Springtime is one of the happiest times of the year for chicken owners! Your chickens will start producing eggs and feeling active again after a chilly winter. Before you transition into spring and summer chicken care, you should help the chickens warm up to their typical routine. As you prepare for another busy year with your chickens, consider these tips to help prepare your chickens for spring.
Make the Transition Slowly
Though there is always an element of surprise in nature, sudden changes can shock your chickens and make them uncomfortable. Make sure you alter things slowly like chicken feed, coop temperature, and so on. When starting tasks earlier or changing the feeding schedule, take them back minutes at a time rather than a full hour or more.
If you use artificial lighting to help your chickens produce eggs in the wintertime, remove it little by little until it’s gone. The spring serves as a natural wake-up call to a chicken’s egg production after a dormant winter—they no longer need the artificial light.
Coop Maintenance
Your chickens aren’t the only creatures waking up in spring; the predators will make their rounds again, and they’re hungry! If you don’t ensure that your coop is a safe place for your chickens, you’ll put them at risk. Upgrade your coop security and make sure that your chicken run is safe for your hens.
Return to your warm-weather routine by putting these routine chicken coop maintenance tips from Lucerne Farms to good use as you poke around the coop for damage and bring yourself back up to speed. Spring is also the perfect time to deep clean the entire coop if you haven’t already!
Health Check-Ups
The health of your chickens is essential—not just because you care about their health, but also because you’ll be eating, using, and selling the eggs they’re making. Check the bases of their feathers and their scaly legs for mites. As you clean out the coop, look at their droppings to spot any signs of parasites. Finally, keep an eye out for abnormal behavior—a chicken acting unusually may be sick.
As chickens shift into egg-laying overdrive, a slow transition supported by tips to help prepare your chickens for spring will ensure that they’re healthy and productive. Keep your girls feeling safe in the coop and they’ll give you plenty of love in return.
