Our Barred Rock, after she regained the feathers she lost because of stress by Nancy Farrell Q: My chickens are pretty much bald on their back ends. They are all still laying and seem fine, but we were wondering what causes this and what can we do to fix it? – Lynnette A: Lynnette, chickens […]

by Rebecca Nickols Q: A friend told me that chicken droppings can transfer harmful bacteria. He said not to use it for fertilizer. Is he right? – Chris   A: Great question, Chris! All animal manures have the potential risk of containing bacteria, but the key to using it as a fertilizer is knowing how […]

by Meredith Chilson Q. Why do farm fresh eggs sometimes have a speck of blood in them and how do I keep this from happening? – Bonnie A. Bonnie, not too long ago I looked for the answer to this question myself! The short answer is actually right in your question: Specks of blood are […]

by Rebecca Nickols Q: I am considering getting some chickens for our farm, but am wondering if you can go away for a few days when you have chickens? Also, does anyone out there have dogs, and how do they get along with chickens? — Sheryll Brimley A: Sheryll, I pondered these same questions when […]

by Rebecca Nickols Q: What is the nutritional value of free-range eggs versus eggs laid by hens in a pen? – Curt Stowell A: If you’re referring to commercial eggs, controversy surrounds the debate. Just looking at the egg cartons can cause confusion: cage-free, free range, grass-fed, organic, brown, white … The labels are often […]

by Nancy Farrell Q. I was wondering how the garden would fare if chickens were allowed to free range? Will they eat everything if not fenced off? – Chris, from Medaryville, Ind. A. Great question, Chris! One that I think I can help you with. When we first got our chickens I too visualized a […]

by Meredith Chilson Q: After enjoying eggs from our three hens for the past several months, we decided to increase our small flock by two. After reading up on introducing new hens, we decided to put the two in after dusk, when all had settled down for the night. For the first several hours the […]

by Meredith Chilson Q: Is there anything I can feed my chickens over the winter when they are not outside to get the yolks of their eggs that nice orange color? – Ruth A: I was thinking about the same thing just the other day, Ruth. In the summer when my hens are filling up […]

Midge crows, now that he’s top roost by Nancy Farrell Q. My father has a 6-month-old rooster that shows all the sexual characteristics of a beautiful, full comb and tail, but he does not crow or mate. Another rooster in the yard is dominant, but that hasn’t stopped other roosters. Any ideas? — Bettina A. […]

by Meredith Chilson Q: I’m wondering if one can get a hen to go broody and hatch eggs that one might order online. Does anyone know?— Rachel A: This is a great question, Rachel, and one that others might be wondering about on these “thinking about spring” days.The most honest answer to this is, however, […]