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. […]
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 […]
Waiting for a chicken to start laying eggs can seem like an eternity. The blessed event may take anywhere from four months to eight months, depending on the chicken’s breed. However, as a hen approaches laying age, she begins to show certain signs that will tell you eggs are on the way. Here’s a guide […]
HentopiaCreate a Hassle-Free Habitat for Happy Chickens; 21 Innovative ProjectsBy Frank Hyman Take your backyard flock to the next level with Hentopia, a creative and practical guide from gardener, designer, and chicken enthusiast Frank Hyman. This isn’t just another chicken-keeping manual — it’s a hands-on blueprint for building a beautiful, functional, and low-maintenance space where […]
Bringing chickens into your backyard should feel exciting — not overwhelming. In Chicken Keeping Pure + Simple, seasoned chicken keeper Nikki Husted delivers a warm, practical, and easy-to-follow guide designed especially for beginners and homesteaders who want to raise happy, healthy hens with confidence. Whether you’re dreaming of farm-fresh eggs, teaching your kids about responsibility, […]
Most backyard chickens do not lay an egg every day of the year. The average mature, healthy hen takes 25 to 26 hours to produce one egg. So a hen that lays at 6:00 in the morning today will likely lay between 7:00 and 8:00 tomorrow morning. Since a hen normally doesn’t lay after dark, […]
The American Bantam Association (ABA) is an organization of bantam chicken enthusiasts who enjoy breeding and showing bantams, as well as socializing with other people who share their interest. Here’s why you should join the American Bantam Association: ABA History The non-profit American Bantam Association was founded in 1914 to support the poultry fancy, and […]
Properly stored chicken feed keeps the nutrients from degrading and the feed safe to eat. A number of things can cause feed to go bad including rodents, insects, mold, moisture, and light. To ensure freshness, use up feed within 2 to 4 months. Meanwhile, store chicken feed in a durable container with a tight-fitting lid. […]
Choosing between heritage vs. broad breast turkeys can be confusing. Although they both come from the same genetic background, they differ in many ways. The former can mate naturally, is slower growing, and smaller in size. The latter grow more quickly and weigh more, but breeding them requires artificial insemination. Plus, largely because of differences […]