Fresh Eggs Daily® | Lisa Steele

Each fall, chickens lose their feathers and regrow new ones to help them stay warm in the winter. It's called molting and it's perfectly normal. The first time your chickens go through a molt, dropping their feathers all over the coop and run, you'll likely do a quick headcount, sure some predator got in. While it seems that some chickens lose their feathers all at once, while others barely show any signs of molting, the first molt will be triggered by the shorter days in the fall, when your chickens are about 18 months old. And there's no need to worry, it's perfectly normal and in fact gets the chickens ready for winter.

Knowing how to make homemade electrolytes (and keeping some on hand) for your chickens in the summer is valuable in case of heat exhaustion, stress or dehydration. Having some electrolytes on hand in your chicken first aid kit is always a good idea. Administered in cases of heat exhaustion, injury, stress or dehydration, electrolytes could be the difference between life and death for an ailing hen or baby chick.

I have written 7 expertly researched and time-tested books on raising chickens and ducks as well as 2 cookbooks. My 9th book just came out in May. It's my second cookbook. My third cookbook will be out in the fall of 2027. 

It's been ten years since the first edition of Gardening with Chickens came out. It was time for an upgrade. I originally wrote my third book Gardening with Chickens right as we were in the process of moving to Maine from Virginia back in 2015.  To say that I've learned a lot over the past decade would be an understatement! So I am excited to announce that the 10th Anniversary edition of Gardening with Chickens is coming out March 17th!  Order from Homestead Living             Order from Amazon

Corn in all its forms is a delicious and nutritious year-round treat for chickens. Believe it or not, corn has become a controversial topic when it comes to chicken keeping.  You might have been told - or read - not to feed corn to your chickens in the summer because it will raise their body temperature as they expend energy trying to digest it and they will overheat. 

Watermelon is one of the best summer treats for chickens, providing them essential hydration as well as beneficial nutrients on a hot day. Watermelon is  one of the best summer treats for your chickens . Its high water content helps keep them hydrated on hot summer days.

Blueberries are a nutritious treat for your chickens. Blueberries are one of the best treats you can give to your chickens. They are a "super food" packed with all kinds of health benefits and nutrients.

Chocolate and other sources of caffeine can be very harmful for chickens. Chocolate, coffee grounds, tea bags, and other sources of caffeine can be very harmful for chickens.

Onions should not be fed to chickens because they contain the toxin thiosulphate. I don't recommend feeding onions to your chickens because any potential health benefits are far outweighed by the potential health risk.

While raisins aren't toxic to  chickens, they should only be fed in moderation. Raisins are toxic to dogs and cats, but oddly enough, they are not harmful to chickens. But, they still should only be fed in moderation.

Apples are nutritious treats for chickens, but take care feeding the apple seeds, which contain cyanide. Apples are nutritious treats for chickens that they'll love. You can cut them in half, slice them, or hang them for the chickens to have fun playing their own game of tetherball with.