No one knows how many chicken breeds exist, but there are hundreds. Maybe thousands. Hoover’s Hatchery catalog lists at least 100 breeds and every year they add a few more. There are heritage breeds, modern hybrids, specialty egg layers, broilers, and a few unique ones that don’t quite fit into any category.

With so many choices how does a family choose the best breed, or mix of breeds, to buy?  It’s confusing. Choosing can be challenging, but we make it fun.

Every year we buy six or seven chicks to replace older hens entering retirement. We need a steady supply of eggs but emotions come into play. We end up with a mix of productive birds that are colorful and fun. We choose them because we like a breed’s color, personality, temperament and even their ancestry. Over the years we’ve enjoyed many breeds and try a few new ones each year. Often, we’ll buy a chick or two more than we really need because sometimes an unfortunate one dies. We don’t want our mature flock to be short. So, here is a typical spring order we might place for seven chicks:

• A New Hampshire Red because they are rugged good layers…..and because Marion’s from New Hampshire.
• A Jersey Giant because these king-sized birds are good layers…..and Rich is from New Jersey.
• An exceptionally good layer like an ISA Brown, Australorp, Rhode Island Red or a Hoover’s hybrid like an Amberlink or Black Sex Link. Laying workhorses.
• A Brahma because they are huge, calm, and gorgeous. We love them.
• A Buff Orpington or Buff Cochin because of their elegance. A buff always seems to become the golden centerpiece of our flock.
• A breed new to us like a Sussex or a Buckeye.
• An oddball. A purely fun chicken. We like them because they’re distinctive. It might be a dark egg laying Maran or a silly looking bird like a Salmon Faverolles.

When making our purchase plans we eliminate two types of chicks. We don’t order broilers because we don’t want to butcher our precious birds and white egg laying breeds tend to be noisier and more nervous than our placid brown egg layers. But, in some past years we’ve added a California White chick to our mix. They’re industrious white egg layers and are a little calmer than Leghorns.

Tips for Buying Chicks from a Farm Store

One of the best places to buy Hoover’s chicks is from a farm store, although that name may be misleading. Hoover’s sends chicks to hundreds of farm stores. Don’t let the name fool you. Many farm stores are in suburbia and cities far from farms. It’s likely there’s a farm store near where everyone lives.

Here are a few reasons why buying from a farm store is a perfect way to start a flock:

• Experienced sales people help customers buy chicks of appropriate breeds.
• Many cities only allow families to keep four or six hens. Hatcheries that ship chicks directly to customers usually have a minimum order size of 15 chicks. In contrast, farm stores will sell just a few peeping babies.
• Customers see the chicks in the store’s brooders and can pick the ones they want.
• Stores sell feed, feeders, grit, and other items that make raising chickens successful. They are a one stop shop.

It helps to have some breed knowledge before going to the farm store for a chick purchase. Most farm stores keep different breeds in separate brooders marked with the breed. Sometimes they mix a few breeds in the same brooder…….and the sales person may not be able to tell them apart. There’s a solution. Hoover’s website includes photos of chicks of many breeds, making it easy to find a breed’s photo on your cell phone and match it with chicks in the store’s brooder. 

When winter’s snow swirls outside we love viewing seed websites and ordering vegetable seeds we’ll plant in the spring. The Hoover’s Hatchery website is just as much fun. It helps us plan what breeds we’ll buy that year.

Our hens love their nests. They tuck themselves into a nest’s quiet confines and semidarkness to enjoy privacy until the magic moment arrives and an egg emerges.
Her new egg is a matter of pride.

Daily eggs are more than the fixins’ of a delicious breakfast. They can be a tool to help children practice basic arithmetic and learn the fundamentals of scientific research.
Find a very young child and try the exercise toward the bottom of this message.

Nests are, perhaps, the most important pieces of furniture in a backyard coop. Experts recommend placing at least one nest for every four laying hens. Our flock has 14 layers, so we keep four nests in the coop.

Nests can be bought at farm stores or online but we’ve always made ours from scrap wood salvaged from old pallets and crates. Five-gallon plastic buckets can also be made to work. The exact nest size isn’t important, but it should be big enough for a hen to fit inside yet snug enough to afford privacy as she lays her egg.

Our nests are built into the coop’s wall, so we can open a hinged door and collect eggs without entering the coop.  It’s convenient. We’ve also made two “roll out” nests.

The bottom is slightly sloped so eggs roll out of the nest into a collection area. Take a look at the photo.

Here are some ways to make nests useful and comfortable:

• Place them where both hens and people can easily access them. We placed ours about human hip high and made a little ladder helping our girls easily climb inside.
• Place soft hay or wood chips on the nest’s floor to cushion eggs. For our roll out nests we line the bottom with indoor/outdoor carpet. This prevents eggs hitting a hard wall and cracking.
• Place a curtain to cover the top half of the nest’s entrance to add privacy and darkness inside. We stapled a dishrag to the top of each nest for privacy but some people use decorative cloth to add a touch of color and class to the coop.

