how-to

Poultry Breeds…What Are They, Anyway?

Add to Favorites By D.P. Sponenberg – Breeds are important for many reasons. A main contribution of breeds is to organize the variation in a species into different genetic packages so …

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What Roosters Are Crowing About

Add to Favorites By Kenny Coogan Some days it sounds like The View is being recorded in my henhouse with all of the clucking that goes on. At other times …

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How to Influence the Law on Keeping Chickens in Residential Areas
October 18, 2021 · · Chickens 101

Are you interested in learning more about how to legally keep chickens in your residential area? Where does a wannabe chicken keeper begin? The road may seem daunting at first.

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From Backyards to Factory Farms: The Evolution of Poultry Farming in America
October 12, 2021 · · Poultry 101

Large-scale and backyard poultry farming seem to oscillate every couple of generations. Here’s a short history of poultry farming in the U.S.

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Understanding Sex-Link Hybrid Chickens

At Backyard Poultry we get questions all the time asking for help identifying the breed of various chickens. Many times the chickens pictured are not purebred chickens at all but crossbreeds / hybrid chickens hatcheries produce for very specific purposes – such as egg production.

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Special Issue: Raising Small Animals — The Homestead Chicken, Housing Your Flock
September 27, 2021 · · Coops

Add to Favorites By Rhonda Crank What is a Chicken Coop? It’s simply a structure which gives your flock shelter from weather and predators. Have you ever picked up a …

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No Jolt During The Molt: Chicken Care in 7 Steps
September 27, 2021 · · Feed & Health

Lana Beckard, Nutrena® Poultry Expert – Ready or not, here comes the molt. Chickens shedding feathers and a drop in egg production in the fall are good indicators that your birds are going through molt.

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How to Keep Rats Away From Your Urban Chicken Coop
September 20, 2021 · · Coops

Knowing how to keep rats away is a growing concern for some chicken owners. Keeping chickens provides so many benefits, it’s no wonder many city-dwellers have installed coops in their backyards.

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Can Chickens Eat Pumpkin?
September 13, 2021 · · Feed & Health

A pumpkin chicken treat is no trick. Can chickens eat pumpkin? Yes. It is a healthy source of vitamins, minerals, protein, and calcium, that the chickens love, with the added benefit of an immune boost.

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Identifying Peafowl Varieties

Many of us have had times when we were not sure of what variety a peafowl was. Read here about variety and identification.

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