Backyard chickens are one of the simple pleasures of urban homestead living. We check local city ordinance so we comply with code. We take the time to select which breed(s) to keep. We select how many to raise. We give them names. And lastly, we provide a secure coop. We got it covered, right? Chicken […]
All Creatures
Urban Chickens: Should we Worry about Salmonella?
We love their eggs, the sometimes larger-than-life personalities, and antics of backyard chickens. It turns out, that many people share this attitude as keeping urban chickens is a growing trend according to Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) which is an agency within the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) whose duties include, but […]
Fall Gardening for your Chickens
For those of us who do not live in a temperate region, fall can signal a change in diet for backyard chickens. Hens with a summertime free-range lifestyle, may now be sequestered to their coop and run and be subjected to a diet consisting of grains and layer mash, with nary a leafy green in […]
Small Scale Egg Sale Regulations
One of the joys of raising chickens is savoring the eggs they produce. Imagine, you are getting fresh eggs from your own hens. And as most chicken keepers I know, you probably have multiple hens. I tend to think of them like I do potato chips. I just can’t stop at having one. That’s great, […]
Proper Care for Home-produced Eggs
Whether you live in the country or urban setting, raising chickens can be a wonderful experience. They come in a wide variety of colors and sizes. Their personalities are often larger than life and they can be quite social. In fact, I frequently recommend people to get chickens if they are just starting out with […]
Free-Range Chickens: New Method or Remake of an Old Classic?
In the last few years, chickens have experienced a resurgence. Now while they never went away, more people (I am talking families and individuals, not corporate farms), are raising them. Part of the credit can go towards a movement of knowing where your food comes from. People are raising their own for egg and meat […]