by Jennifer Burcke A few weeks ago, I was browsing through the local newspaper and happened upon the type of story that sends a chill down a chicken keeper’s spine.  A family in a neighboring town had endured an unthinkable tragedy.  Their newly built coop had burned down to the ground, killing all 38 of […]

by Rachel Hurd Anger My husband and I have always been a dog-free family, until I began thinking of adopting a running buddy. The dog seed germinated randomly like my chicken seed did. It was first an idea that became a regular thought, and then an undeniable obsession. The desire for Woman’s Best Friend further […]

by Rebecca Nickols Photos by author A few common concerns of first time chicken owners (who have a dog as a pet) are: “How will the dog react to the chickens?” “Should I keep the chickens and dog(s) separated?” “What breed of dogs is best to keep around chickens?” I had the same questions with my […]

by Rachel Hurd Anger Photos by author Our backyard chickens just celebrated their second Happy Hatchday, and as we sort of pat ourselves on our backs for having some of the world’s oldest chickens, we’re all still recovering from our first predator attack. The victim was Clara, a Partridge Plymouth Rock, our most robust and […]

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 Madelaine Fletcher — Photographed by Dusko Matic From urban hen adventures in the North to 4-H chicken projects in the South, the backyard poultry revolution is sweeping the nation. Healthy chickens are an important priority if you are raising them for meat or eggs, as breeding show birds or game birds, or if you […]

by Jennifer Sartell Photos by author We gather a lot of eggs around here. We have 42 hens, and on a good day, it’s not out of the question to collect 42 eggs, but for the most part, our daily average is around 26. This number changes depending on many factors, including the number of […]

by Jennifer Sartell Photos by author Many of my friends who keep chickens marvel at the array of roosters that we have living in harmony together. At one time we had 14 roosters coexisting happily in the same coop/yard. It’s getting to be that time of year when many of the cute little un-sexed chicks […]

by Meredith Chilson Photos by author I’ve been in the chicken business for three years now. This is not my first experience with raising chickens, though. When I was young, my mother had a flock of 500 White Leghorns, and when my children were young, we had an assortment of fowl. My mother’s chickens went […]

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 […]