When I saw the huge amount of Purple Dead Nettle covering our property last spring, I wondered if I could create a purple dead nettle dye for our wool. Purple Dead Nettle ( Lamium purpureum ) is an invasive plant, commonly called a weed. We had a huge crop of this plant. Would this plant yield a Purple Dead Nettle Dye?

I love to forage for natural plant material that can be used for dyeing our wool yarn, I gathered up a large basket full of purple dead nettle.

Research showed that stinging nettle could provide a yellow dye that could be modified to green. Digging even deeper, I found that any of the plants in the nettle family would react in a similar manner. Purple Dead Nettle is actually a member of the mint family but I hoped the plan would be the same. I set up the dye kitchen for making Purple Dead Nettle Dye for wool.

The Set-up for Making Dye

The first step in creating a dye from plant material is gathering the plants. Different seasons can yield different results when using natural sources for dye. In the case of purple dead nettle dye, the plant is seen in spring and fall. The fall color can vary greatly from that created from the spring plants. At this point in my foraging journey, I have found that the spring plants yield the most color.

Although I have heard that purple dead nettle helps with allergy symptoms, I find it has a strong aroma. It’s one that I don’t find pleasant so I only work with purple dead nettle in my outdoor dye area.

Materials Needed for Making Purple Dead Nettle Dye

• 2 gallon bucket of foraged Purple Dead Nettle
• 1 teaspoon of iron (ferrous sulfate )
• 150 to 200 grams of pre-mordanted yarn or protein fiber
• Water – enough that the yarn is freely floating in the dye pot.

Preparing the Yarn or Fiber

When dyeing protein fibers such as wool, mohair, silk, alpaca, etc., the material needs to be pre-treated so it can accept the dye. This process is called the mordant. Basically, the mordant solution will open up the fibers so that they are receptive to the dye and it adheres to the fiber. I use Alum for almost all of my mordant work. If you are new to creating natural dyes, this post may help you with more of the details.

My mordant of choice is usually a 12% weight of alum per weight of dry fiber measured in grams. I also add a teaspoon of cream of tarter to help the yarn stay soft.

Preparing the Dye Bath

While the yarn is in the mordant bath, begin preparing the dye. Add the purple dead nettle, I use the entire plant, to the stainless steel dye pot. Using an aluminum pan for dye will alter the color of the dye since aluminum is also a color modifier.

Add enough water to allow the yarn to freely float in the dye once the plant material is strained out. Allow the heat to rise and keep the solution simmering for at least 45 minutes. Do not use a hard boil as the heat can denature some colors. A soft gentle simmer will do the job. Allow the dye to cool before straining off the plants.

When straining the dye, you may want to use a coffee filter or cheese cloth to capture the small bit of plant material and dirt. Return the dye liquid to the dye pot.

Check the color. You should see a greenish yellow liquid. Not very impressive in my mind, yet we are about to add the magic.

Modify the Purple Dead Nettle Dye

Rewarm the dye to about 200 degrees Fahrenheit. Add the one teaspoons of iron modifier. (Ferrous sulfate) Stir the iron powder to dissolve it completely. After a few minutes, dip out a small sample of water. I use a mason jar for this, so I can see the color. The Purple Dead Nettle dye color should have changed to a sage green color, or a dark green. * Note – you can easily make your own iron solution by soaking rusty nails in a bucket of water for two days.

Add the Fiber to the Dye Pot

Gently squeeze out some of the liquid from the mordanted yarn. Transfer the wet fiber from the mordant bath to the dye pot. Gently submerge the yarn or fiber, using a long handled spoon. Keeping an eye on the temperature of the dye bath, allow to simmer for 30 to 45 minutes. Check the color developing. If the color is not as deep as you would like, you can add a tiny bit more iron modifier. Be cautious though. Iron can also weaken the fibers of protein based yarn and roving.

