When acquiring chickens, most people are so focused on brooders and bringing their flock to laying age. Little thought is given to seasonal change. As fall approaches keepers often find themselves frantic as the mercury drops. Preparing a flock for winter takes time, preparation, and some expense. However, chickens come factory installed with down coats, it’s not the cold keepers need to worry about but wind and moisture. To adequately prepare your flock for winter a keeper needs to take measures to keep the coop/pen clean and dry. Installing a heater or heat lamp is not recommended. Coop fires are often started by good intentions to keep flocks warm. The rule of thumb is to never judge your flock’s comfort by your standards. Chickens evolved to live outdoors, all a keeper needs to do is keep them clean and dry, warmth is not necessary, the chickens take care of that on their own. I will link here the methods I use to prepare my flock and coops for winter.

Coops and Pens: There are so many options.

**The Coop-Hood. Currently I maintain 50+ chickens and a fleet of 7 coops.**

Before you get chickens, decide what kind of coop you want to get. Before shopping for coops, you need to know how many chickens you intend to get and how many coops you want to have. There are lots of resources for acquiring coops. If you are skilled at woodworking, you could build your own coop and pen. If you’re like me and woodworking is not your cup of tea, there are many prefab coops on the market. Contrary to popular belief, prefab coops can and do make great homes for your flock. I will link here my post where I talk about prefab coops, hacks, and how to get the most out of your prefab coops.

Finally and most importantly: Brooder set up

*Broo*der set up for a successful flock.

To raise a successful flock, your chicks need a good start, and the best place to get this start is in the brooder. Before you get chicks, you need to think about their brooder and how you plan to brood your clutch. Just about everything you can think of has been used for brooders, kiddie pools, Rubbermaid totes, dog crates, boxes, bathtubs, garages, attics, and so on. The possibilities are endless. At the end of the day, a brooder is just a heated home for your growing chicks, what you use to achieve this home is up to you. I started out using large boxes then switched to puppy playpens as my preferred brooding container. Everyone will have their idea on what to use and how to brood. The size of the flock will also affect the type of container to use. I will link my brooding method and supplies here.

I hope that this post has been a helpful addition to the information-gathering phase on starting your backyard chicken flock. Chickens are a great asset to any farm, homestead, or city backyard. They ask little but give much in return.

If you have any questions not addressed in this post, feel free to ask. You can also drop us a line at kuntryklucker@gmail.com

I am a published author, multi-disciplinary writer, and blog contributor. If you enjoy this blog, please visit some of my other sites.

Knowledge of the Spheres – Exploring the Celestial Spheres’!

Coffee and Coelophysis – A blog about Dinosaurs!

Chicken Math University – Adventures in Homeschooling.

If you enjoyed this post, please peck the subscribe button. As always, thanks for reading. Till next time, keep on crowing!

~The Kuntry Klucker Crew~

10 Reasons to Keep Backyard Chickens.

Posted on May 7, 2020 by Noelle K. Moser

1. Farm Fresh Eggs Daily:

There is just something about collecting farm fresh eggs from your backyard. In a day when we can literally buy everything that we need from the store, there is a purity in raising your own food. Farm Fresh eggs are one of the main reasons that people keep chickens. They are far superior to the eggs supplied in the stores. Additionally, you have the satisfaction of knowing that the eggs collected are from happy hens who are treated well even spoiled. If the flock is allowed to free range and forage for bugs, greens, and grains the nutritional value of the eggs are further increased. Additionally, high Omega-3 feed is also available in most feed stores, further adding to the nutritional value of the eggs. The chickens are what they eat, as a consumer, we are what they eat. Having control over our food supply, brings a purity that money cannot buy.

2. Cruelty Free:

Not only will you get nutritious, organic eggs, but you can rest in the knowledge that your omelet is served up cruelty free. It’s easy to think that the eggs that are labeled “free range” found in stores are laid by hens who have access to open pasture and sunshine. This sadly is not the case. These eggs do not have the happy origins that the industry would have you believe. The hard truth is that these eggs are laid by hens who are cramped in a shed much like meat birds or turkeys. They have no access to green grass or anything of the like. Many of these birds never see the light of day much like their battery hens’ counterparts. Less than 1% of chickens raised in the US are considered to be free range. Most free-range chickens are raised on private family farms or are kept as pets by backyard chickens’ keepers and enthusiasts.

