Guides for Raising Healthy Chickens Anywhere
When temperatures dropped to -15°F last January, my 10 Easter Egger hens kept producing 6-7 eggs daily without a single heat lamp. Easter Egger winter egg production doesn’t have to crash when the thermometer plummets, but it took me three failed winters to figure out the exact combination that works. I still remember the frustration … Read more
After raising both Ameraucanas and Easter Eggers in my backyard flock for over 10 years, I can tell you the single biggest difference comes down to one thing: breeding standards. An Ameraucana is a purebred chicken recognized by the American Poultry Association with specific color varieties, slate-colored legs, and consistent blue eggs. An Easter Egger … Read more
At 4 inches deep, my coop floor hit 107°F (41.6°C) while the air outside sat at a freezing 18°F (-7.7°C). I stared at the receiver for my wireless thermal probes and tapped the screen, sure it was a glitch. It wasn’t. That was the moment I realized the “compost heat” everyone talks about wasn’t just … Read more
“Wait, the slaughterhouse wants to charge me how much?” That was exactly what I said back in 2023 when I took my first batch of 50 broilers to a local processing center in Ibadan. By the time I paid for transport, the dressing fee, and tipped the boys to handle my crates carefully, nearly 15% … Read more
The day I ordered my first batch of 500 day-old chicks, I thought I had calculated everything. I had my pen ready, my sawdust spread, and my calculator out. I was wrong by ₦340,000. Scaling from 100 to 1000 broilers in Nigeria taught me lessons no PDF guide ever mentioned. When you are raising 50 … Read more
After tracking temperature data across three locations for an entire winter, I can tell you exactly how much difference insulation makes: my insulated coop stayed 15-22 degrees warmer than outside temperatures on the coldest nights, while my uninsulated coop only managed a 5-8 degree difference. Every winter, chicken keepers ask the same questions. Do I … Read more
Last summer, my chicken coop had a fly problem so bad I could barely collect eggs without swatting constantly. It was gross, frustrating, and I was worried about my hens getting sick. If you’re wondering whether flies actually pose a health risk, I wrote a complete guide on whether flies are dangerous for chickens—spoiler: they … Read more
If you live in the southern United States, Australia, Nigeria, or anywhere temperatures regularly climb past 35°C (95°F), you know that summer isn’t just “warm” for your chickens. It can be dangerous. As a chicken keeper, watching the thermometer climb past 100°F is stressful. I remember the panic I felt during my first real heat … Read more
Why do chickens stop laying eggs? It is the single most stressful question for any backyard chicken keeper. You go out to the coop expecting breakfast, but find empty nesting boxes day after day. The immediate panic sets in—are they sick? Is a predator stealing them? Did I feed them something wrong? The truth is … Read more
Raising backyard chickens is one of the most rewarding hobbies you can have. Walking out to your coop for fresh eggs never gets old. However, just like any pet or livestock, chickens need to eat. If you are new to this or looking to budget better, avoiding common beginner mistakes can save you money from day one. … Read more