WELCOME TO CHICKENLANDIA OFFICIAL BLOG

Since October, I’ve been steadily working on my highly anticipated online course: Chickenlandia’s Backyard Chickens 101 – A Chicken Course for EVERYONE. Well, guess what? There’s finally a launch date! I’m proud to announce that the course will launch on March 2nd, 2021. Yep, you will finally be able to take the course and become the confident chicken keeper you’ve always dreamed of being. Get ready to go from newbie to expert in just a few hours!

There’s gonna be contests, there’s gonna be prizes, there’s gonna be people who WIN THE COURSE FOR FREE. If you don’t want to miss out on the fun, you need to be sure and follow me on Instagram. I’m so excited, I can barely cluckin’ contain myself!

I remember how confusing it was like researching chickens for the first time. I wanted to find credible information that was more natural and sustainable. I wanted to feel confident that whatever happened, I would have the tools I needed to care for my chickens in a meaningful way. Looking back, I now know that some of the information I initially trusted wasn’t credible. I regret that I had to go through so much trial and error, and I really don’t want to see that happen to other people or their chickens. That’s why I created a course that is interactive, fun, and full of credible information gathered from real-life experience and extensive research. I’ve been a Backyard Chicken Educator for almost ten years. I take a lot of pride in the content I deliver, and this course is no exception.

So hang on to your combs and wattles, because Launch Week is gonna be FUN. Make sure to share this event with your chicken-dreaming friends and family. And let me know what you’re excited about concerning Chickenlandia’s Backyard Chickens 101 – A Chicken Course for EVERYONE in the comments below!

Try this fun, stress free, approach to chicken keeping.

This is an exciting time for me. After almost a year of no in-person seminars, classes, or appearances, I’m pleased to announce that I will soon be offering a brand new online course titled Chickenlandia’s Backyard Chickens 101 – A Chicken Course for Everyone.

You may have heard me talking about this upcoming course on my podcast Bawk Tawk or seen it teased on my social media accounts. Right now, I’m steadily working on the curriculum and soon I will be shooting the accompanying video. It’s a lot of work but it’s also exhilarating because teaching is what I was born for, and now I can to do it on a much larger scale!

The way I teach about caring for chickens has changed a lot over the past year. Going through this pandemic has made me realize that my priorities as a backyard chicken educator needed to shift to accessibility and sustainability. You may think this is a no-brainer, but it’s actually quite the uphill battle. Somewhere along the line, we’ve created a way of keeping chickens that is complicated and exclusive to those who can afford it. I mean to change this. My goal through this course is to make EVERYONE’S chicken keeping experience fun, easy, and stress-free!

This 100% friendly course will teach you how to:

• Plan Your Flock
• Care for Baby Chicks
• Keep Baby Chicks Healthy Naturally
• Care for Adult Chickens
• House Adult Chickens
• Live in Harmony with Predators
• Keep Chickens through the Seasons
• Keep Chickens Healthy Naturally

There will be a fee for this course, but here’s the thing: it will likely be the cheapest it will ever be since this my first year offering it. Right now, we’re shooting for a launch date at the beginning of baby chick season 2021. Make sure you sign up for my mailing list for the latest news and when you can register. If you can’t afford it, please know that Chickenlandia is still dedicated to offering an abundance of free educational content through the Welcome to Chickenlandia YouTube Channel and the podcast Bawk Tawk.

I have a feeling that 2021 is going to be a great year. I aim to make it as chicken-y as possible for all the backyard chicken dreamers out there!

Do you know someone that needs to know about this upcoming course? Make sure to share this blog with them! 🙂

I hate to be a Debbie Downer, but one thing you will not see me doing is shouting “Welcome, Fall!” while wrapping myself in an oversized cardigan and sipping a pumpkin spiced latte. I can’t help it, I LOVE summer. And while I can appreciate the unmatched beauty of this time of year, I’m not so keen on mud in the run, feathers everywhere, zero eggs, and the possible return of mites or lice on my chickens. Thank goodness for Halloween (it’s my favorite besides Christmas)!

