A Whole New Can of Worms

As the days get shorter, the chickens sleep longer.  They are sleeping when I leave in the morning and some nights when I am teaching and get home after dinner time, they are already sleeping when I get home.  They follow the sun.  And the shorter days affect their laying cycle.  Instead of 5 eggs a day, we are now getting 2 eggs a day.  The chickens are definitely feeling the change in seasons.

I was getting worried about the sudden drop in temperature.  I wasn’t exactly thinking that it would be 32 degrees mid-October, so needless to say I hadn’t taken the time to research what would need to be done to prep the chickens for winter.  So I was laying in bed, worrying about how cold it was going to get at night, I read what other backyard chicken farmers had to say.  I came to find out that the chickens are actually safer in the cold temperatures than in the extreme heat during summer.  As long as the chickens aren’t huddled all together, then they are fine.  And when the temperatures do go below 0 degrees we will most likely run a heat lamp or light bulb out to the coop to provide extra heat.  But they recommend only doing that when it is REALLY cold and below zero, so that the chickens don’t get used to the warmth.  Whew! That was good to hear. 

A couple of tricks I did read about… I have been giving them cracked corn at night before it gets dark, which gives them some extra calories to help keep them warm through the night.  But so far, they have been just as active as normal.  If anything, they want to run around even more now. 

 Also, other bloggers said to make sure they have plenty of hay in the coop area that stay dry.  So I added some extra pine shavings and hay to the little closed off area for them.  Also, they have each other for heat!  When they roost at night – they are all up on each other and their body heat keeps them warm.  Makes perfect sense.  The one thing I did have to worry about is their feet.  Once the ground gets frozen, others said to watch out for frost bite on their feet.  So as winter truly arrives in Cincinnati and the ground freezes, I will have to make sure extra straw/hay is in the coop. 

So I was feeling much better about the cold temperatures and my little flock living outside.  And then I go out to clean the coop yesterday and noticed that Grey was starting to lose feathers all along her neck.  I was so nervous that this had something to do with an infection from Savannah attacking her several months ago.  I was sure it had to do with the cold weather and I was scared to look up the symptoms online. 

I tried to take some pictures – but she was not having it with me trying to hold her still. It was like she was self conscious and didn't want me looking at her without her feathers :(  I could see down to her skin almost and noticed that some of the feathers that were left were a little blue/purple color at end attached to her.  So weird.  She still had an appetite and was running around the yard with all the others – so I was hopeful it wasn’t anything serious.

I am pretty sure that Grey is the first to start molting.  It is either that or mites.  Ew.  I'm pretty sure it’s not mites. Because they take regular dust baths in the dirt/mulch in our yard, which is supposed to help keep them clean and mite-free. 

Apparently chickens can have pretty hard molts and can get almost completely featherless – look at this picture I found!

Note: This is NOT one of my chickens and I really hope they don't molt this hard... so creepy looking and they would be so cold!

Some facts I Learned about molting:
(taken from Backyard Chickens - Managing Your Chickens Molt )

Full grown hens molt once or twice a year. Molting is caused by exhaustion and or sickness, when their laying cycle is completed, (that means they are done laying eggs for a while) and reduced lighting.

Molting also gives a chicken’s reproductive system time to rest. This process can be very stressful for chickens so it is important they stay happy and healthy. Usually after molting their hardier and more resistant to disease

During the molting process, chickens will start to lose their head and primary wing feathers first then the feather loss works its way down the body. Chickens may have a hard molt or a soft molt. A hard molt is when the feathers drop out very quickly but don't come back for a while. A soft molt is when the feathers drop out and new ones come in soon after. The new feathers that come in are called pin feathers.  I am curious to see if Grey continues to lose more feathers and if any start to grow back or if she just goes bald… yikes!

Did you know? Feathers are 80-85% protein and eggs are around 13% protein. So the chicken has to make a choice to put protein toward molting or laying, there is not enough for both. Because of this, during molting, laying stops in hens.  So I guess I will need to up the protein in their diet to make sure they are getting enough.  Especially if they start to get bare spots, I don’t want them pecking at each other. 