3. Pest Control:

When you acquire backyard chickens, you also get a pest control crew. Chickens love, love, love to eat bugs! They will happily rid your plants and yard of all available bugs. This allows you to grow organic veggies on your property. With chickens tending the plants the use of pesticides is no longer needed. Your new pest control crew will tend all your plants, both veggie ornamental alike. Additionally, they will tend the soil by tilling the dirt looking for worms, aerating the soil in the process. Chickens are one of the best natural pest control experts. They even ridded my backyard of a yellow jacket nest. They destroyed the nest and ate all the larvae evicting the occupants, virtually rendering the nest unlivable. It was one of the most interesting and amazing things I have ever witnessed.

4. Free Fertalizer:

If you want great gardens the first place to start is fertilizer. Chicken fertilizer is superior in many ways. Due to the gizzard, chickens process everything they eat. All seeds and other matter are broken down to usable substances. Thus, chicken manure contains no weed seeds. Contrast that with manure from cows or horses which do not process everything they eat down to a singularity. Thus, the manure from these animals contains weed seeds. Not just weed seeds, but fertile weed seeds. When using manure from these animals, gardeners are often horrified at the number of weeds that pop up in their gardens soon after. Thus, chicken manure is far superior to manure from other animals. When it can be obtained organically is it specifically valuable.

Chicken manure purchased from stores often in large bags are sourced from factory farms. All the chemicals that are feed to the chickens are passed into the manure. That manure is then spread on your gardens containing all the chemicals that were consumed by the chickens. So even though you intend to grow organic produce, the manure spread on your gardens is anything but. Sourcing this precious liquid gold from your own flock, feed a high quality or organic feed will be far superior. If the flock is allowed to free range, the benefits compound further. The coop shaving or manure from these well-tended animals will be an excellent source of nourishment for your gardens. You can be assured that what you are putting on your gardens contains no chemicals or otherwise dangerous ingredients. Manure from organically raised chickens is sought out for this very reason. I have several people who ask me for my coop litter whenever I clean out the coops. They know the value of this material and use it for composting and/or spreading on their gardens.

As a backyard chicken keeper, you will have firsthand access to this wonder product. I compost and spread the litter from the coops on my gardens. I am rewarded with a handsome yield. People often ask me what I am feeding my plants to produce beautiful flower gardens and abundant veggie gardens. I tell them that my secret is the poop from my chickens.

In fact, coop litter is one of the fundamental reasons why I wanted to keep chickens. I have always been around gardens; gardening is in my blood. After purchasing my home, I wanted to start some gardens. The hard clay here made growing anything virtually impossible. In order to condition the soil to produce a yield, I had to cultivate it for my intended purposes. That meant getting my hands on a good source of manure to turn this land into something that could produce crops. After some consideration, I decided to get a small flock of chickens to produce the fuel that I needed for my plants. Years later, I have multiple coops and 50+ chickens that I richly enjoy. What started as a need for a sustainable farm fuel has turned into a hobby that I thoroughly enjoy.

5. Cut Down on Food Waste:

Nationwide food scraps make up about 17% of land fill waste (29 million tons). Yard waste, items such as grass clippings, weeds, and leaves make up about slightly more at 33 tons. Chickens can reduce this needless waste by a large amount. Chickens are natural composters, eating most food scraps and turning the rest into nutritious fertilizer for your gardens. My girls are my compost tenders. In addition to their coop litter, I add food scraps and yard waste such as leaves or grass clippings to my compost pile. The girls will readily eat the food scraps and much of the grass clippings leaving the rest to naturally compost. They will tend my compost pile daily by turning the material over as they look over the pile for worms and other delectables. Using their natural abilities, I allow them work my compost pile into usable fuel that I then put on my gardens. As a result, the amount of waste that would otherwise go to the landfill I instead offer to my chickens.

Chickens can eat just about anything from veggies, fruits, pastas, and cooked meat as long as it is not spoiled. The only things to watch for are raw onions, garlic and potato peals. Outside of that, chickens can eat most of what is seen as food waste. Instead of putting these waste items in the trash, I collect them in a small bucket and run them out to the girls. They absolutely love kitchen scraps and readily dispose of them for me. By having chickens not only do I get compost attendants, I also reduce my food waste by a vast amount.

6. Save Heritage Breeds:

Because today’s chickens are breed for different functions, they look different from their ancestors. With the meat industry and the egg industry selecting out different traits to meet their needs, today’s chickens are far from what they used to be. Heritage breeds are those breeds that exist outside the of the meat/egg industry.

