Author: Gerardo Gonzalez

Using a heat lamp, preferably one that emits 250-watt infrared heat, is your best bet for keeping chicks happily toasty. What temperature is too cold for baby chickens? Baby chickens don’t have fully grown feathers. Therefore, they can’t tolerate the cold. They can’t tolerate temperatures as low as 50 degrees Fahrenheit, especially when they are […]

Tetherball Toys: Chickens love to peck, and if what they are pecking moves, so much the better. Hang an edible treat from a chain or rope into the coop, and let them peck at the makeshift tetherball, chasing it around as it moves. A head of lettuce or cabbage, several apples, or melon rinds are […]

Chicks can survive up to two or three days without eating or drinking right after hatching because they are able to utilize the nutrients remaining in their retained yolk sac during this time. This is how hatcheries can ship chicks all over the country with little or no mortality. Do baby chickens need food all […]

High levels of ammonia in the coop’s air can discourage chickens from sleeping inside. The solution is to improve ventilation, increase the coop size, or decrease the flock size, and replace the litter more often. Why did my chickens stop going in the coop at night? Pests & Predators If it is all the flock […]

Thus, in contrast to mammals, which have five taste qualities, it is presumed that chickens are only able to detect four tastes (sour, umami, salt and bitter). Can chickens taste lemon? Although some chickens might dislike the tangy and sour taste of lemons, some may binge on them. So, as a poultry owner, you must […]

A chicken tractor is a chicken coop on wheels that moves around your pasture or backyard every day. It’s called a chicken tractor because the birds loosen up the top inch or so of earth underneath the moving coop… much like a regular tractor. Can chickens live in a chicken tractor? Chicken tractors are movable […]

Roosts can be round or square Although hens roost relatively flat footed, they do like to be able to curl their toes around the edge of the perch at the front and back. This means that chickens prefer round or square/rectangular perches when compared to a flat perch such as a board. What is the […]

In one experiment, eggs were rubbed with strawberry scent. When the chicks hatched, they preferred strawberry scented shavings and water. Adult chickens respond to scents, too. One researcher discovered that chickens respond with alertness when the feces of a prey animal (in this case, a tiger) was put into their pen. What do chickens find […]

According to Genesis, God created animals first, so the chicken came first. More importantly, God stands as the initial cause for all things. This is called the first-cause argument. How do I prove the chicken came first? Back to our original question: with amniotic eggs showing up roughly 340 million or so years ago, and […]

Chickens typically wake up with the sun’s rise, which can range between 4 and 7 am, depending on the season and your location. As soon as hens wake up, they begin their day alternating between laying eggs and eating breakfast. What is this? Chickens generally wake up very early in the morning. At what time […]

Although we tend to picture birds roosting on branches in the trees, most chickens actually prefer flat roosts to round branches. They are ground birds. Flat roosts (like a 2 x 4, wide side up) allow them to roost comfortably, and in cold weather, their toes stay covered and warm as they sleep. Where should […]

Studies on pain perception Pain can only be felt when this combination exists. There are many studies on the development of an embryo in a chicken egg. According to a study of the Scientific Services of the German Bundestag, embryos can feel pain from the 15th day of incubation onwards. Do chickens feel pain when […]

Chickens are vibrant animals with a lot to offer us and the environment. They contribute to the making of good soil, help promote sustainable food production, eliminate the need for factory-farmed food, and they make a wonderful (and natural) insecticide. Why are chickens so important to humans? Specifically, chickens eat unwanted insects, including ticks, slugs, […]

Domestic and feral cats will eat small chicks entirely, but leave the wings and feathers of young birds. Cats have been known to kill full-grown chickens; they’ll consume the meaty parts, leaving the rest scattered around. Will my cats kill my chickens? A cat won’t prey on an adult chicken for the same reason she […]

Cannibalism in fowl is a costly and vicious habit that poultry producers cannot afford to ignore. Cannibalism usually occurs when the birds are stressed by a poor management practice. Once becoming stressed, one bird begins picking the feathers, comb, toes or vent of another bird. Is cannibalism common in chickens? It is quite common for […]

Chickens are not as clueless or “bird-brained” as people believe them to be. They have distinct personalities and can outmaneuver one another. They know their place in the pecking order, and can reason by deduction, which is an ability that humans develop by the age of seven. What abilities do chickens have? Chickens are really […]

Place the pole over the bird’s neck, close to the skull. As soon as you are ready to pull, place a foot either side of the head to pin the bird to the ground and pull directly firmly and steadily upwards until the neck is dislocated. Again, feel for the gap between skull and end […]

Remember, chickens squawk, scream, and carry on because they are trying to alert each other – or you – to something that might be not quite right. While some noises are nothing to be concerned about, you need to be careful about “noise-training” your chickens in most cases. How do you stop chickens from yelling? […]

It’s unlikely she’ll starve, but even so, it’s not unheard of for a hen to die on the nest. Remember, even when they’re broody, they do get off the nest to eat and drink (often this happens at night, when you may not see it). How long does it take for chickens to starve? Still, […]

Always keep in mind that greens, table scraps and dirt are still considered vital components to keeping your flock healthy. Because chickens eat almost anything, they will definitely appreciate table scraps. What will entertain a chicken run? Here are some easy ways to keep your hens from boredom: Hang up a CD – hens love […]