Daily routine with your flock

[Kaesi2020]

All times vary, depending on time of year and what's going on.
If there are issues in flock, I may be out there once an hour.
But the basics are as follows.
Morning.
Toss some scratch in main run.
Open pop doors.
Push coop shavings out of the way.
Top off feed and water.
Sift poop boards.
Redistribute shavings.

Afternoon.
Check nests and take look around.
Might toss out some greenery.

Night(usually after dark).
Headcount and lock up.
Maybe exams need to be done(well after dark).

Hi aart, thanks for sharing. Do you clean the poop off boards daily? And when you say redistribute shavings- just rearranging...or do you add new ones too?

 

[Doc7]

Get eggs from coop on way in from work after parking car.

every Sunday - dump and refill water bucket

every 1-2 weeks - dump two tarp full of dry leaves from yard in the run

first Sunday of month - fill feeders

first Weekend day of calendar quarter - remove pine shavings from coop and add new shavings, shovel a couple wheelbarrows of dirt from run and add to compost pile for next years garden

that’s pretty much it. Averages out to 5 mins a week except for the quarterly.

 

[aart]

Hi aart, thanks for sharing. Do you clean the poop off boards daily? And when you say redistribute shavings- just rearranging...or do you add new ones too?

Yes, poop boards are sifted daily, poop goes into buckets which go to friends compost.
I push the shavings out of the way so I don't have to walk on poop, then spread them back out evenly(they often are not even from the chickens scratching and wrassling creating bare spots).

 

[CraftyHen]

You are a hard worker and its obvious you care for your animals well! When you say you give them hot breakfast, what does that entail?

In winter the hens get warm oatmeal or scrambled eggs on those really cold mornings.

 

[Mrs. K]

I keep under a dozen layers, or meat birds. In two different coop/run set ups. My numbers change throughout the year.

 

[Kellow1]

Hi all, I am interested in hearing about the routines other people have with their chickens, like times and events for caring for them on a daily basis.

For example:

A typical day for me involves waking my 6 chickens up around 7:30. This involves opening the bottom coop door to let the hens out into the run. When I do this I pet them a bit and check them over quickly for any issues. I also use this time to freshen their water and food and put them down in the run with them.
During the week, I have work on and off throughout the day (I am a second grade teacher teaching remotely due to the virus so I have availability of and off until around 3) so depending on my schedule, I basically let them out to free range whenever I can supervise (may be 9 to 10, may be 12 to 2, etc). During their free range time, I do coop and run cleaning. I am using the deep litter method in the run so I may sprinkle some grass clippings or pine shavings over the larger poops. I basically just spend a few minutes freshening up the run for them. I am using the deep bedding method in the coop so I scoop out the poops in there and add a fresh layer of bedding in certain areas. This cleaning takes about 15 minutes. I like to do it each day since I have the time currently to do so. After that, I spend some time with the chickens in the yard and then they usually go back in the run for a few hours so I can do more chores and school work inside the house.
I let them free range again from about 5 to 7. They tend to sit with me at this time on my chair which is very cute (my two buff orpingtons sit in my lap like lap dogs and the others perch on the chair arms). Between 7 and 730 they know to go in the run, relax, and slowly move up to their coop. During that time, I am in the house, making dinner, etc.
I'll come back out at around 8 to make sure they are all in the coop, they have their waterer refreshed and back in the coop with them, and I lock everything down for the night. I am still leaving food for them in the coop at night but I'm thinking of stopping this to prevent pests.

What does a typical day look like for you???

Does this mean that you keep the waterer in the coop overnight? Why?

 

[Kellow1]

In winter the hens get warm oatmeal or scrambled eggs on those really cold mornings.

Why?

 

[BrendaJune]

Lots of fun stuff here. I really enjoyed hearing about everyone's routine with their chickens. I have four hens. The dogs wake me up between 5:00 and 5:30 so I take them out and while they are taking care of business the four cats get their breakfast and then I let the chickens out. I just let them out into the run and go back in with the dogs and go back to bed until 6:30. Then I have to make hubby's breakfast and lunch and send him on his way. I go out to see the chickens again about 10:30 or 11:00 and pick up poop in the run with a dog pooper scooper. I clean out the big poops in the coop and add wood chips if necessary. I collect the eggs. At 4:00 the chickens get a yummy snack of yogurt mixed with oatmeal and flax seed. Sometimes they get meal worms. I have yet to see an egg in the afternoon. I check water levels every time I go in the run and at dusk I change the water in the run and put a couple of scoops of feed in the feeder. I wait until the first chicken heads up the ramp and then I help the stragglers into the coop and lock them in. I lock the run on my way out. I have never free ranged them because we have lots of hawks and raptors. The run is 20 feet by 20 feet so they have enough room four the four of them. It has been a lot easier taking care of them than I thought it would be. They get extra company on the weekends when we work on chicken run projects. We've put in a swing which my daughter says is too high, a perch in another corner and hardening the roof system. Next will be a wind break in another corner then work will start on a solid roof over half the run for shade. Right now their only shade is under the raised coop.

 

[Kaesi2020]

Does this mean that you keep the waterer in the coop overnight? Why?

Hi! I keep the waterer in the coop so they have access to it when they get off their roost in the early morning. I also just like them to always have access to water 24/7 for peace of mind.

 

[Kellow1]

Thanks! I will have to look into a heated base for waterer too as the winters here in upstate NY can be brutal and long.

The best waterer is the Premier 1 Electric waterer, https://www.premier1supplies.com/p/heated-poultry-waterer