About the Author

Tamsin Cooper

Tamsin Cooper keeps goats and chickens on her smallholding in France, where she aspires to live as sustainably as possible. She follows the latest research on farm animal behavior and has mentored on animal welfare courses.
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Articles by Tamsin Cooper

Breed Profile: Egyptian Fayoumi Chicken
January 4, 2022 · · Chickens 101

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

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Breed Profile: Golden Comet Chickens
November 26, 2021 · · Chickens 101

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

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Breed Profile: Narragansett Turkey
November 18, 2021 · · Poultry 101, Turkeys

The Narragansett turkey is a heritage variety of American origin, valued for its hardiness, self-sufficiency, excellent mothering skills, and superior flavor.

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Breed Profile: Ameraucana Chicken
November 17, 2021 · · Chickens 101

Amercaucana chickens have tails and muffs, with eight varieties recognized in both Bantam and large fowl. Lavender Ameraucanas are a very popular newer variety that is not yet recognized by the APA or ABA.

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Guinea-Chicken Hybrid: Can Chickens and Guineas Breed?
November 9, 2021 · · Poultry 101

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

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Breed Profile: Barnevelder Chicken
October 20, 2021 · · 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.

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Breed Profile: Langshan Chicken
September 14, 2021 · · Chickens 101

The Langshan chicken is a hardy, dual-purpose bird from China that lays purple-brown eggs and is well adapted to damp conditions.

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How to Stop Chickens From Pecking Each Other
September 7, 2021 · · Chickens 101

Make these changes to address chicken behavior problems, and learn how to stop chickens from pecking each other, eating eggs, and more.

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Raising Chicks with Mother Hen
August 18, 2021 · · Chickens 101

Raising chicks with mother hen gives them the best start in life, as they learn life skills for happy, healthy integration within the flock. Researchers have found chicks gain multiple benefits from a broody hen.

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Do Chickens Have Feelings, Emotions, and Sentience?
July 23, 2021 · · Chickens 101

Do chickens have feelings and are they sentient? Researchers are investigating their emotions and how they express them. We can use this information to create happy, healthy, productive environments for our birds.

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