There is always something to learn with these chickens.  I was just so glad to find out that Grey losing her feathers was normal. 

I also am slightly concerned about scaly leg mites.  As I was researching the molting information, I came across some pictures of what scaly leg mites can do to a chicken.  The mites burrow under the scales on their legs and only really bad cases can cripple the bird.  But the recommended treatment is Vaseline, as it will smother the mites.  So today I put Vaseline on their feet.  Yes, I held each chicken one at a time and put Vaseline on her feet.  I’m telling you – if these birds die, it will not because of poor care.  They are my pets and I don’t want them to have mites on their feet. 

 

 

Anyways between the change in temperature, the first signs of molting and potential leg mites – it was quite an interesting week with the chickens.  I continue to learn about raising chickens and I do love my little chicky babies. 
Have a great Monday!

 

Chicken Owners Scramble When Pets Feel Foul

The thought has crossed my mind - what would I do if one of my chickens gets sick?  A family friend sent me a copy of her Wall Street Journal, which had an article on the front page titled "Chicken Owners Scramble When Their Pets Feel Foul"  You can read the online article in full here: WSJ Chicken Article

According to the American College of Poultry Veterinarians, there are about 260 members in good standing.  However, most of those poultry vets work in the food industry.  So how many vets are out there that could properly treat a chicken?  I could see why previously, poultry veterinarians were not in high demand because as the WSj article states - "If there is something wrong with a commerical chicken,  'It's cut its head off and find out what's wrong with the flock" mentality.  But when you bring the recent increase in backyard chickens into the picture - the whole game is changed.  Once you name a chicken and you have raised them from the time they were only a few weeks old - I would never be able to have the "cut its head off mentality". 

And I am not the only one out there raising backyard chickens that are treated like pets!  According to the WSJ article, the US Department of Agriculture does not track statistics on backyard husbandry (the care, breeding of crops and animals) however, the popular site backyardchickens.com has over 220,000 members. Feel free to check out the website at: Backyard Chicken Website 

I utilized this website when I was first researching chickens - what breed of chickens should I get, what should I feed them, when can I feed them certain veggies, etc.  The backyard chicken website offers forums that allow members to ask questions related to a certain topic and then other members can comment and provide insight/their experiences to answer your question.  Then members, like myself, have the ability to search for topics or questions that have already been asked to view the responses.  It serves as an online database that houses the most random information about raising chickens.  Not sure I would have been able to raise my chickens without the help and guidance I received from the Backyard Chicken site - because let's be honest, I didn't exactly know what I was doing :)

For example, when Izzie got attacked by a fox – I searched “fox attacks” in the forums on Backyardchicken.com to see how to treat a chicken in shock.  I was provided with a plethora of information on how to care for her, the average recovery time and what symptoms to looks for if the injury was getting worse.  

I also researched “curly toes” on the backyard chicken site.  Ever since we got the chickens, Izzie has had curled toes.  At first I did not think it was a big deal, but then I realized it may be affecting how she is able to hunt and peck around the yard.  When they are younger they rely on the instinct to “scratch” the ground for food.  And since her toes were curled under, she was not able to truly scratch.  But according to other backyard chicken farmers, as long as the chicken is able to eat and seems to be growing (which Izzie is plenty big!), then the chicken will be fine. 

The knowledge that other share is very helpful when dealing with a minor health issue or for researching, but there are also detailed pictures/videos of how to care for life threatening diseases and injuries.  I will say, self treatment is NOT for the faint of heart.  I do not know if I would take a scalpel and operate on my own chicken for bumblefoot.  It definitely is venture at your own risk and be prepared to close your eyes if you have a weak stomach. 

It is comforting to know that there are many other backyard chicken farmers who experience the same difficulties.  But also, with more people turning to self-sufficient, grow-local lifestyles, the trend and professional discussions of chicken raising is a hot trend at vet conferences.  According to the WSJ article, “We’re responding to the need” (of more poultry veterinarians).

So the question comes down to this: would I reach out to seek medical help for my backyard chickens if the medical condition was life threatening? – yes.  Would I try to treat the chicken myself, if possible? – yes.  Do I also realize that sometimes the natural circle of life is necessary and as with any animal or pet, it may be in the best interest to end the chicken’s life? – yes. 

