Raising baby chicks is super fun, fascinating and honestly? I don’t get much of anything else done when I have baby chicks because I always find myself watching them in their brooder! Their instinctive behaviors are mind blowing. When a mama hen hatches her chicks, she teaches them the ropes on eating, dust bathing and how to stay safe. But what about the chicks that are hatched in an incubator or hatchery? These chicks still seem to know what to do! Creation is amazing. One

Picture credit: EurekAlert! If you’ve been around here long enough, you know I’m passionate about poultry and all things eggs. But I’m fairly sure I’ve never talked about quail or their cute, itty-bitty eggs. So today, we’re cracking into the similarities and differences between quail eggs and chicken eggs, and which one makes the most sense for everyday use. Eggs are a staple in many diets and a reliable source of high-quality protein. When it comes to choosing between chick

Picture credit: Hoover’s Hatchery Every so often, I come across a chicken breed that makes me pause and think, maybe someday . The Buckeye is one of those breeds for me! I don’t have them in my coop right now, but I’ve spent plenty of time reading about them and appreciating what they bring to the table for backyard chicken keepers. If you’re drawn to practical, hardy chickens with a good balance of eggs, personality and cold weather hardiness, the Buckeye is one worth gettin

Molting is a natural and essential part of a chicken’s life! It’s when they shed old feathers and grow new ones. Some hens molt lightly, while others go through a dramatic hard molt  where it looks like they exploded feathers everywhere. Either way, it can be stressful for both the flock and you but it’s completely normal! Because feathers are made mostly of protein, molting requires a lot  of energy. During this time, chickens often slow down or pause egg production as their

If you’ve ever seen my tiny chicken, Tinkerbell, you know why people stop and ask, “What kind of chicken is she?” Mini chickens, or bantam chickens, are quickly becoming a backyard favorite. They’re adorable, full of personality and perfect for people with smaller yards or urban setups. But what exactly are mini chickens, and are they right for you? What is a Mini Chicken? Mini chickens, also called bantams, are smaller versions of standard chicken breeds, or naturally small

Have you ever noticed at the end of a long, lazy day of foraging that your chickens have a little bulge in their chest area? That’s their...

Picture credit: Hoover’s Hatchery Thinking of adding Wyandotte chickens to your backyard flock? These gorgeous birds are known for their...

Raising happy, healthy chickens often starts with what you feed them. One increasingly popular practice among backyard chicken keepers is...

When we think about chicken eggs, the first colors that come to mind are the familiar whites and browns. But the world of backyard...

The internet is full of beautiful chicken coops, elegantly feathered chickens and chicken keepers who are followed around by sunbeams and gorgeous landscapes. And, while some of these things are absolutely beautiful and out there no doubt, raising backyard chickens isn’t all rainbows and butterflies. There are plenty of yucky things that can plague the coop and the feathered friends who live there. Today we’re going to look at the top three diseases that affect chickens today

Everyone loves a yard sprinkled with different colors and breeds of chickens. Well, at least people who love chickens do! Chickens come...

If you’re not familiar with backyard chickens, you might not automatically know the difference between a hen and a rooster. It’s...

The internet is full of beautiful chickens in magazine-worthy coops. But let’s be real, chickens are barnyard animals, and barnyard...

Picture credit: Hoover’s Hatchery I was flipping through the Hoover’s Hatchery catalog the other day when I spotted a breed I’ve had my...

I was sitting in the chicken run last week watching my flock scratch around the dirt. It got me thinking about how fast they ate the...

Picture credit: Morning Chores The Delaware chicken breed is one of the most versatile and loved breeds for backyard chicken keepers....

Picture credit: Scratch cradle It’s spring, and for many backyard chicken keepers, that means one thing: new chicks! I usually order mine...

Every spring, I get the itch to add to my backyard flock! All it takes is one peek over the edge of the chick brooders at our local farm...

It’s chick season! Whether you’re adding to your flock or just dreaming about new feathered friends, now is the perfect time to explore...

One of the most common questions I get is, “Can Chicken E-lixir be used for chicks?” The short answer? Yes! Today, we’ll dive into why...