The Kuntry Klucker

Coops and Blooms

Posted on May 7, 2019 by Noelle K. Moser

Spring has sprung at the Kuntry Klucker Farm, chicks are peeping and flowers blooming. In this post I will detail how I decorate my backyard for the coming growing season. It is no secret that I tend to go overboard when it comes to decorating the backyard for my girls, this will be a virtual tour, a flower walk if you will. We will start from the coop closest to the yard entrance and work out way out.

When entering the backyard, the first coop we come to is Henwarts. Henwarts is the newest addition to the “Coop-hood” and shares a large outdoor pen with The Kuntry Klucker. In front of The Kuntry Klucker I have a row of cinder blocks. These blocks have two purposes, keeps the girls and the dirt in the outdoor pen area and doubles as planters for flowers. Every year in this cinder block row I plant petunias. I love these little super bloomers for many reasons. A few of the most important are the fact that they display lot of color, tolerate the hot afternoon sun well, and most importantly hold up well around chickens. I have a few ladies that despite my efforts will help themselves to an afternoon snack of petunia blooms. The petunia’s being prolific bloomers look no worse for the wear, recovering very quickly.

The next coop we visit on our backyard tour is my largest coop, The Kuntry Klucker. In front of the Klucker I have a large whiskey barrel full of Gerbera Daisies. Additionally, I have hanging flower baskets. With chickens, keeping flowers above their heads is a must. If at their level, they will undoubtedly make a snack out of the blooms. Found at the dollar store, these cute little baskets are just the perfect size for a few flowers. Instead of using cocoa liners that seem to lose their shape after the first two waterings, I opt to use thick weed barrier to hold the potting soil. Attached to the wood of the pen I have planted a variety of flowers in these baskets. Petunias once again taking center stage. I feel that they add a bit of fun to the girls’ homes.

As we proceed on our coop tour, we come to The Coop De Ville. Serving as a Bachelor Pen, the Coop De Ville is home to 4 White Crested Polish Bantam breeding roosters. Situated between the Kuntry Klucker and the Spice Garden, the Coop De Vills shares space with many flowering plants. In front of the Coop De Ville I have planted a white butterfly bush. Butterfly bushes are prolific bloomers and due to their size, they hold up very well around chickens.

Next, we come to the spice garden. In this garden I have lot of things planted. The tall bush with the small red blooms is a red honeysuckle bush. Taller than me (I’m 5’8″), this bush is one of the largest in the garden. These highly fragrant little blooms blanket the whole backyard with a sweet fragrance and attract many butterflies and hummingbirds to the backyard, adding to the beauty of the girls’ surroundings.

I have many of my kitchen spices planted here among the two coops that call this plot home. Roy’s Roost and Betsy’s Bliss are situated here among all the plants and spices. This year I planted a red butterfly bush, in a few months it will be beautifully loaded down with blooms giving the butterflies another place to rest and spread their wings. The chickens are fenced out of this garden area so all the creatures that visit these plants are protected from the girls. This allows many caterpillars to spin cocoons among the thick foliage of many of the plants here.

In the center of this garden, I have planted an Arona Berry bush (kin to the Acia Berry), this bush which too is taller than me has the most beautiful white blooms. I use many of the berries that this bush produces in my smoothies. The chickens also love these berries, another reason that I have to fence them out of this garden area. After the berries appear, I make sure that the girls get a good share of the spoil which they go absolutely nuts for. Amongst other plants in this garden, I have a Goji Berry Tree, Sage, Rosemary, Oregano, Thyme, and Mint.

Next, we come to the TARDIS! This is one of the funniest coops in the “coop-hood”. Painted like the TARDIS from Dr. Who, this coop is home to Silkie’s. Sharing a large plot with the Bantam Boutique I planted a rare Red Hydrangea. The deep red of the hydrangea blooms will add a pop of red and contrasting well with the blue of the TARDIS.

Finally, we come to the Bantam Boutique! At the end of the Bantam Boutique, I have a pot with several colorful annuals in it. The Polishes enjoy jumping on top of the pen to take a few samples from the flowers. On the far side of the Bantam Boutique, I have planted two yellow butterfly bushes. Not only are these bushes beautiful, but they also offer lots of afternoon shade for the Polishes that call this coop home.

In the center of the backyard, resides our veggie garden. The chickens patrol the garden ridding the plants of any available bugs. As they till the soil in search of worms and grubs, they aerate the soil, further aiding the plants. With my theropod crew on duty, I eliminate the use of insecticides, allowing me to grow organic veggies for my family. I do lose a tomato or two to my carnosaur crew, I plant enough so there is plenty to go around. The girls get their share of the spoil in exchange for their hard work.

