 Gian Luigi Perrella Across the country, city chicken regulations have countless variations, ranging from residents simply being allowed to have chickens to restrictions on flock numbers based on yard size. Some flocks can free-range, while others cannot (and some rebels do it anyway). Some cities require that each bird be registered like its dogs […]
 Rachel Hurd Anger Chickens have a symbiotic relationship with our kitchens. They provide for each other, through us, of course. But, where do we draw the line on feeding scraps? Emma asks, “Is feeding cooked chicken leftovers (bones, etc.) to chickens bad for them?” Some foods are absolutely not appropriate for chickens. Green potato […]
Having a hard time getting your birds to bed at night? These tips will help.
 Rachel Hurd Anger “My girls aren’t producing the quality of eggs that I’m used to. Some shells are rough, and they’ve reduced in size, but that’s primarily from my brown egg layers. My Rhode Island Red girls are young, but even some of their eggs have become smaller. My Dominique girls are a bit […]
 Rachel Hurd Anger Not long ago, one of my hens laid an egg that weighed a mere ounce—even smaller than the USDA’s minimum weight for a peewee egg. Since then, the same hen has laid one more. Two days after I’d brought that second egg in from the nest box, I was busy getting […]
Rachel Hurd Anger Any suggestions for chickens and hurricanes in Florida? Leave them in the coop? Lock them in the shed? What’s best for them? —Jeff, via Facebook I love this question. Because my experience is raising chickens in Kentucky, I generally focus on the severe weather most common to me: thunderstorms and snowstorms, though […]
 Rachel Hurd Anger Our flock’s annual molt has always begun with the Polish in mid-summer. Next is the Partridge Plymouth Rock in late summer. In early fall, it’s the Australorp’s turn. Finally, the Silver Laced Wyandotte experiences her awkward nudity through the chilly days between Thanksgiving and the first days of December. This year, […]
 AgriLife Today Chicken feed is formulated to provide balanced nutrition based on the bird’s purpose. While each brand is nutritionally similar, each company produces its own proprietary blend, so each will use different ratios of similar ingredients to meet general nutrition guidelines. Do you know what to feed your chickens to provide the very […]
You’re most familiar with botulism in your home-canned goods, but did you know it can affect your chickens?
 Rachel Hurd Anger Adding to an existing flock in the city is tricky. Usually, we only want females. We aren’t allowed enough chickens on our property to breed, and because many roosters are prone to aggression and overbreeding, they’re often too dangerous to have around our small flock of laying hens. Plus, many cities […]
