It comes with an instruction manual, batteries, a power supply ( in case you want to plug it into the wall), and all of the hardware you need to install it onto your coop. My first install was on one of those cattle-panel hoop coops. Thus, I had to make a wooden frame to mount it to. Below is the video about my install, programming, and final thoughts concerning the product. I hope you watch it and like it.

In case you didn’t watch the video, I’ll go over the highlights here. At first I wasn’t sure I would like it. It opened different and was made of plastic. However, the product won me over when I realized I had a lot more control over how and when it opens. My old door could be programmed, but you had to use their app and that is a bit inconvenient. With the Chickcozy Automatic Chicken Door, I just push a few buttons and it’s done. Also, the safety switch is very light. If you have a young chicken, it still will not hurt them if they are in the way of the door closing. I have very young chicks in with my hens and I don’t have any issues or concerns.

The installation was a breeze, even with the framing I had to do to install it. If you have a wooden coop, all you have to do is make sure it has the proper sized opening and screw the door to your coop. Next, either put the batteries in, or plug it in to a wall outlet (your choice). That’s it. I monitored the opening and closing and although it comes pre-programmed from the factory, I still had to adjust the light intensity that triggers it. I wanted it to open earlier in the morning, so I had to lower the number for the opening of the door. If you want to learn how to do that, just watch the video above.

When you first wake up your screen, it will show you the next mode of operation, and the percentage of battery life you have left (another great feature). It has 3 modes: Manual, Time, and Light. The light mode is what it will be set at from the factory. In the light menu it tells you what the light sensor is reading right now. That is awesome because it helps you determine what to set the opening and closing numbers at. Just remember that once the number reaches your setting, it still won’t open for 20 minutes from that time. You can also add more minutes to that if you want, but it has a 20-minute delay at the very least to keep it from being triggered by a flashlight or a perimeter motion sensor light, or anything else. In Time mode, you set the time and it has then an internal clock that keeps track of the time. It doesn’t calculate daytime savings time, so you will have to reprogram the time when necessary if you live in that area of the U.S. Next, you will have to tell it what time you want it to open and close. The Factory settings are at 6:30 am it will open and 7:00 pm it closes, but you can change it to whatever you want. Then there is the Manual mode. Pretty self-explanatory. You just push the OK button when you want to open or close the door.

Final thoughts? Well, I have only tried the two Automatic Chicken Doors, but so far, I’m sold on the Chickcozy Door. It’s easy to program and you can tweak it to open exactly when you want it to open. For me, that is what I need. And with that, comes peace of mind that they are safe and secure. If you would like to get one of your own, here is my affiliate link. By using it, you’re thanking me for writing about it and making my video about it. And I thank you for using it. Here it is: https://chickcozy.com/mark

I hope you found this informative and helpful, and if you would like to check out their Social Media, here are the links. Just click on the appropriate icon below.

The post Chickcozy: A Little Bit Above The Competition appeared first on Mom Blog Society.

So, here on the farm, you use what you have. You don’t go to the store and buy brand new stuff until you have to. Instead, you use materials that are lying around, or leftovers from old projects. This was my mind-set when my chicken tractor began. I wanted a chicken tractor that would last and not fall apart while being moved around.. Long story short, … my chicken tractor is heavy. Much heavier than the traditional Chicken Tractor. And I wasn’t intending to put my ChickLift to the test, but here we are. I do not have a Joel Salatin, nor a John Suscovich style chicken tractor, but I am sure that this ChickLift would work very well for either one. My Chicken Tractors are a pretty unique style Chicken Tractor, and heavier than normal Chicken Tractors. If you would like to see more of either one of my tractors, just leave me a comment and I will see what I can do. For now, here is a video I put together that highlights them.

My lighter tractor is much easier for me to maneuver. I can raise it by just stepping on it and I can pull it without any machinery. After having these Tractors, I can’t imagine ever wanting to have a stationary coop. Sure, I have to move it, but I never have to clean anything. Moving even the heavy coop only takes about 5 minutes and that is only because I use my tractor and I have to go to the barn and get it started and to the job site; hook up the coop, drag it, and put the tractor away. With the light coop, it’s 1-2 minutes and done. I suppose you could say that I spend as much time a year moving the Tractors as someone else does in cleaning their coop, and you are probably right. However, my chickens are on fresh grass every day, and I don’t have to breathe the dust to clean out the coop. I also do not have the expense of bedding for them. For me, it is a good fit.

