Getting ready for fall starts in the late summer. Fall chicken care thoughts begin to run through my head. Chilly weather will require some changes to routine, and buildings need to be checked for repairs. Using the days with pleasant weather to get these things done keeps us from repairing and scrambling during a storm. Are you preparing now? Here are some of the things we begin to do. Health Check - Beak to Tail Chicken Checkup Making sure that your individual flock members are ready to … [Read more...]
Treating Bumblefoot in Chickens
Bumblefoot, in poultry, is something that occurs more frequently in moist warm conditions. Just the kind of weather we experience on the East coast most of the summer. Think about it this way. Your hands are never fully dried and your skin gets soft and somewhat fragile. The skin on your hands is soft and you are working around rough items in the yard. The next thing you know, you get a splinter! But you can't pick it out of your hand.... because you are a chicken! You don't have tweezers or … [Read more...]
6 Easy Brooder Ideas to Start Chicks
How difficult is it to set up a brooder? Here are my favorite easy brooder ideas for you to use for your own chicks. Easily cleaned and commonly found items can make a good home for the chicks to begin their lives. Your new flock of chicks will need a special home for the first few weeks. This home is called a brooder. It takes the place of what would naturally be provided by a broody hen. Chicks require a much higher level of warmth than full grown chickens. They are not able to maintain … [Read more...]
Help! My Chickens are Molting
What do you do if the chickens are molting? It's the very end of summer and some changes are happening on the farm. The fiber goats are about to have their fall haircuts. The rabbits are eating a lot of food during the cooler evenings. The piglets are moving on to their new homes. Leaves are showing a slight change in color and the summer garden is waning in production. But the most dramatic change occurs in the chicken coop and run, as the chickens begin to look a bit ragged. Ok, lets not … [Read more...]
Marek’s Disease Symptoms to Watch For
Marek's Disease symptoms are caused by a particularly strong herpes virus. Marek's Disease can be found in the environment. The usual symptoms involve the nervous system, eyes, skin and other organ systems. A strong variation of the disease shows tumor growth. Marek's Disease is mainly seen in young chicks and older chickens. Chicks and chickens with Marek's Disease can show a complex set of symptoms or be totally symptom free. Marek's virus is transmitted two main ways. The virus can be … [Read more...]
