Hello chicken keepers,
The height of summer is finally behind us and we are ready and waiting for the cooler months to kick in. Autumn is an important time for keeping chickens. It’s a great time to prepare for moulting, make sure your coop is ready to fend off winter predators, plant some delicious Autumn vegetables and herbs for yourself and your flock and make sure your coop is spick and span before any cold snaps come in. Have a peck at my Autumn chicken keeper’s checklist and get busy in the backyard!
Autumn means… Caring for your moulting hens
Chickens generally moult in Autumn. If you notice your chooks looking a bit bare and loose feathers in the chicken coop and run then it’s important to make sure your hens are getting enough protein and calcium in their diet. They use these two essential nutrients more in Autumn to help them grow their new plumage. Give them some extra shell grit and up their protein intake with Mealworm Treats and these handy tips to keep your chickens healthy and happy.
Autumn means… Preparing for winter predators
As the weather turns cooler and food becomes scarce, predators get more cunning in the search for an easy egg or chicken meal. Make sure your flock is ready for cold weather coop predators by:
- Installing or repairing your wire mesh floor or perimeter boundary - which helps stop burrowing predators like foxes, rats and quolls.
- Setting up a Poultry Electric Fencing kit and making sure your girls are protected as they forage in the backyard.
- Checking your coop and making sure all chicken wire and panels are secure and there are no gaps for predators to squeeze into.
More info on preparing for predators can be found here.
Autumn means... Planting a patch
Keeping chickens doesn't mean you miss out on fresh produce. Certain vegetables and herbs are ripe for the picking at the end of autumn so now is the perfect time to plant a garden bed for yourself and your chooks. Here are just a few that should go in the ground now:
- Radishes
- Silverbeet
- Cucumber
- Cabbage
- Broccoli
- Garlic
- Cauliflower
Keep your raised garden beds or veggie patch safe from chooks and pests like rabbits and possums with some Electric Poultry Fencing or the Glorious Garden House!
Autumn means… Freshening up the coop
Giving your chicken coop and chook run a freshen up in Autumn will make the cold snaps to come easier to handle. Give your coop a good scrub, replace all the bedding and set your chicken run floor up for success with poultry mite and lice repellent Diatomaceous Earth.
Have a peck at our Coop Clean Bundle for everything you need to get that chicken coop spick and span for the seasonal change.
After some more cheeky chook action? Of course you are! Join the flock on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest!
Feathers Forever,
Kassandra X
