Anyone who’s had the pleasure of raising chickens knows there are plenty of reasons to love farm fresh eggs. Their shells are typically thicker and more robust, they can be left unrefrigerated because their protective bloom hasn’t been compromised by industrial cleaning operations and most importantly, they just taste better than grocery store alternatives. Many […]
Continue Reading
For those of us who raise chickens in temperate climates, the winter is an expensive time of year. Grasses go dormant and many chicken owners are forced to buy extra feed in order to supplement the diets of their birds. Over the course of a few cold months, these feed costs can add up fast. […]
Continue Reading
Your coop provides your flock with the safety and security they need to live happy, healthy lives. Without adequate shelter, chickens will be more prone to stress and less likely to produce large clutches of eggs. Likewise, it’s important that chicken owners do whatever they can to provide their flocks with the best living environments […]
Continue Reading
Have you noticed one of your hens waddling like a penguin? Is she going in and out of her nest box without laying? Is she struggling to defecate? Does her abdomen feel hard to the touch? Your hen may be egg-bound. This is a potentially life-threatening condition wherein an egg becomes trapped between the Uterus […]
Continue Reading
For those of us who already have an existing flock of chickens, planning to order more chicks can be a stressful thought, mainly because integrating new chicks into a flock can be a challenge if you don’t know what to do. Here are some tips to make the integration process as smooth as […]
Continue Reading
Large chicken farms see thousands of chicks hatch every day. Once they’re hatched, the farms have to determine their sex as quickly as possible before they can be sorted and sent to their respective destinations. Unfortunately, judging the sex of baby chickens is no easy task. Chicken sexers must rely on their intuitions […]
Continue Reading
As more and more have started raising small backyard flocks of fowl, a lively dispute has erupted over the merits of washing eggs. On one side of the isle, we have staunch no-washers who argue that cleaning eggs with water can actually invite harmful bacteria through the shell membrane. On the other side, we have […]
Continue Reading
When many homeowners decide to start raising a small flock of their own, they have one thing on their mind: Fresh, delicious eggs. While the eggs gathered from your hens will no doubt be far superior to anything you can find in a grocery store, eggs are just one of many great reasons to keep […]
Continue Reading
Animal rights activists aren’t the only ones concerned about factory farming; now nutritionists are shedding light on the detrimental effects the practice can have on our food as well. Research has shown that the restricted grain diets of factory-raised chickens are making their eggs less nutritious than those of their free-range counterparts. Even the USDA […]
Continue Reading
Keeping your chickens healthy is vital to maintaining your flock, whether they are an egg-laying brood or just family pets. Fortunately, diseases in isolated groups tend to be a rare occurrence, but there are some steps you can take to be proactive and protective of your birds. For starters, make sure that your birds […]
Continue Reading