Making the Most of It

In an effort to un-invite myself to the pity party, I recently decided to take out the Chickenlandia-mobile and head to Michael’s, where I bought some super cute Fall decorations for my chicken coop. I also visited my local farm store for some mud-busting pine pellets, along with a few other things. You can watch my adventures here:

These Chickens Need Rogaine (Not Really)

‘Tis the season for not only falling leaves, but falling feathers. While any feather loss your chickens might be experiencing right now is likely just their annual molt, you will want to make extra sure there isn’t another reason. Here’s a video all about feather loss and what it could mean in your flock:

Bug Alert!

Guess what? Molting season is also MITE and LICE season! I know, I know, that’s not what you wanted to hear. I want you to be prepared with the knowledge of not only how to prevent these critters, but also how to treat them naturally should they infest your flock. Watch all about it here:

If I’ve learned anything this year, it’s that it’s best to try and find the silver lining in things. With the change in the seasons comes a new opportunity for growth, togetherness, and transformation. As we move into the colder months, may you find warmth in your family, friends, and chickens. <3 I know I will!

Disclaimer Notice: The content of the Welcome to Chickenlandia YouTube Channel, website, blog, vlog, podcast, and all social media is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional veterinarian advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Dependence on any information appearing on the Welcome to Chickenlandia YouTube Channel, website, blog, vlog, podcast, and social media sites is entirely at your own risk. Please do your own research and make your own informed decisions regarding the health of your chickens.

This blog post contains some affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases through those links.

2020, amiright?? What a year. And it’s not over. As if a reflection of the smoldering turmoil beneath the surface of our country’s soul, for the last couple of weeks areas of the Western United States have been engulfed in flames and/or covered in a blanket of suffocating smoke. It’s been scary, depressing, and just…too much. Enough already. Can we get a break?

As I write this, I’m painfully aware that my family is fortunate. Really, really fortunate. My heart hurts for all those that have been severely affected by these fires. Many have experienced unimaginable loss, and I just want to acknowledge that before I go on. I’m not comparing my suffering to yours and I see you.

I’m sure many of you can relate to feeling pretty helpless when it comes to protecting chickens from the harmful effects of wildfire smoke. During the worst of it, I was receiving desperate messages and getting tagged in panicked posts on social media, all while trying to help my own chickens and honestly not really knowing what to do. The one reliable way to help them was not accessible to me. With asthma and allergies in the family and chicken-eating dogs in the house, I couldn’t bring my whole flock inside. But that was the advice I read over and over: bring them inside, bring them inside. The guilt was palpable. If I can’t protect them, should I even have chickens?

The Action Plan

With yesterday’s clear day, I was finally able to come to terms with the fact that yes, of course, I should still have chickens. I was also able to sit down and put together a simple plan that includes some things my husband and I came up with as well as tidbits from my Holistic Vet Tech and our family’s licensed Homeopath. I know it’s too late for this year, but I’m hoping it can possibly help some of you in the future. So here goes:

Nutrition and Hydration

I’m always talking about how nutrition is important in avoiding a range of issues with your flock. The best course of action is to maintain good practices all year, which should include layer feed, healthy kitchen scraps (optional), a calcium supplement (oyster shell or crushed eggshells), and grit. You may also want to supplement some immune-boosting herbs, either from your own garden or a prepackaged brand.

Clean, cool water is super important year-round, but its priority is highest during heat waves and smoky conditions. Most of the time, I would suggest adding a splash of apple cider vinegar to the water to boost immunity and ward off pathogens. During heat waves and smoky days, however, I will instead add an electrolyte blend to their water. This will ensure good hydration for them during such a stressful time. Electrolyte, Vitamin, and Probiotic blends are available at your local farm store or online, or you can even make your own.

Fermenting or at least mixing in some water to their feed is a great idea during smokey days. Don’t add so much liquid that it becomes soupy (they don’t like that), but go for an oatmeal consistency. This is another way to keep them hydrated, and if you’re fermenting, it’s a good boost of nutrition.

Speaking of stress, I may also add a drop or two of Rescue Remedy to their water. Rescue Remedy is a homeopathic flower remedy that can help to take the edge off when needed. I always keep a bottle in my Chicken First Aid Kit. I also keep a bottle for myself!

Practical Actions

It’s a good idea to rinse your run down a few times a day during the peak of the smoky season. This will help to not only temporarily clear the air of smoke particles, but also dampen down the excess dust that can be harmful to your chickens’ lungs. My husband also suggested that I leave the hose on the “mist” setting in the run. I understand that this is expensive and not accessible to a lot of people, but I thought I would mention it. The mist helps to remove smoke particles from the air. It’s not a miracle but it did seem to improve the air in my run.

