Reviews by dawntreader

Excellent article, and very timely for us! As I understand the article, a heating element was still used in the run while the chicks were young. The term was a "heating pad cave". What exactly was that? Is it the blue and white thing in the picture? If so, was that an actual heating pad used that was draped over a box frame that was open on one side for the chicks to walk in? It also looked pretty short, as if the chicks would actually be touching the heating pad when in the "cave".

Great article! Thanks for providing a suggestion for what to do with a hen after she dies. We had to do this with one of ours that nibbled on potato vines the day before (which are toxic for chickens). Active and healthy one day, dead in the coop the next with no other signs of harm, egg-bound or disease. Now potato vines are not accessible by other other laying hens. The rest are as sweet as hens can be. They did seem to go through a "mourning" time for Peanut, but have done well since that time.

Well written article! The inclusion of the many factors that contribute to the health of our chickens reveals the tradeoffs that must be made in a given situation. We live in a suburban environment, and have built a run and a coop, but recognized early on that they are more content (and quiet!) when free ranging during the day in our fenced backyard. We do have predators around (fox, opossum, stray dogs), but that has never been an issue with us as we have "patrol" dogs for pets that keep the chickens safe and us notified if there is a situation that needs attention. The article has confirmed our decisions that were made by observation - thanks for writing it!

Thanks for the information - haven't encountered this yet, but will get the supplies necessary now in case it does happen.

Great article introducing the common mistakes made in raising chickens! Love the links included with the article!

Thanks for this information! Haven't needed it yet, but it is good to know that it is here if I do need it.

Love the details in this article that are great advice for coop designs. Knowing the prevailing winds (when there are some!) is a great way to work with one's environment to keep chickens healthy during those long hot summer days in the southern part of the US. This article is a must read for anyone considering building a coop to house chickens in the south.