Ruth’s Coop

01/29/2025

01/28/2025

We attended our first stock sale yesterday to sell some extra roosters. What a great experience for kids and adults alike!

01/22/2025

Despite being wrapped in heat tape, the chicken waterer cup froze inside the coop! 🥶 It was -16 degrees outside over night. There is frost in the inside of the coop walls!

On these frigid days, the chickens will stay in their coop. Chicken combs (especially roosters) are extremely susceptible to frost bite. This is why it’s always a good idea to have more indoor space than “needed” in your coop because sometimes the weather just doesn’t allow your birds to be outside. Each bird should have a minimum of 4 square feet. Vertical square footage counts too as pictured.

Our rooster is often on the water bucket this winter. I like to think it’s to warm his feet under the heat lamp (😆) but it’s more likely that it’s a good vantage point by the window so he can keep a lookout! He’s always working.

Stay warm and safe!

01/15/2025

Help with chicken chores today. ❤️

09/16/2024

Employee of the Week: Luna

Luna is our top girl. She is in charge of the hens and sometimes even the rooster. She packs a mean peck when she doesn’t want to be hassled. You know what they say about redheads 😬
Luna marches to her own beat and spent the hottest weeks of this summer sitting on eggs. We’re talking 90 degrees IN the coop! She refused to be moved even when we tried to relocate her nest. She survived with her own personal fan and being hand-fed cold watermelon.
After just a month, she abandoned her hatched chicks and headed back to the flock. She seamlessly regained her role as queen. She’s friendly enough to come for snacks, but is often too busy dusting or finding her own food, like the independent gal she is.

Fun fact: Luna has 5 toes instead of four. She has an extra small “thumb” on each of her feet.

09/09/2024

Employee of the Week: Agnes

Agnes is a special girl. She is the only remaining bird from our original 6 that started it all. She is our smallest adult girl, but don’t let that fool you! She packs a punch - laying our largest eggs. She’s a free-spirit and can often be found doing her own thing in the general vicinity of the flock. She doesn’t pay too much attention to the rooster because she’s older than him and knows the ropes of survival. Agnes is friendly, but doesn’t love being touched - can you blame her? She’s got to eat a ton to get eggs this size!

09/01/2024

The Employee of the Week: Mildred “Millie”

Millie is an uncharacteristically friendly hen. She suffered from a vitamin deficiency as a chick and among other things, it resulted in a wobbly, overheated, fearless girl. She is a fan favorite - coming when she’s called, taking snacks out of hands, and enjoying being carried around. She’s always looking for an easy meal and can often be found near her rooster, Minga. Millie lays a light brown egg and is not shy at all about singing her “egg song” to announce when she lays her prize.