Natural Remedies

As most of you know, I’m a fan of natural remedies. This doesn’t mean I’m against standard medicine when needed, but when weighing the risks and benefits, I usually reach for holistic modalities first. I do have a few essential oils in my Chicken First Aid kit, and I did use them during the worst of the smoky nights and now while they are recovering. Eucalyptus, Peppermint, Lavender, and Thyme were my go-to oils. I don’t put essential oils on my chickens, but I will put several drops on a paper towel and hang it in the coop. I believe that it helped to freshen the air overnight and afterward when a few flock members were showing signs of mild respiratory problems.

Now that the smoke has cleared, I’ve noticed that a few of my chickens sound a little raspy and congested. This is to be expected because it was a good seven days of very low-quality air. After a call to my homeopath, she suggested that some watery, cooked oatmeal mixed with yogurt would be a good temporary supplement for my flock. Oatmeal is not something that I recommend very often, as it can be hard on their digestive tract due to its binding properties. But in this acute situation, her reasoning was that both cooked oatmeal and yogurt are mucous-producing foods that can help moisten irritated mucous membranes. She also suggested the homeopathic Euphrasia, 30c potency. Euphrasia is a remedy often given to allergy sufferers with irritated eyes and sinus passages, so it makes sense in this case. It’s best to give it two to three times a day, just two pellets in their refreshed water. Give it for two days. If they aren’t showing any signs of sinus irritation, don’t give them the homeopathic.

If you have a chicken or chickens that are really just not doing well, please follow my support care protocol, the R.E.S.T. method (press the play button below for more information on that). You may also get some valuable information from this video about chicken respiratory illness. Of course, with any chicken ailment, the best course of action would be to seek the care of a licensed veterinarian.

I hope this smoke clears for you, both literally and figuratively. We can get through this, with our flocks, and with each other.

Disclaimer Notice: The content of the Welcome to Chickenlandia YouTube Channel, website, blog, vlog, podcast, and all social media is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional veterinarian advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Dependence on any information appearing on the Welcome to Chickenlandia YouTube Channel, website, blog, vlog, podcast, and social media sites is entirely at your own risk. Please do your own research and make your own informed decisions regarding the health of your chickens.

I live in a subdivision a few blocks outside the city limits. When the neighborhood was built the plan was for it to be under the control of a Homeowner’s Association. Luckily for me, the HOA never developed. If it had, I likely would not be able to keep chickens on my small lot and Chickenlandia would only exist in a parallel universe. How sad would that be?

Being grateful.

I’m pretty grateful for what I have, but there are times when I get a twinge of envy toward those who’s chickens get to graze on large pieces of land. Are my chickens missing out nutritionally because they aren’t pasture-raised? Is my family missing out on the extra nutrition we know is present in pasture-raised eggs? Unfortunately, the answer is yes.

Studies have shown that pasture raised hens produce eggs with more nutrition than those laid in confined areas. Of course, I’m not running a factory farm here (eww) and my chickens do get lots of nutrition in their diet in comparison, but what if I could give them some of what they’re missing because they don’t have access to pasture? Enter sprouted grains and seeds.

It’s so easy.

Let’s talk about how cluckin’ easy it is to grow sprouts. If you have a fairly small flock like mine, here’s all you need:

1. A Jar
2. A Lid with Mesh Insert or another lid with small holes
3. Seeds or Grains
4. Water

And that’s it!

The process is super easy, I promise. Another BIG PLUS is that it can save you some money on your feed bill. Check out these easy instructions:

Do you think this is something you would like to do for your flock? Let me know in the comments!

There’s a saying in the chicken-keeping world: A chicken coop is never done. It truly does seem that no matter how long you’ve had chickens, you’re never really done adding things, fixing things, and making things better. You can definitely see this process in Chickenlandia by checking out some of my older videos compared to my newer ones.

Is this even real?

Every time I think I’ve reached epic fabulousness with a new hack or project, I’m delighted to discover additional ways to take it to the next level. For instance, I recently watched this video from my friends over at Old Redding Farm about a SKY BRIDGE they built for their chickens. That’s right, folks. A SKY BRIDGE. How cluckin’ extra is that? You have to watch to believe:

I’m jealous of these skillz.

