Frequently Asked Questions

A feeder is the item you use to dispense feed for your flock. Of course, you could always just dispense feed on the ground or in a dish, but there would be a lot of feed wasted that way. Chickens tend to scratch and scatter the feed around, so chicken feeders are designed to minimize that. There are many different types of chicken feeders to choose from. For example, there are the common and inexpensive basic plastic feeders. They're tried and true, but they aren't fancy! Then there are the feeders with special features. For example, some feeders can be...

We don't recommend you offer supplemental heat to your coop unless your temps regularly drop well below freezing... Seriously! Chickens adapt to the cold weather over time. Their body metabolism actually changes along with the seasons. Along with that, they fluff up their feathers in the cold do help retain body heat, as pictured below. If you were to heat your whole coop to, say, fifty degrees, you would rob your birds of the chance to acclimate to the colder outside temperature - so if the heat were to suddenly cut out (due to loss of electricity, for instance, the...

If your hens have a good, "complete" layer feed, they may not ever need oyster shells or any supplemental calcium. However, it never hurts--and it can really help avoid potential pitfalls in a number of ways. Oyster shell is inexpensive and lasts a long time, so it's worth adding to your flock's diet. The reason they may need it is that some flocks that spend most of the day foraging, or are given too many treats, can develop a calcium deficiency, particularly if they are high production layers. If they're eating too many treats, they won't get all the calcium...

It's your chick's umbilical cord, and if you notice, that black, scabby spot or string will be below your check's vent or "pooper." Be SURE not to confuse this with pasting, which occurs on the vent, not below it. Usually the umbilical cord falls off immediately during hatching, but sometimes it can hang around for a few days (or it falls off but the belly button takes a while to heal, leaving a scabby spot). This can happen whether you hatch at home, or if you order from My Pet Chicken or another hatchery. Please don't try to remove it,...

Unfortunately, as you've learned, sexing is more of an art than an exact science, so when you buy day-old chicks, there's always a small risk of receiving a mis-sexed bird. We're sorry if this has happened to you, whether you purchased your chicks from us or from another hatchery or feed store. It can be stressful to try to find a home for your unwanted rooster, and sometimes the most stressful part is having to part with him at all. Juvenile roosters are usually very friendly, and almost invariably are the favorite "hen" of the flock, so the disappointment can...

We recommend feeding "free choice"; that is, letting them eat as much layer feed as they want and leaving their feeder out at all times (although you may take it up at night if you like). Even if your chickens have access to pasture, free ranging simply supplements their diet. Chickens will eat as much food as they need to keep themselves healthy. Some breeds may be able to barely subsist in good weather by free ranging (although this is unlikely, as chickens are domesticated animals, not wild animals), but most will simply starve if you don't provide them enough...

In general, chickens can be tamable and friendly by the same sorts of general methods you would use with a dog or a cat. Presuming they are healthy and receiving proper shelter, food and water--as well as nesting places--they will often be tempted by treats (given in moderation) of wild bird seed, meal worms, sunflower seed and so forth. If they learn to associate you with good treats, they will probably come running to you when they hear you, rather than in the other direction. Keep in mind that chickens do not usually like the same kind of handling a dog...

There is no perfect age to transition your chicks to their outdoor coop, but generally by the time they are 4 to 6 weeks old, they're getting large for an indoor brooder and will want more space. Plus, they will be mostly feathered and able to maintain their body temperatures on their own. But just because you've adjusted the heat gradually down to the ambient temperature of your home doesn't mean they can go from 68 F inside to 15 F outside in the dead of winter! Sudden temperature changes are a real danger to your birds. You'll need to...

Bedding is an important part of keeping your chickens happy and healthy. On the coop floor the bedding will provide a soft surface for your chickens to walk on and will absorb droppings and odor. You want your coop sanitary and sweet-smelling, don't you? In the nest, bedding will give freshly-laid eggs a soft landing so they don't crack. (A cracked egg is a spoiled egg.) Recommended bedding: Pine shavings Aspen shavings Hardwood shavings Whatever you choose to use, the bedding in your coop should be at least 2" thick--more is better. There are many bedding materials to choose from,...

Q: Do shipped chicks need vitamins or electrolytes in their water? A: Generally, chicks do not need additional vitamins or electrolytes in their water. Fresh plain water is usually sufficient for their hydration needs. Q: Why might vitamins & electrolytes be necessary for chicks? A: Chicks may benefit from electrolytes, especially if they have undergone a stressful shipping trip. Electrolytes can aid in their recovery, providing quick energy to encourage eating and drinking. Q: How long should vitamins & electrolytes be provided to chicks? A: Electrolytes are not recommended for long-term use. Instead, they can be helpful in the first...

