Ready for Fall Molt?

FALL MOLTING
 

www.farmingmybackyard.com

It looked like chicken carnage in the coop.  There were feathers everywhere, and my heart sunk.  I quickly did head count.  Everyone was present and accounted for, thank goodness!  Now to figure out whose feathers were everywhere, and why.  A little more investigation gave me the answer: the chickens were molting.

Want more details on how to keep your backyard flock at their healthiest in one easy to read source?  Check out our book Backyard Chickens: How To Have A Happy Flock!

The first time my hens started molting I started freaking out.  I thought they were sick or hurt or something.

Thankfully molting is perfectly normal and all they really need is extra protein added in their diet.

Unfortunately, while molting they stop laying.

(Sarah in the comments kindly detailed that they don’t stop laying BECAUSE they are molting but rather it’s two separate processes.  Thanks Sarah!)

Why Are Your Chickens Molting?

Usually adult hens of around eighteen months old begin to molt in the fall when the number of daylight hours decreases.

But stress, or withholding feed or water can trigger a molt at other times as well, and they also molt after being broody, (which is a sort of nature imposed withholding of food, I suppose).

If you use a lamp in your coop to extend daylight hours, Oregon State Extension suggests leaving it off for six weeks during the fall or winter will help your birds completely finish a molt and start laying again at top production.

Just  be careful with your timing so that you don’t leave your birds without protection if they go through a hard molt in extra chilly weather!

How long will this take?

If you raised your birds from chicks you may have noticed them molting when they lose their downy feathers in that awkward gangly stage around 4 weeks.

They have another molt around sexual maturity at about 20 weeks, although, that can vary depending on the breed.

These molts are not quite as dramatic as the annual molts, which can take anywhere from 2-6 months.

Chickens molting always progresses in the same order from the head, then down the neck, the body, wings, and lastly the tail.

Your chicken should actually never be completely bald when molting because the new feathers emerging is what pushes out the old feathers.

If your bird has bald spots, especially near the vent that’s NOT molting, it’s something else like mites.

Chickens do their best to prevent mites by dust bathing, but mites can be treated naturally.  Here’s more information on that from The Frugal Chicken.

Another cause of bald spots could be the birds picking on each other.  That’s a symptom of stress in our flock that needs to be dealt with immediately by increasing their space and quality of life.

You can actually tell by looking at the flight feathers how long your bird has been molting and how much longer it will take.

If you have a bird that starts molting early, and drops only one flight feather at a time it will take longer to complete her molt.

If you have a bird that starts her molt later. then loses multiple feathers at a time she will finish faster) and get back to laying breakfast faster as well).

What Should You Do?

You can help out your chickens during their molt by providing them with high quality protein foods.  Feathers are made of protein, so it takes a lot of it for them to manufacture new ones.

Some birds may even be able to continue laying if they are getting enough nutrients, although not all will do so.

Drop low protein snacks and filler foods, and up the quantity of protein.

Some good ideas are mealworms, black oil sunflower seeds, scrambled eggs, cat food, dairy products like yogurt, and tuna or other fish.

The newly growing feather are very sensitive.  They emerge through a shaft that can bleed quite profusely if damaged.

Try not to handle your birds as much as possible.  Make sure to be very gentle when you must pick them up.

It’s also a good idea to limit their stress as much as possible.  Molting time is not a good time to introduce new flock members or move them to a new home.  Let them regain their dignity first!

5 Ways To Help Your Molting Chickens

Switch to the highest protein food available at your feed store.

Add black oil sunflower seeds to their feed.

Add heat to the coop if it’s cold outside.

Keep stress down

Don’t touch them!

I recently polled my Facebook followers on their favorite way to help their molting chickens and got some great suggestions!  William uses catfish food to boost the protein in his flock.  Nikki recommends boosting their fat levels ahead of time.  This helps them maintain enough preening oil and replace their old feathers quickly.  Debbie recommends a 20 % protein feed based on fish meal.





And it’s a great idea to take molting time to do a quick health check of all your birds.  This gives you a chance to visually see potential problems you may not have otherwise caught.  Just make sure to handle them very carefully, so as to not disturb the growing feathers.
Here are some chicken health related posts to help you do a quick exam and handle potential issues. 

The first time your hens molt it can be a surprise.  But once you know when chickens molt and how to help them through it, you don’t need to worry!

WORMING YOUR CHICKENS

Worming Chickens

Kassandra Smith

Senior Editor • Backyard Chicken Coops

16 September 2014

https://www.backyardchickencoops.com.au/blogs/learning-centre/worming-chickens

Preventing worms in your animals is the unfortunate but necessary job of all pet owners. Looking after your poultry pals is the same drill as any other pet - prevention is the best cure! There are products, natural and medicinal, that you can give to your chickens to prevent worms or kill current ones.
So let’s go inside the not altogether lovely but definitely necessary topic of worming your chickens- yay!
What are worms?
There are a number of different kinds of worms - here are some common ones that are known to affect poultry animals:

• Hair worm - can be found in the oesophagus, intestine, stomach, and the crop.
• Roundworm - affects the digestive system.
• Gizzard worm - affects the gizzard- primarily an issue in geese.
• Gapeworm - affects the trachea and lungs.
• Caecal worm - causes blackhead organisms to occur- particularly potent to turkeys.

