• Last updated 3/22/13 by Nifty-Chicken

There are many reasons to raise chickens in your backyard, but here are a few of the most frequently expressed reasons people raise chickens:     Chickens are easy, inexpensive pets when compared to most other pets.   1 Bag of Layer feed lasts a month for many backyard flocks They mature much quicker than most other pets No housebreaking required    Hens will produce eggs that are fresh and nutritious, not to mention great tasting. Backyard eggs are also much healthier than their store bought counterparts.    Backyard eggs... read more

• Last updated 4/30/12 by BYC Project Manager

  Rats General Information and Description Widely considered a pest in homes and farms, rats are long-tailed rodents in the biological superfamily Muroidea. Black rats commonly seen at home belong to the Rattus genus in the family. Their large size distinguishes them from mice.   Rats like to live alongside humans, and take every opportunity to prey on their food and livestock. These predators often do their dirty work at night. Rats are also known to carry zoonotic pathogens, or animal-borne diseases like Leptospira and Weil’s disease. In fact, the Black... read more

• Last updated 3/19/12 by support

  Crop Surgery Performed - Truly Graphic but Informative Pics - By Ruth   Well, you can add one more thing to the list of things I never thought I would do in a million years.  I operated on a hen tonight and performed crop surgery.   She has been impacted for at least three weeks, getting more and more frail.  I've had her inside and have been feeding her soft foods and olive oil and doing regular deep tissue massages in an effort to break up the hard mass in her crop.  When she could no longer eat and it was apparent she was having difficulty... read more

• Last updated 4/23/12 by Nifty-Chicken

Getting Started Raising Chickens Hatching Eggs & Raising Chicks Housing & Feeding Your Chickens Maintaining a Healthy Flock   Small Coops Medium Coops Large Coops Chicken Tractors Incubators Chicken Brooders Waterers &... read more

• Last updated 4/26/12 by BYC Project Manager

  Possum   General Information & Description Possums (or "opossums") are arboreal marsupial species. There are about 70 species of possums. The most common possums in Canada and the United States are the Virginia possums.   Possums are closely related to kangaroos although they are often mistaken for rats. Possums remain distinct because of their pouches and their penchant to live in trees. Possums are nocturnal mammals who love to scavenge for food, particularly poultry farms.   Possums are omnivores. They eat nuts, vegetables, and fruits, while also... read more

• Last updated 3/25/13 by BYC Project Manager

  Chicken Coops   Homemade Chicken Feeders & Waterers   Tractors vs Permanent Coops   Tractors vs Permanent - Pros & Cons   Chicken Treat Chart     Reducing Feed Costs Nesting... read more

• Last updated 5/16/13 by BYC Project Manager

General Information   Raccoons (Procyon Lotor) a.k.a. Coons are one of the best knows and easily recognised non-domesticated mammals in our region. Due to their adaptability raccoons are able to use urban areas as a habitat. Easily accessible refuse bins, fruit and nut tress and chicken coops are favoured sources of food for urban raccoons. Though their preferance is fruit and nuts, their diets consist mainly of insects, worms and other animals that's readily available. Unfortunately that includes chickens.    Description   An average specimen of the... read more

• Last updated 3/18/12 by support

Let's all work together to create a list of the Pros and Trade-offs of the new system:   PROS   General: Much better post editor:  This means when you bold, it shows bold vs having to use "bbcode".  Can do way cooler things with text, videos, images, tables, etc. MOBILE! - Integration with Tapatalk reading, posting, & adding images into the forum threads (not available in sandbox). No Tapatalk mobile PM support yet. New ability to search within individual topics and individual threads Save and bookmark search results Better "mark-as-read"... read more

• Last updated 3/18/12 by support

Getting Started Hatching & Raising Housing & Feeding Maintaining YOUR Flock FAQ Learning Center › Getting Started Raising Chickens 101   Why Raise Chickens? Choosing A Chicken Breed   Local Laws & Ordinances Where To Get Chickens   Chicken Glossary Chicken... read more

• Last updated 4/30/12 by BYC Project Manager

Cats General Information and Description Next to dogs, cats are one of the most popular house pets in the world. They are often preferred for their easy companionship. However, this can be deceiving. Cats are carnivores belonging to the Felids or Felidae family, which also includes tigers, lions, jaguars, leopards and cheetahs. This kinship with wild cats easily shows itself when you see cats stalking and pouncing on birds, mice, and smaller animals. This lovable and gentle creature has instinctive predatory skills that have killed many chickens.   Cats love to... read more