Adventures in Raising Chickens

An Egg-in-Egg; A Most Unusual Chicken Egg

2011-04-12T13:10:00.000-04:00

One of my White Leghorn hens laid an extra large double yolk egg last week, which is nothing unusual in itself.

What is unusual is the extra-extra large White Leghorn egg which was laid a few days ago. It weighed nearly 4 ounces and I was sure that it would have 2, if not 3, yolks inside as did the egg laid a week earlier.

Here is a picture of it sitting on an egg carton so you can see the size of it.

Today I decided to have the egg for breakfast so I broke it open into a bowl to scramble it. Was I ever surprised when I found that the extra-extra large egg contained another completely formed egg inside! Never in my years of raising chickens have I ever seen such a thing before, or even heard that it could happen.

Here's a picture of the egg in an egg. I knew I'd better take a picture or nobody would ever believe me.

My white 6 White Leghorns and 3 Ameraucana chickens have only been laying for a couple of weeks, so I can't help but wonder if they have any more surprises in store for me.

One thing's for sure, I find my chickens very entertaining.

Hatched a New Set of Baby Chickens

2010-10-28T14:31:00.001-04:00

This past year was the 3rd laying season for my original Ameraucana hens. As you might expect, they did not lay as well this year as they did previously.

I decided to buy an incubator and hatch a few new chicks. I had my heart set on hatching all White Leghorns since they are tops at egg production, but could not find anyone to buy some fertile hatching eggs from locally. Believe it or not, I ended up bidding on a dozen White Leghorn eggs on eBay. After paying for the eggs and shipping, I have nearly $25 invested in the eggs. I won the auction for 12 eggs, but fortunately the person who sold them included 2 extra eggs, so I received 14.

Since I wasn't sure if any of these would hatch, I decided to hatch some of the eggs from my Ameraucana hens. I added 9 Ameraucana eggs to the incubator, along with the 14 White Leghorn eggs. On hatching day, I had 7 Leghorn chicks hatch and 6 Ameraucana chicks, giving me a total of 13. Good thing I decided to hatch extra, as more than likely, 50% of these will be roosters

The chicks are one week old today and are eating and drinking like little pigs. They are also starting to grow their pin feathers.

Notice the dark Ameraucana chick in the bottom right hand side of the picture? This little guy could not get out of the shell. After 12 hours of it trying to break free, and going against all recommendations I have read about never helping a chick hatch, I removed the shell from the little darling. I'm happy to say that it seems to be just fine with no birth defects, and was one of the first to start eating and drinking. I'm quite pleased that I don't always listen to advice and followed my heart instead. I'm hoping this is a hen so I can keep her for a long time.

I plan to keep all the hens I hatched of both breeds, however many that is, and one single White Leghorn rooster. That way, in a few years when I need to hatch new chicks, I can hatch only purebred White Leghorns, or I can add some Ameraucana/Leghorn crosses into the mix. Should make a nice layer and be pretty too.

This is the incubator I bought from Amazon, the Hova-Bator. It did a good job keeping the eggs at an even 100 degrees, but next time I hatch some eggs, I think I'll purchase the optional egg turner for it. It sounds silly, but I got tired of turning eggs by hand 2 or 3 times a day.

Rhode Island Red Chickens - The Best Brown Egg Layer

2010-05-13T08:59:00.004-04:00

These hardy birds are the perfect choice for the home flock. They have a tendency to produce eggs no matter what conditions they live in, though of course they will excel in the proper conditions. These excellent layers can produce from 250 to 300 brown eggs per year. The only brown egg layers that can compete are some of the newer hybrid sex-linked strains that were developed from the Rhode Island Red, like New Hampshire Reds, Production Reds, and ISA Browns. The best laying breed for white eggs is the Leghorn.
Rhode Island Reds will begin laying eggs when they reach the age of five to six months. Eggs will come sporadically at first, and you may occasionally get a very large egg with two yolks. This is typical from young pullets. Once they begin to lay, they will gradually lay more regularly, until they produce one egg every 23 to 26 hours.
Hens molt once or twice a year. They stop laying during this period so their energy can go to regrowing feathers temporarily. Once they are done, egg production picks right up again. Rhode Island Reds are a dual purpose breed, meaning they make a decent table bird as well. If you can find some old strains of Rhode Island Reds, you will notice they are darker colored, larger and rectangular shaped. The newer strains have been streamlined for more egg production and less meat production.
Rhode Island Red chickens do well confined to a small chicken yard, in a portable chicken tractor or free range. They are excellent foragers who are happy to dig for bugs and worms. This addition to their diet will create eggs with much higher nutrient contents and deep orange yolks. Hens allowed to forage lay eggs with more vitamin A and E, less cholesterol, less saturated fat, more beta carotene and more omega-3 fatty acids.
Many cities are allowing people to keep a few hens for egg production. Rhode Island Red chickens would be perfect for these situations. It is recommended to plan for 1.5 to 2 laying hens per person for a family flock. This is a good rule to follow if you plan on eating eggs every day. Otherwise, a small group of four hens can produce 2 to 4 eggs every day except during molting. That is enough to feed most small families a meal of eggs at least every few days. A family of four could make a quiche, for example, as a meal. One quiche uses about four eggs.
Rhode Island Reds are one of the most productive heritage breeds you can find. Keeping a small flock helps keep the breed alive and well, provides you with hours of entertainment and you get lots of delicious eggs.
ChickenHousesPlus can help you get your backyard chicken flock going order your Rhode Island Red Chicks from us and receive FREE Shipping. We carry Organic Chicken Feed, Brooder boxes, Chicken Coops and much more!
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Which Chickens Should I Hatch? Choosing the Right Chickens to Hatch

