SinDelle runs the Georgia Herb & Egg Co. on her homestead in Dublin, GA.
When you have a large number of chickens such as we do (40+), hauling water every day can be a huge chore. In this Georgia heat, even just a few hours without water can be deadly for livestock.
What if you get stuck in town overnight? What will the chickens do for water? What if you don't have a well (we don't), or you just don't feel like hauling it every day (we don't)?
Here's how to build your own five-gallon automatic water dispenser for $10 or less!
Note
Whether you have horizontal or vertical nipples will affect where on the bucket they are placed. Vertical nipples placed horizontally will leak nonstop. These should be placed on the bottom of the bucket, as pictured above.
A few precautions will keep your chickens safe and warm during winter. Depending on the breed, many chickens enjoy getting out of the coop and enjoying the snow. Photo by author. Caring for your backyard poultry flock in winter can be especially challenging. Frigid temps, snow, and wind can all play havoc with our normal chicken care routine and with your birds’ health. Depending on your climate, winter can present some trying conditions, but understand
With a wide range of chicken breeds available to the backyard chicken keeper, choosing just a few breeds to include in your first flock can seem daunting. Each chicken breed has its quirks and personality traits so it’s important to choose breeds that will best fit your lifestyle. The following six chicken breeds are perfect a beginners first flock and are favorites amongst long-time chicken raisers as well! #1. Orpington Origin: United States Weight: cock- 10 lbs., hen- 8
Do you know how to bathe a chicken? Do chickens like baths? Hell no! There is a reason for the saying, “I’m madder than a wet hen.” However, as the flock master, you sometimes must force your birds to do things for their own good against their will. A dust bath for chickens will only go so far toward maintaining the health of your flock. Similar to the sentiments often said about spanking a child, bathing your birds will “hurt you more than it hurts them.” Even if you know how to bath
Can you recognize chicken ailments before it’s too late? Performing regular checkups can identify and ward off problems before they become worse. Spending time with your flock on a regular basis apart from the regular feeding and cleaning is a good habit to get into. Take some time to really observe them, so you know what’s “normal” behavior and what’s not. That way you can immediately spot changes in appearance or behavior. The faster you identify a chicken ail