 


How do chickens get worms?
Chickens often pick up worms as a result of foraging. Generally, worms are transmitted through droppings, as they live in the droppings of an infected bird. These worms will then stay on the ground until they are picked up by another chicken that’s foraging around for food. The types of worms that are commonly transmitted in this way are roundworms, gizzard worms, hair worms and caecal worms.
The birds can also pick up worms indirectly, through eating creepy crawlies such as earthworms, snails and slugs. This happens because the crawlies the chickens snack on have eaten the worms excreted by another infected bird. Hair worms, gape worms and tapeworms can be transmitted through this method.
What are some signs my chickens might have worms?
There are a number of symptoms that chickens will exhibit if they’re affected by worms - none of them are particularly pleasant, but are important to identify.

• Weight loss or weight gain
• Eating more feed than usual
• Gasping for breath (this will be the result of gapeworms blocking the airway)

How do I treat worms?
There are a number of different products available for the treatment of worms.
- Chicken wormers:
You can buy specially made chicken wormers from any major pet stores or online. It generally comes in liquid, tablet or syrup form, and should be added to your chickens water once every three months. You can generally administer orally as well, but might be easier just popping it into the water! How much you add will depend on your flock size, but there should be guidelines on the box.
The wormers generally cater for the prevention of ALL types of worms, rather than just one specific type.
Some common worming brands (in Australia) include:

• AristoPet Wormenda Poultry Wormer
• MavLab Avitrol Bird Wormer Syrup (tablet form also available)
• Skyes Big Pig and Poultry Wormer
• Vetsense Kilverm Pig and Poultry Wormer

- Natural Remedies:

• Diatomaceous Earth

Diatomaceous earth is often added into chickens feed because it acts as a natural dewormer. It works by dehydrating the parasites and worms that exist internally. In terms of its effectiveness, the jury still seems to be out on whether it will DEFINITELY kill all parasites, however, feeding your chickens diatomaceous earth is actually great to give them egg-stra trace minerals - so is beneficial regardless.

• Food

Apple Cider Vinegar is a marvellous thing to feed your chickens - it has many great health benefits as its packed with vitamin and mineral goodness, so you should be adding it to your chicken’s water anyway!
In terms of its worming capabilities, Apple Cider Vinegar acts as a mild antiseptic and also a mild antibiotic, so it will kill some bacteria and germs, and deter worms from making a home in your chickens. Again, it’s not a 100% guaranteed treatment, but still beneficial to feed to your chickens.
Garlic is another natural food substance that is known to help keep worms at bay, and makes your chicken’s internals a less attractive place for parasites to settle.  Adding some ground up garlic into your chicken’s feed is a great way to get your chickens to eat it, and you can also pop some slightly crushed cloves into their water. Again, garlic is just great to give to your chickens regardless, as it helps their respiratory system and boosts their immune system.
In terms of what the most effective methods for worming your chickens is, your safest bet is to go with a proper poultry wormer and apply that every three months as a preventative measure as you’d do with any other pet - it’s much better to stop worms rather than cure them!

Deworming the Flock: What You Need to Know

 https://www.communitychickens.com/worming-flock-need-know/    
Posted by Melissa Caughey on October 13, 2014 Visit Tilly's Nest

by Melissa Caughey of Tilly’s Nest
What a hot topic this always seems to be across the poultry world and backyard chicken keepers. Some folks, will tell you that they never deworm their flocks. Others, will tell you that they religiously deworm their flock every six months. Some use traditional deworming products while others prefer natural preventatives. I thought today,  I’d spend a little time chatting with you about worms.

Photo Credit: Chickens exploring the garden.

However, before we blast off into this chat about worms remember, when making any sorts of chicken keeping decisions please:
1. Do your research.
2. There are lots of people with strong opinions out there. Do what works for you and your flock. Only you and your vet can make the right decision.
3. Explore all of your options.
There are a few different types of worms that can affect chickens in different ways and live in different places along their gastrointestional tracts. The more common worms that chicken keepers deal with are tape worms, round worms, hair worms, gape worms, and caecal worms. Chickens that have worms can show a decrease in egg laying, weight loss, diarrhea, pale egg yolks, coughing or rasping, head shaking,  lethargy, and even death.
Sometimes worm infestations are visible to the naked eye. Other times, it is helpful to seek out assistance from a local veterinarian that can run a relatively inexpensive test to detect worms invisible to the naked eye. All vets are capable of running this test.