2010-05-13T08:52:00.002-04:00

Choosing the right eggs are very important, as healthy breeders make chicks that are healthy. Be sure that the chicken you get the eggs from is fully mature, healthy, and has a good success rate with hatchlings. Also, be sure that you purchase all of your eggs from the exact same place, to minimize the spread of disease between chicks.
Before you purchase your fertile chicken eggs, you need to have a good chicken egg incubator ready and waiting. You will need to get this well before you get your eggs, since it needs to be able to get and stay at the proper temperature that is conducive to hatching. When you get your incubator, you will receive instructions that tell you the right temperature, and good places to put the incubator. It needs to be in a location that stays the same temperature, and doesn't get drafty. Once the chicken egg incubator remains at the right temperature, you can then start to place your fertile chicken eggs inside.
Follow the directions on the incubator so that you know the right level of humidity the eggs need, and when to turn them. If your incubator comes with an automatic egg turner, this will not be a concern. If you do not have an automatic egg turner, you will need to follow the directions on your incubator to insure that you turn your fertile chicken eggs as needed.
It is important that when you are choosing eggs for hatching, that you get ones that are not cracked or oddly misshapen. Eggs that have cracks can have a higher chance of disease in the embryo, and ones that are shaped weird usually either do not hatch, or result in deformities. Also, stay away from any eggs that have rings or lime bulbs, as more often than not, the chicks they produce will have health problems. Eggs that are very large will often not hatch at all, and eggs that are very small will result in little chickens.
Keep in mind that you should never wash fertile chicken eggs that you plan to hatch. This could make diseases go into the shell, harming the embryo, and also may get rid of the coating that is found in the shell that is meant to protect the chick.
The type of chicken you choose to get your eggs from will be largely dependent on what is available to you, but some of the most common chickens used for breeding are:
Barred Plymouth Rocks, Rhode Island Reds, and the Golden Comet. The choice is yours as to which eggs you would like to hatch, and learning everything you can about the particular breed can make your chicken raising experience quite enjoyable.
Suzie O'Connor is the owner of ChickenHousesPlus.com which carries a catalog of Homemade chicken houses, chicken coops, DIY chicken coop plans and a selection of Fertile chicken eggs designed to assist anyone that wants to have their own backyard chicken flock!
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3rd Year for My Chickens

2010-05-13T08:42:00.001-04:00

My Ameraucana hens are now moving into their 3rd summer. I have 11 of the original 16 left. Although they are getting some age on them, they are still laying well. They average about 6 eggs a day, although on occasion I will receive as low as 4 or as high as 9 eggs. I believe I have one hen that has never laid an egg at all. She is the smallest, and I have never seen her near a nesting box, not even once. I know I should get rid of her, but I rather like her, so I guess she has a home for life.

We recently planted our garden, so the chickens are not allowed out of their pen unless I'm outside to watch them. My dog is getting really good about chasing them back into the backyard, but if I'm not outside watching, she doesn't watch for them either.

At least I'm getting in some reading time each evening. I take my book to the picnic table about 7:30 every evening, let the chickens out, and read for an hour or so. I keep one eye on the book and one on the garden, while I wait for them to go back in the coop around 8:30 each evening.

Spring is the Ideal Time to Get Pet Chickens For Your Kids

2010-02-26T18:33:00.001-05:00

Spring is the Ideal Time to Get Pet Chickens For Your Kids

By Maggie Kerr
As soon as you feel that first spring sunshine, you start thinking about how to help your children connect with nature. Believe it or not, getting some pet chickens for your kids is a terrific way to do this. Even if you live in a town or city you can still raise chickens in your back yard. People have been doing it for hundreds of years.
Benefits to your family:
1.) Kids learn the responsibility of caring for their pets, which includes feeding, watering, collecting eggs and seeing they are safe for the night.
2.) Kids learn self sufficiency by raising chickens that produce eggs for the family. They also have a lot of fun eating the eggs or using them in school projects.
3.) Kids have unusual pets to impress their friends.
4.) Kids can learn training techniques by teaching their chickens simple tricks for fun.
5.) Kids can show their pets in breed competitions, meeting other children with similar interests and learning how to compete to best advantage.
6.) Kids will be spending time outside, in the fresh air, rather than stuck in front of the TV or video games.
How to Get Started:
1.) First check the local regulations to find out whether keeping chickens at your home is allowed in your area.
2.) Decide on what kind of chickens you would like. There is a huge variety available from small sized bantums to fancy exotic breeds. You are sure to find one that will suit your tastes and needs.
3.) Prepare for your chickens. Provide a coop, chicken run and find a source of chicken feed.
4.) Find a local breeder or farmer who will sell you your first chickens.
Hatch Your Own Chicks:
To really introduce your children to the wonders of life, you can order some fertilized eggs and hatch your own chicks. This only takes about three weeks and is much easier than you think. And, for children, very little can match the excitement of seeing baby chicks pecking their way out of their eggs and into your hearts.
The Parents' Guide to Raising Backyard Chickens for Kids, gives you all the knowledge you need to make keeping chickens at home a success just about anywhere. Get yours at: http://www.hamilhouse.com/Parent-1.htm.
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Coping With Broody Chickens

2010-02-26T18:29:00.000-05:00

Coping With Broody Chickens

By Rachel Gawith

For every chicken keeper, trying to stop your egg layers going broody can be a constant battle. Whilst man has done their absolute best to create a species that continuously supplies us with eggs, it is in the hens deepest biology to procreate, and this means incubating. On an industrial scale, with farmers who have no time for broody hens, chickens will simply be discarded, but for those keeping poultry in a smaller or more free range setting, there are ways to break the cycle.

The battle against broody hens starts when selecting the breeds you wish to keep. Many feathered feet varieties will be likely to attempt to incubate, the Silkie being one notorious variety, whilst other bantams or showcase types also offer lower eggs yields and an increased desire to sit. If egg yield is of high importance try choosing varieties such as the Rhode Island Red, Light Speckled Sussex or perhaps the Orpington. However, every hen of any variety may wish to sit at some point and the best course of action is to catch it early.

The obvious choice for the unsentimental owner is to dispatch the hen concerned. This solves the problem of the broodiness, and whilst you loose one of the egg laying birds, you acquire a bird for the table.

