Patriotic Garden Ideas - Decorating The Old Coop

As the 4th of July approaches, we are getting our patriotic garden ideas out there and as usual we are decorating the old chicken coop in red,white and blue.

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Five On Monday - What's New In The Garden

Boy is summer here. Five on Monday with what's new in the garden....sunflowers, zinnias, the old coop and Tugg.

Oh the garden is full summer mode. I am picking little bouquets of zinnias all the time. The more you cut them, the more they will bloom. I have growing tips for great zinnias so check it out.

I still have our old coop even though the chickens are long gone. You can read why we don't have chickens any longer. The coop gets decorated for the 4th of July. I am making a video and post of it. We had so much fun playing with it and making it cute. Decorating the old coop makes it garden art I guess.

Our garden is giving us much surplus. We do have some critters fighting us for the goods though and that is so frustrating. I am making some videos of our urban garden. Find our gardening and other tips on our Youtube channel. You can see them and subscribe all right here.

Oh this dog. Tugg is one of the Chiweenies we adopted from the shelter. Someone once told me that Daschunds can be stubborn and I see some of that in her but she is the biggest character and so funny. Her personality is so funny. This is her preferred spot to sit when dad comes home as he scratches her back and spoils her. She knows she is his favorite. We always say it is a Tugg's Live...

Have a great week everyone...Last week of June. Where is the year going?
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Front Yard Vegetable Garden Update

Because of lack of sun we have our main vegetable garden in the front yard. As the season winds down, here is a vegetable garden update.

I feel the continued drought has affected the Southern California garden somewhat but I still managed to produce some good results this summer growing season.

Why We No Longer Keep Backyard Chickens

It isn't always fresh eggs and roses so I am going to share why we no longer keep backyard chickens.

Hubby told me it was time I wrote this post. Yes, our chickens are gone, they left at the end of summer, and I have decided that keeping backyard chickens is not in my future, at least as long as I live in this house.

The reasons we got rid of our chickens are numerous, so I will lay it all out. Folks often act as if everything online on Facebook or blogs, is perfect, but I feel it is important to be honest and that is fair to the folks that might read our blog looking for backyard chicken keeping advice.

Before I begin, I still love the idea of keeping your own chickens. It can be very rewarding and the fresh eggs are so delicious, so I am not in any way advising people to not keep chickens in their urban yards. It works wonderfully for many but I will explain why it ended up not working for us.

Why We No Longer Keep Backyard Chickens

1. Keeping chickens is a big responsibility and does not fit every lifestyle. Chickens may not take as much time as other pets but one thing they do require is a safe home and being locked up tight in the evenings. Chickens can tie you down. I only forgot to lock up the coop once, and that very night we had an opossum get in the coop. Thankfully we were here to get it out.

So if you are a homebody, and I am, locking up the chickens at night and letting them out at the crack of dawn, may work for you, but the real issue came when we knew we would be gone in the evenings. I was always having to see if one of the girls could be home to lock to the coop. There are automatic closers but we did not have one. They are not cheap. But the real difficulty came when we traveled and our poor older girls would have to not only maintain our other animals, but maintain the chicken schedule. It was very difficult at times and stressful when only one was here on our last vacation. I feel I have to consider her feelings and the future trips we take. Our coop was small so you could not just leave the poor chickens locked up.

2. Chickens attract lots of critters and rodents. Now if you know me, I kept a clean coop. Food was only up in the coop, always locked tight and waterers were covered every night, but animals, particularly those stressed by prolonged drought, will seek out anything they can smell, see or try to get to. This was not the worst factor but one we did have to be vigilant about.

3. Chickens, like other pets, can get infested with pests. This is an issue we had not dealt with until this year but it was a huge factor for me. I noticed in a regular check, that one of my hens had some kind of infestation. I now believe it was mites. I believe this was a result of the open run we had. Because the coop was small, we had that great shaded run. A perfect storm for wild birds. We had never had much of an issue but this summer, with the prolonged drought, the wild birds became a real nuisance. I am sure it was the cause the infestation. Despite our best efforts, we could not totally get rid of them and then we would get bites when in the coop. I freaked out. I am not hiding the facts because it is important to know.

