Farm Animals

Chicks are easily tamed to become endearing pet chickens that can live 10 or more years. Socializing chicks can be accomplished in a just few minutes a day, but the more time you spend the more...

Pet chickens are easily trained with positive encouragement and tasty treats. It is easiest to work with hens that were socialized as chicks, but with routine practice and a safe environment even...

Although it may sound odd to some people, chickens can make entertaining pets. Chickens that are used to humans can be friendly and playful and can be trained to do simple tasks. It is easiest to...

A backyard flock of chickens adds sound, color and movement to your garden landscape. With a little planning, raising a small flock of chickens in the backyard is fun and rewarding hobby for the...

Chicken lice is a term that includes at least six different species of chewing or biting louse that infest chickens. The lice spreads through the flock through close-quarter contact with infected...

Though chickens are usually raised for their fresh eggs, chickens are also highly effective at bug and slug control. In the May/June 2009 issue of "Grit Magazine," Pam Maynard calls chickens and...

There are many parasites that will target a backyard flock, but fleas are some of the most tenacious and difficult to eradicate. Even if you remove them from the chickens themselves, they can...

Fresh eggs and lean meat are two popular reasons chickens are raised in a backyard. Dual purpose breeds are often preferred when raising backyard chickens. Dual purpose chickens lay a good...

I'm not a carpenter. I'm a single mom with one goal in mind. I wanted chickens. They needed a house. It can't be that hard, can it? Low on funds, I recycled every scrap of wood I could. And...

Raising chickens can be very rewarding! But just like every other animal, they need fresh water and food. In the winter, it can be difficult to keep their water from freezing. Here are a few...

The ability to tell the sex a baby chicken is not an easy process to learn and takes training and experience. The importance of knowing the sex of the baby chicken saves the manufacturer of these...

Most chickens live on commercial farms and are raised either as egg-layers or for their meat. Commercial chicken farms keep the chickens in the chicken house both as a health measure and to make...

Although raising chickens can be a very rich and rewarding experience, it is not for the faint of heart. However, with adequate preparation, you will find that raising chickens is an enjoyable...

If you own chickens, sooner or later, you will catch it..........no, I'm not talking about bird flu, but, the desire to get new chickens to add to your existing flock. Maybe you've been...

There are three simple things that you can do to ensure your flock continues to provide you with those tasty oblong treasures each and almost every day.

An important part of keeping a chicken flock healthy is to get rid of mites and lice. These parasites, which hide in your chickens' feathers, legs, and in their coop, can decrease egg production...

Like human beings, chickens are vulnerable to all sorts of illnesses and conditions. Bacteria and viruses may cause some of them while others are fungal in nature. Among the conditions that can...

Do you want to have free range chickens without them defecating everywhere you walk? I have the perfect method for having free range chickens in sight, but out of the way and living the good...

Living in the country gives you an opportunity to grow and produce much of your own food. Raising chickens for eggs is one of the ways you can accomplish this. It is possible to have laying hens ...

In some cities, hearing chickens clucking and scratching is becoming commonplace, because more people are raising a few chickens in their own backyards. According to the New York Times, the...

Whether it's a backyard chicken coop or a large-scale operation, it is essential to know how to properly feed laying hens. This will ensure their health and a high yield of quality eggs. If the...

Chickens eat mostly grains and pellets, and should be fed every day. The easiest way to feed chickens is to scatter the food in the area where they commonly spend their time. They will peck at the...

Chickens are known as being cheap and easy to feed. In fact, the popular expression "they pay him chicken feed" originates with how inexpensive it is to feed chickens. Raise healthy chickens by...

There is nothing that says “farm” as sweetly as a colorful flock chickens happily roaming across an open range. It is a beautiful sight. Country just wouldn’t be country without them. People...

If your chickens are plucking each others feathers out, there are several things you can do. If the behavior is not stopped it can lead to serious damage or even death.

Poultry are subject to a number of external parasites. Those chickens which have external parasites will have their entire immune system affected. They will lay fewer eggs, and will be more...

Laying hens require a special diet to promote egg production and develop strong shells. You can buy feed through dealers in premixed formulas that contain the proper nutrients for each stage of a...

Diseases in chickens, specifically in laying chickens, can be prevented in many cases by good hygiene and attentive care to their environment. Keeping the area clear of debris and standing water...

In order to have healthy chickens that produce healthy eggs, it's necessary to consider the types of chicken feed available to give your chickens. All feeds have their own benefits in that they...

Whether you are a farmer or a homeowner with backyard chickens, you know that chickens are loyal, intelligent, enjoyable to watch and efficient producers of eggs. Proper feeding and a regimen for...

As the weather gets colder and the days get shorter, you will notice your chickens will start to lay less eggs. Chances are you're probably finally getting eggs on a regular basis from the new...

According to the University of Florida Agricultural Department, "Water plays a very important role in digestion and metabolism of poultry ... Water softens feed in the crop to prepare it for...

Now that your chickens are teenagers it is time to start moving them out of the chicken house. Free ranging chickens is a great way to help keep your chickens healthy, reduce the mess in the...

Wondering how to identify a rooster from a hen, or better put, tell the difference between male and female chickens? While it's hard to tell young chicks apart, by the time they are about 5 to 8...

Because common chicken diseases can spread through a flock quickly, it is important to pay close attention to your chickens and address any problems promptly. This will help you avoid costly...

The organic lifestyle is gaining in popularity as people around the globe become more attuned to optimizing nutrition. Organic living focuses on staying as natural as possible, with naturally...

Keep your chickens busy all the time with a simple item that you gather in the fall (autumn) time.

Chickens play an important part in our food chain, from the eggs they produce to their meat. Although their life span is short, it is interesting to observe, beginning with the egg and following...

Have you ever wanted to raise your own backyard chickens but didn't know where to begIn? Have you thought about providing your family and friends with "farm" fresh eggs? It's really...

Many people are interested in having chickens as pets. What could be better then a pet that also helps to make breakfast? Free Range chickens can be very inexpensive to own. The major expense...

Deciding where to position your backyard chicken coop can make or break your success with egg laying chickens. Of course, you'll want to maximize the number of eggs your chickens produce. You...

We started with 4 chicks. They were a day old when we bought them. Each time we went to the feed store we fell in love with more birds. We now have 10 Sex Links, these are layers and meat birds, 2...

Nesting boxes provide a quiet, comfortable place for your chickens to lay eggs. They should be lined with bedding so hens will enjoy using them, they will stay clean, and eggs are protected from...

Bantams are small-breed chickens, either those that have been bred that way from a standard-size breed or true bantams, which have no large counterparts. About one-fourth the size of regular...

When buying or building nesting boxes for your chickens, there are a few things you need to consider. Hens like to have a semi-confined space for laying and enough privacy to feel secure. Chickens...

Allowing your chickens to roam around your backyard gives them a chance to dust their feathers, scratch in the grass and sample worms and insects. The problem is, once your chickens are out, it...

With the move for independent living, fresh foods and green living, raising chickens is becoming popular. Whereas chicken coups used to be purely functional in the farm environment, home owners...

Chickens "give birth" regularly through the year every one to two days on average, and more in the summer months. If you own one chicken or a whole flock, your chicken(s) will lay eggs regardless...

Silkie chickens are Bantam-style chickens with fur-like, fluffy feathers. They are mainly a show breed, and are not highly prized for either meat or eggs. Their skin is black, and they are not...

Many people are deciding to raise their own chickens for eggs, even in urban locations. For some, it's about simplifying their lives and getting back to basics. You might be surprised to learn...