How to make a chicken coop predator-proof may sound a little tricky, but it doesn’t have to be. With the proper tools and supplies, predator-proofing your hens’ coop, barn, or shed has never been easier.
Why Predator-Proof?
Many chicken keepers never research how to make a chicken coop predator-proof until their flock has been attacked by a predator who gained access to the coop via digging, climbing, squeezing, or even ripping through a window screen.
If going out to find your beloved flock’s remains scattered through the coop and run is not on your bucket list, then predator-proofing the coop is a must. Predator-proofing the coop has saved many chickenkeepers’ hearts from being broken by preventing their flock from being destroyed in a nighttime predator attack.
While predator-proofing does require more time and effort on your part, having the peace of mind knowing your flock is safe is worth the effort.
How to Make a Chicken Coop Safe for Your Flock
To make sure your flock is safe from predators starts with having a safe coop, shed, or barn to house them in. There are many steps to ensuring a predator-proof coop, including roofs, windows, doors, and more, so let’s get started!
Coop Floors
How to make a chicken coop predator-proof should start with the floor. Coops usually have three flooring options: dirt, wood, or cement/concrete.
Concrete floors are the safest and best flooring option for chickens. While they may be more expensive than other flooring options, they are long-lasting and nearly indestructible. Another upside to cement is you don’t have to worry about rats or mice chewing through them.
Wood floors are safer than dirt floors, but they do not offer as much protection against predators as concrete. They may also rot and need to be replaced every couple of years. However, many poultry owners have solved both of these problems by setting the coop or shed on top of a cement pad to prevent predators from digging and floors from rotting.
Dirt floors offer no protection against predators and should be avoided.
Coop Walls
The coop walls are often overlooked when predator-proofing, but if your coop walls are rotting away or have missing boards or other holes, predators can gain access to your coop and flock. Covering the outside of the coop walls with metal siding is an excellent way to cover holes and gaps. Another plus to metal siding is that it is usually easy to install.
A more temporary, budget-friendly fix is to cover holes with 16-gauge, half-inch hardware cloth to keep predators out. Be sure to cover the wire with any spare lumber to protect your flock from the elements.
The Roof
How to make a chicken coop roof safe may be one of the trickiest parts of predator-proofing. While lining the roof with wood and shingles or metal roofing may be easy, ensuring there are no gaps between the walls and the roof can be challenging.
To protect against clever rats and raccoons and opportunist owls from sneaking in through the roof rafters to dine on your flock, cover gaps larger than one inch with 16-gauge, half-inch hardware c
Don’t Forget the Windows!
Did you know that birds of prey, foxes, and raccoons can rip through window screens and chicken wire and gain access to your flock while they are roosting?
Attaching half-inch hardware cloth to the window frame will prevent predators from being able to access the coop via a window.
Even though bugs are not considered a chicken predator, continuing to use window screens as well as hardware cloth will also help keep out mosquitoes and flies.
Coop Doors
Completely predator-proofing the human-size door may be one of the most difficult parts of ensuring a safe coop. The trick is to have a snug-fitting door with no gaps larger than a half-inch. However, if you are not handy with tools and building things, hiring a professional to install the coop door may be the best option to ensure the door fits snugly.
If you are lucky enough to have purchased a coop with a snug-fitting door, there is no need to worry, but if your door has gaps, consider adding wire to cover up the gaps or reframing the coop door.
Pop Holes and Nesting Boxes
Pop holes and nesting boxes are two often overlooked ways predators gain access to the coop. Snakes are especially notorious for sneaking into the coop through the pop hole, while clever raccoons have been known to open nesting boxes and steal chickens sitting on eggs.
Lock It Up
It may sound strange, but one of the best ways to keep your flock safe is by locking up the coop every night with a padlock on all doors, including nesting box doors, popholes and human doors.
Curious raccoons, strong wind gusts, or even accidentally leaving the coop door ajar can lead to an accidental predator attack.
Predator Skirts
Attaching predator skirts to the outside perimeter of the coop and run to prevent digging predators from gaining access is another great way to help keep your flock safe.
Predator skirts should be made of 16-gauge, half-inch wire buried twelve to eighteen inches vertically underground and another piece of wire eighteen to twenty-four inches horizontally laid out six inches below ground.
A Word on Barn Safety
When housing chickens in a barn, it is important to ensure that the entire barn is completely predator-proof, not just the section where the chickens live. This may sound extreme, but if a predator enters the barn, they are more likely to figure out a way into the chicken pen than if the predator is outside.
How to make a chicken coop predator-proof may seem difficult, but the peace of mind knowing your flock is safe from predators is well worth all of your hard work and effort.
This article about how to make a chicken coop predator-proof was written for Chickens magazine. Click here to subscribe.
Farmer putting away round hay bales with skidsteer. Keeler Johnson
What’s the best way to move hay rounds on your farm? Several pieces of specialty equipment can do the job. And you’ll definitely need at least one.
Why Farmers Prefer Hay Rounds
If you prefer your hay round instead of small and square, you’re not alone. When measured in pounds, hay rounds tend to be cheaper than an equivalent number of small squares. Round bales are also easier to produce than small squares and they’re more moisture resistant, so there’s less concern about a round bale getting a bit of rain in the field than a small square.
But, these benefits come with a downside familiar to any farmer who feeds hay: round bales are heavy. Very heavy. A small square bale weighing 40-50 pounds can be carried by a single person. But hay rounds, depending on a variety of factors, can tip the scales at over 1,000 pounds.
Fortunately, there are implements designed specifically for moving round hay bales that can be attached to a skid steer and/or tractor to make the job safe and easy. Here are four ways to move hay rounds:
#1 Bale Spear
Provided you have a tractor with enough strength to lift round hay bales, a bale spear is a straightforward solution.
While exact designs can vary, a bale spear attaches to the front-end loader or three-point hitch and features three or so prongs that pierce the flat side of the round bale and allow the tractor to lift it. The tractor can then drive the round bale wherever it needs to go, whether it’s from field to barn, from barn to livestock pasture, from field to transport trailer, etc.
#2 Bale Unroller
A bale unroller is a machine designed primarily for unrolling round bales for feeding. Many mount on the three-point hitch of your tractor. A spike is inserted into each flat side of the round bale, and by lowering the bale so it contacts the ground, friction causes the bale to rotate and unroll.
Of course, you can also lift the bale so it doesn’t contact the ground, and then you can drive the bay wherever it needs to be unrolled. Thus, a bale unroller is an effective way of transporting round bales.
#3 Bale Squeeze
As an alternative to a bale spear, you can also use a different front-end loader device—like a bale squeeze—to move hay rounds. A bale squeeze uses hydraulic arms to squeeze bales from the sides, tightly enough so they can be picked up.
