In our “introduction to raising chickens” class my wife and I attended at the local extension school, the presenter discussed chickens’ need for calcium and that providing oyster shells is necessary. One of the audience members asked about feeding the chickens’ eggshells back to them. The presenter thought this was a bad idea, that oyster […]
First Brush With A Predator
I’ve been feeling somewhat smug that we hadn’t had a single issue with any predators and our chickens. Over labor day weekend I was awakened shortly before dawn by frantic clucking. I stuck my head out the window and saw a small raccoon investigating our coop. I yelled at him, and as soon as he […]
A Simple Technique for Keeping the Waterer Clean
The Amazon links in this post are affiliate links, meaning I get money if anyone clicks on them and then makes a purchase. Water is one of the main things chickens (and every other living thing) need constant access to. Beyond just water, they need access to CLEAN water. Clean, liquid water if you’re keeping chickens […]
Dust Baths
A dust bath is how a chicken keeps herself clean. The basic idea is that the chicken gets into loose soil and covers herself with it. If the chickens are free ranging or if there is appropriate soil in their run, they will dig a pit, pulling away any surrounding vegetation. When we let our […]
Chicken Tractors
Chicken tractors, also known as arcs or mobile coops are simply movable runs without a floor. Usually, this is achieved by having wheels on the coop. To get a bit more of the terminology down, a run is simply an enclosure for chickens – like a cage. A coop is the hen house, where they […]
Negotiating After Getting A Job Offer
I’ve published my second non-fiction book. It’s about making the most of a job offer from a company, increasing the compensation as much as possible. It’s currently available for pre-order and will be released on Friday, September 9th. I decided to write this book after continually seeing posts on /r/negotiation from people who had interviewed […]
Coop Bedding
Part of keeping chickens will be providing bedding in their coop. The bedding’s purpose is threefold. It is used to: Provide a soft and secure surface for the chickens to walk on Control odor by absorbing the chicken waste as well as making the coop easier to clean out Cradle the eggs laid by the chickens […]
Renting Chickens
A recent trend, coming out of the enthusiasm for backyard chickens, has been to rent chickens. The basic idea is a company comes to your house, sets up a coop and run, and gives you feed, grit, and oyster shells (everything you need to get started with backyard chickens) – all for a set monthly fee. […]
Selling Farm Fresh Eggs
Because of the small size of our flock, 3 birds, my wife and I eat almost all the eggs they produce. When we occasionally build up a small supply, 6 eggs or so, we’ll give them to a friend or a neighbor. We haven’t sold a single egg and don’t have any intention of doing […]
Grilling a Whole Chicken on a Propane BBQ
I understand all sorts of people are interested in chickens and that for many they are considered more pets than a food supply. For us, we consider them half-pets and half-food and, as part of that, intend to eat our chickens in the fall. I’ve said to friends in the past that I feel as a […]