Why did my rooster suddenly become aggressive?|Roosters can sometimes be a bit aggressive! One important thing to remember is that they see themselves as the protectors of "their" hens, so they may not take kindly to anything that scares the girls or causes them to squawk. Also, they are geared not only to be looking for danger from ground predators like dogs, but also to look for danger from above (like hawks!). That means that sometimes even carrying a feed bag on your shoulder or taking off a sunhat quickly can cause their protective instincts to kick in! For the...

If you allow your chickens to range freely, you WILL lose some to predators-- make no mistake. It can be devastating, especially to those of us with small, well-loved flocks. For some people, the thought of a loss is too overwhelming to consider the alternative. However, if you keep your chickens confined, even if the run area is roomy (defined as 20+ square feet per bird), their lives will absolutely be more... boring. They'll be more likely to peck one another, a headache for you (and worse for them!), and less healthy overall. They'll also require more of the feed...

Well, yes, they could... if your chickens are unable to cool themselves, they could seize and die. How can you tell if your flock is in distress? Hot chickens will pant with beaks open. They'll also ruffle their feathers and hold their wings out to try to cool themselves. Just because a chicken is hot, though, doesn't mean she's going to die, so don't panic. But do take a few precautions during heat waves. First, make sure they have access to shade and fresh water at all times. Dust bathing can cool them, too, so give them plenty of room...

Pecking, also called picking, is almost always the result of high stress levels. When that happens, the birds will sometimes pluck each others' feathers out, and can really hurt one another. Those lowest in the pecking order may have bare spots on their backs or their heads. Address the root cause of pecking in your flock Since we know happy chickens don't pick one another to the point of terrible feather loss, to deal with this problem you'll have to figure out why they're not happy. You may not be a pet psychic, but consult this list of common factors...

Once they have imprinted on their coop as "home," they will retire on their own at dusk. (Thus the saying: "Chickens always return home to roost.") You can get your birds to regard the coop as home by keeping them inside it for a few days after you have transferred them from the chick brooder. They will get used to sleeping there and will feel safe returning there at night. Naturally, you will want to make sure you don't keep them shut inside a hot coop in the dead heat of summer when they may get overheated--don't make the transfer...

Long nails occasionally happen, and it is a good idea to trim them if they get too overgrown so your birds can walk without difficulty. In most cases they wear down on their own, but that is not always the case--sometimes trimming will help. Chickens kept in cages often have foot and nail problems, but sometimes even if your birds have solid ground and the run of the yard, their nails may grow too long if they are often broody and don't walk around enough to wear them down. I have a silkie who gets long toenails, for instance. She...

Wing clipping--trimming the primary feathers on your chickens' wings--is not necessary unless your flock is flying into places they shouldn't be. Most breeds do not fly particularly well, so it is not usually necessary. (Juvenile chickens will typically fly better than adults, as they have reached nearly their full wingspan at that age--but not their full weight, yet.) If you decide to clip your chickens' wing feathers for some reason, you will normally want to do that about once a year, after the molt. Some people recommend trimming the feathers of one wing only because this puts the bird off...

Awww, isn't that cute! Tiny, yolkless eggs are sometimes known as witch eggs or fairy eggs. Cute, huh? Occasionally a hen will lay a fairy egg when something has disturbed her reproductive cycle. Sometimes a hen will lay a fairy egg or two just as she comes into laying, before her reproductive system has gotten into gear. They do come in all the colors that hens lay: white, brown, green, blue and so on, although they are sometimes lighter or darker than her regular eggs because they may spend more or less time in the "egg painting" area of her...

Having your chickens sleeping in their nests at night sounds like a natural thing, doesn't it? However, unless your hens are broody and hatching fertile eggs, having them sleep in the nests is a bad idea. As they sleep, they will defecate and soil the nests, and this means that when you do gather eggs, your eggs are likely to be dirty--yuck! Your flock should be sleeping on their roosts. Chickens should sleep on their roosts, NOT in nests For that reason, it can be helpful not to add nest boxes to your coop until a few weeks before your...

Chickens don't sweat like humans do to cool down. Much like dogs, they pant to help stay cool. When they are very hot, you will also see them holding their wings out slightly from their bodies and ruffling their feathers to help the heat escape. Be sure they have plenty of shade and fresh, cool water when it is hot outside. Water is extremely important! A lack of water, even for a few hours, can throw them off laying, put them at risk for heat stroke, and make it difficult for them to manage their body temperatures. But you can...