#4 Bale Grapple
A bale grapple is similar to a bale squeeze but typically features a bucket with a large hydraulic claw on top. The claw opens wide enough so the bucket can slide underneath the round bale while the claw bites down from the top, providing a firm grip.
Safety First When Moving Hay Rounds!
Regardless of which method you choose for moving round hay bales, appropriate safety measures should be followed.
For example, you’ll need to properly counterbalance the bales you lift to maintain the stability and traction of your skid steer or tractor; a ballast box or liquid ballast box can do the trick if you’re lifting bales with a front-end loader. While it can be tempting to lift bales high with the front-end loader to improve driving visibility, it’s better to keep them low, which lowers your tractor’s center of gravity and reduces the risk of tipping over. Along the same lines, you should be careful negotiating uneven or sloping ground when transporting round bales.
As long as you take appropriate precautions, any of the four implements described above will allow you to easily move hay rounds your farm.
This article about how to move hay rounds on a farm was written for Hobby Farms magazine. Click here to subscribe.
Homemade cleaners swap out those harsh cleaning products for safe cleaning alternatives with options you may already have on hand at home. Skip those heavily scented and chemical-laden cleaning products and give these more natural options a whirl instead.
Cleaner Ingredients
White Distilled Vinegar
You’ll be surprised at all the ways that plain ole vinegar can be used. Because of the acidic nature of vinegar, it is a safe choice for killing all sorts of germs and mold.
Vinegar can be used on non-porous countertops and other surfaces that need disinfecting. Add a splash to your washing machine to rid odors from your clothing and to remove built up soap residue from fabric as well.
A dish of vinegar in a smelly room will reduce the odor. A dish of vinegar is also a great trap for fruit flies during harvest season.
For those food preservationists that can, adding a splash of vinegar to your water bath will keep the jars and canning pot from building up the white powder from hard water deposits.
Lemon and Baking Soda
Lemons not only smell fresh, but they also help clean well because, like vinegar, they are very acidic. Lemon juice cuts through soap scum on bathroom tile, shower doors and hardware as well as any commercial product does. Combine lemon and baking soda and you’ll have a cleaning powerhouse. Cut a lemon in half, dip it in baking soda and scrub away. Wash the surface off with warm water and you’ll be amazed at how powerful this simple duo is.
Baking Soda
I used to use a commercial bleach powder to clean my tub, sink and stains from the kitchen counter, but my mother introduced me to the magic of baking soda once I bought my own home. Wipe down the area with water, scrub with baking soda and you’ll be amazed at what this one ingredient can do – it even removes red wine stains from the counter.
Baking soda is also great at eating odors. We keep a small dish of baking soda in the back of our refrigerator and also sprinkle some in the bottom of our trash cans.
Hydrogen Peroxide
Hydrogen peroxide is my go-to for stains in fabric, especially blood. Peroxide is great because it not only breaks down stains, but it also kills bacteria. To clean blood or other stains from fabric, pour hydrogen peroxide directly onto the stain – the sooner the better. Rinse the stain with cold water and apply more peroxide as needed until the stain is clean.
To use hydrogen peroxide as a cleaner, mix equal parts peroxide and water in a spray bottle to clean surfaces of germs and bacteria.
Hydrogen peroxide can even clean mildew. To treat, pour or sponge peroxide directly onto the mildew and allow it to penetrate for ten minutes before wiping away.
Citrus Peel & Herb Surface Cleaner
One of my favorite homemade cleaners to have on hand is citrus peel surface cleaner. All it requires is some of your favorite citrus peels – this could be oranges, limes, lemons, grapefruit or a mixture of all. Consider adding some fresh herbs to tailor the scent to your liking, rosemary is my preferred herb to add.
Fill a quart-sized mason jar with the citrus peels (and herbs, if you desire) and pour distilled white vinegar over the peels until they are completely submerged and the jar is filled. Add the canning jar lid and tightly fasten on the ring. Keep this mixture out of direct sunlight and allow the oils in the citrus peels and vinegar to infuse for a couple of weeks.
Once infused, strain out the solids and pour the infused vinegar into a clean spray bottle or smaller jar. Use as you would to disinfect with plain white vinegar – this infusion just makes it smell a lot more pleasant.
Note: It is not recommended to use vinegar products on marble or granite surfaces.
This article about homemade cleaners was written for Hobby Farms magazine. Click here to subscribe.
Sheep breeding season happens during the fall and winter months as ewes enter their estrous cycle. This is a 17-day period where the ewe cycles into ovulation. Within this period there is only about a 24 to 36-hour window when she can get bred.
Sheep breeders all over are saying their prayers and setting the best conditions to ensure their ewes are getting bred this month. They only have a few opportunities in these months before their bodies go back into anestrus, which means they aren’t cycling through that time of fertility.
In November, shepherds are pulling out all their tricks to make the most of these few months of short fertility windows to ensure their ewes will produce a lamb this Spring.
Here is a checklist of known methods to try to capitalize on this bang season:
#1. Make Sure the Ewes You Are Preparing Are Fit for Delivery
Sheep breeds vary, but most ewes need to be at least one year old (better if two) to carry a lamb full-term and deliver while staying healthy. Make lists of ages and health conditions and decide which ewes will be ready for the taxing pregnancy season.
#2. Check Body Condition
Animals too thin or too fat may not cycle through esterous. And if they do, they won’t likely remain healthy. Ewes ready for breeding need to be rated a Body Condition Score (BCS) of 5 or 6.
#3. Separate Rams & Ewes
To achieve a stimulating strategy referred to as “The Ram Effect,” rams and ewes must be separated for six weeks before breeding season. The Ram Effect works when non-cycling (anestrus) ewes are stimulated to ovulate by the sudden introduction of a fertile ram or “teaser” ram. Rams produce a chemical substance called a pheromone, the smell of which stimulates the onset of estrus. When ewes and rams are in constant contact (sight or smell), the pheromones are much less effective at inducing estrus. Ewes that are not cycling when a ram (or teaser) is introduced will ovulate in 3 to 4 days
#4. Introduce Rams & Ewes
Whether or not you are following protocol for the Ram Effect, you will need to make sure they are together during breeding season. Once they are around each other, continue to look for signs including the rams sniffing the air, females urinating in front of them, ewes following rams around, nudging, pushing, pawing and mounting.
#5. Use a Breeding Harness
To observe what rams have been with which ewes use a breeding harness/chalk marker and keep dates.
#6. Flush Feeding
Sheep breeders can improve chances for fertility and multiples by increasing quality feed (known as flush feeding) strategically before breeding time. Before flush feeding, make sure and deworm the sheep to ensure the most success.
#7. Update Vaccines
Many producers vaccinate twice per year, with breeding season on their list. CD&T will protect against overeating disease and tetanus, but your local vet can consult you on what is the best breeding vaccine for your area.