At the other extreme of the scale, leaving the bird to incubate can also be an option. Allowing her to hatch fertilised eggs, though loosing one of your egg layers for a number of months, will allow you to enjoy the experience that comes with raising chicks. Once matured, cockerels can then be used for meat birds, whilst hens can be passed to friends or merged with your own bustling flock.

Alternatively isolate the hen from her environment and try and break the cycle. It is important to do this as soon as possible after you start seeing broody signs such as unwillingness to leave the nest box, or a change in the hens demeanor and vocalisations. A chemical change within the birds body at the time of incubation causes her underside to become warmer than normal, and breaking this change can set your hen back to the path of laying. Isolate her in a pen with nothing but water and feed. Many keepers use wire mesh flooring so that air can circulate beneath her feet but this is not a necessity. Without a nesting box and material, and with only her basic needs met, a hens broodiness can often be broken within three to four days, whereupon she can be replaced back into the flock.

Breaking a hens broodiness is not an exact science. It can take time and perseverance that many keepers simply don't have, but don't think that because your hen is broody you simply have to give up. By catching it quick and taking appropriate action your hen will be laying again in no time.

Gofarmer is an online classified website for farmers and smallholders and those in the rural agricultural sector. It enables direct farm to farm selling and for consumers to purchase produce directly from the farm. For more information please visit http://www.gofarmer.com and for more articles and news relating to the farming industry please visit http://www.farming-classifieds.co.uk.

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Raising Chickens - How to Start Your Chicks Off Right

2010-02-26T18:22:00.000-05:00

Raising Chickens - How to Start Your Chicks Off Right

By Tom Chung

If you want your chicks to grow into healthy adults, then you have to make sure that you start your chicks off in the right way. Follow these tips to grow your chicks and you will get the maximum chance to see many strong adult chickens in the near future.
Brooder: You should try to set up a heat source and put the chicks in a brooder near the heat, such as a heat lamp. Within the brooder, the good space for each chick is in average of at least 6 square inches of floor. Then you will want to build up solid slides about 18 inches high to prevent any drafts. Put the brooder in a dry place that you feel very safe from predators.
Brooder floor: Pine shaving or other absorbent bedding are good materials to cover the floor of the brooder. Do not use newspaper or cedar shaving or kitty litter. It is important to cover the litter with paper towels or a piece of cold cloth, for the first two days, to keep chicks from eating the litter until they find the food.
Feed: Try to use baby chick starter feed for all chicks and only meat bird starter feed for meat bird chicks. For the first day or two, you can spread feed on a white paper plate or some white paper towels. So the feed can be easy to find. Do not forget to put the feed in feed dishes.
Water: A shallow, narrow container is the best choice for baby chicks to prevent them from being drown. Teach them where the water container is by dipping their beaks into the water gently when you put them into the brooder. Keep your eyes on the container to make sure water is always available.
Temperature: You should keep the chicks at about 95 degrees Fahrenheit at all times for the first week. Then have the temperature drop five degrees a week until it is similar to the surrounding room temperature outside the brooder.
Handling: If you handle baby chick too much, you will make baby chicks too stressful and grow poorly or even kill them.
Troubleshooting: Learn how to tell if baby chicks are happy. They should be fairly quiet, spread out over the brooder eating, drinking and sleeping. Something is wrong if chicks are peeping loudly and continuously. For example, baby chicks are too hot when they are against the brooder walls, spreading out and panting.
Apply these simple instructions as you can and you will have happy baby chicks from the beginning.

Tom Chung has been writing articles for nearly a year. He enjoys writing many different topics. Come and visit his newest website Arthritis Natural Remedies which he creates to help people find more information about What Causes Arthritis.

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White Egg Laying Chicken Breeds - The Best Layers

2009-11-16T19:28:00.000-05:00

There are several breeds of chickens that lay white eggs. Some lay extremely well, while others are very poor layers. If you have decided to keep a small flock of backyard chickens, this article may help you make a decision on which type of chicken to raise.

White Leghorn chickens are at the top of the list for laying huge quantities of large, white eggs. Their feathers are solid white in color. They are of a small body type, so are not suitable for supplying fresh meat. If you intend to keep them confined, they will probably need an enclosed area with a fence over the top, as they tend to be flighty. They are a hardy breed and do well in temperature extremes.

Brown Leghorn chickens are not as well known as the White Leghorn, but they are a good choice for white egg layers. They hens are a pretty brown color, and the roosters can be quite handsome with brown, black and red throughout their bodies. They are prolific layers of large white eggs, although they don't produce quite as well as the White Leghorn does. They are also a hardy breed.

California White is a hybrid type of white egg layer. It ranks right up there with the White Leghorn in egg production, and lays large white eggs. It grows a little faster than most. Since it is a hybrid, it will not breed true, so if you are planning on using stock to breed in the future, it wouldn't be a good choice for you. If you are only interested in egg production, I highly recommend this hardy breed.

Ancona chickens are small bodied and are good layers. Although the eggs are small, you may find them a good choice simply because of their looks. They are very pretty, with black feathers and white speckles. They are a hardy breed, but their combs may freeze during winter. They do best on free range as they are not a friendly type of fowl and don't take well to being confined.

Buff Catalanas are one of the heaviest of the white egg layers, which makes them a dual purpose breed. They can be raised for both meat and egg production. They are rather rare, but can be located on the internet as day old chicks. They are a very handsome breed, with gray legs, buff to red colored bodies, and black tails. Catalanas are also a hardy chicken.

Production Blacks lay the most eggs of all the breeds that aren't mainly white. They are very pretty with black and silver barred feathers on both the hens and the roosters. Although they were originally developed by cross-breeding, they do breed true in you plan to hatch your own chicks. They are a small breed that does well in temperature extremes.

