While most backyard chickens exist for the production of eggs and meat, compost is an equally valuable resource the chicken run can provide. Even better, the bulk of the labor is free, and copious amounts of compost pays in dividends. The birds are happier and healthier because there’s no better place to find insects and […]

Duck Tales from Great Village, Nova Scotia By Sarah Paterson. Rouen-Cross Drake becomes a friend. People always ask me, “Ducks?  Really? Why ducks?”  I think it’s a legitimate question. After all, it’s not like ducks are show cats, or agility dogs.  How a city girl (me) moved to the country and began to own ducks […]

Michele Cook — A few years ago, I did something crazy. I quit my nearly six figure job to start a small farm. My husband lovingly called it “the hippie plan”. Basically, I would have laying hens, milk goats for soap, and a large garden. I would hawk my wares at the local farmer’s market […]

Hatching baby chicks in your own incubator is not only easy — it’s a blast! by Pascale Pearce This content is sponsored by Brinsea. I’ve heard from many backyard poultry enthusiasts who’d like to become more self-sufficient by hatching their own chicks, but who have concerns about the cost and difficulty of doing so. Well, there’s […]

Old man winter will be knocking on our doors soon, so I thought this would be a good time to review some winter strategies for keeping chickens safe and healthy during cold weather.  A winter check list for your chickens… Your chickens have probably finished molting by now, or should be soon.  Their new feathers […]

The biggest reason we decided to keep chickens on our farm is for egg production. But even if our hens never laid another egg, I would still raise chickens just to watch their funny antics and their quirky behaviors. In this post, our community of writers explore chicken behavior. Chickens hold a complex social instinct […]

It’s that blissful time of year again! Garden centers are getting in flats of Pansies and early spring vegetables. The snow peas are planted and the asparagus is making it’s way through the cool spring soil like blades of green triumph. It’s garden season! Chickens, in addition to laying eggs and being adorable, can also […]

Providing nutritious food and clean water for your flock is one of the most important aspects of their health and development. It’s also important to know what your chickens are eating because in turn, we eat their eggs (and for some, the birds themselves). Chickens can thrive on a variety of different foods and feeding […]

Keeping your chickens healthy healthy and safe can be easy. With a little daily care; safe, clean living environments; a well designed coop; fresh food and water, and a few preventative measures your flock should thrive and live a long, happy life. But occasionally, even the most diligent chicken keeper can experience sickness or injury […]

The springtime is one of the most exciting times in the chicken keeping experience. It’s all about new life! Our hens start laying again after their long winter break, baby chicks are popping up at feed stores, and in many homes you can hear the whirr of running incubators. This post covers everything you need […]