I have shared my experience with ChickLifts and they have graciously given me an Affiliate link that I would like to ask you to use. Here is the link: https://www.chicklifts.com/?ref=lakotagrandpa. It will allow me the opportunity to make a few bucks, and they also gave me a Promo-Code so that you can get 20% off on your purchase! It’s a win-win situation for both of us. To get one of their products, just click on this link: ChickLifts. When you go to checkout, enter the Code: MOMBLOG20 and you will receive a 20% discount on your purchase.

I hope you found this informative and if you would like to see more or just have an inquiry, leave a comment and I will get back to you as soon as I can.

Take care, and see you next time…

The post ChickLifts After A Few Months Of Service appeared first on Mom Blog Society.

I had an issue with my feeder. Nothing that you might expect, so bear with me. The instructions tell you that your chickens won’t instinctively know that there is food inside. You have to teach them to use it. There are two tiers of holes in the side. The first week you use the top holes so that the door stays open and your chickens can see the feed. And as you might have guessed, they’re very inquisitive. So now your chickens know where the food is. On the second week, you use the second tier of holes. Now the motion of the lid moves about half the distance. Then on week three, you don’t use any of the holes and the full motion is made to open the door. Now we get to the issue I had. You see, chickens are normally fearful of things that are moving around them, and that’s a good thing. That’s how they stay alive. However, now I just want them to eat. Well, once I got to week three, they wouldn’t eat. Just as soon as the lid would start to rise, they took off. So, I contacted Grandpa’s Feeders, and someone in their staff told me to do week one again and then week two. I really didn’t want to start over. That’s when they suggested putting a counterweight on it. I liked that idea. I decided to go through week two again (using the bottom holes). I duct taped a piece of metal on the step. After one week, I wasn’t using any of the holes, but I left the weight on it for an additional week. After that I removed the weight and now, as you can see, they use it without a problem. It’s just a small inconvenience to teach them to use it, but so worth it! Now I don’t have to worry about birds, mice, or rats eating any of their feed. Below is a video or them using it:

Other than my hens taking a couple of extra weeks to get used to the feeder, I have had no problems. And just because I had that problem doesn’t mean you will. As you can see, they have no problem using it now. The containers are made of sturdy metal. I have both the Standard Size and the Large Size, and both of them are solid. There are no parts that I would consider to be flimsy. I only weigh 160 pounds, but I can sit on them with no problem. Since I have both feeders, I just take a bag of feed at a time and dump it in. That makes it easier and faster for me. And like I have stated before, I’m not feeding all of the birds and rodents in the area. The feeders also have a screen inside to keep them from scratching or pecking feed out onto the ground. I also want to include this piece of information; Avian Flu is out there. Do you know where it comes from? Wild Birds, so if they are finding feed on the ground or are able to get into the feeders, they will. This increases your odds of one of your birds (or the whole flock) contracting it. As if the rodents weren’t bad enough. Anyways, if they aren’t habitually visiting your flock, there is a less  likelihood that you will have an issue with it. Just one more reason I like this feeder…

Sorry, this article went on longer than I thought it would. But I wanted you to know that this product was well thought out, and made to last. If you would like to purchase one for yourself, here is the link: Grandpa’s Feeders. It isn’t an affiliate link. I don’t get any kick-backs for recommending this product. It is just a product that I believe in. And apparently they believe in it as well. Otherwise they wouldn’t offer you A 24 Month 100% Money Back Guarantee!

And if you would like to look into their Social Media Pages, just click on the appropriate icon below. Maybe I’ll see you there… Take care, and do your homework before you buy. Grandpa’s feeders saves me time and money. You can’t go wrong with that!

The post Grandpa’s Feeders – Saving You Time And Money appeared first on Mom Blog Society.

Remember, we will never ask you for any payment or credit card information, so if you are ever contacted by someone concerning this Giveaway, and they ask you for any type of payment for anything, it isn’t us and it is a scam! The winner will be contacted through our email and we will need your address, but we will not ask you for payment for shipping or anything else. Please be aware and safe!

