Photographs generously provided with permission from Greenfire Farms. Visit their website for more information on acquiring this breed.   When I first heard the breed name “Deathlayer” I thought it sounded like something out of a Star Wars movie. I also had to do some research to see if this was, in fact, an actual breed. […]

Possible Winter activities When winter arrives and the safety of the lush green trees is gone, our chickens lose their outside time. See when the leaves are down the risk of hawk and falcon attacks are so great we choose to keep them in the safety of the barn. Though they can move about the […]

We all know that winter can be a particularly challenging time for chickens. What with the snow, howling cold winds and hungry predators, winter can be a pretty rotten time. Whilst you can’t change the weather, there are several things you can do to make your chickens’ lives easier. Step One: Keep Their Coop Warm […]

In this post, I am going to tell you how I stumbled into  Purina’s Feed Greatness Challenge through rigorous campaigning by a seven-year-old.  Sometimes the smallest voices make the most sense.   Our three remaining hens are laying at a rate of about an egg per day.  I haven’t figured out yet if I have […]

The Crevecoeur and the Polish are similar looking crested breeds. Both are very old breeds from France. The Crevecoeur is the oldest known French breed coming out of Normandy and the Polish or Poland has been depicted in paintings dated back to the 15th century.   I’ve raised both Crevecoeur and Polish chickens and they […]

We recently received a copy of Literary Chickens, by Beth Moon and wanted to share a few excerpts with our chicken community. This table read includes several iconic quotes paired with Beth’s beautifully photographed chickens. These striking portraits illustrate a sophistication in poultry that often goes unnoticed. Dr. Jane Goodall gave the book her endorsement and […]

I’ve raised Silkies on and off throughout my chicken keeping career. In that time I’ve ended up with a lot of roosters. Silkies, because they’re more of a pet chicken than a layer, are often sold in a straight run, meaning there is a 50/50 chance of getting a pullet or a cockerel. The reason […]

Trade in your heat lamp for a Sweeter Heater this year.   The cold season is here for us in Ohio and fast approaching for others. You know what that means right? It is officially time to bring out the heated drinkers, pile up the bedding, and batten down the hatches for winter. My first […]

As many of you will already know, fall and winter are a dangerous time for chickens. This is because predator attacks are much more likely at this time of year. So in this article, we are going to give you some ideas about how to improve your flock security to prevent attacks. You can prevent […]