Found 113 hits.

Compost In The Chicken Run – FAQ – Housing

...sturdy piece of fencing blocking it off, but left openings on both sides. The two exits ensure that the hens don’t get trapped in a corner or bullied and the fencing keeps the compost from being kicked by chicken feet into the rest of the run. In the Big Barn run, using metal fence posts and chicken wire, we built a compost that forms the letter C. It’s round shape keeps the hens from getting hassled by aggressors. The girls go in and out easily, and yet it keeps the materials contained so that the rest of the run stays...

What To Feed Your Chickens – FAQ – Health and Behavior

...Your hens will eat what they like and shred the rest. I don’t give them grass clippings, as that can cause impacted crops. The same goes for long scallion stalks. But, it’s not a good idea to simply throw kitchen scraps and garden waste into the run, as it will become a mess. To keep everything tidy and healthy I have a compost bin in the chicken run. What the hens don’t eat gets churned into tiny bits and quickly turns into good dirt. It’s an easy, healthy system. In the winter, when the compost bin is frozen, I hang...

Coop Dimensions And Design Criteria – FAQ – Housing

...coops have them on the floor) or the exterior covered run space. Interior air space: Chickens need to roost at least 30 inches up off of the ground, and have head space to do that comfortably. Roosts: 6 inches per hen. I prefer rounded roosts. Hens have special ligaments in their legs that lock in place when they sleep. This is how they can sleep without falling off the perch. To do this, they need to be on a round roost. Roosts should be at least 18-inches off of the floor to allow the hens to breathe clean and dry...

Introducing New Hens to an Existing Flock – FAQ – Health and Behavior

...next to the existing coop and run. Keep the new hen there for few days until no one pays her any mind (at first there might be chest thumping and pecking along the fence line.) Then, have the new hen explore the coop and run without being bothered by the flock (let them free-range, or have them out in the pen while she checks out the coop, and vice versa.) Let the new girl look around so that she can discover where the food, water, roosts, etc. are. Then, if you can, let everyone out onto the lawn where they...

Chicken Manure Management – FAQ – Housing

...pile in the chicken run. I put kitchen scraps, weeds and leaves in it, but I don’t include the manure. Internal parasites, like roundworms and tapeworms, shed eggs and/or body parts in the chicken manure, that then require intermediary hosts to survive. These hosts are usually insects, like dark wing beetles, that live in damp, dark places near the chickens. By removing the manure front the pen, I’ve stopped the cyle. I’ve never had to worm my hens. I run fecal samples so know that I have never had a problem. Chicken manure cannot be put directly onto your garden...

Bare Butts, Feather Loss and Feather Picking – FAQ – Health and Behavior

...after you notice it. Once hens get into the bad habit of feather picking and eating, it is hard to stop, but possible. The first step is to darken the afflicted hen’s skin, which reduces the cannibalistic behavior. You can dye the skin with Dr. Naylor Blu-Kote Pump Spray (4 oz.) - Fast Drying Antiseptic Wound Dressing (similar to gentian violet in the UK.) It dyes the skin purplish-blue, so the hens don’t peck. (Use disposable gloves when doing this, as it will also stain your skin.) Feather eating can occur because the hens need more roughage and more protein...

Cold Weather Care – FAQ – Housing

...claimed a toasty place in a patch of sun. In the winter, sunlight ebbs and some people chose to use a lightbulb in the hopes of increasing egg laying. I’ve written a post about that here. Chickens need to be high and dry. If your run gets muddy, dump in a few bags of coarse sand to give the hens a place to roam above the muck. Outside roosts are welcomed by the flock. I also give mine some logs to stand on. Chickens have scaly, bare feet. They don’t like walking on snow or ice. They’ll do it, but...

Setting Up Your Own Camera – FAQ

I often get queries asking for advice on how to set up a system like The HenCam, after all, doesn’t everyone want to be able to keep an eye on their chickens when away, and share the fun of their animals with others? However our system is not easy to replicate – it’s technically challenging (I know because my IT Guy/husband is frequently working on it), nor is it inexpensive to run. But we love having the HenCam, and really like sharing it with all of you out there. I honestly have no clue how it all works, and I...

Pecking Order – FAQ – Health and Behavior

...in a corner when trying to eat. Add a second waterer outside. When providing treats, set them out in several places. Chickens get bored, and hens kept in small dirt pens will get in trouble. That’s why I don’t give treats like corn that they quickly gobble up, but instead provide a compost in the run so that they have an interesting place to scratch for hours. That’s also why I give them pumpkins in the fall, hang a cabbage in the run when they’re closed up due to snow, and why I’ll toss them clods of dirt and weeds...

Automatic Chicken Coop Door – HenBlog – Tuesday, June 25, 2013

...I'm definitely not an up-with-the-sun person. During the summer, our girls want to roost in the run at night so we are usually going out to say goodnight and move them into the coop. That's fun with the 3 but would be not so much if we had a bigger flock. I'm still fiddling with the roost height in the run and want to put another window in the coop so that the coop will be more enticing at bedtime. Even though our run is thoroughly encased in hardware cloth and dug into the ground 10", I am still afraid...

The Broody Hen and the Bunny – HenBlog – Wednesday, August 6, 2008

Broody hens looks so content and motherly, fluffed up on their nests. Just DO NOT disturb them. That puts them in a BAD mood. A broody hen in a bad mood wants to take it out on someone. But not on someone that might peck back. They still respect the pecking order. A broody hen in a bad mood is likely to do something that that very same hen, if not broody and if not in a bad mood would never do – like attack the innocent rabbit. Eggers has been broody for weeks. She sits on everyone else’s eggs...

Good Outing/Bad Outing – HenBlog – Tuesday, March 8, 2016

...soil into a wide swath of flying dust? The chickens say, the more the merrier. I call that bad.   The Goat Boys had an outing. Eating weeds and thorny runner vines in the meadow? We all agree that is good.   Scratching itchy heads on the peach tree trunk is good, too.   Eating the decorative cherry bush? That’s bad. At least I say it is.   Lano says that rolling in the dirt is good. His owner has another word for it.   Tonka says that a walk in the woods on such a day is as good...

The Three Nursing Home Hens – HenBlog – Thursday, June 26, 2014

The Nursing Home Project began with five hens. I was concerned that five were too many for the space, but I also thought that there’d be losses. I was right on both counts. Clementine, the favorite hen, died of internal laying. Beulah, the Black Star, decided that her flock mates were too close to her and she was too bored, so she got into the bad habit of feather picking. I brought her back home, where she is reformed. The nursing home flock is now down to three. Three hens are just right. They all get along. They’re busy, and...

Chickens Get Bored – HenBlog – Friday, June 28, 2013

...are the roosts now separated so far apart in the Big Barn? Have the girls been tussling over position? Terry Golson Oops! I cleaned and forgot to put them back. Poor girls are probably quite confused! Rachel What a great post, thanks for sharing :) x I love your little white hen, she's gorgeous! Elaine I'm sure you have the best-cared-for and most- loved -chickens in your whole area. They must thrive on all the care and attention you give them--goatie boys too!! Wanda Hudson When they are bored a peck at each other do they snap off the feather,...

Dangerous Heat – HenBlog – Wednesday, July 7, 2010

...Mary in Indiana How are the goats taking the heat? I didn't see them on the cam. (Are they in the house with you too?) ;-) Joyce Yes, the heat can be brutal on the chickens. Last night my husband and I cut some branches to put in the run so they have an additional place to run for shade. I also freeze a cool whip container of water and put it in their waterer to keep the water nice and cool. Janet Loved the goats being brushed. Thinking of the heat you're experiencing there, it's a bit extreme -...

