Hope

 

You can't hardly get any more annoying than a sideways video, sorry!!  I thought I had this live video cued up properly, but I still have a lot to learn! Please join me in the coop as we talk about what it means to have HOPE, and what "not counting your chickens before they are hatched" is all about.  Quick surprise cameo from Dolly too!  May your day be blessed!

New Coop Additions

 

Buffy

So much has been happening with the chickens lately.  We have had more new additions and I'll need to do another post soon to catch up.  First, we added 3 new silkies to the mix.  Two hens and a pullet.  The black hen is Midnight, the buff hen is Buffy, and the pullet was aptly named Milly by my 7-year-old daughter.  Milly is cute and fluffy but still very aloof and I haven't gotten a good picture of her yet.  I am so surprised that our Silkie rooster, Hazel (we thought he was a hen forever), has not shown any interest in them as of yet.  He really hasn't paid any attention to them at all.  I hope that changes!

Midnight

I have been having good luck with getting Midnight to trust me, Buffy not so much!  Milly is so stinkin' cute but is scared of me.  She has integrated herself into the main flock just fine and hangs out with them every day.  Midnight and Buffy have both been just hanging out inside the coop with the teenagers (who are still growing like weeds!).

I got them not just because I've always wanted a few Silkie hens but also because I am hoping they will be good sitters for future clutches of eggs.  Silkies are supposed to be notorious for sitting eggs and I hope these ladies will fit the bill.  I also hope they will get comfortable and tame enough that at least one of them would be the kind of mom who will take chicks in at any time.  That will remain to be seen, but sure would be nice.  More updates soon!

New Chick on the Block

Chicken math is real!  I needed more egg layers and so the purchasing began.  I have been sharing updates on the littles the past few months.  Above is Josephine with her "babies."  They are quite the character these days since Josie is a bantam (tiny chicken).   She is a fierce momma though so don't underestimate her size!  She still has a pretty tight wing on those babies these days.

New to the farm is a silkie/sapphire gem orphan and a couple of ISA Browns that I purchased at our local farm store to keep her company.  I tried to place her with one of my mommas but none of them would have it.  They are all getting along just great and doing well.  Chicken math at its best.

Above are the "teenagers" that are growing bigger and sassier every day.  They are quite the bunch.  We are enjoying them and they are all also doing well.  I release them into the big coop during the day.  Very soon they will be completely kicked out of their brooder since I will need to place the new babies in there (they won't stay in the house for long!).  More updates to come soon.  Maybe even a new visitor/permanent resident.  May your day be blessed.

July 2020 Chick Update

They look like mini chickens!  They are getting past that awkward teenage stage and growing up.  They are 4 weeks old and growing every day.  The two leghorns are really feathering out beautifully.  I still can't tell if the 4 she hatched are pullets or not.  At least 3 of them seem to be, if not all 4, but I just can't tell yet.  Would be awesome if they are all pullets!!  They are growing so fast and starting to outgrow their area a little.  I've tried to let Abigail out, but she keeps fighting with one of the lavender orpingtons.  I think I will need to move the two lavenders to the other red coop.  Easier said than done because I have the other mom with her one baby in the red coop separated and I don't want the lavenders to supersede her once she gets released with her chick.  It's a timing mess right now, but I'm sure it will work out.

The Abigail crew

I can't believe how fast they grow.  When I look at Abigail's group and then the other two moms with their babies and realize there is only about 5 days difference between the babies it is hard to believe.  The other babies that are only about 5 days younger are still quite fuzzy and not near as much feathering, but every day matters. Plus, I am thinking that the little one that is by itself in the red coop with mom is possibly a silkie mix chick (especially based on the lack of feathering).  Again, time will tell.  I am also sad that I think it might be a cockerel.

Josephine and her two cuties

I still can't imagine what it will be like when Josie's babies get bigger than her.  It will be interesting for sure.  She is just so small and petite.  The bigger they get the less of them she is able to cover when they try to hide under her or sleep at night.

There certainly has been plenty of drama this go round.  The mom in the red coop with just one baby is getting so stir crazy in their small hutch I have them in.  I let them out one day and I was certain the baby would be killed.  She wasn't doing a great job at protecting him, so I put the back into the hutch.  Then she really started going crazy and I was certain I could place the baby with Josephine or perhaps Abigail.  I let mom out and she didn't fuss too much when I took the baby away.  The baby however was screaming like crazy.  Long story short, neither Josephine or Abigail would take him in.  I ended up putting him back with his mom today.  I was glad she took him back and sorry she is cooped up.  I told her to give it at least 1 more week for her baby to get a little bigger.  I think he could make it ok if he were just a tad bigger.