#8. Hoof Check
Now is a great time, while the sheep are wrangled to trim their hooves and inspect for any diseases. Many issues such as foot rot, abscesses, scald and foot-and-mouth disease enter through hooves.
#9. Do Your Math
Sheep carry their babies 144-151 days, with 147 being the average. If the weather in your area is typically severe and your facilities don’t accommodate heat, make sure you calculate a healthy month for delivery. If you plan to be out of town (i.e. spring break) time accordingly or prepare now to have someone watching your farm.
#10. Keep a Calendar
Log in your notes when you see the ewes standing for the ram. You will then have a good idea of when to start checking for signs of pregnancy. If you don’t catch a glimpse of the action, remember a chalk marker is good to refer to so you can write down the dates of any markings you see. There will be a feeding schedule to keep in the last part of pregnancy and you will want to keep this in your notes as well. It is also helpful to know when you will need to pen your ewes and expect delivery.
Nature needs a nudge. Breeding is what sheep are put on this earth to do, however, optimizing these aspects of the process has proven extremely helpful. Caring for sheep year-round without any lambs produced is a very real possibility and extremely disheartening when it happens. Take the time this month to give your sheep the best chance of success.
This article about sheep breeding was written for Hobby Farms magazine. Click here to subscribe.
A good chicken fence is the best defense when it comes to protecting chickens—or protecting something from chickens. What kind of chicken fence you need will depend on how you have arranged your birds’ housing and what kind of coop you use, as well as other factors, such as geographical location and what type of predators lurk in your neck of the woods.
Let’s look at fencing from both sides of the fence—pardon the pun.
Keeping Out Predators
If you’re purchasing chicken fence with the intention of keeping out predators, it doesn’t have to be beautiful. But it does have to be made of solid material and securely installed, which usually means you’ll have to spend a little money and either do a little work or hire someone to do it for you.
Chicken fence pricing varies … a lot. To get a feel for how much it can cost, check out “Estimated Costs for Livestock Fencing” by Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. For our purposes, we’ll use generalities in discussing cost, such as inexpensive and expensive, and focus on durability and effectiveness of the various fencing types.
Hardware Cloth
Without a doubt, hardware cloth is the Lamborghini of poultry fencing, and its price tag reflects as much. Because it is a costly material, hardware cloth is best applied in and around the coop, and any coop windows should have a layer of 1/2-inch hardware cloth mesh lining the pane. Use hardware cloth to secure gaps bigger than 1 inch in diameter throughout the coop. At night, your chickens should sleep behind hardware cloth no matter where they roam throughout the day.
In truth, hardware cloth is not actually a chicken fence. Some chicken keepers—including yours truly—prefer to use hardware cloth as the mesh on outdoor runs, creating a predator-proof outdoor space. The entire run is as secure as a locked coop, and the chickens don’t require locking up each night. But when the birds get free-range time to pasture outside of the run, one of the following forms of fencing is recommended.
Electric Net Fencing
Electric fencing comes in all sorts of shapes and sizes—and budgets. The best kind of fencing in this category for poultry is electric net fencing, a portable, electrifiable prefabricated fence. It’s rather affordable and easy to setup, move and store.
This type of fencing is ideal to keep out predators, such as foxes and coyotes, though it will not deter diurnal mustelids, aka weasels, which are small enough to fit through the fence gaps.
Electric net fencing has a few shortcomings: It’s not entirely low-maintenance. To keep the electricity from shorting out, it’s necessary to weed around the perimeter of the fencing on both sides. The net also needs to be properly secured to keep from forming gaps or sagging parts of the fence which larger predators could easily jump over. This fencing is ideal for homesteaders or urban farmers who want to rotate free-range areas or fertilize new garden plots.
Of course, any electric fencing relies on electricity, so it’s susceptible to power outages and other related snafus. It’s best to investigate solar-powered fencing options to keep electric bills down and have a reliable source of power. Electric fencing may not be as aesthetically pleasing as some other options, but it’s very effective.
Chain-Link Fencing
While not necessarily made for chickens, a properly erected chain-link fence can serve your flock well. Especially in suburban areas or close neighborhoods, a chain-link fence between your flock and the rest of the world will protect your birds from marauding neighborhood dogs and cats while also keeping your neighbor’s prized flower beds and immaculately mulched gardens safe from your bird’s ever-scratching feet. Because chain-link is also costly, it’s best used in a dual-purpose way, so to speak, doubling as both your yard’s barrier and your chicken’s.
Wood
Wood is a great natural source of fencing and may look very beautiful in a garden. However, the type of wood fencing will determine its usefulness. Tall privacy fencing will provide protection from dogs, raccoons, foxes and many other predators, provided there are no gaps in the boards or holes large enough to squeeze through. One drawback to wood fencing is that it often requires professional installation, increasing the cost significantly. Because it’s at least partially decorative, it requires maintenance, including staining and pressure washing over time, and once installed, it’s not easy to move.
Lower wood fencing, such as picket fences, may be too low to even keep chickens contained. With flat tops, wood fences invite birds to fly up to perch on the top and certainly gain access to what is on the other side. While a variety of wood fencing would work nicely to keep chickens in and predators out, it’s likely best put to use if it is already part of your backyard landscape.
Chicken Fence – Keeping In Chickens
Keeping chickens corralled is a lot simpler—and less expensive!—than keeping out predators. You’ll likely purchase and install fencing under this category if your birds already have a securely built coop and are locked up each evening.
You’ll notice that a lot of the fencing listed in this section is rather flimsy and may become brittle, wear down, rust or rot over time and with use. The price tag for most of these options reflects the material’s longevity. Some of these materials are also low and create a very small barrier between chickens and outside world. Unless startled or chased, most chickens will respect even the most modest boundary created by hog fencing, cheap garden fencing, or chicken wire.
Chicken Wire
Although the mesh is too thin for all-purpose predator protection, chicken-wire fencing is one of the best options for keeping your chickens out of unwanted areas. It’s inexpensive, easy to find and easy to install. It also serves multiple purposes around the homestead from making hoops over garden beds to keep out critters, to creating a barrier over brooders full of chicks.
The farm-supply stores that sell chicken wire will also sell metal posts for bracing wire that don’t require hardware or the use of tools: You simply hang the mesh onto the small hooks of the metal post and hammer it into the soil with a rubber mallet.
Chicken wire is available in a variety of lengths and widths, but I’d recommend a minimum of 4 feet in width to keep chickens in. It’s also easy to move using the metal post system and looks clean and rustic in a yard or garden.
Hog Fencing
Another attractive, simple and inexpensive fencing option is hog fencing. With its large, square openings about 4 inches in diameter, small predators—such as weasels, snakes, mice and rats—as well as tiny chicks and very young birds may walk through freely, but it’s suitable for keeping adult chickens confined to an area, especially during the day while pasturing.
