The definition of a standard chicken depends on the context. The term may refer to a large chicken compared to a bantam chicken. Or it may refer to a breed that conforms to its ideal description established by a central organization. Here is a detailed answer to the question, “What are standard chickens?” What is […]
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Chickens are endlessly entertaining. Many flock owners consider chicken watching to be therapeutic after a hectic day. But chicken bullying can spoil the fun for both you and your chickens. Here’s how to identify and prevent chicken bullying. What is chicken bullying? Chicken bullying occurs when one or a few chickens pick on, peck at, […]
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Train your hens to use a nest box when they first start producing eggs and they are less likely to lay eggs on the coop floor. Once they start laying on the floor, getting them to stop can be difficult. Here’s how to train your hens to lay eggs in a nest, not on the […]
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The stunning single laced plumage pattern of both silver laced and golden laced Cochins is genetically one of the most difficult patterns to perfect. That’s because the single laced plumage pattern involves a number of different genes that must influence each other in specific ways, some of which remain unknown. In simplified form, here’s how […]
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Chicken keepers in the United States are a diverse bunch in such things as where they live, how many chickens they keep, and what they feed their flock. A paper published in Poultry Science offers some interesting insights about who, exactly, chicken keepers are. Urban or Rural Backyard chicken keepers in the United States are […]
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Using a boot bath before and after you visit your chickens keeps your footwear clean. More important, it enhances your biosecurity measures to ensure that your flock stays healthy. The procedure for maintaining a boot bath and sanitizer is easy and inexpensive. Make a Boot Bath To make a boot bath and sanitizer, you need […]
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When you are ready to raise a batch of baby chicks, should you buy chicks or hatching eggs? Each option has advantages and disadvantages. So how different is it when you start with eggs versus chicks? Starting with Eggs When you start with eggs that you plan to hatch, the first thing you need is […]
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Broodiness is a hen’s instinct to hatch eggs and mother the chicks. A hen that’s thinking of brooding will sit on the nest most of the day and may cluck like a mother hen during the brief time she leaves the nest to eat and eliminate. While she’s on the nest she will puff out […]
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A setting hen doesn’t know (or doesn’t care) whether or not the eggs she hatches are her own. Under natural conditions her nest may consist of a collection of eggs from various hens in the flock. So, you might deliberately use your broody chicken hens as foster moms to hatch eggs laid by other hens, […]
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Chickens that free range may occasionally encounter weeds that are toxic. Even so, most toxic plants don’t taste good, so chickens are rarely tempted to eat them. Besides, birds peck a little here and a little there to get variety in their diet. A bite or two of a toxic leaf or seed will rarely […]
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