Any backyard chicken lover knows that the backyard flock is just as much a part of the family as any dog or cat. So when it comes to the gift-giving season, it's only natural to include some special gifts with chickens in mind. Every chicken lover has their wishlist of what they want for their special ladies, so what's on our list?

Countertop Egg Holder
One of the greatest benefits of backyard chickens is their consistent supply of fresh eggs. But the chickens don't exactly supply egg cartons. This spiral egg dispenser allows you to store approximately two dozen eggs,  plus it creates a beautiful addition to your kitchen!

Muck Boots
One of the not-so-fun parts of raising backyard chickens is venturing out on the cold, muddy days to feed the ladies and collect eggs. Any experienced chicken farmer knows that a great pair of muck boots is essential. We love this pair because of their vibrant yellow color. These boots are waterproof and feature our favorite backyard pal — perfect for the crazy chicken lady on your list. 

Egg Gathering Basket
There are plenty of vessels you can use to gather your morning supply of eggs, but not many are as cute as this chicken shaped wire basket. This basket is great for gathering eggs, but it's rustic charm also makes it a great option for countertop storage.
 
Chicken Boredom Ball Toy
Chickens like to have fun too. Your backyard chicken lover will enjoy watching their chickens run around the yard chasing and pecking at their new favorite toy. Fill it with a special treat like PopWorms! and banish the chicken boredom away. 

PopWorms!
Chickens work hard to provide delicious eggs every day — they deserve a treat! PopWorms! are an all natural, sustainable source of protein, and each batch is made 100% in Texas. This means you can give your hens a tasty treat without worrying about what's going to end up in your egg. Use the code GIFT and receive 25% off one pound bags of PopWorms! ECO, until December 31st, 2018!

Spoil your backyard chicken lover this year. There are so many great options, the only problem you'll have is figuring out which one to get. What's your favorite chicken-themed gift you have given or received? Let us know in the comments!

Raising chickens in your backyard is not only a good way to enjoy naturally-raised eggs every  day, but it's also good fun. Many people are surprised by how therapeutic watching a small flock of hens after a busy day at work can be. Author Clea Danaan wrote a book called, Zen and the Art of Raising Chickens: The Way of the Hen, that describes how watching and tending to chickens triggers the release of oxytocin, which helps lower stress hormones.

The only real downside to raising backyard chickens is keeping the chicken coop clean. The good news is that there are a few things you can do to make this dreaded job easy. And these steps to ensure a clean environment for your flock will become increasingly more important as the weather cools and the birds spend more time in the coop.

Why Cleaning Your Chicken Coop is Important

Even though chickens don't mind messy quarters as much as humans do, they do much better when they're kept in a clean environment. Cleaning the coop every single day decreases the odds of the chickens developing poultry mites, respiratory infections, and skin problems. Your hens will reward your efforts to keep the coop clean by producing high quality eggs. The clean coop smells better, making it less attractive to predators like weasels and foxes.

Tips on How to Easily Keep Your Chicken Coop Clean

If you haven't already done so, you should consider painting both the interior and exterior of your chicken coop. Not only does this make the coop more attractive, but it also decreases the amount of dust that sticks to the boards, which decreases the amount of time you spend cleaning the chicken coop each day.

• You don't have to completely remove all of the sawdust on the bottom of your chicken coop each day, but you will want to use a rake and remove all of the droppings. The odds are pretty good that the dirtiest part of the chicken coop is under their roost. When the sawdust gets low, you'll need to add more.
• Examine the straw you've used to line the laying boxes. Remove feathers, droppings, and broken eggs. If the straw is dusty, you'll want to remove it and replace it with fresh, clean straw.
• About once a week, you should completely remove all the bedding and sawdust from the chicken coop and hose the inside. This removes insect eggs, pockets of dust, other debris, and most important germs and bacteria that could harm your hens. Use dish soap and a disinfectant such as Virkon S to fully disinfect the chicken coop. If you don't have any Virkon S, you can also use bleach, though it's not quite as effective.
• Empty the water dish, scrub it out, and refill it. This should be done twice a day.

