Excited about new chicks, but nervous about introducing them to your existing flock? Elizabeth Mack walks you through bird dynamics to keep everyone safe. Bringing new chicks home can be a stressful time, but it’s especially nerve-wracking when you have an existing flock. The old girls are set in their ways, know their place, and […]

Bringing home a peeping box with fluffy little chicks can be scary, but Elizabeth Mack has lots of excellent advice to help you. Photos by author. For new chicken owners, nothing is more exciting — and more terrifying — than bringing baby chicks home for the first time. Hopefully, you’ve done lots of pre-planning, and […]

Story and photos by Liz Fulghum Prepare for new spring chicks with this easy DIY brooder. This last year has been a strange time for so many people. But as this 2021 spring arrives, we can look forward to new opportunities and projects. Hopefully this last year has let lots of us connect more to […]

In this episode of the Community Chickens podcasts, we discuss the role that keeping poultry can play in our educational systems. School Check-Ins   Our Podcast Guests Include: Jeannette Beranger is the Senior Program Manager for The Livestock Conservancy. She uses her knowledge to plan and implement conservation programs, conduct field research, and advise farmers in their […]

Kellsey Trimble  sits down with some of our favorite poultry experts to discuss getting started with your flock. There are many considerations to keep in mind.   Thank you Brinsea for Sponsoring this episode!  Our Podcast Guests Include: Kellsey Trimble, former managing editor of Grit, enjoys immersing herself in the homestead lifestyle as frequently as possible. We were […]

Kaylee Vaugh de-mythtifies eggs for us. Over the last several decades, it has became less common for people to keep chickens and many people have become more disconnected from their food sources. Because of this, many myths have become commonly accepted.  I’m sure that every chicken keeper has no doubt heard (and maybe even believed!) a […]

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 […]

A crossed beak chicken? Sadly it happens! Last year I received a dozen or so Easter Egger peeps from a mail-order company, they all seemed perfect at first. As the peeps grew over the first few weeks I noticed we had one small chick that grew at a much slower rate. However, after a closer […]

The first six weeks of your chick’s lives need to be especially safe and warm. For our young chicken keeper’s, here are instructions for creating the perfect brooder for new chicks. After you determine which breeds you would like to raise and know when they will arrive at your home, it’s time to make a […]

Lots of folks are perfectly happy to incubate their chicken eggs to produce healthy chicks. But some homesteaders really want to work with their broody hens to hatch eggs. Author Amy Fewell shares her experiences and lots of suggestions for efficient hatching with a broody hen. Rocky Beginnings I can still remember thinking that all […]