Chickens, including bantams, tend to do better in cold weather than in hot weather. However, some bantams tolerate the cold better than others. Certain features — such as dense plumage, leg feathering, beards, and small combs — contribute to...
Quick Facts…
Hens will lay their first eggs anywhere from four and one half to six months of age, depending on breed and other factors.
Egg production is controlled by the chicken’s pituitary gland, which is activated by the...
Source: Purina
As you get started on the journey of raising backyard chickens, it’s fun to look forward to the milestones you will celebrate with your flock. From baby chick to retirement, there are six important chicken growth stages. Each...
Small-scale poultry producers who market their products directly to the consumer sometimes find the ever increasing prices of inputs, particularly the cost of feed, a challenge.
It always comes down to knowing your cost of production and your largest cost...
So now that you have established your backyard flock, you will observe that they willperform different activities during the day. The activities that the hens perform under natural conditions are done with a purpose. In this issue of “Backyard...
Are you thinking about keeping chickens? Is this your first time ordering day-old baby chicks? While baby chicks are cute and fluffy, it can also be stressful for first-timers. To help alleviate any fears or stress, we asked five...
In this video, you will learn about the egg industry in Virginia and tips for raising backyard chickens. Then you will learn about how one small farm raises their chickens and markets their eggs. Finally, you will learn how...
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As a prey species, chickens are stoic and typically suppress signs of weakness, including when they are sick. It is difficult to detect sick chickens because they rarely show signs of illness before it becomes severe.
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Deciding on your goal for raising chickens is the first step in determining which breed is best for your farm. The most common reasonse as to why people raise chickens include:egg production, meat production, raising birds...
witch laying hens to a complete chicken layer feed when chickens start laying eggs around 18 weeks of age. Choose a complete layer feed that includes all 38 essential nutrients laying hens need to lay strong and stay strong....