Now, I truly believe a totally enclosed coop where no birds can ever get down into the chicken area may have prevented this. But at this point, to build one would be expensive and require removing one of the trees. California had such mild winters for several years I believe the pest populations had exploded. My #1 priority had to be for my daughter and her health and her well being while playing outside. I was not thrilled for my own health to have to use strong treatments on the chickens and expose my own self to what it required to get rid of them, and know they would be right back with our current set up. Natural treatments had not worked. My vet helped me to treat them before they went to their new home. But I made sure it would be one with a totally covered coop so they would not have the issue again.

This may never be an issue for other folks, but here in our yard it was a very real problem. Southern California is very warm and we do not have freezes and cold temps that help as much as other areas.

4. Backyard chickens do not always guarantee fresh eggs. Now, I know this and it was not the real reason we kept them. But just know that of the four chickens we had, I was lucky to get one egg a day. I was fine with this. The chicken waste makes great compost and that was gift enough.

5. Backyard chickens attract flies. Here in southern California, with many months of warmth, this is a real issue. I kept a very clean coop and changed bedding daily and cleaned droppings and used the fly predators but they cost money. We had a balance that was acceptable but it does require a lot of upkeep to keep the flies down in a backyard chicken coop setup. So if you are going to keep chickens, or any other pets or have lots of flies in your area, I can't say enough about Fly Predators. They do work amazing and were worth the cost. We still use them even though we don't have the chickens, cause they work so well with dogs and other yards that attract flies.

6. It costs money to keep backyard chickens so you have to decide if this is a factor for you. If you add up all the upkeep of the above conditions we were working with, the costs were outweighing the benefits. I was honestly stressed a great deal about the mite situation. The costs were not worth it for me any longer.

Where did the chickens go? After treatment and a costly vet visit, I re-homed the chickens to a nearby garden that had a large enclosed coop and the owner wanted to add to the flock and was thrilled to have them. I was so glad they could stay together and be with a kind owner.

Now again, I love chickens. If we lived in a different home with a very large yard, where we could have a large, enclosed coop, I would love to have them again. This was a very difficult decision for me and my hubby made me keep the coop in case I changed my mind, but I have not. I have done what was the best decision for our family, other pets, our daughter and my own sanity. It is okay for me to admit I was not happy with the situation at the end. I am kind of wound tight as they say. I just could not battle it any longer.

I love that we tried this, that my daughter was able to have chicks every spring for four years, and for all we learned. My honest account of chickens leaving is just to help anyone else who may have similar issues and to be very upfront and open with anyone who reads my blog. I see I have said way too much, that is typical of me. I especially thank my husband who indulges all my projects. He was so supportive. I feel a bit of failure as a chicken mom but I am content with my decision. Thanks for following on our chicken journey.

Updated 10/10/2016: 

I now see that chickens in a small urban setting really has its limitations. I think you cannot have it all in the urban setting. Just not enough land. We were able to visit our chickens that were rehomed and they are doing fine. My daughter loves to check in on them from time to time.

Our garden however thrives and you can see what we are planting here.

Follow our videos on YouTube.

How To Clean The Chicken Coop

I have a list of my must have tools for cleaning chicken runs and coops. Frugal chicken cleaning supplies are a must for the budget minded chicken owner. It does not have to cost a lot to clean and maintain a chicken coop and a clean coop produces healthier chickens and more eggs.

Let's go over how to clean your chicken coop. It does not cost a lot to gather a few supplies to maintain chicken pens and runs. Some of my supplies are from the dollar stores. 

When you have a small chicken coop, but especially a small coop in a SMALL backyard, you need to keep things clean. I believe maintaining a clean coop is one of the primary responsibilities to keeping  an urban chicken coop but especially to preserve our rights to keep chickens in city backyards and out of respect for our neighbors.

Now onto my favorite supplies for cleaning my chicken coop.

Rakes and shovels: I have a large, small and a hand held rake for cleaning up the coop and run. I use them almost daily. I use the shovel to move dirt as needed and fill holes the chickens have created.

