If you are wondering how to begin a garden, you’re not alone. Every new gardener needs a few vegetable garden tips. There are so many different kinds of vegetables to plant, growing times for each plant to consider and many other factors that can make or break a successful garden. Starting a Garden Follow these […]

Permaculture is a hot idea in many circles from green coalitions to community sponsored agriculture to backyard gardeners. There are permaculture books, permaculture courses, permaculture podcasts and permaculture farms where you can go work and learn as a volunteer. But what is it all about? At its core permaculture is a clear pathway to attaining […]

If you want to start raising chickens for meat or eggs, chicken hatcheries are the easiest place to start. These are professional companies that breed chickens. You probably know someone who ordered day-old chicks which arrived in the mail- they came from a chicken hatchery. You can find chicken hatcheries specializing in a particular breed […]

Even if you’re soft at heart, name your flock, refer to them as “the girls” and just can’t bring yourself to raise chickens for meat, they are very useful as livestock. You can just raise chickens for eggs and, at the same time, make use of their poop as awesome garden and vegetable fertilizer and take advantage […]

Are you wondering the gender of your baby chicks, or maybe even of your older birds? Sexing chicks is a tricky business. Even the professionals at the best chicken hatcheries sometimes make mistakes. But it can be important to know how to sex chicks, especially if you live in a neighborhood where roosters are not […]

Many backyard poultry keepers want to know how to raise chickens for eggs ethically. There is a growing awareness in America of the disturbing practices on large factory farms. Indeed, it is the desire not to participate in this harmful system that leads many of us to keep our own hens. If that is your […]

Once you are comfortable managing your flock, you may want to learn how to breed chickens. There are many reasons to breed. You might want chickens for meat. You may need pullets to replace your aging layers. Or maybe you want more eggs to feed a growing family or to sell. Knowing how to breed […]

The Livestock Conservancy lays out strict requirements for heritage chicken breeds. To be called “heritage” a chicken must be have parents and grandparents of a breed recognized by the American Poultry Association prior to the mid-20th century, they must reproduce through natural mating, live a long productive life (5-7 years for breeding hens) and have […]

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 […]