Gracie's Backyard Chickens

The other day one of my hens, a Russian Orloff (a very good cold hardy breed by the way) was limping a little bit and holding her foot up a ...

Unfortunately, one of the biggest problems with having free roaming chickens are hawks. They are sneaky, patient, and fast. I've let my ...

On the farm I am at right now, we've got a chicken coop next to one of the pig pens (not a good idea in the first place, but space is li...

One of my hens, Edith, became more and more swollen over about a week. She looked healthy, but she was barely breathing, her body was swelli...

I use organic layer pellets for my hens. I prefer pellets over crumble for many reasons: - Less messy. Crumble spills all over the groun...

"Birds will show cannibalistic behavior when they are crowded or feed-restricted. Flock behavior and inter-bird dynamics often include...

Edith molting If you notice your chickens are losing lots of feathers, most likely they are molting. If they are healthy, and if it'...

After exactly 21 days, 2 out of the 3 fertilized eggs hatched that I had put under my broody Cochin hen. It takes at least 10 hours to hat...

 I have two Blue Cochin hens who get broody very often. Being "broody" is when a hen wants to be a mom, so she sits on her e...

Before adding new chickens to your flock, make sure they are healthy. And if you have adult hens make sure the new chickens are at least 4 m...

Many chickens develop this bad habit. It is when they will lay their egg and then realize they can break the egg shells (usually by accident...

If you want chickens, then you will need to make sure they are safe from your dogs (and other neighborhood dogs) if they are not chicken fri...

You only need to clip the chickens' wings if they are escaping their area by flying over it. If you have a run with a cover on top, then...

A book that has guided me in figuring out chicken diseases is called  The Chicken Health Handbook,  by Gail Damerow . My New Jersey Gian...

Chickens are durable animals, but always susceptible to sickness/disease. Signs of sickness include pale comb and wattles, discharge from ey...

Since chickens are outdoor animals, they are susceptible to lice and mites. A common species is called Chicken Body Lice . They are small, ...

It is always a good idea to learn some of the anatomy terms for your chickens. I have used these terms to describe my chickens if they are s...

Chicken poop is one of the best sources of nutrients for your garden or yard. It also saves you money from buying fertilizer at the store, a...

If you have decided to let your chickens be able to roam around your yard then be sure to remember this: chickens are notorious for messin...

When the chicks are 8 weeks of age, they are now old enough to live outside in the coop and run. It is a very simple transition when introdu...

My run (ideal for 2-3 chickens) and coop (big enough for 10 chickens) orchard area for them to roam The run fenced in...

Along with a coop for the chickens, they also need a spacious area outside for them to roam. There are three options for an outdoor area for...

My coop is very simple. I used recycled wood for the walls, have only a dirt floor, and got tree branches from the beach for the perches. Bu...

Do   give chickens: -leafy veggies (lettuces, spinach, tomato leaves, cabbage, sour grass, mustard flower, etc.) -fruits (berries, apples,...

Make sure that you buy sexed chicks, and ask specifically for females. Believe it or not, there are professional chick sexers, that have a v...

Raising chicks is so much fun! But the first thing you need to do is to figure out how many chickens you want. I usually recommend one chick...

Most feed stores will sell common breeds like the: Rhode Island, Ameraucana, Australorp, Leghorn, Brahma, Orpington, Rock, Sex Link (hybrids...

"Eggs from hens raised where they can eat seeds, grass [or veggies] and bugs are far more nutritious than eggs from confined hens in fa...

Keeping chickens is a wonderful experience, even though there are some not so wonderful things about them. But in my experience, it's to...

Many people assume that chickens are simple creatures, so it must be simple to keep some right? Well in a sense, yes, it is easy caring for...