We now come to the pride and joy of my hobby farm, the grape arbor. Several years ago, I built a grape arbor in my backyard. Grapes have been on my dream list for a long time. Not only are grapes a fast-growing easy-care crop, but the arbor can also be used as a structure to hang a swing or hammock chairs from. Attaching some patio lights to the arbor adds a nice romantic evening feel. Complete with shade from the grape vines and a place to hand swings, a grape arbor is a great addition for any backyard garden enthusiasts.

I hope that this post has given new ideas on how to decorate a backyard garden paradise. Armed with some annuals, a few hanging baskets and a few pots, you can turn any backyard space into a magical getaway.

As always, thanks for reading. If you have any questions, feel free to post in the comments. or drop me a line at kuntryklucker@gmail.com.

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

Coffee and Coelophysis – A blog about dinosaurs!

Chicken Math University – Adventures in Homeschooling.

Knowledge of the Spheres – Exploriing the Celestial Spheres.

If you liked this post, peck the subscribe button.

As always, thanks for reading. Till next time, keep on crowing!

~ The Kuntry Klucker Crew ~

The Kuntry Klucker Farm is in FULL Bloom

Posted on April 24, 2019 by Noelle K. Moser

It’s been a busy spring here at the Kuntry Klucker Farm. The coops have all been painted, seasonal annuals planted, and chicks flourishing in their new digs. Spring is always a busy time here, but this year has been especially busy. I did something that I have never done before, painted all the coops in the expanse of one week. If you’re asking if I am crazy the answer is, yes! It was a hard task, but with the weather not being very corporative I had to strike with the iron was hot. That meant painting all the coop in a week between strong cold fronts, ahh, the joys of spring. I usually like to pace it out a bit more, but usually I have weather patterns that are bit more subtle. But you have to work with what you can, so all the coops got a new coat of paint in the span of a week. The girls seem to enjoy their newly updated homes.

The TARDIS in particular got quite the facelift. This coop which is home to my “little Kuntry Klucker’s” Silkie’s is a huge Dr. Who fan. He named his coop the TARDIS from the beginning even painted it a TARDIS blue to match. This year during our coop painting projects the TARDIS finally got it official lettering. Might I add that he did all this work himself, he is quite the budding artist. Those that follow Dr. Who will relate quite easily to his artwork. Those that are not Dr. Who fans that is more than ok, I am a recent convert myself, so I understand. Without further ado, I unveil the chicken TARDIS here on the Kuntry Klucker Farm.

Two other coops additionally got their official lettering. Henwarts and the Coop De Ville. But first, Henwarts. Earlier this spring I added a 7th coop to the “coop-hood” here at the Kuntry Klucker Farm. This coop was named “Henwarts”. Named after the Hogwarts School of Magic only with a bent towards chickens. Henwarts has officially been added to my growing collection of chicken coops. Painted after the colors of Raven Claw, one of the four houses at Hogwart. I thought that this theme would fit well for a flock of Buff Laced, White Crested, and Tolbunt Polishes. The residents of this coop will officially move in in a few weeks. They are still being kept with the other chicks till they are old enough to move into their own coop.

Finally, the Coop De Ville. I have had this coop from the beginning. During the infancy as we were drawing up the plans for the Kuntry Klucker Farm it consisted of two large coops like the Kuntry Klucker. However, I found a need for a storage area for garden tools and so forth. So instead of attaching a pen this coop stayed as it was for a long time, an unfinished storage area. Well, this year I finally decided that it needed a name and a theme. So, I decided on the name “Coop De Ville” and the color theme of John Deere. It’s a bit of a mix match but I feel that it suites that chicken yard very well. So, showing her colors for the first time here on The Kuntry Klucker, the Coop De Ville. It’s still a storage area for garden tools, but I allow the girls to go up into the coop and lay eggs there by setting out a few nesting boxes. The girls really seem to enjoy the quietness of this laying area.

Now that the spring planting season on the horizon tilling the garden is my next task, in the meantime the girls have been helping me plant annuals. The girls know what fun awaits them when flats of flowers and bags to potting soil come into the backyard. I get lots of “hen-help” with planting the flowers in the various potting arrangement in the chicken yard area. They enjoy tasing all the different colors of the flowers and of course dust bathing in the potting soil bag. A hen’s life here is a good one.

And finally, the chicks! These were the little peeps that were in my indoor brooder just a few short weeks ago. Chicks grow so fast is almost insane. Anyway, they moved from the brooder to the TARDIS which was their outdoor brooder for a short time. Then as they outgrew the TARDIS they move to Henwarts for a short while, as they needed more space, they finally ended up at their final coop location The Kuntry Klucker. The Polishes will take up residence in Henwarts when they are a little older. They have taken to the move and adjusted well. They love the extra room for flying and of course all the meet and greets they get from the other girls as they walk by the Kuntry Klucker to see what all the peeping is about. The older girls are getting to know the new kids on the farm as the new kids are getting to know them. In just a few short months they will be out in the yard enjoying the plentiful bounty in the backyard.