In most cases, you needn't worry. When you first receive them, your little chicks are hungry, and their instincts can tell them to peck at anything to see if it is good to eat: food, funny looking pine shavings, spots on the brooder walls, toes, eyes, freckles on your arm, and anything else. Once they learn what food is, they will not likely peck at anyone else unless they get stressed (too crowded, too hot, etc.), or they are establishing the pecking order. Right now you can sort-of think of them as little toddlers, "testing" everything by trying to put...

Baby chicks need it very warm to be comfortable--most people would call it hot. For the first week of their lives, they need temperatures of about 95 degrees Fahrenheit (and the temperature should be reduced by five degrees each week thereafter until they are acclimated to the surrounding environment). That said, they can indeed overheat if the temperature gets much above that. If you see your baby chicks panting or gasping with their beaks open like the little chick in the photo below, it is too hot in your brooder. Reduce the heat immediately, and give them a place to...

The Marek's Disease vaccination is attenuated, which means, in most cases, it's not even developed using the Marek's virus. Instead, it's developed using a different illness common to turkeys, but which causes the chickens in question to develop immunity to Marek's. This is the same way the small pox vaccine was developed for humans: the vaccine is actually based on cowpox. However, cowpox provided immunity from deadly smallpox, even though you can't get smallpox from the vaccine. We know of no reports or studies showing that nonvaccinated birds can be infected with Marek's Disease by exposure to birds vaccinated for...

Good question! Typically, you don't want your chicks to eat layer feed since it has too much calcium for them, and you don't want your laying hens to eat too much chick starter because it lacks the calcium they need to produce strong egg shells. However, if your birds are kept in the same area, it's virtually impossible to guarantee your birds will eat the right feed (and with typical perversity, they are usually drawn to the feed you don't want them to eat!) If you have birds of different ages that may have different dietary needs, there is a...

We get questions about this all the time! Let there be no doubt: adding new birds to your pre-existing crew can be stressful, both to you and the birds. Your flock, peaceful because every hen knows her place in the pecking order, will be thrown all out of whack by the addition of newcomers. Every hen and roo will once again have to vye for his or her spot on the pecking order. At times it can seem like all-out war! The good news: it only lasts about a week, and there are a few things you can do to...

Obviously, keeping your coop cleaned and your bedding fresh is the best tip we can offer. Make sure to use pine shavings, and not straw: straw is not absorbent and rots quickly. That means it is just not the best bedding material unless you want to frequently clean your coop. But even when you use pine shavings, in the summertime, especially if it is humid, bedding can quickly get wet and release ammonia, which is bad for your birds. It can happen even when there is not much manure there, just because high humidity means it takes extra time for...

There is little more beautiful than a mother hen sheltering chicks beneath her wings. And there is little more efficient! If you have the luxury of having a broody hen to raise your chicks, you should totally take it. But there are some important things to be aware of! When you are having a broody hen raise new baby chicks that have been shipped to you, first remember that your hen has to be currently broody. If she is not broody when you try to introduce chicks to her, she may try to kill them, but she certainly won't adopt...

We normally recommend one rooster for every ten hens or so. In a large flock, there is often more than one rooster, with no problems. In smaller flocks, it's a greater risk. However, many breeders keep significantly greater numbers of roosters with their girls--one rooster for every two, or one for every five. We don't recommend it for the typical backyard chicken situation because there is always the risk that your girls will get overbred. However, if you do end up with more roosters than you bargained for, the good news is that it is still quite possible for your...

Chickens molt annually, usually in the fall. But some chickens do molt later than others. Often this varies by breed as well as the conditions under which they live. Reasons your chickens may be molting late in the year: Your chickens begin molting when their bodies tell them it is time, and that is usually based on daylight hours. Decreasing day length is the normal trigger. Birds start at the end of August or beginning of September, while other breeds may wait until November or December. Adding light to their coop: Some people add light to keep their birds laying consistently...

It's difficult for us to say exactly what might be inspiring them to do that without being able to inspect your coop, but we can give you some pointers that may assist you in solving the mystery. First, make sure your roosts are higher than your nests. If your nests are higher, your chickens will instinctively go for the highest place they can reach--do make sure it isn't too high for your chickens to easily reach, though! Second, make sure your roosts are comfortable for your birds. Although we tend to picture birds roosting on branches in the trees, most...

This issue can be confusing, can't it? Try thinking of it this way: Generally, you might think of drafts as air that will blow directly onto your chickens through the coop at floor level where they stand, or at roost level where they sleep. Ventilation, on the other hand, simply permits air to move through the coop (overhead) but does not blow directly on the chickens. In the winter, chickens need protection from cold weather, which their feathers provide by keeping an insulating layer of warm air between their feathers and their body, trapped in their down. If they are...

