supplement coop light
Should I Supplement Light In My Coop?

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.

Can Chickens Get Lonely?
Can Chickens Get Lonely?

  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 […]

4 Ways To Rekindle Your Love For Chickens
4 Ways To Rekindle Your Love For Chickens

  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 […]

5 Reasons You’ll Love Raising Chickens
5 Reasons You’ll Love Raising Chickens

  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 […]

Is It OK To Mate A Chicken With Its Offspring?
Is It OK To Mate A Chicken With Its Offspring?

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 […]

4 People Who Judge Your Urban Chickens
4 People Who Judge Your Urban Chickens

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 […]

Can Chickens Taste Hot Peppers?
Can Chickens Taste Hot Peppers?

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 […]