Image Source: Tape Worm (Photo by Ondrej Zichah)

Having your flock tested for worms serves four purposes:
1. Can confirm a positive diagnosis.
2. Can tell you what types of worms you are treating.
3. Prevents unnecessary use of medications, which stresses the flock.
4. Retest after you have treated your flock for worms to be sure the treatment was effective.
Once the presence of worms in your flock is confirmed, it is best to treat the entire flock. It is important to remember that worms typically have a life cycle from 2 to 8 days. This means that in most cases, your flock will sometimes require two courses of medication. There are quite a few commercial products available on the market today for deworming. It is wonderful that chicken keepers have options. Many of those options are available “over the counter”. When selecting a dewormer for your flock, you will need to know what type of worm(s) your chickens have. Different deworming products target different types of worms. Deworming is stressful on chickens, so avoid deworming under six weeks of age, during the winter, or during the fall molt. Please note that the below medications are those available at time of this publication (October 2014) and are subject to change.  Prior to treating your flock, please check for updated information and always read the package insert. Here are some more tips when the need for medicating your flock arises.


You ask, what is an egg withdrawal period? This means that during the medication treatment all eggs need to be thrown away. They cannot be composted, fed back to the flock, or eaten. After the medication, the package insert will tell you when you can resume eating eggs. The day after the medication is finished, is the first day of egg withdrawal. This can go on for weeks after the last dose of medication. The egg withdrawal period is there to protect you, the consumer. You do not want to inadvertently ingest the medication that your flock was on. It can linger in the eggs and meat of the birds.

Flubenvet 1% safe for use in egg laying hens, withdrawal period only for meatbirds, no egg withdrawal period

Verm-X no egg withdrawal period

Piperazine (Wazine 17)– packaging advises against use in egg laying hens, OK in meat birds with a withdrawal period

Fenbendazole (Panacur)– safe for use in egg laying hens with a withdrawal period. (3CC PER ONE GALLON WATER, AST)

(Hygromycin B) Rooster Booster Triple Action Wormer– no withdrawal period

 As you do your research you will discover that there are some natural products shown to have some effect on worms. The most common being pumpkin seeds, garlic, and food grade diatomaceous earth. I have reviewed the research and the published studies show that these three dietary supplements do reduce the fecal egg count to some degree. However, I would caution anyone to rely solely on these methods alone to deworm the flock. These supplements should probably be thought of as more of preventatives than actual treatment.

Photo Credit: Depending on the wormer directions,  wormers are either added to the feed or the water.

Lastly, here are some more tips to prevent the spread of worms and to help keep their populations at bay.
1. Sunlight helps to kill the worm eggs.

2. Keep a dry environment.

3. Tidy up the coop and run from chicken poop on a regular basis.

4. Always quarantine new additions to the flock for 4 weeks and they should be checked for worms.

5. Keep wild birds out of the chickens’ living area.

6. Avoid overcrowding.

6. Consider adding pumpkin seeds (also squash seeds, cucumber seeds), food grade diatmaceous earth, and garlic to your flock’s diet.

For more information on deworming your flock, please visit my website.

Doses used in studies:

2% of the feed ratio for food grade diatomaceous earth

Garlic 3% of the  feed ratio garlic powder (not garlic salt)

90+ degrees with high humidity and my chickens aren't laying

Top 8 Tips for Keeping Your Backyard Chickens Cool in the Summer

Posted by Laura Hepburn / Wed, May 29, 2013 @ 11:06 AM

 https://info.mannapro.com/homestead/bid/148206/top-8-tips-for-keeping-your-backyard-chickens-cool-in-the-summer               

Well Memorial Day has come and gone and the summer heat is here to stay.  With that in mind, it is important to maintain a cool environment for your flock.  All across the country, temperatures for mid-summer can reach 90+ degrees with high humidity.  Although chickens are very adaptable to weather changes, they usually perform their best around 75 degrees and below.  Consistently high summer temperatures can cause your chickens to suffer from heat stress, overheating, or even stop their egg laying process.  For heavier breeds, extreme heat can even cause death.  Thankfully, there are some things that you can do to help combat the high summer temperatures.

Taming an agressive rooster

https://www.thehappychickencoop.com/aggressive-roosters/


We constantly hear of roosters that are mean to the hens and their keepers. Today we are going to give you a few tips on how to make a rooster ‘Mr. Nice Guy’.
That means you’re going to learn how to tame your aggressive rooster!
It will take some time and patience, so have a good stockpile of both.
We have had a few roosters and the majority of them haven’t been any trouble at all. They have been respectful of people, good to the ladies and rarely requiring any ‘behavior training’. There was one rooster though, Fred, who resisted all efforts at been trained. He flew at my partner one time too many – you can’t win them all.
Please remember that these ideas may not work with your particular bird – use common sense with these ideas, the plan is not to get hurt.
Below I’m going to share with you why roosters can become aggressive, before I share with you my rooster training program!