Chickens sometimes do weird things. We chuckle when two, or even three, hens are crammed in one nest when nearby ones are vacant. Why do they do this?  Who knows, but each hen seems to have a favorite nest.

Keeping chickens in the city brings fresh eggs and wholesome fun—but it also comes with a soundtrack that’s surprisingly lively. Chickens aren’t quiet creatures; their range of clucks, squawks, and chatter can be a surprise to new urban flock keepers. Most people think roosters are the only loud mouths, but they must not be aware of the daily song a hen sings after laying her egg!

What’s Making All That Noise?

Chickens vocalize for all sorts of reasons: socializing with the flock, alerting to potential danger, staking claim on favorite food, or just complaining about the weird human next door. Morning greetings, midday debates over the best dust bath spot, and evening wind-downs keep the coop buzzing with sound, especially when the flock is active and happy.

Alarm calls are notably louder—an unexpected visitor like a dog walking by, a sudden noise, or a prowling critter can send the hens into a noisy frenzy. While not as loud or persistent as a rooster’s crow, these bursts of “chicken chatter” carry through quieter urban neighborhoods.

How to Keep the Noise Down in the City

• Create a Calm Environment: A well-designed coop with shelter and quiet corners helps chickens feel safe, reducing alarm calls and frantic clucking.
• Give Space: Overcrowding stresses chickens, which leads to louder, constant complaints. A flock with enough room tends to be calmer and therefore quieter.
• Manage Distractions: Fencing, shrubs, or even white noise nearby can minimize chickens reacting to passing pedestrians, cars, or wildlife.
• Routine Matters: Feeding and care on a consistent schedule reduces anxious vocalizations. Busy and content chickens make less noise.

Being a Good Neighbor

Good communication with neighbors goes a long way. Explaining the nature of chicken chatter, sharing fresh eggs, and showing that you’re a responsible, considerate owner often eases tension before it starts. Also, most cities and neighborhoods ban roosters, whose crowing far outstrips hens in volume and duration—so keeping only hens is often the simplest way to avoid major noise complaints. Giving your neighbors some fresh eggs also never hurts!

If you’ve ever seen your chickens looking a bit rough—sporting more “hedgehog chic” than their usual fluff—you’ve witnessed the wonders of pin feathers. Think of pin feathers as your birds’ awkward teen phase: pointy, sensitive, and best approached with plenty of patience and zero judgment.

What Are Pin Feathers?

Pin feathers are the new growths that sprout when a chicken molts, prepping for a wardrobe upgrade. Each feather starts as a shaft covered in a waxy keratin sheath, resembling little pins poking out from your bird’s body. Beneath that sheath is a tender blood supply, giving these fresh feathers a bit of drama—handle with care, because damage means bleeding.

Handling Pin-Feathered Birds

This is not the time for cuddles. Pin feathers are super sensitive, and chickens generally prefer solo time while molting. If you need to handle your chicken, do so gently—and only if absolutely necessary. If a pin feather breaks and starts bleeding, use a clotting agent, flour, or cornstarch to stop it. If the bleeding won’t quit, pluck the feather at the base and apply gentle pressure.

Helping Them Through the Molt

Molting (and pin feathers) is stressful work for chickens. Boost their diet with extra protein—think scrambled eggs or cooked quinoa—since feathers are basically built out of protein. Probiotics and electrolytes can go a long way, and keeping stress low (no surprise coop moves!) helps your flock sail through this prickly time. Allow for quiet spaces during the molt; many chickens feel extra weak and vulnerable during this time.

Extra Tips for a Smooth Feather Transition

• Don’t help your chickens “open” pin feathers—let nature take its course.
• Bathe or mist your chickens if they seem itchy; water loosens the keratin sheath so they can preen more comfortably.
• Avoid introducing new flock members during molt, as stress makes pin feathers (and tempers) flare.

Every backyard chicken keeper dreams of a happy, healthy flock, strutting through the grass and plotting their next egg-laying contest. But sometimes, trouble strikes, and suddenly you’re navigating the confusing world of antibiotics: miracle cure, potential minefield, and eternal debate among coop enthusiasts.

When Should You Use Antibiotics?

Antibiotics have a place in flock care, especially for treating clear-cut, vet-diagnosed bacterial infections. Sick chickens can go downhill fast, and immediate treatment may mean the difference between a barnyard full of rambunctious layers and a sad day in the henhouse. But don’t reach for those meds at the first hint of sneezing—antibiotics aren’t a fix for every feather ruffle or mood swing.

Responsible Use (Save Them for When You Really Need Them)

The days of buying water-soluble antibiotics without a prescription are over. Modern regulations require a veterinarian’s involvement, which is actually a good thing! Randomly medicating chickens can make existing problems worse or even create new ones, plus it’ll cloud any future attempts to diagnose and treat the real issue.

