Backyard Chickens and Salmonella Prevention

Rosemary and I wrinkling our noses over the thought of salmonella poisoning!

We have all heard horror stories of people getting salmonella poisoning And believe it or not, your feathered flock can be one of the main contributors to this unfortunate bacteria I’m going to do my best to explain this in easy-to-understand words Remember, I’m not an expert, I’m just a backyard chicken keeper who happens to have access to some great people who are experts in the poultry field!

The CDC estimates “Salmonella

What You Need to Know About Flystrike in Chickens

Today we’re going to address the not-so-beautiful side of raising backyard chickens Sound like fun, right? (Insert sarcasm) When I first started researching the different illnesses, diseases, and injuries chickens can receive and how to prepare for them, I remember flystrike as one that I prayed I would never have to deal with! Not only can it be deadly for your chickens, it is absolutely gross!

Fortunately, I have never had to deal with it, but recently my sister, Tamar, has had to treat one of her favorite chickens for flystrike We will be talking with her today on how

Best Egg Salad Recipes

Happy Independence Day! It’s hard to believe the 4th of July is already here! I love this time of year My hometown in Southwest Minnesota always has their big celebration The lake is always hopping and it’s a great time to catch up with anyone who happens to be home for the weekend For my family, heading up to Northern Minnesota is also a favorite of ours Anytime with my family is priceless, but the 4th of July is always special!

In case you need a quick, easy recipe to bring to your 4th of July gathering, large or small,

Dr. Bob Stock Educates on Coccidiosis in Chickens

Raising backyard chickens is a true joy in my life Before we reentered raising our feathered friends, I’d scroll through social media and dream about coops, chicken breeds, how I would decorate their living space, and so on And, for the most part, it really is absolutely everything I’ve dreamed of However, raising chickens isn’t always a Pinterest party It is true that chickens are known to be more susceptible to sickness and disease if not taken care of properly One disease we will discuss today is coccidiosis

Coccidiosis damages the gastrointestinal tract If your chicken is sick with coccidiosis,

My Q & A with Dr. Stock on the Benefits of Oregano Essential Oils for Chickens

People frequently ask me how I’ve kept my flock so healthy this time around Let me tell you it wasn’t always this easy!

In last week’s blog, I mentioned how I’ve tried raising chickens in the past and disease and poor health ravaged my flock both times But this time around, it’s like POOF, healthy chickens! The only thing I did different with this flock was I started using oregano essential oil products

A Little Help from the Experts

I’ve been determined to find out what makes these products so different Now you know that I’m by no means a

Natural Products to Maintain Chicken Health

Can I be perfectly honest with you? I was a little hesitant when we started back up with chickens a year and a half ago I remember our first flocks We’d get chickens, they’d get sick with something and then they’d die here and there Or, they’d get eaten by a predator I really had to sit down and think about it before we jumped back in Since I didn’t know a lot about chicken health then, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to experience all of that again

But please, if you’re on the fence about starting a flock,

No Eggs in the Hen House?

It’s that time of year when we’re all getting anxious to be outside Especially if you live in Minnesota where the winters are super long Believe me when I say, we’re all very ready for spring and warmer days! Haha!

Luckily, this time of the year is also when the days finally get a little longer So, if you haven’t already been supplementing light in your coops, your hens should be starting to lay again!

I remember the day we received our very first egg and how exciting that was To be honest with you, I still get that

Give the Gift of Eggs!

The tree is up, the stockings are hung and if you’re like me, you’ve got a list and are checking it twice! I feel like the Christmas season really snuck up on me this year being that Thanksgiving was later I have a lot of our Christmas shopping done, but there are a few people left on my list that have me stumped

I’ve been thinking about different gift ideas Then, one day I was staring at the piles of eggs I have overflowing in my kitchen I have this really cute bucket by our stove top full of fresh

Table Scraps You Shouldn’t Feed Your Chickens

IT’S TREAT TIME!

One of the questions I get asked pretty often is if it’s okay to feed certain foods to chickens Well, if you’ve been raising chickens for any length of time, you’ve probably learned that they are pretty smart For the most part, chickens know what they can and cannot eat And, they definitely have their favorites!

One of the best parts of raising chickens is that almost nothing goes to waste They love scraps from the kitchen However, there are a few items that shouldn’t go out to your flock I’ve compiled a short list for

Dr. Stock Compares Non-Medicated Chick Starter Feed vs. Medicated

I’m really excited about this week’s blog for two reasons First of all, we get to talk about feeding our chicks as naturally as possible Second, we get to hear from our friend and professional, Dr Bob Stock!

The reason I asked Dr Stock to join us this week is because I know exactly how overwhelming it can be to select chicken feed in a farm store for the first time Especially, for first time chick owners who just bought new chicks this Spring and are unsure of what you should be feeding them

To help with this, I’ve