From Chick to Aggressive Rooster

When the chicks are small, although the boys may be a little stand offish, they can be held, cuddled, handfed and cosseted.

This is a great time to lay the foundation of respect and dominance to your little roosters. You may think it’s cute if he pecks at you – it’s not. He is trying already to be the boss.

Pick him up, especially in front of the hens, talk to him, feed him from your hand if he will and then put him down.
Somewhere between 16-20 weeks, hormones can upend this idyllic period. Suddenly he is a rooster full of testosterone and needs to defend his territory and his flock, interlopers beware – and that can mean you!
It is not personal – it’s just the way roosters are wired and just like a human teenager, he is testing the limits. If you have raised the rooster from a chick, it is usually easier to manage them and teach the rules as they go along.
If you have been given or acquired a rooster, it can be that much more difficult. A lot will depend on how the bird was raised and of course, the breed.

Why Do Roosters Attack?

In the wild, he would defend his flock against threats from predators and other roosters that were looking for some hens to mate with.

His responsibility is to care for the flock and its’ needs and that includes mating with as many hens as he can manage to ensure the success of the flock.

You will need to bear in mind, that aggressive behavior will likely increase in the spring-time because it is the start of the mating season.
We are just going to mention some terms here that you may have heard but aren’t sure of:

• Flogging – the rooster will fly at you and try to beat you with his wings and rake you with the spurs.
• Spurring – as the name suggests, jumping at you and trying to rake you.
• Chasing – he may try this with children more. Chasing you away from the flock. He will stop when he thinks you are no longer a threat.
• Aggressive pecking – not cute, it hurts. Do not tolerate even at the chick stage.

Watch for the ‘Moves’
There are certain signs that a rooster is contemplating an attack. We are going to share them here but be aware that the rooster is the master of the sneak attack!
He will lower his head while looking at you, he may start a little rooster dance – attack is imminent, be ready. Your rooster might try to bring you presents – very sweet, but he only does this for subordinate hens, beware.
The silent stealthy running up behind you, stopping and staring at you. A challenge has been issued, stand your ground, stare back.

How to Train Your Rooster to Be ‘Nice’

Ideas on training roosters are many, some good and bad and plenty of dubious ideas abound on the internet.
I have read of roosters being booted around the yard, having their spurs cut off and other little horrors visited upon them – this is abuse, please do not do this to your roosters. If you feel the need to cull him, please do so in a humane way.
When moving around your flock, your movements should be deliberate and fairly slow paced. Moving quickly unsettles them, putting them on edge – more so the rooster.
Animals think rationally – they cannot afford to make the same mistake twice – it might get them killed.
Remember these key points:

• You are the boss – he needs to learn this. You are not going to take away his purpose in life (mating, protection), but you will not tolerate challenges to your position of alpha flock member.
• Be prepared – just like the Boy Scouts… be prepared for him to challenge you at any time. This way you won’t be taken by surprise.
• Respect him – he has a job to do.
• Space – don’t crowd him, give him space. The only time to move into his space is if he looks like he might be thinking about attacking you.
• Carry a deterrent – deterrents are a great tool. Once the rooster has seen the stick or bottle in action, he will not want to repeat the exercise.

Remember each person who tends to the flock and deals with the rooster will have to follow your lead, no variations in how you treat him. If you give confusing signals he will be unsettled and may read ‘attack’ into a situation where no attack is intended.

Running Them Down

Some folks recommend that you ‘run them down’ – that is walk right through them without stopping. The idea is to get the rooster to move – he may interpret this as an attack and possibly counterattack – not a good thing.
Take one large step into his space while staring him down. He should back up, start fidgeting and he will look towards the ground. You won – walk away slowly.


Do not be afraid – this is a hard one for many folks. After all, no-one likes to be flogged by a rooster! Fear is a weakness in the animal kingdom and will be exploited to the full.
Even if you are frightened, do not run or move away from him – he needs to move first.
Don’t back off- if he starts up with you, don’t move away. If he drops his wings and spreads them slightly ready for attack – do the same. Spread your arms, stare directly at him and take a step into his space. If he is smart he will back off.
At this point, some folks will pick him up and walk around for 10-15 minutes to re-affirm who is the boss.
Do not hurt him – I cannot overemphasize this. Yes, you can control an animal by fear, but it doesn’t make them respect you, in fact in can make them meaner. If you can get him to respect you and your position as alpha, attack is much less likely.
I have read of people turning the rooster upside down and walking around the garden with him like that. This is dangerous for the rooster – because of the anatomy of a chicken, it is possible to cause the air sacs to collapse and have him suffocate – especially if he has just eaten. Please don’t do this.
It is important that you remain calm, quiet and assertive during your interactions with your rooster. Consistency with your interactions is also important. Wear as much protective clothing as you think you may need, long boots are recommended and a long sleeve shirt too.
Be warned though – it doesn’t work on every rooster, but at least you will know you have tried to teach him some manners!

