Most of us feed our grown flock of birds layer pellets. Layer pellets are a great food, containing most of what an adult hen needs to survive. If you would like to treat your chickens with a ration that does more than simply let them survive, try making your own!

That being said, chickens allowed to free-range on a good sized, diverse piece of yard, do not have to be fed a special diet at all. Chickens allowed to be chickens will balance out their nutritional needs completely naturally! However, all chickens need some type of complete daily ration to thrive. Chickens are naturally omnivores. Omnivores, like us humans, need a rich and varied diet of both plant and animal matter.

To make your own chicken feed, head down to the co-op with a list of seeds and grains you’d like to include:

• 40% Layer pellets (see other protein sources as well)
• 10% Whole Corn
• 10% Sunflower Seeds
• 40% Grain Mix (Wheat, millet, barley- often available in “scratch grain mixes)
• Crushed Oyster Shells (served separately)

Protein

When it comes to protein, pelleted layer feeds are already specially formulated to handle this need. If you are on a budget, you can add a bag of pelleted feed to your DIY mix.

Most of the protein in pelleted feeds comes from soybeans. While this seems to be a good option, soy beans also contain high levels of estrogen. People consuming too much estrogen from soy products have been known to develop an increased risk of thyroid disorders, infertility, and breast cancer. That fact leads me to explore other protein options for my chickens. After all, we eat their eggs, as well as just care about them, so I’d like to have other options. Unfortunately, protein can be the most expensive component of making your own feed.

Chicken feeds usually contain somewhere between 15-18% protein. This is the optimal amount of protein for a chicken. They can survive on this ration, however, a more varied and colorful diet will often yield happier chickens.

Other protein sources:

• Insects (the free kinds)
• Dried Mealworms (costly, but a great treat for chickens)
• Bean Sprouts
• Eggs (give them leftover eggs, raw or cooked!)
• Dog or cat food ( as an additional treat, not only ration)

Whole Corn

I am a huge fan of whole corn for my flock. A while back ago, I was looking for a feed that wasn’t pelleted and I could feed to my whole herd of barnyard animals. (Chickens, ducks, and goats).  Whole corn contains 7.5 % protein, and should be given at about 10% of their daily ration. Feeding corn supposedly will increase body temperature while digesting, making it a great evening treat for your hens before a winter’s night. Corn must be fed in moderation, and you do not want whole corn to be your primary feed, or your chickens will start getting too fat!

 Sunflower Seeds

Sunflower seeds not only are delicious for chickens, but they contain amino acids. Amino acids help build protein, and chickens do not make this on their own as well as some other animals. Sunflower seeds, fish meal, and sesame meal all contain good amounts of amino acids.

Whole Grains

Whole grains make up to 70% of the diet of a chicken when it is free choice fed. Grains come in many different shapes and sizes and are essentially the dried seeds of grasses. The most available grains at the feed store include wheat, oats, barley, and millet. Most co-ops offer scratch grain mixes, varying in types of grains added. Our co-op has a 3 way, 9 way, and 12 way scratch grain. These are the grains chickens “scratch up” when naturally free ranging. Scratch grains are meant to be fed supplementary to pelleted layer feed. Pre-made scratch grains are an awesome addition to a DIY feed mix!

Crushed Oyster Shells

Please remember to also give your chickens access to crushed oyster shells daily, especially if you get a lot of eggs. Calcium in the seashells helps make strong eggshells! I like to leave mine out in a pan on the ground in a dry spot. The hens will take what they need as they need it.

There are many feed options out there for the chicken enthusiasts to learn and try nowadays. Get to know your local feed store and start exploring your options! Remember, chickens also benefit greatly from table scraps and lots of leafy greens. Bon Appetit!

Occasionally a friend visits us at Winding Pathways.  He’s a retired professor of ornithology…..a bird guy. The first thing he does is “go visit our girls”. These girls are our backyard chicken flock.

Our chickens are attractions that entice friends here and are ambassadors of positive neighbor relations. Our hens give us eggs while showing visitors how well these fascinating food producing animals fit into modern lives and suburban backyards.

We live in an urban world. A couple of generations ago most Americans grew up on farms or in small rural towns. Although they now live in a modern suburb they have a basic understanding of animal husbandry.

That’s changed. Today most people are two or three generations removed from the farm. They grew up in vast suburbs or cities and lack personal connection with farm animals. Most only know chickens as plastic wrapped meat sold at the grocery store or the bird flu scares on media.

Neighbors with no experience tending chickens might believe they are smelly, noisy animals that belong on the farm but not in the backyard. If they call city hall to complain a family might be forced to get rid of their flock. Encouraging neighbors to experience live chickens helps them understand how diverse, beautiful, and useful they are and reduce the odds of a complaint. Visiting the flock might even convince a neighbor to build a coop and keep their own hens.

