If you have never raised a batch of chicks before, the process can be very intimidating, especially in terms of feeding them. Knowing what to feed, how much, and when is essential. Because chicks are so small and vulnerable, any mistakes can have fatal consequences. Baby chicks need to be fed a complete and balanced…
Are you looking at raising a backyard flock of chickens? If you’ve got most of your supplies ready and have constructed your chicken coop, you may have heard about nesting boxes. Nesting boxes are not always used in a coop, but when you have hens, most backyard farmers prefer using nesting boxes. So what are…
If you want to get chickens as a hobby or want to keep chickens on your farm, giving them the right housing, diet and bedding is important. Chickens need certain types of bedding that will help minimize the humidity and moisture in the coop and keep the coop as sanitary as possible to avoid sickness.…
If chickens do not get enough protein in their diet, egg production drops, and the size of the eggs they lay decreases. Not eating enough protein can also lead to health complications. If your chickens need a protein boost, what high-protein foods can you give them? The best high-protein foods for chickens are cooked eggs,…
Mother hens keep their chicks warm by sitting on them, but when we raise chicks in a brooder, we must find other ways to keep the tiny birds warm. Therefore, it’s crucial to have a heat source and a thermometer in a chicken brooder so that you can control the temperature. For the 1st week,…
Foxes appear in bedtime stories, quotable parables, and movies, where they are portrayed as clever tricksters, sly, cunning, and natural hunters. For chicken owners, foxes are a nightmare. These poultry predators stalk live prey as they wait for an opportunity to pounce and grab it. Foxes work around the most common protection mechanisms. Install six…
Chicken coops are a rat magnet, especially during the fall and winter weather, once their external food sources are depleted by harvest. They carry the risk of spreading diseases to your flock (and you) and can even become predatory, feeding on chicks and adult chickens. How do you get rid of rats in your chicken…
You may have grown up feeding bread to wild ducks in the park, but now that you’re older, you know that bread is not an ideal food for ducks. If you’re keeping ducks in your backyard, you may wonder what foods make the best diet for them to thrive. So what foods are best to…
As a chicken keeper, there might come a time that you need to catch a chicken for an inspection or other reasons. Once you have caught your chicken, there are preferred ways of handling it. By catching and handling your chickens correctly, you can reduce their stress levels and lower the chance of suffocating them,…
Chickens love to scratch and forage, and they will come running for treats if they see you coming, but not all treats are good for them. When offering little titbits to your hens, it’s best to give them food that won’t cause any upset stomachs and will supplement their nutrition. You might wonder whether or…