The pros of raising backyard chickens far outweigh the cons in my opinion! However, at some point, you’ll likely deal with an issue that is less than fun Like a sick or injured chicken, a predator attack or icky things like lice or mites While I’ve never had scaly leg mites in any of my chickens (whew!), it can be a problem in your flock

Hoovers 1November 1, 2023July 28, 2026Chicken Care, Poultry Healthcleaning the coop for mites, how to prevent scaly leg mites, how to treat scaly leg mites, leg scale damage, poultry parasite control, preventing mite reinfestation, scaly leg mite treatment, scaly leg mites, what are scaly leg mitesLeave a comment

Benefits of Citronella and Peppermint Essential Oils for Chickens

Ever heard of essential oils for flock health? Well, if you’re a seasoned backyard chicken owner, you probably have It’s all the rage! And guess what? Strong Animals Chicken Essentials takes it to the next level They’ve packed in a bunch of awesome organic essential oils and even made it super easy to use No more guessing on how to give your flock a healthy boost or how to

Fowl Pox in Chickens: How to Prevent It

Most of the time, I look forward to writing these blogs because we get to talk about the wonderful ways backyard chickens can add to our lives, fun recipes, and helpful ways to care for your flock However, there are times when we have to talk about the other side of raising backyard chickens and today is one of those times I will start by saying that my flock has never experienced fowl pox (and I’m grateful!), so I’m not speaking from first-hand experience But I’ve

All About the Black Copper Marans Breed: Eggs, Traits, and Care

If you want a calm, beautiful hen that lays some of the darkest eggs in the poultry world, the Black Copper Marans deserves a spot on your shortlist This French breed has earned a loyal following among backyard keepers for its glossy black feathers, gentle personality, and famously rich chocolate-brown eggs Marans eggs are so prized that the French-trained chef Julia Child is often said to have favored them in her own kitchen Whether you raise chickens for the egg basket, the beauty, or both, the Black Copper Marans has a lot to offer

Hoovers 1October 22, 2023July 28, 2026Breeds, Brown Egg Layers, Egg Layersblack copper marans, Black Copper Marans temperament, chocolate brown eggs, dark brown egg layer, dark egg genetics, dual-purpose chicken, egg laying chicken breed, French chicken breed, Marans Chicken breedLeave a comment

Hatching Chicken Eggs

How to Hatch Chicken Eggs: A Simple Beginner’s Guide

I remember when I started raising backyard chickens I would’ve honestly never considered hatching chicks…until a couple of years ago I decided if I were going to educate backyard chicken owners on every aspect of raising backyard chickens, hatching chicks would be a fun thing to try!

“Sweetie” the Silke from our first hatch

Posted byHoovers 1October 18, 2023July 28, 2026Posted inAll About Eggs, Baby Chick Care, Brooding, Fertile Egg CareTags: baby chickens, chick hatching timeline, egg pip, hatch day, hatching baby chicks, hatching chicken eggs, hatching eggs, incubation temperature, incubator humidity, supplies for hatching chickens, turning hatching eggsLeave a comment on Hatching Chicken Eggs

Repurpose Old Tires Into Dust Baths

It never ceases to amaze me how great my chickens are at digging holes! They love to scratch around, wiggle down and flap around the dirt To keep themselves clean, chickens take dust baths This summer, I’m working on making a dedicated area for my chickens’ dust bath I’ll keep you posted on if they actually use this area or if they continue to just dig dust baths wherever they want Haha!

Hoovers 1September 18, 2023July 28, 2026Chicken Care, Housing, Poultry Healthchicken enrichment, diy chicken dust bath, diy dust bath, Dust Bath, dust bath materials, poultry parasite prevention, recycled tire dust bath, why do chickens dust batheLeave a comment

Beat the Heat With These Fun Summer Activities for Kids

We have hit the hot days of summer! With heat indexes into the hundreds, we are doing everything around here to stay cool While sitting in the A/C is nice, we live in Minnesota and love to be outside in the summer months! Here are some fun summer activities for kids for you to do with your families to stay cool and make memories!

National Chicken Month Coloring Page

The Best Cucumber Salsa Recipe

Fresh Cucumber Salsa Recipe for Summer Garden Snacks

Get ready to run out to your garden because I have a delicious recipe for you! Fresh ingredients collide with a fun cucumber twist Actually, more than a twist of cucumber…they’re the star of the show in this recipe

Cucumbers give

Decorating Rocks for Your Flower Garden

We’re in full garden swing around here We had an early spring, so the flowers and food garden are bursting, and I love every second of it

Today we’ll discuss a fun little project you can do with your kids It’s inexpensive and a great boredom buster! Plus, it’s an easy way to decorate your garden how you want it I’ve never really considered “decorating” my garden with rocks, but this is

Scaly Leg Mites in Chickens