Allow the fiber to cool in the dye pot. In many cases you can leave the yarn in the dye pot overnight, but, when adding iron, I don’t like to leave it in the dye that long. Once the fiber has cooled enough to handle, I remove it and then rinse.

Final Steps

There are different methods to finishing the naturally dyed yarns and fiber. This is my method.

1. Rinse the yarn in warm water until no dye is running from the yarn.
2. Add 1/2 cup of white vinegar to the rinse water and swish the yarn gently and rinse.
3. Add a drop of wool fiber conditioner (human hair conditioner also works) to the rinse water. Rinse completely, Squeeze out the water. Do not wring your yarn or fiber as that can cause felting. Simply squeeze the water from the fiber. Lay flat to dry on a large towel. You can also spin dry, if you have a washing machine that will just do the spin cycle.

If you are still seeing lots of color in the dye pot, you can use it as an exhaust bath for dyeing more fiber. The color may be slightly or greatly reduced.

More on Purple Dead Nettle

Are you interested in foraging wild edibles? If you know that your yard or a particular area are not sprayed with herbicides, foraging wild greens can add much to your spring diet. The greens are packed with nutrition, vitamins, high in Vitamin C, and fiber. Antioxidants are present in high amounts. Purple dead nettle is just one spring plant that, while it is invasive, provides us with much in the way of nutrition and medicine. Here’s a recipe for pesto made with the Purple Dead Nettle Leaves.

Purple dead nettle also can be used as a medicinal for anti- inflammatory preparations, antibacterial solutions, and also as an astringent, and anti- fungal.

Bees also enjoy a good meal from the early blooming Purple Dead Nettle. While most information doesn’t distinguish between which bees like it, I have mainly noticed the big bumble bees enjoying the flowers.

Have you tried making wool dyes from weeds and foraged plants? How did you like the results from Purple Dead Nettle Dye?

There are more dye recipes and instructions included in my recent book, Keeping Sheep and Other Fiber Animals. The book is available at local bookstores, Amazon and on this website.

Check out my teaching journal that leads you through creating natural dyes. Natural Dyes on Wool with Timber Creek Farm can be found here.

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Garden planning tips to help non-gardeners. This concept may be a foreign term to you. Are you a non- gardener? Is your idea of gardening throwing some radish and lettuce seeds on top of some dirt? I will confess that I consider myself a non-gardener. You might be thinking, but, you have a farm and grow vegetables and herbs every year. I want to be a gardener, really, I do. But, the truth is I am haphazard at it at best.

Garden planning eludes me year after year,  I read about gardeners planning all winter. Some even plan years ahead. I “plan” in  the spring when I see the nursery’s getting seedlings in stock. I buy what looks healthy from the garden center or the farmer’s market. And I take care to get the seedlings planted as soon as possible. But, this does not always mean I do anything right. I seem to have good intentions in May, but by June, some disaster is happening in my garden and it seems to go downhill from there. And I often look at the beetle infestations and just raise my white flag. Good job beetles, you win again.

We have had good garden years 

When we were first married, and childless, we had a few years of growing a really strong garden. And a few years while our kids were growing up, the garden produced plenty for us to eat, and to save for winter. What I want, is a garden that produces enough for us every year. Even if not every year is spectacular at least it would not be a disaster. So how does a non-gardener become a gardener? Here’s my action plan for this year. I think it might be time to actually start with a plan.

How to Be Successful in the Garden With Garden Planning Tips!

1. Create a plan. Begin by planning the space for the garden or multiple garden plots. Track the sun and the shadows to make sure the chosen space will receive adequate sunshine. And now for the fun. Make a list of your families favorite vegetables. Next, look through all those inspiring garden catalogs that have filled your mailbox this winter.

Get yourself a good pair of garden boots. It’s no fun to garden with wet soggy socks inside leaky shoes! Hisea Boots are 100% dry! I love all the styles available and have several pairs for my farm activities.