Okay, let’s take a look at one of their feeders. Nice feeder, wouldn’t you say? Made sturdy to withstand the constant abuse from your chickens. It is made of metal, not plastic that can age and become brittle and break. Also with plastic feeders, the rodents can chew through them. Grandpa’s Feeders are an all metal construction. No rodent is going to chew through that! And just so you know, Grandpa’s Feeders have withstood the test of time. Grandpa’s Feeders have been made for over 25 years, and have probably the best warranty of any chicken feeder on the market. They confidently offer a 100%, 24-month money-back guarantee. 2 years? Now that’s a guarantee! Do you know of any other company that offers that? If so, let me know in the comments, because I want to know.

If you have Chickens, you are going to have to feed them. Now, you can just throw their feed on the ground and your chickens will eat. You can also use a bowl or a gravity feeder, but you will also be feeding and attracting mice, wild birds, rats, raccoons, bears, opossums, and no telling what else. Usually it is the rodents that will eat a lot of your feed. Like all animals, if it is an easy meal, they will remember it and return over and over and possibly bring their friends with them. Grandpa’s Feeders is the perfect way to stop that from happening. Since the rodents aren’t able to access the food, they will find an easier meal somewhere else. With Grandpa’s Feeders you will be feeding your chickens only and you won’t be attracting unwanted pests. Now, I have to say, if you leave your feeder out in the open where all animals can access it,  there is the possibility that raccoons, bears, and opossums are going to get into it. But since you will be protecting your chickens from predators, I’m sure you will have your feeder in the coop or run so that only your chickens can access it.

The feeder has a platform, and when your chickens step on the platform, it lifts the lid of the feed bin allowing your chickens to feed. When your chicken steps off, it closes up. Pretty cool if you ask me. I also want to explain the fact that your chickens aren’t going to instinctively know that there is food inside, nor do they know that they can step on the platform to access their food. It is something that you are going to have to teach them. Lucky for me, Grandpa’s Feeders has already devised a systematic way to acclimate your chickens to the process. It takes a total of 3 weeks to get them using the feeder. Week one, the feeder is wide open so that the chickens can see the feed. It worked best for me to place the new feeder where the old one was. I removed the old feeder so that the only way for them to eat is in the new feeder. Week two, the feeder is half open. This way your chickens get used to the motion of the opening feed bin when they stand on the platform. They will learn that it doesn’t hurt them and soon use it without being scared. Week three, your done. Remove the bolt that holds the feeder half open and now your chickens will get used to the fact that it opens all the way. There is a little bit of a learning curve, but it has only been two weeks up until this point. All it takes is for one of your chickens to use it and the rest of them learn from that one. By now they are used to feeding there, and they know that their food is in there, so it may take them a little time to feel safe with the full movement (just like when they were getting used to the half movement. Soon they will be using it as if they have had it all their lives. If you add more chickens into your flock, they will also learn from the other chickens on how to use it. Now you are able to use it for years to come. And if you are like me, you started out with a Standard Feeder. But, you can always upgrade to the larger feeder and they already know how to use it, so you won’t have to teach them again. Oh, didn’t I mention the Larger Feeder?

Well, Grandpa’s Feeders also has a Large Chicken Feeder. It holds twice as much feed as the Standard Feeder. The Standard Feeder holds approximately 20 pounds of feed. That’s enough to feed 6 chickens for 10 days. While the Large Feeder holds approximately 40 pounds of feed. That’s enough to feed 12 chickens for 10 days. Obviously they can accommodate more chickens than that, you’ll just have to fill it up more often. It is also noteworthy that Grandpa’s Feeders are also Waterproof. That doesn’t mean watertight. If it is submerged in water, your feed will get wet, but for normal conditions, it will keep your feed dry. It is also suitable for pheasants, and bantams. Just think, this feeder will allow you the opportunity to take off for the weekend if you want. So here’s how you can get your very own… just click on this link: Grandpa’s Feeders. When you visit their website, they have articles so that you can learn more about how to raise chickens. And if you would like to look into their Social Media Pages, just click on the appropriate icon below.