Summary

Much of your success (or failure) will depend on things out of your control such as genetics.
To put things in perspective just remember that roosters were not born to be ‘lap pets’ – it is against their natural behavior.
When you buy your chicks or adult fowl, ask if there are any aggressive tendencies in the flock. Breeds to be cautious of are Old English Game, American Game, Oriental Game, Aseel, Shamo, Sumatra and Malay.
Of course, just because the breed is considered non-aggressive, it doesn’t always follow that the particular birds you have will stay true to type. Chickens are individuals, so personality can vary greatly.
Children should always be kept away from roosters unless a responsible adult is there to supervise.
Lastly, please remember your dominance can be kind; there is no need to be mean or harsh with your 7lb. rooster. Things such as treats, hand feeding, quiet talking and picking him up can help to establish your relationship with him.
Even if he does not accept these things from you, you can re-inforce your ‘alpha’ dominance without resorting to cruel methods.
Working with your rooster will take time and effort on your behalf, if you cannot devote these two things, think about re-homing or culling the bird.
He will likely never be a cuddly fellow, but that is not the aim. He needs to be a defender of the flock but subordinate to you. He may need reinforcement of the idea periodically, but in general you should both be respectful of the others space.
We hope you are successful with your rooster’s training program!

Keep Chickens Cool

How to Keep Chickens Cool in Summer
https://www.pamsbackyardchickens.com/2019/06/how-to-keep-chickens-cool-in-summer.html

Keeping your chickens cool in summer is a must do. There's nothing we can do to stop the heat, but we can help our chickens beat the heat.

With the mercury rising, it's important to remember that high temperatures can be harder on a flock than the cold temperatures of winter. The effects of heat are cumulative and can be enhanced by high humidity, so be sure to keep vigilant during heat spells. A temperature of 80 degrees with high humidity can bring on heat-related problems.

How Do Chickens Cool Themselves?

When we're hot, we sweat. Yes, it's uncomfortable, but it is a cooling mechanism for humans. Do chickens sweat? Nope. They rely on both adaptations and natural behavior to cool themselves.

Adaptations — Chickens, especially Meditteranean breeds like Leghorns, put their combs and wattles to good use in warm weather. As blood circulates through their combs and wattles, heat is released, cooling the chicken. The larger the combs and wattles, the more surface space is available to release heat.

Behaviors — Chickens naturally know what to do to assist their bodies with the task of staying cool.  They will spread their wings and lift their feathers to let heat escape. Chickens will start to pant when the temperature reaches 85 degrees. They can also vibrate their throat muscles which allows warm moisture to evaporate. In the heat of the day, free-range chickens look for an undisturbed shady, cool spot to rest.

How We Can Help

• We can provide these cool spaces throughout the yard with garden plantings, awnings, umbrellas or whatever it takes to get out of the sun.

• Water is crucial during the summer's heat. Adding more water containers, keeping them filled, and locating them in shady spots is helpful. 

• Adding some ice to the water hits the spot, just be sure not to add too much. We don't want to shock our chickens with frigid water, just cool them off a little. 

• Provide some chilled treats like watermelon or blueberries. The chilled food is a nice break from the heat and the extra water inside helps your chickens stay hydrated. 

• Consider adding a shallow pool of water where your chickens can stand in the water to cool off their feet. 

• Don't coop up your chickens during hot weather. The inside of a coop can be much hotter than outside and more intense. If you're considering where to place your coop, keep summer's heat in mind. Locate your coop where there is relief through the shade, such as the edge of a tree line. When your chickens do go inside at night to roost, make sure the coop is well-ventilated by leaving windows open and having a fan running to increase air movement.

• Check on your chickens often during the summer heat. If you have kids, be sure they don't run around and try to play with the chickens. Increase activity equals increased body heat. Keeping your birds comfortable and undisturbed will help them avoid heat stress and enjoy the summer.

Heat-Tolerant Chicken Breeds

Although it’s easier to keep chickens warm vs. cool, it’s important to choose the correct breed for your location, whether that be a cold-hardy chicken or a heat-tolerant chicken breed.

Every year there are stories of folks that bought the wrong breed for their climate and experience losses, have unhealthy chickens, or end up bringing their birds inside where the climate is more moderate. Don’t let this happen to you! Make sure to pick a breed that will live comfortably in your climate. Your birds will thank you for it!

