The miracle of life is truly fascinating – no matter if you are talking about a full human growing from a clump of cells or tiny chick! So what exactly goes on inside that egg during the short 21 days that it takes for a chick to hatch? Chicken embryos were among the first & …
Chickens
There is nothing more exciting than finding that very first egg for a chicken keeper! Waiting patiently for that day can seem like forever. When summer comes to an end, new chicken keepers everywhere begin to wonder when their spring chicks will finally reward them with breakfast. So let’s take a look at when you …
When you have your own backyard flock, you don’t have to settle for boring white and brown eggs. To get a colorful, varied egg basket you will need a variety of chicken breeds. Chickens can lay a variety of egg colors, depending on their breed, but each individual hen will only lay one color of …
It’s always a good idea to find out the laws in your town before starting a backyard farm. You don’t want to invest in a chicken coop, barn, or duck pond and get attached to some fuzzy little critters only to have the town hit you with a fine, make you move it, or make …
If you live in a northern climate, one of the most challenging parts of raising poultry is keeping their water from freezing in the winter. Here in New England, we have weeks on end where we might not get above freezing, and can often dip below 0. Chickens and ducks need fresh, liquid water every …
Keeping your chickens healthy isn’t terribly hard. It boils down to three things – keep their living area clean, give them plenty of fresh water, and give them proper feed. The first two are easy, but feeding your flock right can be a little trickier. Starter, grower, medicated, pellets, crumbles…there is a lot to learn! …
You’ve done all your research, have your brooder & coop in order….but how do you fill it? Your local feed store likely has a few options, local farmers might be another option if you live in a rural area. If you live in the suburbs though, your breed options are likely limited. There are so …
Summer is right around the corner! As the weather warms up and we start to spend more time outdoors, the insects of the world are also waking up, ready for a meal. Experts suggest in the coming years we could be in for a “tick explosion”. According to a recent release from the Center for …
Ascites, also called Water Belly, is a common problem with fast-growing meat chickens. It can also be seen in older laying hens. It is not a disease, so it is not contagious to the rest of your flock. It is a symptom of a deeper problem, and unfortunately, the underlying cause is eventually fatal. Symptoms …
According to the CDC (Center for Disease Control), Salmonella is one of the most frequently reported food borne illnesses in the US. Salmonella is a bacterial disease that lives in the intestinal tracts of animals (including humans & birds). Approximately 380 people die annually in the United States from the disease which can cause vomiting, …