Avoid Garden Overwhelm – Most Important Garden Planning Tip

Try to not overwhelm yourself with too large a garden at first. I have done this so many times it just isn’t funny anymore. I think I will keep up with 1/4 acre. It is tilled, planted, the plants start to grow and everything is great. Until I take a few days and don’t pull weeds. Or the rains come. Or a turtle, rabbit or groundhog gets involved. (Pro-tip – Don’t try to garden with your chickens!) Then the weeds take hold. And I can’t seem to keep up. So I weed the tomatoes. But when I go weed the beans, the tomato weeds return. Pretty soon, I am digging through weeds trying to find the vegetables.

Try starting with a small manageable plot. This year I am planting a small kitchen garden that I can easily weed on my way to the car. In the farm area I am planting a 16 x 20 plot. I started with greens and cool weather crops like a row of broccoli and a row of beets. The potatoes are planted along the side so I can train them to grow outside the fence. I hope! As the season gets warmer, and the greens are done, I will start some zucchini and winter squash. I will continue to rotate through. We can grow successfully through late September, sometimes longer. Another benefit to the garden being smaller, maybe I will feel up to doing battle with the non-beneficial insects.

Before You Head to the Garden to Plant 

1. Check the quality of the soil.Add appropriate soil additives. Bring the soil pH up to what it should be  I don’t have any idea what that means but here’s a great resource for building soil. Start now, saving coffee grounds, egg shells, and other compost materials that help build good soil. You may need to think about what type of manure to use to add nutrients to the soil. Read this if your garden has been overgrown for awhile. And don’t forget all that rich chicken manure if you are raising chickens, too.
2. Start your seeds inside. read more here on how to test germination by sprouting small seeds on a wet paper towel placed inside a small plastic zip lock baggie. Testing germination is a wonderful garden planning tip. Another method for frugal seed starting uses the plastic cups from the single serve coffee machines.

More Garden Planning Tips

Once You get to the Garden…

1. Direct sow seeds that do well being started in the ground. This is the simplest of methods.
2. Thin seedlings.  This is always hard for me. I want to save them all. But they won’t grow if they are crowded so thin you must.
3. Install proper fencing. A couple of years ago, one of our garden areas was doing really well. The soil was rich, the plants were healthy and the garden was flourishing. We got busy with other things before putting up a fence around the area. The deer came and ate just about everything. They left the turnips. No one in my family likes turnips. I don’t know why we planted turnips. The pigs enjoyed the turnips that year. This year, each garden area will be fenced in.
4. Spend a half hour a day checking for bugs, pruning off dead shoots, picking produce, and pulling weeds. I will often check the kitchen garden as I am heading back in to the house in the evening. I find it’s a good time to do battle with the harmful insects as the heat of the day has passed. It’s a quiet time and gives me a break before getting dinner ready.

And wrap up the season with 

1. Stay on top of the preserving, as the produce starts to be harvested.  After all, that was a lot of hard work and you want to enjoy all of the goodness throughout the winter. Aren’t you glad you started garden planning, now?
2. Keep your canning supplies organized and ready.  Doing a batch of produce each night and running the dehydrator during the day while you work on other things will help you avoid an exhausting day of canning. If everything is clean and ready, you can clean, blanch and fill jars while preparing dinner. Then pop the jars into the canner while you clean up the kitchen.

Garden Planning Leads to Healthy Eating and Living 

Gardening is a healthy pursuit. It keeps you active, and the reward is good food. The whole family can help in some way, in the garden. Using a garden planning notebook or journal will  help you stay on top of your garden planning tips and plan. So far this year I have written down what is planted, where it is located in the garden and sketched a diagram of the garden. As I rotate the other crops into the garden, I will be making notes about how the variety did, about how much it yielded in produce and what I would try differently. The garden planning I am starting now should help me stay on course and be eager to start the garden planning again next year.

Are you interested in starting a garden journal? I recommend this one from Angi at Schneiderpeeps.com

Interested in being more self reliant with gardening and food preservation and storage? here’s a great read from Daisy  of The Organic Prepper.

