by Jennifer Sartell Chickens by themselves, they are a relatively inexpensive addition to any backyard. You can pick up a handful of chicks at your feed store for under $10. Feed and bedding for a small flock can be as little as $20 a month. Chickens are also pretty easy to care for. Daily maintenance, […]

By Harvey Ussery and Mother Earth News editorial staff  From time to time, you may want to add some birds to your flock. I suggest that you not introduce the newest “superhybrids” to your backyard flock just because that is what is on hand at the local farm store. Select one of the reliable older breeds, […]

by Paul Gardener Photos by author Chickens’ needs are few: food, water, shelter and ideally, a perch on which to roost. But folks raising chicks know the youngsters’ requirements are different. In addition to food and water, they need an adequate heat source and protection from drafts. Baby chicks grow fast, so you have to […]

by Hank Will Photo by Oscar Gutierrez Your backyard chickens depend on you for their health, housing and safety, and, in exchange, they will supply eggs, entertainment, pest control, fertilizer, meat and more. You should anticipate losing a bird to predation occasionally, but these tips will help keep your flock safe from a wide variety […]

by Jennifer Burcke Photos by author Last Wednesday, the first day of summer officially arrived at 1840 Farm. In New England, bidding a final farewell to the previous winter and the mud season that follows is an annual tradition. I normally feel the need to celebrate the arrival of the heat. Without the hot summer […]

by Meredith Chilson Photos by author I’ve been reading with interest and nostalgia fellow blogger Rebecca Nickols’s articles about her broody hen. I remember well the times I would go to the nests, and a hen would puff up and hiss at me. The growly sound of a broody hen is something I won’t soon […]

by Rebecca Nickols Photos by author When I’m not at my paying job, as a nurse, I’m usually outside working on the planters, wreaths and living-roof birdhouses we sell at our local farmers’ market. My seven free range chickens not only provide me with the freshest best tasting eggs available, they also provide an endless […]

by Cheryl Long — Photographed by Jordi Sole Marimon If you have ever considered raising chickens, it’s a lot easier than it sounds. One way is to start with day-old chicks purchased from a farm store or mail-order catalog. Mail orders usually require a minimum shipment of 25 chicks, so if you just want three […]

by Jessie Fetterling – Photographed by Kenneth B. Hill Have you ever considered raising chickens in your own backyard? Whether you live in the city or the country, you can raise a few hens and enjoy fresh eggs that are significantly more nutritious than commercial eggs you purchase at the supermarket. Local laws concerning poultry […]

by Meredith Chilson Photos by author It was May 8 when our fluffy little chicks arrived at the post office. We settled them into their new home in our attached garage, within a corral of cardboard, under a heat lamp, and spent the better part of several days with our lawn chairs pulled up to […]