Maybe someday I will build something similar for my chickens, but for now, I’ll just stew in jealousy LOL. The same can be said for another totally extra project I recently discovered my friend Kira embarking on. Over at her channel Homestead Dreaming, she created “chunnels” for her chickens. If you’re not familiar with what those are, they’re basically predator-proof tunnels your chickens can roam into new territory through. Check out her video here:

No shame in my chicken game!

Of course, this blog post wouldn’t be correct without a shoutout to my own chicken-fabulousness. Last year, my awesome friends Julie and Kris create some chicken salad bars for me. And no, I’m not talking about eating chicken salad, I’m talking about your chickens having their own fresh salad right in their chicken yard! That’s right, you can actually grow things in your chicken yard without them completely demolishing it in seconds. I call it pasture raising without pasture and it IS possible. Check out what I mean here:

What about you? What TOTALLY EXTRA things have you created for your chickens? Let me know in the comments!

I don’t hatch many new baby chicks in Chickenlandia. Since I focus primarily on rescuing adult chickens, fuzzy new babies just aren’t a yearly occurrence here. Yet, as a backyard chicken educator, I’m all too familiar with some of the issues that can occur with new hatchlings. Two very common and concerning problems are splayed leg (aka spraddle leg) and curled toes.

Splayed legs and/or curled toes can occur both when a mother hen hatches out babies or when eggs are hatched in an incubator. Sometimes, these conditions are caused by vitamin deficiencies present in the mother and/or father. Other times, something has gone wrong during incubation (which can also lead to developmental issues and/or vitamin deficiency). There are also instances where a chick may come out with no apparent issue but does not have enough traction in their environment to develop correctly. Regardless of the reason, it’s just so sad to see a baby chick suffer.

Starting out Right

First off, I want you to be sure to offer your new chicks bedding with good traction. If you’ve watched my video Raising Baby Chicks the Chickenlandia Way, or taken any of my in-person classes, then you know that my recommendation for their first few days is good old fashioned paper towels. Not only do paper towels provide great traction for developing legs and feet, but it’s also easier for chicks to find their feed and grit when sprinkled about the brooder. For more, watch this video:

If you have a baby chick that arrives with splayed legs or curled toes, it’s safe to say that there was an issue long before they got to you. Your best course of action will be to focus on both physical therapy and a solid nutritional plan. Along with a good quality non-medicated feed (medicated feed can affect a chick’s absorption of Thiamin, which you don’t want), I recommend vitamin therapy with a product called Nutri-Drench. It’s not quite as natural as other products I use, but you just can’t beat its effectiveness. I recommend administering it undiluted at least three times a day. The other chicks can drink it diluted in their water (follow the directions on the bottle).

Your Action Plan

The most common physical therapy used for splayed legs and/or curled toes is to create a makeshift splint using a bandage or tape. The idea is, after a certain time of forcing the legs or toes into the correct position, the problem will correct itself.

I know this method has worked for a lot of people and I’m certainly not against it, but when I’ve done it this way I’ve found the method cumbersome to the chick. That’s why I was so delighted when my friend Stacie from the YouTube Channel Chicken Hues posted this video about a “glass method”. With a small glass for physical therapy and Nutri-Drench for vitamin therapy, she got amazing results (and so did the chicks!).

Sometimes, no amount of treatment will correct a difficult case of splayed leg and/or curled toes. As chicken keepers, we learn quickly that from time to time our best efforts can’t defy nature. Chickens are so resilient, though, and It’s not unheard of for them to live a fine life with these abnormalities. For those times when their little life is not meant to be, it’s good to know they were loved while they were with us.

Have you ever dealt with splayed leg or curled toes in a baby chick? What was your experience like? Let me know in the comments!

As I’m writing this, we are coming toward the end of the strangest baby chick season I’ve ever experienced as a Backyard Chicken Educator. If you’re reading this from the future, it’s May 30th, 2020. This is the year the pandemic hit. And though I was unable to teach any classes or do any seminars in person, it’s been my busiest time ever.

