Backyard Poultry

How to Keep Owls Away From Chickens

October 13, 2022 · Pam Freeman · Coops

While not the most likely of chicken predators, owls can sometimes pose a threat. Learn how to keep owls away from chickens and how to appreciate the benefits owls have on the farm.

Ask the Expert: Oct/Nov 2022

October 10, 2022 · Carla Tilghman · Ask The Expert, Members Only

Have poultry questions? Ask our experts!

Snowbound Chickens

October 10, 2022 · Backyard Poultry Contributor · Chickens 101

Add to Favorites by Gina Stack The sound of rumbling snowplows and the shining sun early in the morning signaled that the blizzard was over. Peering out the windows, the …

Winter Layers

October 10, 2022 · Backyard Poultry Contributor · Chickens 101

With careful breed selection, attention to timing, and refreshing the flock as needed, you too can create a reliable flock of winter layers.

Narragansett Turkeys

October 7, 2022 · Backyard Poultry Contributor · Poultry 101

Narragansett turkeys are a historically significant turkey breed. They may have originated as a crossbreed between the eastern wild turkey and the English turkey breed Norfolk Black.

Shining A Light Into Your Eggs

October 7, 2022 · Carla Tilghman · Chickens 101, Members Only

How do you know what’s going on inside your incubating eggs? You “candle” your eggs by shining a bright light against the shell and getting a glimpse of the interior goings on.

Keeping Your Flock Away from Predators Takes Strategy, Knowledge, and a Little Craftiness

October 6, 2022 · Backyard Poultry Contributor · Coops

Predators are in all parts of the world, and there is quite a list of potential danger coming from both above and below. So what can you do to protect your birds when such predators are constantly lurking?

Fences: Keeping Chickens In and Predators Out

October 6, 2022 · Gail Damerow · Coops

A good chicken (and predator) proof fence is more than worth the investment.

Weasels Killing Chickens is Common, but Preventable

October 6, 2022 · Countryside Magazine Contributor · Coops

Shortly after I moved to my homesteading land 15 years ago, I found a desiccated weasel in the barn. It was a long-tailed weasel (Mustela frenata), about 10 inches long from nose to tail tip, and brown in color — which indicated that it had died between spring and fall (they turn white in the winter).