Nesting boxes are a recent addition to my vintage 1920’s era chicken coop. Tired of retrieving eggs from plastic-totes-turned-nesting-boxes (which had a tendency to migrate across the floor of the coop!), I mounted permanent nesting boxes that could be accessed without climbing into the coop. Along the way, I used a few cheats to…
Chickens are hardy birds that adapt well to a wide range of temperatures if given the resources needed to keep themselves warm. In this article we’ll talk about a few basic ways to winterize your chicken coop, a few unique ideas to help your birds stay toasty through the coldest months, and how to…
When most of us start decorating for Christmas, we usually just decorate typical things: putting up a Christmas tree, placing a wreath on the door, and perhaps putting outdoor lights on our house. But the chicken coop in your yard can be a fun spot to add cheer and Christmas decorations too! As Americans…
Last Updated: Good chicken-coop landscaping includes a balance of well-chosen vegetation with foliage-friendly coop management practices. In this article, I’ll be reviewing the creative planting methods we use at Hawk Hill as well as the trial-and-error-proven plants we’ve come to use in and around our coop year after year. List of Recommended Plants for In…
Lately I am enjoying more photography and appreciation of small delights around Hawk Hill. In this spring “Favorite Things” posts I got herb bouquets, art, and kittens. I’ve been trying to be more intentional about appreciating less glamorous things as beautiful- enter these sage blossoms and fennel fronds. Hardly standouts in the garden, they made…
I raised 35 meat birds this spring and in order to keep things civil in the 100 year old coop I renovated for my laying hends, I decided to construct a small, portable chicken tractor. I had just a few basic goals for my coop: I thought about it for a few weeks, then plotted…
If you’ve ever fussed with heat lamps, cold drafts, warm days risking overheating, and tiny baby chicks in a brooder, you know how frustrating the brooding process can be – and finding a hen to adopt your chicks and do the temperature regulation for you becomes a tempting idea. When one of my hens became…
You might be surprised to learn that watermelon plants love growing on a trellis! Although the tendrils of a watermelon vine aren’t strong enough to search out and climb a vertical support on their own, with a little bit of human help, watermelons thrive when grown off the ground. Growing watermelon up a trellis…
Last Updated: Our farm has long been home to chickens. Often they spend daylight hours free-ranging, but for various reasons, many days the chickens stay confined to their 100 year old coop and a 10 foot by 12 foot fenced run. Early in my experience of chicken keeping, I was frustrated by chickens pulling up…
