Chicken Chores – A Day in the Life of a Chicken Keeper

For the most part, chickens are pretty easy to take care of. Chickens are flock animals and will stick together during the day not requiring much interaction. They do better when you have several so, I’d recommend at least three. Just keep in mind, when you get a few, you will want more! Our chickens have their own daily routine but what about the routine of the chicken keeper.

Once a week, usually on Saturday or Sunday, I have what I call “chicken chore day”.

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I get up before the sun rises and before the chickens wake up, so I can put their feed out. We had to start bringing the feed in at night because of mice and rats. I may invest in an automatic feeder but for now I’m up before the chickens.

Next, COFFEE! And I do a few things around the house.    

The girls free range during the day but not until around 8:30am. This gives our dogs time to run the yard in the mornings and make sure no predators are lurking.  I make the girls a treat, usually tomatoes or fruit with some type of leftover. On special occasions, I’ll even scramble them some eggs. Now, I let them out and they are on my heels ready for their snack.

I go in and get their feeders and place several around the yard. On cold or rainy days, they hang out in our garage, so I make sure and put one in there.

Usually they spend the day in and around our red tip bushes, which is where the main feeder is. Sometimes in the summer, they will lounge under our deck so one will go under there also. I like to make sure there is a lot of food out. I don’t want them to have to run across the yard to get to their food in case there’s a bird of prey lurking around. Also, it gives our girls at the bottom of the pecking order additional places to get food if they are run off from one. Next, the water. I have a waterer every where there is food.

I clean the waterers once a week with Dawn dishwashing soap. Some people will clean with bleach. I do bleach in the Spring and Fall or if there are any illnesses. I add a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar to the main waterer once a month as a probiotic.

Next, I rake up the bedding in the run. Our girls roost outside the coop so raking the bedding stirs up their droppings and keeps the smell down. Eventually, it starts to break down and I add to the compost pile.

Now, I scrape off the poop from the roost bars.

I clean out the hen house (which has really turned into an extra-large nest box since they don’t sleep in it) and dispose of any large poop. The old bedding, which is generally pretty clean, is removed and put in the run. I add new bedding and sprinkle the corners and baseboards of the house with DE.  I’m also inspecting for any mites or bugs while doing this. Next, I check the area for any loose boards or any place where predators can get in.

Once a month I make a trip to our local Feed Store for scratch, worms, and bedding. Next stop is Tractor Supply. I like the brand of mealworms they carry, and the girls prefer them. I spend a little time browsing and dreaming of what else I may need for the yard or chickens.

Now back home to have some lunch.

Mid-afternoon, I freshen up the dirt bath. The ground has a shallow impression and tends to get a little hard from them wallowing, so I break it up. I add fireplace ash, DE and some herbs. For more info on dust bathing, check out my blog post.   

Finally, time to hang out and unwind with the chickens. They are quite social and like to chat about their day. Some will get in my lap for some face to face time. Mostly, they lay under my chair and relax. I monitor their behavior and look for any signs of illness. I check for scaly leg mites, lice, bumblefoot and any injuries. Chickens are curious creatures and will turnover all sorts of things looking for bugs. Plus, I want to make sure the girls at the bottom of the pecking order aren’t getting beat up too bad.   

Last, I rake the bedding again and add a moderate amount of sweet PDZ. I will use this not just once a week but anytime there is an ammonia smell. PDZ is a stall refresher and neutralizes odors. It can be used for all animals. After that, I gather eggs and check the nesting box for any soiled bedding. I replace if necessary.

In the evening, we give another snack and some scratch. For more info on treats, check out my blog post.

At dusk, time to lock up the chickens and pick up the feed.

It sounds like a lot but many of the chores are combined. This is my weekly routine. Daily is similar but much simpler. I’ll rake up the bedding if needed but, if you sprinkle scratch in the run, the chickens will do this for you. Make sure they have plenty of good quality layer feed and water. Treats aren’t necessary, but they sure enjoy them. They come running when they hear the back door open.

For bedding, some people use the deep litter method, and some will replace all the bedding each week. My routine is a modified version of the deep litter method. Our girls are not really getting the full benefits but I’m trying. Deep litter helps keep the coop warm by composting the litter and poop. As the poop decomposes it heats up plus like composting leaves behind beneficial microbes improving your chicken’s health. I have a hard time not removing the large poop I can see but I’m working on this. I think warming the coop naturally is great especially since supplemental heat is not recommended. So, I’m only picking up the big pieces where the bedding is clumped together. 

Twice a year I deep clean the coop, usually around daylight savings time. I’ll choose a sunny day and scrape down the roost bars and wipe with a vinegar and water solution. Some people use a bleach solution.  

So that’s my day and I totally enjoy it. I have a new respect for farmers and people that take care of large herds or multiple types of livestock. We have a small flock of six ,so I can only imagine what each of their days are like!