The post 10 Garden Planning Tips Non-Gardeners Need appeared first on Timber Creek Farm.

But first, let’s take a look at what is needed in a chicken diet. Chickens need carbohydrates, protein, fat, as well as vitamins and minerals as shown below.

Vitamins

• A
• D
• E
• K
• B1 (Thiamin)
• B2 (Riboflavin)
• B12 (folate)
• Folic acid
• Biotin
• Choline
• Niacin

Minerals

• Calcium
• Phosphorus
• Magnesium
• Manganese
• Iron
• Copper
• Iodine
• Zinc
• Cobalt

Above all, layer chickens require 16% protein for the best health. If they don’t get enough protein they’ll become weak and are prone to developing infections while egg production either decreases or stops. As a result, growth may be stunted.

Is it possible for them to have too much protein? Absolutely! For instance, one sign of this is an increase in water consumption which could result in loose bowels, wetter litters, and blisters on the feet. In addition, respiratory issues may develop and eyes become damaged. Finally, death is the most extreme outcome.

Now that we understand the risks of having too much or too little protein, it’s time to get busy mixing.

Basic Recipes

Smaller quantity basic recipe that has options for supercharging the feed: Small Basic Recipe

However, if you have a large flock, this recipe will make 100 pounds of feed: Large Basic Recipe

On the other hand, those looking for some flexibility in homemade chicken feed options, will find the percentages provided in this recipe allows you to make as little or as much as you’d like: Flexible Basic Recipe

No Soy or Corn

If you’re interested in a formula that is without Soy or Corn, I have you covered.

First, for those that truly want to be GMO free, then this recipe – which makes about 18 pounds – was created just for you: Small non-GMO Feed Recipe

To make a larger quantity this recipe gives you a lot of flexibility to scale up: Large non-GMO Feed Recipe

Organic

Lastly, depending on where you live and what’s available in your area, you may be able to make this one from Azure Standard organically. It makes approximately 50 pounds: Organic Feed Recipe

Can I use Homemade Chicken Feed Options for Meat Birds?

There aren’t many homemade broiler feed recipes out there. In fact, after several Google searches none with the correct protein levels were found. Perhaps this is because meat birds require more protein due to their fast growth. Starter feed protein levels for a broiler is about 22-23% while grower feed should contain 18-20% per Oregon State University Extension.

Ingredients Commonly Included in Homemade Chicken Feed Options

You’ll notice that many of the recipe include a base of corn, field peas, wheat, oats or barley. Other beneficial item may have been added such as sunflower seeds, kelp, fish meal, and amaranth. Let’s take a look at the base ingredients first.

Barley – Barley and oats are often used interchangeably for their protein content. However, barley contains phytic acid which bonds with phosphorus during digestion, reducing the absorption of phosphorus. Feeding whole grain barley has been shown to reduce egg production, feed efficiency, and shell quality. Conversely, it increases feed intake, egg and body weight. Sprouted barley is a great option though as fodder for extra greens.

Corn – Contains carbs, fat and some protein, although it’s not the best source from a nutritional perspective. Corn is one of the easiest grains to be digested and is low in fiber. On the other hand, just like barley, it too binds with phosphorus.

Oats – These are high in fiber and protein content. Poultry aren’t able to digest fiber well so including it in the feed mix may reduce the availability of nutrients.

Peas – The protein content of peas averages about 23%. This protein is highly digestible and has an excellent amino acid profile with high levels of lysine. Interestingly, peas have a higher level of lysine than soy beans. Peas are a better option as well because they don’t require roasting, unlike soy beans. Soy beans need to be roasted before being included in chicken feed.

Wheat – A good source of carbs and protein. Higher in protein and the amino acids lysine and tyrptophan than corn. Wheat helps with digestion and helps the birds resist coccidiosis.

As you can see, a mix of the base ingredients can provide a good amount of protein and carbohydrates. Many commercial feeds contain an enzyme additive that counteracts the anti-nutrition factors found in these grains. However, adding something like kelp or millet, which have good amounts of phosphorus, will help offset this.

