5 to 10 minutes a day! A clean and well-maintained chicken coop is a guarantee for the health of your chickens. It only takes a few minutes a day to perform a few tasks of the daily routine. Use good quality wood shavings like the one from http://www.ripobec.com/fr/nos-produits/24-premium-ms. Pick up the biggest droppings … Lire la suite
Photo by: Jay Scott Photography: Classic: British Wildlife Centre It is wrong to believe that hens attract more predators. There have always been predators. Leave a pot of food out to cool and you risk attracting a nice family of raccoons. Although we don’t see them as often as we do in rural areas and … Lire la suite
Having urban chickens is not a summer or seasonal activity. When you commit to having urban hens and a chicken coop in your yard, you are also committing to keeping them in the winter. Our chickens are not a recreational activity or a convenience that you have to get rid of every fall. These animals … Lire la suite
Every Spring we see many families looking for a chicken coop to start this project at home. Sometimes, they are seduced by the cute aspects of urban chicken coops offered in stores. Finding good housing for hens requires some basic knowledge of the hens’ basic needs in order to provide them with a home that … Lire la suite
ADAPTING YOUR HENHOUSE FOR THE WINTER The hens are extremely well adapted to withstand the cold. Better than heat, in fact. With their feathers and breathing bags, they create a warm air chamber. (Principle of thermoregulation). In winter, it is of course necessary to protect our hens from the great cold, but it is especially … Lire la suite
Your dream of having laying hens has finally come true in the last few weeks and you are harvesting beautiful eggs from your adorable chickens. They are young and seem to be in perfect health. They are slowly acclimatizing to your environment and everything seems perfect until one of your hens suddenly stops laying. Let’s … Lire la suite
The most common eggshell problems and laying abnormalities in our urban chicken coops! Miniature eggs These are small eggs the size of a large log that occur at the beginning or end of the laying period. They can indicate a pause. They often do not have yolks. It is only the white and the shell. … Lire la suite
Surprise at the nest this morning, a mini soft-shelled egg. This is an indicator that a laying break is about to set in with one of my hens. They have been very productive so far. I have supplemented their feed with lots of chopped greens this week as well as some oat groats and buckwheat … Lire la suite
Anatomy of the egg The Shell: It consists of 3 successive layers, 2 layers of calcium and a layer called the cuticle. This cuticle is a thin transparent layer over the entire surface of the egg. It prevents any microbial attack, which considerably reduces the premature death of the embryo. The Shell Membranes: They are … Lire la suite
Eggs are superfoods. They are among the best and most complete foods that humans can consume. They are full of nutrients that are sometimes difficult to find in our modern diet. During my university studies, I took a complementary course in nutrition, and I will always remember what our professor told us about eggs… they … Lire la suite
Eggs vary according to the species of hen. They will vary in color and size, but the taste and quality is always excellent. Note the date on your eggs with a lead pencil every day to rotate them. Freshness test by flotation : Place an egg in a glass of water. If it sinks to … Lire la suite
With chickens in your yard, you could make them work for you…indeed, in the spring, take them to the vegetable garden and they will work your land and fertilize it at the same time. With the help of a tunnel or a removable mini net pen you could delimit the places where they can spend … Lire la suite
By Louise Arbour of Poules en Ville and the collaboration of Ms. Nancy Vallée and CVL I am often asked by chicken keepers if they need to consult a veterinarian and they don’t know the indications that motivate them to make an appointment for a consultation. In any case, you must learn to carefully observe … Lire la suite
Written by Benoit G. and Louise Arbour I’m a business and sales guy. My wife works as a nurse. My wife and I don’t have children, but the idea of having chickens in our yard has been on my mind for a long time. We love animals and I am a bird and photo … Lire la suite
Wood ashes and charcoal remove impurities, as well as worms, from the body. Just like charcoal pills for humans, chickens can benefit greatly from the charred wood in their dust bath because they nibble on pieces of it while bathing. When they eat it, their droppings will be darker and tar blacker. 1.) In the … Lire la suite
Chicken droppings can vary in hues and textures from brown, to green and even black. The standard varies depending on the diet, the species of hen, the time of year and the general health condition of the hens. In addition, there are normal everyday droppings, droppings from the incubator, and undigested droppings from the … Lire la suite
Diatomaceous earth is a natural product. Often sold in garden centers to control ants! It is a geological repository of fossilized skeletons of marine organisms (family of algae/single-celled plants). When crushed, it looks like talcum powder, it is harmless to people and animals if used properly. This product creates dust that can be harmful to … Lire la suite
The question of parasitic worms in our hens is an issue that intrigues many urban chicken keepers, and rightly so. Our free-range hens absorb a large quantity of insects and are exposed to these parasites every day. Regarding treatments, there are several opinions, philosophies and approaches. Moreover, depending on your knowledge of medicine, articles on … Lire la suite
It still happens all too often and tears my heart out every time: people tell me they lost all their chickens after buying chickens that looked so healthy! Others have introduced new chickens into an existing flock and all the chickens have become sick or are dying. Even more, I am always appalled when people … Lire la suite
It may happen that one of your chickens or all of them get sick. It will be handy to be able to assess the problem quickly and plan to consult a veterinarian as soon as possible in some severe cases. It will be also very useful to note who are your closest vets around that … Lire la suite
