Backyard Fowl Keepers

You could do a test,put some fir in a separate area and see if the chicks react to it before using it in the whole brooder.

We moved our 20+ chickens into a new coop and run inside our vegetable garden since they kept jumping fences to get in. Now, I want to let them free range without destroying the garden.

My idea is to add small doors in the fences with tunnels leading out, so they cant get sidetracked by the ...

I use Oxine for deep cleaning and a poultry-safe disinfectant for daily use. Rinsing isn't necessary unless animals will ingest residue.

I've read that bacteria in your incubator can lower hatch rates, and some people recommend washing eggs with antibacterial soap before setting them. That got me wonderingwould using slightly chlorinated water in the incubators humidity tray be safe? Could it even help reduce bacteria and improve ...

A thick layer of mulch might solve both your cushioning and rat issues,it discourages burrowing while keeping the ground soft. Win-win!

As long as your chickens can get to a dry shelter, it's perfectly fine for them to free-range in the rain. They'll usually head back to cover if they get too wet or cold. I've found that if they're able to forage in the rain, they end up happy and content!

When I first started keeping chickens, I wanted to do everything as naturally as possible. I read that crushed eggshells were a great source of calcium, so I figured, why buy oyster shell when I could just recycle what my hens already laid? It seemed like a perfect, self-sustaining solution.

For ...