I remember the first time I saw a Buff Orpington chicken. It was at the State Fair and the bird was MASSIVE! It was in a large display cage and took up most of the space allotted. I fell in love immediately and vowed that one day I would raise these giant chickens. Fast forward […]

At the minimum, a well balanced, age-appropriate chicken feed will provide a complete source of nutrition for your flock. I say “age-appropriate,” because chickens need different levels of protein at different ages. For example, chicks and young chickens need higher protein levels as they grow than adult birds. Meat birds also need additional protein to […]

The deviled egg, a holiday staple for my family.  I typically prepare both the Classic and Sweet Classic recipes. The perfect hard-boiled eggs start with the perfect eggs. Try for eggs that have been in the fridge for a week or so, if they are farm fresh. If you’re using store-bought eggs rather than farm […]

The first snowfall of the season happened the other day.  Although beautiful to me, it was a bit of a shock to the new girls in the chicken coop.  When I opened the door to let the chickens out in the morning, none of them eagerly came out as they normally would.  In this picture, […]

Please enjoy this information excerpted from Getting Laid, by Barb Webb. Even if your chickens are on a full commercial feed diet, there are still natural ingredients you may wish to consider adding to their feed to help keep your flock in tip-top shape or to address particular health concerns. Use this chart as a handy […]

Thinking about raising Cornish Cross chickens this spring? Make sure to do a ton of research, as it’s not the same as raising layers.  Meat breeds require different housing, nutritional, and exercise requirements.  With the right research and preparation, the experience can go off without a hitch.  We have gone about raising the Cornish breed […]

I count on my chickens in so many ways: eggs, bug control, food, and companionship, to name a few.  Just recently they took on the role of janitorial staff as well.  For me, each day begins the same, heading to the barn for morning chores. Grain is given to the goats and cows; water cleaned […]

If you’re anything like me, you love your flock of chickens like family and want to protect them from any danger in your surrounding environment. You’ve built a cozy coop to keep your chickens warm and safe. But there are many predators that can threaten the well-being of your poultry flock and it’s important to […]

I let my chickens roam free: I couldn’t do it any other way. Free-range chickens are the secret to a super productive garden. They spread their manure around for you, keep insects under control and even turn your compost. And I love watching them forage around the backyard. They all have their own personalities and […]

After being without eggs for almost eight months, due to the petering of eggs from an old flock, followed by their demise, and waiting for the Jennies (Novogens) to lay, the Jennies seemed like wonder hens to me. We had eggs again! Baskets of big, beautiful, jumbo brown eggs.  My excitement and gratitude led me […]