• Only medicate with proper veterinary advice
• Never treat “just in case”
• Always follow the vet’s instructions for dosage and duration

Risks of Overuse

Misusing antibiotics leads to resistant bacteria that can be tough (sometimes impossible) to treat, threatening both poultry and people. Keeping antibiotics out of the flock until truly necessary helps preserve their effectiveness for emergencies, not everyday drama.

Better Than a Cure: Prevention!

The easiest way to skip the antibiotics drama? Good old-fashioned prevention:

• Feed a balanced poultry ration—hold the fancy snacks!
• Provide clean, fresh water in squeaky-clean containers
• Keep the coop dry and well-ventilated
• Practice good biosecurity: limit visitors, clean shoes, and hands before entering

Chickens raised with these habits are naturally robust, needing medicine only when genuinely sick. In all my years raising chickens, I have only needed antibiotics once. Educate yourself and be prepared, that is the best prevention!

It’s a rite of passage for new chicken owners—thinking you’ve got the cozy brooder thing down, only to spot what looks suspiciously like a fluffy little bird sporting… well, let’s just call it a diaper malfunction. Welcome to the glamorous world of “pasty bottom”—the poultry equivalent of a clogged pipe at the worst possible moment.

What Exactly is Pasty Bottom?

Forget spa days and tail feather preening—“pasty bottom” happens when droppings get stuck to the downy fluff under a chick’s vent. The technical name is “pasting up,” and while it’s not the kind of thing folks brag about on Instagram, it’s one of the most common (and least photogenic) chick ailments out there.

Why Do Chicks End Up with a Messy Rear?

Usually, it’s a combo of stress—moving, chilly brooder temps, questionable snacks—and sometimes even the intensity of that heat lamp you just rigged up after reading about “extra crispy” disasters last week. Chicks are delicate; if their home is too hot, too cold, or too exciting, the digestive system can respond with a messy little protest.

The Fix (No Magic Wand Required)

• Check the brooder temperature—Not enough warmth and chicks shiver; too much and you might need a spatula. Aim for the Goldilocks zone (95°F first week, drop 5°F each following week).
• Clean it up, pronto—A chick with pasty bottom can’t poop properly, which can be fatal. Grab a soft cloth, warm water, and gently loosen the mess—no fancy gadgets required. Be careful not to pull the feathers or fluff too much. A chick’s skin is incredibly thin and can tear with too rough a hand.
• Watch the snacks and water—Keep their diet basic (starter feed and clean water) until things settle down. Skip the fancy treats until every bottom is back to looking fluffy, not funky.

Prevention: Keep Those Butts Buff

Brooder hygiene, proper diet, and avoiding stress are the holy trinity. And if you catch pasty bottom early, you can save your chicks—and yourself—from a whole morning spent in the “avian bidet” business.

Only Chickens Should Be Cheep—Never Your Clean-up Routine

Remember, every great backyard flock began with a few cleaned chick bottoms and a little humility. Next time someone asks how your babies are doing, you’ll have a tale to share that’s equal parts adventure and absurdity—“No, really, I was a chicken rear-end specialist for three straight weeks.”

Raising happy, healthy chickens isn’t just about food and water—it’s about space. Think of your flock as tiny, feathery divas who appreciate a little breathing room to strut, scratch, and socialize without feeling like they’re stuck in hen house traffic. The very best option is allowing your flock free range time, but understandably this isn’t always feasible for all.

How Much Space Do Chickens Really Need?

The golden rule: each chicken deserves at least 2–3 square feet inside the coop and 8–10 square feet in the outdoor run. Cramped quarters lead to stress, feather pecking, and noisy squabbles—not exactly the friendly neighbors you want. More space means calmer birds, better health, and ultimately, more eggs and less drama.

What Happens When Chickens Don’t Get Enough Space?

Crowded chickens become stressed chickens. Stress weakens their immune systems and sparks aggressive behavior like pecking or bullying. You might notice bald spots, broken feathers, or even fights breaking out—signs your coop is feeling way too much like rush hour.

Tips for Creating Comfortable Chicken Real Estate

• Think Vertical: Chickens love to perch. Adding roosts inside the coop ups the usable space and gives them a comfy spot to chill away from the floor crowd. Try adding a few natural branches, the chickens will love to climb and the bark helps file down their toenails.
• Rotate Runs: If you have a yard, move your flock regularly to fresh ground to prevent mud buildup and keep grass growing. Happy soil means happy chickens.
• Provide Enrichment: Adding dust baths, logs, and safe plants breaks up the space so chickens can pick their favorite spots—and keep their minds busy. Like animals in a zoo, they will benefit from enrichment. Even just giving new foods and treats can be enrichment enough. Swings, tree stumps, and old logs also make great fun for chickens.

The Takeaway

Space isn’t just a luxury—it’s chicken welfare 101. Generous quarters keep your birds healthy, peaceful, and productive, saving you headaches and vet visits down the line. After all, a happy hen is a noisy hen, but it’s a lot easier to live with her cheerful clucks when everyone has room to shake their tail feathers.