Domestic quail and their fascinating history, by Kelly Bohling. Since I started keeping Japanese quail several years ago, I’ve often wondered just how long people have kept them domestically. Exactly how new, or old, is this line of beautiful little birds, and has it changed much over the years? Are their wild relatives still around? […]

Learn how to build functional and fun gates for your chicken yard…and more with Frank Hyman. Photos by author. Part of the reason we keep chickens is because poultry have personality. Our chickens’ pens and coops should have a little personality too. And as far as the pens go, the best place for incorporating personality […]

Christine Heinrichs outlines some of the many different poultry organizations available nationwide to help young folks learn more about poultry care and feeding. Kids are attracted to chickens from the first time they hear the story of the Little Red Hen.  Poultry organizations can help them build those attractions into solid life paths. Additionally, poultry […]

Raising Cornish Cross birds for meat? Learn the math of planning ahead to budget for feed, and track your bird’s weight gains. This is part of a series of articles on Cornish Cross broiler management. Here are links to the other parts of the series: Cornish Cross History Setting up for Cornish Cross Success Setting […]

Newcastle disease is a highly contagious poultry virus. Learn signs, symptoms, prevention and control for the health and safety of your flock.   The number of backyard chicken enthusiasts has exploded in recent months. Hatcheries and feed stores across the country have seen sales for chicks to first-time customers skyrocket. But many poultry experts are […]

Interested in free-ranging your chickens? Make smart choices and keep your birds safe with these tips from Jonathon Engels. Many chicken owners, especially of the backyard ilk, would prefer to have their birds live free and enjoy a life that few hens ever do. But in reality, that’s not the way it goes. Like chickens, […]

Chickens needs baths too, but they prefer dust. Liz Fulghum shares her tips and tricks to help your birds exfoliate and dislodge insects. If you’re new to chickens, you may have noticed your flock digging a shallow ditch in a sunny spot and then rolling around, getting all down and dirty. They may puff themselves […]

Helmeted guineas, white-breasted guineas…learn more about these fascinating birds with Audrey Stallsmith. Read other articles on guineas by Audrey here: From Ranging to Roosting: How to Keep Guineas Housed and Happy Tick Eaters and Watchdogs We need to remember where guineas came from to understand where they are coming from! They originated, appropriately enough, in […]

Easily process Cornish Cross broilers with this clever and usable setup from Anne Gordon. This article is Part 4 of an ongoing series on Cornish Cross Chickens. Here are links to other parts in the series: Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Perhaps the greatest distinction between Cornish Cross broilers and layer chickens is how […]

Yummy dessert recipes with wee quail eggs from Kelly Bohling. [All photos by author.] When I started raising quail, I quickly found myself inundated with eggs during the warm months. My fridge was filled with bowls overflowing with quail eggs, and I was quickly running out of variations to spin on omelets and quiches. I […]