Well, I think that pretty much does it for the news here at the Kuntry Klucker Farm. All feathered residents are doing well awaiting the next exciting event, tilling and planting the garden. I will start tilling up the garden in the next few days providing the weather cooperates.

If you have any questions, please post in the comments. You can also reach me at kuntryklucker@gmail.com.

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

Coffee and Coelophysis – A blog about dinosaurs!

Chicken Math University – Adventures in Homeschooling.

Knowledge of the Spheres – Exploring the Celestial Spheres.

If you liked this post, peck the subscribe button.

As always, thanks for reading. Till next time, keep on growing, we’ll be back soon.

~ The Kuntry Klucker Farm Crew ~

Can Backyard Chickens make you sick?

Posted on August 21, 2018 by Noelle K. Moser

Hi everyone!! I hope your summer has been well and that you packed all the fun into it as humanly possible. I know I have been absent for a while; it’s been a busy summer. It’s funny how the summer months can turn an average functioning family into a frenzy. Well, that is what summer has been like for us, been busy with activities and of course keeping up what the girls, growing and harvesting season. With the majority of the gardens work behind me I wanted to take the time to touch on a subject that I have been asked by several of my followers. Can owning backyard chickens make you sick?

Earlier this month the CDC released an article/report that backyard chickens are responsible for salmonella outbreaks across the country. Sickening people even sending some to the hospital, but so far, no deaths have occurred, well that’s good. As fear ridding as this sounds, I want to take the time and put my two cents in and tell my side of the story as a backyard chicken keeper.

The long and short of it is Yes, backyard chickens can make you sick, but so can your cat, dog, and pet parrot. You see any animal that lays eggs carries the salmonella bacteria, this includes, pet turtles, snakes, bearded dragons, and of course backyard chickens. It is a bacterium that all egg laying animals/reptiles carry in their body. This is why it is advisable that one wash your hands good with soap and water after handling. It a pretty simple common-sense step to take to avoid illness after contact with pets that can carry the salmonella bacteria. Not that this gets your cat and dog off free and easy without incident. Cats and dogs especially if they are allowed to run free outside can also make you sick. They too can come into contact with pathogens that can be transmitted to you. So really your small flock of backyard chickens are no more dangerous to your health then fluffy or fido.

So why does the CDC single out backyard chickens? Well, I think that the answer is twofold. One, keeping backyard chickens has a direct impact on the factory farm producers of eggs and for some, meat for the table. When consumers take it upon themselves to have a say in where their food comes from the big factory farm producers take a big hit.

It does not help their matters that the backyard chicken movement has exploded by leaps and bounds. Keeping backyard chickens is no more common than a family having a dog roaming the backyard. Even cities have passed laws to allow residents to keep a small number of hens in the small plots behind their homes. It’s a movement that is growing every year which is one reason why people like me who blog about backyard chickens are seeing a huge increase in readers. Potential keepers are seeking out information on how to care and sustain a small backyard flock, this is where people like me come into play.

Secondly, I think part of the problem is that people are cuddling their chickens like they would a cat or dog and inadvertently getting sick in the process. The CDC is right when they state that you should not kiss your pet chickens or allow young kids to hold chicks. This is because young children have an increased risk of putting their hands in their mouths after interacting with chicks. But this same rule can be applied to any pet, not just backyard chickens.

So, what is my stance you may be asking? Well to put it simply, wash your hands! I have been a keeper of backyard chickens for almost 10 years now, I have never become sick due to handling or having contact with my flock. The only chicken I have contracted illness from and took ill was from chicken that I ordered at a restaurant.

My girls have never made me sick in anyway or caused any ill effect in the entire time I have been keeping chickens. Protecting yourself and your family from illness takes nothing more than a commonsense approach. Whenever I come inside from interacting the girls the first thing, I do is wash my hands well with soap and water. I don’t need to submerge myself in alcohol or bleach, a simple thorough hand washing is all that is needed. Additionally, I only wear my “coop” cloths into the backyard when interacting with my girls. Not only is this just a good common-sense move, but it also keeps me from getting my nice cloths dirty. Chickens can be messy so I would not want to wear nice cloths to the backyard anyway. So, wearing clothes that I don’t mind getting dirty that I wear nowhere else and take off and put directly in the washer after coming inside is nothing more than common sense.

So, as you can see just taking simple steps after spending time with the girls is all that is needed. One need not be afraid to own or handle backyard chickens because all that is needed to protect yourself a simple act of washing your hands well after contact.

Now, as far as kissing backyard chickens this is probably advice well worth taken. I love my girls, but I never kiss them for several reasons. Chickens are very interested in human eyeballs, they look like treats to them, I cannot tell you how many times I have seen pics of people on Facebook after getting pecked in the eye by their chicken. It hurts and, in some cases, and cause irreversible damage. So, to keep my eyes safe I keep my face well out of the way of the curiosity of a chicken. It just makes perfect sense.

