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 …
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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 …
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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 …
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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% …
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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 …
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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 …
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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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Quail Keeping Primer Keeping quail is gaining popularity with the permaculture movement. Keeping food animals was popular during both World Wars as resources were limited. Rabbits, pigeons, and quail were raised to supplement meat and make use of waste. Saving resources was a big issue then, and it should also …
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Keep Your Bedding Dry Several large flies swarm around Esther’s face as she walks us to her backyard chicken coop. Turning to us, one lands in the corner of her eye and she brushes it away. Her yard looks clean and tidy but the wet bedding and swarms of flies …
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Green Roof Ideas for Your Coop Previously I’d talked about seeing the double shed roof in areas that get hot, particularly in the American South and Southwest. The purpose of them is to act in a way that draws heat out between the two layers by using rising heat to …
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Hobby Poultry A Chicken in Every Yard