Popular Heat-Tolerant Breeds

Black Australorp
Brahma
Delaware
Easter Egger
Leghorn
New Hampshire Red
Plymouth Rock
Rhode Island Red
Sussex8 Tips For Keeping Chickens Cool In The Summer

When the weather gets hot, it can mean trouble for your birds.  Whenever the temperature gets above 90 degrees it can be dangerous for your backyard flock.  Chickens (generally) don’t live in air conditioned buildings, and it wouldn’t be healthy for them even if they did.  They also don’t get to go swimming like us lucky humans, so what are they supposed to do?  Thankfully, keeping chickens cool in the summer is totally doable with only a few adjustments on your part.

Chickens are actually descended from jungle fowl, so many of them can do quite well.  They certainly cope with heat better than rabbits do.  Chickens dissipate heat from their combs, beaks, and feet.  So, if you live in a hot area, try to choose lightweight chicken breeds with larger combs.  Breeds that are hardy in cold weather will not do as well.  You will probably notice a drop in egg production when it’s very hot, especially for breeds with small combs.

Chickens can get heat stroke and die.  If you notice them walking around with their beaks open, that’s a sign that they’re overheating and attempting to cool down.  They will also hold their wings away from their body to help air flow cool them down.  If you notice a bird that is non-responsive you need to act very quickly to cool her down!  Put her in cool (NOT ICY) water and make sure to get past her feathers to her skin.  This will cool her down gradually and may possibly save her life.

8 Tips For Keeping Chickens Cool In The Summer

https://farmingmybackyard.com/keeping-chickens-cool/


Of course the best course of action is to keep your hens from overheating in the first place.  Here are some tips that will help you keep your chickens cool even when it’s hot outside.

Make a mud bath.

Chickens don’t really like to stand in water, but when it’s hot, they will cool their feet in a muddy puddle.  Make a muddy corner in their coop where they can stand to cool down.  Don’t swamp the whole thing of course!  Some people recommend a small wading pool with a couple inches of water, but I’ve found my birds never walk through one on their own, but they’ll happily wade right into a bit of mud.

Provide dust bathing space.

Dirt might not be your thing, but birds don’t mind it!  A cool spot to dust bathe helps your chickens regulate their body temperature.  If they don’t have a natural area in the run, then provide a rubbermaid tub of dirt for them to use.

Make sure there’s plenty of ventilation in the coop.

A well ventilated coop is a necessity year round, but you’ll want even more ventilation when it’s hot.  My largest coop has a window that opens and shuts.  During the day I could open it to create a cross breeze and cool the coop down.  Any enclosed space is going to have a greenhouse effect.  If your area gets very hot, plan accordingly when designing your coop.

Clean out the coop instead of using deep litter.

Spring is a great time to clean out aged deep litter in your coop.  Using a deep litter method produces heat as it breaks down, which is great in the winter.  Not so great in 100 degree weather.  Take advantage of the heat and clean your coop from top to bottom.

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Keep their water cool.

Chickens will need more water in hot weather, and they’ll cope much better if it’s cool.  You can bring them cool water throughout the day if needed.  You could also put a frozen bottle into their water to help it cool down.  Putting the water in a shady spot helps as well.

Freeze treats for them

Frozen fruits or ice blocks with scraps of vegetables make great treats for a hot day.  It also gives your birds something to peck at and entertain themselves with.

Make Sure They Have Shade

Shade is the most important thing for helping your birds stay cool.  Shade from trees and bushes will help them stay cooler than shade from buildings.  If you have no natural shade, tarps or shade cloth can be used in a pinch, but they’ll also reduce ventilation.  Try to move your run into a shady area if possible.  At the very least, plant some trees so that next year you’ll have them.

Add misters.

Adding a mister can significantly cool down an area.  In fact, if you have a shady area with a few misters going, your chickens may be quite comfortable even if you’re sweating.  You can purchase an entire misting system, or just add a misting nozzle onto the end of your hose.  Here’s a decently priced misting nozzle if you need an example of what to look for. 

Part of your responsibility as a chicken keeper is to keep them safe during extreme weather.  Thankfully, keeping your chickens cool doesn’t have to be difficult, and they sure will appreciate you for it!

Summer Fun with Chickens

Summer - An Egg-cellent Time To Begin Keeping Chickens

Kassandra Smith

Senior Editor • Backyard Chicken Coops

26 November 2014 https://www.backyardchickencoops.com.au/blogs/learning-centre/summer-an-egg-cellent-time-to-begin-keeping-chickens

Spring chicks = summer chickens! While spring seems to be the perfect time of year to hatch chicks, summer is the perfect time of year to begin keeping chickens. The length of time that it takes for newly hatched chicks to grow and develop into fully feathered chickens is about the same length of time that it takes for spring showers to grow into summer flowers. It’s uncanny! So, go ahead and roll out those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer and start the egg-cellent adventure that is chicken keeping.





