The latest installment of our GoPro on a Rooster video series gives us an inside look at the life of a free range chicken. Our rooster went on a foraging adventure; little did he know that his Mrs. was right there beside him to steal his find right out from under his beak! One of …
In my “GoPro on a Rooster” series of videos, we are going undercover inside my chicken coop to see how my chickens behave when humans aren’t around. In this video, I can see one of my hens eating feathers…. Any thoughts or questions about this video? Send me an email or leave a comment …
I recently got a question from Lorraine, a backyard chicken farmer. Lorraine asks: “I am a backyard farmer and want to do free range chickens for meat and eggs. Can I use the mass produced broiler chicks for this? I hate putting my chickens in small cages. How long does it take for the chickens …
Early this winter, I let the chickens out on a day after a light snow fall. The chickens quickly came out of their door, down the ramp onto the dirt pad, and then stopped. It was clear that to them, the snow was absolutely strange. They were “chicken” to go further when they encountered it! …
Meet my broiler chickens! Broilers are chickens we raise with the intention of harvesting them for their meat, as opposed to layer chickens, which we raise primarily for the eggs they lay. I raise both categories, and have a coop for each. These broilers are free range, which means they are able to graze and …
As fun, rewarding, and interesting as raising your own chickens can be, it’s also work! Great and worthwhile work, but work nonetheless. Paying attention to the details while raising chickens in their environment is really important. Being a chicken manager isn’t the easiest or hardest thing you’ll ever do, but it’s worth it! It is …
Great news! Blood spots on the yolks of your eggs are perfectly safe to eat and are not harmful. What is a blood spot? It is a pinhead-sized red or brown spot on the yolk of an egg. These are caused by the rupture of small blood vessels during the formation of the egg. A …
April 26 was an exciting day! We we brought home twelve 19-week-old starter pullets (young hen) from a reputable pullet operation here in Ontario. These beautiful pullets are ready to lay. By manipulating their feed (or ration) a bit and helping to increase their day length (I’ll explain in detail later), the hormones of these …
The first night with our layer chickens: April 26, 2013 Read More »
Healthy chicks become healthy chickens! So how do you know you have a healthy chick? Here are a few tips to keep in mind: ▪ Your chick should be vibrant and active. ▪ Your chick should vocalize contentedly. Is your chick engaged and vocal? ▪ Your chick should be alert. ▪ Your chick should be …
One of the most rewarding experiences a parent can share with their child is to help them learn life lessons by raising an animal. Unlike a domestic pet, exposure to chickens can teach lessons of health, environmental awareness, and food consciousness. My children learned discipline through the daily chores associated with our farm animals including …
