When Can Chicks Start Eating Veggies?

Mom is the best teacher That’s true with both people and chickens

While a mother hen is teaching her chicks, she can also instruct observant people

Years ago, most baby chicks had the good fortune to have a mom  In those preindustrial days broody hens patiently sat on fertile eggs for 21 days until they miraculously hatched into peeping babies Then, for the next couple of months, she kept them warm, protected them from danger, and taught them how to choose a healthy and balanced diet

That’s not common today  Nearly all baby chicks are

VIDEO: Why Do Chickens Molt?

VIDEO: When and How To Clip Your Chickens Wings

How to Keep Chicken Water from Freezing in Winter

Just like us, chickens enjoy sipping cool, clean water throughout the day What surprises many new flock owners is how much they drink, even in the dead of winter How to keep chicken water from freezing in winter is one of the most important parts of cold-weather flock care, because

Week 11 With Rudd Rangers

This past week, our Rudd Rangers have been truly enjoying their new found freedom! 

 Every morning, I walk out to their tractor and pull it onto a fresh spot (Might I add that you will not want to keep them too close to your house as they do poop a lot!) Next, I open up the door and all the excited chickens come running out! I fill up their feeder with pellets and fill up their 3 gallon water tank, and forget them until evening comes In the past, we kept our meat

Week 9 With Rudd Rangers

This week marked another first for the Rudd Rangers; they experienced freedom!

It was brief, it was supervised, but it was freedom! It was really hilarious to see them running and FLYING out of the tractor door! They were very excited! 

However, the possibility of losing one to a predator scares me to death, so I usually end up corralling them back inside after an hour or two Since they have grown up in the chicken tractor, they do not stray to far from it When the sun is gets

Coop Spring Cleaning: A Step-by-Step Guide for a Healthy Flock

Spring can be slow to arrive, especially across the Midwest, where late snowstorms and cold snaps stretch well into April But once that first stretch of warm weather finally settles in, it’s the perfect time to tackle your coop spring cleaning The job is messy, no question about it, but a thorough clean turns the coop

Week 10 With Rudd Rangers

This week, the Rudd Rangers are officially 2 months old! 

They have made it about 2/3 of the way through their time here on our farm It seems like a lifetime ago that they were fluffy chicks in a delivery box!

Big storms were due to roll in Sunday night, so we decided to move the Rangers into a more secure coop The chicken tractor is fine for rainy days, but it is very lightweight With the threat of strong winds and possible tornadoes, we decided to move all 13

Preparing for Chicks to Arrive

The most important part of raising your own meat birds is preparation We begin preparing well in advance, so when the baby chicks arrive, all that is left to do is put them happily in the brooder

My husband is the mastermind of our setup and has built everything by hand There may be considerable cost up front, but many things are a one time build and can be used again and again 

    Before the chicks arrive, I already have the brooder ready We use an old square shipping container with

Adventures in Ordinance Change

During the past few years thousands of American families have started a backyard chicken flock Bringing a breakfast’s worth of fresh eggs into the house is as prideful and delicious as growing and enjoying home grown vegetables
Gardening is legal and encouraged everywhere Sadly, some towns have enacted ordinances banning chickens inside city limits The good news is that change is sweeping the nation Town and city councils all over are recognizing that citizens want to legally keep a small flock, and they realize that it can be done without causing problems So, many towns have