Permaculture writer Jonathon Engels shows how duck ponds can benefit both your water-loving fowl and the surrounding ecosystem. In permaculture design, we are constantly in search of ways to make things function on multiple levels. We like to have waste streams—gray water, kitchen scraps, spoiled animal bedding—cycle productively through our holistic systems, providing solutions rather than […]

New blogger Traci DeLore shares why she prefers Summer Chicks. I’m no spring chicken – fan, that is. Why Summer Chicks Raising chicks in the summer is absolutely the way to go for me. There’s less mess, easier integration, and better weather. It’s a no brainer. Around me, chick frenzy starts in late February at […]

Learn tips and tricks for safely housing these marvelous birds from quail expert and owner, Kelly Bohling. (Unless otherwise noted, all photos by author.) Quail Are Easy to House Raising Coturnix quail—also known as Japanese quail—is an approachable endeavor, made easier by the low maintenance habits of the birds and their hardiness against disease and […]

Michele Cook shares ideas for getting a broody hen off the nest. We have a hen around here we call ‘Broody Betty’. She is a Rhode Island Red hen and she seriously wants to have some babies. I don’t want any more chicks but she doesn’t seem to care. Starting in spring and going until […]

Poultry parasites can cause harm to individual birds, or the whole flock. Elizabeth Mack identifies some common parasites to watch for and what to do about them. For small flock chicken owners, nothing raises more alarm than finding out that one of your chickens has parasites. Chickens can pick up internal parasites from ingesting contaminated […]

Learn all about common fly species from egg to adult, often found in poultry houses with manure and explore various methods to control them. Fly control is an integral part of poultry management. With today’s concern about environmental conditions, fly control takes on added importance. Besides their ability to mechanically carry disease organisms, flies may […]

Joel Salatin a.k.a. Chicken Man is both an experienced broiler farmer and businessman. Here he shares some of his economic wisdom and the nitty gritty of farm finances. Read and learn lots. The Gross Margin Pastured broilers were my ticket into fulltime farming. For that and many more reasons, I’m still in love with pastured broilers. In […]

Want to own backyard birds, but don’t have the room or time for chickens? Alexandra Douglas shows you how to acquire, hatch, and brood tiny, beautiful Coturnix quail. Intriguing Alternative to Chickens With the popularity of raising your own birds for meat and eggs, Coturnix quail are becoming the alternative to chickens and other fowl […]

Frank Hyman humorously shows us how to make two different types of DIY poultry feeders that are inexpensive and efficient. I enjoy having chickens as long as I don’t feel like I’m working for them. I especially like chickens when I can go on vacation for two weeks without worrying about them. But there are […]

A well-designed landscape can transform your garden into an extension of your home, offering an attractive and productive outdoor living space. For our feathered friends, a well-designed garden can offer protection and safe shelter as well as food for them to forage. While landscape design is probably not the first thing you think of when […]