Posted on 4 Comments

Buying a Ready-Made Chicken Coop — 10 Things to Consider

Prefab Coop

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 […]

Continue Reading
Posted on Leave a comment

8 Things to Know Before Building a Chicken Coop

Chicken Coop

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, […]

Continue Reading
Posted on 1 Comment

Chicken Predators [Infographic]

From burrowing badgers to high-flying hawks, chickens have their fair share of dangerous predators to contend with. As chicken keepers, it’s up to us to protect our flocks from these threats whenever possible. That’s why we put together this handy infographic that identifies a number of common predators and offers suggestions on how to keep […]

Continue Reading
Posted on Leave a comment

Does a Snake Eat Chickens and Eggs? You Bet!

Rat Snake

Rat snakes are often called chicken snakes because they hang around chicken coops. Their intent is to eat rats and mice, but after they’ve cleared out the rodents they look around for something else to eat. Bird eggs are often on a rat snake’s menu, and poultry eggs are no exception. Young poultry are also […]

Continue Reading
Posted on Leave a comment

Is Free Ranging Really Right for your Flock?

Is Free Ranging Really Right for your Flock?

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 […]

Continue Reading