Every year I look forward to my local newspaper’s holiday haiku contest. Its many ‘winners’ see their poems published in the Christmas edition of the Courier-Journal. In 2014, a sign nailed to a mailbox post stating “Fresh Eggs” inspired me to submit this: ”Fresh Eggs!” shingles read. Yoking to activism, Metro Cluckers flock. When we […]
When I started raising my first flock of chickens, I would sometimes start a conversation with something like, “So sorry I’m late! I had to chase a chicken.” It was always true, of course, but it was a great conversation starter about my favorite hobby. Now that I’m more seasoned, I’ve noticed a pattern when […]
Because cats are carnivorous predators, it’s common to wonder if a neighborhood cat or stray will leap over your fence and attack your laying hens. But are cats really that dangerous? Stray Cat Strut While my first flock was still quite young—feathered out but not laying—a neighborhood cat would come by to stalk my birds. […]
Chickens are spooked easily by sudden changes. Where I live, we haven’t had much of a traditional winter, but last week, the sky fell. In fact, an entire foot of sky piled up around my chicken coop. My dearly departed Red Star Mabel would have trudged through the snow like an Arctic explorer, but since […]
Like all living things, our chickens need water to survive, thrive and produce healthy eggs. Clean water keeps hens’ reproductive systems working the way they should, and some chicken keepers, especially newbies, worry about water quality or if they’re properly watering their flock. To provide some clarity, here are four water sources for your chickens […]
On the counter or in the fridge? This is what you need to know about keeping your chickens’ eggs before it’s time time to eat them.
If you want backyard chickens, you can order them online or find them locally through these several sources.
Our backyard chickens usually produce an inconsistent product. Their eggs vary in shape, size and color, mostly because we collect a variety of breeds based on their coloring, lace, combs, cold hardiness, heat tolerance, egg colors and sizes—whatever tickles our fancy, really. Whether or not we realize it, those of us with many different breeds […]
Have you ever found little mouse droppings peppered throughout your coop bedding—black oval pellets about the size of a grain of rice? Evidence of rodents in your chicken coop can be unnerving, but it’s important to recognize that winter is a hungry time for wild animals. The reward of a warm bed and a full […]
Changes in weather bring changes in the way you care for your flock.