There are many other types of white egg laying breeds of chickens, but I have only covered the top egg producers. You may want to introduce others into your flock, even though they don't produce as well. Many of the less prolific layers are quite beautiful and rare. You may decide to keep a few simply for their beauty and uniqueness.

K. Hupp enjoys cooking and gardening. Visit Windmills for Electricity to find information about building your own energy producing windmill for home use.

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Chicken Feeders and Waterers

2009-11-09T16:07:00.000-05:00

Chicken Feeders and Waterers
By Eric McCarthy

While it may be more interesting to focus on building a chicken coop structure, making sure your chickens needs are met once it is built is critical.

It's important to have a supply of fresh water available at all times. I personally like plastic aviary feeders available from pet stores, and use them for both feed and water. They are inexpensive and allow you to see the level of the feed or water without removing a cover. These should either be placed on a cinder block or hung from the ceiling of the coop, to avoid a mess, and keep the food and water from being contaminated with droppings. Needless to say the food and water should be positioned away from the perch. There are also quite a few DIY feeder and waterer designs available online. Many are constructed with plastic 5 gallon buckets and are quite clever.

Of course in addition to water, providing the proper feed is equally important. Although there is some disagreement over what constitutes the optimum chicken diet, I recommend sticking with a basic feed that is formulated for the chickens age and purpose. By focusing your flocks' diet around a formulated feed you can be assured that your will be providing the proper mix of nutrients, in the correct proportions. It's vitally important to keep a supply of fresh water available to your flock at all times. There are inexpensive feeder and waterers widely available to ensure that your flock will always have access to a fresh supply of water and feed.

Eric McCarthy is a home improvement enthusiast. He recently investigated the best laptop backpack for his 17" laptop and is currently looking for a high quality electric egg poacher.

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Feeding Chickens - What's Good and What's Not

2009-11-05T17:35:00.002-05:00

Feeding Chickens - What's Good and What's Not
By Julian James

Chicken feed: pellets or mash?

The mainstay of pet chickens' diet is usually either pellets or layers' mash and most will accept either quite happily.

The choice is more yours as to what works out best for your pocket.We have experimented with both but opted for mash in the end. When we tried pellets, we thought that the chickens were getting through an awful lot, but gradually started discovered huge stores of pellets outside the run that had obviously been carried away by the local vermin population.

Another reason for choosing mash was pure practicality. We prefer to buy our chicken feed locally and have recently discovered a small poultry farm nearby which we can also get mash from. It feels good knowing it was all grown just a few fields away and it is very good value to boot.

However, some people prefer pellets because the chickens tend not to chuck them around as much as the grain so you get less wastage in that respect. I'd recommend trying both and decide what works out best for you.
You can buy chicken feed, pellets or mash, online or from agricultural merchants.

Other dietary additions

As well as either mash or pellets, chickens can also benefit by small nutritional additions to their feed. Sunflower seeds are an excellent example. The chickens love them and they are a great source of omega6.

However, as with anything, you don't want to go over the top with the sunflower seeds.

Chickens aren't usually too fussy about what you feed them but they really do enjoy some greenery being added to their diet. It is good to hang up a lettuce or some other vegetable for them to peck at from time to time as it gives them some amusement.

Foods to avoid
Feeding chickens kitchen scraps is generally fine, as long as you are selective. Do avoid:

- meat
- avocados (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persin)
- green peppers

- onions

- garlic (if you don't want garlic-y eggs)

As a point of interest, when we bought our Marans we were told by the farmer not to feed them any kitchen scraps at all and to stick to chicken feed. No such warning was given when we bought our Black Rocks, who have a reputation for being bomb proof. It might be worth checking with whoever you buy your chickens from what is best for that particular breed.

Choosing a chicken feeder

When choosing a chicken feeder in which to put your pellets or mash, you basically have a choice of plastic or metal. We always go for metal feeders as we keep them outdoors and the plastic ones easily blow away if they are exposed to the elements. They are really only practical for feeding inside coops.

We buy metal pheasant feeders like these as they are sturdy enough to withstand strong winds and only rarely get knocked over by the chickens.

Choosing a drinker for your chickens

Chickens need to have access to water at all times. The metal drinker vs plastic drinker debate is exactly the same as with chicken feeders and for that reason we recommend metal drinkers like these. It is worth getting the largest size that you can find as you don't want your pet chickens to ever run out of water.

Author: Julian James of All About Chickens, the online guide on how to keep chickens. With information on topics as diverse as what to feed chickens to how to breed chickens, it is useful for poultry enthusiasts both new and experienced.

Read the original article about what to feed chickens.

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What is the Best Backyard Chicken Breed?

2009-10-26T12:29:00.002-04:00

What is the Best Backyard Chicken Breed?
By CD Miller

Ultimately, this is a personal decision. There is a very diverse and long list of chicken breeds to choose from. Many people choose a breed based on appearance alone. Knowing why you want to raise chickens is probably the best place to start when trying to determine which breed is right for you.

People raise backyard chickens for different reasons. Maybe you want to have a supply of fresh, healthy eggs or meat for you and your family. Maybe you are looking for an environmentally friendly method of controlling weeds and insects. Maybe you are looking for a source of fertilizer for your garden. Maybe you've always dreamed of taking the blue ribbon at the fair for your prized show chicken. Or, maybe you just like chickens, and want to wake up in the morning to hear a rooster crowing outside your window.

Chickens will provide all of these benefits -- and provide you will hours of entertainment and enjoyment. They really do have delightful personalities (although some roosters can be downright mean!). One of my favorite parts of every day is walking in the yard with a trail of 15 or more hens following along behind me.

Determining what your goal is will also help you determine how to set up your flock. If you are only raising chickens for eggs and/or meat to eat, they you don't need a rooster. The only reason you really need a rooster is if you specifically want fertile eggs for hatching. Your hens will lay eggs with or without a rooster. If you do want fertile eggs, or you just like the idea of having a rooster in your flock, make sure you keep the rooster:hen ratio in line. Generally, one rooster for every 10 to 12 hens is sufficient. You definitely don't want less than 8 hens for every rooster, or your flock will suffer. The hens will be in too much demand, and the roosters will begin fighting among themselves.

