Quiet Chickens - Is that an option? Are there quiet chickens that won't disturb the neighbors? Many suburban and city neighborhoods have voted to allow residents to keep a few chickens in the backyard. This recent question was posed to me by a resident trying to get her town to allow chicken keeping. Generally speaking, I don't find chickens noisy. Yes, roosters will crow, but most urban cities and suburban towns prohibit roosters, so that is not the concern. Hens will be more quiet than … [Read more...]
Free Range Ducks Pros and Cons
Free range ducks are happy ducks! When we first started raising ducks, we didn't let the ducks roam the farm. We didn't feel that the property was set up for free range ducks. The poultry area backs up to woods. Woods, where raccoon, fox and an occasional coyote make their homes. Eventually we gradually began letting the ducks and chickens out of their pens for free ranging. Other property modifications were made to add safety for the free range ducks. Free Range Ducks I started … [Read more...]
What is a Lash Egg? Salpingitis in Laying Hens
I had never even heard of a lash egg. It had been over 10 years since we first began chicken keeping. In all that time, not once did I have a lash egg laid in my chicken coop. Until one day, a strange looking "thing"appeared. We had occasional strange eggs - bumpy shells, extra pigment, weak egg shells and one or two rubber eggs (no shell at all). And then, there it was. What is a Lash Egg you might be asking? What is a Lash Egg ? The first time you see this anomaly in the nest box or … [Read more...]
Best Backyard Chickens
Why Wyandotte Chickens are one of my top choices. As chicken keepers, we always have a favorite breed or two that we recommend to others. When I am asked to tell my opinion of the best backyard chickens, there are a handful of choices that immediately come to mind. Wyandottes are definitely one breed of chicken on the list. What criteria is used to come up with a list of best backyard chickens? Some ideas I had are feather coloring, mothering ability, egg laying rate, feed conversion, … [Read more...]