Generally speaking, no. Chickens don't need baths. However, if they do get something stuck in their feathers that they are not preening out, you can choose to bathe them. You may be especially interested in this if you want to show your chickens at a poultry exhibition. Keep in mind that bathing should be kept to a minimum, since shampoos can be drying to their feathers and make them brittle. If the dirt doesn't come out with simple water, you may want to try a pet bird shampoo like one you can find at your local pet store. These are...

First remember that it only needs to be 95° directly under the heat lamp, and only in their first week of life. (You'll be reducing the temperature of the warmest area of your brooder by about 5° every week until they're acclimated to room temperature.) They will go to the "warm" area of your brooder to hang out and get cozy when they're cold. But it's also important to have areas that they can get away from the heat lamp if they're hot! So the best way to adjust your brooder temperature is to get it to 95° under your...

Usually, chickens with crossed beaks or scissor beaks lead long, normal lives. In most cases, this defect is caused by the chick positioning herself incorrectly for hatching. Normally, one wing will shelter the head inside the shell. But if a chick doesn't have her wing positioned over her head, the skull can malform, and it will reveal itself within the first few weeks as a cross beak or scissor beak as she begins to grow. What causes this problem isn't fully understood. Think of it as sort of the chicken equivalent of a breech birth: the chick has just not...

Don't worry, it's common for hens to not lay in the nest box!  "Floor eggs" are nothing to be too concerned about. Having your hens laying eggs on the floor rather than in the nest can be a pain in the neck. You want to be able to easily find all the eggs laid so you can gather them freshly--and you don't want to accidentally step on a floor egg! Some hens even lay eggs under the roosting area, which is just gross, because then the eggs get pooped on in the night. Having your eggs in a dark nest...

Not necessarily. Sometimes hens will regrow feathers immediately, and sometimes they won't regrow missing feathers until the molt (usually in the late summer or fall). The best layers are usually using all their resources to produce eggs, rather than to regrow feathers. That means high-production layers are generally the types that may not refeather immediately. To help your birds regrow missing feathers, you may consider getting a higher protein feed for a while; they need lots of protein to grow healthy feathers!

Not that we know of. Algae grows in conditions of water with excess phosphorus or fertilizers in it, and growth is encouraged when the water is also in the sun. It isn't related to the type of waterer you use, although it's possible you might get a bit less algae with an opaque waterer, if the sunlight is blocked from hitting the water. To avoid excess algae, put your waterer out of the sunlight and evaluate the condition of your water. Adding a little vinegar to the water to acidify it can discourage algae growth, but won't help much if...

Due to the number of predators in some rural areas, some pet chicken owners don't allow free ranging. Other times, an enclosed run in a small suburban yard is the only way to keep chickens safe and contained so they don't run into traffic or make themselves the target of neighborhood dogs. The problem can be that the chickens quickly forage all the green out of their run, and then droppings accumulate on the hard dirt. Cleaning can be difficult, because moist droppings do not rake up too well. In these situations you may want to try adding some bedding....

First, we're sorry that your flock is having problems with bumblefoot! The more technical name for this problem is ulcerative pododermatitis, but most people, amateurs and professionals alike, refer to the problem by the common name of bumblefoot. Bumblefoot is a serious problem, but it's not contagious in the way a cold is contagious. Still, read on because it's also true that you may sometimes have chronic issues with bumblefoot in a flock---and there are still some causative factors you may be able to address if you are having frequent problems with bumblefoot in your flock! First, call your vet...

Your chickens will probably not be interested in the nesting boxes until it is time to lay. Even then, it may take them a while before they understand what nest boxes are.Some breeds are good about finding nesting boxes very quickly. For instance, Rhode Island Reds and Speckled Sussex are always very good about laying in their nest boxes from the start. By contrast, we find Easter Eggers took longer. And Silkies often refused nest boxes, instead laying eggs in the bedding in a dark corner of the coop. Keep in mind that your Orpingtons may not begin laying eggs...

That's a good question! Chickens need to have access to their food and water at all times when they're awake. However, once they return to roost at night, they sleep soundly and won't get up to eat or drink. (The exception to this is if you have a broody hen; sometimes a broody will want to get up at night to eat and drink, rather than during the day.) But because your chickens won't, for the most part, be eating and drinking after dark, you can choose to have your food and water outdoors or in. It is done both...