Why you want chickens will influence which breed you choose. Basically, chickens can be categorized as meat birds, layers, novelty, or dual purpose. A couple of breeds which are considered good meat producers are Cornish and New Hampshire Red. Some good egg layers are Leghorn, Anacona and Rhode Island Red. Brahma, Silky and Buttercup are good show birds.

If you are planning to have a small backyard flock, your best bet is probably a dual purpose breed, although I initially started out with a commercial broiler breed. Some good dual purpose breeds are Dominique, Plymouth Rock, Wyandotte, and Dorking.

Other things to consider are the climate and temperature in your area. I would check with other chicken farmers in your specific part of the country to determine which breeds are the most successful.

If you are still undecided about what type of chickens you would like to raise, you might want to check into raising heritage or heirloom chickens. These are chickens which are considered rare or endangered. If you would like to help save a breed, plan on raising a flock of about 50 chickens, including some roosters, to ensure fertile eggs that you can hatch or sell to others for hatching and help protect an endangered breed.

Whichever breed you decide on, raising backyard chickens can be an enjoyable adventure!

CD Miller is the founder of Mill Creek Animal Rescue. You can view pets available for adoption at Petfinder.com Also, be sure to visit The New Pet Zone for the latest news and product reviews for a healthier happier pet!

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5 Common Mistakes to Avoid When Building Chicken Coops

2009-10-26T09:16:00.004-04:00

How to Build a Chicken Coop - 5 Common Mistakes to Avoid When Building Chicken Coops
By Leslie Wallis

You have decided to build a chicken coop for your flock. A great decision. You can save yourself a lot of money and can customize your coop to suit your requirements. Before you start though it is wise to listen to the advice of experienced coop builders to avoid these common mistakes.

When asked about the biggest mistakes they made when building their chicken coops, chicken owners listed the following:

Not making the coop large enough. You may plan on only having a few chickens, but when the baby chicks come or the chicken raising addiction kicks in, you may find your chicken house too small. The recommended size is 4 square feet per bird in the coop and 10 square feet in the run for standard chickens. For bantam chickens you can get away with 1/2 of this space.

Not making the chicken house tall enough. It is hard to maintain your coop if you are constantly hitting your head or crouching around!

Not insulating or using the wrong insulation. Keep your chickens warm in the winter by insulating their coop. But don't use foam insulation. Apparently chickens like to peck at it. Who knew? Make sure your coop plans take into account your local climate.

Not having a poop plan! When installing the roosts it is a good idea to install poop pans below them to catch the droppings. Position the feeders and waterers so that they do not splattered. You will also need a plan to remove the poop from the coop.

Not putting in enough windows or big enough windows: Windows provide light and ventilation. Make sure all the windows open so that your chicks get fresh air.

I hope this give you a "heads-up" on problems to avoid when building your chicken coop. With good chicken house plans, wood, nails and a few good tools, you will be well on your way to provide a cozy home for your flock.

Leslie Wallis is a long-time gardener who has recently discovered the pleasures of raising backyard chickens. For more information on raising chickens and the best chicken house plans visit http://simplechickenhouseplans.com.

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Sick Chickens

2009-09-19T12:11:00.004-04:00

I don't know exactly what happened, but 3 of my beautiful hens died this summer. They showed no sign of illness, and nothing broke in the coop to harm them. I just found them dead lying on the ground, one after the other. All 3 died within a 4 week period.

I searched the internet for data about chicken diseases, but found nothing that seemed to be what was happening to my chickens. I did find a bit of data about adding apple cider vinegar to their drinking water to help prevent one particular disease, so I decided to try it out. Even though my chickens did not show any sign of the symptoms, I figured it couldn't hurt.

I started adding about a quarter cup of apple cider vinegar to every gallon of water I give them to drink. I don't know if this helped or not, but I do know I have not had a single chicken die since I started giving them apple cider vinegar. I've been using it regularly, and will continue to do so.

I had already cured my dog's hot spots by putting a splash of apple cider vinegar in her water bowl each time I filled it up. It seems to be such great stuff, I've considered drinking a little apple cider vinegar each day myself!

A Note About Ameraucana Chicken Eggs

2009-05-17T16:57:00.002-04:00

If you prefer your eggs to have large yolks and small whites, Ameraucana chickens are the perfect breed. Although they are known as medium size egg layers, my chickens usually lay on the large size, with the largest yolk to white ratio I've ever seen. They have very large yolks with small whites, which is perfect for me.

A friend of mine has Red Sex-links, which lay huge eggs, but they are mostly egg white, with only a very small yolk. I found that I don't care for them at all. If this is the type of egg you are looking for, then Red Sex-links chickens would be a good choice for you.

Chicken update

2009-03-22T09:23:00.003-04:00

My chickens made it through their first winter with flying colors. The Ameraucana chickens truly are a cold hardy breed. Not a single chicken showed the slightest hint of frostbite. Before, my other chickens always suffered some frostbite on their combs.

They also continued to lay all winter. Naturally their production slowed down drastically, but not a single day went by that I didn't get 2 or 3 eggs, enough to keep from having to buy them. Now that spring has sprung, I'm getting 8-11 eggs per day. We've been having lots of deviled eggs!

I'm down to 14 hens. For some unknown reason, all of my chickens, including my rooster, took an intense disliking for one of my sweet hens. They pecked at her constantly. She was just miserable, always hiding and cowering. I gave her away to a friend that only had 2 hens and a rooster, so hopefully she is doing much better in her new home.

I'm really enjoying all the colored eggs my girls lay. It occurred to me that I won't have to color eggs for Easter this year. They come pre-colored! I can just boil them and send my grandsons out on an egg hunt.

