One of the most common questions new flock keepers ask is, “What exactly do chickens eat?” The short answer is a lot. Chickens are omnivores and enthusiastic ones at that. The longer answer is that while chickens will eat almost anything you offer them, not everything is good for them, and their diet does significantly …
Chickens
You‘ve raised your chicks from day one and set up the coop, and now you’re checking the nesting boxes every morning. Nothing. Just a lot of chickens going about their chicken business while you wait. So, when do chickens start laying eggs? Patience is the main skill in the weeks before your first egg. But …
Building your first chicken coop is one of those projects that looks straightforward until you’re standing in the hardware store trying to figure out if you need 1/2-inch or 1-inch wire mesh. There’s more to it than hammering some boards together, and the decisions you make upfront about size, ventilation, and predator-proofing will determine whether …
Starting a backyard flock is one of the most rewarding things a homesteader or hobby farmer can do. You’ll enjoy fresh eggs, natural pest control, and endlessly entertaining birds. But open a hatchery catalog or scroll through a breed list online, and the options can feel overwhelming fast with hundreds of breeds, each with its …
Backyard chickens are low-maintenance, entertaining, and genuinely useful, and you don’t need a farm to keep them. A small flock in a suburban backyard can produce fresh eggs year-round, turn kitchen scraps into fertilizer, and quickly become the most interesting thing in your yard. But there’s a right way and a wrong way to get …
Regrettably, chickens are adored by a wide range of predators in various areas. As a result, this may result in unfavorable outcomes. Chickens are like walking protein bundles that aren’t too fast, aren’t too bright, and aren’t too sorry to lose a member of their own flock. It’s almost like they were bred to be …
If you’re considering starting your own flock of birds, you can enhance the experience by not only purchasing young birds and taking care of them, but also obtaining your own eggs and incubating them yourself. This is a fun project the whole family can get involved in, and if done right, it will give you …
When residing on a homestead, a crucial decision to make is whether or not to have poultry as part of the setup. In most cases, the unquestionable answer is “Yes.” But then the next question arises…what type of poultry is best for beginners? Chickens are the easiest type of poultry for beginners. They are easy …
If you encounter the age-old dilemma of whether the chicken or the egg came first, I suggest beginning with the chick for your farm. Eggs can be difficult to hatch, and adult chickens can be difficult to acclimate to your homestead. Therefore start your flock with young chicks. You can order baby chicks easily online …