Life on the Farm
A chicken’s food call is readily recognizable. The chicken usually makes this high-pitched, rapidly repeated sound while pecking at the ground. For instance, a mother hen makes the sound when she finds some tasty tidbit for her chicks. What does...
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...
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...
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.
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...
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...
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.
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...
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...
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,...
