When adding pullets (or grown hens) to an existing flock, care must be given. Have you heard the term pecking order?  The term, even used with humans, derives from hens.  Chickens physically peck at other chickens, showing dominance and ranking order.  Even a mild-tempered chicken can peck at a new one coming into her territory. […]

This past weekend, I was at a local craft show/charity bazaar. There were awesome displays of craftsmanship, wood working, homemade soaps and lotions, painted gourds, baked goods and more. One booth really caught my eye and got me thinking about all the ways that chicken keepers are crafty. They have ingenious ways of turning ordinary […]

The garden has died off, trees have dropped their brilliantly colored leaves, the once persistent buzzing of insects has slowly quieted; chickens have less to find as they spend the shorter days scratching about the yard. My chickens spend more time in the wooded section of our property verse the dying off meadow like field.They are turning […]

I have had the pleasure of knowing and working with Andrea Martin Ph.D. and her wonderful Black Thistle Farm located in Massachusetts. Dr. Martin has dedicated her life to working with poultry as a behaviorist as well as running a chicken rescue. She is a terrific resource for many local and international chicken keepers. Recently […]

Some of our chickens have begun laying eggs AND they are having a  juvenile molt. If you got baby chicks back in the Spring like we did, you are probably getting some eggs now.  I absolutely love that egg laying song that they sing, don’t you? Our Black Star chickens are laying consistently now.  They […]

Chickens, like all things in nature, are a part of the ever changing seasons. Their bodies react and prepare for the next coming stage in life, the next spell of weather and climate. Below are three timelines; The Seasonal Timeline The Housekeeping Timeline The Anatomical Timeline These are approximate predictions to help the chicken keeper […]

Are you thinking (dreaming) of having your own flock of chickens? Do you know someone who has been poring over hatchery catalogs; spending long minutes following chicken websites; sending you all sort of ideas for chicken coops; talking about Orpingtons, Wyandottes, Sex-Link, and Sussex? My friend Jenny has developed the perfect gift, for you or […]

The other day I saw two of our chickens pecking and scratching a shallow hole in the ground.  They were making a new dust bathing area. They scooted around.  They spread their feathers.  They pecked some more.  They were working together on this one…great team work!  Notice the black chicken supervising the job.  She clucked […]

Autumn is moving swiftly this year. The colors are well on their way for the fifth of October. This morning I woke up to the house at 59 degrees, I think tonight we might have our first fire in the wood burning furnace tonight. Nature has a funny way of predicting the future. The chickens […]

How much space does a chicken need to comfortably rest at night? Is a roosting bar an essential element in poultry housing?