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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What, exactly, are free-range chickens? According to USDA, free-range chickens must be “allowed access to the outside.” That doesn’t mean they actually have to go outside. They just have to have outdoor access. On the other hand, to many rural chicken keepers, free range means letting the chickens go wherever they wish. That’s a non-starter […]
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Some 75.5 million Americans — or about 30% of the entire population — live in a community governed by a Homeowners Association (HOA), according to the Foundation for Community Association Research. Further, the 365,000 different HOAs each enforce their own set of rules. And not all Homeowners Association rules allow chickens. Chickens and HOAs An […]
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Each fall most chickens go through an annual molt, during which a shiny new set of feathers replaces their previous plumage. During the molt, nutrients used to produce eggs are diverted to producing feathers. As a result, laying slows, or ceases altogether. The best layers molt fast and furious, as if in a hurry to […]
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What’s the difference between a standard chicken versus a bantam chicken? To understand the difference, let’s look at what a standard chicken is and what a bantam is. Standard Chicken The word “standard” when applied to chickens can be confusing. In some contexts it means that the breed has been standardized by the American Poultry […]
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Nobody loves hot weather, and that includes your chickens. Just like we enjoy a cold treat on a hot day, so too does your flock. Here are some cool (and cooling) ideas for summer treats for your chickens. Cool Water Just like us, chickens drink more when the weather is hot. But warm water discourages […]
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Easter Egger bantam chickens are a smaller version of chickens that originate from a cross between blue-egg laying Ameraucanas and breeds that lay eggs with brown shells. The result is a breeding population of chickens with a variety of conformations and plumage colors, and that lay eggs with a wide range of shell colors. Physical […]
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The stuff scattered over the floor of a chicken coop is often called bedding, because at night livestock bed down on. Although chickens may rest on the floor during the day, at night they would rather roost than bed. Therefore many people prefer to call it litter. Whatever you choose to call it, the best […]
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