Keeping Chickens Month by Month: June

June is a marvellous month, really, isn’t it? Generally the weather is fine. The garden begins to look its best with the first flush of flowers on the rose bushes. The days are long enough to allow a few pleasant hours to potter outdoors in the evening, and the harsh winter seems a world away. No more worrying about drinkers freezing over, or hens having to be removed from their perches with a chisel. Lovely. But don’t get carried away thinking that all the hard work is behind you.

The summer brings a whole new lot of poultry keeping concerns. Just as you begin to relax about drinkers freezing over, you suddenly have to start worrying that your hens have access to enough water. The same flock which barely drinks half a litre of water a day in the winter can easily empty a 3 litre drinker in a morning in hot weather. It is very important that your hens have access to fresh drinking water at all times, so if you’re not going to be about to keep drinkers topped up, invest in a couple more. This is a particularly good idea if you’re planning on leaving your hens for any period of time.

Holidays

As the weather heats up, the thoughts of heading off on holiday can be extremely appealing. Just like with any other animal, your hens will need taking care of while you’re away. Unlike with your average pet, though, finding someone to care for your chickens can be tricky. I am very lucky in that I have a fellow keeper and friend nearby, and I also have a less knowledgeable but willing neighbour to take care of my small flock if I travel. However, you might not be so lucky. So make it as easy as possible for your hen sitter.

Have enough feeders and drinkers that they only have to be attended to once a day. Make sure that your run and housing are secure, so that your hens don’t fall foul of any predators on the poor hen sitter’s watch. Give your hens a good health check before you go away, so that your sitter isn’t faced with a mite or lice infestation while you’re lying by the pool. And most importantly, make sure that your hen sitter knows that any and all eggs layed will belong to them. Even a reluctant neighbour can sometimes be swayed by the romance of getting their very own fresh egg from the nest box for breakfast. Hopefully your hens will oblige and not break the spell by pecking the happy dreamer or pooing on their foot. But I wouldn’t guarantee it.

My hens pretty much rule my garden and free range most of the day, so they are never without the option of shade. If your birds are confined to a run, however, it’s worth giving consideration to some kind of sun shade. Something as simple as hanging an old blanket over one corner of the run can give the birds just enough relief from the midday sun. A hot chicken will pant, and often lay out on the floor like it’s been flattened by a falling piano. Giving them somewhere shady to cool down will help hugely as the thermometer begins to climb. Keep drinking water shaded since chickens drink water to cool down. If possible, also site a washing up bowl sized tub of play sand in the shade. It’s the equivalent of a cold shower to an overheated hen, and is also very amusing to watch.

Broody Hens

My hens play a tag game of ‘catching broody’ every summer, and the game is now in full swing. As I’m not planning on hatching any more this year, I will endeavour to get them over their psychosis as quickly as possible. If you have a broody sitting on eggs, do keep a close eye on her and if the temperature gets very high, you may have to lift her from the nest to make sure that she stays hydrated. My Serama chicks are now 3 weeks old and can be seen pin balling around the run chased by their run ragged mother. She sits on them now less to keep them warm and more to keep them still for five minutes. She has my sympathies.

Chickens and Flies

(The dreaded red mite is a constant battle, and if you take your eye of it you are in danger of losing the war. To make sure you don’t end up tearing your hair out, or burning the coop down while dancing around it and singing with a maniacal air ‘Burn Baby Burn’, keep using the powder.)