Picture credit: Morning Chores If you’ve ever pictured a duck in your head, like the classic, storybook, waddling-across-the-yard duck, chances are you were picturing a Pekin! With their snow-white feathers, cheerful orange bills and upright, curious posture, Pekins are the most recognizable duck breed in America, and one of the easiest to fall in love with. They’re also one of the most popular breeds for backyard flocks, and for good reason. Whether you’re thinking about adding ducks to your...

Picture credit: Meaty Cluckers If you’re looking for an easy, low-cost way to make your chickens’ world a little more interesting, here’s one you might not have considered: a mirror! Yes, just a plain old mirror hung on the inside of your coop or mounted in the run. It sounds almost too simple, but backyard chicken keepers have been raving about this little trick for years, and for good reason. Bored Chickens Are Trouble Bored chickens are not happy chickens. When boredom sets in, chickens...

Short Answer: Yes, They Really Can! If you’ve ever looked at your backyard flock and thought one of your hens looks a little different than she did last year, you’re not imagining things, chickens really can change colors! It’s one of those quirky, fascinating things about keeping chickens that even experienced flock keepers sometimes don’t know. Chickens can shift in color and pattern over time, and there are a few interesting reasons why it happens. Molting Season Brings Surprises The most...