Colorful eggs

2008-09-25T11:51:00.004-04:00

I couldn't pass up the chance to show you some of the beautiful eggs the hens have been laying. Aren't they gorgeous? I'm getting the biggest kick out of checking to see what color they lay next. It makes tending the chickens a lot of fun.

So far the maximum number of eggs I've found in one day is 11. Since I have 15 hens, this is pretty good, although I think a couple of my hens still aren't laying. The good news is that a few of my hens are laying double yolked eggs!

I'll try to take some new photos of the chickens soon. I know I haven't updated the photos since they reached their full size. Some of them are quite beautiful.

Possum finally has the hang of being the head rooster. He's doing a great job of keeping the hen house running smoothly. I really like him. He doesn't crow his head off all day long, like Brewster did, but he crows in the morning just like he should. I dearly love to hear a rooster crowing in the morning.

Farewell to rooster Brewster

2008-09-12T05:44:00.005-04:00

I'm sad to say that the lead rooster, Brewster, is no more. He finally decided to attack the hand that fed him. It was such a shame, he was a beautiful rooster. I wish I had a better picture of him. It was sad to see him go, but it was something that had to be done.

I must say, the hen house is a much calmer and quieter place with Possum in charge now. Poor old Possum had been abused by Brewster for so long, he doesn't really know what to do. He's starting to crow again, but he hasn't let the hens know he's in charge yet. I'm sure he will in time.

Speaking of the hens, I have at least 7 chickens laying eggs now. A new one starts laying every few days, and I believe all 15 will be laying by the end of the month. So far I'm getting green, cream, and brown eggs. Yesterday I got a dark olive green one, the most unusual one I've seen so far. I'm still waiting for the perfect blue, but since my Ameraucanas are probably Easter Eggers, I don't know if I'll ever get one. It's fun, looking forward to new color egg every day.

Here are pictures of the roosters, past and present. Brewster is on the left, Possum on the right. Aren't they pretty chickens?

Happy Day! We have an EGG!

2008-08-12T12:12:00.003-04:00

Finally, we got our 1st egg today! I noticed one of my hens building nests 2 days ago, so I've been checking them frequently. She chose to lay in one of the nesting boxes, rather than the original nest she had built on top of a hay bale. I'm pleased as can be. The chickens are 4 months and 10 days old, so they started laying earlier than I thought they would. I'm hoping the other 14 hens will follow her lead shortly. It's a small egg, but I'm sure they will lay larger eggs with time. Also, instead of being blue or green egg, it's beige. I guess you really never know what to expect.

One note of curiosity, my lead rooster, Brewster, wouldn't stay out of the nesting box while the hen was in it. He was sitting right beside her, scratching and digging around like he was building a nest, too. Crazy as can be. I've never seen a rooster act like that. After I locked him out of the coop and in the chicken yard, she was finally able to lay her egg undisturbed. If his antics don't improve, Possum will soon be the lead rooster, and Brewster won't be king of anything other than the stew pot.

My whole chicken experience has set be back $214.40 so far. I have to make another trip to the feed store soon, but I won't mind spending money on food, as long as they start laying eggs for me. I'll be buying their first laying mash to go with their corn, and taking them off grower. I couldn't be happier.

Chicken coop disaster

2008-06-02T14:47:00.006-04:00

I thought we had the Fort Knox of chicken coops, but I was proved wrong on Thursday night. Our dog went into a frenzy in the wee hours of the morning, barking and carrying on outside the hen house. When my husband investigated, he could find nothing wrong, although he could tell the chickens were disturbed. He thought something was just prowling around outside, but the next morning we found an injured hen and a bag of feed ripped open. I had rolled out the side window, knowing full well that the chickens couldn't get out, but it never entered my mind that something could get inside the coop. Something did, and I'm still kicking myself for not closing that window.

That same evening my hubby screened the coop windows and under the eaves with hardware cloth. I'm positive nothing larger than a snake can get inside now. I certainly hope I'm never proved wrong!

My little hen is still alive after 4 days. I brought her inside to nurse her. She can't sit or stand, only lays on her side, but she can move her feet and she can eat. She can't drink, so I've been feeding her bread soaked with milk and water. She looks much brighter today, and is moving her feet a little more, so I haven't given up on her. I'm hoping she will heal with time. It's so sad that she has to suffer due to my negligence in closing the window.

If you have chickens, or are planning on getting a flock, once you have decided that you have all your safety measures in place, check them again. A rat or weasel only needs a very small opening to get inside, and apparently they climb quite well. The window they entered was 5 feet off the ground. If they entered through the eaves, they had to climb 7 feet or more.

Sadly, my little hen never recovered. My husband had to put her out of her misery, although I did nurse her for 10 days. We've had no other upsets in the hen house since the final safety measures were taken.

What led up to the insanity

2008-05-11T09:14:00.002-04:00

Don't get me wrong, I like chickens. In fact, I've owned a few flocks in the past. I have been particularly fond of some of them. My last rooster, which I hatched in an incubator, lived over 7 years. After Zeebarb died, I thought I was out of the chicken business. My story begins 2 years later, after taking a trip to the store to buy a dozen eggs...

My husband and I grow a lot of our own food, but there is always something that we have to buy from a store. After watching food prices go higher and higher, and griping constantly, I was pushed over the edge when I paid $2.99 for a dozen eggs. I came home and announced to my husband that I was going back in the chickens business. I was going to get some White Leggerns. (The proper term is White Leghorns, but around here we call them Leggerns.) He didn't have much of a response. I think he was hoping I'd forget about it. I fooled him. I was sure I was going to save us a fortune on eggs!

Trying to find the perfect breed of chicken

2008-05-11T09:13:00.003-04:00

White Leghorn chickens are the supreme egg layers. Nothing out lays them. I was positive that was what I wanted, until I started trying to figure out where to buy them. I discovered that we don't have a single hatchery in West Virginia, so I tried looking in Ohio. I found one about an hours drive from where I live, but to my dismay, the phone was disconnected when I tried calling them. So I started searching the internet.

