by Rebecca Nickols Photos by author Earlier this spring, I added three new chicks to my flock, making a total of five chickens residing in my coop. The new pullets started laying in late summer and now (in the fall) I’m getting about five wonderful, delicious eggs a day! The new breeds that I added […]

by Rebecca Nickols Photos by author Can cats and chickens coexist? I have five cats of my own and until recently, this hasn’t been an issue of concern. Years ago my border collies and cats developed some sort of agreement on the boundaries on our property. The dogs rule the front yard and the cats […]

by Rebecca Nickols Photos by author I’m sure that I’m not that much different from most chicken-keepers in the fact that I find a lot of the behaviors of my chickens interesting and sometimes entertaining. Take the dust bath, for example. For some reason, it’s just enjoyable to watch! They stop focusing on the world […]

by Rebecca Nickols Photos by author Since we built our chicken coop one year ago, I’ve enjoyed sharing the construction and design. I particularly like how the red color stands out and, of course, I love the living roof! But what about the inside of the coop? I’m going to show you a peek behind […]

by Rebecca NickolsQ: I have had chickens all of my life, but this year for the first time they are eating all my tomatoes. This has never happened before and I have always used chickens in the garden — for bugs and weeding. Any thoughts? — Charles Q: I would love to hear suggestions on […]

by Rebecca Nickols Photos by author I love this time of the year. Until recently I was picking berries daily from our property; now, I’m enjoying fresh herbs and vegetables from my garden. I’ve discovered a perfect cookbook that’s filled with wonderful recipes focusing on the bounty of the season. In addition, many of the […]

by Rebecca Nickols Photos by author Japanese Beetles … they’re every gardener’s nightmare. These pests (similar in appearance to a June bug) have been in the United States since 1916, supposedly carried into our country inadvertently on plants from Japan. Since their introduction, they have been slowly making their way across the United States. I […]

by Rebecca Nickols Last year when my husband built our chicken coop, he wanted to make it unique and decided to add a living roof. He said it would be a “one of a kind” coop –  “Nothing else like it in the world!” Well, it turns out that there is really “nothing new under […]

by Rebecca Nickols Photos by author Some chickens are just meaner than others … I was hoping that my Buff Orpingtons would welcome my new chicks without too much of a fuss. Actually, one of my two older hens, Henrietta, is the perfect example of a courteous, well-behaved chicken. The other one, however, is just […]

by Rebecca Nickols Photos by author On my last update, I shared with you that I had lost one of my four beloved Buff Orpingtons. Since then, tragedy has once again visited my coop and “Lil Comb,” my smallest Buff, also died. She developed loose droppings on a Sunday afternoon, but during the day she […]