Maintaining The Chicken Run – HenBlog – Wednesday, July 25, 2012

...Natalie, the Chickenblogger Thank you. Sara I just watched the Polish do synchronized dust bathing. Adorable! Should be an Olympic sport. Missy Therapeutic. Chickens and all that goes with them is a fun hobby. They are hilarious and sweet. Anna In terms of run maintenance do you use anything on the earth? Any kind of disinfectant (Stalosan??)? Or do you find if they have sufficient space it's ok? Terry Golson I don't use disinfectants. I am rigorous about raking and removing manure, and keeping the run dry. Brigitte If older hens don't scratch. Can you plant anything in their run?...

Protecting the Hens From Predators – HenBlog – Tuesday, July 12, 2011

...They complained, too. The HenCam run has netting stretched over the top. It keeps the taloned hunters out. But, it won’t keep out raccoons. Once, ten years ago, a raccoon climbed the six-foot fence, ripped off the netting and entered the coop. The next morning, three of my chickens were either gone or in shreds. I’ve learned my lesson, and at night the hens are inside and the door is latched. The Big Barn run is protected from predators a different way – I’ve run string back and forth and hung shiny CDs. A hunting hawk wouldn’t dare enter and...

Agatha’s (Mis)Adventure – HenBlog – Tuesday, September 13, 2011

...pretty. Maryann OMGosh ---- in the first pic, she looks like a hawk up there. Look at the girls milling about below saying, 'what the heck????...." So funny.....adventures in chicken keeping!!!! Your post continue to make us smile! Donna That sure sounds like a title for a book, Terry! She is so adorable! Scott_D My Phyllis, an Ameraucana/Easter Egger, is always trying to find new ways into places I don't want the chickens. Yesterday I found her in my herb garden. She seemed to know she isn't allow there and I watched how she got out. She had burrowed under...

Sand in the Coop Run – HenBlog – Friday, June 20, 2014

Robin 350 lbs of sand doesn't go very far -at all-. It can be rather depressing seeing how far it -doesn't- go when you've expended energy moving that much weight. And since I have a neck and back that don't operate at factory specs anymore, here's how I work the heavy bags: I flip flop them out of the back of the van into the wheelbarrow/garden cart and then slice the bags open and empty them. I then wheel the contents to the intended spot and dump. It's awkward and takes longer, but it saves my back. And if everyone...

Rabbits and Chickens – HenBlog – Monday, April 13, 2009

...it is moved to the side of the coop, where it is always shady. Rabbits can suffer heat stroke, so in the worst of the summer weather, I put her in the spare stall in the barn, where she can stretch out on the cool concrete. I bought a typical rabbit hutch. I’d never keep a bunny outdoor if that’s all the room available – rabbits need to sit up, and run, and stretch out and leap about. They are curious and need mental stimulation – places to explore and new things to see. Candy gets the full run of...

Coco Joins the Flock – HenBlog – Tuesday, November 11, 2008

...been my plan, since that barn has a lot more space.) So, instead, Ginger, who used to live with some of these hens in the big barn was switched over. I felt bad for her, kind of like when the teacher in school makes the good kid sit near the bullies, “to be a good influence.” Anyway, Ginger can hold her own, and didn’t even get a feather mussed in the transition. Yesterday I put all the chickens out on the lawn again, but this time I put Coco in the Hencam barn run. I made sure that she knew...

Compost IN the Chicken Run – HenBlog – Monday, March 12, 2012

...girls love it, they now get all excited when they see the shovel because they know whats coming. They get lots of juicy earth worms - one Bard Rock is always right there where the spade is going in, and is usually the first to get the worms. Fun to watch. lauren scheuer I followed your lead, and started piling compost in the back of the run. It's worked beautifully! Also followed your suggestion of putting sand in the muddy areas of coop and run. It has made ALL the difference. Terry Golson So pleased it works for you, Lauren!...

Chicken Run Maintenance – HenBlog – Monday, July 8, 2013

...on a regular basis, It is invaluable to our chicken's quality of life. Jenifer yes - this is a timely article because of the slick mud in our run too. We're debating the sand, but perhaps some pea gravel as well in paths, to provide a better surface for humans to walk on. I have been tossing in some peat moss to make the coop surface more soft - wondering about the wisdom of that now, ha ha. I just feel bad for the girls and it's terrible for the eggs when they lay - I've never had to wash...

Why I Don’t Use Deep Litter – HenBlog – Thursday, December 5, 2013

...do agree with the advocates of deep litter that earth and compost contains healthy microbes, and that loose dirt to scratch in provides necessary activity and also protein from the bugs that are consumed. But, you don’t need deep litter to provide these things. I have a compost pile in the chicken run. It does all of the positive things of deep litter, but it also keeps the run and coop dry and tidy. My compost in the chicken run is a modified deep litter. There’s soft earth for digging, healthy microbes, and bugs. I toss in garden refuse, bedding...

Asparagus Bed – HenBlog – Tuesday, June 7, 2011

...I know... Magic Cochin Snap - I'm digging out a compost bin to make a bed to plant squash too! Quite a work out! You deserve a rest tonight - put your feet up and enjoy the company of your dogs :-) best wishes Celia BTW - things are starting to happen at http://twitter.com/#!/search/%23PPPHatch Terry Golson If you plan on using the soil directly under the paper, then yes, you have to wait a long time for all to die, then dig and double dig to loosen the dirt. But, I'm piling a foot of compost on top of that...

Annual Chicken Pen Maintenance – HenBlog – Monday, October 19, 2015

...that teenager. (Note that the Auto Amazon Links: No products found. http_request_failed: A valid URL was not provided. URL: https://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?SearchIndex=All&multipageStart=0&multipageCount=20&Operation=GetResults&Keywords=B000FJX878&InstanceId=0&TemplateId=MobileSearchResults&ServiceVersion=20070822&MarketPlace=US Cache: AAL_e4d94c7429655fadb2de80d33017e480 hanging on the right is filled with Manna Pro Crushed Oyster Shell Calcium Supplement For Laying Chickens - Poultry Treat - 5 lbs. – a calcium supplement. Offered like that, free choice, but up off of the ground, is tidy and prevents waste.) Three bags of sand in each chicken run are enough to aerate the soil. Right now everything is uneven and in big chunks. But the hens will set to work and smooth things out. Phoebe...

The Flocks Meet – HenBlog – Tuesday, March 15, 2011

...to each other! They've free-ranged together for years. Lulu is a crazy bird and Maizie is downright mean. No one else tussles. Ridiculous, really. Kit- Maizie isn't acting like a rooster. This is totally different aggression. It's dominance, pure and simple. In a normal situation, the chickens peck each other a bit, figure out who's boss, and that's that. Maizie doesn't stop. Combine that with crazy, huffy Lulu, and it's a bad combination! I'll be letting them near each other again, but this time, feeding treats. Whoever gets rude won't get to eat. That, and picking up the aggressor, helps....

Good Broody / Bad Broody – HenBlog – Thursday, July 5, 2012

...mouth, "someone -- anyone -- TAKE ME!" I did the separation in a pet carrier thing for two days and by the third day she was reduced to just the constant bukbukbukbukbuk and the held-out wings, though still snapping at anyone who came close. I was at the feed store that day, returning a rooster on warranty, and happened to be talking with the main chicken guy there. He said, 'heck, I could get you some fertile eggs, anytime you want' but by then it was too late. Next time I might give it a try. So thanks for your...

