I am focusing this article on the importance of keeping chicks at a warm enough temperature while keeping those raising them safe from fire in their homes. In recent times chickens have become the new pet, they are adored across the country to the point of adorning them with sweaters, hats and of course the […]

So you want to hatch some eggs. Since the seventeen hundreds, people have been artificially incubating eggs, of course, the hen herself has been doing it for longer than that. On some hobby farms, the number one way for increasing their flocks is still to have the over qualified hen do it while still others […]

Life on our Farm is getting busy, we have now gained close to forty minutes of daylight and some of the breeds on our farm have begun to leave a periodic egg in the nest boxes. It has now been a couple of weeks since we began giving supplements with their feed and in most […]

In the wake of the recent outbreak of Avian Influenza, I like many have taken the time to read articles and reports about what is being done to contain it and minimize the spread while at the same time minimizing the devastation required to achieve the latter. I commend the USDA and Indiana state veterinarians […]

Last week I talked about gearing up for hatching season. Geez I love this time of year, the chickens and ducks are coming into full blossom the closer we get to spring. Our Peacocks have about half their tails grown in, the geese are talking to each other and the Ganders are making those all […]

Now that 2015 has come to a close and 2016 is greener pasture (we hope) we are at the point on our farm to begin getting ready for hatching in the spring. We wormed the flocks in early fall in preparation of winter and the spring breeding season. The long dark days of winter in […]

Here on our farm, one of our biggest issues is the seasons. The season that gives us the most trouble is ALL of them!!! The differences can be severe so whether you’re talking about spring mud (or winter mud this year) or the heat of summer, whatever you use for a top to keep your […]

Probably never a more true statement was made when someone said “ I am bored out of my mind.” I’ll bet it was in the dead of winter after a blizzard, and they were sitting it their front door waiting for the snow plow to open things up so they could go do something, anything! […]

Although I have made mention of it in the past, I think now is a good time to talk about external parasites (mites /lice) in backyard flocks. Mainly because I have fielded a large volume of questions from folks experiencing issues with their flocks. Fall/winter is a common time for them to show up. The […]

Doing what we do, we have some great opportunities to talk to lots of chicken owners. Almost always I get to hear the chuckle-worthy stories around the antics of a backyard flock. Often the conversations around chickens end up on their diet, and just as often I get asked what we feed our flocks and […]