Hog-fencing panels are more expensive than either plastic or chicken wire and not very easy to move once installed, but they work great and make great garden fencing for semipermanent areas. It’s easy to use the metal posts mentioned above to secure hog fencing, but it also looks nice using natural wood posts.
Garden Fencing
Decorative landscape fencing is usually available at home and garden stores and is manufactured in a dizzying array of styles, colors, height, designs and patterns. It’s commonly made from new or recycled plastic, metal, and sometimes plywood or composite.
While inexpensive and pretty—that’s what it’s made for, after all!—decorative garden fencing is usually rather ineffective. Many styles are too low, and chickens will simply hop over them. Others are tall but have wide openings through which a chicken can easily squeeze. Decorative fencing may work to deter new chickens for a little while, but they’ll eventually become curious and determined to investigate what lies on the other side.
Decorative fencing is best used in conjunction with another type of fencing. When it comes to keeping chickens safe, form over function is the name of the game. With that said, a decorative chicken fence can enhance the aesthetics of an urban or suburban coop nicely, and indeed, a visually appealing coop is often a requirement for those keeping chickens within city limits.
Defend cellular security cameras bring simplicity to monitoring nearly any location, even when you aren’t there. Using a cellular connection instead of Wi-Fi, Defend cameras are made for large properties, remote locations, construction sites, boat and RV sites, or anywhere an extra set of eyes is needed. Battery powered operation means no outlets or wall-power are needed, making the Defend camera truly versatile.
Durability & Adaptability
Durable, built to handle extreme weather and outfitted with a powerful antenna, Defend uses a cellular signal to deliver images and video right to the Defend mobile and web apps, allowing you to see what’s happening, even in remote locations. With customizable app settings, you can dial-in multiple features to fit your security needs and help you monitor your property, day and night.
Product features include:
Auto Carrier Selection
Low-Glow IR
100ft Detection
Sub 1/2s Trigger Speed
Long Battery Life
IP66 Waterproof Certified
Predator Protection
Got poultry? Keep livestock? The Defend camera is a great tool for predator protection. It can be mounted indoors and outdoors whether it’s your equipment shed, your pole barn or even your chicken coop.
Defend’s technology keeps an eye on expansive farmlands, ensuring 24/7 surveillance of crops, livestock and equipment. Whether it’s monitoring pastures, feedlots or water troughs, Defend provides high-resolution imagery and video to keep you informed and ensure peace of mind.
When mounted outside, Defend can also serve as a visible deterrent for unwanted visitors allowing for peace of mind when you are away.
No Interruptions
With the solar panel and rechargeable battery add-ons, users can enjoy uninterrupted surveillance without the need to constantly replace or recharge batteries.
Affordability
Defend retails for $149.99 and subscription plans start at just $5 per month with no activation fees and discounts for multiple cameras. Your Defend camera does not have to be added to your phone’s cell plan. It delivers high-quality imagery and real-time updates directly to a mobile device.
Why Defend vs. Reveal?
If you have Tactacam’s Reveal camera, you may wonder what makes the Defend different. The Reveal cameras and app are optimized for hunting while the Defend is optimized for security and monitoring. This means the detection zone patterns, aiming adjustability and the app design differ between the two.
The cameras are available through the Tactacam website, Amazon and at Bass Pro Shops. The camera and its accessories can make a great gift for the holiday season for any loved ones or friends with farmland.
Healthy chickens can produce a seemingly never ending stream of eggs, but it doesn’t take much to disrupt the cycle. Any number of internal or external factors can impact egg production. Hens can suddenly feel threatened by a predator, the weather can change or illness can strike the flock. While factors such as breed or seasonal changes are beyond a chicken owner’s control, much can be done to help maximize egg laying and get the most benefit from chicken ownership.
A 6-pound hen will eat roughly 3 pounds of feed per week. HEATHER LUSK
Nutritional Factors
Once hens begin laying eggs, they should be consuming a layer chicken feed. This provides them with the nutrients needed to lay eggs and stay healthy. A layer feed should have a minimum of 16% protein and between 3% and 4% calcium. Most layer feeds will provide necessary nutrients, such as amino acids, vitamins, and phosphorus.
Though layer feeds usually include calcium, it’s not enough to meet most birds’ needs. Calcium becomes even more critical when egg-laying is in full swing. Hens use a lot of calcium to produce eggs, and it’s necessary to create thick shells.
Hens can self-regulate the amount of calcium they require, so rather than adding excess calcium to feed, provide hens with a separate bowl with oyster shells, crushed limestone or crushed eggshells from your own flock.
Molting
When the fall coop is covered with so many feathers that it looks like someone staged a giant pillow fight, it’s molting time. Most hens will completely stop laying during molting to allow their bodies to recover nutrients lost from the many months of producing eggs. Molting continues until new feathers have been regrown, which can be aided by extra protein. A layer feed with 18% protein can speed the regrowth of feathers, and it helps hens maintain body heat in cold months. Mealworms, high-protein fortified feed, peanuts, or fortified scratch are easy protein additions or give hens treats such as scraps of cheese, meat, fish, or even scrambled eggs.
Feeding scraps or treats to healthy chickens should be done with care. Only 10% of a hen’s diet should consist of additional food to avoid weight gain. Fat hens are poor layers, so regulate the quantity of extra foods hens receive.
A chicken fed a prepared feed balanced for vitamins, minerals and protein should produce healthy eggs. HEATHER LUSK
Happy Pens, Happy Hens
The best way to promote egg laying is to ensure that hens have a comfortable environment, feeling safe and secure with their interior and exterior living spaces.
Healthy chickens need plenty of room to stretch their wings, scratch the earth and take dust baths. They require easy access to food and water, a coop with a high spot for roosting at night, and a comfortable nest that feels protected for laying eggs.
Hens are social and curious creatures. Tapping into their curiosity can also keep them happy. A few times a year, I hang a cabbage in the chicken run just beyond my hens’ reach. It’s challenging for them — and entertaining for the humans — to figure out how high they must jump to get a bite.
Because of their ingrained curiosity, hens can benefit from free-range time when possible. My hens like to explore the yard and find insects, worms, and an occasional toad. Investigating new places and unearthing new discoveries in the yard is beneficial to their brains.
Let There Be Light
Maximizing egg production starts with understanding how eggs are created. Most chickens reproduce eggs every 24 to 27 hours. Ovulation is triggered by sunlight, so if an egg is laid at the end of the day, the trigger may not occur until the next morning. High-producing hens will lay five to six eggs each week. Shorter days leading into winter will naturally slow egg making.
Powerhouse Egg Boosters
Egg production isn’t only about quantity but also improving the quality of eggs. For eggs with firm shells and golden yolks, consider adding these supplements to your hens’ diet.
