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Continue Reading12 Chicken Breeds with the Best Laying Hens
All female chickens lay eggs, and all hens lay best in their first year of production. But some chicken breeds lay better than others. Hens that lay best are of breeds that have been selectively bred for egg production, rather than for fast growth or exhibition qualities. Layers of Eggs with Brown Shells Chicken […]
Continue ReadingThanksgiving Turkey Facts [Infographic]
Gobble, gobble! Thanksgiving is tomorrow, which means we’re talking turkey! If you’re one of the many Americans who will be gathering around the table with distant relatives who come around just a few times each year, you know that conversation doesn’t always flow easily. Looking to avoid topics such as politics, your love life, […]
Continue ReadingHeritage Turkey Spotlight — Royal Palm, Ideal for Small Families
The Royal Palm is a lightweight turkey with stunning white plumage trimmed in black. Turkeys with a similar color pattern have been raised in Europe since the 1700s, known there variously as black-laced white, pied, or Crollwitzer. The first turkeys in the United States with the palm color pattern appeared in the 1920s in […]
Continue ReadingHow to Control Ammonia in the Chicken Coop
Ammonia is a pungent-smelling gas constantly released by bacteria that decompose chicken droppings. Not only does ammonia smell bad, it’s also a health hazard for you and your chickens. High levels of ammonia in the coop’s air can discourage chickens from eating—affecting the growth rate of young birds and the production of laying hens—and can […]
Continue Reading7 Reasons Why Chickens Stop Going Into Their Coop at Night
Chickens that stop roosting in their coop after having been trained to go into the coop at night likely have a good reason for not wanting to return. Your job then becomes determining what the reason is and taking corrective measures. Here are the seven most common reasons chickens become reluctant to go home to […]
Continue ReadingWhat is Grit and Why Do Chickens Need It?
Natural grit consists of a collection of coarse sand, pebbles, and similar small, hard objects chickens eat while pecking on the ground. The grit lodges in the bird’s gizzard, where muscular action grinds the grit together with feedstuffs to break them down for digestion. Over time each piece of grit gets ground up, along with […]
Continue ReadingHow to Train Chickens to Go into Their Coop at Night
Chickens that spend nights within an enclosed coop will be protected from predators that prowl after dark. Chickens naturally want to “come home to roost,” although they may need to be taught where home is. Here’s how to train your chickens to go into their coop at night. Furnish a cozy coop that provides […]
Continue ReadingHow to Train Your Chickens to Come When You Call
Training your chickens to come when you call them can be handy in a number of situations. You might use the training to gather your flock into the coop when you are ready to close it up for the night. You could call free range chickens together to protect them from a roaming dog or […]
Continue ReadingHow to Pluck a Goose
A century ago the goose was considered among the most desirable species of the farm yard, and while many of its traits are still apparent to those who keep them, their popularity decreased as breeding practices for marketability of poultry advanced. Why raise a goose that will be in its prime for cooking in about […]
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