An egg sizzling in the frying pan is chock full of protein and vitamins but 76% of it is water. With every egg laid a hen loses water from her body. She needs plenty of clean drinking water to stay healthy and keep laying those delicious eggs.

Unlike mammals, Chickens don’t sweat. Their urine is a solid coating over droppings.  They don’t need as much water as a similar-sized mammal, but they still must drink several times every day no matter what the weather is.

It’s easy to install a big feeder in the coop that keeps hens happily eating for a week or more until it needs refilling. Waterers are trickier and need more care. Using the most effective waterers can make filling and cleaning easy.

If we were lucky, we’d have a water tap close to our coop. If so, we could install an automatic waterer that keeps fresh water constantly flowing. But, like most backyard flock owners we have to carry water to the coop from our rain barrels or the tap behind the house. Over the years we’ve learned a few tricks to make the chore easier.

We always have more than one waterer in the coop and run. If a solitary waterer tipped over or ran dry our hens would be thirsty and unproductive. With several waterers available if any one goes dry our hens have other places to drink

There are many ways to keep water in front of chickens. Farm stores sell plastic and metal waterers of many shapes and sizes as well as different kinds of buckets. Each has benefits and drawbacks.

BUCKETS

Buckets are traditional waterers and still work fine. They are easy to clean, fill and carry. They are easily seen from a distance so we know whether refilling is needed. They’re inexpensive and have many uses around the yard when not in the coop. Buckets work best for mature birds. Small chicks aren’t tall enough to drink from them. On the downside, buckets have a large surface area and catch dirt, leaves, discarded feathers, and all sorts of other debris. They need frequent cleaning.

We prefer black rubber buckets to metal ones. Rubber buckets are seamless, rarely leak, and never rust. If a skim of ice forms in them it’s easy to bend the rubber to crack out the ice. During summer we put water filled buckets in the run’s shady areas. Come cool weather we move them to where the black rubber catches the sun’s warmth and helps resist freezing.

METAL FOUNTS

We like commercially made metal founts that have been around for years. Although slightly expensive they come in one-, three- and five-gallon sizes. Because founts have a small surface area they don’t catch much debris, keeping water cleaner and longer than in buckets. Metal founds are easy to clean, fill, and carry, although the five-gallon size is heavy. A fount’s drinking surface is near the ground, letting even small chicks get a drink. On the downside, metal founts rust after a few years. Since metal isn’t transparent the only way to tell if it needs refilling is to walk over and lift the waterer.

Maintenance tip: Don’t toss out a rusting fount. Sand paper or wire brush off the rust and then paint the bare metal with rust resistant primer and paint. That keeps the fount in use for many more years.

PLASTIC FOUNTS

We use several commercially made plastic founts. Some hold as little as a quart of water and are fine for chicks. Our biggest one holds eight gallons. Plastic waterers are usually transparent making it easy to see how much water remains. Unfortunately, transparency lets light in that can stimulate algae growth. Plastic founts are a little harder to clean than metal, and sometimes getting the parts to fit together is challenging.

Maintenance tip:  Small brushes that fit in a cordless electric drill make cleaning off dirt and algae easy, but muscle powered brushes also work. 

WATERER TIPS

• Elevate metal or plastic founts on a cinder block for stack of boards to keep coop litter and debris out of the water.
• Save your back muscles by positioning large capacity waterers in the coop and then filling them with buckets of water that are lighter and easy to carry.
• Clean them often. A soft bristle brush helps remove debris and algae from tight spots. Rinsing them in a bleach solution kills bacteria.
• Come winter position fount type waterers on electric heaters or use waterers that have built in heating elements.
• Install rain barrels to collect water from the coop’s roof. It’s easier to fill waterers from a nearby barrel than carrying it from the house.

Maybe this last tip is the best of all. It’s a 100 foot walk each way to fill waterers from our house tap, but our two rain barrels are just outside the coop’s door. Rain falling on the coop roof is channeled into the barrels that hold enough for many waterer refills, reducing the need to walk and carry heavy water.

Doing chicken care chores can get tiresome, so we make keeping our chickens hydrated as easy as possible.  Quality waterers help.

A chick’s first month is tumultuous! Hatched in a Hoover’s Hatchery incubator, as soon as that baby girl chick’s fluff dries off, she’s gently placed into a shipping box. The combined body heat of many babies keeps them warm as the box bounces along in a truck heading for the airport. Soon she’s zooming through the sky to some place she’s never been to or even heard of. It could be New Jersey, Miami, California, or even Canada. Then she’s trucked again to a farm store and put into a big brooder awaiting customers. A family buys her and a few other chicks. After a short car ride in a small box, she’s put into her first home – a cardboard box incubator. That’s quite a journey for a baby. She doesn’t even have a mother to guide or comfort her!

