Tag: hobbyfarmer

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Preening and Dust Baths

Preening is a chicken’s favorite pastime! It’s the method that Mother Nature has given them to not only look their best, but to protect and condition their feathers. A chicken’s feathers are their first line of defense in battling the elements and protecting their bodies. They have several different kinds of feathers, each serving a unique purpose, and they have several layers of feathers which provide insulation and protection against the weather. A chicken also has an oil gland near the base of their tail. If you watch them preen, you will notice the chicken rub their beak at the base of their tail, collecting oils which they will then spread on their feathers. This oil helps with insulation and waterproofing factors as well as aiding in the battle against external parasites.

chicken sun bathing 1
chicken sun bathing 2
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Chicken Aggression

When I was fairly new to chicken keeping, we got some chicks from the feed store and one of the hens turned out to be a rooster. He was a feisty guy. My boys were ages 2, 4 and 6 at the time and this rooster would chase them all over the yard. It got to where they would not go out back if that rooster wasn’t locked up. They named him ‘Killer’! He would go after anybody that came near his territory and if you have never been attacked by a chicken, as funny as it looks and seems, those little buggers can inflict some serious pain! For the safety of the kids, he was culled. I have only had one other rooster that would go after people and he was exiled from the coop. No longer having a harem to protect, he calmed down.

Chickens eating at feeder
Establishing a ‘‘pecking order” is natural in chicken culture.
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Ducks! Great Entertainers!

Not too long after we started raising chickens, I went to the local feed store for some chicken feed and brought home a white Pekin duckling that I named Howard. Howard was my first experience with raising ducks. Since then the ducks we have added to our flocks have been found, given to us or had physical problems. My husband once brought home a crested duckling from the feed store who had a kinked neck and walked with his head tilted to one side. We called him Crazy Duck! With love, care and time, his neck straightened out and he was a beautiful duck with that fun puff of feathers on his head. My husband also brought home a duckling he found at the side of the freeway. He looked like a Mallard cross and  grew up to be a pretty little guy. When we first moved in to our current home, a neighbor asked if my boys could have a duckling. Sure, why not. He borrowed the boys to help him catch one and next thing I knew, I had a mama and 9 ducklings! I currently have a flock of 6 ducks and they are the best!

ducks with ducklings
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Friends!

In the middle of July I had a hen who was sitting on some eggs. Two of the eggs hatched. She sat on the chicks for a day, then took them out of the nest. While she was gone, showing her two newbies life in the big chicken house, a third egg hatched. If left to her own devises, she probably would have died. Mom didn’t want her, she couldn’t keep up and the other hens were starting to peck on her. I tried a surrogate mom, a broody hen sitting on eggs, but she pushed the babe out of the nest. So, I brought her into the house, set up a small plastic tub with a heat lamp and a feather duster (her faux mom – an idea mentioned in a Fresh Eggs Daily with Lisa Steele blog post), and left her to rest and warm up. I honestly thought that she would not make it. 

Baby chick
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Going on Vacation!

I struggle leaving home to go on a vacation. Seems like nobody takes care of my animals like I do…except my sister-in-law. She gets 5 stars for her efforts‼  When we go away, even if it’s only for a few days, I worry that something might go wrong. I consider my substitute caregiver successful if all my animals survive, whether the caregiver does all the right things…or not. 

chicken standing on bird house
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Hay!

Hay is a generic term used to describe a group of dried grasses and long stemmed plants that are used for animal feed purposes. Hay contains nutrients and roughage that animals need for good health and digestion. But, not all hay is created equal! Different grasses and plants have different nutrients and benefits for different animals and it is a good idea to research and find out what kind of hay is good for your animals.

stacked alfalfa/grass mix hay
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Apple Pie

If the truth be known, I would much rather spend my time outside digging in the dirt, mending a fence, even cleaning a chicken coop, than be in the kitchen.  The only thing that I enjoy less than cooking is doing the dishes. I would classify myself as an okay cook and I do have some specialties, but I give a two thumbs up! to all of you who enjoy cooking, do it well and find dish washing therapeutic!! Because cooking isn’t my favorite, I prefer simple, no fail, not a lot of dirty dishes type of recipes. They are not hard to find and I’m grateful for them! Fresh cut up fruit is one of my favorite side dishes due to the fact that it’s delicious, easy, and not a lot of dirty dishes. Heck, watermelon comes with its own bowl! When you’re finished with it, just toss it to the chickens or bunnies and they’ll take care of the clean up. 


Of course fall is the time of year when apples are plentiful and also less expensive. You might even have a friend or neighbor who says, ‘please, come and pick all the apples you want!’ My husband’s friend is one of those guys, so when my husband came home with a big tub of apples that he had picked, I had to figure out what to do with all of them. 

bucket of fresh apples
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