Chickens and Weather, tips for keeping your hens healthy

Thank Goodness!
This weekend has finally begun to feel that Spring has arrived.
One of the cherry blossoms at the front of Thornhill House is in full bloom, it's sister, however, is ready to burst, but she is still holding on. I think this must be due to the fact she is in a more windier position and therefore is a week behind.

We've been able to get out into the garden this weekend and the purple sprouting broccoli is in and under plastic, the hanging baskets are planted up and living in the greenhouse until the risk of ground frost is completely passed and I noted that two snakehead fritillarias are through alongside all my alliums.

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I think that, despite dodging the hailstones, the chickens are grateful for the ever decreasing quagmires that have been around for so long. I caught them having a crafty bask in the sun dodging the April showers yesterday.

Although most chickens are hardy creatures, they don't like snow particularly and hate standing around in wet muck for hours on end. So when you site your chickens, make sure that you put things in the coop if they aren't free ranging, where they can get shelter and stand on higher ground.

In our large area, the girls have trees to shelter under and there are low branches where they often perch, we also have some old rabbit hutches for them to go on or in and two old beams at 45 degree angles which, not only gives them an area to perch off the floor, it also gives them some variety of things to do.
Chickens that stand for long periods in wet and muddy ground, can be more susceptible to a condition called Bumblefoot which is particularly painful for the chicken. This isn't specifically caused by the poor ground conditions, but it can make the coop a breeding ground for Staphyloccocus which is the bacteria that gets into wounds and causes Bumblefoot.

On a lesser important note, muddy ground means a muddy hen house and muddy eggs too, so it's always nicer when the drier weather comes.

In an ideal world, if you have the space, it is a good idea to move your chicken's home around, this way they are on fresh land every 3 - 4 months  and the ground not only gets a chance to recover, there are less opportunities for Staphyloccocus to build up.

If, like us, you are unable to do this, we go for the next best thing and remove the top layer of the run area (which is a long slog when it's as big as ours!), spread a coating of Staphylosan F, then a layer of fresh chippings or whatever you use. Make this at least a bi annual job, once around March after the snow and mankiness of the winter and once again in September before the weather turns.

The other thing the girls love in Spring is our grass clippings. We mow and then give them the fresh clippings from the garden which they love to forage through and eat.

Hope that you enjoy your weekend