Keeping Chickens is Fun! Keeping Chickens in Summer is GREAT Fun!
Whether you choose to hatch your first flock of feathery friends or to purchase them at Point of Lay age, summer is an optimal time of year to begin the incredible journey into the wonderful yet wacky world of chicken keeping! The warm sun filled summer season paints a perfect backdrop for beginning chicken keepers-milder temperatures and abundant sun allow you to spend LOTS of quality time lazing about watching your chickens forage and egg-splore. These beautiful, sociable, intelligent, entertaining and practical feathered creatures will captivate your senses, not to mention your actual SENSE-you may just wind up sleeping out under the stars just so you can be there when the sun wakes them. Don’t be surprised though when you awaken from a peck on your cheek, literally!
You are sure to reap twofold, threefold, or more what you sow when you share your summer backyard with chickens:

• With the myriad of breeds and varieties within those breeds, you can create a quite a colourful crowd of clucky chooks that’s just bound to add a bit of spice to your landscape.

• And, what comes with a variety of chicken breeds? Yes, you guessed it-egg shells in pastels, oh so yummy looking chocolatey hues, eggs-quisite speckled masterpieces, and the simple beauty of a bright white egg. Your egg basket is sure to be the talk of the town with a such lovely variety of egg shell colour to “Ooh and Ahh” over!

• Chipper chook chatter will engage you, draw you in, until you find yourself visiting the chicken coop several times a day just to catch up on the clucky gossip!

• Chickens are quite entertaining and these chooky clowns will delight with their acrobatic antics leaving you donning a perpetual smile! They’re sure to “crack” you up as they leap into the air in an attempt to catch a fly away fly, chase the worm quarterback in hopes of an interception, or just suddenly squawk and take a short flight because as we all know, the grass is always greener somewhere else! Ha Ha.

• Get ready, get set, go! Don your leader cap for an egg-straordinarily madcap game of “Follow the Leader”! Have chickens? They will definitely follow the yellow cluck road to wherever you lead! And, as an added bonus, this playful but practical activity doubles as practice-chickens can and will happily flock to you when you call, minus a dilly dallying chook or two who are just too enchanted with digging and foraging at the moment. Having favourite treats handy when calling your chooks will definitely bring them clucking and flapping, as well as, help lure the dawdlers!

• Chickens are playful birds who revel in daily stimulation! They enjoy regular interaction with their human families. So, chat with them. Sing to them! Whistle and hum and watch them react-some may cluck in response, while others may just stop whatever they were doing and stare! Add hanging treats for them to peck at. Add some “bird’s eye view” outdoor roosts in their run. Got some swingin’ hip happenin’ chooks? Install a chicken swing and your flock will be flap-happy with glee!

• And, just think of all the oodles and oodles of new egg recipes that you can egg-speriment with while knowing full well that you’ve just cracked some of the most egg-straordinarily nutrient rich, works of art ever created!

• Consider yourself impressed-your intelligent poultry prodigies have the ability to respond to their names, count and understand the concept of zero, learn to perform tricks, recognize colours, and learn by shadowing their feathery siblings! It’s also a delight to watch a mother hen teach her babies all about life!

Practical Poultry- Pleasurable Garden Party Guests!
Are you an avid gardener? Are you absolutely EGGS-hausted from pulling those wretched weeds? Do you spend more time swatting at overzealous insect pests than you do tending to your fresh vegetables and herbs? Enter a small backyard flock of chickens! Chooks are a gardener’s best friend! Not only is keeping chickens in the summer great fun, but it’s practical-ly a party in your garden! Come one, come all feathery creatures! When you share your summer garden with chickens they’ll have fun, but you’ll have great fun in your new weed and bug free haven! Spring Chicks = Summertime Fun!


We here at Backyard Chicken Coops recently tried our hand at hatching chicken eggs! And, oh what an awesome egg-sperience it was. It was definitely the highlight of the spring season. That was only just the beginning though, because as spring wanes and summer bounds in, the real fun begins! With summertime, comes a whirlwind of change and egg-citement. Spring chicks, although fully feathered and mature, do still continue to grow during the summer. And, as Point of Lay nears, egg-citement abounds! There is absolutely nothing more egg-citing than when you visit the hen house in the morning and spy that very first egg-squisite egg, or your first delicate pink hued egg, or your first summer sky blue egg, and the list goes on and on ! Oh yes, there is beauty in the bounty! Plus,watching your young flock egg-splore your backyard for the first time is truly entertaining-wacky flap-happy chickens flopping around in dirt baths-life just doesn’t get any better than that!
So, how do you spell summertime FUN ? C...H...I...C...K...E...N...S!!

TEN MOST COMMON CHICKEN HEALTH QUESTIONS

Answers to Ten Common Questions about Chicken Health

https://www.dummies.com/home-garden/hobby-farming/raising-chickens/answers-to-ten-common-questions-about-chicken-health/

Related Book

Chicken Health For Dummies

By Julie Gauthier, Rob Ludlow

Following are the most common questions that flock keepers ask about the health of their chickens. Also provided are quick, concise answers that you can take to heart or share with a fellow flock keeper in the time it takes you to check out at the feed store.

