Winter Chickens

Since winter is finally getting here, it is getting colder out, we are going to talk about how to keep chickens throughout the winter, so they can lay, lay, lay all winter long.

We have our chickens in a round metal chicken coup.  We have put a blue tarp over part of the chicken run so the snow and rain won't get in the door.  Also, it provides shade on sunny days.
Inside the chicken coup, we laid down a thick coat of pine needles and then a thick coat of straw to build up the base to keep the ladies warm.  We will have to change out the bedding weekly.  The chickens usually poop right by the door so that makes it easier to clean, we won't have to change all of the bedding, just the stuff with a lot of poop on it.
We have to check the water frequently to make sure it doesn't freeze solid.  If it is a light coating of ice, the chickens can peck through it, but they won't if it is thick.  They eat more during the winter and colder months because they need to stay warm and eating helps them do that.  So you have to make sure their feed stays full.  We also give them table scraps and extra veggies to give them extra yummy stuff to eat.  They love pumpkins and squash.

The chickens will still lay eggs during the winter as long as they stay healthy. Their production will go down, but we have been getting about 3-6 eggs a day still.  Probably during the late winter we won't get as many eggs because the chickens need sunshine to lay lots of eggs and here in NY we don't get much sun in the winter.  If the eggs freeze, it is ok to eat them still.  They will thaw in the refrigerator.

Chickens and Goats

 All of the Chickens have started laying eggs.  We are getting about six eggs a day.  The Chickens are about full grown so that is good.  Mom's Silver laced Wyandotts are laying speckled brown eggs.   My Rhode Island Red layed one egg this morning.  While I was cleaning out the chicken coop, one of Dads chickens was laying an egg while I was in the coop.  It is important to keep the chicken coop clean because you don't want worms to infect the chickens.  Also to keep maggots and mites from living there.  That would be gross.  When the chickens have layed an egg, it should be clean and not have poop on it.  If they are covered in chicken poop, that means they have worms and your chickens should get dewormed.  The eggs should look clean and fresh.  When the chicken eggs first come out, they feel warm.  It is ok to not wash them off and they can be left on the counter, unwashed, for a few days if you want.  Once they are refrigerated, they need to stay in the fridge.  We choose to keep our eggs in the refrigerator, but we don't wash them off because they always come out clean and it helps keep them fresh longer.


I have decided to get a dairy goat next year.  I want a dairy goat because they give milk. Meat goats give meat and I don't want to eat a meat goat.  I want to drink the goats milk.  I went to Sunny Cove Organic Farm in Alfred and tried some of their goat milk and it was soooooo good!
You can make cheese, soap, lotions and drink the goats milk.   I think they are better than dairy cows because you only have to milk a dairy goat once a day.  A dairy cow has to be milked twice a day.  A cow eats a lot more and are more picky than goats.  Goats eat just about anything that is growing.
My favorite type of goat is the Nubian and Saanan goats.  The Nubians come in any color and have floppy ears.  The Saanan come in white and have straight up ears, like a deer.

All Eggs on Deck

     Sorry it has been so long between posts.  I had a very busy summer and I have been very busy with school starting up again.
 I have exciting news, my sisters Easter Eggers have started laying their eggs and my dads barred rock chickens have just started laying today as well as my Rhode Island Reds!  We are still waiting for my moms Silver laced Wyandots to lay.
It has been very hot the past week, so the chickens are liking the warm weather.  The chickens are starting to love being held and pet. I think they are because I have been giving them apples from the apple tree that is out side of their run.  They also enjoy getting cantaloupe, watermelon, squash and other snacks from me.  I believe my chickens are the friendliest because they run up to the fence and walk along side me when I am in the run with them.  The funniest thing is to watch all of our chickens run. They have a waddle when they run and they put their heads down then kind of stick their wings slightly out to the side then take off full speed. Its so cute!
When they lay eggs they make the funniest noises.  They cluck and chatter VERY loudly.  It really is fun to listen to them.

Here are a brown and green.  The brown is from the Rhode Island Red, the Green is from the Easter Egger

This is a pale pink.  This one is from the Easter Egger

Chickens are bigger

Sorry it has been so long, I have been busy with planting things and doing school and baseball.   Now school is over so I can do more updates and talk about chickens more.

The chickens are so cute and they are almost big enough to start laying eggs.  Only 6 weeks away hopefully.  The coop is a nice round place for them to stay in at nice.  The chicken run is a nice grass area but they are stomping it down, it is covered with netting so large animals and birds can't get them, such as hawks, eagles, cougars, fox, raccoon's, and possums.  They seem to love it.

The chickens are eating chick starter as well as watermelon, which they LOVE! They eat other vegetable table scraps.  They eat a lot!

My chicken, Hope, is the calmest chicken there ever way.  Winter is the sweetest and Willow is adorable.  My moms chicken, Peck,  pecks.  She is very pushy.   Ally's chicken, Ruth, is the most curious chicken around.  She gets her beak into everything.
Here are a few pictures to see what they chickens look like.

Dad's Barred Rock 

4 friends

  

This is Hope

This is Winter

Willow, and 2 Barred Rocks

The white one is Ally's, Ruth.

Mom's Silver Laced Wyandotte, Henny

Barred Rock and Penny

Here are the Chickens

Our chickens are growing.  We put them outside in their new chicken house last week.  The chicken coop is a round coop and all metal. Predators can't get our chickens.  It is really nice inside, it has a wooden floor that we covered with wood shavings.  It has windows to let in the light.  My Dad covered the windows with chicken wire and then made wooden shutters to close at night.  We have a heat light on them at night still.  This week we are going to put the fencing up so they can start running around outside.
They are growing so fast.  The first week they were tiny little chicks but now they are about 6 inches high.

I am going to do 4-H and show my chickens at the Allegany County Fair.  My sister is going to also.
To tame a chicken so they are easy to show is by holding them a lot and petting them, giving them treats and talking to them.  I give my chickens watermelon and they love it.
So far I have tamed 3 of the chickens.   They come to me and let me pick them up and sit on my hand.

What do Chickens eat?

Chickens eat lots of different things.  
When chicks are first born, they don't eat anything the first day.   When they are fully fluffy and a day old, they start eating chick starter.  Some people use Organic and some people use medicated chick started.  
When the chicks are old enough to go outside they can eat chick feed, bugs, worms, and vegetables.   
It is good to feed your chickens crushed egg shells to help make their eggs hard.  
If you have free range chickens, your dog might chase after them and kill them and eat them.  If they are free ranging, they eat lots of bugs out of the yard.  They eat ticks.  At night they will go  back to their nesting box for the night to lay their eggs. 
If you keep your chickens in a pen, you can still let them eat bugs and worms.  They also like almost anything you give them.  They will eat grapes, orange peels, table scrapes and even pieces of cooked chicken.  In the fall, they love pumpkins.   If you give your chickens onions they will taste like onion eggs.  
For treats you could give them Happy Hen Treats.   Here is a link where you can buy them. 
http://www.happyhentreats.com/qswzcijbp2nip3ns03vhz078gunkqc

You can also make your own treats by putting pieces of fruit, meal worms and other yummy things in ice cube trays filled with water and freezing them.  Give them one cube to peck at.  This gives them water and treats and gives them something to do.  

COWS

What are cows called before they have a baby?  They are called Heifers.
What are cows called when they give birth? They are called Cows.
What are boy calls called?  They are called Bulls before they are fixed.  They are called Steers when they are castrated. 
What do cows eat?  They eat grass and grain.
What do cows drink?  They drink water, like me and you.
What do cows do? They sleep, eat and poop.