Chicken Molting: How to Prepare for When Your Chickens Start to Molt

Chicken Molting: How to Prepare for When Your Chickens Start to Molt

The life of a backyard chicken owner means always thinking a few steps ahead. While we may still be in the midst of summer, we also have to start thinking about the upcoming season–fall. Autumn is a time for pumpkins, falling leaves, and Thanksgiving dinners. It’s also the time for chickens to start molting. Every… Read more »

Silver Laced Wyandotte Chickens

Everything You Need to Know About Roosters

Female chickens, often referred to as hens, play an important role in the growth and development of their baby chicks. But they don’t do it alone! Male chickens, which are called roosters, also take on a lot of responsibility. From protecting the hens to seeking out food for others, male chickens play a prominent role… Read more »

Raising Ducks vs. Raising Chickens: What’s Right for You?

Raising Ducks vs. Raising Chickens: What’s Right for You?

When you’re starting a backyard flock, you first have to decide which species of bird you wish to raise. Do you want to raise ducks? Or do you want to raise chickens? Both species offer a rewarding experience, and indeed many people raise both! But in the beginning, it’s often best to start with one… Read more »

The Different Types of Chicken Breeds

The Different Types of Chicken Breeds

Once you’ve decided to start a backyard flock, you need to figure out what types of chickens you want to raise. Indeed, there is more than one type of chicken. In fact, there are hundreds of breeds you could choose from, but many of them can be classified into three categories: egg layers, meat producers,… Read more »

Clipping Chicken Wings: How to Do It and Why You Should

Clipping Chicken Wings: How to Do It and Why You Should

One of the most frustrating things when raising backyard chickens is chasing after a bird that’s flown the coop. While chickens can’t fly around like a typical bird, they can still use their wings to travel a good distance. This is fine in rural areas where they have lots of space to roam, but it… Read more »

Everything You Need to Know About Silkie Chickens

Everything You Need to Know About Silkie Chickens

The Silkie chicken stands apart from other chickens. It dates back to the Chinese Han Dynasty in 206BC, its name deriving from its unique black bones. In addition to its black bones, the Silkie also features black skin which is covered by a large amount of fluffy feathers. Silkies are one of the fluffiest chickens… Read more »

The Ultimate Chicken Summer Care Guide

The Ultimate Chicken Summer Care Guide

Earlier in the year, we discussed how best to take care of your chickens during the cold, winter months. But now that the temperatures are rising, we must turn our attention to the coming summer months. Summer, just like winter, brings its own host of challenges when caring for your backyard flock. As such, preparing… Read more »

Understanding the Chicken Pecking Order

Understanding the Chicken Pecking Order

“The pecking order.” It’s a term you’ve likely heard before, especially if you’ve ever worked in an office setting. While the phrase has been used to describe the human social order, it was originally intended for chickens, not humans. First coined by Thorleif Schjelderup-Ebbe, the pecking order is the best way to understand the social… Read more »

Golden Laced Cochin Chicken in grass

Everything You Need to Know About Cochin Chickens

A few weeks ago, we discussed everything you needed to know about Bantam chickens. Now, we’re turning our attention to another popular breed of backyard chickens: Cochins. A favorite of Queen Victoria and originally from Asia, Cochins are found in many backyard flocks. If you’re thinking about bringing in some Cochins into your own flock,… Read more »

The Different Types of Chicken Sounds

The Different Types of Chicken Sounds

Our chickens may not be able to talk with words and phrases like us, but that doesn’t mean they don’t have a language of their own. Chickens can produce over 24 different types of sounds and call, all of which denote different meanings. Chickens can even combine these sounds to create more complex dialogue with… Read more »