Share the joy of raising chickens with your friends! Invite people to browse BYC and participate in our wonderful chicken forum with thousands of active helpful members. Below are a few tools to help you spread the word and help achieve our goal of A Chicken In Every Yard! BYC Business Cards You will be able to order these in our store or print them yourself. FRONT Card Front - jpg image (Avery Template... read more
Deciding to Free Range Your Flock Often one of the first things a new chicken owner wants to do is let the flock out to free-range. One of the joys of owning chickens is watching "chicken TV" as they interact with each other, you, and their environment. Free-ranging provides a larger and more varied environment for your chickens. Before free-ranging your chickens, however, there are some steps you should take to make sure your flock gains the most benefits from free-ranging, that they remain safe, and that they return to the safety of the coop at night. ... read more
Most people think of Chickens as backyard roamers, or maybe the next item on the dinner plate. But there is another way to own Chickens, and that way is raising them to be your companion. Many people find this hard to believe, but Chickens can be just as loyal as Dogs. They will sit in your lap, come when they hear their name, and even cuddle with you for hours straight. The story of my first Chickens began in September 2011. I never expected to have loved them as much as I do to this day, but things turned out to be what I never knew possible. Okay, so you're... read more
For many of us backyard chicken enthusiasts, biosecurity is a big word that hints of government intrusion, regulatory oversight, and a host of issues we’d rather not have to deal with. However, biosecurity is something we should all be aware of if we want to protect our flock. First of all, a little background on why we can safely ignore the USDA’s Good Agricultural Practices (GAP). The USDA’s primary concern is to keep the food supply safe for consumers. The only concern they have with respect to the health, welfare, and happiness of your flock is whether or... read more
Raising Chickens on a Shoestring By Sandra Higgins Hanna Whether you’ve received a couple chickens as a ‘gift’ or just couldn’t resist baby chicks, you now need housing for the little sweeties. What can you do if you hadn’t budgeted for new pets? Join many of us and ‘shoestring’ it! My white Silkie pullets were a Christmas gift. Best Christmas ever! These bantam chickens lay small eggs sometimes. For consistent egg-layers, research hen breeds before buying or taking home free hens. Here's what I saw that Christmas morning. Hens, Chicks.... read more
Yikes, one of my chicks is a cockerel! What do I do? by Becky Flanagan Remember when you bought your chicks from the feed store? They came with a 99% chance of being a hen. And, like most backyard chicken keepers, having hens was all that was in the plan. You imagined a small flock that provided your family with fresh, wholesome eggs each morning. What you probably did not imagine was that of the hundred chicks in the cage, you would go home with the one rooster. If you do indeed win (or, rather, lose) the chicken lottery and end up with a cockerel (a... read more
“Handcrafted Coops Best Advice” Contest OFFICIAL RULES Sponsored by Handcrafted Coops (“Sponsor”). NO ENTRY FEE. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. The Contest begins at 12:00 AM Pacific Time (“PT”) 2/22/12 and ends at 11:59:59 PM PT 2/29/12 (the “Contest Period”). 1. Eligibility: The “Handcrafted Coops Best Advice” Contest (the “Contest”) is open to legal residents of the fifty (50) United States or the District of Columbia, aged eighteen (18) or older as of the date of entry, who have an active e-mail account and Internet access. ... read more
So You Want a Colorful Egg Basket! I’m very partial to a colorful egg basket. No blah all white or all brown eggs for me! The more colors, the better. Like many people, I grew up thinking white eggs were what you bought at the grocery store, and brown eggs were what you got from a farm. I remember the first time I saw blue eggs. We had gone to our local farmers’ market, and there was a farm family selling eggs. The eggs were beautiful – all browns and blues. After that, and until I got chickens of my own, I went to the farmers' market each weekend and... read more
Have you ever wondered how a hen can lay an egg every day? Why some eggs are brown and some eggs are white? How many days an egg takes to hatch? Here are the answers to those questions and many more. Hens and eggs Female chickens are called pullets for their first year or until they begin to lay eggs. For most breeds, around 20 weeks is a typical age for the first egg. Some breeds lay eggs daily, some every other day, some once or twice a week. Some individual hens never lay eggs, due to narrow pelvises or other anomalies. Normal laying... read more
Keeping your chickens healthy My healthy Silver Laced Wyandotte free ranging! Here are some ways to keep your chickens healthy and happy. 1.Cleaning the coop Cleaning the coop is very important for keeping happy, healthy chickens. If you don't clean the coop you risk an infestation of lice, mites, and other parasites. Cleaning your coop isn't always easy but it sure is worth it. Start by getting all the bedding from the floor of the coop and the nesting boxes and dumping it. If any eggs have cracked then make sure to clean up that mess too. Then... read more