How is your brood going?  Are you or have you hatched any out?  Do you separate your moms and babies from the rest of the flock? (I have found it better to separate than lose poor babies to crazy hens).

They Are Easily Amused

I installed an upgraded version of their summer water jug this morning and you would have thought it was Christmas.  Silly chickens are so easily amused and they were loving and playing around with their new waterer.  We have found that these sideways nipple waterers are the best and least wasteful.  Very little if any water is spilled out and it of course stays clean and cool in the cooler.  We add ice or ice jugs in the hot hot summer which is pretty much upon us now.

The problem I currently have is that I don't really have the freezer space right now for the freezer jugs (we use 1/2 gal milk jugs filled 3/4 of the way full with water).  The freezer jugs are awesome in the 100-degree weather!  I have an ice maker machine on order because our current refrigerator is absolutely awesome in every way except the ice maker!  It is the worst ice maker EVER!  Something gets jammed or the sensor fails or something and we often run out of ice because it just isn't making any.  The tray is very small to begin with and when it stops making ice because it THINKS it's full, then it is a long time before we actually have any ice.

I'll keep you updated on the ice machine as to whether or not it solves our problem.  From the reviews I've read I am a little concerned that I might be in a similar situation in which we are short on ice.  The machine can make I think about 26 lbs. of ice in 24 hours, but it doesn't store that much and it evidently takes time to produce each batch of ice.  With no place to store the ice that is made, I might have a problem.

On to more projects for the day.  Hope your day is blessed!

So You Want to Get Some Chickens?

I don't know about where you are, but around here it's chick season again.  It's the time of year people are ready to start their flock or add to their existing flock.  If you are new to chickens then you might be wondering where you should start.  There is so much information out there about raising chickens and you will soon find that we all have our "opinions" on the best way to go about doing it.  My best initial advice is to research, research, research.  Then research some more!  Seriously, the more you can find out the better you will be at deciding what works best for you and your "farm."

Be on the lookout for a series of articles coming up where I will try my best to share what I have learned over the past 6 years of raising our chickens.  We started with just 8 straight run chicks and a small 4' x 8' coop and have now upgraded to 5 coops of various sizes and generally 45-50 chickens at any given time.  Oh, and we added 2 ducks last year.  It has been an educational and fun ride and I now understand the meaning of "chicken math."

Baby Chicks Are Growing So Fast!

The babies are getting big and growing so fast!  Still not sure how many boys and girls.  I know for sure one of the six is a rooster and am suspecting there may be a few more.  Hoping for more pullets, but time will tell.  They are all strong and healthy and momma Sassy is doing a good job raising them (as usual).  I am so excited about the little Brahma chick and hope it is a "she."

Brownie front and center :)

 
Essentially they are all mutts since they are mixed, but I love genetics and how things play out.  Even with a barred rock cross rooster, some of the traits are so strong.  Two of the chicks are plainly easter eggers and look just like a pair you would buy in the store. I suspect my little brown chick, Brownie, is also an easter egger cross (Easter Eggers are already a mutt breed to begin with but they do breed true if you cross an EE rooster with an EE hen). 
It's fun to watch them grow and I can't wait to see what we end up with.  Hopefully more girls!

Our weather has been crazy lately and last night was no exception.  We went from 80 degrees one day to a low of 35 last night!  Poor molting chickens were not too amused. I actually turned on the radiant heater panel for any who might need the extra warmth.  I have a few going through a pretty hard molt and without the feathers to keep them warm they will get chilled pretty easily.  It also didn't help that it rained most of the day so it was wet, cold, and pretty miserable!  How is your weather?  Do you think we wil at least get to enjoy a short fall?  I hope so!   I love this kind of weather.

Baby Updates

The babies are doing well.  They are now 4 days old (5 when you read this) and growing fast.  It always amazes me how fast they grow and mature.  This batch seems to be extra bold so it will be very interesting to observe them as they grow.  Of the 6 I think and hope only 2 are roosters (or none!).  I am absolutely in love with the brown chick.  We have never had a brown chick before and she is gorgeous.  A kind of chocolatety brown with some black mottling.  She was the weakest at first but seems to have pulled through just fine.  We didn't lose any chicks that hatched.  Of the unhatched eggs there were at least 3 that had developed but not fully enough to hatch.  Mom, Sassy, is doing a great job as usual.

