I am the chicken person in my family. It is a great conversation opener and people love to send me all things chicken in the form of emails and Facebook posts. Lately, I have gotten my fair share of chicken sweater pictures. Really, Chicken Sweaters are a “thing”. I had no idea.

by Jennifer Sartell of Iron Oak Farm When raising chickens it’s always important to have a “back up” plan. Just when you think everyone in the flock is happy, content and healthy, nature has a way of surprising us. Chickens can become ill or suffer injuries. For this reason, it’s always a good idea to […]

by Rebecca Nickols Backyard chickens aren’t just a fad sweeping the USA – they’re a worldwide trend! Based on a desire to raise and grow your own food, a flock of backyard chickens brings you one step closer to self-sufficient living. – A lifestyle that appeals to folks at home and abroad. I recently had […]

by Melissa Caughey of Tilly’s Nest I’m going to come right out and say it. I do not believe that chicken coops should be heated in the winter. There are a number of reasons why I believe this and there are alternative ways to keep the flock comfortable during the chilly days of winter. Today, […]

by Jennifer Burcke A few weeks ago, I was browsing through the local newspaper and happened upon the type of story that sends a chill down a chicken keeper’s spine.  A family in a neighboring town had endured an unthinkable tragedy.  Their newly built coop had burned down to the ground, killing all 38 of […]

by Jennifer BurckeA few weeks ago, I was browsing through the local newspaper and happened upon the type of story that sends a chill down a chicken keeper’s spine.  A family in a neighboring town had endured an unthinkable tragedy.  Their newly built coop had burned down to the ground, killing all 38 of the […]

by Rachel Hurd Anger My husband and I have always been a dog-free family, until I began thinking of adopting a running buddy. The dog seed germinated randomly like my chicken seed did. It was first an idea that became a regular thought, and then an undeniable obsession. The desire for Woman’s Best Friend further […]

by Rebecca Nickols A few common concerns of first time chicken owners (who have a dog as a pet) are: “How will the dog react to the chickens?” “Should I keep the chickens and dog(s) separated?” “What breed of dogs is best to keep around chickens?” I had the same questions with my first flock of […]

by Rachel Hurd Anger Our backyard chickens just celebrated their second Happy Hatchday, and as we sort of pat ourselves on our backs for having some of the world’s oldest chickens, we’re all still recovering from our first predator attack. The victim was Clara, a Partridge Plymouth Rock, our most robust and beautiful hen. She’s […]

by Rebecca Nickols The first of May I purchased three adorable chicks from our local hatchery in Springfield, Mo., Estes Hatchery. I chose this hatchery partly because of the variety of birds they had to choose from and the fact that they had a good success rate in sexing chicks. (I’d rather not have a […]