***My flock, consisting mostly of heritage breeds.***

As a backyard chicken keeper, you can take on the role of conservationists by adding to your flock heritage breeds. By adding some of these rare or very rare breeds, you are keeping them from becoming extinct. Since the meat and egg industry only needs a few breeds for production, those left will become endangered without keepers preserving them. I have several of these breeds on my farm. I have a few very rare breeds and plan to add a few more heritage breeds over the next few years. Some of these breeds are what settlers kept as a food source for meat and eggs when first coming to this country. Others such as the Silkie which date back to the Chinese Han Dynasty around 206BCE were brought to the America’s via the Silk Road, a major training route through Asia. In fact, the Silkie was first mentioned by Marco Polo in his journals on his trip across China and Europe around 1290-1300. He recorded in his journal referencing a “furry chicken”. After Silkies made it to the Western World, the breed was recognized and officially was accepted in North America in 1874. Today the Silkie is one of the most beloved heritage breeds kept by numerous backyard chicken enthusiasts.

It is through the interest of backyard chicken keepers that the Silkie has remained pure to its heritage. Through the efforts of backyard chicken enthusiasts, hobby keepers and hatcheries, this breed is love by many today. Another example of a beloved heritage breed is the Polish.

***Deaky, Fi and Freddy (Polish hens) perching on a hammock swing under the grape arbor.***

The Polishes have a complicated history, it’s not really clear where they came from. Their name is derived from the Dutch word “pol” which translates as head. Contrary to their name, they did not come from Poland. It has been hypothesized that they originated in the Netherlands, while other enthusiasts think that they were brought to Europe during the time of the Mongols. Other fun loving chicken lovers such as I ponder if their origins are not of this world at all. Possibly like H.P. Lovecraft’s Cthulhu, they came from Orion or another world out there, just kidding :-). In all seriousness though, no one really knows where these Crown Jewels came from. Even today a lot of mystery surrounds their origins. Maybe we will never know, but for rare breed chicken lovers that does not really matter. If anything, this mystery makes these cuddly backyard buddies even more loveable. One thing is for certain, it is through the dedication of backyard chicken keepers that this fancy breed remains true to its ancestors wherever they came from.

***Silver Lace Polish flock, Fi, Agatha, and Link.***

In addition to the Silkie and the Polish, there are many other Heritage breeds such as the Orpington, Australorp, Wyandotte, Brahma, Rhode Island Red, Plymouth Rock, Sussex, Leghorn, Dominique, Jersey Giant, New Hampshire Red, Delaware and Welsummer.

7. A Lesson in Self–Sustainability:

There is just something about keeping chickens that brings us back to our roots. Times of old, days gone by when just about everyone kept a flock of chickens to supply eggs for the family. A time when gardening was not just a hobby but a way of survival. Cleaning coops and collecting eggs has a feeling of purpose that many are seeking today. In a world where we can literally buy everything we need at the store, being able to supply and grow your own food has a purity that money cannot buy. Knowing that you are eating a product that is not only organic but supplied by animals that are well cared for brings happiness to the soul.

It’s this feeling of self-sustainability that many are seeking today. Growing produce is much more than just putting a seed in the ground and waiting. There is tending, feeding, and caring for the plant that has sprouted from the seed in order to gather a yield. Chickens provide much of those services for you. With their manure and coop litter, they condition the ground making it fertile. As the plant matures, they eat the bugs and till the soil, aerating the soil. Finally, as they work your gardens, they will continually feed your plants throughout the growing season with their droppings.

It’s this cycle that allows one to be self-sustaining. By keeping chickens, your farm (whether hobby size or plantation size) has everything you need to grow and harvest your own food. Additionally, along the way that will provide you with farm fresh eggs and plenty of companionship.

8. Educational Value:

Chickens are amazing creatures and can teach us much about their world and ours. Many associate chickens with meat and eggs but nothing more. Chickens, contrary to popular belief are not bird brains, they are in fact highly intelligent creatures. Did you know that chickens can distinguish between 100 different faces both human and animal, they have full color vision, dream while they sleep, feel pain and distress, love to play, and mourn for each other. We have more in common with chickens than previously thought.

Chickens are very affectionate; they love to be held and enjoy human interaction. I have several individuals that are lap chickens, jumping on my lap as soon as I sit down. They have personalities just like humans along with likes and dislikes. They are complex creatures that are able to teach us much.