I am hoping that I don't have to make any of those decisions in the near future, but you never know.  It has been a fun adventure so far... hoping the fun continues! And for right now, I am going to enjoy the eggs!

 

Productive and Plentiful

August was a productive month. The chickens all started laying eggs and we were collecting about 5 or 6 eggs a DAY!  I have determined that chickens are very smart.  I will admit I wasn't sure what to expect, but they are just like a cat in the fact that they know exactly where to go to lay their eggs.  We didn't have to teach them to go into the nesting boxes to lay their eggs.  And they are smart like dogs in the fact that they recognize us and will run towards me when they see I have food.  They also just like to be around humans. Just hanging out on the pool deck on a hot summer day with me :)

They are also very much like another other pet because they get upset when I don't pay them enough attention.  I recently started going back to work full time and boy do the chickens get mad if they are left alone all day stuck in the coop.  And they let you know by the loud squawks as I walk away from them in the morning and also by laying less eggs. Yes, I notice a decrease in eggs when they do not have the freedom to roam around in the yard.  And rightfully so, I mean they have a 8 ft by 8 ft "run" and then the smaller, covered coop area but I can only imagine that gets boring after awhile.  They are very curious creatures and love pecking around the yard.

So one of the funnier things that I noticed last month - I had let them out one day while I was home and heard the loud squawking that usually comes after they lay an egg.  So I went out to check, however no one was in the nesting box and Spooks was over in the weeds behind the pool deck.  I went over to check and sure enough she had created her own little nesting area and laid an egg in the yard! I know I said that they know were to go when they lay eggs, but I guess she liked this spot better.  She had dug a nice little hole in the cool dirt under the weeds and proceeded to lay her eggs in the same spot several days. 

 

 It must have just been a phase - because now Spooks is back to laying eggs in the nesting box. 

Another new update is a ceramic egg carton that I received as a birthday present from a friend.  It is awesome!  I put the eggs that we will egg in this carton and put the other ones in regular egg cartons to give away to friends and family.  Since we have high production, we easily collect a couple dozen eggs and there is no way we can eat them - so we give them away.  I love handing out eggs - everyone is always so excited to look at them and excited to see what they taste like.  It feels good to be able to give people food that you have grown from chickens you have raised  - delicious and good for you too!

 

It will be interesting to see as the weather cools down, how it affects their egg production, if at all.  I know that they are enjoying the cooler weather though instead of sweltering through the hot and humid days we had earlier this month.  But aren't we all enjoying this beautiful weather!
Have a great week and maybe you will be the next to receive a dozen eggs from the Steed farm :) 

It's a Beautiful Thing!

Finally some exciting news... all chickens are now laying eggs! A couple weeks ago, Spooks starting laying, then Grey, and just this week Lexi and O'Malley joined the club.  Since Spooks is a different breed of chicken, I was curious to see if there would be a difference in her eggs.  And WOW, is there a difference! Her eggs are HUGE! Well at least compared to the other eggs.  I would say in general the eggs have been smaller than the "Large" eggs you buy at the grocery store.  But Spooks' eggs are about the same size or maybe a little bit larger than the "Large" eggs at the store.

Can you tell which eggs Spooks laid?

We have been eating eggs every morning for breakfast and haven't really accumulated a bunch of eggs yet to give away.  However, I did make my first delivery to a friend last weekend.  Six delicious eggs! So if you have donated egg cartons - you can expect a delivery soon!  We will get tired of eating eggs every day after awhile.  I will say that I baked cookies last week and we had one store bought egg left.  I went ahead and cracked that egg and added it to the recipe, then added two fresh eggs from the chickens and the yolk color is totally different.  The fresh eggs are a deep, dark yellow-orange color, compared to the store bought egg with a pale yellow color.  Also, we have gotten quite a few double yolks from the chickens.  Not sure why or how that happens??

Since they have all started laying eggs, the chickens have been extra hungry and also quite needy.  They expect to be out in the yard to free range at least a few hours every day.  And they sure do squwak a lot to remind you - hey! we want out! Here is a video of them following me around in the yard last week. 

