The best part of having chickens

[ThatFarmerChick]

thanks for the info.we already save vegetable for our the compost..so were some what condition Ed.
Can I ask, do u keep there feeder and water in the coop? I hear conflicting stories. Varmints tend to try getting inside if food is there?
I want to locate it in the right place.

I do not keep feed or water in my coop. I live near the water and I have enough moisture to fight. I also live near a forest and state park. There are plenty of little friends that would love to clean up after them. That also brings up another point, my coop floor has inches of hemp bedding. In the winter I add Koop Clean for extra warmth. If I fed my chickens in the coop the dropped food could not be cleaned up easily.
All of my little guys free range and are fed a few goodies in a feeding station. At the feeding station the birds eat fresh veggies, tear up fodder, and are offered very little feed. In the winter I give more feed, because it helps to keep them warm and energized. There are waterers spread over the 2.5 acres that we use. There are also two waterers in the feeding station.

 

[Nofowlplay]

I do not keep feed or water in my coop. I live near the water and I have enough moisture to fight. I also live near a forest and state park. There are plenty of little friends that would love to clean up after them. That also brings up another point, my coop floor has inches of hemp bedding. In the winter I add Koop Clean for extra warmth. If I fed my chickens in the coop the dropped food could not be cleaned up easily.
All of my little guys free range and are fed a few goodies in a feeding station. At the feeding station the birds eat fresh veggies, tear up fodder, and are offered very little feed. In the winter I give more feed, because it helps to keep them warm and energized. There are waterers spread over the 2.5 acres that we use. There are also two waterers in the feeding station.

I put Koop Clean in the coop for the first time several days back...the girls keep kicking it out!

 

[ThatFarmerChick]

I put Koop Clean in the coop for the first time several days back...the girls keep kicking it out!

I guess it isn't for everybody. Lol. After using puppy pads for a day or two, I pull the pads and throw in the Kopp Clean. The chicks love it and play in it. They kick it around too.

 

[Nofowlplay]

I guess it isn't for everybody. Lol. After using puppy pads for a day or two, I pull the pads and throw in the Kopp Clean. The chicks love it and play in it. They kick it around too.

Maybe they are just enjoying it and having

play times.....

 

[tnspursfan09]

Maybe they are just enjoying it and having :cd  play times.....

They also love to unrake leaf piles.

 

[ThatFarmerChick]

They also love to unrake leaf piles.

I am glad that the chicks play. It let's me know that they are healthy,inquisitive, and have something to keep them busy. As for the leaves...it can be cumbersome when you are raking and gathering leaves and they think it is a game to mess up your piles. I would not care so much if I usually wasnot raking for brown in my compost. Where I live the wind blows all of the leaves to the tree lines and keeps my yard pretty clear. I am okay with it. So raking to have a clean yard is something I have not done in a while.

 

[familyfarm1]

Chickens are one of the animals that a majority of people think are stupid and gross. I think they can be better companions then dogs sometimes! I saw someone on BYC say "mans best friend is dog but womens best friend is chicken." I think chickens are funny, kind, and entertaining! The eggs are like a bonus to the rest of what they do! I LOVE my chickens and I'm glad I got them.

 

[Mellow1]

Lazy Gardener, that is so true, so very true, right down to the butterfly net! LOL

 

[Stephyhankyou]

I'm so glad u love your chicks. We are about to start the process this weekend with our grandkids. We will have 5 chicks. All is ready for their arrival.
I will feel bad for them next winter when they will be dealing with so much gloomy weather here in Wa. When they are old enough in the spring they will go outside to the coop..and it will be nice weather, but next winter it will be dark again. I use to go to Maine a lot when I lived in NH. , gee the winters
Are very chilly in winter there..guess you keep a heater out in the coop then?

 

[lazy gardener]

You talking to me? I have given a bit of supplemental heat, though a lot of poultry keepers, even in the county do not. IMO, the statement that "chickens don't need heat because our great grand parents raised them without heat" really is irrelevant. Our great grand parents most likely had a barn that was packed full of hay. That alone generates some heat. Then, there were the cows, the sheep, and all of the other live stock. And there weren't just a couple of chickens in a cutesy tiny little coop, with a tiny little perch tucked up against the roof, so the 2 or 3 hens in that coop were breathing their moist air, and rubbing their combs on that roof all winter. Yeah, birds survive the winter with or without heat, and have some or no frost bite... but If I can raise the temp 10 - 20* in my coop when it's 20* below zero, I'm gonna do it. So, heat, like a lot of other issues, is a decision you're going to have to make. No matter what you choose to do with all issues, you'll find someone who disagrees with your methods. Do your homework, and do what works for you in your situation with your flock.