Calcium:Once hens begin laying eggs, calcium is critical. Crushed oyster shells are an easy and no-fuss way to offer needed calcium to egg layers. Toss a handful of oyster shells into the run each morning, or elect to leave a bowl of oyster shells in a spot protected from the elements.
When hens have access to calcium at all times of day, they can easily self-regulate their supplemental needs. For a low-cost alternative, crush eggshells from the flock. Make sure they’re well-washed with no residual egg white, and completely dry before crushing into small pieces rather than a fine powder.
Peppermint:Adding a small amount of peppermint extract to layer feed or mixing in dried peppermint leaves can help increase egg production in older hens by regulating metabolism. A 2023 study showed that peppermint helped older hens lay more eggs with improved egg quality. Some chickens are just as happy eating fresh peppermint leaves straight from the plant. Because of its hardiness, planting peppermint near a run can be a treat and may help deter pests.
Garlic:Whether it’s in powder form mixed with feed or a crushed clove added to water, multiple studies indicate that garlic may slightly lower the amount of cholesterol in eggs. Garlic has also been known to increase egg production.
Garlic should only be added once or twice a week, and water should be changed frequently, altering fresh with garlicky water. Some hens may not like the taste, so be sure that plain water is available for finicky birds.
Greens: Including fresh greens with a hen’s diet creates the deep yellow yolks that are healthier and more appealing than pale watery ones. In the summer, hens can get nutrients from green grass. In the winter consider supplementing with leafy greens such as kelp, kale or broccoli leaves.
Marigolds:While adding marigolds can artificially boost the color of egg yolks, it provides health benefits for chickens with antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties. Feeding chickens carrots or sweet potatoes can also artificially deepen the yellow yolk while simultaneously adding nutrients to your hens’ diet.
Dried marigolds can be crushed and added to feed, or plant the flowers around the edges of the run. My chickens devour marigolds, so I make sure they can only reach the tops of the plants and the roots are beyond their reach.
Most hens prefer not to lay eggs when temperatures are extremely hot or cold, so the onset of winter usually means fewer eggs. For most chicken owners, sunlight and temperature are factors beyond their control, but others aren’t so easily deterred.
In the summer, a fan in the coop can keep hens cool enough to be comfortable and keep the eggs coming. Adding a heater and lights to a coop in the winter can also boost production but may be risky to hens. With the amount of pine shavings, dust and feathers in a coop, heat lamps can be deadly. Chickens may peck at exposed wires, causing damage to themselves or the coop.
Hens are biologically suited for cold weather, so their body temperature can’t properly regulate if the interior is too warm. Rather than adding heat, consider properly insulating the coop to provide protection from the wind and keep chickens as warm as possible.
Some chicken owners add artificial lights to the coop set to a timer, triggering ovulation in winter. For those who don’t intend to keep their layers past a few years, adding light can be a practical method to restart egg production after molting, yet it can have downfalls.
Winter months are important for a hen’s health to replenish nutrients and recover from egg laying during the warmer months. Robbing them of this healing time may impact their ability to continue laying in their older years.
Chickens are omnivores. They eat grains, fruits, vegetables and insects. HEATHER LUSK
Ruffling Feathers
One of the quickest ways to stop healthy chickens from laying is stress. If new chickens are introduced into the flock, if the food and water supply is disrupted or if a predator is stalking the coop, egg production may decrease or stop completely. When a hawk attacked and killed one of my hens, the survivors didn’t resume laying for more than a week. Even then, egg output was sporadic. I made the hens feel safe by ensuring they had fresh food, water, and plenty of treats every day, and eventually, egg laying was back on track.
Introducing pullets into a flock of healthy chickens can also lead to stress for the old-timers. Their primal instinct surfaces and hens feel stressed by the potential lack of resources. Though my hens always have food and water in the coop, I place an additional container of each in the run to minimize their anxiety. Once all the hens have integrated and egg laying is on track, I remove the additional resources.
If hens are happy, have plenty of space to roam, are well-fed and feel safe and secure, then egg laying often naturally follow.
A Breed Apart
The first two to three years are generally the most productive in a laying hen’s life, yet not all breeds are the same. Some can lay as many as 300 eggs for the first several years before production decreases, while others are less-abundant producers but more likely to lay when they’re older. Some chicken owners may opt to replace hens when production starts to diminish; alternatively, owners may prefer to encourage hens to continue laying past their prime.
Hybrid birds are cultivated to maximize egg production, but these breeds come with some disadvantages. They are often more prone to disease and have shorter life spans. Some of the most popular hybrid breeds for the most eggs are Rhode Rocks, ISA Browns and Black Stars, each laying more than 300 eggs a year.
Heritage breeds, on the other hand, have a strong genetic makeup that can be beneficial even if they don’t always produce the highest quantity of eggs. These breeds are hardier birds more likely to live longer, more resistant to illness, and often produce eggs until the age of four or five.
Leghorns are well-regarded as the best egg producers among the heritage breeds, churning out as many as 320 eggs each year. Rhode Island Reds are also very popular, laying anywhere from 200 to 300 eggs annually. Australorp, Calico Princess, and Welsummers are also good options for a reliable cache of eggs.
Other heritage breeds may not lay as many eggs but are more likely to continue laying past those initial prime years. A Plymouth Rock is a good choice, laying about 200 eggs a year. Some among this breed have been known to continue laying for ten years.
Black Stars (pictured), also known as Black Sex-Links, are excellent brown egglaying birds. It’s a hybrid “breed” which, at the time of hatch, can be sexed by its color. MUSHY/STOCK.ADOBE.COM
Other Factors
Sometimes healthy chickens stop laying for unexpected reasons. Hens who are broody will not lay, so catching a broody hen on the nest as quickly as possible will keep the egg production going.
If a hen is ill, egg laying is also disrupted. Keeping an eye on each bird’s health also ensures the health of the entire flock. A healthy flock means an abundance of eggs.
Any change in a healthy chickens’ environment can also trigger halted egg production. If all other factors seem to be normal, investigate whether strange noises, unseen predators or bullying within the flock could be happening. All of these could create enough stress to pause egg production.
What works for one chicken owner might not work for another. The best way to maximize egg production is to try different things and find the right combination for your own flock to be happy and healthy.
This story about healthy chickens and egg laying was written for Chickens magazine by Heather Lusk. Click here to subscribe.
Fresh chicken eggs are great, except when you end up with rotten chicken eggs. Various factors can impact whether an egg is edible, with the occasional complaint from a chicken producer that a hen laid an egg that was rotten on day one. Though rare, laying a rotten or soon-to-be rotten egg can occur under the right circumstances. As we crack open the mystery behind hens that lay rotten eggs, prepare to learn what contributes to the presence of eggs that have run afoul of conventional standards.
