Does the art of raising chickens call to you! Is poultry what you are passionate about? Is breeding chickens what brings you joy! The best way to start raising hobby poultry is to start with a single breed and become familiar with that breed. There are certain traits that each …
Read More »Sand as a Coop Bedding: How to Keep Your Coop Dry and Clean
There are many different kinds of bedding for the floors of backyard chicken coops, runs, and enclosures. Chickens love to walk around on the earth to scratch around and feel the real ground beneath their feet. River sand offers these luxuries but it also helps deter insects, smells better, and …
Read More »Soil Mixture for Filling a Raised Bed Garden
Raised garden beds are quite popular in urban settings. Small lots of neatly arranged gardens can produce a good amount of output if implemented properly. Often there is a struggle to fill them with teh best soil and get the best growing results. There are many ways to fill a …
Read More »Golden Egg Yolks
Influential Color in Eggs The old adage of you are what you eat makes true for poultry too. The yolk color is often the most notable difference in eggs coloration. The egg yolk color can be influenced to a degree by the diet of the birds. Free-range birds that are …
Read More »European Egg Supply Recalled For Use of Illegal Chemicals in Production
Contaminated egg recalls in Germany, Belgium, and Netherlands have retailers removing contaminated eggs from the shelves. A criminal investigation has been launched. Testing has shown high levels of the unapproved insecticide fipronil. Organic eggs are even at the center of the now scandal. Fipronil, an illegal insecticide, was mixed with treatments …
Read More »Meet the New Blue Egg Laying Whiting True Blue Chicken
The Whiting True Blue chicken is a relatively new blue egg laying breed that has become more readily available through McMurray Hatchery. The ideal would be to have blue chickens that lay blue eggs, but with the genetics of the blue gene in chicken, they will throw 25% black, 50% …
Read More »Tragedy Strikes When an Emu Runs Loose
Tragedy Strikes When an Emu Runs Loose It was a very sad night. Someone came to our house after the sun went down asking if we were missing an animal. After briefly talking we figured out there was an emu loose on our road. I took the flash light …
Read More »Vicious Predatory Poultry Attacks Family
Every try to get the door shut to the brooder before they attack you and escape?
Read More »Rise of Agriculture in Cities and Towns
Rise of Agriculture in Cities and Towns by Katelyn Huffman There has been a lifestyle change among the “Generation X” and “Millennial” population over the last decade. Many families are moving to suburban areas in hopes that their families will stay and grow in a neighborhood that allows for sustainability …
Read More »Therapy Chickens for Mascha the Lemur
Chicken Friends in the Wilhelma Zoo Stuttgart German Mascha, a lemur in the Stuttgart Wilhelma zoo had become lethargic in 2012 after the loss of her partner. The pair did not have any offspring unfortunately. The zoo made an attempt to associate Mascha with monkeys but the attempt failed. She quit …
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