Phoebe’s Choice – HenBlog – Tuesday, July 2, 2013

...that she was given a ramp into a nesting box. She’s now laying an egg in there every three days. Not bad for an 8-year old hen!   Phoebe said, The chickens are welcome to it! She saw no reason to go into the hutch during the day. Rabbit pellets are uninteresting to her compared to what else can be found. There’s usually greens and woody things to chew on in the compost pile.   Inside are more greens in the treat holder.   There’s room to run, which gets the goats going, too.   Like Candy did, Phoebe uses...

Beulah Returns – HenBlog – Monday, February 3, 2014

...When Misty emerged from the coop, however, she sidled up to the mesh in aggressive pose and Beulah moved off in the other direction. Integration - or re-integration - is always a challenge; I'm pleased to see that, so far, it is going as well as could be expected. Velvet Sparrow With your little white hen (sorry, I don't know her name) it looks like her tail is damaged from wear...I'd check out where she's roosting at night and see if she's sitting with her butt jammed up against something to break her tail feathers off. Terry Golson That's Betsy....

Thanks, IT Guy! – HenBlog – Thursday, July 23, 2015

...making. This camera has replaced the GoatCam. I know that many of you will miss seeing Pip and Caper’s furry behinds, but there’s a limit to the number of cams that we can run, and this view of the Gems’ outside run is something that I’ve wanted to share.     The installation of the OutsideCam is the first step in a number of improvements that you’ll be seeing here in the coming weeks. You read my writing, but you see Steve’s work. We’re both excited about what’s to come.   My writing has never paid the mortgage (it’s the...

The Goat Exercise Plan – HenBlog – Wednesday, May 25, 2011

...trend in workouts it to do short, intense twenty-minute sessions. Accomplished! Once the goats were put back in their paddock, the chickens shooed back into their run, and Lily rewarded for not turning goats or chickens into shredded toys, I took another look at the fencing. It appears that the goats figured out how to pull the tab that unlatches the chicken run’s door. It’s still a mystery why they closed it after they left. In any event, I’m sure that my goat trainers are thinking up new exercise routines. They wouldn’t want me to get bored with my workouts....

Compost – HenBlog – Friday, April 24, 2009

An average large laying hen eats 1/4 pound of feed a day, drinks about 4 ounces of water and produces 1/4 pound of manure. Chickens, like other birds, don’t pee; it all comes out in one, fairly solid, glob. Chicken poo is smelly, but a well-cared for coop and yard is not. The trick is to keep it picked up and compost the waste. I’m rather lazy about my compost. I don’t bother to add water, or microbes, or turn it. I let the chickens and time do the work. I have a three-step system. Kitchen scraps, garden refuse and...

Why I Don’t Use Avian Vets – HenBlog – Monday, December 17, 2012

...then separated her from the rest of the flock in our basement in a dog crate. It looked really bad, but I told my husband I had to TRY and save her. if in a day or two she wasn't looking better back there or looked sick, we would humanely put her down. After twice daily cleanings with warm soapy water and an antiseptic spray for animals, as well as limited feed mixed with yogurt - a week later the part of the prolapse that was sticking out fell off and she was back to normal, fluffing up her rear...

Winter Dust Baths – HenBlog – Thursday, March 3, 2011

...and that did the trick. This time love conquered all but I did catch it before it was a strong habit. Terry Golson I hear that that technique can work with some - but not all - roosters. Pecking at heads is a lethal habit. I'm glad you caught it in time! Often, you don't know the aggressor until after she's already succeeded in killing several hens. Terry Golson You might have noticed on the hencam that my little hens go under the nesting boxes - it's a safe place that the big girls can't get to. If you construct...

Keeping the Girls Busy – HenBlog – Wednesday, June 6, 2012

...hawk sped out of the woods, and swooped low over the hens. Hawks are that brazen. It was only fifteen feet above them when my arm waving and screeching, and pell-mell running at it, convinced the raptor to give up on it’s planned chicken lunch. The hens are back to being confined, but I have a few tricks to keep the girls busy and happy. I have a small birch log in the Big Barn run. Every few days I move it to a new spot. The ground is damp and buggy where the log was, which keeps the girls...

Euthanizing a Hen – HenBlog – Tuesday, October 28, 2014

...I've always thought, "I should have done this sooner." And a big PS: Please join me in springing for "coffee" if you read this regularly, so Terry can continue to provide this service. This is the blog I turn to first when I need no-nonsense advice that best serves my flock and I want her to be able to keep this up! Suzanne Terry, did you find out more about that yellow tissue? I guess it makes no difference in treatment- or the need to euthanize- but it's interesting in itself. It seems like it would be fatty, but would...

Pecking Order – HenBlog – Thursday, July 19, 2012

...can circle around it and no one gets trapped in a corner when trying to eat. Add a second waterer outside. When providing treats, set them out in several places. Chickens get bored, and hens kept in small dirt pens will get in trouble. That’s why I don’t give treats like corn that they quickly gobble up, but instead provide a compost in the run so that they have an interesting place to scratch for hours. That’s also why I give them pumpkins in the fall, hang a cabbage in the run when they’re closed up due to snow, and...

Grape Arbor For The Hens (And Me) – HenBlog – Tuesday, April 3, 2012

...your idea works and the chickens don't undo all your work:-) Terry Golson Denise, we use a shade tarp for Candy. I'm glad you mentioned sunshine. I don't like seeing the coops with runs that are 100% covered. Chickens need and enjoy bright sunshine. (In the coop, too! Coops should have windows!) Where the Big Barn is sited facing southeast, even if the arbor grew over the fence, the sun would still reach in. Terry Golson Do they eat it? Ken At least your hawks don't sit on the run fence post and peer in and terrify your hens. I...

Social Feather Picking – HenBlog – Monday, March 24, 2014

...see stressed hens, in fact, everyone is laying. Yesterday, each of the six Ladies laid eggs, as did six of the ten Gems. I’m observant. If it escalates, I’l know. If a hen is harmed, I’ll know. But, I doubt it. It’s a bad habit that doesn’t seem to bother anyone but me. I’ve made peace with the feather picking. I don’t think it will ever fully stop, bad habits rarely do. But, I’m ever hopeful that when the snow finally melts away and the hens have dirt to scratch and wallow it, bugs to find, and sunshine to bask...

There’s Always One in a Crowd – HenBlog – Tuesday, May 24, 2011

...to her with the "Don't tread on me" expression looks like a hot ticket. Terry Golson Ken- I've been thinking about you. Your state hasn't had a break! (for my readers - he's in Missouri where there have been lethal tornados.) Terry Golson No, the picture lies. She's still half the size of the others and sits more than walks. But I think she'll be a stubborn thing and do just fine. Terry Golson Exactly how I train Lily - though I use the clicker as the marker to let her know she's doing the right thing. Kit Are they...

Feather Pecking Update – HenBlog – Wednesday, June 18, 2014

...:-) When we buy more chicks, we will probably either get more BA girls or try some Dominiques. Wish I could stop the feather picking, but I doubt that they will ever change :-( Terry Golson I also had GLW that were prone to pecking. I find that the hens that are the best foragers - the GLW, RIR and Barred Rocks, often are the aggressors when kept in pens, even generously-sized ones. You might want to consider reducing the extras in the feed. You're supplying a very high energy ration, and that could add to their behavior issues. Try...

How To Make Your Hens Happy – HenBlog – Tuesday, August 25, 2015

...week to turn the dirt over. When they see me walking towards the run carrying a shovel, the squaking starts. They love going over the turn-over dirt looking for all sorts of bugs, like kids in a candy store. Lately, one of the buff had been chasing some mice that shows up in their run. Lo and behold, she actually nailed a couple of them already. I had to grab the dead mouse away from her. I just wonder if this is good or bad for her, having a taste of mouse blood? Terry Golson Chickens do eat meat, so...

