The old adage “You are what you eat” certainly applies to chickens. A strong foraging instinct gives chickens the ability to thrive naturally on a wide variety of plants and insects. However, some modern backyard birds aren’t lucky enough to range co

One of the first things people get really excited about on their homesteading journey is adding chickens. They seem like an easy first livestock animal; small, easily managed, and they produce eggs and meat with minimal effort. Many towns and cities

Poultry body language can help you recognize the first signs of sickness, and to help prevent issues from arising. Prevention is key when it comes to keeping your flock healthy and happy. As Benjamin Franklin said, “An ounce of prevention is worth a

Folks are flocking to chickens as their new “pandemic project.” What’s to love about backyard birds? And what’s not so great? Let’s take a look. First, let’s look at the good stuff. As with any pet, there are many positives to keeping chickens. Incre

It’s that time of year again. The sun is shining, the daffodils are blooming, and there is a distinct peeping noise at every farm store across the country. It’s time for chicks. If you’ve been wooed by those little fluffy yellow balls of cuteness you

Chickens love to free-range, and many folks allow their chickens to roam freely around their yards, fields, and acreages to their heart’s content. Free ranging a flock has plenty of benefits, including access to pasture and bugs, and helps to prevent

In the human body, there are all sorts of hormones floating around. Some of these hormones cause stress, while others induce relaxation. Some of the hormones that make you stress are aldosterone, cortisol, and adrenaline. Many others make you relax a

You love getting tasty eggs from your hens, so how can you keep them healthy, happy, and laying? There are a number of factors that can influence how many eggs a hen lays in her lifetime. The laying cycle is an important part of a hen’s life. An egg,

Anyone new to raising chickens is bound to be confused at the feed store. With such a complex diversity of feeds available at different price points, it can be hard to determine which one to buy. Choosing the right feed so chickens have proper nutrit

All chickens experience molt — the normal, natural process of losing and regrowing feathers. In addition to allowing for flight, feathers protect and insulate birds against hot, cold, and rainy weather. They also protect their thin skin from infectio

On the rural southwest Virginia road where my wife, Elaine, and I live, a number of folks raise chickens. Understandably, then, it’s common for us to exchange information on how our respective flocks are doing. So, several months ago, I wasn’t surpri

I’vekept poultry for most of my life, and waterfowl have always been an important inclusion. Our farm currently has both ducks and geese, and both species are serving the farm in their own unique ways with their own special attributes. Ducks are year

“Bottom line: Chickens don’t bathe like we (or many other animals) do. Counter to what intuition might tell you, they get clean by getting dirty. Naturally (i.e., in the wild or when free ranging), they’ll dig a shallow pit in suitable soil (the dust

Once you get caught up in the idea of having chickens, it’s easy to find yourself spending more on them and the coop then you ever thought you would. For many people, chickens are a hobby as well as pets with benefits: I’m thinking of my wife and mys

Did you know a chicken’s “teeth” are inside its body? Or that chickens need bacteria to have a healthy digestive system? Or that feed includes more than just nutrients? Learn more about how your chickens’ diet contributes to their overall health and

Keeping backyard poultry can be a fun and rewarding hobby, though it doesn’t come without its challenges. Maintaining a healthy flock requires managing the day-to-day upkeep, as well as monthly and seasonal concerns. Take the guesswork out of chicken

When I was growing up, the man who lived across the street would, every morning, go down to his chicken coop and let all of his chickens out for the day. They spent the day outside, coming and going from the coop as they pleased. Every evening, he we

For children, building a relationship with a pet can help them develop language skills, provide a fun sensory experience, and encourage the stewardship of another life. Over the years, I’ve found that chickens get children excited the most. Children

Most chicken keepers choose to use complete feeds for the convenience, because all the guesswork is taken out. Some folks, however, want to be able to grow and/or make their own feed. If you choose to make your own, it’s essential that it contains al

I like to think that I am deliberate in tending to our flock of chickens during the winter, but it still happened! Yep, one of our chickens got frostbite on her comb. See black spots on your chicken’s comb or feet? That’s frostbite. Thankfully, our c

It’s an irrefutable fact: Chickens poop, and they poop a lot. In the coop, their favorite place to poop is off the edge of the roost when they’re sleeping at night. This means that, every night, droppings build up right under the roost in a specific

Chicken is one of those versatile foods that delivers comfort in a multitude of ways. Hungry for Italian or Tex-Mex? How about Chinese? No problem; chicken fits the bill. Chicken is economical and readily available, and it cooks quickly and with ease

There seems to be a widespread belief that poultry raised on pasture — call them open-range, free-range, or another buzzword — run around and meet all their protein and nutritional needs by eating only bugs and plant seeds. I often see this notion pe

Oh, Spring! The snow in melting, and the sun is shining or maybe it’s raining and gloomy … or you just got dumped with another foot of snow. Well, the weather might not be cooperating yet, but there is one thing that unites the spring experience for

Heritage breed animals are important elements of our farming history, and helpful additions to any small farm. Heritage breeds diversify a farm and the gene pool of their species, and often will add a colorful splash to your barnyard. In the poultry

Did you know you can raise chickens in your own backyard? Whether you have a suburban backyard, a rural acreage, or an urban lot, you can keep a few hens and have fresh eggs that are significantly more nutritious than those you normally buy at the su

I’m on my third year of housing my tiny flock of layers in my shed over the winter. I build a temporary 5-foot-by-6-foot enclosure with garden caging, which gives them exactly the same space in the shed as they get in their mobile pen (7½ square feet