As Fall approaches, you may be wondering what you need to do to prepare your flock for fall.
Preparing Your Chicken Coop
As the weather gets cooler, is it important to ensure that your coop has no leaks in the roof or any entry point for water. Inspect your coop for holes, wood that may be rotted, and make sure that roost bars are still sturdy.
Check that all doors and entries can still close or latch. If you have an automatic door in your coop, it is important to look at wires to ensure they are still working properly.
Preparing Your Chickens
Fall is usually when chickens molt, which means they need feed with high nutrition and protein. Their feed should have at least 20-25% protein for the duration of the process. You can also give your flock protein-rich treats including:
- Raw Nuts
- Mealworms
- Tuna Fish
- Peas
- Cooked Meat
For more tips on caring for molting chickens and what to expect check out our chicken molting article.
Additionally, it is important to check your flock for parasites and lice. Check your flock’s feathers thoroughly. Catching these pests early will help your chickens through their molt, as well as their long-term health.
Clean!
Doing a thorough coop cleaning is recommended, especially while the weather is still nice and warm. This also gives you a chance to inspect for any signs of insects or rodents, holes/leaks that may be allowing water into the coop, or structural issues with the coop. Taking care of these things now will save you frustration later!
Additionally, molting creates a mess. So cleaning before your chicken’s molt allows you to do less cleaning than if you hadn’t cleaned prior to their molt.
Water
Cold weather = frozen water. Keeping fresh water available is crucial for keeping your chickens healthy. There are a few ways to make sure that water doesn’t freeze. You can bring waterers inside at night, or fill pitchers from your house and bring them out to refill water in the morning.
What are your chicken care tips? Let us know in the comments!
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