Cleaning the Chicken Coops and their New Feed from Family Fresh Nutrition
My flock of more than 200 chickens at my Bedford, New York farm, plus my geese, and Guinea fowl are all thriving because of the great care they receive day-to-day - clean coops, room to roam, fresh water, and good, nutritious food.
Chickens are not difficult to keep, but it does take time, commitment and a strong understanding of animal husbandry to do it well. Aside from providing lots of fresh greens from my garden, I also make sure my hens get good quality whole grains. Recently, I started giving them Family Fresh Nutrition Organic Egg Layer Pellets - a new feed made entirely without the use of pesticides, commercial fertilizers, or genetically modified organisms. I am always interested in trying new and more healthy products for all my animals. I am happy to report, my chickens are very happy with their new pellets.
Enjoy these photos.
-
- My chicken yard is located past the stable near my vegetable gardens. I started raising chickens when my daughter, Alexis, was just a little girl, and I’ve been hooked ever since.
-
- My chickens are very well-fed. They get fruit and vegetables from the gardens and scraps from my kitchen. I also grow wheatgrass for them in my greenhouse.
-
- This is one of my four coops. These coops are cleaned thoroughly every week. Before choosing to raise chickens, always check with local planning and zoning authorities to be sure chickens are allowed in your area.
-
- Dawa oversees the care of all the chickens, peacocks, geese, and pigeons. Here he is as he starts cleaning one of the coops. He first scrapes off any debris from the wooden perches.
-
- Each coop has four sets of nesting boxes each containing 10-nesting compartments. Dawa then sweeps up all the used wood shavings off the floor.
-
- All the old shavings are placed into big garbage bins and taken to the compost yard.
-
- Chickens can get dehydrated quickly, so Dawa makes sure their are plenty of full water troughs and dispensers around the yard and inside the coops. Dawa cleans these daily and refills them several times a day with fresh, clean water.
-
- Here’s Dawa bringing in a fresh bag of wood bedding for the coops.
-
- Visitors love going down to see all the breeds and the different colored eggs they produce. These chickens are so well socialized – they like to watch the cleaning from their perches.
-
- Dawa rakes all the bedding evenly across the coop floor. It’s very important to keep their environments as clean and as dry as possible.
-
- I have been getting my poultry feed from Bennie’s Feed Barn Inc. for many years. Here’s a photo of Bennie – third from the left – and his friendly and dependable team. If you live in Westchester, New York or the surrounding areas, and want a good source for all your farm animal needs, be sure to check out Bennie’s.
-
- I recently started using this whole grain feed from a new company called Family Fresh Nutrition. Family Fresh Nutrition has access to a worldwide supply of fresh, organic ingredients and a support staff of expert poultry nutritionists to develop their feed. Aside from these Egg Laying Pellets, Family Fresh Nutrition also makes Organic Chicken Starter & Grower Crumbles, and Organic Egg Layer Crumbles. Their products are available at independent feed stores, such as Bennie’s.
-
- Back in the coop, Dawa fills the hanging feeders with the organic pellets fortified with protein and calcium to help produce good, healthy, delicious eggs.
-
- These feeders are suspended from the ceiling beams and are about six inches off the ground. Each feeder holds about 30-pounds of layer feed. Always store organic feeds in a well-ventilated, dry location free of insects and other curious creatures and dispose of any feed that becomes moldy.
-
- Here’s a closer look at the pellets in the feeder.
-
- Right away, the hens come ready to snack.
-
- This feeder is particularly busy. All the hens love their new pellets.
-
- And twice a day, early morning and late afternoon, the birds are given cracked corn – a treat they love.
-
- This is one of my Guinea hens about to enter one of the laying boxes.
-
- Each box is 12-inches wide by 13-inches tall – perfect for each hen to nest comfortably. Hens lay eggs throughout the year; the color of their shells varies by the chicken breed.
-
- I do provide pools for my gaggle of geese, but this one seems comfortable in one of the water bowls. Geese make excellent guardians for my flock of chickens. Naturally territorial, geese fit easily into the guardian role and don’t need any training on how to protect.
-
- Dawa also rakes every yard thoroughly, leveling the gravel and removing any debris.
-
- The spacious outdoor areas are all protected from predators like foxes, hawks, and raccoons. The entire yard is surrounded with strong netting and fencing on all sides and overhead.
-
- More hens have gone to the feeder to eat their Family Fresh Nutrition Organic Layer Pellets.
-
- This hen waits patiently for a spot down below to eat. Chickens prefer to roost on high levels. Inside the coop, they have ledges in front of their nesting boxes. As you can see, my chickens are very happy birds.
-
- The baby Ayam Cemani looks on with curiosity. Outside, the chickens are provided ladders and natural roosts made out of felled trees.
-
- This is a view of the back of my chicken yard. The coops are shaded on one side for hot, humid days. I am so glad all my chickens, geese and Guinea fowl are happy and healthy. Please go to the Family Fresh Nutrition web site to learn more about this new company.
Martha Pins
Martha Tweets