With that said, I saved the best until last, Grandpa’s Feeders is giving away one of their Standard Feeders as described above for free! And it all starts on March 31st, 2023  (3/31/23), and it runs until the end of Easter Day (4/9/23). If you would like to enter, here are the details:

Click on the Rafflecopter Icon below starting on March 31st, 2023. You can get extra entries by performing the tasks on Rafflecopter; some are daily and some are just once. Good Luck To All!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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The wheels are there and ready when you are, and they have several designs. What’s more, if you have special needs, ChickLifts is willing to design special mobility items that will fit your special needs, such as higher clearance for rough terrain, or a lift for those heavier Chicken Tractors. If you have special needs or concerns, just contact them. I just had a few questions and they were quick to respond. Pictured above is their Original ChickLift, its their most popular style. It consists of a set of wheels that attaches to the back of your Chicken Tractor. This isn’t just a set of wheels though. They are solid rubber flat free tires. The last thing you want is a flat tire when you need to move your chickens to a new location. The wheels allow you to have your Chicken Tractor flat on the ground and then by stepping down on it, it will lift it up off the ground for transportation. Now you can pull on the front of the Tractor and move it by yourself, easily. Even a heavy Tractor can be easily moved by one person. Then you only have to step on the ChickLifts again, and you can lower it firmly on the ground again. Maybe they should be called EasyLifts! Now let me tell you some things that you might not know.

This is how mine came. It is The Wide Track ChickLift for 8-10 foot wide coops, and it comes with a pull kit that attaches to the front of the tractor to help yo pull it to it’s next location. It is extremely easy to install.

You only have to drill two 3/8″ holes.

Next you can bolt the whole apparatus to your tractor.

Then you slip the wheels and washers on. Lastly, you place the retaining pins in to keep your wheel from slipping off. That’s it, you’re done! Your ChickLift is ready to go. ChickLifts made it so simple that anyone can do it. Now you are able to easily move your chicken tractor.

I also got one of these New Chick-Lids. The concept is pretty simple; you just place a battery operated LED in a bucket with some water in the bottom of the bucket. Place a drop or two of dish soap in the water so that the bugs drown in the water (unable to float due to the lack of retention from the dish soap). and cover it with the Chick-Lid. The bugs are attracted to the light and enter the bucket at night.  The cone shape makes it hard for them to locate the exit, they become disoriented and eventually end up in the water. So then you can feed these bugs to your chickens. ChickLifts told me that bugs are attracted more to a white light, and that one of the best and cheapest options for a light is with a Harbor Freight security light. It attaches with one screw and you’re done for about $13.00. Man, these guys are really helpful!

Here is a picture of The Wide Track PLUS ChickLift (10-12ft+ wide coops). It also comes with a Pull Kit which includes all the hardware needed to attach it to your Chicken Tractor. Their Pull Kits are much easier on your hands than a rope or chain. I also want to inform you that their Pull Kit can be adjusted to fit the user’s height when you install it, This way, the individual is leaning into the pull, and using their body weight rather than only their arms. The tube and wire can be cut to fit your size to minimize wear and tear on your body.

You know, Chicken Tractors are really great for several reasons. They move around to allow your chickens to free-range while they remain safe from predators. They benefit from the lush fresh grasses and bugs on a daily basis. Because it is easy to move, you are more inclined to move it on a daily or semi-daily schedule. Your chickens also stay healthy longer because you are moving them more often. They cannot remain healthy if they are subjected to breathing their droppings every day, so by moving them more frequently, your chickens are healthier. And you get your lawn fertilized without burning it up from too much nitrogen. Are you starting to see the trend here? You have to move it often in order to maximize your benefits. This is all done by stepping on the mechanism and pulling it along’ That sounds easy enough. And like I said, if it isn’t easy, you aren’t as inclined to do it, so ChickLifts made it easy for you. I have also seen people who have made Tractors for their rabbits. Now there’s another use for a ChickLifts. You can put it on your Rabbit Tractor!

If you would like to look into getting your own, click on this link: ChickLifts. You can look through their inventory or contact them about your special needs. And just so you know, these ChickLifts are proudly made in America; Texas as a matter of fact. With that said, I saved the best until last, ChickLifts is giving away one of their Wide Track ChickLifts for an 8-10 foot wide coop for free! I told you I contacted them with some questions. Anyways, it will be a lucky day for one lucky individual, and it all starts on St. Patrick’s Day (3/17/23). The Luck of the Irish! If you would like to enter, here are the details:

Click on the Rafflecopter Icon below starting on March 17th, 2023. You can get extra entries by performing the tasks on Rafflecopter; some are daily and some are just once. Good Luck To All!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The post ChickLifts Makes Life Simple appeared first on Mom Blog Society.

