Hello chicken keepers,
Yes, I may be biased, but I reckon chickens are the most fabulous creatures. Not only are they cute and clever, they’re also super easy to keep as pets AND they provide fresh, nutrient rich eggs! What did we do to deserve chickens?! And what can we do to keep these giving girls happy, healthy and well-loved? Well, aside from a stylish and secure chicken coop and access to quality chook feed, there are 3 easy ways to keep your backyard chickens happy and healthy. Let’s have a little peck!
1. Keep that drinker water fresh
A clean water supply is so essential for happy and healthy chickens. A grown hen requires at least 500mls of fresh water every day. In the hotter months, chickens will need about 1 litre per chook per day. Keep your hens’ thirst quenched with a reliable and clean water supply.
“Make hydration fun in the hot months with interactive extras like frozen berries or ice cold watermelon. Is your drinker plagued by green goo? Give yourself a break and keep your chickens’ water supply algae free for longer with a dash of apple cider vinegar in every refill!” - The Ultimate Guide to Keeping Happy and Healthy Backyard Chickens
2. Keep that coop bedding fresh
Chooks be poopin’. It’s stinky but it’s true. As a fluffy bum defender your best tool for keeping those derrieres dry and comfy and your coop clean and fresh is Hemp Bedding. It is the reigning champion in chicken coop bedding, undefeated in its absorption ability. AND it’s pest repellent, so there’s less chance of icky lice and mites causing havoc with your hens’ health.
“A bale of hemp bedding will last 3 chickens approximately 6 months. Keep your chooks healthy by removing clumps of droppings from the bedding once every few days (we use a trusty cat litter scoop) and replace the coop and chicken run bedding once a week for fresh fluffy bums.” - The Ultimate Guide to Keeping Happy and Healthy Backyard Chickens
3. Keep it fun with foraging and free ranging
Chickens are curious, clever and love to get out and about for a cheeky peck. They may look different from their wild ancestors, but they haven’t lost their adventurous spirit! Making sure your chooks have space and time to free range and forage in the backyard or a spacious chicken run goes a long way in keeping those hens happy and healthy.
Grubs, seeds, weeds, insects and some strategically placed scratch mix will give your girls hours of entertainment AND ensure they're getting a nice balanced diet. It’s a wing wing situation!
“Space to wing and wander also gives your hens a chance to exercise their bodies and minds and avoid boredom induced pecking order squabbles with their flockmates.” - The Ultimate Guide to Keeping Happy and Healthy Backyard Chickens
From hydration to healthy diets, we all want to do an eggcellent job when caring for our feathered friends. It's essential that you've got the right knowledge you need to raise happy, healthy chooks. Did you know 67% of chicken keepers surveyed experienced a chicken health or behaviour issue in the first 12 months that they didn’t know how to handle?
But don’t worry! Our feathered friends over at Chickenpedia have created a Chicken Healthcare Course. It is a comprehensive online course that includes everything you need, including what to look for in an unhealthy chicken and how to support your egg-laying hens to optimal health. All of their courses are really well structured and filled with vital information, which is why I highly recommend them to all of my readers! From raising baby chicks to feeding to behavior, you’ll find valuable information that’ll give you the knowledge and confidence to successfully look after your chickens.
Check out Chickenpedia today. As a member, you will also get access to the ALL of their chicken courses!
After some more cheeky chook action? Of course you are! Join the flock on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest!
Feathers Forever,
Kassandra X
