-Advertisement-  Broody hens make good mamas. A mama hen strutting about with her brood of chicks in tow is the quintessential farm image everyone knows and loves. Brooding is the process by which newly hatched chicks, or birds of any kind, grow up, learn to eat and drink, and are kept at the temperature necessary […]

Summer was warm, the days were long, and you got used to having lots of eggs. Then your hens stopped laying. Michele Cook looks at the many different reasons your hens may (temporarily) have stopped laying eggs. Why have my chickens stopped laying eggs? Ugh! This is a common complaint from chicken keepers all over […]

Chickens are not always kind to each other. Learn how to keep your hens safe and solve some flock problems with this excerpt from The Chicken Keeper’s Problem Solver. PRIMITIVE BEHAVIOR Newcomers to the chicken-keeping hobby are frequently surprised—and often shocked—to discover just how vicious their feathery friends can be. Anything smaller than they are […]

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 […]

Chickens are a great addition to any backyard farm or garden and a practical chicken coop will keep them safe. They have amazing personalities and can be good companions. Once you’ve tried their fresh eggs, you’ll never buy another supermarket dozen. Chickens (and other poultry) can give your kids great lessons in responsibility as they […]

  Henopause Haven by May Woodworth   The decision of what to do with older chickens is different for everyone.  For many it is a difficult decision.  The decision can be even harder if the birds in question have been pets, in addition to egg providers- or in the case of roosters-protectors of the flock. […]

by Jennifer BurckeWe’re into our third spring as chicken keepers here at 1840 Farm.  We’ve encountered all sorts of challenges during that time.  We’ve dealt with the death of day old chicks, heat waves, hurricanes, and unending winters. One experience we have not dealt with is outwitting the natural instincts of a broody hen.  We […]

by Shannon Cole of Country Girl In The Village I first became interested in backyard chickens almost four years ago. Two friends of mine were starting flocks and I could not resist the excitement that came with getting that first set of day old chicks. My requirements in getting backyard chickens were a little different […]