Integrating One Hen Into A Flock – HenBlog – Tuesday, February 4, 2014

...The hand block is a very useful move! Twiggy is such a beautiful girl... when all of mine die (i'll never do the chick integration again!!!) i will have to get one like Twiggy. jaye I think if you were seeing black and red, you were probably looking at one of the Black Stars - either Nancy Drew or Beulah - because Misty has dark blue/black feathering, with no red. Deirdre I've never introduced an adult bird, only chicks. I find a wire dog crate in the run is helpful. The biguns have a chance to get used to the...

Hens in the Garden – HenBlog – Tuesday, February 2, 2010

...plus degrees everyday for two weeks and not even a frost at night... Ken from St Louis Mine have the same routine has yours Terry. I too let them roam in the spring in summer while I'm out but they can be sneakly little biddies. I look away for a second and one of them are in a flower bed!!!! Cindy Oh, Terry, how refreshing of you to post the 'green' garden photos of last summer at this cold, icy-blue time of year! You are right. The hens can't discriminate between the 'good' and 'bad' bugs and just like my...

An Early Molt – HenBlog – Tuesday, August 10, 2010

...now for controlling molt. Aack! We're not allowed chickens were we live, (sigh) so we buy organic. It's the best we can do. Terry Golson Ken- too bad the hens don't molt until totally naked. That would make it easier! Terry Golson Kristine - how old are your birds? By three years of age you'll see a marked drop-off in egg numbers. Vicki in So. CA Not sure where you are in CA, but in our area we're absolutely inundated with tomatoes, even with the unusually cool summer we're having. We over-planted this year due to the almost 100% tomato...

How To Stop a Broody Hen From Brooding – HenBlog – Monday, June 6, 2011

...Terry Golson Hi All, I suspected I'd hear many tales of deranged broody birds and you haven't disappointed! Let me know if you try a broody coop. Don't listen to Wendy - her hens are the empresses (far above queens) of broodies. Quite impressive, but better in her yard than mine :) (Click on Wendy's name and it will take you to her blog and you'll see what her girls are up to.) Terry Golson HI Kit- I can't find sexed Bantam White Leghorn chicks, besides, I know a breeder in RI - Don Nelson (wonderful poultry show judge, BTW)...

Chickens in Orchards – The Vintage Hen – Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Lynda I've always wanted an orchard for the hens to forage! We have a cherry tree and a fig tree in the Hen Garden, and they love rooting around under them, esp if the fruit is in season. We also have an apple tree ... but that's in the main the garden so is off limits much of the time. Sue I love this picture---I can taste those peaches! I've got two beehives in my tiny orchard, so that's out-of-bounds for the chickens. Too bad, because I've got borers too. But thanks to the ubiquitous squirrels, I rarely see the...

Preparing for the Chicks – HenBlog – Tuesday, April 5, 2011

...until they are fully feathered out. Terry Golson Thank you! Scholastic has declined the next Tillie book because sales weren't big enough for them. Maybe after this springtime sales season they'll reconsider. Ken My uncle whose brooder house and pen was in the run of his laying flock use to till in garden grade lime about a month before he allowed his new chicks into the brooder run. He opened the gate and allowed the older hens in early or late fall. He said it was a good disinfectant. I never tried it. Terry I hope you end up with...

Wrongly Accused – HenBlog – Thursday, September 19, 2013

I’ve been concerned that one of the Ladies is eating her eggs. Once in awhile a pullet’s first eggs are thin-shelled or just a membrane. They’re easy to break, and no hen can resist eating runny yolks. Sometimes, a young hen doesn’t know how to settle into a nesting box, and breaks the eggs that are there. She quickly learns to stomp on purpose and eat the eggs. Sometimes a pullet lays an egg while out in the run, while on the run. The egg falls onto the hard ground and cracks. The other hens learn to look for eggs...

Grapes for Chickens – HenBlog – Wednesday, July 16, 2014

...so prolific. I am in MD Terry Golson Lots of green tomatoes, so I won't know for awhile yet. Peas were delicious but sparse. Dinosaur kale, is, of course, doing brilliantly (kale for me is like zucchini for everyone else - it just keeps producing.) Terry Golson Welcome! The circular structure in the chicken run is a compost pile. Read my FAQ about that here. We have hawks and owls in the sky, but a multitude of ground predators, including bear, fox, fisher cat, opossum, raccoon, and coyote. Oh, and weasels. Ken Weasels, those little devils. I had horrible problems...

Recycling Christmas Trees – HenBlog – Monday, January 12, 2015

...such as blueberries. Terry Golson They do. Some people collect pine needles for mulch. Attractive and good for those acid-loving plants. Niall Anderson I put our large tree into the run last week; the girls love it, and one even decided to lay under its still well-covered branches. I'm delighted to know you do this - nice to have confirmation that I've done the right thing! Carol Caldwell I never would have thought that chickens could eat pine needles. I thought they would be too prickly. Those goats really do eat anything don't they! I love every photo on this...

Saving Clementine, Part 3 – HenBlog – Monday, March 31, 2014

...the hens would wear diapers when inside, but don't see any sign of one. Terry Golson No diapers. The staff are used to picking up messes -- what the hen makes is very small compared to what goes on in a nursing home. Also, there's something about being held that keeps hens from pooping. (She's not put on the floor or just left on a lap.) Terry Golson Yes, letting them forage together in a wide open space is ideal! Unfortunately, that's not possible at the nursing home, but it is what I do here and I should have mentioned...

Chicken Coop Dimensions and Design Criteria – HenBlog – Wednesday, March 6, 2013

...coops have them on the floor) or the exterior covered run space. Interior air space: Chickens need to roost at least 30 inches up off of the ground, and have head space to do that comfortably. Roosts: 6 inches per hen. I prefer rounded roosts. Hens have special ligaments in their legs that lock in place when they sleep. This is how they can sleep without falling off the perch. To do this, they need to be on a round roost. If possible, have roosts at varying heights because that helps with flock dynamics. Windows: Sunlight is essential in a...

It’s Cold In The Coop But… – HenBlog – Friday, December 13, 2013

...the coop into a lean to shelter and back and forth. But they aren't really venturing into the run to walk on the snow covered crust in my run. Stay warm and dry and enjoy the weekend. Lesley S I live in a temperate climate as well and 5 of my hens only recently decided to leave their outside run roost for the coop. The temp was down to -4 celsius or so for almost a week and windy and yet my other 2 birds remained up in the rafters of the outside run to sleep at night as they...

An Improved HenCam – HenBlog – Saturday, July 13, 2013

...bevins Terry, in reference to your post about how well behaved your gems are; well my girls are not gems. I love them as if they were my own children, but they are a rowdy bunch. I cannot go into the run with shorts on. I have two dark brown freckles on each leg just under the knee. They wait for them. They peck and Luna even twist her head back and forth trying to tear it off. I fly out of the run, because when one starts they all jump in. Hubby and me have given them all kinds...

Highflying Hen – HenBlog – Wednesday, December 11, 2013

...how to post it here so it's on FB Carol Caldwell My run is topped with a double layer of chicken wire and has a large bush and an apple tree inside. My girls jump to their coop roof and fly into the bush and tree, I know I would lose them if their wasn't a top on my run. They fly the length of the run and they jump from the ground to my shoulder when I am in with them. They are a mix of pure breeds, hybrid and bantys. They are all excellent at flying and jumping....

