Author: Elvira Bowen

It is a great idea to have waterers in the areas your chickens most hang out. This usually means inside and outside, and if you have a large pasture, rather than just a run or backyard, then give them water on both ends. Where do you place a chicken waterer? It is best to place […]

8 to 12 inches. Predator Protection: Elevate the Coop To ensure that snakes and other predators cannot break into a coop from underneath, it’s important that the coop is raised off the ground 8 to 12 inches—enough to allow the chickens to walk beneath. Do chicken coops need to be up off the ground? Not […]

Chickens instinctively seek high roosts to avoid predators. Chickens instinctively seek high roosts to avoid predators. A roost is an elevated bar, branch or narrow plank on which chickens perch to sleep. Why is my chicken roosting on the ground? The main reasons why chickens choose to sleep on the coop floor are usually because […]

Chickens need perches in their coop to allow them to sleep without standing in their feces. Chickens roost on perches in the wild to avoid predators at night and during the day. Perches in a chicken coop help fulfill this natural tendency. Do chickens like to sleep on a perch? Most chickens prefer to sleep […]

1 : a cage or small enclosure (as for poultry) also : a small building for housing poultry. Why is it called chicken coop? Chicken coop is a common term for a stationary structure. The word coop derives from the Old English word cype, meaning a small structure for confining birds. What is Coop slang […]

The first mention of our feathery friends (or ‘fowls’ as they’re more generally known in the Bible) comes in verse 20. It says ‘Letfowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven. Did the chicken come first or the egg according to the Bible? It is stated in the sacred books […]

So well known that it’s been incorporated into everyday speech, rare as hen’s teeth, the saying goes. But facts have a way of shifting in science. Researchers at the University of Wisconsin have found a mutant strain of chicken that does appear to have teeth. Is there a bird with teeth? Birds aren’t the only […]

yolk – the yellow, inner part of the egg where the embryo will form. The yolk contains the food that will nourish the embryo as it grows. Is the yolk of an egg the chicken? The yolk of the egg is what we call the yellow part. The yolk has a small white spot on […]

cluck. cluck Add to list Share. The sound a chicken makes is a cluck. What sounds do chickens make? Chicken Sounds and What They Mean Buck-buck-buck. Hens sharing laying areas will often make this noise if they want some personal space. A single loud cluck. This is a chicken’s way of signaling that there may […]

Chickens were, and still are, a sacred animal in some cultures. The prodigious and ever-watchful hen was a worldwide symbol of nurturance and fertility. Eggs hung in Egyptian temples to ensure a bountiful river flood. Why is the chicken sacred? In ancient Roman times, a roost of prophetic chickens was habitually consulted by eminent statesmen […]

Chickens provide two sources of food frequently consumed by humans: their meat, also known as chicken, and eggs which they lay. What is this? Chickens have a great usefulness to humans. Chickens can be kept as pets, for breeding, egg laying and a food product. What do chicken provide for humans? A food rich in […]

By 1918, America’s backyard chickens were superstars for the war effort. They foraged for their own food, turned kitchen scraps into nitrogen-rich compost, removed harmful garden insects, tilled the soil for crops and gave back fresh, healthy eggs. What were chickens used for in war? A century and a half ago, it was common to […]

Chicken Noises: The Quiet Chicken There really is no such thing! Although some birds may not be as vocal as others, they all ‘talk. ‘ The shyer birds will not talk as much as those higher up the pecking order, but if you make an effort to spend some time with them, they usually do […]

Chickens are far more efficient in converting feed into meat protein, and that reduces the amount of land, fertilizer, and energy involved, resulting in a light carbon footprint. Why is chicken better for the environment than beef? Studies show that beef production creates about four to eight times the emissions of pork, chicken or egg […]

“They are one of the most environmentally sustainable pets someone can own,” Mr Gallagher said. “They can turn waste into food and no other pet can do that. Their manure is a great fertiliser for gardens.” Nitrogen is found inside chicken manure, allowing fruit and vegetables to thrive in the backyard. Are chickens sustainable? Poultry, […]

Common health and welfare issues associated with backyard poultry include worms, rodents, mites, egg binding, prolapse, cannibalism, nutritional deficiencies, and impacted crop and gizzard. There are detailed instructions for treatment of worms, mites and diseases. What are the common problems in poultry? Avian flu, infectious bronchitis, Newcastle disease, Gumboro, avian metapneumovirus, Ornithobacterium rhinotracheale, E. coli, […]

You will find that keeping pet chickens is relaxing, fun and surprisingly entertaining! Chickens Are Cheep and Easy Pets Not only do chickens make great pets, they are also productive backyard friends and pay for their own upkeep with delicious and healthy fresh eggs! Why chickens make the best pets? Like all good pets, chickens […]

They can’t see in the dark. But chickens can sense whether it is light or dark through the pineal gland. Do chickens know when to go to bed? Chickens instinctively know that when the sun begins to go down and the light fades that it is time to roost for the night. In the wild […]

Chickens are very skilled at remembering hens and roosters from their own flock as well as identifying those that are unfamiliar to them. They will also recall fights or alterations among other hens, careful to remember which one was the winner so they know if they should challenge her later or not. Do chickens have […]

Hens will begin laying when the amount of daylight reaches 14 hours per day during early spring. Maximum egg laying will occur when the day length reaches 16 hours per day. This biological marvel is perfectly designed so that chicks hatch in spring and develop and mature during the warmer summer months. Do hens need […]