True stories of a small flock of remarkable individuals -- and other critters.



Sunday, January 30, 2011

chicken socks



I would if I could, but I'm not the knittin' type.  So instead, I put some straw, leaves, pine bedding down on the snow and in the run, to protect those delicate little toes.


More ideas :


Winter can get pretty dull for your darling ladies.
While some folks have mentioned the cabbage-on-a-string treat, 
my gals turn up their beaks at cabbage.  
They prefer:


kale-on-a-string... see that little  S-hook?  
You can make 'em yourself:
Always good to have a handful of  S-hooks around,  to hang that kale on the side of the run,  
Apple-on-a-string has become a winter favorite of Lucy and Pigeon (make some little slices in the apple, and sink the twine into them, to hold it tight)...Hanging keeps it out of the dirt and poo.


You'll need your handy  S-hooks for these cups:
I use these soda-bottle-cups for extra water and food.   Easy to take away the dirty ones and put out clean ones.    Chickens need extra water in winter, and having it in several locations ensures that they stay hydrated.
Got some firewood lying about? 
Nothing's more exciting than a new log in the coop!

Molting birds especially benefit from a little extra protein:
Freeze-dried mealworms, cheese, black oil sunflower seeds, cooked oatmeal  (all healthy in moderation)


So treat your flock, and watch them adore you even more!


(Got a good idea to promote chicken-happiness?  Please share!)


Okay. Now back to writing  "Kids and Chickens"....coming soon-















27 comments:

  1. Those are all great ideas for the winter!

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  2. I think that newly knitting crazy Lisa might make those socks! Clever S hooks - but obviously you don't have a rabbit in your run :)

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  3. I take a shovel full of dirt from the garden and put it in the run for the ladies. They love to scratch around in it!
    Also, I bought two (cheap) large flower pots and put nice, silty soil in it. They love to dust bathe in their flower pots!

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  4. great post as always!
    Sue

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  5. Check out this thread on my blog on giving the girls a hot meal every day. They love it!

    http://mountaingardengleanings.blogspot.com/2011/01/hot-meal-for-my-chickens.html

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  6. Hey Terry- thanks for thinking of me! I just saw this awesome new post- and thought the same thing: hmmmm- chicken socks.... LOL!

    Lauren- this is great! I especially love the apple on a string idea- brilliant!

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  7. I just found this blog. Love the art! And the fact that it's about chickens makes it perfect.

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  8. Somewhere I have a photo of a Bantam rooster perched on the back of one of my ewes standing in the snow. No dummie that rooster!

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  9. I use a large suet feeder and fill it full of veggies.. I'm going to try your apple treat on a string:) The girls are pretty bored now in the snow-maybe it will help entertain them for a while!

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  10. I'm storing all this information on chickens for when I have my own lovely little flock!!

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  11. Hi Lauren!
    Love those chicken socks! Great idea's by the way. My chickens love cottage cheese..it's messy but they love it. I just put it on a heavy sandwich plate and they peck away. My chickens pretty much free range a large area including my veggie garden. There is a fence protecting them from coyotes foxes and other critters and they have a large sheltered area besides their cozy coop. They also have access to our compost heap so they are HAPPY chickens. I'm getting a visual of chicken socks on my rooster Romeo ;) Hope you don't get buried under all that snow coming your way. It's just starting here in Kansas. Keep warm and stay safe!
    Maura :)

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  12. I saw your post over on the Chickens Facebook page so I just had to come visit! Love the socks and your blog is too cute for words :)

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  13. I was just looking for S hooks yesterday and couldn't find any! Thanks!

    Pigeon puts the mothering in the term "mother hen", doesn't she? What a sweety!

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  14. Great ideas. I feel bad for my girls too, and try to make their lives a little more bearable during this wicked winter. Love the illustrations... You are so talented!

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  15. Mine seem to like leftover strawberry smoothies and suet cakes.

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  16. I use one of those suet holders - carrot trimmings, stale bread, lettuce or sprouts past their prime; The Girls are stealing from the compost heap!! I also occassionally make too much porridge on a cold, snowy morning. They love it!

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  17. Love these ideas! I'm going to try the apple on a string. My favorite treat for my chickens(35 assorted hens, and numerous miscreant roosters) is Ramen noodles. They love to grab them and run around madly with the dangling curly noodle taunting all the others to chase! I also offer them Four Way, mixed grains with molasses, for a bit of variety. Or the pressed seed blocks sold for caged birds by the same token, which can be hung. Or a whole flake of alfalfa hay, which the hens love to scratch, peck, and otherwise dissect, leaving clean coop litter along with entertainment, roughage, protein, and lots of calcium for strong shells. It's just not as much fun to watch as Ramen, though :^)

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  18. I found your blog today and as per the suggestion at the top, decided to start from the beginning.

    I read everything in one sitting, this is an awesome blog with a wonderful, unique story and great pictures/ illustrations. It flows incredibly well. I hope I can get my own to such a lucid and entertaining point. Wonderful job!

    Also, I'd like to note that I had no specific knowledge/interest in chickens but now I'm following your blog and eagerly awaiting your next post. :)

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  19. Lauren,
    I'm so glad you found your way to Homestead Revival™ so I could find my way to YOU! What a charming blog you have here! I'm totally captivated. And your tips in this post are delightful. I can't wait to share it with my girls (the grown ones that read, not the small ones that peck!).

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  20. now, Im a knitter so I might get on the case of the chicken socks :)

    My girls as a treat LOVE lemon and thyme couscous on these cold winter mornings.... as I walk down the garden carrying the steaming bowl they act like punters at a Harrods Bargain sale, jostling to be first in line :)

    Found your amazing blob via.... I have no idea now lol a blob jumper thats me :)

    x

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  21. I don't keep chickens, but I wish I did. You have a wonderful blog here.

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  22. I LOVE your drawings. Wow.

    http://ficklecattle.blogspot.com/

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  23. Always looking for ways to entertain the girls. Mine don't really seem to like the cabbage either. I stuck kale into the fencing so they had to sort of peck at it. I have also been giving them wet cat food, they seem to need extra protein right now. Fun reading your blog!!

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  24. Oh dear--those socks are absolutely wonderful. Maybe next winter you can knit some :) Love the drawings, they are so happy!

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  25. Hi Lauren. I mention this post (specifically the S-hooks) on my post today about chickens.

    http://scrollwork.blogspot.com/2011/05/do-chickens-deserve-diapers-and-other.html

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  26. I came back to let you know I cited this post on my Funnarchist list at
    http://scrollwork.blogspot.com/2011/09/what-makes-you-listen-to-any-blog-above.html

    Congratulations on your award.

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  27. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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