Delaware Chicken Farm For Sale

We had more questions than answers. I'll always remember the moment I realized I wanted chickens. I wonder if there was a time when no one ever questioned it. Read more of Chicken Quarters » Tags chicken keepers , Chicken Quarters , chickens , community

In many parts of the country, winter is cold, blustery and frozen through for months without relief. Tiptoeing across the patio to the yard to tend to the flock is necessary since I can't hose off my shoes.

Most European counties do not. Fear of illness from legitimate salmonella outbreaks has certainly influenced the evolution of our food system over the last century, but once manufacturers scrub off the egg's protectant membrane, aka the bloom, the egg...

The whole flock stood on the back steps for most of the day. Chickens are spooked easily by sudden changes. My own adventures out to the coop through the snow to check on the flock left a nice compressed trail where the chickens could walk to the back...

Will I find a yolk missing? Most of the time, an odd egg isn't a concern, as long as it's not a frequent occurrence: Regularly occurring anomalies could signal a mineral deficiency, too much of a particular vitamin, or a health problem.

Finally, the Silver Laced Wyandotte experiences her awkward nudity through the chilly days between Thanksgiving and the first days of December. In early fall, it's the Australorp's turn.

Insert the trigger. For example, the DIY model in the photo above is made from a 16 penny galvanized spiral nail, a wire nut, 5/8-by- 1½-by-?-inch piece of hard plastic, and some E6000 adhesive.

The birds aren't under oppressive light, and they snuggle under its warmth and darkness like it's a mama hen. Courtesy Rachel Hurd Anger Five future egg layers arrived safely to the post office this week.

Livestock gets a bad rap for being smelly and unclean, at least by city-dwellers who have never met them. The absence of a rooster won't halt a hen's biological programming to be ready to reproduce at a certain age.

I prepared myself for losing her through the night. Inspecting the little Buff in the sunlight, I found pasty butt this time, the color matching her fuzz. My kids named the little gal Peace, and her beefy sister Love.

Emma asks, “Is feeding cooked chicken leftovers (bones, etc.) to chickens bad for them?” Some foods are absolutely not appropriate for chickens. Green potato […] Omnivores Love Chicken! Some people don't like feeding chicken to their flocks out...

Because hardware cloth isn't as pliable as chicken wire, it's a bit more difficult to work with, but it's tough and sturdy, it lasts longer, and it looks fantastic for many years. Some chicken coop designs are inspired by imagination, and others by practicality.

As we walked to the next activity, I put my arm around my daughter, and I talked about how much I'd love a small farm like the “foolish” woman in the film, without lowering my volume.

Read more of The Hungry Locavore » Judith Hausman As a long-time freelance food writer, Judith Hausman has written about every aspect of food, but local producers and artisanal traditions remain closest to her heart.

Instead of focusing on what might bring pests to your flock, focus on what will keep them away. –D&R Poultry Fortunately for us garden-loving chicken keepers, plant parasites and chicken parasites are two completely different beasts.

Obviously the person is asking whether a chick is female or male, but a chick cannot be a hen or a rooster based on the definition of the words, so I have to hold back from replying, “Neither.” Determining the sex of a chick who is many months from...

Thin-shelled eggs are a common problem in flocks, yet easily remedied. Calcium Deficiency Although each flock member is offered the same diet, I can't guarantee they're all eating similarly.

Requirements for renting and operating a mobile poultry processing unit vary from state to state and can be fairly complicated. Pete and Jen's Backyard Birds use their website to recruit volunteers to participate in their chicken harvest.

An Australorp holds the world record for laying some 350 eggs in one year. Stress Happy, healthy hens lay more eggs. Whether your chickens free-range or live in confinement, provide them opportunities to satisfy their instincts.

One of the last things we want is to find a nest box full of disappointment, so I know you're as frustrated as I am with the sudden decline in the number of eggs you're getting lately.

Grease two small loaf pans or one larger 9x5x3-inch loaf pan. Wait a bit for the loaf to cool well so it will slice better. January is supposed to be a time of dietary atonement. Photo by Judith Hausman Winter sweets don't have to be candy; this squash...

Chicken keepers and experts spend a lot of time promoting the aesthetic benefits of raising chickens and swapping advice about keeping a coop clean, but we rarely put the two together.

I rarely saw a bird, and I never saw a squirrel . Whether we know it or not, we crazy chicken neighbors are normalizing raising food in our backyards, the way it used to be, long before many of our neighborhoods were built to keep up with the Joneses.

If you can't replace your hose, let the water run for several minutes before giving any hose water to the chickens. Today, my chickens and I drink from the Ohio River. Chemicals or animal-waste runoff from farms can also contaminate wells, especially...

The hatchery can participate at different levels; some may just meet the minimum requirements, and others may do all they can to provide the healthiest birds possible. Also, wear a dust mask when cleaning the coop.

They give us the “Oh, boy, it's milk time” vocalization as soon as we step out the back door. About the Author: Carol Ekarius is author of How to Build Animal Housing (Storey Publishing, 2004) and resides on a ranch in Colorado.

You know you always feel happier after just 20 minutes with your flock, and you'll naturally care for their needs without much thought while you're outside. Set aside time for the pleasure of hanging out with your chickens.