There’s a reason people refer to getting settled in as “nesting.” Chickens are the masters of creating a comfy nook for themselves to either roost or lay their delicious eggs. Planning for chickens includes the vital decision of which type of chicken coop bedding to use. Bedding serves many purposes besides comfort; it must also […]
Here in the North Eastern States, we need to know how cold is too cold for my chickens. It’s never too early to look at this year’s winter months, so we need to prepare ourselves and our flocks for the long months ahead. Many beginner chicken keepers are amazed at just how hardy and tough […]
Feeding your chickens is one of, if not the most important, tasks when it comes to raising backyard chickens. Get it right, and you will have a healthy flock who merrily cluck every time you bring them one of their favorite snacks or kitchen scraps! Get it wrong, and it can lead to reduced egg […]
Have you finally decided to take the plunge into raising backyard chickens? A flock of hens can remind anyone of a simpler time – one where people got up early, leisurely tossed grain down to their birds, collected a basket of perfect eggs, and then cooked up a nice BIG omelet. YUM! Sounds ideal, right? […]
Chickens do a pretty good job taking care of themselves, but when it comes to the cold winter months, they’ll need a little extra TLC. We would like to take you through the essentials of keeping chickens in the winter, but be sure to read our complete chicken winter guide here to get you through […]
If you love to hunt game birds, finding them in the wild can prove to be somewhat challenging. Rather than hunting wild quail, which might be better off left in the field to promote the growth of the quail population, it can be advantageous to produce your own quail for hunting, selling, or dog training. […]
The Buckeye chicken comes from the Buckeye State (Ohio). Why is it called a Buckeye? The color of the bird is said to be exactly the color of buckeye tree nuts (horse chestnuts). This American treasure almost disappeared from the poultry world soon after its creation. The hugely successful Rhode Island Red outshone all competition […]
Read More… from Buckeye Chicken: Is This All American Chicken Right For Your Flock?
I was recently asked what my ‘go to’ books are, if I need advice or ideas with raising chickens. Whilst we cover almost everything imaginable about chickens at The Happy Chicken Coop, there is still something nice about having a paper book! Without hesitation, I could think of five books which have helped me with […]
Read More… from 7 Must Read Chicken Books for Backyard Chicken Keepers
I am always surprised when I’m asked this question. I suppose it’s a logical question for those not too familiar with poultry. Do I need a Rooster for hens to lay eggs? A rooster does serve a couple of useful purposes to the flock which can be a good thing for the hens and keeper […]
In the first chapter of our definitive winter guide, we are going to look at how to prepare your coop so it’s ready for winter. Mother Nature built the chicken to withstand some fairly extreme environments. The layers of downy feathers under the visible plumage can be puffed up to catch air against the body, […]