Secondly, kissing your chicken can be hazardous for your health. I know that a lot of people do, but the line stops there for me. I will tell my girls how much a love them and how pretty they are, but my lips are never laid on them. They live outside bathe in dirt and can carry some pathogens on their feathers that I would rather not have in my mouth. So, my love line stops there, I do not kiss my birds. So, yes, backyard chickens can make you sick but the routes to avoid this are very simple and only require soap, water, and facial/eyeball distance.

So, enjoy your backyard birds just make sure to wash your hands and keep your eyes and lips away from their curious beaks. If you practice good hygienic commonsense, you will have a very happy relationship with your girls enjoying all the benefits of having backyard chickens.

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

Coffee and Coelophysis – A blog about dinosaurs!

Chicken Math University – Adventures in Homeschooling.

Knowledge of the Spheres – Exploring the Celestial Spheres.

If you liked this post, peck the subscribe button.

As always, thanks for reading. Till next time, keep on crowing.

~ The Kuntry Klucker Crew ~

Farewell Miss Katie.

Posted on June 30, 2018 by Noelle K. Moser

Hi everyone, I am sorry I have not posted in a while, it been a crazy summer. We have had a lot go on like I am sure you all do. Summer has a way of making your life maddening. Everything from the kids being home from school to summer camp and so forth can make for a busy summer. However, this blog post will possess more of a somber tone. We have lost one of our favorite hens a few weeks ago, Miss Katie. This post will be dedicated to her and her memory of her life on the Kuntry Klucker Farm.

Farm life has a lot of joys, everything from watching new chicks grow into beautiful chickens to watching a newly planted plant comes into its own. The connection that farm life bring you to nature and the earth is so fulfilling. However, along with all the joys and blessings that farm life bring, it also has a side that is sadder. The loss of a beloved pet is always hard whether it be a cat, dog, or in our case a beloved hen.

Miss Katie was our momma hen; she loved to hatch eggs and raise chickens. It was her calling in life to be our resident momma hen. She did a wonderful job as well. She raised several clutches of Buff Orpingtons for me along with Miss Aphrodite, the chick that had a hard start in life several years ago. If Miss Katie had not raised Aphrodite for me, she would have not made it. She needed a chicken mamma, so Miss Katie took her under her wing and raised her into a beautiful and friendly polish hen. Aphrodite acts a lot like Miss Katie. Since Katie raised her, she has adopted some of her personality traits. In Miss Aphrodite, Miss Katie although gone lives on here at the Kuntry Klucker Fam.

Miss Katie was a part of my original shipment of chicks that started our adventures here on the Kuntry Klucker Farm. She was one of the original 17 chicks the I ordered. From early on she stood out as one of our friendliest hens. Not only was she apart of a flock but she considered herself to be a “human chicken”. She acted more like a dog than a chicken. When we went outside to spend time with the chickens, she would be the first one to greet us and want to be picked up and held. She was also our backyard lap chicken. She loved to sit on our laps and talk to us telling us about her day of hunting and pecking with her flock mates in the gardens. She always had something to say. When she was not busy raising chicks, she was little miss jabber beak. She loved to talk and connect with her human flock, that being my hubby, sons and I.

She loved human attention. All my girls are very friendly, but Miss Katie went above and beyond the friendly line and wanted to be with her human flock members. She loved getting rides in the wagon and following us around the backyard as we did our chores and worked in the gardens. Whenever we were outside Miss Katie was there to follow us around and offer the help and support. She was one in a million. She was the gem of my flock and the friendliest hen I have ever known. I had no idea that a hen could be more like a dog till I had Miss Katie come to our farm. I am so glad that she was in the little peeping box that I picked up at the post office 8 going on 9 years ago. She has indeed changed our lives for the better.

Several weeks ago, she came down sick, acting as though she did not feel well. I brought her inside and placed her in my hospital pen that I have in the house for any of my girls that need specific round the clock attention. I determined after much examination and research that Miss Katie’s heart was failing and she was just getting old and that her remaining time with us was short. She lived out her remaining time with us inside in the living room surrounded by her “human flock” that she loved so much. She watched TV with us and listened to us as we talked in the family room. She was just a part of our family in a way she always wanted to be. As she slowly started to fail her heart gave out, she laid down her head and went to her final sleep with the human flock around her. She lived a full life full of love and pampering care. At 9 years old, she had a very long and happy life. Even for a well-cared for chicken 9 years is a long life.

We buried her the next day in my little cemetery where I bury all my girls. It’s always sad when I lose one of my girls, but Miss Katie was hard to say goodbye to. The life at the Kuntry Klucker Farm goes on but there is a big void left in the backyard since Katie went to rainbow bridge. I love all my girls, but she was a special gal that left a hole in my heart and our flock. I am sure that I will never have a hen quite like Miss Katie. I am just so glad that I have Miss Aphrodite to carry on her legacy and personality.