What is So Rotten
If you’ve ever cracked open an egg with a putrid smell, you’re likely already quite familiar with the concept of rotten eggs. As a poultry farmer, you may have even developed various tricks to catch rotten eggs before you crack them open to avoid the stench.
Richard A. Blatchford is an associate professor of extension for small to large-scale poultry in the Department of Animal Science of the Center for Animal Welfare at the University of California, Davis. “A rotten egg is one in which there was a mold or bacterial invasion,” he says. “This typically happens after the egg is laid, and the microbes invade the egg from the environment. The appearance and smell of the rotten egg can vary based on the organism that invaded the egg.”
Blatchford specializes in the husbandry, behavior and welfare of poultry. He works with broilers, layers and backyard flocks as an extension specialist. One of his primary roles is to provide the latest scientific information to stakeholders in poultry and talk with producers about how to adopt housing or best manage behavioral issues in backyard flocks.
Collect eggs several times a day.
Is a Hen Laying Rotten Eggs?
Because this phenomenon is relatively rare, research isn’t plentiful. However, a study by the Institute for Agricultural and Fisheries Research, Animal Science Unit, found two potential routes of infection of chicken eggs.
One route is vertical transmission, which might explain why a hen could lay a rotten egg or one that went bad right away. Basically, a bacterial infection within the hen’s reproductive organs, namely the ovaries or oviduct tissue, directly contaminates the yolk, the albumen (egg white) and/or the membranes before the egg is covered by the shell during the laying process.
Alternately, the eggshell could become contaminated when microorganisms penetrate the shell as the egg passes through a highly contaminated cloaca area while being laid. Eggshells in these situations may have excessive fecal matter on them.
Once the shell has been contaminated and the egg laid, the contents can contract if the ambient temperature is around 68 degrees Fahrenheit cooler than the chicken’s normal body temperature of 105 to 107 degrees. When the egg content contracts, the negative pressure inside the egg moves the contaminant through the shell into the egg itself.
In the second scenario, the infection must exist as well as certain conditions also play a role. The result of either scenario could potentially be a rotten egg. However, depending on the contaminant, you could have a bigger problem. According to the same study, the most common containments in a poultry house are E. coli, salmonella and Staphylococcus aureus, which can all cause severe food poisoning.
“The bacteria most associated with eggs and food safety would be salmonella,” Blatchford says. “However, this bacteria doesn’t make the egg rot. Certain types of salmonella make a chicken sick but not people, and some types make people sick but not chickens. The type that makes people sick can be introduced to eggs in the formation process if the hen is infected (this type doesn’t make her sick) or through environmental contamination.”
So, while it’s possible for a hen to lay an egg that would rot quickly, Blatchford confirms that it’s uncommon.
“It’s very rare that a hen would lay a rotten egg,” he says. “For this to happen, the egg would have to be contaminated during egg formation. So, the hen would have to be infected for this to happen. Rotten eggs almost always happen after the egg is laid from environmental contamination.”
Nothing beats a farm-fresh egg except maybe a whisk.
Why Chicken Eggs Go Bad
More commonly, eggs go bad due to environmental issues. For example, eggs laid in damp nests could lead to bacterial infections and crusted yolks. Crusted eggs typically have watery whites that appear yellowish and yolks with a light-colored crust. These eggs emit a putrid odor you can’t miss.
“Typically, mold or bacteria get through the shell, especially if the shell is cracked, but it doesn’t have to be,” Blatchford says.
Using good flock management practices, the incidence of rotten eggs of any kind is generally low but sometimes rises slightly in the summer when temperatures are higher. Abrupt temperature changes and cracked shells can allow bacteria into an egg. Other factors that can impact egg quality include improper storage and age.
Diet shouldn’t cause chickens to lay rotten eggs, but certain foods can impact flavor.
Prevention Tips
Several things you can do throughout the egg-laying to consumption process can help prevent eggs from rotting before their time. Begin with the actual area you provide your hens for laying eggs.
Blatchford suggests that you “provide a clean place for her to lay eggs and provide some type of substrate in the nesting area such as wood shavings or straw so the egg has a soft surface to lie on and reduce the likelihood of cracking. Also, collect eggs on a regular basis to reduce the risk of breakage.”
Protect eggs during collection by placing them gently into a container instead of dropping them and allowing them to bang together. Allowing eggs to knock together could cause noticeable breaks or small hairline cracks you might miss.
Even the tiniest crack can allow bacteria to enter the egg and cause it to rot prematurely. Also, even if a crack leaves the membrane intact, you should cook the egg immediately after collection before it has a chance to go bad.
“Then, refrigerate the eggs,” Blatchford says. “If the egg is dirty, you can wash it right before use. Refrigeration will keep any microbes from growing enough to contaminate an egg before it’s consumed.”
Place fresh eggs in soft cardboard or foam containers if you’re transporting them. Avoid plastic trays that could have sharp edges and cause unnoticed hairline fractures on an egg’s surface, opening it to a bacterial infection leading to rot.
Amanda Ryan in Carthage, Missouri, keeps her unwashed eggs on the counter.
To Wash or Not to Wash
When and how to wash eggs seems to be a highly debated topic with differing opinions. While many producers and an article from PennState Extension recommend washing eggs immediately after collection, many chicken producers disagree — as does Blatchford. He recommends not washing eggs. “They can be dry cleaned with a paper towel if needed,” he says.
You can also try using a dry toothbrush or other small hard-bristled brush dedicated to just egg cleaning. If eggs are extremely dirty, especially with fecal matter, or cracked, they’re more likely to be contaminated and should be discarded.
Many people might hesitate to place an even slightly soiled egg in the refrigerator, thinking the dirt or other debris might cause the egg to go bad. However, washing an egg too soon could cause more damage, including premature rotting.
Eggshells have a natural coating called a cuticle. When you wash a chicken egg, you remove the protective cuticle, its first line of defense against microbes. Because shells are porous, without the cuticle, bacteria can enter the inside of the egg.
If you do decide to wash them, use warm running water. You don’t want to use cold water, causing the content to contract and potentially pull in any microbes that might be present. You also don’t want to place them in a pan of water to wash because the remaining eggs sit in the dirty water until it’s their turn.
Once washed and dried, you must refrigerate the clean eggs immediately. Unwashed, never refrigerated eggs may sit on the counter at room temperature for two to four weeks. Then, they can go to the fridge and remain there for two to three months more.
Catching Before Cracking
Rotten eggs often have a putrid smell that permeates the area in record time. No matter how quickly you dispose of the egg, the nasty smell often lingers much longer than you’d like. Luckily, a few tricks can help you catch at least some rotten eggs before cracking them open and allowing the scent to invade your space.