LOVE the color of this chick!

 I am trying to be sure to take the time to handle them as much as I can, but I always seem to be in a rush so, not as much as I'd like most days. The teens in the red coop are doing well and I really need to do an update on them.  The rooster is looking really good.  Hope he continues to do well the head rooster in that coop.  I'd like to keep them both.  If trouble begins I'm not sure who will get to stay.  Probably the new roo since he looks more purebred Copper Marans than the other.  The other babies who are now tweens in the blue coop are also doing well and growing.  I think we may have 2 roos and 1 pullet though.  Not so happy about that but it is what it is.

She's such a good momma

It's hard to believe that the first official day of fall begins tomorrow.  Our weather has been too hot here for me to think fall, but we should have a cooler week this week until the heat hits again over next weekend and throughout the following week. How are your temps?  Are you ready for fall?

Lazy Sunny Days

Chicken Little "Spaz" and Hazel enjoying some sun

We are entering our fall season and we got to experience a few days of really nice weather last week and over the weekend.  It was horribly hot again today, and it will continue throughout the week, but we had those few days.  The chickens were really enjoying themselves and it was dust baths all around for everyone.  You don't want to be standing near one when they get up and "shake off!!"  I have been showered with a cloud of dust many times and do not enjoy it.

Silly Hazel enjoying some nice sunshine

I love to watch when the chickens lay out to sun themselves.  It is kind of a scary scene as it often looks like they are laying there, dead.  I showed my son the pic of his favored silkie, Hazel, and his first comment was to ask, "He's not dead, is he?"  I of course let him know he was just fine which I think he already knew that since he knows I would never just show him a pic of his dead silkie.  Hazel is one of his favorites and a special one.  Yes, I did say "he."  Hazel is a boy because until Hazel crowed we were sure he was a she.  He didn't crow for a VERY, VERY long time.  His brother crowed months before we ever heard a peep out of Hazel.  We kinda figured she was a he when we weren't getting any eggs. 

The weather will be cool before we know it and I for one am ready for it.  I am done with the hot, hot heat and humidity.  I just hope we have an enjoyable fall and don't run from summer to winter with no inbetween.  We are still winding the garden down and I am anxious to get it done also.  The okra is still coming in but I am about done with it.  More updates coming soon.  I must also remember to do an update on our broody momma, Sassy, who is due to hatch soon.  May your days be blessed.

The Teenagers Are Growing!

The baby chicks in the red coop are growing!  They are considered teenagers at this point and look like miniature chickens, so cute!  I'm pretty sure I have at least 2 pullets at this point and am hoping that the lighter one is also a pullet though I suspect it is a cockerel.  The 4th one is definitely a cockerel.  He has had quite a prominent comb from the beginning and it is only getting bigger!

They are pretty skittish since they don't get a lot of handling from anyone and Junior, the rooster in that coop has been harassing them pretty bad lately.  I am anxious to see what the one definite cockerel will feather out to look like.  He has slightly feathered legs like a Maran but he still seems to be all black with no highlights.  Time will tell.  

For now, I will enjoy their cuteness and hope for more pullets. They do seem to hang together pretty well which is nice when they are being picked on.  They seem to help each other out for the most part and get along pretty well as a small group.

Bath Time!

I caught this rare moment the other day and had to snap a shot.  It looks like a couple of chickens taking a simple dust bath.  The catch is that the one on the left is my head rooster, Kristoff.  It was so cute to see him enjoying himself with one of his hens beside him.  He is a good rooster and always on guard with the flock.  It's nice to know that he finds time to take a break and enjoy once in a while.

The purpose of dust baths for the chickens is to not only clean their feathers but more importantly to smother any types of "bugs" that might be trying to harbor themselves on their bodies.  I've been blessed enough to not have battled mites or lice in my chickens, but good dust baths help keep things like that at bay.

Broody Time Again!

Here we go again, it's broody momma time!  These hens are such a hoot.  In the above pic two of my broody hens are arguing over who gets to keep the box.  Currently, they were both plastered into the one laying box.  There were of course 8 other boxes to use (7 of them were completely available and empty), but where's the fun in that?!