Well, first remember that if you hatched these babies at home, chicks don't actually need to eat or drink for the first two or three days... so the fact that your home-hatched chicks aren't eating or drinking immediately isn't always a cause for concern. Strange but true. Hatching is hard work, and with the yolk that they have just absorbed to sustain them, sometimes they just take time to rest and recover. That said, if you've had chicks shipped rather than hatching them at home---or if your home-hatched chicks are a couple days old or seem weak---they will definitely need...

Power loss can happen at any time due to storms, fallen trees, traffic accidents, construction, lightning, and more. A prolonged power outage can be a real problem if you have baby chicks or waterfowl in the brooder and are depending on an electric heater to keep them warm. You don't want anything to happen to your babies, so it's important to be prepared in case the power goes out on you. Here are some ideas to help keep your chicks safe in the event of a power outage: Hot Water Bottles - One of our customers from Vermont told us...

Unless your rooster is causing the hens injury, pecking hens on their backs and heads is actually no cause for concern. It is courting behavior. He pecks them on their backs or heads as a signal that he would like to mate. With enough hens for each rooster present--we normally recommend 10 - 12 hens to one rooster--you shouldn't have any trouble with his over-breeding the hens, although it's still possible he might develop a favorite or two. When a hen gets pecked like that, if she is ready to mate, she will squat down so she can be mounted....

No, your chickens should not eat anything with mold on it. Just as moldy or rotten food can make you sick, it can make them sick. Sharing some leftovers you don't want with your chickens is a good idea (in moderation). We often give our chickens leftovers there aren't enough of to bother keeping... but they must not be moldy or rotting . Stale bread can be okay, although it probably won't have it's full nutritional value... but mold? No. Certain types of mold can be quite dangerous. The same goes for their regular chicken feed: if you see mold,...

Should I give my hens vegetarian feed? |You have probably seen labels on grocery store eggs claiming they have been laid by "vegetarian-fed hens," so is this something you should be looking for with regard to your own hens' feed? Well... yes. And no. Sort of. But not really. Got it? No? Well, let me explain. NO, you don't want to restrict your chickens to vegetarian food in that chickens are omnivores. They eat mice, frogs, snakes, lizards, grasshoppers... basically any creature small enough to swallow, and occasionally some creatures just small enough to kill and eat in pieces, like...

An apron fence is a fence that helps to keep out digging predators. But it isn't normally a special type of fence that you buy; it's more of a special way to install your fence. You can install a dug apron fence or a bent apron fence. For a dug apron fence, you might bury a foot or so of your fence in the ground... so if you buy a six foot fence, one foot of it would be buried, and the fence would be five feet high. When a predator like a rodent, dog, or fox tries to dig...

Depending on where you are in the country and how your coop is sited, you may occasionally have problems with mud in the run. There are worse things than a little mud from time to time, but if your chickens have no place to escape a mucky run, that means they are pooping in the mud, walking in the muddy poop, foraging in muddy, poopy soup... so ick. That is a formula for illness, and that fertile muck is a perfect place for bad things to grow: coccidia, worms---and worse. They definitely prefer a green pasture to a mud pit....

A chicken coop is any structure in which your chickens shelter. In most areas of the country, a chicken coop is an enclosed space, but in warmer areas many people use a three sided coop to make sure it doesn't get too hot inside (the last side of the coop is usually secured with something like welded wire hardware cloth). A coop can be made of plastic, wood, metal or fiberglass. It can be made of recycled pallets, or it can be a re-purposed playhouse. It can be built by hand or purchased. Chicken coops usually contain nests for laying...

If you're longing to keep pet chickens, sometimes it's hard to even know where to begin your exciting chicken adventure. We're happy to help you get started with some helpful resources! First you might be interested in our glossary, just in case you're not familiar with common chicken terms. That glossary will help you as you read through the other resources we have for you. For instance, we have two free ebooks online, one on Chicken and Chick Care that is essential, and one on hatching eggs at home, that you'll want to read through if you plan to hatch...

Birdseed mixes are usually too high in fat and too low in vitamins (especially when the mixes are high in millet and cracked corn) to meet the long-term nutritional needs of a laying flock. They're also way too low in calcium. Remember, modern domestic chickens lay lots of eggs year-round, while wild birds may lay only a few eggs a year, seasonally. So seed mixes designed for wild birds just won't make a good, well-balanced diet for your flock. Still, as an occasional treat, your chickens will love it! And many seeds are high in SOME vitamins and amino acids...

