Stopping A Hen From Going Broody
“Hi, I have a Broody Bantam Hen. She has already hatched eggs and took care of the chicks until she decided they were old enough to be on their own. She was fine then for several weeks but now she wants to sit on eggs again. I was wondering if it causes any health problems…
Introducing New Chickens To An Established Flock
“Hi, it’s Drew here. I really enjoy your articles. I have 3 black cross Rhode Island Reds, 1 Campine pure bred which does not lay any eggs and now my daughters have sucked me into buying 2 Lohman Brown chicks to hand raise. During the night the chicks sleep inside for warmth, during the day…
Wood Chips / Shavings VS. Straw
“I have recently got 3 chickens for the back garden and the man I bought them from said to use bark chips for the floor of the run, and wood shavings for inside their house. He actually advised against straw as he said it’s not absorbent and would not be very pleasant for the chickens.…
Chickens Roosting On The Ground
“This is my first chicken venture. I bought 10 baby chicks 2 months back. They are now in the chicken yard with a coop. I have not gotten them to go up into the roosting/laying area, they tend to stay in the run below only. Now I have let them out into the larger area…
Buying Fertilized Eggs, Newly Hatched Chicks or Point Of Lay Hens?
“Is it best to buy fertilized eggs, newly hatched chicks or point of lay hens? Also, is it best to buy from a local farmer or from a hatchery?” ~ Margaret Collier This is a common question and the answer has a lot of variables Margaret, but I’ll do my best to make it as…
Raising Broilers & Laying Hens Together…
“Can you raise broilers and laying hens together? We haven’t kept chickens before and I want the broilers for meat but also want eggs. Some basic information on broilers would help too.” ~ Mike Cauffman Thank you for the question Mike. The term broiler refers to a fast growing, large meat bird, usually referring to…
Smelly Chickens
“My husband had a large flock (about 100 chickens) when he was a kid. Because of this he thinks chickens are, in his words, “gross, smelly and dirty”. I really think 3 or 4 would benefit our suburban homestead any suggestions?” ~ Kristin Palazzoli Kristin, I’m sorry that you and your husband don’t agree on…
Is It Economical To Raise Chickens?
“Is it more economical to raise chickens and eat their eggs than to purchase them at the market?” ~ Mira Vosberg Mira, I’m glad you wrote but I’m not sure you’ll like my answer. If you have to feed your flock only on commercial feed, you may find that it costs more to keep your…
