Home Best Bedding for Chickens? Deciding on bedding for your chickens can be a difficult and confusing decision, with many options available. From pine shavings, sand, recycled paper and grass clippings, each option comes with its own set of applications. We have compiled the best chicken bedding options out there and covered the key topics that frequently confuse poultry owners such as bedding for chicks and what to use in winter. Let’s get stuck in! Why The Right Chicken Bedding Is Crucial The right Bedding is essential for a number of reasons. It provides comfort and warmth, but most ..read more

Home How much do chickens weigh? As with all animals, it’s important for your chickens to not be too fat or too thin. Being underweight or overweight can be a sign of, or can cause serious illness. Keeping them at the right weight will ensure they stay healthy and happy, and that you’ll never be short of delicious eggs. But how do you know what a healthy weight is for your birds? How much does a hen weigh? No two chickens are the same of course, and average weights vary between breeds.  Typically, standard adult hens should be between 2.5kg and 4kg. Bantams (smaller chickens) are u ..read more

Home Can Chickens Live Alone? Usually, when you hear people talk about having chickens, it’s in the plural. Not just one chicken. But what if you’re limited by cost or space and don’t want to squeeze multiple birds into a small area? Or perhaps you had a few birds but most have died leaving one left on its own. Read on to eggsplore your options and help you decide what’s best for you and your feathered friend(s). Do chickens get lonely? In short, yes. Chickens naturally flock together for warmth and comfort, for company, and when they are stressed or frightened. They are generally very so ..read more

Home Do Chickens Have A Sense Of Smell? Yes, chickens have a sense of smell. Scientists are still researching this sense not only in order to understand how chickens use their sense of smell, but also in order to understand the behavior of other birds which are more difficult to study because they are not domesticated. Scientists have found that chickens prefer smells they are familiar with throughout their life. This may be why chickens are picky about changes in the type of bedding used in their coop and sometimes refuse to eat when you change the type of feed. Chickens may also use ..read more

Home Can Chickens Swim? Chickens are equipped to swim for short periods of time, but are not good swimmers and can easily drown if left in a body of water for more than five or ten minutes. Chickens do not have waterproof feathers, so they will become waterlogged and the weight will pull them down. If you are concerned that your chickens are too hot in the summer you can put them in a shallow kiddie pool or pan of water that is low enough that they can easily stand and fly out when they are done Do Chickens Like Getting In Water? No, chickens with access to bodies of water are not know ..read more

It’s been a couple of months since our last Chicken of the Month but here are the results of the final one of 2021. A December special and it’s fair to say that those lovely chickens getting into the Christmas spirit got the most votes. Here are the top 3, in reverse order. 3rd place went to Fagin with Christmas jumper owned by Jodie Fawcett   Runner up was this beauty (with a beard to rival Santa) owned by Kiera Ellen.   And the winner was …. Ruff a young Buff Orpington from Nicola Hutchinson Well done to everyone who entered, voted and to the finalists and the winners. Keep an e ..read more

Available NOW. Our best ever, self-calibrating, upgraded ChickenGuard Premium is now available We’re so confident that chicken keepers will love the new features that make our ChickenGuards even more reliable and secure than before, that we offer a 3 year warranty on all our products.   Check out the new range of auto chicken coop door openers here. 1. Multiple Power Sources  There’s now even more choice – to power using a DC plug as well as batteries and USB. The new battery warning light is visible from 100 meters away, perfect for those darker mornings and nights. 2. Automati ..read more

Here is a fabulous “not to be missed” prize – a brand spanking new Chicken Coop for your hens worth a whopping £549 made by the brilliant people at Henlays Animal Products. The coop is “perfect for poultry, perfect for people and perfect for the planet” because it’s made from 100% recycled plastic. PLUS the winner will receive the very latest ChickenGuard Premium, which is now self-calibrating, has an auto-stop feature AND can be powered by USB, battery or mains. Should you be lucky enough to win, you’ll be one of the first people in the UK to own ..read more

Wow. A really close vote this month. So much so that we have a tie for second place. But there was a winner. Here are the winners in reverse order, starting with the two who tied for second place. The first runner up was, Jess Noon’s photo of Geraldine going for a morning walk.    Joint second place went to Laura Murphy with this photo of her Chicken Linda and her daughter Rhiannon     But the winner this month was …. Eggnog, with her first hatched    Well done to everyone who entered, voted and to the finalists and the winners. Keep an eye out for our next Chi ..read more

We really should have done this sooner. But better late than never. Tales from the Coop – Introducing the ChickenGuard Chicken Family. Update – 1st October 2021 We have names for the new drakes. We had loads of suggestions when we did a shoutout for names over on social media. Thanks to you all for your suggestions. Special thanks to Lisa Mucha Vargo who was our favourite. So now they are called, Cheese and Quackers.   Update – 29th September 2021 Such sad news, but Cheepy has passed away. A sad loss to us all and she will be sorely missed in the coop. RIP Cheepy.   Introducing – 8t ..read more