Name the place where your chickens live. Is it a chicken coop? A hen house? Or do you have a more creative name for the place where your chickens live? Stationary Buildings A stationary building where chickens live is usually either a chicken coop or a hen house. The word coop comes from the Old […]
Judging from numerous online posts, many people jump into chicken keeping without giving enough thought to what’s involved. As a result, you see lots of posts listing “things I wish I’d known.” Or along the lines of “advice to newbie chicken keeper.” Interestingly, these lists frequently repeat the same things. In the spirit of being […]
Building a chicken coop can be an extremely easy, fun, and educational experience for your family. However, it can also be a challenging and stressful experience if you don’t know where to start. There’s a lot to keep track of when building your own chicken coop, and every step is extremely important for keeping your […]
Buying a ready-made chicken coop, instead of building one yourself, has several advantages. It doesn’t require any carpentry tools or skills. It doesn’t take up several weekends of your free time to put together. And you don’t need a PhD in all the features a chicken coop needs. But you should know enough about how […]
Chickens that stop roosting in their coop after having been trained to go into the coop at night likely have a good reason for not wanting to return. Your job then becomes determining what the reason is and taking corrective measures. Here are the seven most common reasons chickens become reluctant to go home to […]
Chickens that spend nights within an enclosed coop will be protected from predators that prowl after dark. Chickens naturally want to “come home to roost,” although they may need to be taught where home is. Here’s how to train your chickens to go into their coop at night. Furnish a cozy coop that provides […]
Before a box full of peepers arrives, it is imperative to have a plan for a chicken coop. Chicks that have recently graduated from the brooder should have a coop to call home, and not be left homeless. Ideally, the coop will be prepared and ready for move-in long before the babies arrive. Chickens, […]
Furnishing the type of environment your laying hens seek when they are ready to lay an egg will ensure they lay in the location of your choice. With proper nest boxes, eggs will be laid where you can easily find them, and where they will remain clean and unbroken. Here are ten features hens look […]
It’s no secret that farm fresh eggs are tastier and better for baking and cooking than the store bought kind. Raising chickens for their eggs can be a very rewarding endeavor, but there’s a lot of preparation that goes into it. So what do you need to know to get started? Prep Before […]
At dusk, chickens instinctively seek a high place to spend the night where they feel safe from predators. Lacking a comfortable place to roost inside their coop, they may seek an outdoor roost. It might be the top of a fence or gate, in a tree, or even on the coop roof. Chickens that roost […]
Raising chickens in your backyard can be very rewarding, but what’s a chicken lover to do when you have a hen who just won’t cooperate? It’s not so easy to reason with a chicken, but if you’re having a tough time getting your chicken to roost in its coop, Cackle Hatchery has a few suggestions […]
Chickens need to be confined to protect them from the elements and from predators, but what do you call the structure in which they live? Chicken coop is a common term for a stationary structure. The word coop derives from the Old English word cype, meaning a small structure for confining birds. Hen house is […]
As you decide on the best way to raise your chickens, it’s important to get some things straight about free range. The first thing you should know is that the USDA defines “free range” as chickens that have been “allowed access to the outside.” This is a pretty loose definition, and basically means that […]