“Most rotten eggs have a pungent odor you can smell without breaking the egg open, but not always,” Blatchford says. “Best practice is to always crack eggs in a separate container, one at a time, so that if an egg is rotten, you can throw it out and not have contaminated whatever you were using the eggs for.”
Depending on the rot, the smell can vary. For example, white rot causes a fruity odor, green rot has more of a musty odor, while black rot results in the repulsive odor you expect. An egg can also experience mixed rot, with varying degrees of rot and odor occurring.
Consider candling if you want to check questionable eggs without cracking them first. Blatchford explained the process of candling can use any bright, focused light. It’s simply called candling because candles were the first things used for the process.
“If you shine a bright, focused light, you see the internal contents of the eggs,” he says. “If the egg is very dark and/or has an enlarged and moving yolk, the egg is likely rotten.”
While candling, look for any cracks in the shell. Also, if the egg appears solid without any defined shapes or all you can see is the air sac, it’s probably gone bad. You should clearly see the yolk and the egg white should look translucent.
You can also do a float test, where you place an egg in a bucket of water. If the egg sinks to the bottom, it’s likely fine, but its freshness is in doubt if it floats. However, this test isn’t 100% reliable.
A surprise chick hatched from a hidden stash of eggs from Amanda Ryan’s backyard flock in Carthage, Missouri.
Funny-Tasting Eggs
The way a rotten egg tastes should deter most people from eating it. Assuming you can get past the rancid taste, consuming a rotten egg causes various digestive issues, some more serious than others. However, chicken eggs can taste odd for various reasons that don’t necessarily mean they’re rotten or unsafe to eat.
Issues with egg flavor often stem from a hen’s diet. While you may have read somewhere that diet may cause rotten eggs, it’s not generally likely. Poor nutrition can cause egg deformities and impact quality, but Blatchford says it wouldn’t cause the eggs to rot since microbes cause this. However, some dietary issues could potentially produce eggs that taste off. For example, some producers have noticed that when hens consume too much of certain types of food, it can eventually cause unpleasant flavors in the eggs.
While debatable, onions and garlic may transfer their flavors to your eggs, but neither is good for chickens in large quantities anyway. Asparagus is noted for its strong taste and odor and might lead to stinky eggs if feeding excessive amounts to your chickens. Broccoli and Brussels sprouts could also potentially cause off-tasting eggs. Many producers agree that fish and fish meal-based commercial chicken feed can cause fishy flavors in your eggs, as can too much flax in some chickens.
Even if they’re safe, some funny-tasting chicken eggs may be unpalpable, and you might want to avoid whatever caused the unwanted flavor.
The investigation into chickens laying rotten eggs underscores the importance of vigilant poultry management. By understanding the health, dietary and environmental factors that can contribute to the production of subpar eggs, chicken farmers can implement proactive measures to ensure a healthier and more consistent egg supply.
This article about rotten chicken eggs was written for Chickens magazine online. Click here to subscribe.
Soil science is good to know when raising backyard livestock such as chickens, goats and sheep. The ability to integrate these livestock with backyard environments such as vegetable gardens, fruit trees and other types of land, such as pasture, is a truly fascinating opportunity and challenge.
Aside from providing food and companionship, backyard livestock also produce animal manure which, if used properly, can be a free resource with respect to soil regeneration, soil quality, and fruit and vegetable production. However, as we all intuitively know, mismanagement of livestock manure can contribute to food safety risks and nitrogen and phosphorus contamination of ground and surface water.
Here is some basic soil science and management information for how backyard livestock affects soil and some of the basic dos and don’ts of how best to manage backyard livestock on your property with respect to manure management.
Soil Science: A Little History
When you consider the fact that humans have farmed crops and animals on the same plots of land for approximately the past 5,000 to 10,000 years (depending on where they settled after the last ice age), we have learned a decent amount on how best to utilize animal dung for increased food production. Animal manure is a truly amazing resource that has helped humans increase crop production and crop variety wherever they have settled. However, mismanagement has led to disease, overproduction and water contamination.
Knowing a little about the chemistry and microbiology of animal manure and soil and how they interface with each other is important at a historic, global and, of course, an individual level. Believe it or not, not all livestock poop is created equally. While many similarities exist with respect to chicken, goat and sheep (and other livestock) manure, some important differences occur, too. Big picture, none of them can be directly applied to crops as animal feces is full of harmful bacteria such as virulent forms of various bacteria such as E. coli, salmonella and campylobacter. These bacteria can thrive in livestock guts, be shed in feces and contaminate our backyard fruits and vegetables.
In some cases, they can get inside plant cells as opposed to just being on the surface of your fruits and vegetables. This scenario makes washing ineffective at preventing ingestion and human infection. This is especially true on what are referred to as “touch crops” such as spinach and other leafy greens which literally touch the ground. Raw animal manure can easily contaminate these types of crops which are often eaten raw creating a significant food-safety risk.
Chicken, sheep, and goat manure share commonalities as valuable organic fertilizers, yet their compositions and characteristics exhibit notable differences which include:
Sheep and goat manure tend to have higher nitrogen content compared to chicken manure. In contrast, chicken manure has relatively higher phosphorus.
The carbon-to-nitrogen ratios differ among these manures, affecting microbial activity during decomposition. Chicken manure, with a lower carbon-to-nitrogen ratio, decomposes faster, while sheep and goat manures, with higher ratios, contribute to longer-lasting soil improvements.
The texture and consistency of the manures vary. For example, chicken manure tends to be higher in moisture content, while sheep and goat manures are drier. From a practical perspective, this influences the rate of decomposition and the potential for nutrient leaching.
Understanding these similarities and differences and your soil’s chemistry with respect to potential imbalances in nitrogen, potassium, phosphorous and other elements can allow gardeners to tailor their manure applications to specific crop needs, optimizing the benefits while mitigating potential challenges associated with nutrient imbalances or overuse. In a perfect world, it’s ideal to have your soil tested to see what it is lacking in before applying raw material. Ultimately, the judicious utilization of chicken, sheep and goat manures contributes to sustainable soil management practices.
Note: If you apply raw manure to even inedible plants, you run the risk of applying too much phosphorus or nitrogen which can damage or even kill the plant. While applying raw manure is not recommended for backyard farmers, if for some reason you must apply raw manure, in a backyard setting you should not harvest anything for human consumption for at least 120 days after the application of the raw material. This 120-day rule isn’t an exact science, but it does give an easy-to-remember time. In addition, if excessive levels of raw manure are applied, leaching and contamination of surface or ground water can occur. In addition, never apply raw manure when it’s raining or to steep fields as this process is further exacerbated.