I love broody season because it is when my hens get to hatch some of our eggs.  I love waiting to see what will hatch since most of my crew will end up being general barnyard mixes.  I'm not sure I'm on board with all the drama that occurs up to hatch time, but the end result is always good for those that make it to the end game.  I don't like when eggs and chicks don't make it for various reasons.

I've decided to set up a dedicated "broody coop" so I guess now is the time for me to move the hens around.  I will be moving some hens out of the green coop where my rooster Sweet Pea heads up the flock.  I will leave my buff brahma in there and probably put Fluffy, the light brahma from the blue coop, over with her.  The two black sex links will move to the blue coop along with the non-laying leghorn I have (she will get to now sit with my crippled rooster who is isolated for his protection).  That should leave plenty of room for at least 3 broody mamas in the green coop.  I currently seem to have 2-3 broody mommas, but one of them is my easter egger who is no longer allowed to sit eggs due to her violent nature once the eggs start hatching!

I will update with the status on all this once I have everyone moved around.  There is a possibility to rehome the two sex link hens with a rooster I need to get rid of, so we shall see.

How is your spring going so far?  Do you have a garden?  Is it planted yet?  I hope to get more planting in tomorrow if the weather holds out good.  Until next time.  Blessings.

Using Straw in the Chicken Yard

DON'T DO IT!!  There, I said it, again.  About 2 or 3 years ago I vowed never to put straw down in my chicken runs.  I had used it over the winter to protect their feet from the snow and cold and it worked great at the time.  UNTIL . . . the snow melted, lots of poop, then lots of rain which then turned into LOTS of STINK!!  YUK!  It was a horrid mess and a LOT of work to clean up.  I vowed, never again!  Well, this past winter for some reason our local farm store was having trouble keeping shavings in stock and I went back to putting straw down in the runs after we had a couple of near blizzard type snowfalls.

I am now again reminded of and regretting my decision.  I hauled 6 full wheelbarrow loads of yucky straw and poop from one of my smaller runs. On top of that, I'm pretty sure one of my hens now has a crop blockage (hopefully not impacted) she is dealing with.  She most likely got it from eating the straw, ughh!  I'm treating her but might end up deciding to just cull her.  Yes, some of the chickens are pets but their purpose on our homestead is food so the majority of my current stock is expendable.  Those we have tagged as our pets will stay with us till they pass but freezer camp is the option for the rest as the time arises.

I still have another run to clean out and part of my main coop run too.  Work I would not have to be performing had I just put extra shavings down instead.  I hope I don't forget this again.  It is just so not worth all the extra work to have to haul it away.  Add to that a sick hen who is most likely not laying right now due to her illness.  I hope she pulls out of it.  She is a pretty good layer (Copper Marans) who is just now about 1 1/2 years old.

Straw might work for some, but for me it does not.  Do you use straw in your coop and/or runs?  I just personally prefer pine shavings all around.  It has always done me well and kept my hens and roosters happy and healthy.

Mud, Mud, and MORE Mud!

Just when you think it can't get worse, it does.  This horrible wet, cold, winter can now leave, please!  We have had just too much rain/snow and not enough sunny, warm days to dry it up.  Our backyard is a soupy mess and the chickens are not happy. The above pic is from the area around the outside of my main coop.  We have tried to lay straw down but it just isn't holding up under all the mud.  Walking from the house to the coops to take care of the chickens has become an Olympic event!!  To make matters worse, we have more rain in the future forecast. So glad that the area where the chickens have their runs does not have all this mud since we have worked on building the areas in the runs up so to diminish/eliminate any flooding issues.

The other super crazy part is our weather.  It can't make its mind up.  We go from the above picture to this!

And then back to the wet soupy mud.  Ughh!!  It really gives one reason to complain!  But God says to rejoice in ALL things.  Trying to find the joy in all this mess.  I know it's in there!

Anxiously awaiting warmer weather and sunnier days.  Hope all is well in your neck of the woods.  Many blessings to you!

Rain, Rain, Go Away!

We have had so much rain over the past month.  I don't mean to sound ungrateful, but we have had just TOO MUCH rain.  It has rained, flooded, froze, thawed, rained more, froze more, and on and on.  It has been raining almost nonstop again since yesterday and isn't supposed to stop till about noon tomorrow!  Our ground is so saturated and our backyard is badly flooded in several spots.

