Deciding if you should vaccinate your chickens depends on how likely they are to encounter infectious diseases. You may not need to vaccinate if you maintain impeccable biosecurity, because doing so significantly reduces your flock’s risk of acquiring a disease. Unfortunately, many backyard chicken keepers either don’t know about biosecurity or just don’t think it’s […]
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Biosecurity for chickens includes all precautions you take to protect your flock from coming down with a disease. The more precautions you take, the better chance your chickens have to remain healthy. The fewer precautions you take, the greater the risk that one day some disease will affect your flock. So what are these precautions […]
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When chickens drink more water during hot weather, new chicken keepers often become alarmed and worry that something is wrong. But increased water consumption during summer is perfectly normal. It is one of the ways chickens keep cool. The water intake of chickens varies for many other reasons besides hot weather. Some of those factors […]
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The average well-cared-for chicken may live 8 to 10 years. Some chickens survive 15 years or more. Many factors contribute to a chicken’s longevity. Some of these factors relate to genetics. Other factors have to do with good management. Guinness Records The first chicken recognized by Guinness World Records as the World’s Oldest Living Chicken […]
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A lot of chicken keepers are fond of adding vinegar to their chickens’ drinking water. Chickens like the taste of vinegar in mild doses — one tablespoon vinegar per gallon of water. And since hens run the risk of dehydration during hot summer weather, many backyard keepers add vinegar to chickens’ water to encourage their […]
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A chicken normally breathes with a closed beak. A chicken breathing with an open beak is either ill or under stress — perhaps from heat or anxiety. Respiratory diseases of chickens usually include additional signs, such as sneezing, coughing, wheezing, a runny nose, or sticky eyes. Most respiratory infections are highly contagious. Some result from […]
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As exciting as it is to get new chicks in spring, even more exciting is finding their first eggs in the fall. As your pullets grow, you’ll naturally wonder when to expect your chickens to starting laying eggs. The answer depends on their state of health, their diet, their breed, and their age. Health A […]
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Listing all the things chickens will eat that are good for them would be nearly impossible. Chickens will eat just about anything, and the few things that aren’t good for them aren’t good for humans, either. Still, let’s take a quick look at some of the safe kitchen scraps for chickens. Fruits Chickens love just […]
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