Are you going to need to refill your chicken waterer once a day... or once a week? You might be wanting to plan ahead for what size waterer you'll need for your new backyard flock. If you're thinking about this already, good for you! You'll be much happier if you've thought everything through and planned everything out, first. To choose the right waterer for you, it can be helpful to have a rough idea about how much your birds will drink. That said, many things will affect how much your flock will drink: larger birds will drink more. Birds not...

Introducing new hens to an established flock can be tricky (see how to do that in the related questions below)---but luckily it's much easier to introduce chicks to chicks than it is adult chickens to adult chickens! This is because the drive to establish a pecking order doesn't start for a few weeks in baby chicks--usually not until they're 6 or more weeks old. Make sure you're getting chicks from an NPIP source like My Pet Chicken. If you're concerned about communicable illness due to either the source of the chicks or environmental factors (such as exposure en route), consider...

If the hen you need to handle runs from you every time you get near, what do you do--chase her around the yard and see who gets tired first? Well, you can try. But we don't recommend it. Your chickens can fly out of reach, after all. Then what are you going to do? Plus, there's just a much easier way. The easiest way to pick up a chicken who doesn't normally allow herself to be picked up is to simply wait until she settles down at night, and pick her up off the roost while she's sleeping. You'll want...

Sometimes people get the idea to keep an indoor pet chicken, or a "house chicken." It's not a good idea to keep them permanently indoors, though. Chickens are happiest when they have access to the outside. While we do sell chicken diapers, those are really meant to give you a way to keep your chicken temporarily inside. You may need to keep your chicken inside temporarily if you have someone who is injured and needs time to recover. But you don't want to keep chickens inside the house permanently; indoor pet chickens are just a bad idea. Firstly, it will...

Yes, you CAN mix your feed at home. But that said, it's not very easy or inexpensive, as people who ask this question often seem to assume. For most people with small backyard flocks, purchasing a balanced base feed is much, much easier than buying 5 or 10 separate ingredients in bulk quantities of hundreds of pounds and blending them yourself. Do you have space to store all that safely? Will you use it up before it spoils? Do you want to spend a bunch of time mixing feeds? For most people, the answer is no. It's also a big...

No, grass clippings would be bad for your flock. Most people will find this advice counter-intuitive, because chickens love to eat grasses, right? However, when chickens eat grass, they nip off of the tip of the blade; they eat tiny pieces, a little at a time. Putting a big pile of lawn clippings will give them longer pieces that they'll eat too much of, all at once. What can happen is that the long, fibrous strands from the mower get bound up in the digestive system and cause a blockage. They can get tied in knots that won't pass, and...

It really depends on what you grow. The leaves of nightshade-family veggies such as potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, eggplant and the like are not good for your chickens any more than they're good for you. On the other hand, your chickens may quite enjoy bits and bobs like chopped up beet tops, pea leaves, or carrot greens. They'll probably also enjoy your pumpkin seeds---that is, if you don't toast them up for yourself. And they always seem to enjoy the leftover watermelon rinds. If your tomato has been chewed on by a caterpillar, your chickens won't care! However, you won't want...

Yes, but you probably won't want to add too much, too often. There may be some entertainment value in adding a few fallen leaves sparingly to your run, because your flock will enjoy scratching through them to look for bugs. If you scatter some treats through them as well, their excitement may also entertain you! However, chickens won't eat fallen leaves, so they aren't something to forage on directly. And in too much quantity, fallen leaves in your run can cause problems. Why? Well, for one thing, they don't make good bedding, since they're not absorbent. In many cases, they...

A dust bath is essentially a "bath" your birds will take in dry dirt. They'll flop around looking as if they're dying. But don't be alarmed! They're okay. They might even be blissfully happy. They're tossing dust into their feathers, which helps to repel external parasites like mites or lice. If you're wondering how they get a dust bath, well... they'll create their own in most cases! If they have access to an outdoor space, they'll find a corner or go under a bush and wallow out their own dust bath. You can also provide your chicken with a dust...

A nest box is an enclosed area meant to give chickens a place they feel comfortable laying their eggs.Chickens generally prefer darkened, cozy places where they feel safe. We say "generally," here, because new layers may not understand what their instincts are telling them to do. Many lay an egg or two on the floor. Some feel like they need to find a spot outside the coop to lay (such as under your porch!), and so on. It may take some time and effort to "teach" them to lay in the coop. And some may always prefer to lay in...

Well, it's true that if you leave chicken feed out where mice can get to it, it's possible that some may show up to eat the feed, just as they would if you left any sort of feed out (such as dog food or cat food or wild bird seed). And it's also true that you don't want a mouse or other rodents pooping in your chicken feed. But will they bother the chickens? Uh, not likely. Observe: Chickens are omnivores. If you think about it, you know they eat insects. But what you might not realize is that they'll...

