3 Ways to Make Raising Chickens Easier on Your Body

Raising chickens is not easy work. It requires a lot of heavy lifting—literally—that can take its toll on your body. It’s not uncommon for people to wake up with sore muscles or an aching back, but you certainly don’t want this to become a regular occurrence. After all, taking care of yourself is just as important as taking care of your flock, as your flock won’t flourish without you. 

Don’t lift

For some people, slinging a bag of bird feed over their shoulders is easy. For others, not so much. Even if you can lift the bag, doing so repeatedly could cause strain on your shoulders and back. Play it safe by finding ways to make carrying heavy objects easier. For example, if you have a 50-pound bag of bird feed, slide it into a wheelbarrow or wagon and carry it that way.  

Keep things close by and within reach 

The more time you spend going back and forth between your coop and your supplies, the more time you will be spending on your feet. Unless you want to be soaking a pair of swollen feet or ankles at the end of the day, it’ll be easier for you to keep everything close to the coop to minimize walking distance. Additionally, try to limit how much you’re bending down by keeping things within reach. This simple move will save you from a lot of back pain later on. 

Install nests at waist-level 

When your hens go to lay their eggs inside a nest, it can be painful bending down to pick up the eggs over and over again. An easy work-around is to build the nests at waist-level, protruding out from the coop. Then, install a small door with hinges on the side of the nest that faces outside. This will allow you to open it up and pick up the eggs, all without bending down or going inside the coop. 

For more tips on how to care for your backyard flock, look through our blog or contact Chickens for Backyards today!