The walk to the chicken yard multiple times a day has become treacherous due to the ice and/or mud depending on the temperatures. When the weather has been at and below freezing temperatures I have had to make extra trips to the coop to collect the eggs before they freeze.  So far we have only had one frozen egg I had to throw away.  Not bad when we are currently getting 12-15 eggs per day.

Enough whining.  There have been some beautiful days, but I am so ready for spring to be here!  Ready to get the garden started.  Ready for warmer, sunnier days.  May your day be blessed.

Is Spring Just Around the Corner?

The girls were enjoying our unseasonably warm weather the other morning. I always crack up at their "water cooler" chat times.  You can just imagine what they were discussing or complaining about!  You can see the crazy garden in the background in utter disarray.  Wow, got a lot to do to get it cleaned up for this year's planting!  I was sure we would get it prepared before winter but we didn't.

We have some exciting plans for the garden this year so I am excited to get started on it.  Perhaps this weekend if the weather permits.  It is still winter but I plan to take advantage of any crazy warm days when we can.  Last week we enjoyed some beautiful robins, bluebirds and a cardinal.  I have never seen so many robins in our yard at once.  It was so odd, yet very special and beautiful to see.  Based on the wildlife around here it seems that perhaps spring might arrive a little early.

We still have more cold on the horizon, but we will enjoy the next few days of warmth while we can.  How is the weather in your neck of the woods?  Have you noticed that spring seems perhaps a little early where you are too?

Are Eggs All They are Cracked Up to Be?

Everyone who knows me knows that I am the "crazy chicken lady."  I started on my "chicken journey" 5 years ago and I have never looked back.  There is a known fact in the chicken world called "chicken math."  Chicken math is when the bug to keep chickens takes over and you just HAVE to get that one more chicken or breed.

When we moved to our property in the fall of 2007 I just couldn't wait to start our "farm."  I knew we couldn't do it right away but I was busting at the seams to get started.  I never realized it would take 7 (YES SEVEN) years till I would finally get some chickens.  There are a lot of reasons why but that is for another story on another day.  I was so proud to start out with almost free chickens and a cheap little prefab coop (yet another story!!) I found on sale at our local farm store.  Thus began the journey and learning curves!!  My "free" chickens were straight run and free because of a rebate.  I knew what straight run meant (the chicks are not sexed so you don't know if you are getting boys or girls) but did not realize at the time that they are usually picked over by the time you get yours and you pretty much end up with all boys!  Of our first 10 chicks I think 8 of them were boys if I remember correctly!!

So, I started with the modest 10 chicks.  Once they grew and we knew we had mostly boys, it was time to cull (process to eat) the unwanted extra boys.  I rehomed 1 and kept 2 and the others went to what we call "freezer camp" for future meals for our family.  I wanted chickens for meat and for eggs so this was ok but I didn't want to start out that way!  Our next batch of chicks was intentionally purchased as pullets (young female chicks).  I have to say that in the 5 years that we have purchased chicks from our local farm store there has only been one time (and that was in the beginning) when one of the pullets ended up being a cockerel (young male chick).

So now we had two pullets and two cockerels from our initial purchase.  We purchased I think 6 more pullets and then by that fall we purchased some more pullets.  We had to rehome another rooster because they weren't getting along.  I think we had about 12-15 chickens by the end of that first year.  By the next spring I got chick fever again and purchased more and the story goes on.  Now not only do I purchase chicks but I have some hens that go broody (want to hatch chicks) and we hatch some of our own too.  I am currently at 54 chickens right now.  I have 8 roosters and 46 hens. You should only have about 1 rooster per 10 hens but I also have multiple pens.  Two of my roosters are currently locked up separately due to the excess at the moment.  Again, another story for another day.

We still have 2 chickens from our original crew and many from shortly thereafter.  There are quite a few that should be culled but will not be due to them being my son's pets from the beginning.  We keep that down to a minimum these days but it is hard.  You do get so attached to them.  But I must remember, they are also provision for my family.  We got them for eggs and meat, but the occasional pet is just fine by me too.

Speaking of eggs.  Let's wrap this up.  I meant to talk about the eggs and got off track!!  I cracked the eggs in the picture above the other day and it reminded me about some myths and misconceptions about chicken eggs.  Fact: there are only two colors of eggs, white and blue.  All other egg colors are variations of these.  Different chicken breeds lay different color eggs.  Fact:  Brown eggs and white eggs are the same!  The brown egg color is actually "sprayed or painted" on by the hen before it is laid.  The retail industry has you convinced that brown eggs are farm eggs and thus healthier for you.  ALL eggs are farm eggs!!!  Brown eggs are not necessarily healthier or better for you than white eggs.  Nutritional value of an egg is dependent on what the chickens are fed.  Chickens that are free ranged or able to eat more grass and bugs are going to lay eggs that will be healthier for you.  Fact: chickens are omnivores so they eat both plants AND animal products (yes they will even eat chicken!!).  Fact: lighter yolked eggs are not necessarily less nutritious than darker yolks.

