Spring Flock Care: Getting Your Chickens Ready for the Season

Spring is the most exciting time of year for backyard chicken keepers. Days are getting longer, hens are ramping up egg production, and if you're adding new pullets to your flock, now is the time. Here's how to set your flock up for a strong season.

Egg Production Picks Back Up

Chickens lay based on daylight. As days lengthen past 14 hours of light, hens that slowed down or stopped laying over winter will naturally resume. You don't need to do anything — just give it a few weeks. If your hens are healthy and well-fed, production will climb on its own.

If you're seeing slow production even as days lengthen, check for:

• Molting (late molters can carry into early spring)
• Nutritional deficiencies — make sure they're on a quality layer feed
• Stress from predator pressure or flock dynamics
• Age — hens over 3 years old naturally produce fewer eggs

Deep Clean the Coop

Spring is the ideal time for a full coop cleanout. After a long winter of closed-up quarters, bacteria, ammonia, and moisture build up in bedding and corners. A thorough cleaning now protects your flock's respiratory health all season.

1. Remove all old bedding completely — compost it or use it in the garden.
2. Scrub walls, roosts, and nest boxes with a diluted white vinegar solution or poultry-safe disinfectant.
3. Let everything dry completely before adding fresh bedding.
4. Add a fresh, thick layer of pine shavings or straw.
5. Dust nest boxes with food-grade diatomaceous earth to deter mites.

Check for Mites & Lice

Mites and lice are most active in warm weather and can explode in population quickly. Do a thorough check on your birds in early spring:

• Part feathers around the vent, under wings, and at the base of the neck
• Look for tiny moving dots (mites) or clusters of eggs at the base of feathers (lice)
• Check roosts and coop corners at night with a flashlight — red mites hide in cracks during the day

If you find evidence of either, treat promptly with a poultry-safe dust or spray and repeat in 7–10 days to break the life cycle.

Introduce New Pullets the Right Way

Spring is prime time for adding new birds to your flock. If you're bringing in new pullets — like our Golden Comets — follow these steps to minimize stress and fighting:

1. Quarantine first — keep new birds separate for at least 2 weeks to watch for illness.
2. Let them see each other — after quarantine, place new birds in a pen adjacent to the existing flock so they can get used to each other without contact.
3. Introduce at night — place new birds on the roost after dark. Hens wake up together and the transition is smoother.
4. Provide extra feeders and waterers — reduces competition during the adjustment period.
5. Expect some pecking order sorting — this is normal. Intervene only if a bird is being seriously injured.

Spring Feed Adjustments

• Switch back to a quality layer feed if you supplemented with higher-protein feed during molt.
• Offer oyster shell free-choice to support strong eggshells as production ramps up.
• Reduce or eliminate scratch grains as temperatures warm — scratch generates body heat and isn't needed in warm weather.
• Fresh greens and garden scraps are a great spring treat — hens love them and they support yolk color.

Open Up the Run

If your flock was confined during winter, spring is the time to get them back outside. Pasture access dramatically improves egg quality, yolk color, and hen health. Even a small area of fresh grass makes a difference. Rotate your run if possible to prevent bare dirt and parasite buildup.

What's Coming Next

Spring sets the tone for the whole year. A clean coop, healthy birds, and a smooth pullet introduction now means strong production and fewer problems all the way through fall. Check back for our Summer Flock Care guide as temperatures start to climb.