When my Freestanding Chicken Perch came in the mail, it was wrapped very well. Not only were they packed well, but these boxes came in boxes. If the outer box got destroyed, they were still in these boxes! And I must say, they are packages very well to keep things from getting damaged. I got the Hen Adventure Kit. It arrived in two different boxes. The Freestanding Chicken Perch is modular, so you can add or remove perches anytime. You can purchase the items individually to fit your flock, your needs, and your pocketbook. Putting it together was a breeze, all you need is a screwdriver. If you receive the Weather Vane Attachment, you will also need a wrench to tighten the lock washer. I just used an adjustable wrench. It took me about an hour to assemble all of the pieces. If you had help it would greatly reduce that time. I decided to screw the screws into the perches with an electric drill, so part of that time was going and getting the tools I wanted. Also, I got the largest kit. It has six perches, a weather vane, and the treat dish. Chickens just naturally like to get up on perches, but the first time I introduced them to it, they didn’t want to get on it. They weren’t afraid of it, they just didn’t perch on it. So, there might be a transitional period for them to view the Perch as something they can roost on. I left it in their run overnight and by the next day, they had no problem jumping up on it, especially once they knew there were treats up there.

Another thing I like about this Freestanding Chicken Perch is that it is mobile. I can pick it up and move it with my Chicken Tractor or just out in the yard. Since I move the Tractor every day or two, it would continually get farther and farther from them if it was stationary. But if you have a chicken coop that is permanent, you might want it to be stationary. In that case, you could leave it in the same spot or you might want a Pole Tree. The Pole Tree Chicken Perch is one, or two, or more poles with perches and treat trays that your chickens can play on, and it is bolted and secured in one spot in their run.

Actually, while I’m on the subject, Omlet sells anything pet related. Omlet is a company that focuses on pampering your pets. In addition to that, their focus is also on you (the pet owner) and how easy it can be for you to enjoy your pets as well as clean up after them. It all started with chickens (hence the name Omlet), and from there it has grown into an all inclusive pet oriented company with products for cats, guinea pigs, dogs, chickens, hamsters, rabbits, birds, gerbils, and almost any other pet you might have, They make some amazing toys and enclosures for your pets. Check this out…

Here is one of their smaller runs and coops for chickens. As you can see, they really think about what you and your pets need. There is a coop for your chickens, a run so they can exercise, and food and water for when they are hungry or thirsty. All of that is convenient for you, and its easy to clean. It is enclosed with a top for shade. It is predator proof for your chickens’ safety. No hawks or animals can enter as well as a perimeter fencing so that animals can’t dig under the fencing. With that said, it is also mobile so that you can move it to where they can get fresh grass, and you leave the mess behind. Less work for you while they fertilize your lawn. Very nice!

Here we have a Large Bolster Dog Bed. Now at first glance you might think that this is just another dog bed; WRONG. These Dog Beds have Ultimate Comfort on a High Performance Memory Foam Mattress. Yes, and they come in 15 different colors so that you can match or accent your decor. They also come with an Easy to Clean Dog Bed With a Zip on, Machine Washable Cover. Easy to clean is always a plus. And for added comfort, you can raise your dog’s mattress off the ground. They have a variety of different feet that you can put on it. This can reduce drafts on your pet, as well as improve the airflow under the bed. This added air flow can help minimize the build up of mold, mildew, dust and debris under the bed. This alone can keep the dog bed, and your house cleaner; making it easier for you, and better for your dog.

Time and space doesn’t allow me to show you everything that Omlet has too offer. I mean, have you seen their site? If you have a pet of any kind, Omlet has something for you there. Here is a link for their website: Omlet. And if you would like to order their Freestanding Chicken Perch, just click on this link: Freestanding Chicken Perch. Once you get some toys for them to play with, and play on, you will see how much they enjoy it and you’ll want to get them more. Why? Because we love them. Omlet really is a great company; innovative, unique, and dedicated to enriching the lives of you and your pets. In fact, I contacted Omlet prior to publishing this Article and they said that they would offer our readers a 10% discount code on everything you purchase on their U.S. website from now through April 30th, 2023. Just enter “MOMBLOG10” at checkout! See what I mean, they didn’t have to do that, but they did.

I’m sure you will also want to see what everyone else thinks of Omlet, so I provided a way for you to keep up with their Social Media Platforms. Just click on the appropriate icon below. maybe I’ll see you there. Bye for now…

The post The Omlet Freestanding Chicken Perch appeared first on Mom Blog Society.