Keeping backyard chickens is an educational endeavor. It is astonishing how much keeping a few of these marvelous creates can teach you. Many of our phrases today come from the complex social structure of a chicken flock.

Pecking order for example. This phrase used in everyday figurative language is derived from chicken behavior and for good reason.

A flock of chickens have a very complex social structure. The term “pecking order” comes from this highly structured hierarchy. A flock is organized into a hierarchy, each member knowing their place within the group.

At the top of the pecking order is the alpha rooster. Answering to him will be the other roosters in the flock. Directly under the roosters will be the order of the hens. The alpha hen is usually a little bossy in relation to the other hens in the flock. As for the rest of the members, position is established by literally “pecking” one another on the back, indicating superiority. This behavior flows from the alpha rooster to the poor individual sitting at the bottom of the pecking order.

Once the pecking order is established, all activities within the flock revolve around this order. Simple activities such as who roosts where in the coop. The order in which the flock exits the coop in the morning, and the order in which they return.

Observing this complex animal behavior in my own flock is very interesting. It brings home the literal and most descriptive meaning to the term “pecking order”.

Other everyday terms such as “cocky” and “hen pecked” are also very well explained by watching a flock of chickens. It’s amazing how much figurative language we as humans have adopted from the humble chicken.

Chickens also teach us about where our food comes from. After witnessing what is actually required by a hen to lay just a single egg, I have much more appreciation for my morning omelet and no longer take a simple egg for granted.

In the case of children, chickens teach responsibility. If children are involved in caring for the family flock, they will learn valuable lessons. Getting up as the rooster’s crow to feed and tend the coops. Then locking up the coops at dusk and collecting the days eggs. Children learn an appreciation for the chickens as they tend and interact with the flock. If they have a small coop of their own with a few hens to tend, they will quickly become pampered pets. Chickens can become family pets like a dog. They are affectionate, intelligent, and enjoy interacting with their caretaker. The girls on the other hand will quickly learn who their human is and look forward to seeing them every morning.

9. A Source of therapy:

Keeping backyard chickens is a source of therapy like nothing else I have experienced. No matter how bad my day has been, my girls are always happy to see me.

In the morning when I enter the backyard, opening the coops for the day, they are delighted and greet me with anticipation. Clucking with joy as I prepare their food, water, and clean their coops. They are genuinely happy to see me. After a long hard day, I can always go to the backyard and find happiness. They flock with excitement as I enter the backyard. Sometimes flying in from the far corners of the yard, thrilled at my presence. Their joy in response to me entering their world lifts my spirits and brings joy to my day.

Like dogs, chickens love affection. I have several ladies and a few roosters who readily jump on my lap eager for attention as soon as I sit down. They enjoy the companionship from their human keeper. Once on my lap they tell me all about their days, clucking all the details as I eagerly listen. It’s hard to be sad around a flock of lovable backyard companions.

On days when I feel blue or down in the dumps, a simple trip to the backyard is all that I need. Happiness for me does not come in a bottle, from the store or in a bank account. Happiness for me is a pair of boots and a flock of happy chickens.

Others have expressed the same in relation to their flocks. Chickens really are the antidepressant with feathers.

10. Entertainment Value:

Chickens are clever creatures, each possessing a different and unique personality. Because of this, they are very entertaining creatures. Even as a flock, chickens will capture your attention.

One of the funniest interactions that a flock can engage in is something I call “the chicken keep away game”. The game commences like this. A hen finds something delectable such as a juicy bug or big worm. She will announce to the flock with glee that she has found a prize. With the object in her beak, she will run around the yard while the others chase her, wanting a piece of her find. Depending on how large the trophy morsel is, this could go on for some time. Changing beaks several times till finally someone eats or loses it, whichever comes first. This is just about as close as a flock of chickens can get to a round of touch football. If you have a flock of mixed breeds, the entertainment value is increased. Some breeds have quirks or unique things about them that separates them from others. Take the Polish for example.

A funny chicken oddity is the Polish. Out of all the breeds that I keep, the polish holds the crown for comedy. Due to the feathered crests atop their head, their vision is limited. Unable to see what is above them, everything spooks them. Simple things in their environment can get a rise out of them. They have a tendency to be flighty and high strung for this reason.