Litter scoop: I use a metal kitty litter scoop to clean the litter from the coop daily. It takes minutes but keeps the coop nice and clean. I scoop up droppings a couple times a day when I pop into the coop to collect eggs or bring treats. I prefer to toss right in my compost which sits right next to the coop. I do not use a deep litter method because when you are keeping chickens in small yards I really do believe you do not have the luxury of putting the coop way out back. Many have to keep it away from the property line and controlling the flies and odor is important.

If flies are an issue read my post on how to get rid of flies in the chicken coop. You also might want to try Fly Predators. They are amazing.

A small plastic bin: I use one to collect debris for the compost bin and when I rake out straw from the hen house portion of the coop. I bought mine at the dollar store.

Cleaning brush: I use this to clean webs and dirt off the coop.

Gloves and mask: Of course my health is important too, so I use these when needed. Rubber gloves are used for scrubbing the coop and daily I use gardening gloves for cleaning up.

Long handled scrub brush: I use this when I do my twice yearly scrubbing of the coop. It reaches into the coop and is nice and sturdy.

Short handled scrub brush: I use this to clean waterers and on occaison I clean them with hot water and dish soap. I do not use bleach as the plastic tends to absorb the bleach odor. 

Vinegar is great in hot water too with a bit of dish soap and I use this when I do my twice annual complete chicken coop scrubbing. In March and October we literally move the coop and I clean every inch of it and lay new sand on just the coop floor. The sides are swept of webs and then scrubbed and I pick a sunny warm day so I can hose it down if needed and it dries quickly.

Two to three times a year, we amend the soil in the coop by adding a bag of peat moss and a couple bags of organic planter mix or soil. Next a generous sprinkle of diatemaceous earth around the entire coop and run.

You can see how I use sand and straw in our own coop and hen house. There are benefits to both. I have yet to ever have an issue with any infestations or mites so I believe my system works.

When we looked at how to build a chicken coop and if you can have chickens in city limits, I knew keeping the space the chickens live, extra clean would have to be a priority. I make it a point to spend a few minutes every morning scooping up and putting fresh bedding down for the chickens. Keeping chicken droppings scooped up also helps to not step in it and then track that around when you leave the chicken coop. Our yard is small so I do not want to have chicken poop spread where we walk and play for health reasons.

What Vegetables To Plant In The Fall

What vegetables can you plant in the fall garden? If you have mild winters like Southern California or a cold frame to grow winter vegetables, now is the time to start planning and in many places you should already be planting your fall vegetable garden.

I am slowly clearing out sections of old plants from the summer and prepping the garden for fall planting. Our daytime temperatures are still very high which makes seed germination difficult but having the soil ready for a week when temperatures are cooler is my goal. 

For those chicken owners, don't forget to save your edible garden plants for chickens. They will enjoy munching on them and then you can toss them into the compost. I do not however give them my tomato plants, potato vines or any diseased plants I do not want to end up in my compost bin. Better yet, if you can safely let your chickens clean out your garden for you, let them. I cannot do this in my front yard garden but I do let them do it in my backyard vegetable garden.

 I have a complete list of what I plant in my urban garden listing vegetables to plant in fall for Southern California.

 I have a complete list of what I plant in my urban garden listing vegetables to plant in fall for Southern California. Think of greens and root vegetables. Many types of kale are frost hardy and can survive pretty low night time temperatures.

Of course for my area, we have a 12 month growing season. We really have two summer planting times, spring and early fall and then we can grow cool season crops from late fall to spring.

Burpee has a great tool. You put in your zip code and then click on your growing calendar and it lists exactly what you can plant and when for your growing zone including vegetables to plant in fall and winter.

Vegetables to plant in fall for spring harvest include your cool season root vegetables. I put loads of beets in every year and do several successive plantings so I always have them. This year I would like to try planting some parsnips. We love roasted root vegetables and parsnips would be a great addition.

Growing your own root vegetables in good organic soil, provides you with nutrients that we are lacking nowadays from crops grown in over worked, chemically laden soil.