Just about anyone who has chickens has seen these Automatic Chicken Doors. And I can tell you from first hand experience, that the ones made by Run-Chicken work great! I did have mine not open up once. We had freezing rain over the night and in the morning, the door was frozen shut. Just so you know, these doors have a safety device built in that keeps it from crushing your precious little chickens if it closes while the chicken is going through it. And it is that mechanism that keeps your motor from burning up trying to open when it can’t. So once I got the door thawed out, it was back to working great again! Anyways, Run-Chicken is giving away one of these awesome doors. They are set from the factory to open and close at dawn and dusk, but you can program it (with the app) to open and close whenever you want.

Run-Chicken also makes these modular Nesting Boxes. They’re made of Eco-friendly aluminum, not plastic. They fit together, so if you have more than one box (which is likely) they take up less space than the same number of square boxes. I also have used these nesting boxes, I have four. However, my hens usually fighting over one box. In fact, I had three of them inside jockeying for space once. They lay in the other boxes, but not as much as the one. With that said, Run-Chicken is also giving away one of these along with the door. Don’t you love Giveaways?!?

A new addition to Run-Chicken’s lineup is this Feeder. Now to give you some perspective, a 5-gallon bucket is 12″ x 14″ (that’s about 168 square inches). This feeder is 10.5″ x 17″ (that’s about 178 square inches). This is a pretty good sizes feeder! The Run-Chicken feeder holds 20 lbs (9 kg) of feed and provides enough food to keep 10 chickens full for a week or one chicken for 74 days! Now that’s piece of mind. I haven’t had the chance to use one yet, they’re brand new. But guess what? Yes, you guessed it! Run-Chicken is giving one of these away as well! Isn’t that awesome!?! One lucky winner is going to win a Run-Chicken T50 Automatic Chicken door, a nest box, and a feeder for their chickens! What an awesome Prize!!! And they come in several colors. Which color will you want?

Okay so here is how you can enter the Valentine’s Day Run-Chicken Giveaway: Click on the Rafflecopter Link below. That will take you to the Giveaway. It will have a list of things to do that will give you entries into the Giveaway. Some things you do once and some you can do every day to add to your chances to win. At the end of the contest, Rafflecopter will select a winner and if you are the lucky winner, we will notify you (via email) and you will have 48 hours to respond. If you do not respond within the 48 hours, Rafflecopter will select an alternate winner and the process continues until someone responds and we get a winner. At that time we will get your name and address and notify Run-Chicken as to who the lucky winner is, and Run-Chicken will send you your prize! If you have participated in Giveaways before, this is pretty standard stuff. Well, what are you waiting for? Click the Rafflecopter Link below and get your entries in. You only have until midnight on Valentine’s Day to enter… Good Luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Breeding Chickens

I haven’t come up with any superior style, but have come up with some inventive ideas to make my flock sustainable for us. I don’t believe in bringing in new bloodlines unless all else fails. The reason I believe this is for the same reasons that people who show chickens don’t want to do it; because every time you bring in a new bloodline, you run the risk of bringing in new problems.

I am not breeding for color or breast meat, I breed for healthy birds that will stay healthy without a constant supply of antibiotics and supplements. Mostly because I am going to eat it and I don’t want that in my system, but also because it doesn’t make your birds healthier, in fact, quite the opposite. You see, now you are taking a bird that is unhealthy and cannot survive if it doesn’t take the antibiotics, and then you are going to breed those genetics back into the next generation and the next, and the next. You will never produce a chicken with great genetics by doing this, so my selection process is first of all, letting nature take it’s course by allowing nature to cull the chickens naturally. If they are healthy and remain healthy, they are definitely considered for propagation. We as small-time farmers can’t afford to waste any resources, so we nurture them back to health. This is what I do as well, but the ones I have to nurture will not be part of the next generation.

The next criteria that I use to decide for breeding stock is how they perform. If it is an egg producing chicken, I want to know how many eggs they produce, and if it is a meat chicken, how large the chicken got by butchering time. Although we think it good to harvest the biggest birds, it is probably a better strategy to breed those birds to make more chickens like that. No one wants to cull a chicken from their flock, and you don’t have to. If you decide to keep them, that is your decision, but for me, I won’t be using them as breeding stock.