In addition, they are a very curious breed, always getting themselves into trouble, then not able to see well enough to get themselves out. They will often call for other flock members to come a rescue them from their predicament. Typically, one or more of the roosters will come to their aid. I have 14 Polishes in my flock of various colors, all of them possess this particular niche for comedy.

***Fi and Agatha (Silver Lace Polish Hens).***

I have spent many hours being entertained by my flock. At times its better than prime time TV. Before I had chickens, I would have never equated them with comedy. My girls are now my go to for a happy hour with the hens. I have to admit at times, I will bring a few grapes just to stir the pot and watch their antics as they play the “chicken keep away game”.

There are many other advantages of keeping chickens. The list could go on, I have only listed my top 10 reasons. I hope that you have found this post helpful. If you have any questions, please post them in the comments. You can also drop me a line at kuntryklucker@gmail.com

I am a published author, multi-disciplinary writer and blog contributor. If you liked this blog, please visit some of my other sites.

Knowledge of the Spheres – Exploring the Celestial Spheres!

Coffee and Coelophysis – A blog about Dinosaurs!

Chicken Math University – Adventures in Homeschooling.

If you liked this post, peck the subscribe button. As always, thanks for reading. Till next time keep on crowing!

The Kuntry Klucker Crew

Chicken Math!!!!

Posted on December 10, 2017 by Noelle K. Moser

Hello fellow peeps! Sorry, it’s been a while since I posted here, but I have been down with a bug that fellow chicken keepers are well aware of. The dreaded bug of chicken MATH!!! That is right, I have been stuck with the chicken math bug. Now, for readers not familiar with the chicken math plague, allow me to describe the depths of this hypnotic illness.

You see as chicken keepers we do not count our chickens like most normal people would count jelly beans, change, or marbles. You see no real method of counting works when it comes to chickens. If you see 1 + 1 you will automatically say well that equals two. Not so for us chicken owners as we count our chickens. We say, “2 chickens plus 4 chickens that would be about 3 chickens or so”. You see we don’t want to admit how many chickens we have because then we would realize that we have too many. So we use the system of Chicken Math. It’s an approximate number of chickens that we might have minus a few.

It’s a rather contagious bug, especially around Thanksgiving. While most people are out buying a turkey and the trimmings for a Thanksgiving dinner or staking out their prey in the form of stores for black Friday deals. We chicken owners are trying to beat the rush for ordering chicks for the next spring. If you thought that black Friday lines were an intense crowd, you have not seen chicken owners sitting by the computers anxiously waiting for the stroke of midnight to order chicks. If you are into rare breeds this intensity is even worse. There are only a few being hatched so you have to make sure that your order goes through, first and fast!

Anyway, back to the chicken math. Here is how it works in my case. Let’s see, I have 9 or so big girls in the Kuntry Klucker and I guess, 8 or so in the Bantom Botique. Using the concept of Chicken Math that would be about 10 chickens, I have more than enough room for more.

So according to chicken math I don’t have enough and onto ordering I go. So instead of rushing to the stores like most red blooded American’s, I am at home down with the chicken math bug. What am I doing in particular? I am going through all the available breeds, trying to decide which breeds I want to bring to the Kuntry Klucker Farm next spring.

After much thought, debating with myself, and running the numbers of chicken math again and again, I have decided to order 9 new chicks for next year.

We are so excited!! Here is rap sheet for next year’s chicks.

2 Bantom Black Silkies (1 male and 1 female)

3 Bantom Buff Silkies (1 Male and 2 Females)

4 Bantom Cochin Frizzle ( all females)

I wanted to get another White Crested Polish but I was too late and they were all gone. Even so, I ended up with quite a list for next year. I have chosen the hatch date of May 7, so that means by May 8th or 9th I will be a chick mama again.

I cannot wait for my peeping package to arrive at my local post office and start the adventure all over again. Ordering chicks is so much fun and the method of Chicken Math makes it possible.

What am I going to do with all these chicks you may be asking? Well, I plan to add another chicken coop and place it in the spice garden with Roy’s Roost and Betsy’s Bliss. I have room for one more coop there. I plan to house all the Silkies in this coop. In the Bantom Botique I plan to integrate the 4 Bantom Cochin Frizzles with Enigma and the While Crested Polish Girls.

I want to eventually get all the Silkies into a coop of their own. They will then roam the spice garden and tend that garden for me. Since Silkies have feathers on the feet they are not as destructive as the non-feathered footed breeds. That means that will at most turn the mulch and keep the bugs away in my spice garden. They will be the perfect addition to that garden.

