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I absolutely agree about the Buff Orpingtons. They make the best moms and they’re the friendliest chickens to people. If you want people friendly chickens and broody hens, the Buff Orpington is a good bet.

In regard to the article about cleaning eggs. I’m aware that there is bloom on an egg which keeps it fresher longer, and the recommendation is to only clean those eggs that show visible dirt. But even on an egg that has bloom isn’t aren’t there invisible germs, considering that it came out of a...

My own experience is that it is not a myth that they need light in order to lay eggs. Perhaps 14 hours a day is a good guess. In fact, even though it’s difficult to separate all the variables that influence egg production, I did find that when I extended the winter daylight by an additional...

By free-ranging, presumably they’re eating bugs and worms in addition to vegetable matter. They are omnivores. Formulated chicken feed is always available to them as well. No matter what they’re eating, I have found that grit is an important commodity.

Indeed. And I prefer to give them more natural foods, in which case they need grit as you pointed out. I let them free range a lot. Even though they don’t prefer pellets, they certainly will not starve themselves and eventually they will eat them. It also depends on what they get used to eating...

OK so when do they need grit? And how do you encourage the chickens to eat pellets when they really don’t seem to like them.?

It’s complicated. Yes, they should have high protein food; i.e. 16%+ layer pellets. But my chickens don’t really prefer the pellets, either, especially once they have had some chicken scratch - which is basically crumbled up corn that they love. But that’s not as high in protein so I feed that...

Speaking of wethered goats. I have two. And they so much look forward to their grain snack. I also give them baking soda and multi minerals and copper. I wonder if I am risking damage to them by letting them have grain? How much is too much?

The maze type opening sounds like a good idea. But goats will try to fit through anything is what I have found with my two 2 year old Nigerian dwarf goats. watch out make sure that they don’t get stuck. I have found my goats stuck in places occasionally because they’ll try to get through any...

I also have a white chicken that has gray legs and have been wondering. I suppose it must be a mixture of Easter Egger and White Leghorn. She lays pale green eggs.

Buff Orpingtons are the best, most friendly & attractive chicken, I think.

You don’t need to watch them every second but be alert to anything unusual is happening. Sounds and movement. Like if they start running, or if the rooster rounds them up or heads for the barn or makes particular noises that you know are warning noises. One day I was trimming my peach trees...

Yes, we do need to learn chicken language, if you’re keeping chickens, especially if you’re free ranging them, which makes them so much happier and healthier and results in good egg production. But it’s a risky business.

This is a really great article with a lot of practical detail that I wish I had known about sooner. Unfortunately, I have had egg bound hens. With one I did not recognize the symptoms and found her dead later. And with the other, I was unsuccessful in saving her even though I tried. I believe at...

Sorry to hear about your duck. Drakes can be brutal. Mine seems to want to chase a couple of my chickens he’s decided the silver Wyandots and One of my six month old white leghorn’s need to be disciplined. He has not tried to mount them. Thank goodness they can run up the ramp back into the...

Are yours Pekin ducks? Which are a lot bigger than a lot of ducks. Looks like you feed them each a cup a day is that correct?

I’m wondering what other kind of a tub or container I could get that my two Pekin ducks could enjoy better than the kiddie swimming pool that they have. What kind of a tub do you have here in this video?

I understand the kids and myself wanting to keep some beautiful Brahma/americana roos that our Buff Orphington set on, hatched and mothered as they turned into beautiful colorful teenagers. I had to share with my 10-year-old granddaughter that we didn’t need to keep all the roos. She had already...

What is the brand name of the feed that you give your chickens that your neighbors chickens gobble down. Perhaps I’ll get some of that.

My rooster is not protective against humans. He’s quite compatible with us humans. Although I’ve heard that some roosters are not. I haven’t always had a rooster it was given to me and I said OK why not. you don’t need a rooster to get good eggs and you might not need a rooster to protect them...