by Melissa Caughey of Tilly’s Nest Did you know that chickens can benefit from nail trimming? Sometimes no matter how much access to pasture and fresh patches of dirt, chickens require their toenails to be trimmed. This is important for the overall health of their feet and their ability to move without restrictions and to […]

by Debbie Bosworth One of the conundrums we backyard chicken keepers face is the abundance of farm fresh eggs we have come this time of year. That’s why I love to make quiche. They are so quick and easy and the recipes can be varied based on what you have on hand in your refrigerator. […]

by Donna McGlasson from Gardens & Chickens & Worms Cleaning the coop is probably the most dreaded chore we as chicken keepers must perform but also the most important. Why? Keeping the coop and run environment clean is the best way to prevent disease in your flock.  What process should you use? What makes this […]

Perhaps it is a bit of a misnomer to call these beautiful and wild animals enemies, but it is important for you to be aware of the fact that they can and will harm your flock if given the opportunity. One of key things to know is that simply keeping chickens does not attracts predators […]

by Meredith Chilson Once upon a time, a chicken hatched some eggs.  Now, I understand that this happens all the time, but this time was different.  The eggs belonged to another hen.  They were adopted. The mother hen was very happy to finally have a brood of her own.  She was particularly fond of her roo-chick, […]

by Jennifer Sartell of Iron Oak Farm Right now at Iron Oak Farm we have chickens at all different age levels. I have an existing adult flock in our coop; teenagers who are too old for the brooder; and week old chicks still in the house. Balancing all these birds and providing for their different […]

by Debbie Bosworth of Dandelion Hous Howdy fellow chicken keepers! It’s an exciting time of year here at the Little Red Hen House. The ground has finally thawed in our chicken run enough for us to finally get out of the coop and stretch our legs. We have a nice big run ( 12 x […]

by Jennifer Sartell I’ve been brooding chicks on and off for the past 19 years. And it is a wonderful experience! One that I look forward to every year. I’ve been known to sit cross legged for hours watching our sweet little birds gently poke around, nod off to sleep in a hilarious instant and […]

As chicken keeping continues to grow in America’s backyards, people are slowly beginning to wonder just what the quality of life is for egg laying chickens raised in the commercial setting. Many hens raised for eggs are sent to slaughter at 18 months of age. According to farmers’ their height of egg laying is over. […]

by Meredith Chilson It’s a sunny spring day.  The coop doors are open to the outside, and the hens are digging and scratching in the wet leaves.  It’s too early, yet, to do a thorough coop cleaning—there will still be a few days of sloppy snowflakes and nights when the temperatures fall below freezing.  It’s […]