I cannot stress enough, how satisfying it is, to head to your kitchen garden and harvest fresh vegetables that you serve within hours of picking. Maximum vitamins and nutrients, organic and money saving right there in your garden. Plus the exercise you get working that garden only adds to the benefits.

Tips on Urban Chicken Keeping

I would love for you to visit my new Facebook page, Urban Chicken Keeping. With the rise in chicken owners, a large group of those are living right in the heart of the city or suburban areas.
We'll talk all things chicken but we will especially share tips on raising urban chickens in city backyards.

                                                             Urban Chicken Keeping

Please come by and like us, maybe share a post and let me know you were there. Thanks so much!

July 2015; Camping, Traveling And More

Whew!! What a busy month we've had. We were traveling half the month. Ten days in Oregon visiting family. I love Oregon and always hate to leave. 

While in Oregon we visited a family member's chicken coop. She had a great set up. I am thinking a post showing their coop is in order.

We also had more rain in July than I ever remember in all my years living in Southern California. It is so dry that we welcomed the inch we received. They are talking of a large El Nino and I sure hope it means above average rain for us.

In between trips we went to a concert with friends. It was hot and humid that evening and we were all a sweaty mess but it was so much fun. I have a bucket list of things I want to do these days and that was one of them. I hope there will be more.

We just returned from a camping trip to our local mountains. We are so lucky to live so close to the beach and mountains and everything in between.

My sister in law and I worked together to make baked smores. She was determined we would have smores despite the fact that for this year, with the drought, no campfires were permitted. 

They were amazing and we all loved it. Recipe to follow this week.

I have not mentioned the garden as this is our winter type rest. In the heat of summer, I suspend planting. I harvest what I can and wait for fall planting time. Our second growing season.

Uses For Grass Clippings In The Garden And Chicken Coop

If you have a lawn and it gets mowed than you have grass clippings. These clippings are a valuable garden resource and should be kept to use in your garden and not sent to the local landfill. If you use lots of weed killer on your lawn you may want to wait a couple of months to use them. Here are some ways we use grass clippings around the garden.

1. Spread the clipping around your garden beds as mulch. Make sure to spread fresh clippings thinly so they dry out properly. Grass that is wet and decaying will give off ammonia and you don't want that. Mulching with glass clippings adds needed nitrogen to soil, helps add a layer of mulch that retains moisture in the soil and also is good for the microbes and worms who feed off of the clippings as they break down.

2. Compost them. If you keep a compost pile than grass clippings can be tossed in to break down and composted. If your pile is not cooking well, the hot nitrogen can kick it up a notch. Just be careful not to dump in loads of wet grass as it can get slimy in there so if you have lots of wet grass try letting it dry out a bit before adding it to the compost pile.

If you do not have a compost bin you can find my easy diy compost holder instructions.

3. Add to the chicken coop run. First, the chickens will love you. Grass is an important feed crop for your chickens and provide nutrients that are good for them and make eggs more nutritious and yolks richer in color. By mowing often, the clippings stay nice and short. Long grass could lead to crop impaction. I have never had a problem with this but we mow weekly.

 Also, once they spread the grass clippings they make a great mulch layer that improves the chicken runs soil quality and helps keep dust down in dry months. Keep that grass pesticide free if giving it to your chickens.

I have met some that have taken the time to use grass clippings in the actual hen house and in the nesting box. You would have to treat it like hay or straw and make sure it is really dried out well. If you are worried about crawling pests sprinkle some DE in there with it.

4. Leave the clippings right on the lawn as you mow. Nitrogen is an important nutrient for green lawn and as the clippings break down and release the nitrogen, it will help feed the lawn. This is a great tip in fall and spring to organically feed your lawn.

So use those grass clippings for good and keep them out of the landfill.

Patio Umbrella Provides Shade And Protection For Chicken Coop

If you have backyard chickens, then you need to provide them with shade. Here is a simple shade idea for the chicken coop. We use old patio umbrellas to give our chickens shade from the sun and shelter from the rain.

We have a system where when one of our patio umbrellas needs to be replaced, we put the old one out in the chicken coop run.

