Spring chickens

A few weeks back I wrote about our chicken adventures as my wife and I continue to learn how to be the best chicken parents we can be. We dealt with our fair share of mishaps this winter, possibly stemming from adopting a flock of six layers in the middle of December. Our poor hens experienced -40 degree nights in their heated and insulated coop. We had an illness run through our flock that almost took our little Uniqua. But now that it’s spring and I no longer have to bust ice out of their water dish every morning, things are starting to look up for our little feathered family.

Most importantly and most exciting has been Uniqua’s recovery. If you recall, we had a case of coccidiosis in our flock. Uniqua became very ill, losing a ton of weight and feathers and experiencing loose stools and lethargy. Emily and I took her into our bathroom and nursed her back to health for three weeks, using a dropper for her medications, giving her baths and overall trying to minimize her stress. It’s been over a month since we introduced her back with the other chickens and she has made great progress. Most all of her feathers have grown back with great color and gloss. She has regained most of her weight and has had a voracious appetite, pushing aside other chickens for feed everyday. She has even begun to sit in the nesting boxes and I can assume she will be laying anyday.

One issue we have been dealing with over the last few weeks is coming home in the evening to eggs that have been broken and consumed in the coop. Almost everyday we would have one to three eggs, and most if not all would be broken open and the yolks and whites eaten. They receive a higher dose of 20% protein crumbles in winter and I supplement with food scraps and they still ate their own eggs. Now as the temperatures have been warming and the days have become longer, they don’t seem to be eating as many of their own. We’re also starting to find different colored eggs than normal, indicating that some of the other hens have begun laying. I can only imagine what it will be like this summer when we get multiple eggs each day.

Now that the snow is melting and exposing the ground, I can prepare to expand their run. They currently have access to the space below their elevated coop, but none, to my knowledge, have taken the initiative to investigate. I have plans to cut an opening in the side of their coop and build the run out to the side with a more gradual ramp that leads to the ground. This shouldn’t be an overly difficult task and one that I do look forward to completing. My only concerns are how I will predator proof the fencing and make it as sturdy as I can. My poor gals need some room to breathe and move and I think that will improve their moods overall. Now the snow needs to hurry up and finish melting!

I have taken great pride in owning chickens and learning about what it takes to manage a flock. I’m really looking forward to tending to my girls this summer and reaping the benefits of farm fresh eggs for breakfast every morning.