Every time I step outside to take care of the girls I stop by her grave and say hi. I can still hear her in my mind’s eye talking to me about her day catching bugs and tending the gardens. Tales of ripe tomatoes, plump berries, juicy bugs and other goings on in the backyard still catch my ear. She loved to talk to us and help us tend the gardens. Life is not the same in the backyard, she will be missed and there will forever be a void left by Miss Katie. She was one in a million, and gem that I was lucky enough to have privilege to care for and pamper.

So, to you Miss Katie, I say thank you. Thank you for coming to our little farm and blessing our life with your presence. We miss you so much, but we will be okay, I have peace knowing that you died surrounded by your human flock that loved you so much. As you sit on your perch at Rainbow Bridge check in on us every once in a while.

Till then, Fly high sweet girl, Fly High.

We love you sweetheart. ♥️

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

Coffee and Coelophysis – A blog about dinosaurs!

Chicken Math University – Adventures in Homeschooling.

Knowledge of the Spheres – Exploring the Celestial Spheres.

If you liked this post, peck the subscribe button.

As always, thanks for reading. Till next time, keep on crowing!

~ The Kuntry Klucker Crew~

The following slideshow captures the amazing mother hen, Miss Katie.

It’s Tilling Day!!

Posted on April 19, 2018 by Noelle K. Moser

Welcome back everyone!! Today is the day that the girls look forward to the most, tilling day. For those who don’t understand what all the excitement is about, allow me to explain. Tilling means two things, one the start of the next growing season and two, worms!! I am more excited about planting crops while the girls are more excited about the worms and bugs.

I have lots of help here on the Kuntry Klucker Farm. My hubby willingly tills the garden for me while the girls enthusiastically follow him gobbling up any worms and bugs that the tiller disturbs. It’s a big deal here at the farm. Below I will chronical the events of the evening.

The tiller is awoken from its long winters slumber in the garden shed and brought to the backyard. Now most animals when they see something as scary looking like a tiller coming into the living quarters they respond in sheer panic, the girls not so much. The girls (with 8 years now under their wings) know exactly the bounty that shortly awaits them when the tiller makes it annual appearance. They flock to the tiller following the user to the garden where they line up for the imminent buffet.

As the tiller turns the soil, worms and other delectables come to the surface which the girls delightfully gobble up. Now the rules of this chicken game are to be the chicken right behind the tiller. The hen that is closest to the tiller gets the worms first. Its a literal game of “the early bird gets the worm”. As you can probably suspect, there are squabbles for the first-place position behind the tiller, but that’s all part of the fun.

As the garden is further tilled the worms are more abundant so being the first hen in line does not matter as much. As the tiller makes its way around the garden, so do the girls. Instead of a line of hungry chickens, we then have circles of worm inspectors following the tiller. The human perspective of the excitement that the girls experience is absolutely hilarious. We get as much joy out of watching them getting the worms as they do in getting the worms. Owning chickens is so much fun, this is just one of the delightful aspects that chickens bring to the backyard homestead.

When the tiller has done its job and is returned to its place in the garden shed, the girls still work for a while longer. They will continue to further till the soil for me for the next several l weeks. Once the last frost has passed it will be time to plant the crops and the growing season begins. The girls will continue to work in the garden all summer long patrolling the plants for bugs and turning the soil as they search for delicious worms to feast on.

The Bantam Boutique and TARDIS crew on the other hand are new to all of this excitement. This is their first experience with the tiller, this time last year they were still eggs not yet hatched. Enigma and the crew are not sure what to make of the tiller. But if life can teach a chicken anything it’s to love the worm god, AKA the tiller.

That is all the excitement for now, the girls will be busy the next several weeks helping us prepare for planting season. Thanks for stopping by, the girls and I will be back soon with a post on the new arrivals. New chicks will arrive May 11!! We here at the Kuntry Klucker Farm are anxiously awaiting their arrival.

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

Coffee and Coelophysis – A blog about dinosaurs!

Chicken Math University – Adventures in Homeschooling

Knowledge of the Spheres – Exploring the Celestial Spheres

If you liked this post, peck the subscribe button.

As always, thanks for reading. Till then keep on crowing.

~ The Kuntry Klucker Crew ~

Spring has Sprung!!

Posted on April 13, 2018 by Noelle K. Moser

Spring has finally sprung here at the Kuntry Klucker Farm. The days are finally getting longer, and the weather is starting to warm up nicely. Along with longer days and warmer weather comes flowers and bugs. The girls in particular are excited about the bugs whereas I am a bit more excited about the flowers. But no matter the excitement whether it be over bugs or flowers spring means one thing, planting season!

Things are about to get really busy here at the Kuntry Klucker Farm and the girls are very excited. First, we took the plastic down from around the coops. I put this up in late fall to protect the girls from the chilly winter winds and participation. The plastic helps to keep the coop and pens warm and dry while keeping rain, snow and ice out. All the girls appreciate the added protection and consequently spend more time in the coop and pen where it is warm and dry as opposed to outside. But as the weather warms the girls spend less time in the pen and more time in the backyard doing what chickens do, hunting and pecking.

