Understanding Abnormal Chicken Eggs: Causes Explained

The initial reason for wanting to keep chickens for the majority of us is surely for fresh eggs.  As an exciting part of keeping pet chickens, the daily ritual of egg collection still excites me! (I know I’m not alone here!!).  After all, not all our pets produce something edible :) Eggs come in all shapes … Lire la suite Understanding Abnormal Chicken Eggs: Causes Explained

Bantam vs. Large Fowl: Chicken Size Guide

For this week, I have chosen a relatively simple yet surprisingly common topic – what size chickens would suit you best? Did you know that there are hundreds of chicken breeds dating thousands of years of domestication?  To help you get over your excitement of discovering all the weird and wonderful breeds out there, I … Lire la suite Bantam vs. Large Fowl: Chicken Size Guide

Point of lay pullet – is she ready to lay?

A short but handy article this week! A very regular question that comes up, especially in Spring and Autumn, is « when will my pullets start laying eggs »? What is a point-of-lay pullet? A point-of-lay pullet is a female chicken that is fully grown and is about to start laying her first eggs. Honest sellers will … Lire la suite Point of lay pullet – is she ready to lay?

The Fascinating Evolution of Chickens from Dinosaurs

Evolution – the egg came first! Our beloved hens have secrets, many of which we will never know!  But one we do know is – your favourite flock of feathered friends are proven direct descendants of dinosaurs and more specifically, the Tyranosauras Rex! What’s even more surprising, after attending many a dinosaur display over the … Lire la suite The Fascinating Evolution of Chickens from Dinosaurs

Essential Poultry Terminology: A Beginner’s Guide

Some of the jargon used in relation to poultry can sound like a foreign language, so here’s a little guide to help you!  General terminology Breed related terminology Hybrids often have a handy sex-link gene making it easy to sex day-old chicks by colour.  The parents are often opposing colours (white/black) to one another, so … Lire la suite Essential Poultry Terminology: A Beginner’s Guide

Bumblefoot

Usually in the form of a scab on the sole of the foot in the centre, this can be caused by jumping off a high perch onto hard ground on a regular basis.  Symptoms can be nothing at all to favouring one leg or limping. Treatment is straight forward but takes some time to recover. … Lire la suite Bumblefoot