Friday, February 23, 2018

Preparing your chickens for Spring

Preparing your chickens for Spring
Now that days are getting longer and temperatures are getting warmer, it's time to get the chickens ready for spring. This is when I put away the winter chicken equipment, clean the coop, haul out the brooders and get ready for chick season and lots of free ranging!

As with the other seasons, a quick health check is in order. We all should be looking the chickens over for lice, mites, dirt balls (or poop balls) long nails, overgrown beaks etc etc on a regular basis. However, I know a lot of us forget...me included! Making sure it gets done between seasons though, makes sure we don't go too long without checking!

Preparing chickens for spring

This is the third in my seasonal series and you'll notice that inspecting the coop is always first on my list. A safe coop is your #1 line of defense against predators. Unfortunately seasonal weather and time can take their toll on the coop allowing small holes or loose boards where predators can get in. Personally, while I may be in the coop every single day that doesn't mean I'm looking around at it! These seasonal checklists remind me to take a closer look and make sure everything is in good shape.

Preparing your chickens for Spring

Check the coop: Give the coop a quick once over and check for holes or loose boards that may let predators in. As water freezes and thaws during winter it expands and contracts which can loosen boards, nails and hardware. Check the roof for leaks and patch them up before the spring rains begin.

Break out the brooder: Chick days are coming and whether you buy your new chicks each year or let your hens hatch them out, you'll want to have a brooder set up ready to go in case you need it. Check to make sure all equipment is in working order before you bring chicks home.

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Preparing your chickens for Springwas originally posted by Favorite Chicken Blogs

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