 

Anyways the other update... I noticed that the chickens were going through an abnormally large quantity of food every day.  I would fill it up at night and then in the morning it would be gone.  Like not a drop of food left.  And then I noticed a small trail forming from underneath the fence over to the side of the coop.  And then I noticed quite a bit of food being scattered around the feeder inside the coop.  And usually they just peck at the food and don't really cause the food to spill out.  Well one night last week, we had the windows open and we woke up to squawking outside.  There was either a raccoon or possum sitting on top of the coop.  Grant tried to get the bb gun, but Savannah scared the critter away.  

Yesterday morning again, NO food left.  So I was determined to block off the food from the outside. I could just picture the raccoon reaching its little paws through the wire and pulling the feeder over and helping itself to all the food it possibly wants! And why not come back every night? Once they figured out they couldn't get to the chickens, they just went for the free food.  Don't get me wrong, I would rather have them eating the chicken food instead of the chickens... but if I can keep them out, I'm going to try my hardest! 

So I created a barricade with a card board box and additional chicken wire.  Tied it up and used metal stakes to secure it.  I was pretty proud of my work, until this morning when I went out to check.  That raccoon demolished the barricade, totally ripping back the chicken wire and pulling the card board box aside.  

UGH! I was so mad! I can not let the critter out smart me.  I worked on it some more today and replaced the card board with a much sturdier plastic sheet.  So we will see if that helps. 
If not, Grant bought deer cameras to be put up out in the woods and it is basically a camo camera that records any activity/movement.  So I might put one of those up to catch the critter in action! So I know when and how they are getting to the food.  That is, if Grant lets me use the deer camera for the chicken's safety :)

~Peace and Eggs~ 

One A Day

So we came home from vacation and sure enough there was an egg in the nesting box.  At first we weren't sure who was laying the eggs, but I was quickly able to confirm that Izzie was the one (and only one) laying eggs.

Most days I usually let them out of their coop to roam free in the backyard for at least a few hours.  So the first day back after vacation, I let them out and they all go running/flying to the bushes and trees, like normal.  After about an hour, I noticed an extremely loud squawking noise and noticed Izzie was back in the coop.  She made this loud squawking noise for several minutes and then got quiet.  She went up into the nesting box and laid an egg.

We have one large brown egg a day from Izzie.

 

I am pretty sure that Spooks, Grey, and Lexi are all ready to lay eggs as well.  How do I know this? Well, right before we left for vacation, I went to round them up and put them back in the coop and as I got close to Izzie, she crouched down and stiffened her wings.  I was nervous that maybe she was sick because I had never seen any of them do that before.  Since I am constantly around them, they are used to me walking right up to them and touching them, so I knew it wasn't because she was scared of me.  But, the point of the story.... She was protecting her egg! And now Spooks, Grey and Lexi are all doing the same thing.  If I try to pick them up or herd them out of the mulch beds, they immediately stop and get down low and harden their wings.  So I know they have eggs in there!

 

But it is going to be very loud once they all start laying... listen to this video of Izzie before she laid an egg the other day.



As of now, we have been eating the eggs for breakfast and they are pretty delicious! Once all of the chickens start laying we will have plenty to go around!

Finally

It took me heading out of town to get the chickens to lay their first eggs! At almost exactly 20 weeks, they finally laid eggs today! Luckily I have a nice neighbor that went to check for me and found 2 beautiful, brown eggs waiting in the nesting box. I don't know which little chicky was the leader but I am hoping for many more from all of them. I will post a much better update when I get back home next week.

But for all of you patiently waiting to have your egg cartons returned with fresh, free range, home grown eggs - your wait is almost over!

Have a great Monday...

Any Eggs?

Still no eggs. These days, every morning is like Christmas morning. when you are a little kid wondering if you made the nice list and if there would be presents waiting for you under the Christmas tree.

I guess I will have to keep waiting.

But I did have some extra grapes in the fridge and decided to give them to the chicks (since Grant said they were sour).  Apparently they love grapes! I slice the grapes in half and toss them in the coop.  If this doesn't make you smile, not sure what will.

Enjoy!