However, her mother’s yolk makes the trip possible. It nourished her during incubation. When she hatched there was still enough of the yolk’s nutrition left to make the journey from the hatchery to the store and a buyer’s home. By then she’s hungry and eagerly pecks down nutritious commercial starter feed and samples her first drinks of clean water.

What takes a human baby a few years to accomplish a baby chick does in a couple of days.  She can walk, talk….or at least peep, and eat and drink all by herself. Her next month will set the scene for life in a backyard coop.

How to Choose the Right Chick at the Farm Store

Before bringing chicks home from the store a family should have a warm brooder awaiting at home along with chick starter feed and clean water. Hopefully they’ve done homework and know what breeds they want to bring home. We suggest buying a mix of breeds that have differently colored feathers. That helps tell one from the other and note their traits. Store clerks can usually help choose breeds, but a wise shopper should:

• Be able to identify chicks by breed when they’re on display in the store. If in doubt, scan Hoover’s website on a phone while at the chick display. Photos on the site should help identify breeds for sale.
• Notice the chick’s size. Chicks of only two or three days old are tiny fluff balls, but they grow quickly. Sometimes the store doesn’t sell them right away and some may be a week or two old. If these are the right breed buying these chicks gives a head start on raising them to adulthood.
• Notice their appearance. They should be active, eating with gusto, and seem adventurous.

What to Notice in a Chick’s First Month

Growth: Chicks grow like crazy in their first 30 days. Some breeds and hybrids grow much faster than others. In a month meat breed chicks will be vastly larger than standard breeds, but there’s always some variation. A brooder that seemed spacious housing six or eight babies will be crowded with bigger chicks a month later. Watching different growth rates is fascinating.

Feathers: Leghorns, Marans, Minorcas, Capines, and many commercial hybrids are fast feathering, while old traditional breeds, like Barred Rocks, tend to feather more slowly. So, assuming there is a mix of breeds in the brooder, notice that some feather faster than others. This is usually obvious by day 10 to 12. Generally, females feather faster than males.

Personalities: Chickens have personalities. Often adult traits can be spotted in their childhood….er chickhood. Some will be aggressive and “forward” while others are passive and shy. Maybe some are just braver than more skittish companions. A chick or two will be more curious than others, explore the brooder and study unusual or different things she discovers.

The Big Move

A month’s gone by. The brooder is getting crowded as spring advances outside. Days are getting warm. It’s time for the chicks to move from a snug, warm, but crowded brooder to the coop where they’ll spend the rest of their lives. It must be a scary adventure. Everything’s new. There are places to explore and new things to study and peck at. It could be chilly. Month old chicks enjoy insulating feathers but they still need to be warm and will appreciate basking in the warmth of a heat lamp until spring weather really warms up.

These once tiny chicks have graduated from life in an incubator, to a farm store, to a home brooder, and finally to their coop. It’s quite a journey.

7 Classic American Chicken Breeds to Raise for America’s 250th Birthday

FlockJourney America 250 Series, Part 7: The Delaware, the newest breed in the lineup, named for the first state of all.

Top 3 Takeaways

• The youngest breed on our list is named for the oldest state. Delaware was the first state to ratify the Constitution, which is why it is still called the First State. The breed that carries its name arrived much later, developed in 1940 by George Ellis, and it is the newest bird in our All-American lineup.
• It lays more eggs than any other breed in this series. About 260 large brown eggs a year, from a calm, docile, quick-maturing dual-purpose bird. If you want one hardworking hen with an easy temperament, this is the one.
• Two birds from this series made a third. The Red Star, one of the most dependable brown egg layers a Keeper can raise, comes from crossing a Rhode Island Red male with a Delaware female. The story of American chickens is a story of Keepers building on what came before.

Still celebrating

The fireworks are over. The parade route has been swept, the bunting is coming down off the porch rails, and in the driveway remains one lonely sparkler nobody got around to lighting. But the celebration continues!

A 250th birthday does not really fit in a single day. The Fourth is the party, but the year is the point, and we’re continuing the celebration with the last bird in our All-American Backyard Lineup.

It’s a fitting one to end on, because its named after The First State. Delaware was the first state to say yes to the Constitution, and the chicken that bears its name is the youngest of our series – developed in 1940. We started this series with the Dominique, a breed that was already here before there was a country. We end it with a bird whose home state was the very first to make that country official.

The 7 founding breeds of the American backyard

Each of these was either developed on American soil or earned its reputation here. Here is the full lineup, one last time, with Delaware featured below.