I’ve seen a lot of criticism regarding the people who “panic bought” baby chicks recently. But in a time when it’s really hard to see a silver lining, I’m seeing one in the surge of new chicken keepers. If you’re someone who is just starting out, congratulations! I welcome you to Chickenlandia, and I hope I can help you have the best backyard chicken experience ever. <3

Is it Now or Never?

Since I haven’t been able to teach classes in person for quite some time, I’m pretty grateful for the opportunity to create content on my YouTube Channel, as well as my new online course: Chickenlandia’s Backyard Chickens 101 – a Chicken Course for Everyone. To get a sample of my teachings, I decided to put some free baby chick videos in order for you right here. Let’s begin with whether or not NOW is the best time for you to get chickens:

Be Prepared

If you’ve decided when you are getting baby chicks, let’s talk about what you need BEFORE you bring them home:

Emergencies

They don’t happen often, but when they do, it’s great to have a plan. Check out this video for my Sick Chick Action Plan:

Learn More

Are you wanted a more comprehnsive guide to caring for baby chicks as well as adult chickens? Whether you’re just getting started or looking to up your chicken game, Chickenlandia’s Backyard Chickens 101 – A Chicken Course for Everyone is for you! Click here for more information.

On this week’s Bawk Tawk live YouTube show and Podcast, I received a question regarding the top items I would suggest for new chicken keepers. Aside from the obvious (food, water, shelter), I also spoke about the importance of having a chicken first aid kit handy. Soon, I’ll be posting a video about my own Chicken First Aid Kit. But for now, I suggest doing a simple google search and checking out the top blogs for items to add to your kit (they are almost all the same).

I did talk about something in my first aid kit that not many folks suggest. I’m a long time user of homeopathy for myself and my family, which includes my beloved chickens. While I am not a licensed homeopath (or a veterinarian, for that matter), I have been practicing homeopathy for twenty-five years, and I’ve seen it work too many times to deny it’s credibility.

I have five homeopathic remedies that I would suggest for any beginner chicken keeper who is interested in this modality. I listed them in my live show and podcast, but in my nervousness (yep, it happens when I’m live LOL) I failed to mention what some of them are indicated for! Here they are WITH their indications listed:

Aconite Napellus, 30c: Use for sudden fear or shock, sudden chill, trauma, or when illness comes on suddenly.

Antimonium Crudum, 30c: Use for a chicken with obvious respiratory issues, specifically if there is rattling in the nasal passages or chest.

Arnica Montana, 30c: Use for shock, injury, bruising, swelling, pain.

Arsenicum Album, 30c: Use for ease in dying, especially if the chicken is in distress.

Carbo Vegetabilis, 30c: Use this as a last resort if your chicken appears to be extremely ill, toes curled, and near death. Can also be used for some respiratory issues.

Gelsemium, 30c: Use for a chicken who seems to have “given up”, is lethargic, won’t eat, and depressed.

I also want to mention something I didn’t include in my live show and podcast. It’s called PRID, and it’s a homeopathic drawing salve that I’ve heard from some reliable sources works great for bumblefoot. It’s a human-grade product that you can find on amazon and possibly your local Walmart.

IMPORTANT NOTE: You’ll notice that on the homeopathic vials, there will be other indications listed that may not match the ones I listed above. The companies that make homeopathics put a short list of indications on them, but any remedy has a number of uses, and it’s impossible to list them all on the vials.

As for dosing, I suggest placing one pellet into a small glass of water, then putting some of the water into a needle-less syringe. Give the chicken one dose by placing a few drops on the side of their beak and letting it drip into their mouth. Even if they are not actively drinking, if a drop gets into their mouth, that is a proper dose. Watch your chicken closely for improvement. You can dose again in a few hours and observe. If you see any change for the better, stop dosing and don’t dose again unless the chicken backslides. If the chicken gets worse or shows no improvement after a couple of doses, it’s probably not the right remedy. Stop dosing in that instance. <3

I know homeopathy isn’t for everyone, but I wanted to share what works for me. Is there something in your chicken first aid kit that you would like to share? Let me know in the comments!

Disclaimer Notice: The content of the Welcome to Chickenlandia YouTube Channel, website, blog, vlog, and all social media is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional veterinarian advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Dependence on any information appearing on the Welcome to Chickenlandia YouTube Channel, website, blog, vlog, and social media sites is entirely at your own risk. Please do your own research and make your own informed decisions regarding the health of your chickens.