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,…
Chickens molting is a natural occurrence, much like snakes shedding their skin is. It may be daunting when you do not know what it is or what the signs are. However, molting is healthy for the chickens. So when do chickens molt? Molting is an annual occurrence typically occurring when the chickens are 18 months…
If you keep chickens, you know you need to take action when you see some of your chickens have diarrhea. In some cases, it might be a minor issue, and others can be serious, so it’s important to know the difference between the two. My chickens had this issue not long ago, so I phoned…
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…
Chickens are remarkably robust birds, and very little phases them, but one thing that can cause them unneeded stress is temperatures that are too hot or too cold. My friend decided to keep chickens on her farm a while ago. She got them at the end of winter when the temperature was not too hot…
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…
Chickens make for lovely animals around your property, and there is nothing better than a freshly laid egg! However, one of the difficulties of keeping chickens is that they love your garden just as much as you do – and they show their love by scratching it to pieces! So, how do you chicken-proof your…
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,…
To the uninitiated, the term candling an egg conjures up an image of children painting candles while getting ready for the easter bunny, or perhaps a fourth-grade science experiment to show the inside of an egg. The opposite is true, and, for most chicken farming operations, it is a fundamental requirement to maximize the return…
There’s something beautiful about raising different breeds of chickens in one flock. Besides their unique personalities and stunning colors, you’ll also get different colored eggs. If you have a flock of chickens of the same breed, you may consider adding another breed and creating a mixed flock. But can you keep different chicken breeds in…