Daily Chicken Checks: What To Check And Why

Daily interaction with your flock is an essential part of maintaining their health and happiness. Daily checks provide important insight into potential problems, hazards, and concerning behaviors. By checking on your chickens and their area daily you’re able to discover small issues before they become large problems. Chicken checks don’t have to be complicated or time consuming! It’s easy to make these daily checks part of your regular care and maintenance routine.

Check flock health and behavior. When you’re with your flock do a quick visual scan of your birds. Look at them mindfully. Make note of any unusual or concerning behaviors. Some things to watch out for are unusual physical postures, any individuals isolating themselves, discolored combs or waddles, limping or mobility issues, signs of aggression like wounds or lost feathers, or any individual chickens that have lost interest in food and treats. These can be signs of more serious issues. By checking daily you’re able to spot these conditions and investigate their causes. Often a daily visual check is just a great way to enjoy your flock.

Check your egg boxes for eggs and cleanliness. Collecting eggs daily is part of chicken care and maintenance. This is especially important in the winter months when eggs can burst due to cold temperatures. When collecting eggs be aware of the cleanliness of your nesting material and refresh it when appropriate. If your chickens are not using the boxes you’ve provided try different styles and bedding materials.

Check your run and coop for signs of predator presence. Checking for any signs of predator presence around your chicken area can save the lives of your flock. When you are maintaining your chicken areas check perimeters, walls, and even the ceiling for sign of disturbance. Don’t forget to look up! Many predators can climb. You will want to address any signs of digging or holes in protective wire or fencing. Predator pressure can be even greater in the wintertime as natural food sources decrease, predators driven by desperation will encroach on your chicken area. Chicken wire, while great for keeping chickens in, does not protect them from all predators. Hardware cloth, which has smaller holes than chicken wire, provides your chickens with the best protection. Use hardware cloth on your coop as your chickens are likely to experience the greatest threats from predators at night. We also line the outside of our chicken run and coop with rocks to deter any animals from attempting to dig under our chicken area.

Check the cleanliness of your chicken areas. Examine your coop and run for signs of accumulated droppings and dust. Remove or cover accumulated droppings based on your chosen bedding method and wipe off dusty surfaces. Scrape droppings from perches and roosts to help maintain your chicken’s overall health. Daily cleaning makes deep seasonal cleans easier!

Check your chicken’s food and water. Ensuring your chickens have access to fresh food and water daily is part of maintaining their health, flock harmony, and productivity. Examine your livestock dishes and dispensers for any sign of accumulated residue or mold. Clean them regularly to protect your chickens from harmful bacteria caused by unsanitary conditions.

Check your chicken areas for safety. Regularly examine the equipment and areas your chickens frequent for signs of any issues that might cause them harm like splinters or sharp edges on roosts, loose nails or boards, or protruding wire edges. Addressing small issues like these prevents them from creating problems in the long run like bumble foot or small wounds which can lead to unwanted pecking.

What sort of things do you check when maintaining your chicken area? Share your insights in the comments of Chuck’s YouTube channel! Follow the link button on this blog’s homepage.