Optional Ingredients in Homemade Chicken Feed Options

Let’s take a look at some other additions that could be added to up the nutritional value. Your chickens will thank you.

Flax Seed – According to The Poultry Extension website, “Feeding flax seed results in a six to eight-fold increase in the omega-3 fatty acid content of eggs. Such eggs are equivalent to 113 g. of cold-water fish as a source of omega-3 fatty acids.” While feeding a diet of 10% flax seed is beneficial in the egg composition, it has been shown to increase liver hemorrhages in the hens.

Kelp (Seaweed) – Considered to have 30% of the nutritive value of grains. Minerals include potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, calcium, sodium (salt should never exceed 0.5% of a chicken’s diet) and sulfur. Vitamins include ascorbic acid and some B vitamins. Trace elements (meaning only a trace amount is required in a diet) include zinc, chromium, nickel, tin, and iodine. Can be added in a ratio of 5 to 15 percent of the diet.

Millet – A super food full of vitamins, minerals, and fatty acids! High in phosphorus, magnesium, and B12. Millet aids digestion in chickens and provides many essential amino acids. Eggs from hens that consume millet will be higher in omega-3 and lower in omega-6 than a corn based diet.

Sunflower Seeds – Consumption helps combat coccidiosis, E. coli, and bronchitis in chickens. It is recommended to use black oil sunflower seeds because they are meatier and have a higher oil content, as well as a high level of protein at 26%. This high level of protein helps during times of stress such as during molting or in the winter. Now, that doesn’t mean you should provide only sunflower seeds because too much can be a bad thing, resulting in fat chickens which can lead to unexpected death. You have to provide grit when feeding with sunflower seeds, otherwise issues will arise in the chickens.

Other Considerations for Healthy Chickens

Now that you have the chicken feed, you need to understand how much food a chicken needs on a daily basis. Many factors go into the amount of feed needed per day for your backyard flock. Take into consideration any other supplemental food you may be providing to your chickens.

Make your homemade chicken feed even healthier for your chicken by fermenting it using these four easy steps! Adding herbs to their diet to help keep your chickens healthy.

And don’t forget the water! Chickens can go 48 hours without eating but they can’t go without water without becoming extremely stressed, or passing away. Be sure to keep your chicken waterers clean.

In conclusion, you want to be sure to have a good mix of ingredients that provides enough protein, carbohydrates, fat, vitamins and minerals for not only overall health of the hen, but also for the best quality egg production.

Have you made your own homemade chicken feed?

The post Homemade Chicken Feed Options appeared first on Timber Creek Farm.

Raising sheep brings more than wooly warmth. When we began raising sheep, I looked forward to the warmth they would provide. I did not consider the other ways that sheep would warm us. With quite a few years as a shepherd now behind me, I can see that the wool that sheep provide is but one way they heat our bodies.

The visions of sheep roaming the gentle slopes of a picturesque farm may be heart warming. However it does not portray the amount of heat producing labor that goes on behind the scenes, when raising sheep.

The Work

For example, feeding, and lugging hay during the winter when the pasture grasses are dormant. Or scrubbing water buckets, mucking out stalls, repairing fence, and other regular tasks.

The once a year shearing provides quite a physical workout for the shearer anyway. But even the wool collector and person clearing the shearing deck gets plenty warm. Raising sheep is hands on, physical work.

The Dream

I was pulled to raising sheep for yarn. The entire process called me. Raising the sheep, shepherding, and being part of the process of turning the yearly harvest of wool fleece, into yarn. And finally, using that yarn to create clothing we can use.

The romantic picture of warming myself by the fire, drinking coffee, and working on a wool project was my dream. And that dream came true.

The Reality

And then there is reality. Staring you in the face on the days you can’t figure out what is wrong. The reality of losing an animal you raised from a lamb, the reality that not all illnesses are caught in time to cure. And then your tears warm you.