Composting
For a backyard gardener, the best approach to dealing with livestock manure is to compost the material and then apply it as a soil amendment. As the feces decompose naturally via the help of various microbes, a chemical transformation occurs which causes the release of organic matter which has several beneficial effects on the soil. This, in turn, creates an environment conducive to microbial activity, promoting the proliferation of beneficial bacteria and fungi. When you apply this material to your soil, the soil is transformed in the following ways
Increased Soil Organic Matter
This, in turn, creates an environment conducive to microbial activity, promoting the proliferation of beneficial bacteria and fungi.
Improved Soil Structure
This enhances water retention capacity. In addition, compost improves soil’s ability to hold nutrients and delivers much-needed nutrients. It improves nutrient retention by increasing the soil’s cation exchange capacity and delivers needed food for the plants in the form of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. As you can imagine, it’s only useful if the composted material can be integrated into the soil and not just applied to a hard dirt pad. To that point, it should also be noted how livestock manure can be misused and be damaging to soil chemistry and quality. The big picture is that applying livestock manure to cropland increases the amount of organic matter in the soil which improves the soil structure and can increase the soil’s ability to hold water.
The soil science behind composting, if done properly, inactivates most pathogens such as bacteria and even weed seeds that may be present in the material. The operative word is most. Harmful bacteria can persist in smaller amounts, so washing your hands in addition to washing any plants that you eventually consume is critical. This is especially true for “touch plants” described previously.
Compost Ingredients
All you really need is livestock poop, plant material (aka carbon), oxygen and water. Note: You can use discarded fruits, vegetables and even grass clippings and wood chips. However, the proportions of the ingredients are important. Too much or too little of these ingredients may produce bad smells or inhibit the beneficial bacteria from growing and transforming the material to compost.
The ratio of ingredients is key. You typically want a carbon-to-nitrogen ratio of approximately 30:1 on a weight basis. In other words, for every 2 pounds of plant material, you would want about 1 ounce of livestock poop. This ratio plus some water will allow the “correct” bacteria to grow which are essential for transforming the uncomposted material to composted material.
As the good bacteria grow and displace the bad bacteria, heat is generated. The heat is key to helping the good bacteria grow and inactivating harmful viruses and bacteria. Getting to a temperature between roughly 141 to 155°F is very important because this is the temperature where pathogenic bacteria die and weed seeds are inactivated.
Reaching that temperature can be challenging in certain colder and wetter climates and can also be challenging if you compost pile is too small, which is a common issue for backyard chicken keepers. With respect to the weather, if you live in a cold and wet environment, consider composting when the temperature is warmer. In addition, while water is one of the key ingredients, you don’t want too much. You basically just want the material to be somewhat moist.
Make sure you have a dedicated raised secure container for composting (or an alternative method called “sheet” or “lasagna composting,” where you place the mixed material on cardboard or wet newspaper and then put a layer of carbon on top). Rodents, insects and birds will likely try to get into your black gold and eat some of the ingredients listed previously. Unfortunately, they often poop where they eat which can be a serious food safety issue if you take your compost and then spread it in your garden.
One advantage of the raised system is that the pile can be turned easily (especially if there is a crank to turn the compost container). The goal here is to introduce oxygen which helps the good bacteria grow.
Completed Compost
When the compost is done and ready to use is objective and subjective.
Objective:The internal temperature of your compost pile should reach a temperature of between 141 to 155°F. You can get a special thermometer for compost which is basically a metal probe with a thermometer at one end. This way you just need to poke the pile and measure the internal temperature as opposed to breaking open the pile and measuring the temperature.
Subjective: Compost should feel and smell like rich soil and not like poop. The transformation should be obvious, but there is no specific objective feel and smell. Like everything this comes from experience. However, when in doubt, compare it to store-bought compost.
Composting can be a little tricky for backyard livestock keepers. However, it can also be a very satisfying activity in that you are fully integrating your chickens and plants in a way that humans have done for thousands of years. Like everything, composting can be perfected with practice, and even if you live in a cold and wet environment, it can be done. Ultimately, you just need to figure out what soil science works best for your system. With a little experimentation, you can come up with an approach that works best for your specific situation.
This article about soil science was written for Chickens magazine online. Click here to subscribe.
Fall leaves can seem like a nuisance, but forests thrive on their own for several reasons, the primary being fallen leaves that amend soil and protect plants. The organic matter created in leaves is full of calcium, phosphorus, magnesium and potassium. So instead of bagging up fallen leaves this autumn, follow these methods to capitalize on the free garden amendments lying around your yard.
Shred Fall Leaves for Mulch
Run piles of fall leaves through chippers, choppers and mulchers. It’s even possible to mow leaves to shred.
Pile the shredded leaves 2 to 4 inches deep around plants, avoiding crowns. The mulch will help plants retain and repel water, suppress weeds and decompose into nitrogen to feed the plant.
Make Leaf Mold for Soil Conditioning
Leaf mold results from piles of fall leaves decomposing over time. It can happen naturally where you bypass raking, but if you plan to keep your yard tidy through the fall and winter you will need to designate leaf mold areas. Leaf mold breaks down to act as a soil conditioner, helping the soil retain more water. Leaf molds are also attractive habitats to beneficial insects such as earthworms.
To create a leaf mold pile, simply pile fall leaves in a low-lying area that won’t allow the leaves to easily blow away. Add leaves to a trash bag with a few vent slits,or create a three-wall shelter like a compost bin to coral the leaves. Once piled, spray down the pile with water, thoroughly dampening the grouping. Make sure there is moisture in the pile at all times to speed up the decomposition, and add water when necessary.
No other matter will need to be added through the process. The fungal process will take effect and create its magic.
Leaf mold will take 10 to 24 months to prepare thoroughly. To speed up the process you can do the following.
Use a rake to turn it over every so often to allow air to circulate
Place a tarp on the pile to increase moisture and humidity
Break down the size of leaves before adding to the pile to begin the decomposing process
Once the leaf mold has reached effectiveness, you can add to your beds by tilling/turning into the top layer of soil or around plants as a mulch. Leaf mold is a great potting medium for container plants because it helps to retain water.
Add Fall Leaves to Your Compost Pile for Nutrient-Dense Compost
Leaf molds and compost piles are not the same things.
Compost piles require nitrogen-rich greens and carbon-rich browns to create life-giving nutrients for plants. Leaf molds produce soil conditioner, not compost. Leaves are a great source of the carbon-rich browns needed to create “gardeners’ gold”. If you have gardened for any amount of time, you’ve likely heard the benefits of compost.
Waste not and want not are shared beliefs among gardeners. Rather than pay a lot of money in the spring (when you’d really rather buy new plants), prepare your leaves to act as key ingredients to healthy soil and a successful garden. This will save you money and feed your plants and soil the way forests have been since the beginning of time.
This article about using fall leaves to feed your soil was written for Hobby Farms magazine. Click here to subscribe.
