Author name: Tom Marlowe

Chickens, like most birds, have good senses that they rely on to make sense of their world, locate food, find each other, and detect danger. One of these senses is, of course, hearing. Chickens listen for the calls of their friends and any roosters in the flock, listen for sounds of lurking predators, and even […]

One of the coolest things about raising chickens is hatching your own chicks. In very little time at all, you will soon have a brooder box full of those scampering little fuzz balls. They are undeniably cute, but it won’t be long at all before you notice that they are also quite noisy. It seems

Chickens are one of the most popular kinds of livestock the world over for good reason. They lay copious amounts of eggs, they generate lots of good fertilizer, and of course they are harvested for their meat. Wings, thighs, breasts, and more are all sent to supermarkets and restaurants around the world, around the clock…

You know, there’s an old saying that says familiarity breeds contempt. But if it doesn’t breed contempt, then familiarity can definitely lead to taking something for granted. This is easy to see when considering all of the domestic animals that we have in our lives. Everybody jumps for joy when they see a charismatic wild

Anyone who has ever raised chickens knows they are pretty hardy birds, and also knows how incredibly delicate they are when they are newborn chicks. From incubating and hatching to dietary requirements, these little things are pretty needy! And another factor that is imperative to their survival is temperature. Compared to adult birds, chicks are

If you are breeding chickens deliberately, or are just raising a mixed flock of hens and roosters, you will probably encounter a broody hen from time to time. But more than this, some hens seem to get downright hostile, hissing, clucking, and raising a racket even when there are no eggs in her box. Is

If you own chickens, you already know that they will regularly lose feathers. Much of the time you’ll come outside only to see a clump of feathers on the ground, or else a few scattered here and there. Why this happens varies, but it could come down to fighting, self-plucking behavior, predator attacks, or just

Have you ever heard the expression matter than a wet hen? How about the old wives’ tale that says chickens shouldn’t be out in the rain because they can drown? Seems there was a lot of popular folk wisdom concerning chickens and rain, and why they shouldn’t be outside in it. Maybe it is just