BackYard Chickens

I’m trying to figure out the best way to go for my run I will have foxes and critters being a problem where I live and I don’t know if it would be better for me to get the electric poultry netting or stick with the regular chicken wire. Any suggestions

My flock consists of 11 birds that I got this past March, we're getting a half-dozen eggs per day on average now. The breeds are Golden Comets (4), White Leghorns (2), White Plymouth Rocks (2), RIR (2), and Silver-Laced Wyandotte (1). I'm thinking I should add another six chicks in the spring next year. That will, I expect, give me 17 hens laying by fall next year if I'm lucky enough to not get any males. But, I'm wondering if adding six birds a year is too often. My goal is to maintain a...

In my research for incubators and broody hens I thought it might be nice to have a centralized thread for people who are interested in hatching eggs using the broody hen method. This thread is not meant to put down incubators, as they are a very useful tool, but to share knowledge and experience with each other on how to hatch eggs using a broody hen. I will attempt to edit this post to include tips and FAQs on some of the best methods and tips to use when hatching eggs using a broody hen....

I’m interested in any experiences that people have had keeping chickens without a coop. There are a number of farms and smallholdings locally here in Catalonia, Spain that have been keeping chickens for generations without purpose built coops. 4 kilometres down the mountain where i live there are 9 chickens who roost up a tree at night. Across the valley there are a number of farms where the chickens roost in open barns, up trees, and in spare rooms in the house. I’m particularly interested...

This year I'd like to make a success of both my free range chickens AND my flower gardens! I've heard these things can keep chickens away. Has anyone had luck with any of these methods?? 1. Planting rubber snakes in the bed to scare the chickens 2. Sprinkling cayenne or chili powder 3. Sticking 12-inch wooden kabob sticks with sharp ends pointed up around each new plant (supposedly the chickens hate being poked and will leave the flowers alone) 4. Putting vinegar around the perimeter of...