This is our second upcycled patio umbrella we now use in the chicken coop. My husband dug down about a foot and sunk the pole. It gives me plenty of clearance to walk under. This chickens love it. You could even pour a cement base in the ground using a piece of pvc pipe for the umbrella pole to slide into.

The umbrella offers another benefit and that is protection from large birds that were landing down on the fence. Now they cannot get down underneath the umbrella to sit on the fence.

So next time don't toss that older umbrella, just repurpose it in the chicken coop. If you really wanted to be fancy you could go out and get the chickens fancy new ones that color coordinate with the chicken coop.

Winner Winner Chicken Treat Winner!

The winner of the chicken giveaway is the Keele family. Congratulations!
I will contact you today for your information.

Use The Chicken Run And Other Fencing To Grow A Verticle Garden

Some say chickens and gardens cannot coexist but that isn't true. If you are smarter than the chickens, and take a few extra steps, you can raise chickens and have a prolific garden in the same space.

When you garden on a small urban lot, every inch of soil counts. When I added a chicken coop and run to our yard, I lost some of that valuable planting real estate. After the first year of getting used to raising chickens, I decided to try to use that wonderful vertical fencing that was sitting right in my back yard. Problem was, I had chickens on the other side of that fence and they will try and devour anything green they can reach.

Through trial and error, I came up with a way to grow vegetables along the fence of my chicken run. Grass runs along the outside of the run so I had to plant on the inside. Protection of the new seedlings from the chickens was my first task. The soil was already wonderfully loose and amended with lots of chicken droppings so I was good to go there. I did dig a nice big loose hole and drop some compost on the bottom so the roots could grow down and not out and not be harmed by the chickens scratching the nearby soil.

Hardware cloth, chickens wire and small roll out fencing from the hardware store is your friend. I strategically place it in areas that I need to protect the plants from my chickens.

First, I created a semi circle form about 18 inches high out of hardware cloth. I have bantams so you may need to make your form higher to prevent standard breeds from getting at your plants. I planted the seedlings, climbing vines are the best for this, and then placed the wire form around and right up to the fence and used some wire to secure the form to the metal chicken run fencing. Chickens will dig up anything they can get to as well so I place protection all around the base of the plants. I used wood logs at first but have since switched to bricks to make a more attractive growing area.

Pumpkins and cucumbers grow along chicken coop fence.

Now you sit back and watch your veggies grow. For the most part the chickens just ignore the plants. Once the plants get higher than the plant munchers can reach, they take off and provide beauty, food and additional shade in the summer for the chickens. So far I have grown cucumbers, squash and pumpkins along the fence and even tomatoes one year that grew from the seeds of tomatoes I had thrown in the run for the chickens to eat. If you are worried the fruit will be too heavy for the vine, create little slings out of old fabric scraps or nylons you can tie up around the fruit. Makes a great conversation piece when people try and figure out what is hanging in little hammocks along the run. If the chickens happen to get some leaves, then all the better. It is all just a part of learning to garden with chickens successfully in a small space but it can be done and be beautiful at the same time.

A Week In The Garden - Chicken Update

The garden is a tumbly mess of plants right now. I love it though. June in Southern California is bountiful. We are picking vegetables daily and everything has filled in. Summer heat has not taken its toll just yet, so we soak up all the time we can outdoors.

Though I grew most of my tomatoes from seed this year, I did plant a few of the heirloom varieties I have wanted to try. I have noticed they are slower to set but I am starting to see the first of many yummy tomato dishes that are ahead.

Strawberry plants I potted up last year are bearing fruit and they never seem to make it in the house. We pick and eat them warm from the sun. So sweet and juicy.

My bantam chickens are laying almost daily. Their little eggs make up about half an egg but are perfect for my kiddo who loves to eat a fried egg sandwich daily. These two know how to pose for the camera and let me tell you chickens are notoriously hard to get a good shot of.

Now Biff and Buff are a couple of happy gals and I do not believe we have seen the first egg yet. I thought maybe they had laid one because it wasn't in the nest box, but that was weeks ago. I was probably one of my crazy bantams playing a joke on more or just dropping it like it was hot.