That's a little like asking for the best brand of jeans. In other words, most major brands are going to be fine, and what's "best" will depend on you and your needs. It will be a matter of what is convenient to purchase, what the cost is, and maybe a matter of how well something "fits" your flock and your family. If you want organic, non-GMO feed, a regular feed just won't be a good fit for you (and our organic poultry feeds certainly fit the bill!). Some flocks prefer pellets; others prefer mash. Some breeds convert feed efficiently and...

Well, it helps to start with good stock. Have a look at our special lines that are more likely to produce show quality prospects. You may also find good lines with specialized breeders. Just keep in mind that even with the very best lines, not every bird is going to be a winner of shows, not even for experienced exhibitors. Once you've got your stock, you'll want to provide high-quality food, and you may even want to weigh your birds frequently as they grow to make sure they're putting on weight fast enough---but not too fast! Make sure you're familiar...

As you probably know by now, it's not a good idea -- at all -- to simply give chickens a bowl of water like you would a dog or a cat. They'll dirty it; they'll step in it and tip it over; they may even unintentionally poo in it. Here are 7 important questions to ask yourself when choosing a waterer for your flock: How many thirsty birds do you have? You need to make sure there is adequate access to water for all the birds in your flock. If you have a large flock but only one small waterer,...

In your backyard flock, quarantine is the act of isolating a chicken or chickens who has been potentially or actually exposed to contagious illness from the rest of your flock. When you introduce new chickens into your established flock, for example, you must quarantine the new chickens for four weeks from the rest of your flock. You don't want them to share feeders, waterers, or even the same air. You also want to be careful not to carry anything between the flocks on your person (on your shoes, for example) during this time. Hens in the Hen Pen Chicken run...

No, even if the lawn treatment may be safe for dogs and cats, it won't necessarily be safe for your pet chickens. Remember, dogs and cats are not foraging the lawn like your chickens are. Even if they nibble on a piece of grass, your lawn is just not going to be a large part of your dogs' or cats' diet! If you're doing a pelleted treatment, your chickens may be foraging those pellets out of there! And if it's a sprayed treatment, they could be eating whatever has been sprayed on. Sometimes lawn treatments include things like weed-specific herbicides,...

The "run" is a fenced or enclosed yard space you give your flock outdoors, where they can forage, sunbathe and generally engage in all the chicken-y behaviors that make them happy. The more space your flock has, the better! With lots of space, your flock will be less stressed. A large outdoor run area can also help balance a small coop. When your flock is concentrated into a very small area, they have more of a tendency to pick on one another and squabble. A larger RUN helps this situation far more than a larger COOP, because it's the run...

The right protein content in your feed is super important for raising a healthy flock--and commercial rations are probably the easiest way to get the right amount, as well as the right nutrition for your birds. But if that's true, why do different brands have different levels of protein, and what amount in best? There's variation because there's an ideal range of protein content, AND because the range varies based on your birds' ages. Ideal protein for laying breeds based on age Chicks up to 6 weeks old: 20% - 22% protein 7 weeks to point of lay: 14% -...

Many chicken keepers prefer nipple drinkers over conventional style drinkers for reasons of convenience and cleanliness. Nipple waterers involve so much less cleaning and are so much easier to refill, that they're quickly becoming the watering method of choice for backyarders. Nipple watering systems mean no more (daily? weekly?) cleaning a gunky mess of dirt, poo, and soiled wood shavings out of your watering trays! Whether you're starting baby chicks on nipples from day one, or whether you want to get your grown flock on nipples, there are a few important training considerations. Step one: Make sure you've got enough...

It's always a good idea to seek out an avian or farm veterinarian BEFORE you get chickens, so you'll know where to turn in case of any emergency or health crisis. Rather than calling every vet clinic around, we recommend you go straight to the source: the Association of Avian Veterinarians website. Here you can enter your location and you will be shown a list of avian vets in your area. If there are no avian or farm veterinarians near you, or they're not taking new clients, we're happy to recommend our friends at VetTriage. They're trained, licensed veterinarians who...

Exactly 157. (Just kidding!) Actually, how many eggs a chicken lays a year depends on a lot of things, but especially on the breed of your chicken and her age. For instance, young Leghorns may lay 300 eggs per year. Young Cochins may lay only 100 or so. Sumatras may lay 50 or fewer. By breed, you can see a general idea of how many eggs chickens may lay per week here on My Pet Chicken's chicken breed list. But keep in mind that as the birds get older, they will lay fewer eggs. And some breeds are not great...

