A baby chick’s body is about 70% water. Therefore, water is the most important nutrient for a newly hatched chick. In fact, a hatchling can’t digest feed without water. So a chick should drink water even before it eats anything. Here are the ins and outs of how to water baby chicks. How long can […]
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Quite a large variety of bugs enjoy grain products as much as chickens do. Bugs eat the grain and propagate by laying eggs in the grain kernels. They can affect dried grains (chicken scratch), as well as processed pellets, crumbles, and mash. Let’s look at how to identify what kind of bugs they are, how […]
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Every year during the third week of May, we get to shine a spotlight on International Heritage Breeds Week. It’s all about raising awareness for those endangered old-school poultry breeds that are hanging on by a thread. Get creative—host a little event in your area, or just share some photos of your flock. The goal? […]
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Mud balls are dark, hard lumps clinging to a chicken’s toes and sometimes the shanks. Some mud balls consist of mostly chicken poop. Others consist mostly of mud. In either case, more poop, mud, and other debris adds to the accumulation. Before long the poor chicken is trying to walk with sizable cement-hard balls clinging […]
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Do you deworm your chickens too often, or not often enough? Whether your chickens need deworming, and how often, has no one-size-fits-all answer. Factors that influence whether or not you should deworm your chickens include the type of worms present in your environment, how you house your chickens, and your climate. Why deworming is important. […]
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Chickens that otherwise get enough to eat typically won’t eat anything that’s bad for them. Or at least they are unlikely to eat enough to make them sick. And feeding kitchen scraps can be a nutritious way to add variety to your chickens’ diet. But feed scraps only in moderation, and avoid feeding these four […]
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Spooky looking Zombie chickens have pale plumage over dark legs, skin, beak, comb, wattles, and eyes. Because of this coloration, the chickens appear to be undead. However, they are very much alive. They are also prolific layers and fun to include in the backyard flock. What makes a Zombie chicken? The Zombie chicken is a hybrid cross […]
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Mandarin ducks and Wood ducks are both extremely colorful and are often mistaken for one another. Although they easily may be confused, they originate from different continents and have a few other key distinguishing features. Primary among these features is the plumage pattern of the respective drakes. First let’s look at the similarities. Mandarin Ducks […]
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Chickens are seasonal layers. Homegrown eggs therefore don’t arrive at the same rate year around. Sometimes you get too many. Sometimes not enough. Here are seven ways to store your farm fresh eggs, from countertop storage to dehydration. By extending their shelf-life, you can save them for when your hens take a vacation from laying. […]
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A chicken’s egg tooth is a tiny horn-like projection at the tip of the upper beak of a newly hatched chick. Its purpose is to help the chick break through the shell at hatching time. Soon after the chick hatches, the egg tooth falls off. Domestic poultry and other birds share this trait in common […]
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