Even backyard chicken keepers are proud of their darker yolked "farm fresh" eggs.  The problem is that again, the nutrition of the egg is dependent on what is fed to the chicken.  As you can see from the picture above, yolk color does not always guarantee that one egg is healthier than another.  My flock is all fed the same diet and forage on the same ground, yet look at the difference in yolk color.  Two of the above eggs were such a beautiful deep orange color compared to the paler looking yolk.  It's possible that their bodies processed the food differently or perhaps they foraged for bugs and treats better than the hen who laid the lighter yolk.  You can feed certain food and supplements to cause your yolks to take on rich dark colors, but it does not necessarily mean it is more nutritious.

I hope this clarifies some interesting facts about chickens and their eggs.  Comment below for any additions you have or questions about this subject.  May your day be blessed, and hopefully warmer, in this crazy polar vortex weather we are having lately.

To Heat or Not to Heat

To heat or not to heat, THAT is the question.  Winter is surely upon us and we have had some exceptionally frigid temps the past week.  We were having such a mild winter and then BAM, it hit.  Winter vortex.  Freezing cold.  Brrrrr!!  If you had the perfect, right answer then you would be a very rich person.  There is always an ongoing discussion in the chicken world about whether to heat your coop or not and just how cold is too cold for your chickens.

The catch is that there are SO many factors to consider.  What is your climate like in general, is humidity a problem, what breeds of chickens do you have, etc.??  If you have had chickens for any length of time then you know what they say about chickens surviving cold over heat to be true.  They can tolerate very frigid temps but tend to have many more issues with excessive heat.

I have been raising chickens for 5 years now and while I am FAR from any type of expert, I have experienced a lot in these past years.  I have learned that they certainly can tolerate cold MUCH better than the heat.  I have never lost one to the cold but I have lost 1 or 2 from the heat.  We don't have electricity in the coop but we do run electrical cords year round now.  I use heated waterers in the winter and fans in the summer.  While any type of electricity can be a potential fire hazard, I do agree that heat lamps in the coop are just not safe.  Many, many coops have burnt to the ground from heat lamps and some have even lost their homes and their lives because of it.

After watching my girls struggle so much during the winter last year when we had negative temps, I still wanted to provide some type of heat or warmth (we do have older hens now and it shows in the cold).  I did have one of those hard plastic radiant type heat pads that you buy for outdoor cats/dogs plugged in for the past couple of years.  It doesn't heat anything but I have watched some of my older crew and snuggle up next to it when they got too chilled.

I have learned that even newly hatched chicks can survive the cold with a good momma.  Twice now I've had hens go broody much too late in the year and hatch babies in the winter.  I had heard from another chicken momma that babies do just fine but not until I experienced it myself did I truly believe it.  Amazing, momma keeps them plenty warm and you will notice them mature and feather out faster and be more healthy and vibrant from being raised in that type of environment.  They have always been my healthiest chickens.

All that being said, I did just purchase and had hubby install our new Cozy Coop radiant heater in the main coop.  I still have 3 other coops with chickens that have no heat whatsoever and probably never will.  None of the coops are insulated but we have gone to great lengths to ensure that they are all well ventilated.  Everyone says it over and over again and it is so true, "keep them dry, draft free, and well ventilated and they will do fine."

I am happy to report that the heater does not heat the coop whatsoever.  As a matter of fact, I have noticed that it doesn't even heat up the roost that is about 6 inches away.  While in my opinion even on the lowest setting (there are two--high and low) it is too hot for me to keep my hand on it without feeling like it is burning, it does allow for them to warm themselves if they feel the need by camping out right next to it.  We mounted it on the wall just behind the roosting area and I know they appreciate the extra warmth at night during these frigid nights.  It is in my main coop and there are 38 chickens in there and they roost in different spots so almost half of them do not roost anywhere near the heat source and they do just fine!  I just keep it on low and let them decide how they want to use it.  I generally do not notice anyone fighting to be near it during the day which is good. I installed it mostly for any crazy temp drops like last year and for peace of mind for me.  If we lost power, not a big deal since it is not raising temps at all and they are clearly not depending on it for constant warmth.

