Chicken collecting is a hard habit to break. Especially when there are so many varieties to choose from. Often, people start the chicken venture with the idea that it would be great to have a couple of daily egg layers. Then they realize what a pleasure it is to own chickens and they get a […]

Having a coop full of chickens can be great. Some people breed chickens as a hobby, while others have chickens for fresh eggs and fresh meat. Whatever your reasons are for having a coop, you need to keep them warm and safe during the cold, winter months. Chickens are very strong birds. As long as […]

Daylight hours decrease and cooler weather approaches as autumn settles in all around us.  As you can see in this picture, some of the trees are bare, and so are the nesting boxes.  Fall is a common time for molting chickens and fewer (or no) eggs.  Even other chicken owners that usually sell eggs have covered […]

Do the ghosts and goblins of Halloween have you feeling a little … chicken? Don’t despair; this year, turn gourds and pumpkins into a three-dimensional fall decoration that will rival any old-fashioned Jack-o’-Lantern carving. Or carve the famous Community Chicken (templates included below)! Carve, paint, or etch a pumpkin chicken, share photos with us, and […]

I feel like sometimes the Leghorn is an overlooked breed. With so many fancy breeds to choose from, a plain, typical, all white bird that lays a white egg is somewhat mundane when compared to Frizzles, Silkies, Polish, or some of the beautiful colors and feather patterns available. But if you’re looking for a constant […]

I wish I could say the headline is a joke, but it’s not.  I also wish I could laugh about it, like the saying ‘someday you’ll laugh about it,’ suggests.  It’s only been a month since the coop ordeal. I’m sure someday I will laugh, but right now I’m not. Last month I got locked […]

As fall descends upon us here in the North — bringing with it frosty nights and then snowy days — most of the green that covers the earth turns to brown. Now we must begin to give our animals a little extra help if they’re to make it through the long, dead winter. Chickens, for […]

A chicken moat is not a waterway, but it does provide a protective enclosure for the garden. Weeds, insects, rabbits, groundhogs and even deer are barred from entry by the double wall of fencing and the ever-diligent patrol flock. All in all, it’s a clever solution to the fowl raiser’s dilemma of whether to fence […]

This breed profile is proudly brought to you by The Livestock Conservancy! In 1934, white eggs brought premium prices at market because it was believed that white eggs had a finer, more delicate flavor. At that time most of America’s eggs were produced on small farms all across the country, and small farmers preferred dual-purpose […]

This Breed Profile is proudly brought to you by The Livestock Conservancy! The Crèvecoeur chicken is one of the oldest of the standard-bred fowls of France. The breed gets its name from Crève-Coeur en Ange, a small town in Normandy, France. The breed’s name translates as “broken heart” as in the romantic sense. Little is […]