• Dominique. America’s oldest breed, traced to roughly 1750. Calm, sociable, and bred to last. About 245 medium brown eggs a year.
• Rhode Island Red. Developed in the late 1800s in the country’s smallest state and famous worldwide. Around 265 brown eggs a year, and the parent of half the hybrids in the modern hen house.
• Barred Plymouth Rock. The black-and-white striped farm hen most people picture when they hear the word chicken. Steady and unbothered, about 250 large brown eggs a year.
• Wyandotte. An American original with laced feathers and a cold-friendly rose comb. A handsome dual-purpose bird that shrugs off winter.
• Jersey Giant. Born in New Jersey and still one of the largest breeds you can keep. Slow to mature but gentle, friendly, and a steady source of large brown eggs.
• New Hampshire. Refined in the Granite State from Rhode Island Red stock for faster growth and dependable laying. A practical, no-drama dual-purpose bird.
• Delaware. Developed in 1940 in the state it is named for. White with black barring on the hackles, quick to mature, calm, and good for about 260 large brown eggs a year. Today’s feature, and the finale of our series.

Breed of the Week: The Delaware

In 1940, a man named George Ellis set out to build a better farm bird in the state of Delaware. What he ended up with was a hardy, white-feathered chicken with a scattering of black barring on the ends of its hackle feathers, and a disposition so easy that people have been recommending it to first-time Keepers ever since.

It was the last of the great American dual-purpose breeds to arrive, and by the time it did, the country had been raising chickens for centuries. The Delaware is here today because generations of American Keepers decoded exactly what they wanted from a hen and pursued it.

What makes the Delaware great

Temperament. Calm and docile, the kind of bird that does not mind being picked up by a curious kid. That steady nature, paired with how quickly it matures, is what makes the Delaware such a comfortable first flock.

Eggs. About 260 large brown eggs a year, the highest count of any breed in this series. The hens mature quickly and lay dependably, so the wait from chick to first egg is a short one.

Build. At a mature 6 to 7 pounds with a single comb, the Delaware is a true dual-purpose bird. It is hardy, it grows fast, and it earns its keep whether you want a full egg basket or a bird for the table.

The free-range favorite. The Delaware does especially well in a free-range setting. If you have space for your flock to roam, this bird will use every square foot of it. Keep that in mind when you plan your yard, because a Delaware kept in a tight run is a Delaware not doing what it loves.

A quiet connection worth noticing

Cross a Rhode Island Red male with a Delaware female and you get the Red Star, a bird that lays around 320 medium brown eggs a year and is hardy in nearly any condition. Two breeds from this very series combine into one of the most productive layers a Keeper can raise.

That is the whole story of American chickens summarized. Every breed on this list was somebody’s idea of an improvement on the last one. The Dominique crossed the ocean. Rhode Island built a bird the world copied. New Hampshire refined it. Delaware perfected the farm hen. And Hoover’s Hatchery will be here for the next step.

Is the Delaware right for you?

If you want a calm bird that lays exceptionally well, matures quickly, and thrives with room to roam, the Delaware belongs at the top of your list. It suits the Keeper with space, the family with kids, and the first-timer who wants a forgiving bird that still fills the basket. It is a fine place to start a flock, and a fine place to end a series.

FAQ

What is a Delaware chicken?

The Delaware is an American dual-purpose breed developed in 1940 by George Ellis in the state of Delaware. It has white plumage with black barring on the ends of its hackle feathers, matures quickly, and is known for a calm, docile temperament. It lays about 260 large brown eggs a year.

How many eggs does a Delaware chicken lay?

A Delaware hen lays about 260 large brown eggs per year. The hens mature quickly and lay dependably, which makes the Delaware one of the stronger layers among American dual-purpose breeds.

Are Delaware chickens good for beginners?

Yes. Delawares are calm, docile, hardy, and quick to mature, and they lay well. That combination makes them a comfortable choice for a first flock, including a family flock with children.

Are Delaware chickens good free-range birds?

Yes. The Delaware does well in free-range environments and should be given room to roam when possible. Keep that in mind when deciding whether the breed fits your backyard or farm.

What breeds come from the Delaware?

The Red Star comes from crossing a Rhode Island Red male with a Delaware female. Red Stars lay about 320 medium brown eggs a year and are hardy in a wide range of conditions.

How big does a Delaware chicken get?

A mature Delaware weighs about 6 to 7 pounds and has a single comb, which makes it a true dual-purpose bird suited to both eggs and meat.

That is the lineup

Seven breeds. One country. Two and a half centuries of Keepers who wanted a hen that laid well, handled easy, and made it through the winter.

You do not need all seven to celebrate America 250. You need one bird, a little space, and the willingness to start. The Dominique was here before we were a nation. The Delaware arrived long after, and it is still one of the best reasons to walk out to the coop in the morning. Everything in between is the story of people who kept trying to do it a little better.

That sounds like a country worth celebrating, and a flock worth keeping.

