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Gardening with Guinea Fowl

September 9, 2022 · Countryside Magazine Contributor · Poultry 101

Is gardening with guinea fowl possible? Absolutely! Guineas take care of ticks, grasshoppers, Japanese beetles and other obnoxious bugs in your garden without wrecking your plants.

Guinea Fowl Care: Housing and Winter Survival

September 9, 2022 · Countryside Contributor · Poultry 101

Guinea fowl that are trained to roost inside a shelter at night will outlive those that roost in trees. Guinea fowl have been reported to have lived to be 17 years or older, but unfortunately, more lose their lives to predators than to old age.

Button Quail: Adorable By Any Name

September 8, 2022 · Kenny Coogan · Poultry 101

Button quail, which are also known as Chinese painted quail, Chung-Chi, Asian blue quail or blue- breasted quail, are well, cute as a button! The smallest of the true quail, this species is endemic to Southeast Asia and Australia.

The Toulouse Goose

September 8, 2022 · Backyard Poultry Contributor · Poultry 101

When you envision a goose, chances are that the image that appears in your head is the familiar gray shape of a Toulouse.

Breed Profile: Easter Egger Chicken

September 8, 2022 · Backyard Poultry Contributor · Chickens 101

Easter Egger chickens are not a true breed, rather a hybrid cross. Since they are a hybrid, no two birds look exactly the same, making for a rainbow of colors in a backyard flock.

Breed Profile: Welsh Harlequin Ducks

September 8, 2022 · Tamsin Cooper · Poultry 101

Welsh Harlequin ducks make an excellent small duck breed for backyard keepers. They are placid, great foragers and provide both eggs and meat.

Breed Profile: Delaware Chicken

September 8, 2022 · Backyard Poultry Contributor · Chickens 101

The Delaware chicken is a 20th-century creation, developed specifically for the growing broiler market in the 1940s. They’re so pretty, they were recognized by the APA for exhibition (in 1952), in those years when production was as significant as beauty.

What Killed My Chicken?

September 8, 2022 · Gail Damerow · Coops

Keep a flock for long and sooner or later you’ll be asking yourself, “What killed my chicken?” Many marauders love our backyard chickens as much as we do, and each leaves a calling card that offers a clue as to which predator you’re dealing with.

Chicken Predators and Winter: Keep Your Flock Safe

September 8, 2022 · jpitino · Coops

Chicken predators are always a concern for small flock owners, but the risk of attack may actually be worse in winter months. Winter is the season of privation for all creatures, but extreme weather can change it from a time of scarcity to a season of starving.