Backyard Fowl Keepers

Bachelor flocks work for some roosters but not all. A trial period is best,be prepared to separate if needed. Watch for signs of bullying or stress.

If you're avoiding chemicals, frequent dust baths are your best friend. Make sure they have access to loose dirt mixed with wood ash and herbs to self-treat.

I've heard of this happening before! A friend of mine had a similar issue when she bought pine shavings from a sawmill. Turns out, they had wood preservatives on them, which caused severe respiratory distress in her flock.

Chicken math is undefeated! I doubled my flock in a year without even trying.

If your chickens free-range, they are more likely to pick up worms from insects, wild birds, and contaminated soil. Regular deworming or natural preventatives might be necessary to keep them healthy.

Fir isn't as commonly used for chicks, so I'd be cautious. You could mix it with pine and see if there's any reaction before committing.

That's a great observation! I've dealt with cold weather hatching before, and I noticed the hatch rates were much better when the eggs were stored in a more consistent temperature. I started using an insulated egg carton to store my eggs in, and that made a noticeable difference in hatch rates ...

Have you checked their pelvic bones? If they're still close together, they're not quite ready. If they're widening, eggs should be coming soon!

I accidentally left a big container of black fly larvae in the garage without the lid on, and one of my chickens found it and knocked it over. Now, all 14 chickens and the turkey ate almost the entire thing! Im not sure if thats a problem or if itll affect them. Has anyone had a situation like this ...

I found that using a mix of feed in a specific area near the coop works for keeping chickens closer. I throw some scratch grains along with their regular food and use that as a marker for them to come back. You can also try a portable chicken fence to create boundaries for them, especially around ...