This is an index of pages for information on raising and processing meat birds. Some of the links have graphic pics. Plucking a Hen by Waxing (warning, graphic pics) The Emotional Side of Chicken Processing How to Process a Chicken at Home (graphic pics) Comparison of Breeds and Ages of Chickens for... read more
BackYardChickens.com Membership Upgrades Over the years we've received requests from our chicken forum members that say they want more PM storage space, more image hosting space, custom titles, etc. We’d love to be able to provide these features for everyone, but unfortunately it just isn’t possible with the tens of thousands of members we have. Also, other members have asked for additional ways to support BYC. For these reason we’ve created new BYC forum membership upgrades. Here are the details for each membership group: BYC... read more
Dealing with Roosters The purpose of this page is to help you help yourself when faced with an aggressive rooster problem and help you decide if you want to keep a rooster in your flock. First of all let's identify rooster behaviors. Knowing what motivates their behavior is key to understanding why they do certain things that we, as humans, might mistakenly take as just being mean. A rooster is born preprogrammed to do his rooster duties. At a certain age (around 4-6 months) he matures and his... read more
"Chillin' With My Peeps" adhesive or magnetic chicken bumper stickers "My Pet Makes Me Breakfast" adhesive or magnetic chicken bumper stickers "My Chicken is an Honor Student" adhesive or magnetic chicken bumper stickers "It's Cheep Therapy" magnetic chicken bumper sticker read more
BYC is made up of thousands of wonderful members, each one offering their knowledge, enthusiasm, compassion, and other gifts in unique, individual ways. We love to recognize them, and for this reason we developed an awards nomination system. Members can nominate another member for an award through this process, found on the BYC Recognition Awards thread. Description Image Name Platinum Poultry Members have met requirements & shown support of... 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
CHICKEN TREATS This is a list of everything you can feed a chicken. However, everybody's chickens have their own tiny brains full of likes and dislikes, so while one person's chickens may come running for grapes or watermelon, another person's chickens may turn up their pointy little beaks at it. Anything on this list is worth a try. Your comments are welcome - please post them on http://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=188621#p188621 At the bottom of the page are things you should avoid feeding your... read more
The Cold Coop: what to do (and not do!) about it The 'heat budget' of a chicken coop You can think of the temperature of your coop as being like a bank account. It starts with whatever amount of money it starts with, but on a day to day basis the balance will depend on how much money you're spending and how much you're depositing. Similarly, the indoor air temperature in your coop is determined by how much heat is coming in from various sources and how much is going out. What are some of the things that produce heat in the coop and thus tend to warm... read more
Pat's Big Ol' Mud Page: How to Fix A Muddy Run When chicken spend a bunch of time in one area, a common consequence is bare dirt, which in wet weather becomes mud. If you confine your chickens to a run, you are quite likely to have a mud problem eventually, unless you live in the desert or on extremely free-draining soil. Even if your chickens roam loose, you can still wind up with a mud problem right around the coop, or in favored areas such as under the bush where it's nice and shady in summertime. The problem is that chickens devegetate the area (thus,... read more
Deep Litter Method DLM is basically a method in which you allow your coop litter to build up over a period of time. As the chicken manure and litter of choice compost, it helps to heat the coop, which in turn helps keep the chickens warmer. I had never heard of this before BYC and cleaning the coops once or twice a year, as opposed to weekly cleanings fits our lifestyle. I began using the DLM in early September '07, when we moved most of our Bantam flock from the Teacup Pterodactyl Townhouse into the main coop. I started out by adding 4 - 6 inches of pine... read more
