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Processing of Rudd Rangers
We were VERY impressed with the overall experience with these Rudd Rangers! I would definitely do it again! Over 11 weeks, they consumed about 8 50lb bags of feed (plus lots of grass and bugs. It is worth noting we…
- May 28, 2020
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- The Diary of a Chicken Owner
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How to Blow Out Easter Eggs
Easter Egg Trees were a big deal when I was kid in Germany. All the German families I knew loved heading outside to find the perfect branches for their trees, and then they spent hours blowing out eggs, decorating the…
- March 26, 2021
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- Uncategorized
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Raising Winter Chicks Part 2
In the last post on raising winter chicks, we talked about the benefits of starting chicks in the winter. This post will touch on a few of the concerns people sometimes have about winter chicks: heating requirements, when you can…
- March 12, 2021
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- Chicken Care
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Easter Fun
With Easter fast approaching, many of us backyard chicken owners are ready with baskets full of fresh eggs! Hens really start laying on overdrive when the weather warms up and the sun decides to hang around later each evening. Those…
- March 11, 2021
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- Chicken Care
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Taming Chickens
Have you ever stood in your yard and called your chickens? Have they ever come running like a herd of wildebeest across the plain? Have you ever possessed the sense you may be the most powerful human being on planet…
- March 4, 2021
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- Chicken Care
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The Right Bedding for Your Coop
One of the most common questions a new chicken owner asks is, “what is the right bedding for my coop?” Although a common question, the answer might surprise you, even if you are an experienced chicken owner! Not much scientific…
- March 4, 2021
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- Chicken Care
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Preventing Frostbite in Poultry
Frostbite in poultry is a real concern during the winter. Chickens, like people, are susceptible to frostbite. When the temperatures plummet and the windchills pick up, we need to consider the chickens. Making a few small changes can help them…
- March 4, 2021
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- Chicken Care
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Raising Chicks in the Winter Part 1
Most people think of spring as the ideal time to raise chicks, but chicks are available all year from Hoover’s Hatchery. There are some good reasons you might want raise chicks in the winter and this post is the first…
- March 4, 2021
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- Chicken Care
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Where to Begin if You Want to Start Raising Chickens
Which came first… the egg or the chicken? That’s what comes to mind when someone asks me what they need to do if they want to start raising chickens. And for the record, the answer is the egg. (Today’s domestic…
- February 25, 2021
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- Chicken Care
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How Daylight Affects Egg-Laying
Chickens are farm superstars. They produce eggs almost daily. Some chickens have even been known to lay multiple eggs per day. They don’t require much food in order to produce those eggs, either. One thing that many chicken owners quickly…
- February 25, 2021
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- Chicken Care
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Keeping Chicks Warm When the Power Goes Off
A Blog for Hoover’s Hatchery by Winding Pathways LLCFebruary 2021 When an unexpected storm shuts down the power grid people are lucky. We can put a comfy fleece jacket over long johns and snuggle under a toasty quilt. Baby chicks…
- February 18, 2021
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- Chicken Care
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Rooster or No Rooster?
My grandfather used to swear everyone who had chickens, needed a rooster. He would say things like, “a rooster keeps all the hens in line,” or “the hens need a protector.” Today we know that although those statements are partially true, roosters…
- February 9, 2021
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- Chicken Care
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Do My Chickens Need a Winter Heat Lamp?
The battle of the heat lamp has been a long-disputed topic for chicken enthusiasts. Some claim having a winter heat lamp in the coop not only keeps hens warm, but also increases egg production. Others deem heat lamps unnecessary and…
- February 9, 2021
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- Chicken Care
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We Have a Surprise for You!