The Black Cochin Frizzles will make a great addition to the Bantom Boutique. If you remember, Enigma was a little hatchery mix-up last year. He was supposed to be a White Crested Polish Male. Since he is the only cochin on my farm here, I wanted to get some his breed girls. So I will take the Silkies out of the Bantom Boutique move them into the coop that I will place in my spice garden and then replace them with the Cochin Frizzles in the Bantom Boutique.

In the end, once I get things all said and done the Kuntry Klucker farm here will be complete. If I get a bad case of the Chicken Math bug next spring I may order a few more. But for now, I think that my Chicken Math bug has run its course.

Thanks for dropping by and checking up on our goings on here at the Kuntry Klucker Farm. The girls are doing great, weathering the winter weather well. We have had some snow which they are not thrilled about, but like always they make the best of if it.

Till next time, the girls and I wish you a Merry Cluckmas and a Happy New Year!!!

I am a published author, multi-disciplinary writer and blog contributor. If you like this blog, please visit some of my other sites.

Knowledge of the Spheres – A journey through the Cosmos!

Coffee and Coelophysis – A blog about dinosaurs!

Chicken Math University – Adventures in homeschooling.

If you liked this post, peck the subscribe button. As always, thanks for reading. Till next time, keep on crowing!

~ The Kuntry Klucker Crew ~

A Lesson in Simplicity from my Girls

Posted on July 31, 2017 by Noelle K. Moser

Having backyard chickens teaches the owner many things. Most people think that chickens are characteristically unintelligent but this is far from the truth. Just because they cannot understand technology or make complex machines does not mean that they are not wise beyond their years. As the closest living relative to the ferocious T-Rex, these guys have been around a long time and have much to teach us.

Recently those who follow me on Facebook may have noticed that I have disappeared from the social media landscape. This is true, I have recently decided to leave the social media world behind. After getting caught up in a flame war I decided that this is not me and this is not what I want to be. I took a step back and thought to myself, what am I doing getting caught up in all the drama that comes with social media. People said things to me that were hurtful and I said my own things that were hurtful. I decided that this is not the person that I want to be and cut the cord with social media. I also want to offer an apology to those who followed me on Facebook. If I posed anything or said anything that you found offensive I offer my deepest apology.

Since I am no longer on Facebook I have created an email address for those who would like to contact me outside of the comment section on my blog. That address is kuntryklucker@gmail.com. I will add that to the contact section of my page as well.

This blog is entitled “A Lesson in Simplicity from my Girls”, so what I am doing rambling on about social media. Well, after I got my wake up call via a flame war that I got drawn into, I took a step back, left my office and went to visit the girls. As I thought about how awful people can be to one another, I watched them as they hunted and pecked in the backyard. I watched them as a group stroll in the backyard without a care in the world (I know that they have cares and have emotions) but I watched as they were content to simply be.

The needs of a chicken are very few. They need food, shelter, and water like all organisms on Earth. A stretch of green grass to find bugs and a little dirt to dust bathe in this is all they need for contentment. Now I know that I spoil my girls above and beyond that, they have a penthouse of a coop and more plants than they could graze on. But outside of that, if all they had was food, water, dirt and space to hunt for bugs they would be completely content.

This is where I realized something, my girls are showing me how to be content with life , not worry or get caught up in the drama around me. They have drama around them, everything from dogs, to the occasional hawk sighting, to the excitement of a big juicy bug being found. But outside of that they are completely at peace to just be.

I decided, after watching them for an hour or more that I understand what simplicity is. Its being content with where you are and simply pecking in the grass as the drama passes you by. After realizing this, I decided to cut my ties with the social media world. I will of course keep plucking away at my blog here, but as far as the drama that social media can create, I choose to simply be and leave it behind.

I know that many of you will miss my quirky posts and pics. But what really matters to me are my girls, and my love for sharing the backyard chicken hobby with others. Keeping chickens is more than just feeding them and collecting eggs, its taking in the lessons that they teach. Although they cannot speak our language they do speak the universal language of life. They speak in simple terms but that may be just what we as humans need. A life of simplicity is not a wasted one, it is one lived with focus on what is most important and the rest left behind.