Now taking all of this into consideration, You will need to keep records. If you can’t tell one chicken from another, just put a leg band on them. You can use the commercial ones or use colored zip ties, but you will want to keep track of your birds to know which ones are doing what. Then you will know which ones are your breeding stock and which ones are not.

Sustainable Breeding Practices

Below is a list of the different kinds of established breeding practices and I will explain each one:

• Flock Mating
• Rolling Mating
• Spiral or Clan Breeding
• Line Breeding

Flock Mating

Flock mating is exactly what it sounds like, you have one flock. In order to be somewhat sustainable though, you will need at least 3 roosters and 30 hens. More is better from a sustainable aspect. It is a long term semi-sustainable breeding program, but you won’t know which roosters are with which hens in this program. And it takes a hen 14 days to clean out her oviduct. Meaning, from one egg to another, you may have different fathers. With multiple roosters in the equation, you have no idea which rooster is the father even if you see a rooster and hen mating. This type of system is slow to show improvement, but it is a good method you want is to keep a steady supply of chickens. These chickens will show slow progress depending on how well you evaluate the ones you keep as breeding stock, and the stock of chickens you started out with.

Rolling Mating

In this scenario of breeding chickens, you have a minimum of two pens of 9 chickens each. One rooster and 8 hens, and what you do is breed the best young hens with the best older rooster, and the best older hens with the best younger rooster. This method isn’t very sustainable. You can end up with inbreeding depression because the gene pool is small. This is similar to line breeding, but with multiple hens, you wind up with a lot of different combinations of genes. Also with two different pens (or more) you can use those genetics to diversify the other.

Spiral or Clan Breeding

This method I mainly use when breeding chickens, however I also do line breeding as well. This system uses three to five clans. We will call them clan 1 through 3 for demonstration purposes. In the first year, Clan 1 will hatch chicks and the best chicks are placed back in with that flock. Clans 2 and 3 are also going to do the same so that there are now 1st generation and 2nd generation hens in the group. The second year, the rooster from Clan 1 goes to Clan 2, Clan 2 rooster goes to Clan 3, and Clan 3 rooster goes to Clan 1. All of the hens stay in their clan and the roosters move in a spiral pattern; each year moving to another Clan.

Once the roosters have all been through the clans or are no longer viable, then the roosters are no longer identified. Then you will take the best rooster from clan 1 to rotate. He goes to clan 2, the best rooster from Clan 2 goes to Clan 3, and the best rooster from Clan 3 goes to Clan 1, and the cycle goes on indefinitely. Every year you will take the best rooster and rotate him.

By doing this you are putting the best genetics back into the breeding program. Also each year you will only keep the best 8-10 hens. This system takes a little more record keeping but is very sustainable. The three Clan system is suppose to maintain good genetic diversity up to 20 generations, and the 5 clan system should be sustainable infinitely. So as you can see, it is a very sustainable system without purchasing other birds or bringing in other genetics for you to fight through.

Line Breeding

Line breeding is taking the daughters and breeding them back to the father and taking the sons and breeding them back to the mother. The problem with breeding chickens with this system is that in two generations, your birds are three-quarters of the original bird and has a potential to show signs of genetic depression. This is something to watch for and may or may not develop. However, if you have a superior bird, it is a way to lock in on those traits and multiply them within your flock.

You should use this as a tool to bring out the best in your birds. Let me walk you through how it is done. You mate a rooster (A) and a hen (B). Their best rooster (C) is bread back to the mother (B). You then take three of their best hens (D) (E) & (F) and breed them to their father (C). You then take their best three roosters (G) (H) & (I) and these are the beginnings of your clans for clan breeding. If you wanted five clans then you would save five hens and five roosters instead of only three, but from there you will do your clan mating to get away from the line breeding so that you will have sustainability.

Obviously this is to be used more as a tool than a system because sustainability is only a few generations using this system. I also want to say that you could use this method to evolve into any of the other mating methods, but you will need to switch systems to keep from having problems.

In Conclusion

So as you can see, there are many ways to maintain a viable flock of chickens and should you want to be sustainable for a long time, you can do that, but in order achieve better chickens, you may have to incorporate more than one system and at the very least, you are going to have to keep records. The choice is up to you, I’m just here to give you some options. If you have any questions or comments, please leave them below and I will try to get back to you promptly. If you would like to read another article that I have written recently, perhaps I might suggest Run-Chicken. I also want to say that these breeding practices are recognized by breeders of all kinds of animals as well. See you next time!

