Having a new flock of chickens can be a roller coaster ride of ups and downs, especially for beginners. It takes years to learn the ins and outs of good chicken keeping. If I could go back and start over, there would be a handful of things I wish I would have known as a beginner. These ten tips will help prevent confusion and heartache for the new chicken owner.
1. Feeding and Watering New… [Read More]
Chickens are entertaining little creatures that are great for pure enjoyment, ornamental appeal, and fresh eggs. Bringing home a new flock is an exciting experience but if they arrive without proper preparation, the excitement can turn into panic quickly. When you are not prepared is when you will spend the most money trying to purchase everything you need for your new flock urgently.
The following list I have put together are absolute must-haves for the… [Read More]
Egg candling is a neat, cheap, and easy way to discover what is happening inside the egg, but how do you do it? Here you will find the complete guide on what candling is and the when and how to perform it. I will also explain away some of the mystery behind candling and to help you get proficient at this skill which is extremely useful when you are incubating and hatching.
Do you have to… [Read More]
What do baby chicks eat? Well, when one of my free-range hens disappeared from the flock one spring day, I thought the worst. I figured a predator had taken her and she was lost forever. This was a hen that I had saved from predator attacks before, and she was not a spring chicken anymore. Imagine my surprise when I heard the familiar clucking of my favorite hen during chores one afternoon. Not only… [Read More]
We all know that you don’t need a rooster to get an egg right? Our hens will lay an egg daily with or without any assistance from the male sex. However, if you want fertilized eggs, you will need a rooster need a rooster to perform his duties with your hens, which he will be happy to do on a continuous basis.
A rooster is genetically programmed to take the task of populating the… [Read More]