Again, heating is so dependent on your personal feelings and those I stated above about weather and types of chickens.  Our weather can range from low negative temps (generally not lower than -10 degrees Fahrenheit) to over 100 degrees Fahrenheit (I think our hottest so far with chickens has been about 102 with pretty high humidity and boy were they struggling).  Most, if not all, of my flock is pretty much dual purpose birds and tend to all do just fine in hot or cold temps.  Some breeds can't tolerate cold at all and some can't tolerate heat at all.  I have barred rocks, easter eggers, a rhode island red, a leghorn, buff orpingtons, lavender orpingtons, brahmas, speckled sussexes, black copper marans, silver-laced wyandottes, australorps, various sex links, homegrown mutts, and even 1 purebred silkie boy.

To heat or not to heat?  That will be up to you to decide.  Do you heat your coop(s)?  Why or why not?

Blessings!

Disclaimer:  This is NOT a sponsored post and there are no affiliate links.  I simply shared what is working for me and what I like so far.

It's Still Winter

I'm finally back.  It has been a challenge.  We have had a lot of sickness over the past two months and I am still trying to get rid of the remnants of a horrible cough I had that would just not leave.  It ended up being quite a bit of sinus issues, but pretty miserable nonetheless.  I have so many dreams and plans for this year and I can only hope that I can do a better job at blogging and sharing what goes on at our little homestead.  I would like to incorporate more informative posts and share more of my experiences with successes and failures as we slowly grow in our knowledge.

It's still winter time and I guess we needed to be reminded of that.  The above pic shows what happened today within a matter of hours.  We went from too much rain and flooding to a flat out blizzard.  I think there might only be about 6 inches or so of snow out there not counting the snow drifts but the cold and wind have been brutal.  It has been close to 20 mph winds most of the day and it is still blowing hard.  The snow has stopped but the wind will continue through the night.

We have had SO MUCH rain lately and the water was starting to be a problem with the chickens and now this.  Needless to say, they were NOT happy about this sudden snow blizzard.  It will be interesting to see what the morning brings.  It will be a challenge.  The not fun part of homesteading and raising your own animals.  They still need food and water and no matter the weather, they depend on you to get it to them.  It's also critical to keep their bedding as clean and dry as possible during the cold.  Dampness and wet cause more frostbite issues with chickens than the cold itself.

Hubby installed the new Cozy Coop radiant heater in the main coop today so hopefully, they are a little more comfortable in this cold.  It does not heat the coop but should rather take the chill off for them to not have to work so hard at keeping their bodies warm, especially overnight.  I'll keep you updated on my experience with it.  They certainly seemed to appreciate it tonight when I closed their coop up for the night.  The coop is still very cold (about 30 degrees last I checked), but again, more tolerable than single digit temps which is what it is with the wind chill right now.

Until next time, may your day be blessed.

Blessings to Your Household

The winter days are dragging on.  It has been a very mild winter for us thus far and I am glad.  I don't like to super cold and it always makes me worry about the chickens more if the temps drop too low. Christmas has come and gone and New Years is just around the corner.  Our schedules have not seemed to slow down and Sam keeps me running with his 4H and Youth Group activities.

I do so enjoy quiet evenings by the fire and am always so grateful for our woodburning fireplace.  Our weather has been all over the place so it is often hard to plan things.  We still need to get so much done that didn't get done this fall.  I am still hoping for some mild weather to hopefully finish some of those projects.  We REALLY need to get the garden prepped but I know if not we will be fine.  It never got done till spring last year and we had a really nice garden this past year.  I am looking forward to an even better one this year.

I have so many dreams for what I need to be doing on this blog but never seem to have the time to bring things to fruition.  I sure hope to get things in order this upcoming year and make some necessary improvements.  I will continue to review homeschool products as I have decided to sign on to the Review Crew again.  It has blessed my family so much.  I would really like to provide more information specifically on what I have learned while chicken keeping and my research on essential oils and natural healing using herbs and oils.

Hoping your Christmas was blessed and praying for a prosperous new year for you.  Blessings to you and your family and may peace surround you.  I do realize that for some this is not such a wonderful time of the year due to losses so I lift up a prayer for you that joy may flood your heart despite your circumstances.