Urban homesteading on a regular lot in the suburbs of Atlanta. Six years of backyard chickens — started with seventeen, down to three, and there’s a story behind every one. A garden I’m trying to get better at, cheese made with the wrong acid, and more sourdough starters killed than I can count. The canner is still in the box. It’s never too late to learn. Not a tutorial, and not a farm.
Chickens are social birds and are naturally inquisitive. They use their beaks to explore in the same way we use our hands – pecking at objects in their surroundings or often at members of their flock. While hen pecking is…
Some people might think that the chicken is but a simple bird, but the opposite is true; they are a lot more complex than we might think – I have always thought of them as fascinating creatures! There really is…
If you don’t know too much about chickens, then it can get confusing because of all the terms and names that are used to refer to chickens. These terms include hens, cocks, cockerels, roosters, capons, etc. So, what are the…
When you wake up one morning to find your rooster perched on top of the roof, the only reasonable explanation might be that he flew up there. As amusing as it might sound, the bird surely didn’t climb up there. …
You hardly ever see chicken coops with a nice, green, and lush layer of grass covering the ground. Why is this? Is it because people do not plant grass for chickens? Is it because the chickens destroy the grass, even…
Many barnyard poultry owners will agree that raising quail and chickens together isn’t the best idea. There are just too many cons and not enough pros. But just because you shouldn’t mix them in the same space doesn’t mean space…
It may seem like there is an apparent difference between a hen and a rooster; however, it can also be tricky to distinguish between the two, especially when they are young I have found. As they get older and their…
Hawks are beautiful and majestic, but that doesn’t mean you want them around your chickens. I constantly worry about hawks getting my flock as I let my chickens free-range in my backyard during the day. Predators are a threat to…
I find that there is something oddly therapeutic in collecting your chicken’s eggs in the morning. The simple task gives you some much-needed quiet time before the day’s hustle begins. Finding the eggs missing or broken on the floor will…
It’s something of a fanciful dream for many suburban dwellers to walk into their backyard and collect their dally eggs from under softly clucking hens. Having kept backyard chickens myself, I know how far the dream is from reality. There…