They should be laying soon. Combs are getting red and growing larger. I will look forward to nice sized eggs daily for sure.

Little Garden In The Big City

I garden in our little garden in the big city because I love every aspect of it. The planning, the soil, the work. It is one of life's greatest joys. Though I live not far from Los Angeles and there isn't a farm anywhere around me, we manage to eat a lot of fresh picked organic produce almost daily because of our little garden.

Below is a snapshot of what I picked in one day this week from our urban garden. That does not even show the vegetables I harvested throughout the week. With a little planning and changes in your existing garden beds, you can start growing food crops that will feed your family the freshest organic produce you can find. The nutrients that you are getting when you eat something just minutes from picking, is optimum nutrition,

Our whole yard has not been turned over to rows of fruit and veggies, though I would love that, but by enriching the soil with lots of organic compost from our chickens, our soil allows for densely planted garden beds that produce abundantly. Planting this way saves on water as the soil is shaded by all growth and cuts down on weeds.

I never till our soil. If an area needs a little loosening I will do that as I mix in compost but now after years of good organic soil amending, I just plant. The roots of my plants are longer than ever. They grow deep reaching for water and nutrients deep down in the soil. This reduces the need for water.

I want to inspire you to start tucking some food crops into your existing garden. Get some compost, plant some FOOD, and see how good it feels to tend your little bit of land, or even a collection of pots on a balcony. I grow lots of what you see in containers. With proper care, this is a great alternative if you don't have a yard or have less than perfect soil conditions.

 When you till the soil, you tend to your soul. There really is something about that. Go organic and you will see your yard abundant will life. We see so many butterflies and bees in our yard every day and this is when they keep saying there is a shortage of both. Not in our garden.

Our chickens can nibble freely, as I do not use any pesticides. My daughter often picks fruit and veggies and eats them right there cause that is what her momma does. There might be a little dirt but we wipe it off and eat as we harvest. Our food is safe and fresh and I know where it came from.
So from my little garden in the bit city, here is hoping you get your hands dirty real soon. You won't be sorry.

If you have any questions or a topic about gardening you would like to know more about, please feel free to leave it in the comments section and I will address it for you.

Updated: We no longer keep backyard chickens and you can read our story here.

Farm Gal Style

I have lived my whole life in the suburbs. Here it is cities really. But I have always loved growing things, imagining life in the country. It is still a dream I have but not sure it will happen. Life ties you to places doesn't it?

But on my small urban lot, I live how I like. I am different than many and I am fine with that. I play in the dirt daily, clean and care for the chickens and our other animals. It gives me a touch of the life I want.

I am sort of an old school mom and wife and wear my apron everyday at some point. But I am opinionated and a fierce defender of a woman's right to choose her path. 

I gather eggs daily and check the garden for fresh produce. I am sure my neighbors wonder what the heck I am doing out bent over in the garden all the time. "What is that lady looking for?"

While others head to the gym or mall, I am strapping on the gardening gloves and that is if I can find them where I set them down the last time. I have tried being more of a girly girl but it is more torture than anything else so now I am old enough that I have given that up. I am happy doing what I want. Though I could probably stand some gym time and some new clothes.

Good food I managed to mostly grow is my jewelry. Dressing up plates of  fresh veggies.

Of course after dinner and the pile of dishes that faces me makes me wonder why I cook so much. I have to do something with all the zucchini I grow. Oh, gotta go, I hear the chickens raisin a fuss, wanting to be let out for the day.

Flies In The Chicken Coop And How to Control Them

Of all the good things about raising backyard chickens, one of the biggest negatives is FLIES. Not kidding. When you don't have property, but instead you have a small yard and are raising those extreme urban chickens, flies in your coop are one of your main concerns.

The first year I was raising chickens I almost gave up because of flies. They were everywhere despite my best attempts. I experimented with all the tricks but not much was working.

Finally, after a lot of research and testing, we found what actually works to control flies in the urban chicken coop. I will share the steps we take for a successful backyard chicken coop in the warm months when flies are most bothersome.