Chickens and Dogs – HenBlog – Wednesday, May 28, 2014

...Golson Sometimes rehoming is the best solution - and especially if there's a child at risk! I love corgis. Scooter's mom looked like a corgi mix - When I first saw her pups (she was a stray in foster care) I thought that Scooter would be corgi-sized. We were wrong, but somehow he is very right :) BTW - one thing that you did right (I'm pointing this out for others to understand this) is you never let the dogs chase or get a hen. Once they do something that rewarding for themselves, it's much harder to train them not...

Keeping the Girls Busy – HenBlog – Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Jude Mowry Even the wild birds were enjoying your coop activities!! 12:41 12:42 PM est I was viewing the hencam and noticed a small bird on the bottom left. Your hens did not seem to care sharing their space (he-he). Jean Husson I get a kick out of Candy's visits to the hen coop. Her feathers are kind of funny, but she's just one of the girls, it seems. Nice picture of her jowly face. Great seeing Edwina and Eleanor -- how beautiful are they with coral crests contrasting with the black and white feathers! Pip was hamming it up...

Why Outside Roosts – HenBlog – Monday, July 13, 2015

...if need be. Glad to hear your garden is productive this year. Sorry to ask of blog but, i don't do Facebook. How is Lily doing and any update on new camera for Gems??...:) Terry Golson Smart critters. Those cut veggies are washed in chemicals - which is considered processing and so it's not on the label - but there are residues. Terry Golson Lily is resigned to limping. I'm still waiting on the DNA test results. Full report when I get it! Steve is working, working, working on the new cams. It is VERY complicated and requires not only...

Their Eggs and Our Eggs – HenBlog – Tuesday, August 31, 2010

...item that claimed that the salmonella outbreak could have been prevented if the hens had been vaccinated, which is yet another example of how factory farming would like to rely on drugs and not good husbandry. Even federal health inspectors admit that one possible reason that the eggs were bad is that the housing was unsanitary (to put it mildly – the hens lived in rodent infested, manure-packed chicken houses.) At a time when communities are trying to change regulations to allow for the urban and village hennery, it’s very important that the distinction between what we do and what...

A Cause of Odd Eggs – HenBlog – Friday, June 14, 2013

...them, bake them, and give back to the girls. They do eat the shells, but I have occasionally had to substitute oyster shell which they do not eat. jennifer bevins Hi Terry, I've been to other blogs, sites, hatcheries and links to governmental agencies. Your blog seems to be the most accurate, user-friendly, and closest to what we're doing here. The entertainment and beauty of your pics are icing on the cake. Thanks for sharing this information. I've pinned it for future reference. I liked Deni's post too. Thanks for helping Terry and Deni. jennifer bevins P.S.- The biggest draw...

What Chickens Don't Eat – HenBlog – Wednesday, September 24, 2008

...at any danger. Despite the fact that chickens are always hungry and always on the look-out for something wiggly, they won’t go near these. Buffy pecked at one and then walked away. Perhaps the sawfly larvae taste as bad as they look? Does anyone know about a chicken’s sense of taste? The girls also refuse to eat fuzzy caterpillars, which means they aren’t helpful with the tent caterpillars either. The bantam hens don’t like tomato horn worms. Too big. Luckily, the large hens in my flock fight over them. We tend to think of chickens as indiscriminate eaters. But they’re...

Winter Care for Chickens – HenBlog – Tuesday, December 8, 2009

...you have to provide heat. Also, some hens, and often roosters, have big combs, prone to frostbite. Slather on some vaseline if you know the temperature is going to drop. Chickens appreciate a bright and sunny coop. Here’s my aged Eleanor, who has claimed a toasty place in a patch of sun. Chickens need to be high and dry. If your run gets muddy, add a few bags of sand, or put down wood chips, to give the hens a place to roam above the muck. Chickens have scaly, bare feet. They don’t like walking on snow or ice. They’ll...

HenCam

...a few minutes, and then rotates to the next. First is the main HenCam showing the outside run where eight hens live. Next is a cam showing the hens inside of the big barn. Finally, another outside cam in the run where Phoebe the bunny lives. This cam shows the goats, too. The cams have sound! Turn up the volume to hear the hens. HenCam was streamed live from September 2005 until March 2019. Please enjoy these recordings as The Best of HenCam! Search Help support The HenCam when you shop at Amazon! Start your shopping by clicking this link....

Lulu – HenBlog – Thursday, May 19, 2011

...chickens over the last 20 something years and the loss never gets any easier- no matter how long their stay was. Just know that you gave them the best life possible and life just sucks sometimes. Hope the others make it and the sun does it's job! Maryanne I also wanted to say thanks for sharing your good times and bad times, your blog is very inspiring! Renee you have spoken so often about Lulu. What a character. she will be missed as a member of your hen family. A sad home coming. And stressful. The waiting has to be...

Lauren’s Coop – HenBlog – Monday, May 11, 2015

...built this chicken tractor to shelter her girls while out on the lawn. Note – this is NOT a coop. It’s for daytime use only. (Read my FAQ on Coop Criteria to learn why this is not suitable housing.)   The hawks are also why Lauren has a covered run, and also a play area with plants that the hens can run under for protection. These doted on hens are happy, indeed.   Like Lauren’s art? Take a look at her book, Auto Amazon Links: No products found. http_request_failed: A valid URL was not provided. URL: https://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?SearchIndex=All&multipageStart=0&multipageCount=20&Operation=GetResults&Keywords=1451698704&InstanceId=0&TemplateId=MobileSearchResults&ServiceVersion=20070822&MarketPlace=US Cache: AAL_4236bfc2d77c45f4c2ecf2c3f3e53646 ....

Chicken Tee Giveaway – HenBlog – Friday, November 16, 2012

...tasty that is about to come down from above. And Betty Lou Marbles! Ay yay yay. So fun! Kris C I love Calamady Jane, she looks like she is saying " I did not do it..." Marcia Her could resist lucky last Gertrude!!! lianne Remedios - she looks tatty and world wise - just like my girls at the moment - they are in the middle of a huge moult - the pen looks like someone has been having a pillow fight there are so many feathers flying about!! Debra How can you not love a chicken named Calamity Jane!11...

Blizzard Ready – HenBlog – Monday, January 26, 2015

...glad to see you and the animals are all safe and tucked in for the incoming action! I long for proper snow here, we are forecast for 2 hours of sleet on Thursday :o( . Hope everyone comes through it and stays warm, see you on the other side! Robin Always love pictures, live or still, of the boys playing. The snow is almost done here. It wasn't quite as bad as expected - no wind - but the snow is soooo wet. All the tree branches are coated with inches of snow. It is pretty. And I'll be taking...

Who’s To Blame? – HenBlog – Friday, February 25, 2011

...it's pointless to blame ones the servants when the weather is bad. They just make sure they get the most comfortable bed possible and stay there all day until time for supper (which the servants will serve on time of course) Celia Georgene from Florida Perhaps a sweater and matching chicken hat for Lily ?! Yes, what happened to the temp gauge on the hen cams ? We are a breezy 78 here in Florida and running the A/C at night. Your snow is so beautiful and refreshing to look at ! Surely warm weather isn't far away for you...

Goat Yoga – HenBlog – Monday, October 8, 2012

...You can do this 2 ways . Either lift your buttocks into the air or just keep them on the bed. Do as many of these as you want as long as you are not feeling pain. Count like this: one -one thousand , two- one thousand, three- one thousand etc for the 5 sec hold. If you need to do just a few to start then that is fine. You will be strenghtening your abdominal muscles, buttocks, and leg muscles. Here is a critical fact you need to know. You abdominal muscles will not support your spine in a...

