Hill's Hen House

11/03/2025

It's time to vote for the grand champion photo! Please click on the picture of my chicken again and like/love it! Thank you so much!

10/31/2025

My picture won! Now it goes to the grand prize voting on Monday. Stay tuned and be ready to vote again Monday! Thank you all!

10/30/2025

Please click on my picture of the chicken, and then like it! The one with the most likes wins for the day!

10/20/2025

My chickens would be happy to take any unwanted (mold and paint free) pumpkins off your hands!

All those fall decorations are the most fantastic gift you could give to your local homesteader or farmer.

Winter squash, pumpkin & gourds are real foods, high in carbohydrates & sugar whichs adds fat to animals that will help the livestock stay warm throughout the colder months.

So, enjoy your "decor" this fall season but remember to recycle them into what they're meant to be & you'll make a huge amount of animals happy & healthy in the process as well as do something environmentally friendly & get to see someone smile with appreciation.

Feel free to pass it on, pumpkins don't belong in landfills!

One man's trash is another pigs treasure 🐷 🎃🎃🐷

10/16/2025

If this isn't the truth 😂 now thats its definitely fall, my chickens have backed way off on their egg laying

Yep 😅🐔

07/18/2025

The girls were pleased to have some cool, damp dirt after the rain this morning!

07/11/2025

The chicks have been growing like weeds. The white one is about half-grown and fully feathered. Still can't tell if it will be a hen or rooster yet. The black one is getting more feathers, but still has some baby fuzz. Mama hen has been being less and less motherly, and tonight she went to bed on the roost with the rest of the adults, and the two chicks were in the nest box without her. She has done her job well and has now decided they can take care of themselves. The black chick is still slightly young, but she came along later in Mama's "mothering mode". The two chicks stick together though, the little one following the big one around everywhere.

06/27/2025

Mama hen and her babies had a close call last night, with what we believe was a fox, that tried to dig under the wall of their barn. My husband heard the commotion in the night, and went to see. By the time he got out there, the suspect was gone. Thanks to our guardian dog, Missy! She had scared it off before it was able to dig all the way under. The fluffy bedding in the first picture is part of their nest that the fox had pulled out. Tonight, mama and babies will be moving back into the main coop, which is far more secure.

06/18/2025

Layers vs Broilers 🐓
When deciding on a breed of chicken, it’s important to know which type you should be looking for, for the purpose you want. Each type has different strengths, and not all of them will be great at your intended purpose!

Breeds designated as “layers” are much better suited for egg production.
They’re bred to be moderately sized, while putting most of their energy into laying higher volumes of eggs. Most layer breeds have been selectively bred over generations to optimize egg production. Some of the most well-known layer breeds are the White Leghorn, Rhode Island Red, and Sussex.

In contrast, breeds designated as “broilers” are much better suited for meat production.
They’re bred to grow quickly and efficiently on higher feed inputs, putting most of their energy into body size, rather than egg production. Some of the most well-known broiler breeds are Cornish Cross, Turken, and Jersey Giant.

If you want the best of both worlds, then “dual-purpose” breeds are what you need.
These breeds yield both a good amount of meat, as well as great egg production. These are an affordable and practical option for many farmers. They adapt well to a variety of settings and circumstances, which makes them appealing to many. Some of the most well-known dual-purpose breeds are Orpingtons, Australorps, Bielefelders, and Jersey Giants.

06/15/2025

The chicks are best buddies already ❤️

06/14/2025

New addition to the little family! The other broody hen that I have wouldn't take the new chick, so I took a chance and gave it to the hen who already has the other chick. Sometimes they can tell the age difference in the chicks and wont take a younger one, but it seems like she took it anyway!

06/14/2025

It's been a while since my last update. We went on a week long camping vacation and had a great time! We are back now, and of course have some chicken updates. The mama and chick are doing great, and the chick seemed to double in size while we are gone. They are still sleeping separately from the flock, but when I'm home I've been letting them free range with the rest of the flock. Mama has been doing a great job of protecting the chick and teaching it all there is to know.
Another note, we had to put a hen down today. She had pr*****ed and was suffering. After they prolapse once, they are more prone to it happening again later. Often times this requires a poultry vet to fix, and to my knowledge, we dont have one in our area. So she went to the great pasture in the sky.
We also have a 2nd hen who is trying to be broody. I was just kicking her off the nest every day, with no intention of getting more chicks this year. However, a friend had a pair of chicks and one died, leaving the other all alone. Chicks dont usually do well without a friend, so my friend offered the chick to me to see if this broody hen qould take it. I will attempt to give the chick to the hen after dark tonight, but im not sure it will work this time. The chick is alder than 1 day, which the hen will usually know and realize they didn't hatch it. Plus when I moved the hen to her own brooder box today, she was very mad and took most of the day to go back on the fake eggs I gave her. So, fingers crossed, but I'm having doubts on the success rate of this one. I will update on that once I try to introduce them.