These beautiful birds are under-represented in the backyard world of chickens. This is a great shame as they have many outstanding attributes for the small homesteader as we shall see. They are a fairly recent addition to chicken breeds, being ‘born’ less than one hundred years ago in the Netherlands. They are popular in the […]
It might seem strange to learn that even chickens can become infested with lice. They eat bugs, after all, but these external parasites are not the typical run-of-the-mill chicken treat-type bug. They spread fast and can cause severe problems for the entire flock. Identifying an infestation early, and treating the flock quickly, is extremely important […]
Read More… from How To Identify, Treat, and Prevent Chicken Lice
So, you’ve finally given in and decided it was time to add some quail to your home, you’ve placed your order, and now it’s time to prepare a home, Quail Coop, for your new tenants. Once they arrive, they will be itching to get comfortable in the duds you have created for them. What Does […]
Read More… from What to Consider When Building Your First Quail Coop
In the fifth chapter of The Definitive Guide To Keeping Chickens In Winter, we look at chickens molting in winter. So, you opened up the hen house in the morning and thought it was a crime scene from CSI. Feathers strewn around the floor in heaps…you think the worst! A predator killed the girls, but no, […]
Read More… from Chapter Five: Chickens Molting During Winter
We are all guilty of buying toys for our hens – we just love to spoil them rotten! That’s ok, they deserve it after working hard laying those eggs and raising chicks. One ‘toy’ that has been popular for a while now is the chicken swing – wait, what? A chicken swing? Yes, you heard […]
Read More… from Chicken Swing: Which One to Buy and How to Train Your Chickens
Chicken anatomy is a huge subject to cover in one article, so we have really pared it down to the basics for ease of understanding. The references provided will give you greater in-depth knowledge if you want to delve further into chicken anatomy. The areas we will cover here today are: Feathers and skin Digestive […]
Read More… from Chicken Anatomy 101: Everything You Need To Know
Most people know the approximate age of their birds when they first get them. But how do you know their age if you are given some birds or rescue some? Knowing the age of your chickens is crucial. Without it, it isn’t easy to know their egg-laying ability, what to feed them and what their […]
Read More… from The Simple Way to Tell How Old Your Chickens Are
If you’re confused about the Cornish Chicken and the Cornish Cross, you aren’t alone. Even for a chicken fanatic, digging up the correct information on these two varieties of chickens can take time. So, let’s sort that out right off the bat—the Cornish chicken is not the same as the Cornish Cross broiler. The Cornish […]
Read More… from The Cornish Chicken Breed Profile – All You Need To Know
Let’s not beat around the bush here. Yes, fertilized eggs are safe to eat. For both you and the egg, well, the egg is kind of out of luck, but there’s nothing wrong with you can eat a fertilized egg. The truth is, if you buy eggs from the grocery store, you aren’t going to […]
So, how do you determine the sex of those just-hatched fluff balls in your incubator? And how do you tell a rooster from a hen? Sexing a chick can be easy (sex link chicks), or it can be a mysterious art form that takes years to perfect (vent sexing). This article will give you some […]
Read More… from How To Tell A Rooster From A Hen (Is it a Boy or a Girl?)