Life on the Farm
Taste buds determine what chickens can and can’t taste, which in turn determines what a chicken prefers to eat. Taste buds therefore have an important impact on a chicken’s health and productivity. Until 1904, researchers believed birds didn’t have any...
The cecum is a blind pouch that branches off the juncture of the small and large intestine. Humans have only one, but chickens have two. A chicken’s cecal droppings differ from regular intestinal droppings. The word cecum comes from the...
A rule of thumb is a general guideline that offers a starting place, but does not strictly apply in every specific circumstance. Adjustments may be necessary when a rule of thumb doesn’t exactly fit your situation. Chicken keeping rules of...
Treading, or the rapid movements of a rooster’s feet while mating, can result in feather loss and deep wounds on a hen’s back and shoulders. To prevent such injuries, and to protect deplumed areas while feathers grow back, hens may...
Guinea fowl and chickens are both Galliformes. They are similar in size and shape, and both lay eggs. But guinea fowl are not just chickens only different. They are different, period. If you wish to add guinea fowl to your...
Stress leads to changes in a chicken’s behavior, and prolonged stress reduces immunity to disease. When you are familiar with the way your chickens normally act, you can tell if your chickens are stressed out by observing these three basic...
Stress is normal in every chicken’s life. Most chickens are able to adapt, even to times of peak stress. Natural times of peak stress include hatching out of an egg, arriving at sexual maturity, and molting. Weather and other environmental...
Most chicken eggs are oval in shape, with one end rounded or blunt and the other end somewhat pointed. An egg is shaped in the part of the hen’s oviduct called the isthmus, where shell membranes wrap the yolk and...
Chickens stop laying eggs for so many different reasons you practically have to be Sherlock Holmes to determine the cause. To get you started, here are 15 reasons why hens lay fewer eggs or stop laying altogether. Wrong Breed To...
Everybody loves a treat, and chickens are no exception. Fed in moderation, garden treats for chickens add variety to their diet. And they don’t contribute to obesity or dilute nutrients provided by layer ration. Summer Treats Chickens eat to meet...
