Locking up a flock inside a heavy steel coop at twilight shouldn’t feel like entering a blackout chamber. Metal outbuildings are fantastic for keeping digging predators out, but their solid galvanized walls block all ambient moonlight, leaving your birds in pitch-black darkness the second the door swings shut. Trying to solve this by running standard … Read more
There is nothing quite like the knot in your stomach when you go out to lock up the flock and realize a deep shadow in the back of your metal run is hiding a potential predator entry point. Heavy corrugated steel panels provide excellent structural protection, but they create cavernous, pitch-black blind spots that stay … Read more
There is nothing quite like the panic of heading out to the coop after dark because you heard a strange ruckus, only to find yourself fumbling with a weak smartphone flashlight in total darkness. For those of us with solid metal coops located far out on the pasture or property line, checking on the flock … Read more
There is nothing quite as disheartening as walking into your coop during a brutal July heatwave and finding your usually vibrant hens panting heavily, wings drooped, with empty nesting boxes to boot. When extreme heat hits, chickens quickly lose their appetite, and their egg production drops like a stone as their bodies struggle to stay … Read more
If you’ve ever walked into your coop on a sweltering July afternoon only to be met by the sour, stagnant smell of “swamp water,” you know the struggle. Keeping the girls hydrated is a full-time job, and for many of us, the coop is way too far from the house to justify dragging a hundred … Read more
There is nothing quite as discouraging as walking out to the coop on a beautiful morning, only to find your girls’ water tray covered in a thick, slimy layer of green algae. In the humid heat of mid-summer, stagnant water can turn from fresh to “swampy” in less than twenty-four hours. For those of us … Read more
There’s nothing quite like the smell of a swampy chicken run in the heat of July. You walk out to fill the waterer, only to find a layer of green slime and a cloud of mosquitoes rising from the tray. Stagnant water isn’t just an eyesore; it’s a breeding ground for disease and pests that … Read more