While the Northern Hemisphere is in the grips of winter, here in South Africa, we’re quietly sweltering. The temperature doesn’t drop much at night either, and as I’m a natural worrier (not warrior), these warm nights have me tossing and…
Very few natural phenomena cause as much disgust in humans as a clump of tiny, wiggly maggots. However, your chickens have a completely different perspective. To an average chicken, maggots are equivalent to French fries. They don’t care if they’re…
Anyone who keeps chickens will know that they can be very individual characters. What works for one of your girls won’t necessarily work for another. Trying to break a broody hen is one of those occasions when their quirks and…
When I first considered raising hens on my backyard hobby farm, one benefit rose quickly to the forefront – no more wasting food! Two of my three kids are champion food wasters. Well, the chickens will eat it, soon became a…
A few years ago, after many failed attempts, one of our hens finally managed to hatch a clutch of six chicks. Soon afterward, my delight turned to despair – four of the six were roosters! As our cute fluffy chicks matured into…
Many new chicken owners take on a small flock of hens, thinking that chicken-keeping is a doddle. But then realize that their newly-introduced poultry is much pickier than they thought! That’s because chickens need a few home comforts to keep…
For many years, I only fed my chickens whole or cracked corn. I hoped they were getting all the nutrients needed from the bugs, seeds, fruit, and the surrounding pasture. After a while, however, I noticed my chickens were hardly…
Chicken meat is a healthy and classic family (and farm) staple! But rooster meat has a reputation for being inedible, chewy, bland, and not worth eating. Is that true? Can you eat a rooster? Or not? The confusion between chicken…
Along with the fruits and vegetables you raise in your garden, you also raise livestock that depends upon you for a safe environment. If you love chickens, in particular, you will need to find the best protective shelter for them…
Struggling to find the best funny chicken names? Let us help you out with this list of the 313+ cute and funny chicken names! From people’s names to chicken-themed twists on famous names, there are quite a few names to…
If you’re new to keeping chickens, it may surprise you to know that they don’t like to sleep on the floor. Chickens need a place to roost, relax, and feel safe at night! A place where they can sleep stress-free…
It’s safe to say that chicken lovers can get a bit obsessive about their hens! There isn’t a day that goes by where I don’t spend a few moments watching our hens scratch about, going all misty-eyed at their adorable…
There’s nothing more appreciative than a chicken at dinner time! One of our favorite games is calling the hens over for treats – the way they sprint to us across the meadow like wild beasts of the Serengeti is adorable!…
Backyard hens will produce just as many eggs without a rooster as they will with a rooster, but there are more advantages to having one around than just the possibility of getting a baby chick from time to time. Of…
We all know that keeping chickens free-range provides them with the best living conditions – they can roam freely, pick the best natural food, and display all their natural behaviors. Free-range chickens have other benefits, too. Eggs from free-range operations are potentially…