After taking down the winter protection from around the coops it was coop cleaning day. I deep clean the coops once a year usually in the spring after the winter season. I completely wash them inside and out along with the pen, shoveling all the old sand out of the coops and replacing it with new fresh sand. Since the girls are out in the yard a lot more, I can finally prepare the coops for the spring and summer seasons. Now that coop cleaning day is done its time to start getting ready for planting season.

While I am busy planning the gardens for the upcoming growing season, the girls are busy doing their share of work tilling them for me. All winter long I dump shaving from the coops on the gardens where it decomposes conditioning the soils in preparation for spring planting. The girls after a long winter of being cooped up due to the winter temps and weather enthusiastically get to work. They turn over all the shaving in the gardens as they search for worms and other delectables. In the process their efforts till the gardens working the shaving into the soil as they search for bugs and worms. Soon it will be time for the tiller which they thoroughly enjoy. Turning over the soil in preparation for planting lends to many worms to enjoy. When the tiller come to the backyard, they know the banquet that awaits.

Finally, after spending the winter in the warm dry coop and pen, it’s time to catch up with old friends at the other end of the yard. The Bantam Boutique and Tardis Crew are doing well. They too are appreciating the longer days and warmer weather. The Silkies are busy finding worms and bugs in the mulch that surrounds their coop while the Bantam Crew does the same. The sheer joy that is expressed upon the unearthing of a juicy worm or fresh bug is nothing less than exhilarating in the world of a chicken.

As the flocks once again greet each other and the increasing warmth from the sun all is blissful here at the Kuntry Klucker Farm. Soon we will have crops in the ground and berries on the bushes. The girls will diligently work to rid my garden plants of bugs while getting a bit of the spoil in the process. Good times are ahead as we plow away at the coming growing season.

The girls and I have more exciting news to share with you here at the Kuntry Klucker Farm. I have ordered some new recruits; chicks will be arriving in early May! We are so excited to welcome these new little members and eagerly await their arrival. I will of course have a post detailing the additions to the Kuntry Klucker Farm crew.

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

Coffee and Coelophysis – A blog about dinosaurs!

Chicken Math University – Adventures in Homeschooling.

Knowledge of the Spheres – Exploring the Celestial Spheres.

If you liked this post, peck the subscribe button.

As always, thanks for reading. Till next time, keep on crowing!

~ The Kuntry Klucker Crew ~

Prefab vs. Hand Built Coops

Posted on March 10, 2018 by Noelle K. Moser

Hi everyone, this post is going to be a little bit different than my normal posting. I have received a lot of questions from my readers inquiring what chicken coops are best, prefab coops or hand build coops. For those who are not familiar with what a prefab coop is allow me to explain. When I refer to prefab coops, I am talking about coops that you see in farm stores, such as Tractor Supply or Rural King just to name a few. They come in boxes and require assembly which is very simple only needing a screwdriver and a little elbow grease.

Many chicken keepers do not like them and recommend that newcomers build their own coop. I for one am of a differing opinion. I built my first coop, and I added 4 prefab coops later. I will say that I love the prefab coops and that they make very viable options for those who cannot build a coop for various reasons whether they be financial, physical limitation, or conceptual reasons. Woodworking and carpentry are not for everyone, it is hard work and can be very expensive and dangerous especially if you have never worked with wood before. So, to those who want chickens and hear the “if you don’t build the coop it’s not a coop” rhetoric this post if for you. This is the story of my journey in both building a coop and owning prefabs. I hope that it helps.

I built my first coop, the Kuntry Klucker. I love my big coop, but I will say it was the hardest most dangerous project that I undertook. I was new to chickens and followed the advice of more experienced keepers, one of which was don’t buy a prefab coop build your own. Not knowing much this is what I did. I found through this endeavor that I have no business using power tools. I nearly killed myself twice and spent $1500 more than I had intentionally set out to spend. After I cut the wood too short or at wrong angels it got expensive. I realized that this was really bad advice that I followed from more experienced chicken keepers. I had never built anything before, so this was my first and last experience with wood working and carpentry in general.

So how did I come to love prefab coops. Well, as the saying goes you cannot have just one. I fell in love with chickens and wanted more. I knew from my past experience that building my coop was a suicide mission, so I looked elsewhere. I began to entertain the thought of prefab coops against the better judgement of other poultry keepers. The fact was simple, I cannot build a coop, so I had to seek out other options.