Eventually your heart heals enough to get back to work. Because there are other sheep that still need your caring hands. Other sheep that still need hay, and fresh water, and a list of other less frequent needs. Grief and disappointment can only take up a tiny percentage of your day. Move forward. Learn from the past.

The Fleece

Once the yearly shearing has been done, the work of cleaning and sorting and processing that fiber begins. Raising sheep is what you do to receive this bounty! At some point you begin to experiment with natural dyes for wool. The colors are nature’s rainbow.

Spinning the wool roving yourself or sending the wool to a fiber mill transforms the wool into yarn. Seeing the yarn starts the warm tears flowing down your face.

The yarn that is a year in the making. The yarn from raising sheep on your own property. This is when the fruit of your overheated summer days and the cold frigid evenings making sure the sheep have access to the dry barn and hay and thawed water all comes together.

Raising Sheep Brings Connection

Raising sheep connects you to basic human needs. There’s a circle that connects it all together. The need for warmth. The need for contributing to something greater than yourself, the need to provide, the need to see a connection. And then to use the product to create warmth for yourself or a loved one. It repeats in a natural step by step process, over and over. It is comforting.

How to Participate in the Circle

Raising sheep is not for everyone. Even with a small flock of two, keeping farm animals takes time. It takes strength, and energy, something you may not always have to share. But it doesn’t stop there.

The buyer and creator that choose wool also participate in this cycle of warmth. You become part of the traditions handed down from generations before. Sharing patterns, teaching knitting, weaving, crochet, and tapestry builds the requirement for wool.

Choosing wool encourages future shepherds. Using wool continues the cycle, because the sheep are making a renewable resource. Raising sheep warms you while you raise them and again when you use the beautiful fleece.

Our Story

My own journey with sheep led to creating a yarn product we sell from the farm. You can learn more about our Free Range Yarn and see what’s for sale in our Etsy shop.

Our newest product (available here) is Natural Dyeing Kits, complete with yarn, dye, and natural products that enable you to try natural dyeing without a costly investment. More of my dye recipes are available on the website, and in my book, Raising Sheep and Other Fiber Animals. Where will your journey with raising sheep or using wool take you?

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What are these three things chickens don’t need? When raising chickens naturally, in winter, there are things chickens don’t need. I know its hard to believe that chickens can and do make it through the winter months, even in very cold climates, without our interfering. How can a chicken possibly survive the cold and reach the warmer spring months healthy and happy? Because this happens over and over. Chickens all over the world weather the winter without these three things chickens don’t need for winter. 

Here are the three things chickens don’t need for winter; heated coops, extra light in the coop, and warm winter clothing. Ok the third item is a bit of a joke. However, based on the popularity of several meme’s floating around social media, you would think that chickens are being mistreated if they aren’t wearing the latest sweater vest. More on that later.

What are the Things Chickens Don’t Need for Winter

Heat in the coop is a particularly touchy subject with some chicken keepers. When you live in an area that commonly experiences below zero, sometimes well below zero, temperatures for months at a time, you second guess your chicken’s ability to stay warm. And you might add a heat lamp or other heating device to the coop, because it makes you feel better. I can’t judge you on this. There have been a few times that I have also left a light on to add some heat, because I just felt better doing so.

If you absolutely must add a heat lamp to the coop, make a safer choice. This lamp from Premiere is rated safer and more heavy duty for barn use. I knew the truth was, that they would be fine. But, we somehow occasionally fall into the trap of thinking chickens are like humans, or the family dog. Please be aware of the dangers of adding a hot light bulb to a coop full of birds, straw, and shavings. 

Truth is, chickens are very well equipped to keep themselves warm. The downy under feathers fluff, trapping warm air against the body. The outer feathers keep the cold air from penetrating. If the chickens are on a perch, they will cover their feet with the belly feathers. What about the comb and wattles? Won’t they be exposed and possibly have frostbite? Not if the coop is well built, has ventilation at the top and is draft free. The coop should not be air tight. In fact that would definitely lead to frost bite. The coop needs ventilation to carry the warm moist air up and out of the coop. Otherwise the moist air will lie on the surface of the combs, leading to frost bite. Frost bite looks like black blemishes on the chicken’s comb.

