Rachel Hurd Anger

You were born to be an urban chicken keeper. Let me tell you why.

With the ever-increasing popularity in backyard chicken keeping, there are higher-quality feeds available out there.

When allowed to adapt naturally to the changing winter temperatures, chickens do just fine on their own.

Lighting the coop in winter can be a touchy subject among chicken keepers. Whether you decide to do it or not, give your hens the rest they need.

  Rachel Hurd Anger Chickens might seem like just another pet to some, but when we’re bringing livestock into our yards, we need to remember that their needs are not the same as the needs of the animals we might keep inside our homes. If you’re keeping a single chicken or you’re considering getting just […]

  Rachel Hurd Anger As the days grow shorter and colder, we often talk about how to care for chickens as the seasons change, and we’ll certainly discuss cold-weather care soon. But, the worst thing about chicken keeping as the seasons change isn’t the maintenance to help your flock survive the winter—in fact, depending on […]

  Rachel Hurd Anger Have you been daydreaming about your would-be hens clucking peacefully across your backyard? Whether it’s an aversion to the road less traveled, or city regulations you’ll have to challenge, here are five reasons you’ll love raising a small flock of hens. 1. Gathering Farm-Fresh Eggs Can you call them farm-fresh if […]

Rachael Hurd Anger One reader asked if he could breed his rooster with the rooster’s offspring, and the short answer is yes, but only in the short term. In livestock husbandry, what we’d usually call inbreeding is termed linebreeding. This method is how breeders dilute a variety of possible characteristics to produce the very best-looking […]

Rachel Hurd Anger Chicken keepers have supporters and critics everywhere. From rural career farmers to city dwellers, judgments are all over the map. Here are four types of people who have opinions about your urban farming habits. Can you name these people in your community? 1. The Encouraging Ally The best supporter is often a […]

During a vacation when I was a kid, I learned that seagulls were nicknamed “rats with wings.” It would be many more years before I learned that all birds are scavengers or foragers. On that vacation, my dad sprinkled hot sauce onto a French fry and threw it out of the car window to a […]