Daily Routine

[jsmith2952]

@2AcreFarmer My run is also covered. I didn't plan ahead and didn't think of saving my clippings, leaves, brush etc, in the fall. I also didn't realize that apparently snow falls sideways as well here! I quickly discovered that the run, even though it's 80% covered with clear plastic, still gets drifts of snow! Straw has been a great alternative for me. I just take a bale and spread out a thick swath across the run and the chickens do the rest. Whatever's left over of the bale, I store away in the shed until I need it. You'll find that it will get turned over within a month or so and you'll have to do it again. I wouldn't recommend it for wet areas, beekissed is right, it does get wet/muddy, but I've been really happy with it as a way to keep their toes a bit warmer and snow-free. Until spring comes and you have some cuttings like beekissed mentioned, straw might be your only solution. I also throw a bit of cracked corn in it every few days for them to scratch through and find. Also helps with the boredom thing. By spring, you can rake out all the composted material and put it in your garden.

As I mentioned before, you'll figure out what works best for you and your chickens. There's no magic one-size-fits-all rule, and in my personal experience (little it is, with my few backyard chickens, AND my first winter to boot!), some things that work well for some don't work for others, and vice versa. You just want to keep them dry, give them a draft free place to hide out if necessary, and fresh water and food.

 

[TrishNZ]

My husband feeds the chickens and sheep at around 6.30am. Our chickens put themselves to bed and get themselves up in the morning with the help of Frank, our rooster. We always do a head count to make sure all are present and accounted for. I have one broody splash Orpington sitting on 5 eggs. I put 4 under her but someone came along and layed another egg hence the 5. I feed them a bit of bread through the day and shoo some chickens out of the house as they love the dog food I give my shih tzu which she does not eat. They also have apple scraps and kiwi fruit skin which they love. Collect eggs through the day. If I hear them telling me they have layed an egg I often rush out to see which one it is. I feed them at around 5pm . They are so much fun!!

 

[penannophia]

For run space, below are some common recommendations:

• 10 Sq Ft of ground space per standard size chicken
• 7.5 Sq Ft of ground space per Bantam chicken

 

[CountryGeorge]

My roosters, (yes, roosters) start reminding me that there are chickens out back around 3:30 am or so but I get up at 6. When daylight appears I haul water out to the coop to water the critters not in the main house, make sure the feeders are full and get everyone let out for the day. The insist on going out unless the weather is truly horrid but can go in and out all day long. I check for eggs, what few I get in the winter, several times a day, provide snacks and make sure all is running smoothly. At dusk I watch to see that everyone is going inside the coop, go out and chivvy in the stragglers and put the one oddball into her area for the night, turn out the light that runs all day long and wish everyone good night and sleep warm. The light is only to remind them to go inside, not lengthen their day at all.

 

[chickencoop789]

Winter:
I let the girls outside at about 6:45 (they free range so I don't want to let them out too early). I collect eggs. I have a feeder meant for about 3x the number of chickens that I have so I only have to fill that about 2-3x a week. Same with the waterer. I only dump it out if they managed to poop in it or kick dirt into the trough part. That's about every other day. Its a heated waterer so I don't have to worry about it freezing. I do a quick coop cleaning and add new shavings if need be. If it snowed then I shovel out a dirt patch and throw some scratch in the dirt for them to peck at. If not, then I rake the yard a little bit. If the weather allows, ill clean off the front porch (whenever it rains, this is where they hang out for the entire day. And you know what that means!) Every Saturday is the big coop cleaning. I clear out all of the straw/shavings and put clean bedding in. My coop is too small/doesnt have enough ventilation to do the DL method. I bring the roosts and ladders inside and give them a good scrubbing. Then I clean all of the feeders and waterers and fill them up and put them back in the coop. When everything is done, then I give the hens some warm oatmeal to eat before I go off to school.

When I get home, I straighten up the coop a little bit and collect eggs.

At about 7:00 I straighten up the coop again, collect eggs, and close the girls in for the night.

Summer:
I let the girls out at about 5:30. I collect eggs. Fill feeder if need be. In the summer I give them fresh water every day (i now have three waterers in various places around the yard - the one that I use throughout the winter and two small ones). Tidy up the coop. Hose off the porch and walkway. Give the yard a good raking and put leaves, weeds, etc in the compost pile. And every Saturday I do the same cleaning as I did in the winter.

Throughout the day, I have to brush off the walkway because the girls like to cover it with dirt. If it gets too hot, then I will put ice in the waterers. Then i go straighten up the coop. Every day I will sit on my porch and watch my chickens scratch in the dirt and chase toads for a little more than a 1/2 hour (they are very entertaining!) Then if all seems well, ill give them some fruit/veggies to peck at for the rest of the day.

I close them in at about 10:00. I straighten up the coop and collect eggs. A little before I close them in, I go out and brush away all of the dirt they kicked through the fence out onto the sidewalk.