There’s another reason to introduce neighbors to a backyard flock. We like to travel. And, chickens need care every day. Sometimes twice a day. Neighbors familiar with our chickens and their care often are happy to come by and care for the birds when we’re on a camping trip. Their reward is bringing home delicious eggs.

Here is what we do at Winding Pathways to help our neighbors appreciate our flock, while helping us recruit volunteers to tend the chickens when we need to travel:

• Keep the coop immaculate by regularly dusting, cleaning windows, removing cobwebs, and adding a fresh layer of pine chips to the litter. The coop always has the pleasant aroma of a pine forest.
• Invite neighbors to visit and see our chickens. Even a brief coop visit to introduce them to real live chickens may pique their curiosity and dispel the fear that they’re smelly and noisy.
• We especially welcome children to see baby chicks, collect eggs, and take some home to cook for the family. We make sure everyone washes hands after being around chickens and handling eggs.
• Share eggs with neighbors. People love fresh eggs.
• Keep a Hoover’s Hatchery catalog in the coop to share with visitors. It’s a beautiful and valuable reference guide. People have fun looking at catalog photos to identify the breeds in our coop.
• Let a neighbor help develop a baby chick order. One of our neighbors regularly tends our flock when we’re away. We let her choose a couple of breeds when we order chicks from Hoover’s. These are “her” birds even though they live in our coop. It gives her a personal connection with our flock.
• Help neighbors see that chickens are outstanding recyclers of kitchen scraps. They might even bring their own leftover goodies over to feed the hens

Sadly, today many people don’t even know their neighbors. A chicken flock can attract folks to the yard for a social gathering. The flock can be the glue that brings people together to create friendship and understanding.

Caution

Welcoming coop visitors has benefits but there’s a caution. A human visitor could carry a disease to the flock, perhaps from a microbe hidden in dirt on a shoe. Observe biosecurity as explained in Hoover’s Catalog. Also keep a bottle of hand sanitizer in the coop and encourage all visitors, especially kids, to wash up and sanitize after leaving the coop and before eating lunch.

We’ve all seen the Pinterest chicken coops of our dreams. I’m not knocking those beautifully designed coops that have more stately architecture than a million dollar home. I think many of us envy that luxurious coop in the backyard. That being said, we cannot all achieve such coops, but we can look for thrifty ways to get pretty close!

Here are a few ways you can redecorate your coop on a budget this year, making you and your chickens a little happier!

Old Windows

Old windows, taken from old houses during renovation, are easy to spot on any online advertising agency. They often sell for as cheap as $5-$10 per window. Some contractors will even give these old windows away if you’re nice to them! You can find acrylic markers or India ink affordably online. Why not make a custom window painting of your flock, with your own artwork? You can customize it and paint members of your own farm. I guarantee it’ll make you smile on a rainy day!

I’ve painted several windows for folks who hung them inside their coop! Just apply a couple layers of varnish to the painted window to seal in the art forever. Hang the window in front of an existing interior coop window, or on a side of the run that gets good sun. You’ll have your very own stained glass window!

Dried Plants

Hanging wreaths or dried plants in your coop gives a homey, cozy feel. Used as both a decoration and an insect repellent, dried plants are a quick updo! Be sure to select herbs that are safe for the chickens to eat if they happen to be able to reach them. Hang bundles of fresh spearmint, tarragon,sage, oregano, marjoram, basil, or lavender along walls or fencing. (Please do not eat the herb yourself if they have been in the coop drying, but your hens can eat it!)

Signage

Whether you are a collector of antique metal signs, or like something more modern, signs can really make a coop more attractive. Don’t be afraid to paint your own sign, or even paint the a mural on the wall! I feel like sometimes people are afraid to try something bold and unique, and once they do, it gives other people inspiration to be more creative as well! I’d love to see more chicken coop murals from artist homesteaders out there!

Beautiful Branches

A free- way to make your coop feel more homey, is to add tree branches you’ve collected to the environment. Go outside and look for branches wide enough to support chicken feet. Get several different lengths and construct a sort of jungle gym for your flock. The tree branches will add a new place of interest in your coop, as well as be good physically and mentally for the birds.

Up-cycled Coop Parts

My parents’ used this idea to spruce their coop up, so I’m giving them a shoutout-although they probably weren’t the first to do so! Repurposing some old nesting boxes, works as a cute flower box, when attached to the exterior wall of the coop.

