Backyard Chickens
How to Tell If a Chicken Is Sick: The Signs I Watch
How to tell if a chicken is sick before it's an emergency — the early signs I watch for in my flock, the OTC support I…
Backyard Chickens
Chicken Boredom Busters for a Long Winter in the Coop
Chicken boredom busters for winter — how a Tennessee keeper keeps a cooped-up flock busy, foraging, and out of trouble on the short, cold days.
Backyard Chickens
How to Keep a Chicken Run from Turning to Mud
A muddy chicken run is a water problem, not a weather problem. Here's how I keep my run dry through a wet Tennessee spring — the…
Backyard Chickens
The Best Chicken Breeds for Small Backyards
The best chicken breeds for a small backyard, from a keeper who's raised them on a tight lot — quiet, calm, space-smart birds, with honest pros…
Backyard Chickens
When Do Chickens Start Laying? A Beginner’s Timeline
When do chickens start laying? A beginner's timeline by breed, the signs a pullet is about to lay, and why that first egg shows up later…
Backyard Chickens
How to Handle a Broody Hen: Break Her or Let Her Sit
How to handle a broody hen — how to tell when a hen goes broody, how to safely break her of it, and what to do…
Backyard Chickens
How to Move Chicks From the Brooder to the Coop Safely
How to move chicks from the brooder to the coop without losing birds — when they're ready, weaning the heat, and the setup for the first…
Backyard Chickens
When to Order Baby Chicks for Your First Spring Flock
When to order baby chicks for spring — how hatcheries book up, the ship-week math I use in Tennessee, and what to have on the shelf…
Backyard Chickens
How to Keep Chicken Waterers Clean (Without Scrubbing Daily)
How to keep chicken waterers clean without a daily fight: the setup that stops the mud and algae, the weekly scrub routine, and the closed system…
Backyard Chickens
How to Help Chicks Recover From Shipping Stress
Chicks arrive from the hatchery cold, dehydrated, and stressed. Here's how to help shipped chicks recover — electrolytes, warmth, dipping beaks, and the first 48 hours.