It seems like a strange question... but the answer is YES. Baby chicks can actually drown in a waterer, particularly if it is larger and designed for adult chickens, and particularly if the chick is very young and hasn't developed good coordination, yet, or if the chick is ill or weak. What happens is that a chick can jump into the water trough to drink, and then find the sides too high or slippery to get out. And even if the chick has not jumped into the waterer, baby chicks---like other babies---can sometimes just fall asleep where they stand. If...

Good flooring. You might hear that term a lot when you're getting set up for baby chicks or chickens: get good chicken coop flooring! And "Of course!" you think. "I want to use good flooring for my flock of chickens." But what exactly does that entail? Essentially, chickens need solid flooring with some traction, ideally with access to the ground so they can forage. What flooring NOT to use Wire coop flooring is bad for a few reasons. It can seem attractive, because it lets droppings pass right through. But adult birds are relatively heavy, and wire is hard on...

Frostbite on chickens usually affects the comb, wattle, and feet. Read below to learn how to treat your chicken, and how to make sure your coop is set up properly with adequate ventilation. Frostbite occurs when the body becomes very cold and sends a signal to constrict blood vessels in the extremities in order to direct more blood to vital organs. Because the flow of blood and oxygen to the affected parts of the body--such as the comb, wattles, and feet--is disrupted, the tissue may eventually freeze. Frostbite may cause minor damage to just the tips of the comb, wattles,...

Impacted crop occurs when there is a blockage in your chicken's digestive tract, preventing food from traversing her system. Occasionally you may actually have a blockage further down, like an impacted gizzard. Sour crop---a bacterial overgrowth in her crop, typically an overgrowth of yeast---can occur when the digestive system is stalled with an impaction, but can also happen on its own if there's a pH imbalance, or if your chicken is eating rotten or moldy food. There are a few good strategies you can use to prevent impacted crop and sour crop in your flock. Feeding Feed fresh, good quality...

  In baby chicks, pasty butt (a.k.a. pasted vent) occurs when poo dries in the chick's vent (her pooper) and the blockage prevents her from defecating. This is a critical situation for a baby chick and should be addressed immediately because it can be fatal. By the time your bird is an adult layer, her muscles are pretty well developed for expulsion, and the vent can expand significantly (large enough to pass an egg, right?). So, adult hens seldom (perhaps never!) suffer from pasty butt. That said, they can certainly get vent feathers messy with loose poo, and that can...

As keepers of pet chickens, we've all been there. You notice one of your birds exhibiting some unusual behaviors or symptoms, and you're faced with a dilemma: What do you do? What is causing the symptoms and how can you help? Is what you're seeing normal chicken behavior, a minor issue that may resolve itself, or serious problem that warrants a professional help? Let's be honest: You don't want to pay a big vet bill only to find out it's nothing serious, but you also don't want to assume it's nothing serious and have it turn out to be something...

Chickens are incredibly adaptable! They are kept all over the world in all kinds of extreme climates. But it's no secret that some breeds are hardier in cold weather than others. Some breeds were not developed for cold-hardiness or have characteristics that make them more susceptible to cold than others. In a well-ventilated but not drafty coop, most chickens can stay warm by fluffing up their feathers to trap a layer of warm air against their bodies--as long as they are not wet and or exposed to a draft. Drafts can remove that "jacket" of warmer air surrounding the bird....

As baby chicks and waterfowl grow, their nutritional needs change. It can be confusing to know how much and what kind of feed to give them at each stage of development. Please don't lose sleep over this issue! We have all the help you need for your growing chickens, ducks, and geese right here. One note before we get started: All feed manufacturers have recommended stages for their feed. This guide is a commonly accepted standard; however, you should follow the directions on the feed you choose for optimum benefit from that brand. Regardless of their age, one principle always...

  Educate Yourself Huzzah! You're here to learn about raising baby chicks, which is more than some people do! (You'd be surprised...). This is a condensed form of our full baby chick care guide, which you can find here.   Make sure you'll have enough time. Raising baby chicks requires frequent care and monitoring, so make sure your schedule allows you or a family member to check on your chicks around five times a day.   Brooder setup The "house" you raise your chicks in is called a brooder. Your brooder setup is the one of the most important aspects...

Yes - you can keep just one chicken, but the question is, should you? Keeping one chicken may sound like a great idea to us humans, but is it a good idea for the bird? When considering bringing a member of another species into our care, it is important to think about not just what makes us happy, but what is best for the animal as well. In the case of chickens, living in a flock with members of their own species is what their instincts are honed to expect, and that situation seems to be best for their well-being....