A Scary Day – HenBlog – Friday, August 14, 2015

...the wrappers :) Too bad some of the things that are bad for them still get eaten! Robin SO GLAD Pip is okay. I saw rhododendron and didn't want to read anymore. I just had to put my hamster down and didn't want more death. But I also 'had' to know, so like Deanne, I had to skip to the ending. Whew! {{{HUGS}}} to you and yours and Pip. Tori McKee Oh my goodness - I'm so sorry you all went through that! So very glad to hear Pip came through it okay! judy n. thank goodness, I was going...

Coop Cleaning Routine – HenBlog – Monday, October 21, 2013

...the goats! :-P Questions- do you purchase the pine shavings from a livestock supply or do you get it from a lumber yard? Have you ever heard of people making moveable goat barns, so that the ammonia-saturated ground could air out? Thanks for all the great information! And the photos- those goats are so charming and funny! Joy Ive deep littered all my chicken houses going back probably 50 years ...not sure if they even called it deep littering back then. My farm is all organic, and all their food comes from my gardens, orchards, and fields and litter that...

Thank Yous – HenBlog – Sunday, May 1, 2011

lauren scheuer So fun to read the story of the BFF's! Lis Lovely story about BFFs. (Total shot in the dark, but camp TW? Me, too, three years in the late 70s.) Jen Sounds like a great two days.... it's so wonderful that spring/summer are beginning which means a plethora of events like Green Fair! I appreciate four distinct seasons, but I love the growing/harvest time the best. I never realized you were a horse person (or I forgot). Anyway, I had the great pleasure recently of working on a documentary about the real-life horse whisperer Buck Brannaman and I...

Onyx’s Egg – HenBlog – Thursday, June 13, 2013

...I haven’t found many of Onyx’s eggs. She’s laying infrequently, and when she does produce an egg, it could easily be broken. Making fewer, and less than sturdy eggs, is not unusual for hens in their second full year of lay. Even with an excellent diet, shells thin and production drops. (I’ll be writing about this more in a future post.) The danger to the hen is when the shells thin out so much that they break inside of her before laying. The trouble for the henkeeper is when chickens find broken eggs, they get into the bad habit of...

Feather Picking – HenBlog – Wednesday, February 5, 2014

...she is also an overly assertive hen who had become too pushy. She’s now in with the Gems, who I’m hoping won’t let her near them to get a feather or peck at a comb. (I’ve been watching, and she’s tried to feather pick. It’s too early to know how this will play out.) I’ve fortunate to have the Gems, a sensible and calm flock of hens who don’t put up with nonsense. They reformed Edwina, who was a bully, and would have killed Buffy if she could have, but in with the Gems she is a polite old lady....

Storm Preparation for Chicken Coops – HenBlog – Friday, January 23, 2015

...have there - the bird feeder is such a great idea for bread slices - keeps them busy for hours when its stormy outside....Greetings from Australia Jan Hope this works I have been watching for over two years but have never tried a message. Just wanted to say a very big thankyou to you for your wonderful animals, and to Steve your IT guy/husband for his amazing web cams. If my comment works, I will tell you about my six girls. Meanwhile keep up the stoic works. Lol from Hampshire in England. Justine I eagerly logged in this morning to...

A Life Transformed – HenBlog – Tuesday, December 17, 2013

...the richness of the world of sound, and the next time I complain about how a ticking clock annoys me I might reconsider. jean oh, i'm so glad you wrote that piece - the one about hearing - today's, i mean. i'd like to tell you why - and of course, that means i have to reveal personal (groan) things about me. i'm 82, live alone, farm and factory background been married, now widowed. and have been going deaf for the better part of the best years of my life.it finally got so bad that family and friends and advertising...

A Rainy Day – HenBlog – Thursday, September 8, 2011

...in all the way to the hand with room to spare. I fear them getting a foot caught and breaking something. Water seems to do no good. I guess I could run sprinkler 24/7 but $$$ Terry, also, I wonder do the Gems have a roosting hierachy on your ladder roosts? In other words, do certain hens always get the top rung and on down the line? Terry Golson Right now the Gems all crowd the top two rungs of the ladder and it is impossible to see a hierarchy. I'll try to get a photo. Also interesting is that...

Old Hen Update – HenBlog – Tuesday, December 4, 2012

...some of the finer details went by the wayside, only to reappear once I got my girls and started hands-on learning. Initially, I told myself (and 'promised' my girls) they could live until they died naturally -- that I wouldn't replace them when they slowed down their laying. But I didn't fully grasp just how quickly they slowed down. Our city ordinance allows only 4 'poultry' animals per lot. Which is fine in theory, I guess -- 4 hens, 4 eggs/day -- again, in theory. But in practice, of course chickens don't always lay an egg a day, and in...

Black Gnat Season – HenBlog – Wednesday, April 30, 2014

Candace He looks so very handsome. Rebecca I could use one of those myself here in TN. Black gnats always biting my ears. Judy I love Tonka's new crocheted cap. I saw them in the Vermont Horse Store from your earlier blog, and couldn't for the life of me envision how they would look a real horse. Now I know. Very Nice. You can tell I know absolutely nothing about horses, so I really enjoy your Tonka tales! jean teri - try plain vanilla - but real vanilla on him. works wonders on wisconsin gnats Marie I think he looks...

Black Bean Soup – The Vintage Hen – Friday, January 10, 2014

...Do you let your hens pick at the ham bone? Sara This is going in the crock pot this weekend! Jean R That soup looks divine -- but I am a little surprised that you don't use your own chicken stock. You might try Pete & Jens or Codman farm for your ham hock. They don't always have them but they are wonderful when they do. But Wellshire's Virginia ham is one of my guilty pleasures. I have some Rancho Gordo black beans in my pantry, so I think I know what's for supper. Jean R Robin, beans were an...

Straw for the Path – HenBlog – Monday, February 23, 2015

...come out if there's any in the run. So glad you and Steve were able to get away for the weekend to recharge, Terry. P.S. Steve, get a snowblower. Seriously. We resisted for many years too - until this year, when we had no choice but to buy one, due to sudden unexpected health issues. You'll be able to find just the one you want, and at a much better price, if you don't HAVE to buy it right away. Don't worry - you will get lots of use out of it, because I'm pretty sure it will snow again...

Egg Stomping – HenBlog – Wednesday, September 1, 2010

...in pieces, a yolky mess in the shavings. She doesn’t eat the egg. If she was an egg-eater, she’d be gone. That sort of bad habit is picked up by the other hens, until you have broken shells and not much else for your chicken-keeping efforts. Sometimes, hens lay thin-shelled eggs that break easily – then the hens learn to eat them. However, that doesn’t appear to be the cause. The smashed eggs that I’m finding look normal. I wish that I had a camera in that coop to spy on the hens. I’d like to know the culprit and...

Spring Coop Dusting – HenBlog – Tuesday, March 29, 2016

My chicken coop is airy, dry, and doesn’t have any bad, lingering odor. I pick up and remove the obvious piles of manure several times weekly. But, that’s not enough to keep the environment healthy for the hens. Chickens create a huge amount of dust. They shred bedding and manure with their feet. They take baths in loose dirt, then come into the coop and shake. They lose feathers and grow new ones. As feathers unfurl, they release powdery keratin. All of this dust settles on surfaces.   Keeping the coop as dust-free as possible is key to a healthy...

Egg Smashing, Egg Eating, Broody Hen – HenBlog – Friday, June 10, 2011

Betsy is the sweetest little hen. I take her to preschools and forty children line up to pet her. See? I don’t even have to hold her. She sits in my lap. But, Betsy has been crazy-broody. Angry, raspy-voiced, flattened in the nesting box broody. It’s been hot. I’ve ignored her. Which was a mistake. Animals have the uncanny ability to get into trouble when you are running out the door and don’t have time to deal with them. Yesterday, about ten minutes before I had to pick my son up at school, I checked on the flock. It was...