It's in your best interest to clean the chicken coop at least once a day. When you stay on top of the cleaning process, manure, straw, wet sawdust, and bits of dropped food won't build up. Spending five minutes a day cleaning means you won't have to dedicate an entire Saturday afternoon to mucking out the chicken coop.

Each time you clean the coop, take a minute to examine it and make sure there aren't any sharp edges or broken bits that could injure your hens.

What to do with Waste Collected from the Chicken Coop

Dealing with the waste collected from the chicken coop is another unpleasant chore. The best thing to do with this is to build a compost bin, and fill it with the chicken waste (manure, sawdust, straw, etc.). Once it breaks down, it will be a wonderful source of fertilizer for your lawn, trees, flower bed, and garden. Once you get into a chicken coop cleaning routine, you'll find that it's not nearly as bad a chore as you thought it would be, plus it gives you an excuse to hang out with your hens.

Have you wanted to set up a black soldier fly bin to process your kitchen waste, and produce a sustainable protein source for your backyard chickens, but weren't sure where to start? Well, you're in luck! Steven Cornett from Nature's Always Right just released a new video on YouTube documenting what he did to accomplish just that! Check it out and see what he did, what he modified, and what improvements he has in store! If you've made one of your own, let us know in the comments what worked and what didn't work for you.

P.S. Pay attention, because there might be a coupon code to PopWorms! hidden in the video!

Chickens can be wonderful and fun pets. From the pretty feathers to their ability to lay eggs, it's easy to see why so many people love backyard chickens. However, proper hygiene is very important, not only for your own health, but for the health of the chickens as well. We've compiled some healthy habits here to help you along. 

Squeaky Clean Hands
Wash, wash, wash those hands!! It's important after leaving your chicken coop or handling your birds to wash your hands with soap and water, to avoid bringing germs into your home. Chickens, while adorable, can carry various communicable diseases. Proper hand washing greatly reduces your chances of either contracting an illness or spreading an illness to other animals and people. When collecting eggs it's important to remember to wipe down the eggs with a damp cloth as cold water is not recognized as a safe practice. James McGregor from Backyard Chicken Zone recommends keeping hand sanitizer near your chicken run and to use it often. He also recommends keeping a bottle in your vehicle to use after you visit the feed store to reduce the chance of bringing home germs to your chickens. 

A Clean Home
It is extremely important that you keep your chickens' home clean too! It is generally recommended that chicken owners clean their chicken runs and coops every one to two weeks. There are a variety of products and methods for cleaning up after your chickens. Backyard Chicken Zone has a great article that contains detailed steps for proper cleaning, you can view it here. Stay tuned for our next blog post to learn more about keeping your chicken coop clean!

Work Boots
Work boots, muck boots, chicken boots, whichever phrasing you prefer, it's important to have a pair of rubber boots designated just for when you work in your chicken coop. This prevents tracking bacteria into your home and other areas of your yard. Be sure to store these boots outside of your home, so they're ready to use, and the bacteria stays outside. There are also products called "boot washes" that allow you to easily clean your boots easily. Boot washes are a convenient and easy way to maintain hygiene around your chickens and keep them and your family healthy.  

An Outside Pet
While it's okay to love your chickens, it's best to love them outside in their own area. The CDC recommends not bringing the chickens into your home, especially not in areas where food or drink are prepared. It's also best to avoid touching your face and mouth after snuggling up with your chickens. As always, use hand sanitizer and wash your hands with soap and water after you've gotten all your snuggles in. 

These basic guidelines can help you and your chickens stay healthy and happy. Basic hygiene can prevent many issues not just in your chicken coop, but in your home as well. 

PopWorms! is excited to announce that we are launching a blog! We plan to cover topics such insects as treats (of course!), benefits of raising backyard chickens, ways to keep your flock healthy, and much more!