Shy Hens – A Discussion On Hen Personalities
“I love the news letter! Great information delivered with a kind sense of humor. I have a question. 1 week ago I got 3 black Orpington bantam pullets (4 months old). I already have a hen and rooster that are both Porcelain D’Uccle bantams. They all have become comfortable with each other except for 1…
Clipping Chicken Wings: Why, When & How
“At what age do you clip chicken wings? Thanks!” ~ Stephanie Francis Great question Stephanie. Before we address the “when” and the “how to”, let’s look at the “why”. If you haven’t discovered it yet, chickens can fly ;-0 It’s true they won’t soar through the air gracefully floating on the breeze but they can…
Chicken Pecking Order; Dealing With Aggressive Hens
We get a lot of questions about birds pecking at each other and what to do about it; when to intervene, when to let them work it out themselves. This week I thought I’d share a personal experience that might give you some ideas with your own flock. In our part of the world, the majority…
Free Ranging Chickens – Definition
How is “free range” defined? ~ David Helms. When I think of free range chickens, I get a very specific picture in my mind. Let me describe it to you. I see a flock of chickens roaming around green pastures. They happily scratch for bugs and worms. Their days are filled with the wonder of…
Small Scale Hen Keeping – Reader Success
Hi Duncan and Wendy, Just thought that you’d be interested in my 4 Isa Brown Hens. Have had them since the beginning of February 09 and so far they’ve had 194 eggs. They normally lay one egg per day each except when the ‘supervisor’ and her cousin Peanut terrorized one of them and she wouldn’t…
How To Stop Chickens From “Going Broody”
“I would like no know how to stop your chickens from going broody? Thanks” ~ Dave Blair Dave thanks for the question. “Brood” seems to be the word this week; in our “Basics” series we’re discussing brooding boxes, the area in which you raise your newly hatched chicks. Now we’ll answer Dave’s question about broody…
Free Ranging and Training Chickens
“If I let my chicken range freely, how far away will they wander? Can I get then to come when I call?” ~ Terrie Travers Hi Terrie thanks for the question. Chickens will indeed wander but not like a dog. Where you might find your dog on the other side of town, your chickens may…
Common Chicken Keeping Questions
Each week I answer a readers question in this space. Sometimes I try to thoroughly answer a question a lot of people are asking. This week I’m going to answer a number of questions asked by many of you. The answers don’t require too much explanation. Maybe you’ll find something in here that you’ve been…