Again, I am sorry if my disappearance of leaving Facebook concerned you or if I may have posted or said something that offended you. I offer my deepest apology. But, this lesson in both life and simplicity is one that I needed. I thank those who made me aware of my mistakes and my girls for showing me how to move forward with a simplicity that is only found in the lesson from a chicken.

Keep calm, look for delectables, and simply be

I have some exciting posts coming soon. The Bantom Boutique Crew is getting big and looking fantastic. I will have a blog post of them coming very soon. Also, as many of you are aware the United States is going to experience an eclipse on August 21st. I am in the direct path of totality for this celestial event. I will have a post on the experience of this eclipse as seen from my girls. It will occur during the high afternoon hours, I am sure that they girls will be quite confused as the sky starts to darken in the middle of the day. I plan to catch this as much more in video and picture. I will share them here with you for those who are not in the path of totality. I hope that it will be a post that is most enjoyable and entertaining from the girls perspective.

Thanks for taking the time to drop by and catch up with the girls and I.

Till next time, keep your eyes to the sky and enjoy the passing butterflies

~ The Kuntry Klucker Crew ~

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A Boy and his Rooster.

Posted on February 3, 2016 by Noelle K. Moser

Some kids have dogs, cats, goldfish or guinea pigs as pets. My son however has a pet rooster. It did not start out this way but it has ended up this way. This is the story of a boy and his rooster.

You see Roy, our resident backyard rooster has had a few set backs with his health in the past few years. This often requires me to separate him from the girls in order to tend to his needs and treat him individually. He came to our farm the way the other girls did when I ordered our chicks and that arrived in the mail as a small peeping box.

He however was different, he has always been rather fearless and bull headed. He hates my husband due to the fact that it is often he who pushes the lawn mower, which he hates. For the longest time I was the only one who could go out the the backyard and pick him up with out being threatened with a confrontation. Now the roles have totally reversed.

This all started a few summers ago when Roy was attacked by a hawk. I never saw the hawk or the confrontation, I only saw the after effects. Roy apparently won the fight because he was alive when I found him although injured. The hawk attacked his head causing some pretty nasty wounds which I treated. He made a full physical recovery but not a neurological one. You see when the hawk attacked him it went after his head, his skull was not broken but I wonder if Roy hit his head or twisted his neck when the Hawk tried to lift him than dropped him (judging by his injuries and the crime scene).

Later that summer I went out to the backyard to check on the girls and found him passed out on the ground. After later assessment it was determined that he possibly had a stroke or some other health malfunction which caused him collapse. Ever since these two events he has had health issues and often has episodes where he cannot walk well and needs some special care.

I separate him from the girls because chickens have natural cannibalism habits which from an evolutionary perspective is beneficial in flock survival. You see a weak member exposes the whole flock to predators, so to counter the effect of this issue the flock will literally kill and eat the sick or injured member. This is all well and good except for one problem, the girls are domesticated and protected from most predators and are pets not food. Our rooster is no different. He is a our pet and a member of our backyard family, we just don’t eat family members no matter how sick.

So his life as a bachelor began. After some time of him living in a large dog kennel I finally purchased a small chicken coop for him to live in. It has been affectionally named “Roy’s Roost”. He has taken very well to his new digs and has improved quite a bit with all the loving care he has been receiving.

Now enter my son. Upon ordering this coop I had no intentions of selling out chicken care to my kids. However, once we got this coop put together my son took to it like a fly to sugar. He loved it!! It is small, easy to clean and maintain, and just his size. The resident rooster needing a bit of loving care has accepting my son as his nurse nightingale. The two have bonded and formed a close relationship. I take care of the Kuntry Klucker girls while my son takes care of Roy’s Roost.

Roy looks forward to his boy coming out and taking care of him every day. He is wide awake, looking out the coop windows eagerly waiting for him. He clucks and coos to him and my son lovingly talks back. I never thought that my son would form a strong bond with our flock rooster, but behold it has happened. It is the sweetest thing to see the two of them out in the yard together.

Roy is doing much better, he has his good days and his bad days. Some days his legs give him trouble and some days he is out in the backyard with my kids playing. I don’t know how much time he has left with us, but I do know that till the very end he will be loved, spoiled, and adored by the boy who Roy has adopted as his caretaker.

Some kids have dogs, cats, or goldfish as pets. My son has a rooster. This was the story of a boy and his rooster.

Thanks for reading, the girls and I will be back with more adventures and stores soon.

~The Kuntry Klucker Crew~