Hungry Goats – HenBlog – Wednesday, December 15, 2010

...usual. She seems fine, but I have to wonder what that was all about. My theory is that they tend to do something "different" when something happens (hawk sighting, etc.) or they are stressed (unusual weather?) Do you find that to be true with your girls? PS - Allow yourself to be taken care of for a change and TRY to stay out of that barn while you're recovering! And I do have a movie suggestion - A wonderful film that not many people saw: "Everything is Illuminated." All the best, Amy LB Terry - praying all is well on...

Alfalfa For Hens – HenBlog – Monday, January 7, 2013

...Debbie and Sasha, for your comments. I should have explained the coarse stem issue better. You are right to worry about impaction with tough, long food items. That's why I wish that I had a chaff cutter - to mince the stems until small. But, I don't. The alfalfa stems aren't going to appeal to my hens - fat chickens who have plenty of good food in front of them at all time. The stems are wider and coarser than hay. I watched for awhile, and not a single hen even pecked at the stems. All they ate were the...

Darth Vader’s Hens – HenBlog – Tuesday, January 11, 2011

My cochlear implant was turned on yesterday. From now on, I will be hearing via electronic stimulation of my auditory nerve. I was told that at first, everyone would sound like Donald Duck. My audiologist was wrong. It’s more like voices have gone through one of those voice-changing machines that the bad guys use when they leave ransom messages. My chickens sound like I imagine chickens would sound like if Darth Vader raised them. Does this look like a hen from the evil empire?...

Asparagus Season – HenBlog – Thursday, May 5, 2011

...during the last minute to two minutes. delicious! not so good on the re-heat though so this is really an all-tonight-or-nothing kinda method Ken Yummy. One of my favorite veggies!! Denise I grew up in a small town in Iowa. There were 2 elderly people, considered eccentric, who would go out in the ditches around our town and chop asparagus. As kids, we thought they were old crazy people, but they were probably wiser than we realized. Jane I harvested my first crop this week - amazing plants - if you turn your back for just a few days the...

1916 Eggs – HenBlog – Thursday, January 6, 2011

...have a useful page which defines some of those quasi-meaningful terms, like "cage-free." Terry Golson Jam- yes, they've tried to develop featherless chickens, but it wasn't economically sound. None exist that I know of. There is a breed of chicken with a featherless neck - amazingly cold-hardy and good layers. I think they're ugly, but a friend loves hers! Jean Husson Terry -- I have been buying my eggs (and chicken and pork) from Pete & Jen's Backyard Birds. As you may know, they are taking a well-deserved vacation this winter and will re-open in March. In the interim I...

Chicken Frostbite and Wind – HenBlog – Wednesday, January 14, 2015

...aware that it will be difficult to reintegrate her with the flock later, so it’s not a kindness to keep her inside if you don’t have to. Then, reevaluate your coop. Is it dry? Is it large enough so that all of the hens can be inside and active even during bad weather? Are the hens protected from the wind? In the case illustrated here, you can be sure that on days when the weather service warns about the windchill factor, that the hens will be inside (it’s a lovely coop with big windows) and that pop-door will be closed....

Feather Picking – HenBlog – Friday, October 21, 2011

...hen of the group from getting in. Eventually, as it darkens, she does get in and a peace of sorts settles. Joan Ahh, so sad :( but I know how it goes, I have rare canaries and there's also a clear pecking order so I have 2 - 3 feeding stations and cover them early eve. We were wondering if you are going to do "bio's" on the gems? Suzanne I used a product called "Bitter Apple" to keep my cats from chewing on no-no's such as electrical cords- I wonder if that would work too? It's hard to find,...

Animal Update – HenBlog – Monday, May 30, 2011

...an easy to understand comparison chart. If anyone has a useful link, do let me know! Colleen She could be Little Blue Sapphire! sarah Sorry to hear about the sick birds! We had an outbreak of mycoplasma last year ... Unfortunately from what I read, it's impossible to truly eliminate from a flock - apparently the active infection is treatable with the antibiotics, but the affected birds remain carriers for life, and will easily reactivate the infection -- and get sick again during any time they are under unusual stress (weather, etc). This was our experience. After nursing our flock...

Compost Bins and Chicken Manure – HenBlog – Wednesday, February 22, 2012

...might contain bits of internal parasites, and it might harbor the intermediary hosts of those parasites. It also smells. Bad. That pile of poo is about 75 % water. It will eventually shrink, but it while it is dehydrating and breaking down it has to go somewhere. I keep compost piles in my chicken runs. It keeps them busy with things to shred, scratch and eat. Much of my kitchen and garden scraps go there. But, that’s not where I put the manure. I don’t want the hens mucking about in their own waste and possibly ingesting parasites. I want...

The Girls Have An Outing – HenBlog – Tuesday, March 18, 2014

...there are two types of rabies. This "dumb" rabies reduces the animal's natural fears and they act friendly. If you ever see a friendly wild animal, assume rabies. Louise Lily is a super hero dog! I love reading "Good Dog Lily" stories :-) Natalie Glad everyone was ok! We have a problem in our area with people catching problem raccoon's on their property and then releasing them on someone else's rather than having them destroyed by the animal control. Thanks for writing this post - I hope people will realize how dangerous setting raccoon's lose can be. If sick, they...

More About Roosting – HenBlog – Tuesday, June 18, 2013

...Young whippersnapper. Ken Terry could not be more right on this one. Need to discourage this habit as soon as possible. Sometimes it is boredom that will cause this. My hens must be confined to their run so to help with boredom I always have bale or two of straw on hand. I throw a flake or two around the run, throw a little scratch grain in and it keeps them busy most of the day scratching it from one end of the run to the other. Scratching all day long couldn't be more natural for a chicken. Terry Golson...

Rooster Tea Kettle – The Vintage Hen – Thursday, August 16, 2012

lauren scheuer Aaaa! Either the gas range will melt his tail or you'll absorb enough aluminum to melt your brain. Best leave this fella on the display shelf, in a place o' honor! Kris aww, i think he looks like he's smiling! :) Heather K. Great vintage tea kettle. I don't think I've even seen one like this. Cindy B Why not keep him at-the-ready to tote out to the run when the girls get out-of-hand! His drill sargeant attitude will get 'em in line .. .. .. Carol I guess I haven't had chickens long enough - I see...

Essential Coop Equipment – HenBlog – Thursday, October 17, 2013

...your chicken.The problem with raw chicken for consumption is that it's processed so quickly and in such a way that the carcasses can become covered in the germs, and then, if not handled properly, it multiplies. Then, if not cooked properly, people get sick. All animals harbor bacteria; but management keeps it in check. jean chitwood my girls were guernseys - i had 4 to start with, and 'we' grew to 8 - at that time i got a milker. i did milk a small herd of goats for one of my neighbors one time - and his goats had...

Gail Damerow Visits The HenCam (and a giveaway!) – HenBlog – Thursday, March 15, 2012

...in Southern Ohio, would that be an issue? Honestly, there's no way I can keep my girls from eating worms - they are quite the delicacy and they search for them constantly when free-ranging. Lee Ann L. I've been following you for some time now because I'm very interested in getting chickens (when we get a home of our own) and I am learning all I can before I do get chickens. Hearing about gapeworm almost scares me off. It does reassure me that it's rare. I only have one book and It's a flashy book -- not at all...

