The Clucking Hen
Hens cluck a lot. The sound is neither the low-pitch sound of contentment, nor the high-pitch sound of alarm. Rather, the sound made by a clucking hen is smack dab in the middle of the chickens’ pitch range, emphasizing neither...
African and French Guinea Fowl
Last year I had the opportunity to raise French guinea fowl for the first time. I’ve had African guineas for decades, so I was curious to find out how different they might be from one another. My observations are by...
Grow Your Own Luffa Sponges
Luffa is a versatile vine that produces long gourds, which can be turned into durable sponges. Growing luffa requires 90 to 120 days and a sturdy trellis for support. The vines feature beautiful yellow flowers that attract pollinators. After harvesting, the gourds must be dried thoroughly to create sponges.
Bielefelders and Other Autosex Chickens
Bielefelder chicks, like those of other autosex breeds, may be sexed at the time of hatch based on the color and markings of the chicks’ down. As is true for sex link chickens, the autosexing phenomenon takes advantage of genes...
Microwave Potato Chips
When cold weather keeps us indoors, I have more time for homemade snacks. One of our favorites is warm microwave potato chips. This recipe is easy and fast — no more than 15 minutes — and makes a nice little...
Who Is Afraid of Chickens?
Alektorophobia is the irrational fear of chickens, often stemming from past traumatic experiences. This anxiety disorder leads to extreme reactions, sometimes culminating in panic attacks at the mere thought of chickens. Treatment typically involves gradual exposure to chickens, although severe cases may require therapy. It remains underreported due to embarrassment among sufferers.
Oven Fried Chicken & Potholders
Somewhere along the line someone gifted me with a pair of rooster potholders. Even though they were rather small and thin, I thought they were cute. So I used them. That is, until I burned my hand moving a skillet...
9 Chicken-Theme Plants for Your Garden or Windowsill
Many plants have names that refer to chickens. Some are essentially weeds like the chickweed that tries to take over my garden. Others are ornamentals like hen and chicks, which grow either indoors or out. Here are nine fun chicken-theme...
Challenges of Breeding Lavender Ameraucanas
Lavender, or a sort of pastel slate blue, is one of the loveliest plumage colors in chickens. The color lavender is not common, primarily because of the breeding challenges involved. Still, several breeds come in lavender varieties, including Ameraucana, Marans,...
You Can Grow Potatoes from Seed
Every few years our Yukon gold potatoes develop seed pods, also known and potato berries, that look like little green cherry tomatoes. Last year we had an abundant crop of potato berries, so I wondered if you can grow potatoes...
21 Ways Ducks Differ from Chickens
If you are considering getting ducks, you likely already have chickens. To help you understand the habits and needs of ducks, here are just of the many ways ducks differ from chickens. Brooding Requirements Ducklings in general are much hardier...