We recently received a copy of ‘How To Speak Chicken‘ by Melissa Caughey from Tilly’s Nest and we wanted to find out what inspired this unique and fascinating read. Melissa has kindly taken the time to explain what led her to write this book in our latest blogpost below:
“Never in a million years did I ever imagine myself keeping chickens nor did I ever think that I would write a book about chickens. Well, sometimes life takes you on some unexpected and surprising life changing journeys and for me and my family, keeping chickens was one of them. What started out as a way to provide free eggs for the family soon turned into a coop full of backyard pets.
It didn’t take long for me to realize that some chickens enjoyed spending time with me too. They would seek me out in the garden, dig in the same hole where I was planting a new flower and they would even come peek in the slider door as if to look for me to come out and play. I was enjoying their company as much as they were enjoying mine.
As I spent hours, days and now years watching them, I soon realized that chickens were more than just birdbrains. I wanted to figure out why they were doing certain things and what where they saying and eventually how their minds worked.
I guess it was that turning point that made me wonder, just like I had read books about understanding our dog, did such a book exist for chickens? There wasn’t a book, so I set off to write one. Writing the book was one of the best ways that I actually got to know my flock. I had plenty of “a-ha” moments during my research. I finally understood why my chickens were doing what they were doing and even saying what they were saying. Yes, I even delved into understanding their language and you know what, I have a chicken name and I bet you do too! Now I know my chickens definitely talk about me.
Writing How to Speak Chicken has allowed me to connect with so many chicken keepers across the globe and I’m here to share that no, you are not a crazy chicken lady or gentleman. What you think is happening might turn out to be true. As it turns out, chickens are quite smart.”
Melissa Caughey is the author of How to Speak Chicken and A Kid’s Guide to Keeping Chickens. She is a backyard chicken keeper, beekeeper, and gardener who writes the award-winning blog Tilly’s Nest. Caughey writes for HGTV, DIY Network, and Grit, Chickens, Community Chickens, and Country Living magazines, and she presents on chicken keeping at events across the country. She lives on Cape Cod, Massachusetts.
How to Speak Chicken is available to purchase on Amazon, just click here.
This entry was posted in Chickens
We recently got the chance to speak with Frau Dr. Sewerin, a German Vet who specialises in poultry. We asked her what her top tips were for keeping your hens happy in colder conditions, here’s what she had to say:
“Make sure the water does not freeze. To do this, place a thick, well-insulated bowl of warm water in a sheltered place, change the water on regular basis or get a water heater.
You should also make sure that there is a dry, snow-free place in the run. You can regularly mix leaves with some wheat grains so that the animals have something to pick. A dry corner with sandbathing possibility must not be missing. Different perching options should always be available during the day anyway, but especially in winter: this helps keeping their feet warm!
Depending on the circumstances, a windcover should be installed at chicken height so that the animals are somewhat protected. You can easily turn the Eglu run into a sheltered, snow-free area. There is are a range of weather protection covers available at Omlet or you could use simple greenhouse film, combined with bubble wrap. This way the run will be a few degrees warmer and windproof on the inside.
In order to help the chickens saving energy and make it a little bit more comfortable for them, you can get an extreme weather jacket for Eglu coops or use tinfoil as it can be found in emergency blankets. The dropping tray can be additionally insulated with an extra thick layer of straw or newspaper. But after all the easiest way is to use the Omlet extreme weather jackets which makes sure that there’s still a good insulation on the inside of the coop.
Pay special attention to the inside of the coop, because the exhalations of the excretions will otherwise accumulate quickly in the interior and irritate the respiratory tract. Good ventilation is also important to remove the humidity, so that the animals do not catch a cold.
A few extra vitamins in the form of fruits, vegetables and herbs can help the immune system. Also onions, garlic and leeks shredded with vegetables or mixed with “flavor enhancers” such as oatmeal, grated carrots, yogurt and oil are very popular.
Now is the ideal time to do a worming cure. If chickens are heavily infested with worms, it weakens them very much.”
If you’re thinking of upgrading your coop, now is the best time to do so. Here are some of the top benefits of having an Eglu plastic chicken coop vs a wooden one, particularly in winter:
- Eglu chicken coops and rabbit hutches do not absorb water so they don’t get heavy and remain easy to move.
- They don’t rot and don’t require painting with varnish or wood stains (also means that you don’t have to move pets out whilst you are waiting for the fumes to go.)
- They have insulation built in so remain warm.
- They have draft free ventilation so your pets wont get a nasty chilly breeze coming in.
- The door locks are made from heavy duty steel and wont break even in the freezing weather.
- The door handles are all made from plastic so your fingers won’t freeze to them.
- The door handles are nice and big so you can use them with gloves on.
- The water container is really quick to lift out so you can take it in at night to prevent it from freezing.
This entry was posted in Chickens
She’s got the keys and it looks as though Mrs Barbara is ready to move in… 1 more sleep until we can reveal Mr and Mrs Barbara’s new home. Who’s eggcited?! #MovingDay
This entry was posted in Chickens
Mr Barbara has followed the chickies and has managed to send us a clearer image of where they’re headed, he sounds very excited about it and can’t wait for you to see it.
“I can see clearly now”…..well not quite but almost there! Hang on, only 3 more days until the big reveal….
This entry was posted in Chickens
It appears as though our little chickies have seen something intriguing….can you work out what it is? Their camera can’t quite pick out the details from this far away but we hope to bring you some clearer images as they get closer over the next few days.
#WatchThisSpace
This entry was posted in Chickens
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