Hens and Spring: 3 March Cases

Although the snow has not melted everywhere yet, it is getting warmer every day, March is in the yard! And spring is an important time for every poultry farmer, when you need to evaluate your pets and put the chicken coop in order after a long winter.

For a good owner, spring begins with a general cleaning. Wait for a fine day, send the chickens to the aviary, and clean the chicken coop and nest boxes yourself according to a certain scheme. If you do everything consistently, then you will get the hang of cleaning very quickly.

Step by step instructions for cleaning the chicken coop

Take a mop and clean up any dirt, feathers, nesting materials, and other debris. Arm yourself with a scraper or a sharp shovel and remove the stalagmites of chicken manure that have accumulated over the winter, since, unfortunately, it will not be softened with water or a cleaning solution.

Now, with a powerful jet of water, walk around the entire room, washing off dust and remaining dirt. Still not clean enough? Repeat the process again.

Take a natural cleaning agent like vinegar to disinfect. Do not use bleach as it is too harsh on animals and can be toxic to chickens if not completely dry. And since we have spring cleaning, the sun is still not hot enough. Mix equal parts vinegar and water to create a cleaning solution and wipe the surfaces. Dip a thick-bristled brush into the solution, scrub the floor and walls to remove any remaining droppings, stains, dirt, or debris.

Rinse again with water, move the water outside and let the coop and nest boxes air dry. Then lay down fresh bedding and return the feathered inhabitants to their apartment after cleaning.

When it comes to nest and floor material, consider that chicken manure is 85% water. You want the material to be absorbent for both fabric and moisture, so plan accordingly.

Beauty is the key to HEALTH

A healthy chicken always looks beautifully clean (except for the moment of molting), if she is provided with appropriate living and walking conditions. Since we have already dealt with cleaning the house, we will not forget about the surrounding area so that the bird does not get dirty on a walk.

Adding a layer of sand or gravel in areas with poor drainage will help keep the area cleaner. As a last resort, you have branches at hand after spring pruning of bushes or trees - place them over the most problematic places in the form of a bridge. It's simple but always works.

After a long winter, when weather conditions cause chickens to lead a sedentary lifestyle, it is important to quickly assess the state of health of the bird, especially for ticks.

It is easy for ticks to go unnoticed during the winter months. Check the base of the feathers (especially near the cloaca) for feather mites/red mites. Check the paws for leg mites, for scales that indicate the presence of this parasite.

Give your chickens a place to take a mud bath!

What to do if the ground has not yet thawed or is covered with snow? Here's a hack.

You will need a large plastic container with low sides, as the chickens will need to climb in and out of it on their own. For example, a utility box or plastic construction container, from which you can cut off the edges with a jigsaw and then wrap them with electrical tape. You also need a lid - close the bath until precipitation.

Fill the container with a mixture of natural mud and sand. You can take soil from your garden or, if the ground is frozen, buy a bag of all-natural soil from your local gardening store.

Soil and sand will create a base where other ingredients are added: a spoonful of food-grade diatomaceous earth or wood ash, dried herbs (rosemary, mint, lavender). Chickens will be delighted to have the opportunity to swim after a long winter at their pleasure.

Feed revision

When daylight hours lengthen, hormones begin to act, and laying hens begin to lay eggs.

With this comes the need to ensure that there is enough feed to produce nutritious eggs with strong shells.

First of all, if you have extra light in your coop during the winter, start lowering it by a few minutes every day until the need for artificial lighting is gone. And always keep in mind that more than 17 hours of daylight is known to be unproductive and even detrimental to the health of chickens.

Give your bird the highest quality food you can afford. Free range is good, but greenery or insects in March is clearly not enough.

You need to make sure that the chickens are getting a balanced diet, including the necessary vitamins and minerals. Enter a source of calcium - broken shells or purchased limestone grits. Offer in a separate bowl - do not mix with food. Chickens will instinctively take exactly what they need.