Outdoor Plants

Decorate your coop by planting chicken friendly plants along the border wall of the run. You may also stagger some plants nestled in colorful planter pots to add some pops of color. The challenge then comes in knowing what plants the chickens will not eat, but also will not get sick from. Here are a few safe options:

• Roses
• Lavender
• Rosemary
• Sagebrush
• Cedar Branches
• Butterfly Bush
• Mint

Mixed Mulch Flooring 

One of the nastiest places in a coop, is usually the chicken run. The “run” refers to the outdoor space fenced in for the chickens. This floor, often just earth, can quickly become an eye sore and a nose sore! The chickens can’t help it if they are in the run most of the time. One easy way to combat this issue and do it frugally, is by offering the chickens different areas with different flooring. Perhaps one half of the coop floor has mulch or pine straw. A thick layer of either will give them something to scratch around in, and keep down the mud. Also, you can consider a corner with dry dirt or course sand (please not sandbox sand as the silica is bad for them), making a dust bath area. Sprinkle in some diatomaceous earth lightly onto their dust bath and it will tremendously help in mite prevention! Lastly, consider a scratching corner for your girls. I like to go and pick some weeds or brush for my hens on days they are cooped up.

Creativity is the spice of life. Being thrifty requires ingenuity; it requires thinking upside the box, a trait which many of us chicken people possess! I hope I have encouraged you with some affordable items to express yourself and make your chicken coop uniquely yours!

They come with lustrous black, bright white, or blue feathers but Jersey Giants are really a mellow yellow chicken breed. The reason goes back to the breed’s creation in the late 1800s.

Back then, few families enjoyed chicken or turkey dinners for one reason. It was expensive. Birds of that long-ago era gobbled down plenty of food yet grew slowly.

Raising them to market size was a slow and expensive process so, typically, chicken and turkey dinners were reserved for holiday meals and special meals served to guests.

New Jersey chicken breeders John and Thomas Black were determined to make chicken a more common American meal. Between 1870 and 1880 they crossed several breeds, including Langshans, Dark Brahmas, and Javas to create what came to be called the Black Jersey Giant. Although it had black feathers it was named in honor of the Black Brothers.

Their success was mixed. The new breed grew to a huge size. A rooster can tip the scales at 13 pounds with hens only a little smaller. Originally, they had black feathers so why are they a mellow yellow breed?

The answer’s simple. Back then many families raised small flocks. Mellow is a desirable trait. Giants are so big they have a tough time flying, making them easy to keep inside a small fence. Many breeds are considered to be nervous, or “flighty.”  They spook easily and sometimes fly over even a tall fence. Not Giants. The Black Brothers knew that small flock owners preferred mellow, so the trait became a goal of the breed’s development.

Yellow?  Consumers are fickle. English diners prefer a chicken with white skin. Not Americans. They like yellow skin. So, a Black Jersey Giant has black feathers and dark shanks, but underneath is yellow skin. The underside of their feet is also bright yellow.

The Giant is a wonderful backyard bird. They’re mellow and are easy to handle. Hens are prolific layers of large brown eggs. The Black Brothers did a great job creating the breed, but their timing kept them from ever becoming an important commercial meat breed. Giants grow slowly, and it takes plenty of expensive feed for them to reach the size of a small turkey.  To reach full size can take eight or nine months.

During the Twentieth Century many breeds and hybrids were developed that grew much faster than Giants while eating less feed per pound of growth. Cornish Rocks, for example, reach market size when only about six weeks old and eat much less feed than older breeds. That led to commercial success for growers and made chicken a common and inexpensive lunch or dinner.

Despite their slow growth Jersey Giants are wonderful birds to include in a backyard flock.  After all they are mellow and fun to be around. The black variety has impressive almost shiny plumage, while White Giants are brilliant in the sunshine. There is even a blue feathered Giant. All are great layers, although they may start producing eggs slower than better known Rhode Island Reds or ISA Browns.

They are big and may need slightly larger nests and pop hole doors than more standard sized breeds, but generally they can squeeze into normal sized nests.

The Jersey Giant breed enjoys a rich heritage. Although it’s not economic for commercial meat or egg producers it is a wonderful breed perfectly suited to a small flock in the backyard.

Chickens really live their best lives when they are free ranging outside. Unfortunately, not everyone has the option of letting their chickens out of the coop. Space restrictions, local ordinances, and job schedules are just a few of the reasons why many chickens are cooped up all day.

Owning animals is like being a zookeeper. A good zookeeper takes care of the physical needs of an animal. However, a great zookeeper comes up with ways to keep their animals’s minds healthy and active! It’s called enrichment! There are countless ways to provide your flock something to keep their brains busy.

That being said, chickens are simple creatures, and can live a happy and productive existence in a coop. Since we love them, we want them to have fulfilling lives. Here four affordable ways to give your flock enrichment!

Provide a dust bathing area. 

Chickens actually NEED a place on the coop floor to dust bathe in order to stay healthy. Part of a chicken’s daily routine is covering her feathers in fine dust, all the way down to the skin. After kicking around on her side, she will quickly hop up, and shimmy all the dirt, dust, and parasites off her feathers!

