Tamsin Cooper, Author at Backyard Poultry

Breed Profile: Golden Comet Chickens

November 23, 2019 · Tamsin Cooper · Chickens 101

Golden Comet chickens are friendly, calm, and prolific layers, making excellent backyard birds, but life is often shortened by reproductive tract issues.

Guinea–Chicken Hybrid: Can Chickens and Guineas Breed?

November 9, 2019 · Tamsin Cooper · Poultry 101

Guinea–chicken hybrids are an unusual phenomenon, as nature does not favor the cross, leading to health issues and early death.

Chicken Husbandry: Five Welfare Needs

October 25, 2019 · Tamsin Cooper · Chickens 101

Chicken welfare is an important consideration within chicken husbandry. We need to know chickens’ needs in order to raise them to be healthy and productive.

Breed Profile: Egyptian Fayoumi Chicken

October 25, 2019 · Tamsin Cooper · Chickens 101

Egyptian Fayoumi chickens are tough and thrifty birds with remarkable disease resistance and heat tolerance. They are highly fertile and good layers.

A Chicken’s Five Basic Needs

October 25, 2019 · Tamsin Cooper · Flock Files

Chickens are sensitive to their environment, motivations, and sense of well-being. Happy chickens cope better with changes and challenges, whereas distressed birds may easily go downhill.

Breed Profile: Barnevelder Chicken

September 8, 2019 · Tamsin Cooper · Chickens 101

Barnevelder chickens were developed from Dutch landrace and Asiatic chickens for their large brown eggs. Later they were standardized to double-laced plumage. They make charming backyard foragers.

Chicken Society—Are Chickens Social Animals?

August 18, 2019 · Tamsin Cooper · Chickens 101, Members Only

Are chickens social animals? How do they integrate into the chicken community? Learn about the rules, tricks, and sophistication of chicken society.

Breed Profile: Breda Chicken

July 14, 2019 · Tamsin Cooper · Chickens 101

The Breda chicken is a unique dual-purpose heritage breed from the Netherlands, with striking looks and adorable temperament. Recently, it has become an endangered rare breed.

Buk-buk-buk! What Do Those Chicken Noises Mean?

June 3, 2019 · Tamsin Cooper · Chickens 101

Chicken noises comprise a language that poultry use to express their emotions and their intentions, as well as warning of different types of danger. Read how to understand their calls better.