~SUSTAINABLE LIVING FOR CHALLENGING TIMES

[mbc]

That was a very good article on chickens and coops. I was glad to see that he gave the chickens enough room, lots of people don't do that.

He must not have let the chickens out of the coop much, because otherwise he wouldn't have had the problem of egg eating and cracking.

Of all the commercial feeds and such that you can buy for chickens, the best feed is still free-range. Bugs, worms, dirt, etc. However, these do create their own problems too. I've had a battle all year with the chickens in the garden. Normally, I don't mind them in there because they continually move the soil around and 'deposit' fertilizer. lol

What they decided this year though was to constantly dig around the potatoes. I covered the potatoes up and they uncovered them! I'll be glad when I finally harvest the rest of the potatoes and the battle is over.

The chickens are also very beneficial in spreading the piles of horse manure. When they scratch in it for bugs and food leftovers, they spread the manure thin and it dries quickly in the sun. This cuts down on any flies and smell, a good thing.

Next year I promise myself that I will build a real coop for the chickens to roost in at night. Right now they roost in the hay racks in the barns, which makes finding the eggs a new adventure every day. Lots of times though they will find a spot that lots of them like and I will find a dozen or more eggs deposited there, that always makes it easier!

His coop design seems like a decent one and fairly standard. I'm surprised that he didn't screen the windows with small wire or screen though. If left open at night, varmints can find their way in and feast on your chickens. Not a good thing.

I had to laugh about his understatement of the ferocity of chickens. They can be positively gruesome! A hen will kill chicks without another hen to protect them in a flash. They simply peck the chicks heads open until they are dead. Disgusting habit of theirs. As long as they have a mom around, they are fine though.

Are you thinking of making a small coop in your yard for a few chickens? You would probably enjoy having them around.