Reviews by Pghelp

Excellent advice. I let giant kale grow wild near my run and coops. It provides shade, greens, and bugs. Right now the kale that overwintered is buzzing with bees and providing shelter for nests of the little finches too. Win-win for all of us.

Excellent information. New chicken keepers may assume a hen is egg bound when that isn’t always the case. One other note, I have found keeping a 5-gallon bucket for their spa baths is handy. Just the right size to stuff a normal sized hen in the water and keep their behind in the warm water. I also add unscented epsom salts to the warm water.

Excellent article with great photographs of variations on eggs. Wish I seen this a few years ago. Over my time of raising chickens I think I’ve seen most of these. Very informative.

Excellent information about eggs! I love the way it’s organized into categories with bullet points. Perfect for new chicken people too!

Excellent list of first aid items to have on hand! I like the idea of posting expiry dates so that you know when something will need to be replaced. One thing I’ve added to my kit is Blu-kote. It’s an inexpensive antiseptic spray. The main ingredient is gentian violet so it does stain feathers but it works the same as some of the pricier antiseptic sprays. Terramycin is another go to especially for eye injuries. Great article and information! Thank you for sharing this!

Perhaps not everyone will agree but this is my philosophy too. My girls live out their lives even when they’re no longer laying eggs. My hens are my companions, my entertainment, and to be honest my therapy too. They keep me busy, active, and involved. One thing worth mentioning is that once the ladies slow down on egg production they don’t eat as much, so in my view it isn’t a huge investment to have the older girls in the flock. That said, I have gone to an all flock grower feed. My flock is mixed with pullets, active layers, and some older girls and moulters who don’t need the added calcium in the feed. I just give them oyster shells and their own toasted eggshells so the ones who need calcium have access to it. Love our golden girls!

Good informative article. Thanks for stressing the fact that a mixed flock is better off with oyster shell/crushed eggshells on the side. I have a flock that includes 10 week old pullets, regular layers, heritage breeds that don’t lay daily, and old girls living out their golden years with the flock. Excellent advice!

This works well for chicks raised in a brooder. I would hesitate to take chicks far away from the mother hen whether real mother or broody. For me I follow a lot of these techniques but I do it within the run. I have a low stool right outside my brooder coop so everything is done with Mama right there. It helps if your older hens are used to being held and cuddled. The young chicks always seem fascinated to see Mom being held!

This is a good idea. I’ve used something similar that does work, but it’s best if you have nice calm chicks who aren’t crazy fliers. I always seem to have at least one whose favorite perch is on top of the waterer — until it tips over. For my brooder coop I use an upside down plastic saucer meant for planters. It provides a wider more stable base than a ceramic bowl.

Excellent article! Most of us supplement with greens but I never thought of freezing!

Very helpful! When you have several pullets the same age it’s hard to tell who’s doing what. This is one reason I have a flock of mixed breeds laying various colored eggs. That limits the variables!

Wish I had seen this a few weeks ago! Nice design. We have a similar situation with a specific place in our yard. This really works!

Although this article is from 2012, the information is especially timely during this time of the COVID-19 virus. I had to be tested for corona virus but it turned out to be a respiratory infection from handling and having baby chicks indoors during cold weather. I was the only one cleaning the brooder area. Wash hands, yes. Wear a mask. Change clothes and shoes. Illness can spread like wildfire through a flock but too many people are not aware of the potential problems for those with respiratory illness or compromised immunity. Excellent advice!