August 2016

Just because you don’t live in the country doesn’t mean you can’t produce some of your own food. Urban agriculture is on the rise because everyone wants fresher, healthier and cheaper groceries. Your mini farm can do more than grow a few tomatoes. You can enjoy fresh eggs by keeping urban chickens. Organic, free-range eggs […]

A broody hen is compelled by changes in daylight, hormones and natural instincts to sit on a clutch of eggs until they hatch. Broody hen behavior is very distinctive. She stays on her nest day and night, shrieks and pecks when disturbed and puffs her feathers up to look tough. While a broody hen is […]

There are many reasons that you might choose to hatch eggs artificially using an egg incubator. Perhaps you don’t have a broody hen or a safe space for her to raise her chicks, maybe you want to hatch more eggs than a hen can set on or perhaps you want to involve your children in […]

Building an urban chicken coop is both easy and inexpensive. Before you bring home your chicks or hens, you’ll want to have a home prepared for them. It is easy to get excited about raising chickens, but in the city it is important to be prepared. On a farm you can always find somewhere to […]

A chicken is egg bound when she is unable to pass an egg. The egg becomes stuck in the oviduct, causing the egg bound chicken considerable discomfort. Egg binding in chickens is a life-threatening condition. It is essential to identify an egg bound chicken quickly and take the appropriate steps to help her pass the […]

A broody hen is one that wants to raise chicks. At some point in your chicken raising career you’ll encounter one of these tenacious birds. A broody hen is determined to sit on her eggs until they hatch, and persuading her otherwise can be challenging. Fortunately, a broody hen can be very useful. She’ll do […]

The silkie chicken is a unique and highly desirable addition to any flock. She gets her name from her soft, poofy plumage which is said to feel just like silk. While the silkie chicken likely originated in Asia, this poultry breed has spread all over the world. You can expect to see them at poultry […]

Even if you’re not planning on breeding your own chickens, you will probably find yourself raising baby chicks sooner than you think. While you can start a backyard flock by buying adult birds, it is cheaper to order babies from a day old chickens hatchery. You can also find baby chickens for sale from a […]

External parasites are the single most common problem encountered in a backyard chicken coop. The common culprits are chicken mites and chicken lice. Fortunately both are easily controlled using several simple techniques. Read on to learn how to get rid of chicken mites and how to kill chicken lice. Symptoms of External Parasites on Chickens […]

A permaculture garden can look like many different things. For instance, a permaculture garden might be a raised bed garden, a no-till garden or a hugelkultur bed. It might incorporate organic or biodynamic gardening techniques. The different faces of a permaculture garden are possible because this is a fluid philosophy based on applying the 12 […]