And the cycle continues!
(If you haven't realized, im a bit of a neat freak when it comes to taking care of chickens

)

 

[chicknmania]

Now is different than usual, because we have chicks. But in the morning around 8;00 the dog and I walk to get the paper and on the way back I stop at the barn and turn the heatlights on for the chicks and their mom. If it's in the single digits or lower, I'll turn on an extra heatlight or two for the flock to warm up under. then i feed the barn cats and throw out a handful or two of scratch in the straw and bedding on the floor for the flock to look through.

Around 1000 we feed breakfast to the flock (and the barn cats have their second breakfast) :/ We open the barn up if it is not in the single digits, so that the flock can free range.

Sometime between noon and three I go out for a visit, and bring treats. Bread or table scraps or sunflower seeds. By then the barn cats have come up to the house, looking for their third breakfast.

I usually turn on a talkradio or re-arrange the hawk deterrents if the flock is going outside.

Dinner for the flock (and the barn cats) is a little after sundown. I call the peafowl in if necessary, and we close the barn up. Lights on for the flock so they can eat their dinner and hang out.

Two hours or so later, it's lights out, except for the night lights, and final check on everyone.

In between those times, we make periodic checks as we come and go, to monitor the heat lights if they are on, and just check on the flock's welfare.

 

[LlamaLady]

Hi, I get up at six. As soon as it is light, I open the coop door to let them out into their fenced chicken yard. Next we feed the llamas and throw chickens handfuls of black oil sunflower seeds. After morning to do list and lunch, husband and I get Root Beer and Henny and bring them into my bed for a ramekin of sun flower seeds. The four of us take a nap. Then they each get a half teaspoon of butter and are returned to coop. We freshen up corn, water and laying mash. At dusk, the chicken door to the coop is shut tight. I'm not sure who pampers whom, but who cares anyway. Hugs, Gwen

 

[Shalom Farm]

Mine roll off the roost late, around 8am.
They eat, drink, peck at their block, lay some eggs.
They stay in a protected run while the other animals get their turn in the pasture.
From noon until roost they get free range of the pasture. Of course the release of the chickens also means treat time with the daily scrapes.
At night they are locked into the coop and run.

Once a week they sit and wonder why I am collecting all their poop. And also why I am soaking their feeders and waterers every other day.

 

[pidgejr]

Up at 730am even on weekends. Pull on boots and head to the chicken yard . Fill pitcher with warm water and a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar. Carry it and a plate of chopped fresh veggies, kitchen scraps or a few biscuits to the chicken yard. Pop open the gate, and yell "CHICKEEES!" and they all spill out of the coop and come running to me. The two roosters always drop their shoulder at me and give me the 'stink-eye', but as long as I'm not making sudden moves, waving large objects around, or picking up too many hens to pet them, they are okay. I put down the goodie plate, and while they are eating the goodies there, I remove any ice from the waterer and dump it out. I add fresh warm water from the pitcher. Their regular layer ration is in a self feeder than opens when they step on the wood plate in front of it, and closes when they step off. It keeps out rain and snow and holds 25lbs of feed at a time. I check the feeder about twice a week and fill the hopper when it gets to the lower third of the feeder. Then i go back to the house and get some fresh fine pine shavings and scratch grains. I put some scratch grains in a separate feeder for them, then I go back and rake up the bedding in their coop and throw a few more handfuls of the bedding in there to freshen it up (using deep litter for winter also).
Next I call for my favorite hen, Emma. She always runs to me and wants me to pick her up. I pet her a few minutes, then put her down and check for eggs. Emma usually follows me to the nest boxes trying to get me to pick her up while I do that, and will peck at my boots if I don't. The hens usually don't have eggs this early in the morning but I check because they surprise me sometimes. One hen always seems to lay her egg in the covered run for some reason, maybe a "low hen on the totem pole". I work all day so I usually pick up the eggs after work.
I refill the water again after work and possibly give them a bit more scratch grains or another biscuit or small goodie. I do my 'Emma thing' again in the evening and sometimes bring the waterer in the house after it gets dark so it wont freeze over these cold winter nights. They always put themselves to bed at sundown. I am in need of a bigger chicken coop, but this one has been ok.

 

[rmurrayslcut]

Before dawn I go out to the coop - the hens have usually left the coop and are clustered together in the run - and lay down some scratch. I clean the bedding, and lay down fresh, then I gather up my two Ameraucanas and dress their backsides with Vetericyn and some anti-pecking lotion (they're both missing tail feathers from routine hen aggression). In the winter, I move the water off the warmer that's in the coop and place it out in the run. I clear away the snow in the run if it snowed at night.

Throughout the day I gather eggs, clean the run, and interact with them a little. On weekdays my wife gathers eggs and checks them at lunch. On weekends I go out there every couple of hours.

After work I change the water, move it back into the coop and onto the warmer, check the feeders, clean, and dress the Ameraucanas.

A couple times throughout the evening I go check on them. Before going to bed I close the coop doors to keep them warm.

In warm weather it's basically the same routine, except the water and food stay outside the coop, in the run. I clean the run more since the droppings aren't frozen. I also leave the coop doors open if it's above 40 degrees.