Author: Elvira Bowen

Give them Ice & Frozen Treats You can also add blocks of ice, or toss a bunch of ice cubes into the waterer or feed pan. Chickens can drink the ice water as it melts. Frozen watermelon makes the perfect summer treat for your chickens. It’s wet, mushy, cold, and tasty! Will ice water hurt […]

Because a hen’s reproductive system is sensitive to light exposure, eventually the hen will lay too late in a day for its body to begin forming a new egg. The hen will then skip a day or more before laying again. Is it normal for chickens to skip a day of laying eggs? The first […]

A chicken may begin eating their eggs if their calcium levels are low. Calcium deficiency causes a chicken to seek out a supplemental diet of egg shell. Chickens may also eat their eggs due to accidental discovery. If a chicken coop is crowded, a chicken can very easily break an egg. How do I stop […]

During the winter, this means they don’t rise nearly as early. This also means that they go to bed much earlier because of how early night falls. If your chickens aren’t laying and it is winter time, don’t be alarmed. They aren’t awake long enough for their bodies to produce an egg. Why don’t my […]

Bananas. If you have any brown, spotty bananas, your baby chicks will gladly eat them for you! Baby chicks can eat bananas, but avoid feeding them any unripe bananas. Bananas are high in Vitamin B6 and pyridoxine and a good source of magnesium, copper and healthy carbs. Can baby chickens eat banana peels? So I […]

Dying hens will usually have soiled vent feathers and most chickens will stop eating and drinking as they die. The signs or symptoms of a dying chickens are: Stood very still or lethargic and moving slowly. Not eating or drinking. What does a chicken do when it’s dying? A dying chicken will hide their weakness […]

Plain Pedialyte or Gatorade is an option for your chickens, or you can mix up your own homemade electrolytes using things you already have in your kitchen. Can you give human electrolytes to chickens? Electrolyte drinks do basically the same for poultry as for humans. They help to rehydrate and re-balance the cells and organs […]

So, can chickens live alone? Chickens can live alone although it is not optimal, ideal, or recommended; chickens generally do better together as a group. Chickens naturally flock together for warmth, comfort, company, and when they are stressed or frightened. Is it OK to have only 1 chicken? Is it OK to have just one […]

? Should chickens go out in the rain? Chicken feathers are somewhat waterproof, so letting them out is fine. Letting your birds out prevents overcrowding, boredom and the diseases that go along with a wet chicken coop. What do you do with chickens on a rainy day? What to do. It might be wise to […]

Many city areas are perfectly fine with a few chickens, as long as you don’t have a rooster. Some allow small goats. You could perhaps consider ducks, geese, rabbits, dogs, and cats. What other animals can be kept with chickens? Adult birds that can live with chickens are ducks, geese, guineas, peafowl and turkeys. Birds […]

How often do free range hens go outside? Per Certified Humane’s requirements, all Nellie’s hens are given daily access, weather permitting, to an uncovered outdoor pasture for a minimum of 6 hours per day during daylight hours. How long does a chicken have to be outside to be free range? 6 hours per dayThe hens […]

Raising chickens for egg production can be rewarding and challenging. The amount of daylight hours affects a chicken’s reproductive cycle. Hens will begin laying when the amount of daylight reaches 14 hours per day during early spring. Maximum egg laying will occur when the day length reaches 16 hours per day. Do chickens need sunlight […]

In fact, influenza strains have been the most common pandemic viruses over the last century. As a result, there are very strict government guidelines in place to protect chickens and other poultry from the virus. And the mainstay of that advice, for keepers of small flocks or pet chickens, is to keep them indoors. Do […]

Calcium, phosphorus, and salt are needed in the highest amounts. Calcium (which can be provided by limestone, oyster shell, or meat and bone meal) is especially important for proper skeletal formation, as well as for eggshell formation in laying hens. What can I give my chickens to help them lay eggs? Treats That Will Make […]

Chickens do not lay eggs when they are moulting as they are using all of their energy to grow feathers and stay warm. Roosters also moult each year and this effects their fertility. Why are my 20 week old chickens not laying eggs? Either your chickens are too old or too young; they won’t be […]

Mud is not good for chickens. It can promote bumblefoot and internal parasites, as well as making it less easy and pleasant for chickens to get around. Mud is even worse for chicken owners. What do you put in a muddy Chicken Run? Possible Fixes for a Muddy Chicken Run Well draining material can include […]

So, do chickens need sunlight? Chickens need sunlight. The sun determines their daily sleep/wake schedule and the light helps them synthesize and produce the hormones required for egg production. However, chickens only need a moderate amount of sunlight and do require shade. Do chickens like being in the sun? Chicken coops don’t need to have […]

After the egg is laid the embryo stays in a kind of suspended animation until the hen sits on it to incubate it. If the egg is not incubated within a few weeks the embryo will die. This is how things work with a fertilized egg, the kind one might get directly from a small […]

Despite salmonella’s presence, residents with backyard chicken flocks can greatly reduce the risk of infection by taking simple precautions, Coufal said. Petting or holding live birds, handling farm fresh eggs or working in areas frequented by birds, such as the coop, can expose people to salmonella. Can you get salmonella from touching a chicken? People […]

Hay must not be used for bedding because it soon gets damp, and that can cause fungal spores to grow that can cause aspergillosis. Do you use hay or straw for chickens? NEVER use hay as coop bedding. Hay is livestock feed, straw is livestock bedding. Hay is too “green” and tends to harbor mold […]