Weekend Chicken
We stopped at the local Tractor Supply recently and picked up a bunch of additional supplies for the chickens. Here is what we selected:
— A feed scoop for measuring out daily chicken food and scratch feed. This item will be kept in the feed bin. I was previously using an old dish but this is much more organized.
— Mealworm treats (I picked up the Flock Party treats at TS but linked below these ones which appear similar on Amazon). I plan on using these treats to call the chickens in and/or when we are otherwise handling them. Overall, they have been pretty good about putting themselves in the coop once it gets dark.
— Chicken feeding dishes for food and snacks. I have currently been using old pie pans for food but needed a few more for the various “free choice” items, including treats, fresh cut grass, scratch feed, crushed oyster shell, etc. FYI: I lean toward a heavier weight feed plan that the chickens cannot turn over. I also use the Harris Farm hanging feeder linked below which keeps the chicken feed from collecting on the ground of the run. That said, chickens do enjoy scratching their food on the ground.
— 3 x 25 feet of green garden fence to make an exterior pen outside the fully enclosed chicken run. I might end up picking up more of this to further enlarge pen area. This material is nice as it is flexible and we can easily roll up in order to mow but can put up when we want chickens to have additional space to roam.
— Plastic (or metal) fence posts on which to attach the garden fence. FYI: there are built in hooks on these particular posts on which to attach the garden fence.
— Coop Refresher / I picked this up on Chewy.com as linked below. After I cleaned the coop this weekend, I sprinkled a bit on the coop floor and then put the bedding (fresh pine shavings) over top. I also sprinkled on a few muddy areas in the outdoor run. While I only have used once this mineral based material is supposed to act to neutralize any odors which it appeared to do so.
— Manna Pro Oyster Shell / I am not feeding this just yet but will do so soon as it is a good source of calcium for strong eggshells.
— Manna Pro Organic Chicken Layer Pellets / I am not feeding this yet but will do so over the next few months to help with strong eggshells. (Organic, non-medicated, and free of pesticides).
Thanks for stopping by, X.
Gabriella