The Coop with Meyer Hatchery

Let’s take a Meyer Moment to talk about molting. Molting is not usually a welcome season for chicken owners, as it usually means a mess of feathers, decreased egg production, and bald-looking chickens. But the molting season is normal and healthy for your chickens, and there are few things you can do to support your flock during this time.

Important Links: 

• Ways To Help Molting Chickens

For many backyard chicken keepers, having a rooster is part of keeping a flock. For new keepers, you could be questioning the addition of one. Despite the stories, you may have heard there are a lot of pros and cons to raising roosters. Today we’re going to cover all you need to know about roosters in your flock.

Important Links: 

• EP72: Best of Guards
• MM: Aggressive Roosters
• Friendliest Rooster Breeds - blog
• All About Spurs - blog
• Chicken Saddle
• Shop Roosters!

Let’s take a Meyer Moment to talk about pumpkins, squash, and all things spice! Fall is officially in the air and the leaves are changing color. Many folks claim Autumn as their favorite season, and if you have ever seen chickens enjoying a pumpkin, it may very well be their favorite season too! 

Important Links: 

• Pumpkin Spice Chickens 
• Happy Hen Treats: Mealworm Spice Blend
• Fresh Eggs Daily: Brewers Yeast with Garlic

Today we’re sharing some of the common questions we answered from our trip to the Homesteaders of America conference in Virginia.

You may have noticed a brief pause in our podcast production as we traveled over 350 miles to Front Royal, Virginia to attend the 2021 Homesteaders of America Conference. Over 5,000 people attended this 2-day event, full of amazing speakers, vendors and surround by a family-like homesteading community. Meyer Hatchery attended not only as a vendor but also as an official Golden Coop Sponsor, chatting with thousands of great chicken people as we answered all your burning questions. In today’s episode, we compiled the top questions we received, providing answers for our entire community to learn from! 

Important Links: 

• Butchering Chickens
• Butchering by Adam Danforth
• EP 11: Adam Danforth Part 1
• EP 12: Adam Danforth Part 2
• Shop ALL Books!
• Chicken Tractor - instant download plans!
• EP09: Chicken Tractors
• 8-Gallon TriPod Waterer
• Poultry Watering Cups
• Chicken Waterer De-Icer
• MM31: Boredom Busters
• Free Range Freebies - blog
• Meyer Hatchery Youtube

Let’s take a Meyer Moment to talk about Fall predators. Predator protection is paramount, to most chicken keepers at any point in the year, but each season brings its own concerns and predators. As the weather cools and leaves fall, keep your flock safe as you stay vigilant when Fall predators are on the hunt.

Important Links: 

• Predator Control 
• Coop Accessories 

Today we’re talking about guards, as part of our Best Of Series. We dedicate one episode per month to this series, covering the very best of each month's topic. For the month of October, we’re going to dive into the best breeds for guarding. As the spooky season approaches, we thought it would be fun to cover some of the best breeds to help protect your farms and homesteads. 

While maybe not from ghosts or zombies, good poultry guards sound the alarms for aerial predators and will be the first to defend your flock from raccoons, opossums, and even the neighborhood dog. In fact, it’s often an overlooked perk to keeping poultry! 

In this episode you'll: 

• Discover The Best Breeds For Guarding Your Homestead
• Learn Other Ways To Guard Your Flock
• Get Our Best Insight and Tips For Flock Guards

Important Links: 

• Shop Roosters!
• Guineas
• Goslings
• NiteGuard
• Electric Fencing
• EP40: Mountain Woods Farm
• Follow Us On Facebook!

Let’s take a Meyer Moment to talk about protein. While it may sound boring, protein is absolutely essential to the health of a chicken. Eggs, feathers, and everything in between need a steady supply of good protein. Chicken feed is offered at various protein levels, based on the age and needs of your flock, but there are many treats and supplements that give your flock an always-welcome extra boost.

Important Links: 

• Chicken Treats
• MM11: Kitchen Scraps

Today we’re talking about winterizing your garden, with chickens of course! For most of us throughout the Northern United States, our gardens have hit their peak and are starting to dwindle. As you pick through and work to preserve the last of your summer bounty, it’s time to start thinking about winterizing your garden, and your chickens can help!

Important Links: 

• Wood Shavings
• MM: Kitchen Scraps
• Nesting Box Blend

Let’s take a Meyer Moment to talk about the social structure of a chicken flock. You’ve heard of the pecking order, but beyond being the top bird or being last on the rung, there is a unique social structure within each and every flock. The social structure is delicate and is ever-changing based on multiple factors. 

Chickens are social “flock” animals and we recommend a successful flock have at least 3 birds. Having chicken friends doesn’t necessarily mean that the chickens will be “friendly” to each other, as it all depends on their social structure.

Important Links:

• MM027 - Hen Pecking
• Pecking Among Chickens: Causes and Solutions
• Keeping Multiple Roosters in a Flock
• Adding New Chickens to Your Existing Flock

Today we’re talking about Kendra’s Newest Poultry Type.  Kendra's raised chickens, bantams, ducks, quail, guineas, and turkeys on my homestead - but just this week, I’ve added a new poultry type! Any guesses… 

I’ll give you a hint. Their call will scare the neighbors at dusk, they like to roost high amongst the trees and they may just be the most beautiful bird I’ve raised to date. 

PEAFOWL! 

In this episode, Kendra fills you in on how she obtained this new poultry type along with all the fun peafowl facts she's learned along the way. 

Important Links: 

• Shop Peafowl
• Guide To Ordering & Keeping Peafowl