Judging from numerous online posts, many people jump into chicken keeping without giving enough thought to what’s involved. As a result, you see lots of posts listing “things I wish I’d known.” Or along the lines of “advice to...
People can tell if chickens are chirpy or frustrated from their calls, according to researchers who believe that listening to the birds could help breeders improve the welfare of their flocks.
Scientists played audio recordings of hens to nearly 200...
Nearly every chicken breed has a bantam version. But some bantam breeds have no larger counterpart. The latter are true bantams. Cackle Hatchery® offers the following true bantam chicken breeds:
Belgian d’Anvers
Belgian d’Anvers bantams get their name from the Belgian...
The Department of Agriculture reminds all poultry owners – backyard flocks and commercial producers – to keep their guard up to protect their birds from highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). After a lull in detections for several months, Pennsylvania...
If you keep chickens in your backyard there's a high chance you're extremely attached to them. Watching them peck around outdoors in bitterly cold weather, however, may mean you're anxious to learn how to keep chickens warm in winter.
If...
Though poultry-keepers are often taught how to ward off predators and how to keep their chickens healthy, end-of-life issues (and options) are often left out of the chicken-care conversations. However, being able to recognize the signs when chickens are...
“Backyard self-sufficiency” has raised the curiosity of many current – and future – flock owners. With goals of going back to the basics, getting your hands dirty, connecting with your food and checking one less item off your grocery...
There are millions of things that you can feed your chickens other than chicken feed.
Before establishing a backyard chicken flock, check local laws and homeowners’ association (HOA) covenants. Chickens are not allowed to be raised in many urban areas. The number of chickens, distance from property lines, and type of house may be...
Believe it or not, microbes have a huge impact on your backyard flock. In this video, Dr. John gives a “Backyard Chicken Biology Lesson” explaining how an animal’s initial microbial community, made up of their own cells and cells...