To start I read reviews, most will say something like this, “it looks good, but the quality is poor”. This is a general across the board review that you will see for a prefab coop. Don’t let this bother you, the coops given a little love will do just fine. Anyway, knowing this I ordered one with a plan in mind. When it arrived, I put it together and was actually shocked at how well it was made. Drawing from my experience from my coop building disaster I updated the hardware cloth, updated the latches, and gave the wood a good coat of barn paint followed by a good water seal. The results were stunning!!! Not only did I not kill myself building this “kit coop”, (all I needed was a screwdriver inserted of a power saw), but after I made my adjustments is held up well, and I mean well! I live in the steamy south of East Tennessee. We get hot summers with lots of humidity, nasty spring storms, and ice storms in the winter. Mother Nature throws it all at us. Through this my prefab coops have held up very well. I do touch up the paint about every other year, the hardware cloths and latches are still fine.

After my experience with my first prefab coop which now has 5 years under its belt, I ordered more as my flocks grew. I now have 5 coops currently in operation, 4 of them are prefab coops. I have not had any predators get into my prefab coop, nor have I had any problems with the wood rotting (hence the paint and water seal). The Roofs hold up well and the durability of the structures have withstood everything mother nature has thrown at it thus far. I can honestly say that it would take a disastrous weather event to tear them down such a tornado or derecho. But if I get a tornado here, I will have much more to worry about than just damage to my prefab coops. Additionally, I have them insured under my homeowner’s property damage clause. I will just put them in with all the other things we need replaced should we have to deal with a disastrous weather event.

So this is my story, I learned from experience that building your own coop as many suggest is just not feasible for everyone. I did it and nearly killed myself, I will never build a coop from scratch again. I have enough experience with prefab coops to honestly recommend them as a viable option for others who cannot or do not know how to build a chicken coop. They are a very good option. I will say that I will only get mine from Tractor Supply or a local co-op. Reason being… if it arrived damaged (so far none of mine have) they will replace or exchange it for me. If I order from Amazon, it’s a bit harder to get an exchange on such a large item. That would be my only advice. Prefab coops are great, but get it from TSC, Rural King, or local co-op that stocks them. If you have problems, you can get help.

I am a small voice with respect to prefab chicken coops in particular. But I like to think that my experience and opinions will help others understand that there are other options and that prefab coops can and do make great homes for your chickens.

Several years on from the original publication of this article my prefab coops are doing great, I have even added several more! To see the updated version of “Prefab Vs, Hand-Built Coops”, please click here.

To take a virtual tour of my Backyard “Coop-Hood” please visit my YouTube challenge by clicking here.

I have also added more tips and hacks to increase the longevity of prefab coops.

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

Coffee and Coelophysis – A blog about dinosaurs!

Chicken Math University – Adventures in Homeschooling.

Knowledge of the Spheres – Exploring the Celestial Spheres.

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 ~

Getting ready for Old Man Winter

Posted on November 4, 2017 by Noelle K. Moser

Sorry it has been a while since I posted. I am doing fine for those who messaged me in concern. I appreciate it, we have just been busy with fall and now getting ready for the holiday’s that are right around the corner. The Kuntry Klucker and Bantam Boutique are also ready for the upcoming winter season. A few days ago we winterized the coops and got them ready for the cold weather that will come our way soon. As you might have guessed by the title of this post, I will chronical how we here at the Kuntry Klucker farm prepare the coops for winter. I get a lot of questions from fellow chicken keepers on how to protect their flocks from the winter weather, I hope that this post offers some help and guidance in that area of winter care. So without further ado, lets dig into how to prepare your flock for winter.

First and foremost chickens do not need a heater or heat lamp in the coops during the cold winter season. Actually not only are heat lamps huge fire hazards in chicken coops, that can actually make it harder for the chickens to regulate their body temperates. As the seasons change and cooler weather starts to take over chickens grow a down coat under their feathers, the same down coats that are sold in stores. Chickens by nature are little furnaces and are more than able to keep warm during the winter. A chickens average body temperature is about 109 degrees F so you can see that the cold temperates are not so much of a concern to them. Given that, I will tell you want I do for my girls to help them weather the winter well.

Since chickens are naturally able to tolerate very cold temperatures I focus more on keeping the coop and pen dry. Cold temperatures are not so much of a problem for chickens but getting wet is a different story all together. So to protect them from the rain, snow, and ice I wrap the pens in an industrial plastic sheeting. This serves two purposes, one it keeps the rain and now out of the pens, and two it protects the girls from the wicked cold winter winds that can accompany the winter season.

I wrap the pen completely in the plastic, only leaving a small potion open to allow fresh air to flow without allowing the winter winds to chill the girls.

The girls are very thankful for the wind and water breaks that the plastic provides. During the coldest of winter days I will not allow them outside due to the possibility of getting chilled if the wind is rather nasty that day. Of course if its raining it will be a inside day for the girls. Since the ground seems to stay constantly moist or frozen during the winter I move a sandbox into the coop to offer them dry sand to dust bathe in. I also hang in their pen a chicken swing to offer some fun on the cold blustery winter days.

