My favorite breeds of chickens are Jersey Giant and Buff Orphington. I like big chickens and I can-not lie. But like many of you out there, we don’t just keep two breeds of chicken. We have a variety. A confetti of feather colors, patterns and plumage that is as different to each bird as is […]

  I have been busy traveling around the country sharing my new book, A Kid’s Guide to Keeping Chickens, with many newbie chicken keepers and older chicken keepers alike. I have had a blast doing presentations for a variety of audiences, but my favorite chicken keeping questions still come from the kids. Today I thought […]

Death and dying is a natural part of keeping animals. Sometimes animals become sick and perish. Other times, they live until a ripe old age and die of natural causes. The same goes for keeping backyard chickens. This is a part of the circle of life. Chickens can hide illness well. Sometimes it is not […]

It has been so much fun having little chicks around this year. It has been a couple years since I have gotten chicks in place of laying hens. As a backyard chicken keeper, it is important that I know I have hens and not roosters, or at least have a plan on what to do […]

We are approaching our second year of raising chickens and our first BIG problem!  Until recently, the chickens have lived together peacefully.  They have a 6×6 coop and a fenced chicken yard to enjoy.  All was good until… One morning a few weeks ago, I noticed that one of the chickens had some feathers missing […]

Chickens love to free-range, and many folks allow their chickens to roam freely around their yards, fields, and acreage to their heart’s content. Free-ranging a flock has plenty of benefits, including access to pasture and bugs, and helps to prevent issues that confined birds face. Sometimes, free-ranging flocks face issues that can be avoided. Here […]

Peep…Peep…Peep. If you are like me, than Spring Fever has taken over and you have fired up your heat lamp and dusted off the brooder box. There are spring chicks all over, including my bathroom. My bathroom?! Much to the surprise of any visitors, yes,  I am brooding my babies in the bathroom. It is […]

Melissa Caughey Story and photos As the earth begins to thaw and the ice and snow melt away, we welcome spring with open arms. We have had a tough winter in the Northeast and plenty of chicken coops, including mine, needed a bit of a deep cleaning. I spent the past weekend cleaning things out […]

Today I want to share an easy recipe for quiche, using many ingredients that you may already have. As the weather warms up so does egg production.  This is a great way to use up those eggs. My favorite meat to use in quiche is bacon.  You could also use chicken or lunch meat.   […]

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 […]