I hit pay dirt. There are loads of hatcheries scattered all over the country, and most of them will ship day old chicks via the mail. I was in my element. I could get my White Leggerns after all. I started browsing pictures and descriptions of the various breeds of chickens. Now I wanted Brown Leghorns. They don't lay quite as well as the white ones, but they are much prettier. If I'm going to have chickens, I want them to be pretty, right?

I spent days making my decision. I was sure Brown Leghorns were the ones for me. I wanted all pullets. They cost more than straight run chicks, which are a mixture of hens and roosters, but I wanted them for egg production only. To my chagrin, I found that most hatcheries will only ship a minimum of 25 day old chicks. I certainly had no business with that many hens. I only wanted a few, maybe 6 or 8.

Finding a hatchery that would ship small orders of chickens

2008-05-11T09:12:00.001-04:00

Back to the drawing board. After more research, I found a few hatcheries that would ship 15 chicks at a time. I had to be careful and choose wisely. I found out that some of the hatcheries would throw in extra roosters for warmth. The last thing I wanted was 15 pullets and 10 little roosters! I finally settled on Cackle Hatchery. They might send an extra chick or two, in case some didn't make it during shipment, but I was pretty sure they wouldn't fill the box with cockerels.

In the meantime, I ran into another problem. I read that all Leghorn chickens, no matter the type, were flighty and tended to panic easily. I didn't want this either. I wanted calm, friendly chickens. I knew full well that these would turn into pets, as all my animals eventually do. After sorting through and reading about different chicken breeds, I decided I wanted a small type chicken, not one of the large dual purpose breeds like I'd always had before, but I didn't want bantams, either.

I finally chose Ameraucana chickens. I know, I know, I've said it before, but this time I really did make my decision. Ameraucanas are supposed to be calm, lay medium sized blue tinted eggs, and be very winter hardy. Just what I wanted. I was a little disappointed that they are only "good" layers, but I figured since I had to order 15 of them anyway, it should more than make up for it.

I happily hopped online and placed an order for 15 Ameraucana pullets from Cackle Hatchery. Not more than 3 hours later, I started feeling guilty for not getting a rooster for my new girls. I spent the next 2 hours trying to reach the hatchery by phone. It must of been their busy season. It seemed everyone else was trying to call them too. When I finally reached them, I asked if they would add a wee rooster to my order. The girl I spoke with readily agreed, and also gave me a shipping date, including the date I would receive them. Now I only had to wait 3 weeks for my new flock. So far I was only $50.75 and many hours poorer.

Preparing for the arrival

2008-05-11T09:11:00.001-04:00

The way I had it figured, the hardest part was over. I'd finally made my decision and I'd chosen the best hatchery. How hard could it be to build a new coop? My old ones were in disrepair, but I couldn't imagine it would take long to build a new one. So what if I needed to buy new feeders and waterers. They couldn't be too expensive, could they? Ha! I'm getting senile in my old age.

Fortunately, my husband still likes me, even after all these years. He went right to work on the new coop. With the help of our small grandsons, he tore down one of the old coops to make room for new chicken headquarters. In a couple days time, he had the floor down and was ready to build the walls. This is where things got interesting. Would we buy sheets of plywood for the walls, or use up some of the oak lumber we already had stacked around here? Naturally we decided on the harder, slower method. We went for the oak boards. The problem was, we have a shortage of 2x4's around here, to use for framing. We ended up building the new coop in true Jenny Lind fashion. If you're in a hurry, I don't recommend it. It was a slow process, but this should be the last coop we'll ever need to build. Luckily, we had the block, windows and roofing already sitting around here. We only had to by 2x4's for rafters. The cost was low, but it took just about a week to finish. I have to give credit my hubby. He worked hard on the project. I didn't do much of anything but had him things he needed.

Finally, the arrival of the chicks

2008-05-11T07:10:00.000-04:00

I only had to wait 3 weeks for the arrival of my new babies, but it seemed like forever. While I waited, I went to the farm store to buy everything I needed. I still had a quart waterer and a chick feeder from earlier years, so I bought a hanging feeder, a 2 gallon waterer and a bag of chick starter for $50.00. Counting the 2x4's and the cost of the chicks, I only had $117.75 invested in my attempt to save egg money. Can you see how this is going?

April 4, 2008 was the big day. I woke up early, anxious to receive the call from the post office that my new chicks had arrived. By 10:00, I gave up and went down to get them. Bad news. They weren't there. I was terrified that they weren't coming. I just knew they would all arrive dead, if they didn't come until the 3rd day. I hurried home and called the hatchery. They told me the chicks may have missed their original flight out, and to have my rural post office call our major one, to see if they had come in on an express flight. My postmistress is a dear. She listened to my tale of woe, and she did call Charleston, but my chicks weren't there either. She called me to give me the bad news, but she did tell me that the fellow in charge of express mail would be on the lookout for them. By this time, I was sick with worry.

Thirty minutes later, she called me again. They had arrived in Charleston! The fellow over express mail had peeked into the box, and said they all looked alive. Happiness at last! I was thrilled! They would be sending them on an afternoon route, and my postmistress would call when they arrived, around 3:00. She even offered to drop them off to me on her way home. Isn't that great? Living in the country has it's benefits. At 2:00 I received a call. For some strange reason, my chicks were waylaid at the post office of a town near us. They had my little chickens. I jumped in the car and zoomed to town. When I walked in the door, I could hear my babies screeching their little heads off. They were not happy campers. They were cold, hungry and thirsty.

I nearly roasted myself on the drive home. I rolled up the windows and turned the heater on full blast, trying to warm the chicks as best I could. When we arrived, their new home, a cardboard box with a hanging light to warm them, was ready and waiting. We put each one into the box, gently dipping each chick's beak into the water, trying to coax them to drink. They were fast learners. In no time at all, they were all eating and drinking. All 18 of them. That's right, there were 18 healthy little peepers! Not a single one was lost. I received 16 hens and 2 roosters, or so I hope. I won't be sure until they are older, but Cackle Hatchery did put a drop of blue dye on the roosters heads, so I could tell them apart. I hope they are accurate on their sexing. I don't need or want more than 2 roosters.

