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.
If you have leftover pumpkins after Halloween or from a fall festival pumpkin patch there is something you can do with them. You can feed them to your backyard chickens! Can chickens can eat pumpkin guts and seeds? Yes, chickens…
Cayenne peppers are a very popular pepper that is easy to grow in your backyard vegetable garden. The question is what to do with the cayenne peppers after picking them? Cayenne chili peppers have a variety of uses including seasonings,…
Quick answer: no, adult chickens do not need food or water at night. They sleep on their roosts from dusk to dawn and will not get down to eat or drink, so feeders and waterers can stay in the run…
Quick answer: the least broody chicken breeds are Leghorns, Anconas, Minorcas, Andalusians, Hamburgs, Polish and the commercial sex-link hybrids such as Golden Comets, Red Stars and ISA Browns. A broody hen is one whose mothering instinct has kicked in: she…
Chickens have one of the most effective digestive tracts in the animal world. They do not have any teeth to bite, tear or chew the food they consume, so how do they break down food? Having chickens, you will know…
Any good gardener knows the value of a compost pile. A good compost pile is created by collecting your organic garden cuttings and layering them using an ample mix of green and brown materials to provide nitrogen and carbon. Add…
It can be disheartening when you bring your chicken home, starry-eyed with the idea of your new feathered friend, and then they run away in terror every time you approach them wanting a cuddle. Try not to take it personally!…
An essential part of keeping chickens is calculating how much feed your flock requires monthly. The amount of food that chickens eat each day is variable and depends on a range of factors, but for the sake of planning and…
Quick answer: chickens are most afraid of predators, especially hawks overhead and dogs, foxes and raccoons on the ground, plus anything that acts like one: people looming over them, being chased or grabbed, sudden loud noises, fast movements and new…
When your chickens start molting during the fall season it is important to increase their protein uptake. As they lose feathers and start the regrowth of new ones additional protein is required. Feather loss is not always molt, though: if…
