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Backyard flock biosecurity works on the fall migration calendar, not the USDA case count. Here is the September checklist, the warning signs, and who to call.
Read More →Backyard chickens and the rest of the flock. Coops and incubators, hatching, biosecurity and bird flu, predator-proofing, and what a laying flock actually costs to run.
Amidst the nationwide egg “crisis,” I’ve begun to notice two distinct trends among folks. The first, and the more heartening, are those who are (albeit belatedly) using the situation as an excuse to jump into poultry ownership, so they are better prepared for whatever comes next. The other, more worryingly, are those who seem to…
Plenty of people eat ducks and chickens, but many are unaware they are throwing out some of the best bits with the entrails. Hearts, livers and even gizzards can make excellent eating, though that last one will take some serious prep work. Read on for how to clean a gizzard for use in gravy, or…
A common misconception about raising chickens is that it costs a lot of money. While you can surely buy a luxurious coop and high-end chicken feed, the chickens can still be productive and happy no matter how much you spend. Chickens are successfully raised in some of the poorest countries on Earth, so you can…
While highly pathogenic avian influenza was confirmed in domestic birds in Utah last month, the first case of the virus in a wild bird was recently confirmed after a dead great-horned owl tested positive. High pathogenic avian influenza viruses are very contagious among birds, and can cause rapid and high mortality in domestic birds, such as…
Yes, really. Only it’s called a “clearing a clogged vent.” One of the most frequent health problems of baby chicks is a clogged vent. The vent is the single hole in the rear of a chicken responsible for waste and laying eggs in adulthood. As a chick, sometimes their feces gets stuck in their baby…
So, you found a frozen chicken on your homestead. What do you do? Set the microwave to defrost? Fire up the fryer? Just kidding. If the chicken is still alive, there are ways to help save her. This happened to us recently. One of our Americuanas didn’t come into the coop at night and was…
Guinea Fowl are one of the best additions to a homestead. They are great guard animals (my flock actually chased away a German shepherd once), they eat a ton of ticks each summer, and they are delicious. There are plenty of books and articles on how to raise Guineas, and I read many of them….
Almost everyone loves chickens. From the eggs, to the meat, to the crowing of the cock, there’s just something about the non-airborne avian that brings to mind the peaceful tranquility of a self-sustaining existence. What happens though, when your fowl are feeling a little … well, foul? Read on for some common chicken illnesses, and…
The images from factory farms can be very disturbing. Thousands of layer hens crammed into tiny cages, de-beaked as chicks so they don’t peck each other to death, their feet cramped as they walk on feces-covered wire mesh, and a constant stream of “feed” in front of them, sometimes made from the by-products of their…
As springtime approaches, that tends to mean one thing around my homestead. The chickens, long self-confined to a smaller grazing ground have begun to range again, scratching their way through underbrush and tree, grass and, yes, even garden. As I’m watching them, I’ve begun to realize it’s been a little while since I last profiled…
A topic we’ve covered regularly on this site, though perhaps not regularly enough, is that of poultry. Probably the most common “gateway stock” for budding homesteaders, chickens are relatively simple to care for, easy to acquire, and can be used for either meat or eggs. Read on for the first in what will be an…
So you’ve got hens, a rooster, and not enough chickens. Should you order more chicks in the mail? Sure, that’s one solution. But if you’ve got all three of the above, its turns out nature has a free solution for you. Read on for a how-to on hatching your own chicks. Step 1: Feed The…