1. What is that lump on the side of a chicken’s neck?

Most likely, the lump on the side of your chicken’s neck is normal. That’s her crop, an expandable pouch in the esophagus of chickens and many other types of birds that is part of the digestive system. Think of that anatomical feature as a doggie bag — a place for the foraging hen to store her edible discoveries for digestion sometime later in the day.
Rarely, a chicken’s crop plugs up because she’s eaten a lot of indigestible stuff, such as straw, wood chips, or long, stemmy weeds. The condition is known as a crop impaction, and it can be serious. If you’re concerned that the hard lump may be an impaction, feel the chicken’s neck early the next morning, before she has eaten breakfast. The lump should be gone, and her throat should feel soft and empty.

2. Why is a chicken losing her feathers?

Molt happens. Each year, usually in autumn, a chicken loses her old feathers and grows a new set, in an orderly process called molting. Most hens slow down on egg production or quit laying eggs altogether while they’re molting. Some hens molt quickly and get it over with in two to three months, although others can take as long as six months to freshen their appearance.
If your chicken is losing her feathers, suspect molt first.
Other common causes of feather loss include feather pecking (flock mates are plucking out feathers) and external parasites (mites or lice, usually). You may be able to blame the hens’ bare backs on the rooster’s attention — he’s scratching feathers out during mating.

3. Why do some eggs have soft shells or no shells?

Stress is the number-one cause of abnormal eggshells in hens, including soft or shell-less eggs. Events that stress hens are disturbances that are likely to bother you, too; moving to a new home, meeting a guest’s rambunctious dog or child, hot weather, or a sudden and violent storm are common stressors. A single disturbance can affect a flock’s egg production for a couple of weeks.
Besides stress, other explanations may fit. Older hens and hens that have been in lay (producing eggs) for many months are more likely to lay soft-shelled eggs. Viral infections can also mess up a hen’s egg-laying machinery, sometimes permanently.

4. How do you treat a chicken’s skin wounds?

The most common backyard chicken wounds are the result of predator attacks, flock-mate aggression, and entanglement or impalement by something sharp in the chicken yard, such as broken wire fences or protruding nails.
Treat predator bite wounds and other skin wounds as soon as you discover them.
Thoroughly flush the wound with an antiseptic solution.

Isolate the injured bird from the rest of the flock and let her take care of the wound herself.

Talk to your veterinarian before medicating a chicken with an antibiotic.

5. What causes your chicken to have runny poop?

Having loose droppings can be normal if they’re intermittent with normal, formed poop. Two or three times a day, a chicken empties the contents of the ceca, which are two blind pouches in the lower part of the digestive system. The cecal droppings are loose, brown, very smelly, and completely normal for chickens.
If all the chicken’s droppings are runny, however, that’s abnormal, so look for a health problem. Heading the list of possibilities for adult bird diarrhea is hot weather, which is a very common reason for laying hens to have loose droppings. Take this sign as a warning to ease the flock’s heat stress.

6. Should you feed chicks medicated starter feed?

Yes, you should feed your chicks medicated starter feed, except under two conditions: Your chicks were vaccinated for coccidiosis or you’re trying to raise chickens under organic conditions.

The medication in medicated chick starter is a coccidiostat, a drug that helps prevent coccidiosis. Before the invention of coccidiostats, raising chicks without losing some to coccidiosis was a big challenge for flock keepers.

7. Is it safe to eat a hen's eggs after you medicated her?

Any medication given to a laying hen can end up in the eggs that she produces, sometimes for several weeks after being dosed. Very few medications have been studied thoroughly to determine how long they’ll contaminate the eggs of medicated hens, and therefore, very few medications have been approved for use in laying hens.

8. What are these bugs crawling on your bird (and you)?

They’re lice or mites, almost certainly. These extremely common external parasites feed on your chickens, irritating and weakening them. Lice and mites can crawl on you, too, if you handle infested birds. Although chicken lice think people taste disgusting (they won’t hang around for long), mites will happily bite a person before running back to their preferred host — your chicken.

9. What is causing your hen’s swollen foot and her limping?

Bumblefoot is a common infection of the feet of poultry, usually discovered as a swollen, scabby foot pad. The problem starts with minor trauma to the foot, such as a bruise, scrape, cut, or puncture. Bacteria invade the small foot wound and create a big mess, causing pus-filled abscesses, swelling, and pain. Treatment isn’t quick or easy, and it usually requires repeated draining and cleaning the wound.

10. Can you feed bugs and worms to your flock?

Bugs and worms are yummy and nutritious (for your chickens). A chicken isn’t a vegetarian by nature, and she relishes a nice, juicy bug, which is typically loaded with nutritious fat and protein.