The Official Chicken Keeping Blog of ChickenCoopGuides.com

Chickens eating a MOUSE?

February 28, 2013October 11, 2016 by John White

I just wanted to show you this video I found of chickens eating a mouse.

Chickens eating small rodents such as mice isn’t as uncommon as you may think and it just goes to prove that chickens need and are looking for other animals to eat, and that chickens are NOT vegetarians…

Chickens need a good amount of protein, which is why it’s important to let them forage freely or use a mobile coop that you can move around to give them access to a sufficient amount of insects and worms.

The egg to your left in the picture below what eggs that come from chickens that have been given a lot of time to forage freely and eaten their fair share of insects look like – can you spot the difference?

As you can see the yolks of these eggs have an intense, almost orange color.

These eggs are a LOT more nutritious than eggs from chickens that haven’t been given access to insects and worms.

So to summarize: Chickens are not vegetarians and they should be given the opportunity to forage, ideally out in the open. The next best thing is using a mobile coop to be able to move them around to give them access to a new spot of fresh plants and insects once every few days or so.

That’s it for today!
John

What is the Ideal Type of Chicken Coop?

February 26, 2013October 11, 2016 by John White

What if there was a solution that let you maximize the health of your chickens, give them access to the absolute highest quality food they can get (for FREE) while minimizing the amount of time you spend on maintenance AND have your chickens automatically fertilize your garden at the same time?

Too good to be true? Not at all.

Introducing…”mobile chicken coops“.

Yes, mobile chicken coops really is the ideal solution for anyone looking to raise a truly healthy flock of chickens in their backyard, whether it’s for meat or eggs.

mobile, but not ideal... — mobile, but not ideal…

Have you heard of Joel Salatin? If not, you have now. He’s an American farmer, lecturer, and author who raises livestock using holistic methods of animal husbandry, free of potentially harmful chemicals, on his Polyface Farm in Swoope, Virginia.

Watch this fascinating video where he talks about the incredible benefits of his ingenious system where he uses mobile “shelters” (as he calls them) to raise his chickens:

Can you see how with a mobile coop you could do the exact same thing as Joel in the above video but perhaps just on a much smaller scale?

Tomorrow is an exciting day for us here at ChickenCoopGuides. We’ll be adding 3 new chicken coop plans to our collection available to our members. One of them is a beautiful and very innovative mobile coop with wheels that has the coop on top and an attached run below it.

This mobile coop is suitable for a small flock of 5-8 hens, perfect for anyone who wants to dip their toes into the world of raising chickens yet large enough to provide most small to mid-size families with all the eggs they’ll need.

Watch your inbox tomorrow, for an email with the subject line:

“Check out our new awesome coops!”

If you’re looking for a coop that is as close to “ideal” as you can get you don’t want to miss tomorrow’s email.

John

PS. If you can’t wait until tomorrow to join, sign up today and check out all our existing coops and you’ll see the 3 new coops (including the amazing mobile coop mentioned above) in the members area once they have been released sometime during the day tomorrow.

Click here to join now!

Photo by: scotnelson

How to Peel an Egg without Peeling

February 21, 2013October 11, 2016 by John White

Did you know about this little trick? Do you know any other fun or useful tricks when it comes to boiling or peeling eggs? Share them by posting a comment below!

John

PS. If you liked this video, please share this page with your friends 🙂

You may also be interested in:
We Just Added 3 New Coops (Including a Mobile Coop), Check Them Out Here…

Photo by: thatskeen

My Top 5 Reasons for Raising My Own Chickens…

February 20, 2013October 11, 2016 by John White

Today I thought I’d list some of the top reasons I personally think just about anyone should consider raising their own chickens…

(after reading the article, please share your own reasons for raising chickens by posting a comment at the bottom of this page! 😉 )

1. The eggs are healthier!

Photo by artbystevejohnson

Eggs from properly raised “backyard chickens” are sooo much healthier than store-bought ones.

Chicken factory farms has one single goal: to make the chickens produce eggs as quickly and cheaply as possible. This results in an unvaried and unnatural diet and in many cases they will be given various hormones and antibiotics.

On the other hand, chickens that are allowed to forage freely, peck for insects and engage in their natural behavior will provide you with considerably healthier eggs, free from hormones or other unnatural substances and are brimming with nutrition!

2. The Taste!

Chickens eating a varied, nutritious diet will result in more flavorful eggs.

Many people who eat an egg from a properly raised “backyard chicken” will be surprised by the the strong flavors as well as the intense, almost orange color of the yolk compared to their store counterparts.

3. Garden Benefits!

Photo by celesteh

Chicken droppings enrich your compost. Chicken droppings are high in nitrogen. Added to the compost bin they add more nitrogen and improve your compost.

Chickens provide natural insect control. As they hunt and peck around the yard, chickens gobble up grubs, earwigs and other bugs, treating our garden pests as tasty, nutritious treats.

Even their scratching for bugs will benefit your garden by aerating the soil and breaking down larger pieces resulting in an accelerated decomposition process!

4. Chickens Are Fun & Educational

Chickens are extremely easy to raise. Essentially, all they need is space, food and shelter.

Believe it or not, raising chickens can also be a lot of FUN! Just like dogs or cats, every chicken has its own personality traits and just sitting down on your lawn watching them can provide a lot of entertainment 🙂

Lastly, raising chickens provides a great learning experience, for children and adults alike! You’ll also quickly notice how your values towards animals and the value of the quality of food and where it comes from change.

5. Freedom From the Industrial Food Industry

Photo by qmnonic

In these uncertain times, moving towards self-sufficiency is a great goal and producing your own eggs is a great step in the right direction. If you’re into gardening, that can take care of a lot of your fruit and vegetables needs. Cows, sheep, and goats are too big and cumbersome for most yards, while chickens are small, relatively quiet, willing to eat just about anything, and they can produce a steady stream of eggs.

These are my own personal top reasons I love keeping my own chickens…

All the best,
John White

PS. Do you have your own top list? Share it here below by leaving a comment!

Build Your Own Chicken Nesting Boxes

January 28, 2012October 11, 2016 by John White

For the nesting box, start with ripping a 2x4x8′ plank down the center. You need to make two frames as shown below.

Either purchase some 1×2 post or rip another 2x4x8′ plank down the center. Cut as shown and attach to the frame pieces on the inside corners.

Rip pieces of plywood sheet to wrap around three sides. Be sure to measure and layout the cuts to make and be sure they fit flush. Start with the longest sides, cut a rear piece to cover both ends. Attach a handle if you would like.

Cut a dowel to just fit snugly inside the nesting box. Use a rubber mallet or dead-blow hammer to tap the dowel in place just below the top rim of the nesting box. Attach the dowel to plywood with screws through the exterior face of the plywood. Make sure the dowel is BELOW the frame!

Tip the nesting box on its top and cut a piece of plywood to fit the bottom. Attach to the frame with screws. Make sure the bottom is cut to fit (even slightly smaller) so the nesting box will fit in the spaces on the completed coop.

Use a hinge to attach the front piece of plywood to the top, front edge. You will want to attach the hinge to the plywood before attaching the hinge to the nesting box frame. This way you can ensure the nesting box opens and closes properly. Use a hook and eye-pin to lock the nesting box closed.

Until later,
John