Patrice Lewis, Author at Backyard Poultry

Rooster vs. Hen: Know Before They Crow

May 5, 2022 · Patrice Lewis · Chickens 101

How do you tell apart a baby rooster vs baby hen? Several methods can determine rooster vs hen traits (including some which are breed-specific).

Is Chicken Rental a Trend or Viable Business?

December 10, 2021 · Patrice Lewis · Chickens 101

Chicken rental programs allow you to “try before you buy.” Is it just a trend? Or a brilliant way to avoid neglected and abandoned hens?

Chicken Planning

December 1, 2021 · Patrice Lewis · Coops

We’ve raised chickens for decades, but this is the first time we’ll have a chance to build infrastructure from the ground up and avoid repeating past mistakes. Our goal is to maximize what chickens can do for us above and beyond eggs.

Oviducts and Salpingitis

October 4, 2021 · Patrice Lewis · Feed & Health

Chickens are the original egg assembly factories. Inside those fluffy bodies are conveyer belts where eggs are “built” through assembly-line techniques.

How Permaculture Chickens Improve Sustainability

September 20, 2021 · Patrice Lewis · Feed & Health

Chickens are one of the most versatile livestock for the small farmer, lending themselves to nearly any venture, from backyard to commercial. They also play a unique role in the exciting world of permaculture.

Closed-Loop Farming

August 23, 2021 · Patrice Lewis · Chickens 101

The nationwide lockdowns in response to the pandemic — and the resulting interruptions in the supply chain — have highlighted the vulnerability of our food sources for many Americans. As a result, interest in homesteading has never been higher.

Covid Coops: Making Lemonade out of Lemons

June 22, 2021 · Patrice Lewis · Coops

When Drake Clifton of Cleburne, Texas, lost his job early in 2020 due to COVID-19 shutdowns, it was a mixed blessing at best. “I was stuck in an office going nowhere working a dead-end job for a company I didn’t care for, drafting 3-D blueprints of commercial plumbing systems,” he says.

Chickens and Compost: A Match Made in Heaven

May 6, 2021 · Patrice Lewis · Feed & Health

While compost piles are not a critical element for healthy hens, it is certainly a match made in heaven. It’s not just the extra protein the birds get from their foraging.