But it gets dark so early!

Adding lights to the coop should be done only for your convenience. If you need to visit the coop after dark to tend to upkeep, check on the flock, or any number of chicken care duties, a light makes the task so much easier. If you are leaving a light on because you want to simulate longer daylight hours and hopefully get more eggs, that is taking away the natural break a chicken needs in the winter. Will it harm the chicken? Not directly. Will you receive more eggs than the person who does not add light to the coop? Yes. Is it worth it? That question will have to be answered by you. Here’s my thinking and I am not offering judgement here. This is a management style topic. If you choose to leave a light on in the coop for higher egg production, go for it.

What Do Artificial Lights Do to the Chickens?

I like to live as closely to the natural rhythms as possible. Chickens lay less in the fall and winter for a reason. First, starting in late summer, as the days begin to shorten, your chickens lose feathers in the annual molt. The chicken yard looks like a pillow fight occurred and the chickens look like plucked accident victims. As the days grow short, if the chickens have eaten enough bugs or other protein source, the feathers will be almost fully regrown. These new feathers are ready to keep them warm during the cold weather, approaching. Adding artificial light holds the chickens back from getting a natural break. 

There’s More Happening than Meets the Eye

Inside your chicken, other things are still going on. Your hens are recovering from rebuilding the feathers. Even though they may look smooth and glossy on the outside, the annual molt can take a toll on the inside. This is why egg production is still off. Left to their own time table, and with good nutrition, your hens will gradually regain the protein and calcium reserves that they need to produce eggs. Unless they are ill, egg production will naturally pick up again. You will notice this soon after the Winter solstice. The amount of daylight is a determining factor, don’t misunderstand. I prefer to let the natural light shine through the Plexiglas covered windows in the coop. The hens will notice the gradual increase in daylight. And egg production will increase again.

Clothing for Chickens?

Clothing for chickens is not to be confused with the fabric hen saddles used to protect the hens backs from a large rough rooster. It’s funny to see photos of chickens wearing the latest knitwear fashion, but in real life, wearing a sweater does more harm than good, when keeping a chicken warm. What actually happens is that the sweater will prevent the feathers from fluffing. The fluffing keeps the chicken warm by trapping the body heat near the body. I know people mean well but don’t put clothing on your chicken to keep them warm. 

What are the Things Chickens Do Need for Winter?

While there are three things chickens don’t need for winter, we should remember the essentials that they do need.

Shelter, nutritious food, and fresh water are the keys to chickens thriving during the winter months. Spend some time cleaning  the coop. Give the chickens a good thick layer of pine shavings and straw. You can line the nests with clean straw too. Clean out the cobwebs. Check the air flow. Is the ventilation carrying the air up to the roof vents? Tend to the structure, mending holes, cracks and other weak areas of the coop. 

Check out this fun video!

Water is a necessary nutrient all year long. Making sure that your flock has a source of fresh water through out the day is hard when temperatures drop well below freezing. There are a number of products designed to keep the water above freezing. Submersible water heaters, heated bases for metal waterers and electric heated bowls will all be helpful if you have electric power in the coop. In our coops without power, we pile dirt and straw up around the water bowl sides to insulate the bowl or water tub. The water will still freeze over night but it does take longer to freeze. 

Nutrition is very important during times that your flock cannot forage for greens and insects. Feed a quality layer ration to make sure that the hens are getting the nutrients they need to sustain egg development. Supplement with healthy food from the kitchen or leftovers. And don’t forget a healthy dose of meal worms or grubs to add some protein. 

Have you decided to use any of the things chickens don’t need for winter? 

The post Three Things Chickens Don’t Need For Winter (and three that they do!) appeared first on Timber Creek Farm.