Chicks are growing well

2008-05-11T07:09:00.000-04:00

The hardest part of raising baby chickens is trying to keep them warm. Regulating their temperature was a constant struggle for me. Trying to keep a box big enough for them wasn't easy either. It's amazing how fast they outgrow their living quarters. We finally made a really big box out of smaller ones, and were sure it would last. Boy, were we wrong. Here they are at 12 days of age, when they first moved into the large box. They were already growing wing feathers. We were starting to name some of them, as well.

Preparing for the move outdoors

2008-05-11T07:08:00.001-04:00

We wanted our Ameraucana chickens to have a safe and happy home, so we had to build a secure outdoor run for them. This involved buying a roll of chicken wire and lots more labor. My wallet was now only a total of $156.25 thinner.

I must say, my hubby did a great job on the run. It took 2 days to complete. The top is enclosed with wire, to keep chickens in and critters out. The side wire is buried underground all the way around. This should deter any wildlife, including neighbors dogs, from getting into the pen. He also built a nifty trap door and a lever, so we can let them into the run during the day, and close them up securely at night. This can all be done from outside the coop. The top of the run also sports a metal door on hinges, so we can get into the run, should there be an emergency. We've had one of them already.

After moving the chickens into the coop at 5 weeks of age, I only left them inside for a few hours, before letting them out into the run. I thought I was being nice. I found out I was being foolish. When evening came, they didn't know the big coop was home. They were all fighting and trying to pile into a corner of the run to sleep. I had to climb through the access door of the run and catch all 18 of the little stinkers. This involved many trips, stooped over double, running back and forth inside the run. Somehow, I think the 6 or 8 chicks I had originally planned would of been a lot easier to catch! But they were all eventually caught and placed back in the coop. They were also left inside for 2 days, before I opened the trap door to the run again. This time things went as planned. When night fell, they all went inside the coop to sleep. They still aren't sleeping on the roosts, I guess they are too small, but I hope to peek inside soon and find them off the floor and on their perches.

All settled in

2008-05-11T02:07:00.001-04:00

The chickens are happy and doing great in their new home. I can't think of a thing I could do to make them more content. They eat like piggies, though. After another trip to the feed store, a 50 lb. bag of cracked corn and a 50 lb. bag of grower later, my running total is now up to $176.15. That's nearly 59 dozen eggs, even at the bloated rate of $2.99. It's a good thing I didn't have to purchase a building of comparable size at a lumber yard. That would of set me back another $700 or so. The way it is, I only have 5 more months to wait for a return on my investment. In the meantime, I'll still be paying for more food. I estimate that I just might break even sometime in 2009 or 2010. I'll keep you posted.

Choosing Ameraucana chickens wisely

2008-05-10T02:06:00.002-04:00

If you're thinking of raising Ameraucana chickens, I'd like to give you some advise. Only after I'd already ordered my chicks, did I find out that I'd probably purchased mongrels. The odds are good that mine are not purebreed chickens, but a bunch of crossbred mutts. I admit that for me, this won't be a problem. I just wanted pretty chickens to enjoy and fresh eggs to eat. I will have a beautiful flock. They are colorful and diversified, but if I had children in 4-H, my chickens wouldn't qualify for showing. A true Ameraucana only lays blue tinted eggs. The mongrels passed off as Ameraucanas by most hatcheries, can lay blue, green and pink eggs. They are commonly known as Easter Egg Chickens, or Easter Eggers. I won't know how many green egg layers I have for a few more months, but I'm sure I'll have quite a few. Unfortunately.

The Ameraucana Breeders Club, located at http://www.ameraucana.org, has a wealth of useful information on the subject, including photos, descriptions and a list of breeders, from which purebred Ameraucanas can be purchased. I highly recommend checking out their website, before making the same mistake I did.

A word on planning a new chicken coop

2008-05-10T02:05:00.001-04:00

It's amazing how hard it is to find good chicken coop plans on the internet, but I did locate a few that we adjusted to our own use. According to some of the sources I located, a coop requires a minimum of 1.5-2 square feet per chicken. Our hen house is 8x8 or 64 sq. ft., so it should house 18 chickens very comfortably. Ameraucanas are a smaller breed of chicken, the hens should top at around 4-1/2 lbs. and the roosters 5 lbs., so this will be fine for us.

Hens will share a nesting box to lay their eggs in. Most sources recommended having a nest box for every 4-5 hens. We decided to build 5, which should be more than enough for our needs. The nesting boxes are 13x13x16 inches. The bottom starts at 21" and the top shelf is 34". We used hay to make a comfy nest, even though there won't be any eggs for quite a while. Our grandsons put a plastic egg in a nest, to give the girls an idea of what they should be doing!

So far we've used the top of the boxes for storing feed and hay. I don't think this will change, unless the chickens start trying to roost up there. If they do that, we'll have to change things a bit.

Here are a few links to useful information on coops and raising chickens in general:
http://www.ext.vt.edu/pubs/poultry/factsheets/10.html
http://www.ext.vt.edu/pubs/poultry/factsheets/designs.html
http://www.buildeazy.com/chicken_coop_1.html

Building the roosts

2008-05-10T02:04:00.002-04:00

When building roosts for your chickens, I recommend making sure you have them higher than the top of your nesting boxes. Chickens like to roost as high in the air as they can. If you let them roost outside, you will see them sleeping in your trees. We built our roosts 4 inches higher than the nest boxes. They are 38" high, with room for 19-20 chickens, allowing 8-9 inches per bird. If our flock expands very much, we'll have to put in another roost for them to perch on.

We also built a small ramp leading to the top of the roosts. This makes it much easier for the young chickens to reach the top. Once they are fully grown, they will have no trouble getting up there by themselves.