During the cold winter days or days where the weather is poor they prefer to stay in their pen to stay dry and thus warm. The plastic also keeps the winter winds out so thus the girls stay nice and warm. They don’t mind to stay in their pen, they have plenty of things to do to keep them occupied. During the winter I will also make them some treats to peck at and also aid in their entertainment. They over winter very well with nothing more than industrial plastic to shield them form the winter elements.

The Bantam Botique also gets the same first class winter care as the Kuntry Klucker girls receive. I wrap their entire pen in plastic to accomplish the same winter care as I for for the Kuntry Klucker. Only, since this is the Bantam Boutique Crew’s first winter they are not so sure of the plastic. Enigma in particular is quite entertaining as the crows every time the wind rattles the plastic. Next winter this will all be routine, but for this season their response is quite hilarious.

I am sure that they appreciate the dry and warm environment that the plastic sheeting provides, but still they are a hoot. I place sand in the run of the Bantam Botique to allow me to clean out the poop with ease and also gives the Bantam Boutique Crew substrate to dust bathe in. The Kuntry Klucker has a dirt floor so that is why I add a sand box during the winter months. They Bantam Botique does not have the room for a sand box so I just put sand on the floor of their pen to achieve that same objective. The crew loves the sand and I like how easy it is the clean. Because I shelter the pen the sand always stay dry, manageable, and clean all winter long.

So to answer the question about winter care for chickens I leave this advice. Do not use heat lamps, they are dangerous and with shavings in the coop they provide prime kindling for a disastrous coop fire. I allow the girls to use what nature provided them to keep warm and just supplement them with a dry and clean coop and pen. By using inexpensive plastic sheeting that I get at Tractor Supply for under $20, I offer them a comfortable overwintering experience. Chickens are made to live outside and weather quite well, they just need a clean dry place to call home. This is my 7th winter with the Kuntry Klucker girls and the first with the Bantam Botique Crew, over my past winters I have had a very happy and healthy flock.

And what cozy warm winter coop wouldn’t be complete without a little festivity. Every year I string lights around the interior and exterior of the Kuntyr Klukcer in exception of Christmas and Santa coming to town. The lights offer the girls a little extra light in the evenings and I love to see the coop lit up with the lights of the season.

That is all for now. Till next time thanks for stopping by and spending a little time with the girls and I. We will be back soon with another entertaining post about life here on the Kuntry Klucker Farm.

As always, thanks for reading and keep on crowing

~ The Kuntry Klucker and Bantam Boutique Crew ~

Little Hatchery Mixup

Posted on August 3, 2017 by Noelle K. Moser

Hello again Kuntry Klucker fans. I promised in my last post that I would be sharing an update about the Bantom Boutique Gang. Well, here they are pretty much full grown and doing great! The Bantom Boutique Crew are well, bantam chickens which is another word for “miniature” chickens in the chicken world. But don’t let their small stature fool you, there is a lot of chicken attitude stuffed in those small packages. Starting with my little “hatchery mixup”.

When I ordered my chicks from the hatchery I ordered two breeds, Silkies and White Crested Polishes. Well I had a little hitchhiker that was neither a Silkie nor a Polish. He was what I named my little mystery chick. I had planned on naming all my Polish girls after Greek Goddesses and my Polish Rooster Apollo. Well, things did not go as planned and have changed just a bit. Allow me to let you in on the identity of my little mystery chick.

Everyone, meet Enigma! Enigma like the rest of the Bantam Botique Crew is a bantam, so they have size in common and that is just about it. Enigma has grown up to be a beautiful Motted Cochin, with a sweetest personality.

Enigma is a rooster and has started to crow in the mornings when I greet them to let them out of the coop to start their new day. So, my plan to name all my polish girls after Greek Goddesses has changed slightly. I do have three polishes, two girls named Athena and Aphrodite, and a Polish rooster named Apollo. Since I had a little surprise in my batch of chicks I though the best name for the little one was Enigma. It would work for both a hen or rooster and is the perfect name since his identity was a bit of a, well an Enigma.

Enigma as I have already mentioned has the sweetest personality. He is the alpha rooster, (that means rooster in command) of the Bantam Boutique Crew. He takes care of the ladies talks to them and tries to find them treats to eat. He is the first out of the coop in the morning and the last in the evening. Good roosters at times can be hard to find, I am blessed and thrilled to have him apart of my flock here at the Kuntry Klucker Farm. He is a delight to interact with and his plumage is very striking. Although he stands out among the Silkies and Polishes he is a beautiful addition due to his motted feather pattern.

In the evenings when I let the Bantam Boutique Crew out for some scratch and play time, Enigma does his best to keep watch for the girls as they hunt and peck for bugs. Although originally a unexpected hitchhiker in my order of chicks, I am thrill to have him. I am glad that Enigma found his way into my order, he was destined to be the king of the Bantam Boutique Crew.

That is all I have for now, thanks for taking the time to catch up with the girls and I. Till next time, take care and keep crowing.

~ The Bantam Boutique Crew~