Take Care…

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What we are doing in the Homesteading category is bringing you products that help make life easier as well as tips, tricks, and in-depth explanations on how it’s done. So sit back and relax while we do all the work. After you see some of these things done, you will probably want to try some, and then you can do the work.

If you would like to see some of the articles already in the Homesteading category, click on this link: HOMESTEADING. Hopefully we will all grow together. Take care and we’ll see you in the next one!

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Not all automatic chicken doors are created equal. When I was looking for an automatic chicken door, I wanted something self contained and user friendly. There were only a few that I would consider and this product is one of them. You may have already heard of it, but even if you have, I also am showing you some of their new products, so stick around and maybe we’ll all learn something together.

Here are some of the dimensions of the Run-Chicken automatic chicken door. It is also good to know that it is well made. Quality is something that I need. I don’t want my chickens depending on an unreliable door. Their life depends on it. You see, the whole idea of having an automatic chicken door is so you don’t have to keep checking on it. Why have a chicken door if you have to go out every night and make sure it is closed, or if you have to run out in the cold to see if it opened up in the morning? Run-Chicken Is the name to look for. I have never had an issue with mine. My chickens are out in the morning and locked up at night. Oh, I did the whole routine of checking on it for about a week, but now, I am happy with its performance. Now I rely on it. I mean, if I have to check on it, I might as well do it myself and forget the door.

Here is what I got, Model T-50. It’s color is specified as a “USA Special“.They also have Red, Gray, Brown, and two different styles of Camo.  It is constructed from solid aluminum, so there will be no predators chewing their way in. It has some safety features I wanted to mention as well. It has a low battery indicator and warns you when the batteries are getting low (GREAT Feature). It also has a built in safety device that senses resistance as it is closing. If it feels resistance it will back itself up to prevent squashing your precious chicken. Oh and it has an indicator for when the door is getting ready to open or close that flashes so that you know it is going to be operating soon.

You can re-program the door with the button only if you do not want the app or you just don’t have a smart phone. It walks you through how to do that in the manual, however they also have an app that you can download onto your phone so that you can program the door to open and close when you want it to. I went to Google Play, but they also have it on the Apple App Store. It comes pre-programmed from the factory to use the light sensor to open 20 minutes after sunrise and close 20 minutes after sunset, but you can set it to whatever you want. You can change the delay from 20 minutes to something else, or you can bypass the light sensor altogether and just tell it the exact time that you want it to open or close. that’s a nice for when you want to let your chickens out to free-range at a certain time each day, but don’t necessarily want them out at first light. I have this door on the coop to let them out into the safe and secure run at first light. I want to let my chickens free-range, but there are still too many predators out at first light , so I come out and release them at about 11:00 am each day. I would like to get another door for the Hoop Coop that I can program to let them out of the run each day. For now, it’s fine. It keeps me from having to worry about getting there at a certain time each day to keep them safe.

Here is a video of me installing the door into my Hoop Coop. If you have a wooden coop, you can just cut out the door opening and screw the door to the outer surface. With a Hoop Coop constructed of Cattle Panels, I couldn’t do that, so what I did do was make a wooden frame to attach the door to and another frame for the other side of the door. Then I just screwed the two frames together. It actually worked pretty well.

If you watched the video, then you know that besides the Run-Chicken Automatic Chicken Door, I also got four Nesting Boxes from Run-Chicken. The nesting boxes come in a few different colors. Ya know, if I would have had a wooden coop, I would have just screwed them to the wall. However, what I did was mount the nesting boxes to a piece of wood and mounted the wood to the wall.I also would have staggered the boxes like the picture above, but I set them in line with each other. I did this to keep the boxes low. Something to keep in mind is that chickens like to roost on the highest spot they can. If the boxes are taller than your roost, they will roost on the boxes and poop on or in them. This wasn’t something that I wanted. This works for now, and that is all that is important. Both the door and the boxes come with mounting screws. The Door also comes with batteries and the boxes also come with nesting material for the bottom of the box. So far, I am very happy with both products.

If you would like to get one for yourself, or just want to visit their website, Just follow this link: Run-Chicken . If you would like to purchase it on Amazon, then follow this link: Run-Chicken on Amazon.

Here is how you can look into their Social Media Pages, just click on the appropriate icon below. Lots of people are always posting pictures and videos of their experiences with this product and there’s always new info to know there as well.

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