1. Don't keep too many chickens for your yard. Chickens poop all the time. So avoid the urge buy chicks every time you head to the feed store or to keep too many chickens for your space.

2. Pick up droppings or rake up daily if possible during warmer months when flies are present. In a backyard setting this is doable and worth it. Leaving droppings for a deep mulch or composting in the run has not worked in our small yard. This goes for other animals. Pick up early and often! I also find if I rake up the coop real quick and put leaves and debris in the compost bins this works great.

3. Keep things dry. Especially in the coop and run. Even in your yard, water less frequently and preferably in the evening so things are drier by morning. Try sand in the run. I have found sand in the chicken coop run area really dries the poop out fast. Dry poop = less flies.

4. For really warm weather, I use Diatomaceous earth in the chicken feed and sprinkle in the coop and run. Also, hanging some sticky fly strips help to catch mature flies. The stinky traps do not work for a small backyard because they will attract flies to your garden.

5.I swear by these tiny little miracles that feed on the fly larvae. I mean it is safe non toxic fly control and you place monthly when you need them. Click here to read more or order fly predators. They have been amazing. They are tiny, and I mean teeny tiny, flying predators  that feed on fly larvae. They do not bother humans or pets.
I will share more next time on how I disperse the predators and the best ways to do this.

I think the problem of flies in the chicken coop is one of the biggest draw backs to raising chickens in small backyards. You MUST be pro-active in controlling them before they get out of control.

You can order fly predators here: Spalding Labs FLy Predators

Chicken Coop Tour

I have started a youtube channel and put a tour of our chicken coop and set up for our backyard chickens. Come by for a look and to meet some of our animals.  http://youtu.be/h_nBJmfgzQs 

Raising Baby Chicks vs. Pullets

Raising chicks vs. pullets, the pros and cons. I have done both and I like raising new chickens both ways. When you have an extreme urban chicken coop like me, you only raise a few new chickens at a time so you enjoy both options of bringing home baby chicks or finding older pullets to add to your flock and urban chicken coop.

Spring means chicks and if you go to the feed store this time of year, it is easy to fall for those little peeping balls of feathers. Kids love chicks and they are sweet and easy to hold and fun to watch but along with the cuteness there is more work involved in bringing home chicks. I will give you my low down on the pros and cons of both ways.

You have to keep chicks warm which means you have to have a heat lamp. I have used desk lamps and mine have done fine but we are not very cold here. They also are vulnerable so you have to make sure they are contained in something with a lid and kept safe and prevented from jumping out. Many raise chicks in the house at first, which I have dis once but will not any longer. We are not cold here and our garage does fine.

-You will wait months for eggs and that is if you didn't get a rooster by mistake.
-You will need a grow out coop or space before you can integrate into the coop
-Raising them from chicks gives you lots of opportunity to handle them and get them used to you though I do not hold my chickens much once grown, so I don't care if the chickens like holding. I don't force it except when necessary. My daughter however loves to pick them up and they seem to not mind and let her catch them with ease.

When you bring home pullets, or older chicks, you can avoid some of the labor of baby chicks. We just brought home two new chickens 2-3 months old. We have puppies right now so I did not want the work of chicks. We have a second coop, our original coop, to put the pullets for a few weeks. We wait for a quarantine period to make sure they are healthy. Here are some of the things to remember with pullets.

-You know you are getting hens at this point (way easier to tell by appearance)
-No lights or chicks in the house
-No cuddly chicks to hold and many pullets may not be used to handling and harder to catch (treats and holding daily helps with this}

-You will get eggs sooner
-Pullets are more expensive than chicks. I usually by 2-3 at a time so the feed of chicks over the extra couple of months costs more, but usually it is a little more for a pullet in the long run. I find it worth it for the ease in work load.
-Flock integration can begin sooner.

We currently only get eggs from bantams so I am looking forward to the eggs from our two new Buff Orpingtons. Either way, I love raising chickens. If I lived in the country, I would have a large flock and a rooster and let nature provide new babies but I am in a very urban environment and controlling what I bring home is a must. No roosters in this town so hens are a must.
Sharing with this party and these.