Add a dust area in your coop by clearing a clean 2ft. x 2ft. square on the ground. Leave it as dry as possible and add in a few buckets of dirt from anywhere on your property. There’s no need to use a tray, they’ll soon scratch all the dust out and around!

Put tree branches in the coop.

Chickens, like most birds, love to be up high. Their natural instinct to perch, leaves them always looking for the highest possible spot to rest. You can give them some new furniture simply by bringing in tree branches! The bark will help file down their toenails, as well as help work their muscles. The branches might last a few months before they’ll need to be replaced, and by then your flock might be ready for some new scenery anyway!

Rotate hanging treats periodically.

There are tons of resources and ideas for hanging chicken treats out there! In fact, I’m pretty sure there are some on the Hoover’s blog already! Whole cabbage heads, pumpkins, frozen watermelon; the possibilities are endless! Yummy snacks are always a great motivator to get chickens moving!

Give them a chance to hunt.

Chickens are meant to forage for their food all day. In today’s world of pampered pullets and designer coops, our chickens are often given 24/7 access to feed. This is fine! However, is it fun? Nothing pleases a hen more than being able to scratch for her food. Try broadcast feeding some yummy treats like whole corn, sunflower seeds, or dried mealworms. Speaking of mealworms, for even fresher insects, you can pickup some live mealworms or crickets from pet stores. They’ll make a great source of protein for your birds, and will be entertaining as well!

There are many ways still to entertain your chickens without breaking the piggy bank. Let us know some of your favorite ways to enrich the lives of your flock down below!

There are many reasons why you may need to clip your chickens’ wings. 

Chickens escaping their run, flying up into feed containers, roosting in trees, and just plain wreaking havoc are a few.

Lately, at our place, my chickens have been wanting to sleep in the trees, instead of their deluxe coop! This was fine with me all summer, but now with cold temperatures depending on us, they need to start going back to the coop! Clipping their wings is the first step of my “coop reset plan!”

Clipping your chickens’ flight feathers is super easy and can be an instant solution to a number of chicken challenges. You can do it alone, but it helps to have a second pair of hands available.

First, you’ll need to catch your chicken. 

Easier said than done, huh? Try waiting until the late evening when it is roosting. After you’ve got a chicken, cradle the bird under your arm against your waist. Grab a wing, and gently pull it away from the chicken’s body, unfolding the feathers.

With a sharp pair of scissors, slowly cut in a diagonal line. You are aiming to clip just the ends off of the longest layer of feathers, the flight feathers. Cut about half the feather off. This is where you need to be careful.

Feathers are “alive” in the sense that they do have feeling and blood flow near the base. Unlike hair, which can be cut to the root, feathers should be cut well past the bloodline. You’ll see the bluish, thick shaft of the feather, but you’ll cut a few inches past it. 

When you cut the first feathers, the chicken may squirm a bit. Don’t worry, you aren’t hurting them, they just are getting used to the sensation. Cut with a gentle, firm hand, all the way down the wing.

After that, you’re done! The great news is you’ll only have to cut one wing! Doing this puts the chicken off balance when they try to fly. If both wings are cut, some smart hens can learn how to compensate for the shorter wings, and still manage to fly. Cutting only one wing has always worked for us! If you have some escape artists in your flock, before spending lots of money on coop revisions, try clipping their feathers instead!

Does Daylight Savings Time affect chickens?

Well, the short answer is no. Of course chickens don’t have a need to understand numerical times, but YES they are affected by the shortening of days.

Autumn can be a rough time for chickens. You probably have noticed all of your birds molting. Molting happens to every chicken, every fall. They drop their old feathers, and grow in a new, fresh set for winter. They can be more vulnerable to cold during this time. Some of my girls go almost completely naked during molting season. One named Smarty, gets so puny, she literally looks like a disgruntled pigeon as she runs across the yard.

Chickens are creatures of habit. Their clock is the sun. It doesn’t matter to them if bedtime used to be at 9:00, but now it’s at 6:00. When the sun sets, that tells chickens it’s time to go up. Personally, the chickens going to bed earlier works for me! If you lock your flock up at night, you know the struggle of getting everyone in the coop when it’s still bright outside at 8:45pm in the summer.

With the sun as their guide, chickens undergo some internal changes when the days shorten. They now will lay less eggs, even stopping completely in winter. The darker days trigger the molt, which I mentioned previously. They will be spending more energy staying warm.

Just remember to please give your flock more energy rich foods this fall and winter. Whole corn makes a great evening snack for them, and will heat up their bodies during nighttime digestion. (It’s also a great way to persuade them to go up!) Ensure the coop is free of drafts and remember- no water inside the coop. (This prevents frostbite.)

Daylight Savings Time can be rough on everyone, chickens and humans included. Just prepare to hunker down and bring plenty of snacks- for your flock that is!