Raise a piece of American history

At Hoover’s Hatchery, we believe starting or keeping a backyard flock is one of the best ways to celebrate America 250. The party may be over, but the year is not, and neither is the fun of raising your own. Learn more or add them to your yard at www.hoovershatchery.com/delaware

FlockJourney is brought to you by Hoover’s Hatchery, the nationwide leader in backyard poultry. For more than 80 years, Hoover’s has lived its values of Excellence, Tenacity, Servitude, Humility, and Ingenuity while 100% focused on backyard poultry. From chickens, ducks, and pheasants, to turkeys, geese, guineas, quail, bantams, and rare breeds, Hoover’s has the best variety and the highest quality genetics in the industry. Find Hoover’s chicks at your local farm store or shop online at www.hoovershatchery.com.

12 Months in a North Iowa Backyard. One Polar Vortex. Here’s How the Hoover’s Coop Held Up.

On a rural property outside Mason City, Iowa, sits a 10-Bird Hoover’s Lean-To Easy Clean Coop and Run. It’s been there for nearly a full year, holding a small flock of backyard chickens through some unpredictable weather conditions. Now, 12 months later, the coop is holding up just as well as we expected. While the inside has been cleaned on a regular schedule (the coop has been home to two Rhode Island Reds and two Light Brahmas this year), the outside underwent no regular maintenance.

Looking at it, you would never know that it wasn’t brand new. And that’s something we think every backyard chicken keeper should know.

What North Iowa Actually Threw at It

When the coop was installed, we knew we were putting it through a real test. This is rural Iowa. Winds are strong and sustained. The sun shines hot and intensely all summer, while the ice and snow pelt it all winter. In the 12 months since the coop went into this backyard, it’s held up against weather that included heavy humidity and temperatures into the 90s, a long autumn, and a winter that started slow and then turned brutal in the second half of January.

That was when the polar vortex split. The 2026 North American cold wave dropped Arctic air across the central United States in January and February, bringing temperatures 20 to 35 degrees below average across the Midwest. In North Iowa, that meant nights well below zero, dangerous wind chills, and the kind of cold that puts wooden coops at real risk of cracking and warping. It was all followed by a fragile Iowa spring featuring multiple freeze-thaw cycles, wind-driven rain, and snowmelt followed by fresh snow.

What the Coop Looks Like Now

In short, the coop looks nearly identical to the day it was installed.

The heavy-duty recycled plastic panels show no fading, no cracking, no warping. The hinges and locking pins move the way they did when the coop was new. The roof is flat and free of damage. The door slides cleanly. The run still stands square against the side.

The inside of this coop has been cleaned regularly, meaning the bedding has been raked out and the nesting boxes refreshed often. Meanwhile, the outside has not been treated the way a wooden coop often needs to be: through sanding, staining, or sealing.

After 12 months facing whatever the weather wanted to do to it, the coop looks roughly the same now as the day it shipped.

Why This Matters

If you have kept backyard chickens, you’re probably familiar with the wooden coop story. The first season is great. Wear begins to appear in season two. Maybe that means rust on a hinge or a softening corner. By the third or fourth winter, you’re most likely repainting and resealing or just shopping for a replacement.

That is the cycle Hoover’s spent 82 years watching our customers go through. We are bringing this coop to market to break that cycle. No rot, no warp, no annual maintenance – and no blowing over when the winter wind gives it its all! The North Iowa coop is proof that we’re accomplishing what we set out to do.

What We Learned This Year

This coop holds its own in the wind.  Today its just as sturdy and tightly constructed as the day we assembled it.

Polar vortex temperatures hit the inside differently than the outside. What the deep cold did to the structure of the coop: nothing visible. Meanwhile, on the inside, the flock came through happy and healthy because the coop is designed to ventilate without leaking heat.

The inside held up to the routine maintenance. After 12 months of raking out bedding and replacing it, the inside shows only the signs of that maintenance rather than an interior that’s been chewed up by 12 months of use.

What’s Next

Stick with Hoover’s Hatchery and FlockJourney to see how our Lean-To Easy Clean Coop holds up in real-world conditions. We’ll bring real photos and videos to show what the real world effects are on this coop that we’re so proud of.

Want to see the coop in person? Visit select Tractor Supply, Murdoch’s, or Country Store locations. To be connected to the nearest location carrying the coop, contact us at www.hoovershatchery.com/coops. To purchase one now, visit these links:

6-Bird Chicken Coop

10-Bird Chicken Coop

• Flockjourney is brought to you by Hoover’s Hatchery, the nationwide leader in backyard poultry. For more than 80 years, Hoover’s has lived its values of Excellence, Tenacity, Servitude, Humility, and Ingenuity while 100% focused on backyard poultry. From chickens, ducks, and pheasants, to turkeys, geese, guineas, quail, bantams, and rare breeds, Hoover’s has the best variety and the highest quality genetics in the industry. Find Hoover’s chicks at your local farm store or shop online at hoovershatchery.com.