The girls and I have very exciting news to share with our faithful friends and followers and we wanted you to hear it here first! No, I didn’t get new chicks to add to my flock. YET! (winks) You all…
- January 26, 2021
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- Uncategorized, Feeding
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Technology Doesn’t Eliminate Visit
Hoover’s Hatchery™ recently produced a Facebook Live event at Etzel’s Sugar Grove Farm showing how Carl and Gavin Rosier have adapted modern technology to make managing their chicken flock easier. One viewer responded saying, “If I don’t visit my coop…
- January 15, 2021
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- Chicken Care
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Off the Grid Chicks
Carl and Gavin Rosier have found solutions to problems shared by many backyard flock owners. They are researching how to use chickens to reduce weeds and insect pests in corn and soybean fields. Sponsored by the Rodale Institute, their test…
- December 14, 2020
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- Chicken Care
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Egg Layers- 3 Months Old
Chickens reach maturity at around 6 months of age, and ours are officially 3 months old! It is time for them to learn the rules of the coop and change their address! That means lock down in the coop with…
- November 3, 2020
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- Chicken Care, The Diary of a Chicken Owner
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Adventures in Ordinance Change
During the past few years thousands of American families have started a backyard chicken flock. Bringing a breakfast’s worth of fresh eggs into the house is as prideful and delicious as growing and enjoying home grown vegetables. Gardening is legal…
- May 12, 2020
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- Chicken Care, Homesteading
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EGG-cellent Ideas For Hands-On Learning Activities
By: Shannon Latham, Enchanted Acres Spring in Iowa is synonymous with chicks, bunnies, lambs, baby goats, daffodils and tulips. This year it also brought an early spring dusting of snow at Enchanted Acres. A set of twin kids was born right…
- March 26, 2020
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- Chicken Care, Recipes
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Week 5 with Chicks
This week the chicks have officially moved outside! All 13 are now living in the chicken tractor with lots of extra space to run, play, and just be chickens. As they grew in size, they also grew in stink. Of…
- March 12, 2020
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- The Diary of a Chicken Owner, Chicken Care
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If Eggs Could Talk
Pop open a carton of grocery store eggs and all 12 of them look identical. Gleaming white and nutritious. Open a carton of eggs laid by a mixed backyard flock of hens and the eye is greeted with a delightful…
- March 12, 2020
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- Chicken Care, Egg Laying
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How to Join FFA and 4-H
As a former agriculture teacher, FFA and 4-H hold a special place in my heart, so I’m excited to share with you how you can join both of these amazing organizations. FFA and 4-H are agricultural organizations that offer so…
- March 9, 2020
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- Homesteading
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Brooders for 1st Time Chick Owners
You’ve been told that you need to set up a brooder for your chicks. But how do you set up a brooder when you aren’t even sure of what a brooder is? Don’t worry. Brooders are simple to set up…
- March 9, 2020
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- Chicken Care
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Week 4 With New Chicks
Our Rudd Ranger chicks are turning from babies into teenagers right before our eyes! They are growing more “real” feathers, and just like true teenagers, love to act silly and play rough with each other. One of their favorite things…
- March 9, 2020
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- Chicken Care, The Diary of a Chicken Owner
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To Heat or Not to Heat the Chicken Coop…
A big question on backyard chicken keepers’ minds when the snow starts to fly and the temperature start to drop is to heat the coop or not to heat the coop. Some people emphatically say no way! And other chicken…
- February 28, 2020
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- Chicken Care
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How to Keep Multiple Species of Birds Together
Let’s face the truth. Chickens are the gateway to multiple species of birds. Or was that only me? I started out with a flock of chickens, learned that it’s not that hard to keep backyard poultry, and then found myself…
- February 28, 2020
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- Chicken Care, Ducks & Fowl, Guineas, Quail, Turkeys
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Week 3 with New Chicks
This week marks the Rudd chicks’ 2nd week birthday. They are averaging 180 grams now and truly growing each day! The 13 chicks are thriving and starting to grow in some juvenile feathers. They still have lots of fluff, and…
- February 28, 2020
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- The Diary of a Chicken Owner, Chicken Care
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Treats Help Manage a Flock
Anyone who has tried to herd an escaped flock back into the coop quickly discovers that chickens have a mind of their own. Some run this way, while others go that way. Few un where their owner intends. The result…
- February 26, 2020
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- Feeding, Chicken Care