Pushmi-Pullyu Hen – HenBlog – Friday, May 24, 2013

...-- ahem -- gentlemen -- residing in your barn?! Personality plus. Hugh Lofting obviously was a wonderful observer, or whoever did the illustrations, of animals! Right up your alley, Terry ;) Emily I just finished reading that book with my 7 year old daughter. It is part of our homeschool curriculum and a favorite of both of the children I have read it to. It is a delightful book! Rebecca Love to revisit my favorite children's books. I kept many of them and am so glad they are still with me. It is like Alice in Wonderland.....going down the rabbit...

Nothing Goes To Waste – HenBlog – Wednesday, December 12, 2012

...photos! The look on their different faces sure tell a story. Beryl cracks me up. Does Candy eat popcorn or will she get an extra banana chip! Thanks for sharing Terry. I'm already looking forward to the Hencam 2013 calendar. Oh, I saw a youtube video of a hen swallowing a whole mouse! Yikes/Yuck! Suzanne Great photos! Have I said that before? :-) Excellent timing with Beryl. I enjoy these blogs- part storytime, part documentary. Very refreshing! I hope that if/when I have livestock, I can be this creative and sharing. Kit Will the hens eat the burnt popcorn too,...

Pearl Gets A Bath – HenBlog – Tuesday, November 29, 2011

...had a Cochin rooster that I adored - lovely birds! I miss him. KathyG I had a darling bantam cochin frizzle named Babe, who was the uberbottom of the pecking order. So much so that she was practically bald by the end of last winter. I gave her away to someone with a bigger run, an odder flock (mixed bantams, silkies, Polish, all colors) and no bullies. She is doing fine there, and has regrown her darling feathers. Sigh. I love cochins, but the only way I'll get another would be a standard. Happy Pearl -- and what a beauty....

Horse Friendships – HenBlog – Friday, October 24, 2014

...a smile on my face! So glad that you've found a better place for Tonka. Looks like Maggie thinks so too! jaye Great idea! Cheryl How sweet. Love your stories. Thanks for sharing. Tori I don't know why, but I am a little choked up reading that. I'm so happy Tonka has an "everyday" friend, especially one who is so sweet and smitten! But you are definitely still his BFF. :-) Love the pictures of Tonka trying to say hello. Amy Rhodes I always love reading your posts on animal behavior - so personal and insightful. I would imagine most...

Pies! – HenBlog – Monday, November 30, 2015

cheryl MMM all look and sound wonderful!! Jan YUMMY-YUMMY-YUMMY, my family love your pie recipes I make. Glad all went well and you had a great time...:) Rosemary I made some of your quiches from The Farmstead Egg Guide and Cookbook - Love it and use it a lot, most often gatherings and holidays. It makes a nice a gift, especially given with a dozen local fresh eggs - so Thank You for writing it and it looks like it was a nice holiday - with Great Pies!!!! Jan Also is that Karen in the foreground ? Judy T Oh...

For the Birds – HenBlog – Thursday, August 19, 2010

...out, make a filling and bake it, but, honestly, who wants to bother with all of that work in this heat? So, on the way into the house with my basket of vegetables from the garden, that big lunk of a zucchini got tossed into the chicken run. Without the hens, I’d have brought that squash into the kitchen, where it would have sat on the counter for a day, challenging my cooking skills and making me feel like a slacker of a cook. Then, it’d be hidden away in the refrigerator, where it would take up valuable space, go...

Steamed Eggs – HenBlog – Wednesday, March 2, 2011

...also be on the look out for a cute egg steamer! Terry Golson I used a steamer basket. Just make sure you don't run out of water. I had to add some. Carolyn Do you start with cold water or heat the water first and then put the steamer basket in? Carolyn Do you start with cold water or heat the water first and then put the steamer basket in? When do you start timing? Longer time for larger eggs? This is a new technique for me and of course it's not covered in your book!! ;-) Terry Golson Hi...

Good Things – HenBlog – Wednesday, June 15, 2011

...step around her. Running things. The boys have been grazing in the back meadow. Lately they’ve been avoiding that area, despite the tall grass and briars that they so love to eat, because it’s been too wet and buggy. But today is a grazing day. Still, when they hear me by their stall they come running. I might have popcorn. Popcorn trumps all. Old friends. Edwina is my regal old lady. New friends. There’s always one in a lot that distinguishes herself. Agatha Agate, of all of the new birds, is the friendly one. She’s calm, she sidles up to...

Digging Dandelions – HenBlog – Wednesday, April 18, 2012

...have a tool we call the "weed popper" and you can use it while standing up! They're a bit tricky to find, but if you look in enough hardware/yard tool stores I'm sure you could find one. There's also a similar tool called the "Weed hound" but we've never used it. Anyways, I found a link online that has a picture of the "weed popper" tool. Hope I've helped :-) http://www.hardwareandtools.com/Alterra-Tools-897023770368-Green-Thumb-40-Inch-Weed-Popper-u107849.html Joyce I make dandelion wine using my Mom's recipe and eat the greens like my Gram taught me. The wine is never the same from year to year, some...

Blowing Out Eggs – HenBlog – Monday, January 28, 2013

...the white and yolk out? Jaye Re: hanging eggs, how about using ornament findings? You can buy them here: http://www.amazon.com/25-Ornaments-Findings-Supplies-Decorating/dp/B006E924WS/ref=pd_sim_k_4 I think you could use a glue gun to apply them to your eggs. M.E. We used to do this when we made pysanki (sp?)--Ukrainian Easter Eggs. That's a great gadget, btw. Blowing out those eggs is TIRING. Our jaws used to ache... Missing the bunny. Suzanne The egg-blowing kit comes with an egg holder? Or is that another find? Can you make a larger hole, so that the yolk comes out whole? Suzanne Oops, I took a second look...

The Best Winter Barn Boots – HenBlog – Wednesday, December 18, 2013

...feet hurt. Elaine Happy feet!! Sure does look to me like the Goatie Boys are smiling. I'm so happy to see that Tonka has a nice warm coat. Perhaps a knitted one too? jaye Coincidentally, neoprene boots were on my Christmas wish list this year, and hubby found a store that had a pair of these - http://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/girl-39-s-tall-neoprene-boot-0891600p.html - in my size. Yay! They may not be as durable as Mudruckers or Bogs, but they are really comfy (I have wide feet too) and warm ... plus you can't beat the sale price on these. :-) Terry Golson Nice boots!...

The Complaint Line – HenBlog – Friday, February 14, 2014

...hears as well. Dennis "Where's my warm oatmeal and toasty dirt bath, the service at this place is going to H$LL in a hurry" seems to be what I hear her saying. :-) Viki in No Ca At least you haven't lost your sense of humor! ;-) (-: :-o Jen from Va Happy Valentine's Day! Is winter over yet? Beatrix, "don't get me started!". Owly to Beulah, "you can just keep your happy, little tail feather's in the coop for all I care!" Nancy, "where's the beef?". Have a good one Little Pond. Lesley S I just looked in on...

Dandelion Control – HenBlog – Thursday, May 14, 2015

...before! Terry Golson I'm glad that you mentioned this. My hens don't eat the entire plant either - but the activity of finding things in the attached soil, the shredding of the leaves, etc. keeps them busy and healthy. The ear cover on Tonka is to keep the flies off. Not a new idea. People have used crocheted fly sheets for hundreds of years. He's fussy about anything tickling/biting his ears, and that little cover protects him. Terry Golson Not as much as other plants, which has surprised me, but they're all individuals! Charlie Hey Terry, check this out. http://www.amazon.com/Fiskars-Uproot-Weed-Root-Remover/dp/B0030MIHAU/ref=pd_sim_86_3?ie=UTF8&refRID=05RCQ6TN84MFGVSGMD68...