Hope Valley Ranch

09/04/2026

She isn’t falling apart—she’s molting! 🐔🪶

Molting is the natural process of shedding old, worn feathers and replacing them with new ones. It commonly happens as daylight begins to shorten, and some hens look much rougher than others during the process.

Growing an entirely new set of feathers takes a lot of protein and energy. That’s why egg production often slows considerably—or stops altogether—while a hen is molting.

Three ways to support your flock:

1️⃣ Keep a nutritionally balanced, complete feed available and limit excessive treats that dilute their nutrition.

2️⃣ Handle molting chickens gently. Emerging pin feathers are sensitive and can be painful when touched.

3️⃣ Reduce stress, watch for feather picking and provide protection from cold, wet or windy weather.

A molting hen should still be alert, eating and drinking. Feather loss accompanied by weight loss, lethargy, irritated skin, wounds or visible parasites deserves a closer look.

It may not be her most glamorous season, but those beautiful new feathers are already on the way. ❤️

09/02/2026

Summer 2026 is definitely a year for unusual weather. Never seen this much green grass this late in the season. Storms are more intense and the flies are here in droves. The weather forecasts are only good for the next couple hours at most otherwise a random storm blows in and we are scrambling to batten down the hatches.

We were suppose to have another heat wave this week but it cooled some since the storm passed. The generator keeps kicking on. Need to check our propane levels as we have been on generator power more this year than previous.

Stay safe out there. 🙏🏼

08/29/2026

Little Nancy is always cold after a bath. Grandma to the rescue. And soon she stopped shivering and was ready for a nap. Will cherish these moments as the girls are starting to show their age. Approaching the 10yr mar in rescuek, many of the dogs are either super seniors, starting to show their age or have crossed the bridge.

It’s bittersweet. Never to forget, they have all far outlived their original odds thanks to rescue and all the people who have helped make it happen.

08/26/2026

Creature of habit, Buttercup was insisting to go back to the garage last night. Had to place her in the coop last night. All went well and continues to go well today.

Undecided about this coop design. Has its pros and cons. Definitely not as solid as our usual construction. The roost bar design didn’t make sense in how are they supposed to get up there and worse is how would they get down without hurting themselves. Will come up with a further modification.

Chickening has its fair share of learning along the way. 🤷🏻‍♀️

08/26/2026

Not one of our best executions. I’m going to blame perimenopause for my confusing the guys. Video in 6x speed as this coop isn’t built like the solid structures we typically do here but we needed something quick. It’s cute tho.

08/22/2026

Whenever I think I’m alone outside, I know the barn cats are watching over me. Especially while in the garden. Cutest garden gnomes.

I don’t advocate for every property to have outside cats for safety reasons and each cat is different but we are fortunate here to be far back from the main road and surrounded by forest and farmland. There are still dangers here but the risks are greatly diminished.

And our sanctuary barn cats would not do well being solely indoor cats based on their history. Living their best lives one day at a time.

08/20/2026

Lately Chip has been drinking from Buttercup’s waterer. But then I noticed….

08/19/2026

Concierge service continues while the new coop is being assembled.

08/14/2026

Buttercup completed her antibiotic series for her lower respiratory infection. She is doing better and minimal chirping sound. She may just have residual effects going forward will keep an eye on it.

Giving liquid medicine to chickens is doable but take your time to avoid aspirating. Each are different but she was not a fan of medicine time. Waited until she calmed down before administering.

We are so proud of her and she is doing very well.

08/09/2026