Joel Salatin (aka Chicken Man), Author of Pastured Poultry Profits, writes about the pros and cons of U.S. government poultry processing regulations. Legislation Protecting Small-Scale Poultry Producers One of the early poultry processing laws in the U.S. was passed by Congress in 1957. The Poultry Products Inspection Act (PPIA) requires that any poultry intended to […]

Nurture your nascent covey in this cozy hand-built brooder box by Kelly Bohling.  All photos by author. Getting Started and Re-Purposing I’ve used several homemade brooders for brooding and raising quail over the years. Storage tote models work well, especially if you’re just starting out. After brooding several generations of chicks, though, I decided to […]

Button, Bobwhite, Coturnix, Jumbo; how do you know which quail are the right fit for you? Alexandra Douglas has lots of answers for your questions. When I was a child, I always dreamed of owning quail. I visited a family friend who bred parrots and saw these cute little birds on the bottom of the […]

Animal-Assisted Therapy has come into its own in the last decade or so. Marissa Buchanan helps us understand how to start an AAT program with chickens. Response to the Cackle and Purr In the human body, there are all sorts of hormones floating around. Some of these hormones cause stress, while others induce relaxation. Some […]

Thyme, oregano, a little vodka…not a recipe for pasta sauce, but herbal treatments from  Amy Fewell for chicken ailments such as bumblefoot, external parasites, and respiratory ailments. Poultry body language can help you recognize the first signs of sickness, and to help them prevent issues from arising. Prevention is key when it comes to keeping […]

To heat or not, predator protection, managing molting, and other alliterative ways to prep your poultry for winter from Elizabeth Mack. Winter is here—if an arctic blast hasn’t surprised you already! While chickens are quite hardy, they do need some special cold-weather management, depending on your location and breed of chicken. Taking a few steps […]

Need versatility in your broiler or heritage pen set up? Anne Gordon recommends using snap together wire pet exercise pen panels. You can read more about Anne’s whole Broiler Set-up here. Wire Pet Pens I’m a huge fan of 42-inch wire pet exercise pens because they are versatile, easy to use and can be quickly […]

Learn how to set-up your Cornish Cross broiler operation for versatility and efficiency. Anne Gordon shares her tips so your set up can reduce and even eliminate health issues and the sudden death “flip.” [Unless otherwise noted, all photos by author] Each spring and fall, I raise a batch of 25 Cornish Cross pullets. My feed […]

 Author Christine Heinrichs recently visited Mudchute Farms and the Dorking Museum in England, sites dedicated to preserving English chicken breeds and history. Read about her adventures in this conversation with Community Chickens Managing Editor Carla Tilghman.   The Adventure Begins Carla: How did you decide to visit England and especially English chickens? Christine: I’ve been […]

Learn more about quail meat and how to process your birds for home use or market from quail expert Alexandra Douglas. Quail have been (and are still) typically served in fancy restaurants as a delicacy. These days, folks like to know what’s in their food, and one of the best ways to do this is […]