Thin or soft-shelled eggs do not always call for panic. A side dish of 100% crushed oyster shell supplied extra calcium, and within a week the hens were laying firm, healthy eggs again, with a 5 lb bag that lasts longer than expected.
Give your chickens a proper place to roost with this sturdy perch that improves coop comfort and cleanliness.
The breed you start with makes or breaks your first flock experience. Here are the best chickens for beginners — calm, reliable, forgiving, and worth keeping.
A 3, 6 inch piece of solid, uncoated copper pipe can slow the green slime that takes over summer waterers. Skip pennies, which may contain zinc and tempt curious hens to peck or swallow them, and keep cleaning the drinker regularly.
Control mites and pests naturally with food grade diatomaceous earth safe for chickens and coop use.
A free-ranging chicken can eat more than 80 bugs in a day, making your flock a surprisingly effective form of natural pest control. Give them room to roam and they will happily do the bug-hunting themselves.
Chicken wire or hardware cloth? After touring a predator-proof chicken run and raising chickens myself, here’s what I’ve learned about which one actually protects your flock.
Chicken acting weird? Learn the real causes like stress, illness, and diet issues plus simple ways to fix it fast.
A warm coop is not a sealed coop. Learn how to block drafts near the roosts, vent moist air through the roofline, build heat with deep litter, and keep water liquid through a Missouri winter without electricity.
Predator apron or buried hardware cloth? Here’s which method works better for stopping foxes, raccoons, coyotes, and other digging predators.
Avoid these common predator-proof chicken coop mistakes before they cost you your flock. Simple fixes can make a huge difference.
The comb is one of the best health indicators a backyard keeper has. A pale or drooping comb means something has changed — here’s how to figure out exactly what.
