Table of contents for Chickens 101 2026 in Chickens

Ameraucana, americana, araucana or Easter egger? What’s the difference? Will they all lay blue eggs? For years, the distinction between the blue-egg–laying breeds has eluded backyard chicken keepers. Myths and misconceptions about the breeds have led to more confusion than ever, from the origin of the blue-egg layer to the cholesterol level in her eggs. Let’s put all those questions to rest. BLUE-LAYER ORIGIN The blue-egg layers we know today are descended from two varieties of chickens native to the coast of Chile. They were called the collonca and the quetro. Raised by the Araucana Indians of the region, the collonca variety laid blue eggs, was rumpless and had a small single comb. The quetro variety had a tail, was tufted and laid brown eggs. Both of these birds were…

While your chickens’ nutritional needs vary depending on age, sex, breed and use, their diets must always include water, protein, vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates and fats in adequate quantities and proper balance. All chicken-keepers agree on this point. But when it comes to the question of how best to supply all those dietary elements, it’s a different story. Ask any group of fanciers how each feeds his or her chickens, and you’ll find two distinct camps: those who never feed their birds anything except commercial mixes, and those who never feed their birds commercial mixes without supplementing them. Opinion runs high on both sides about which approach is better. Which one you should take really depends on your primary reason for keeping chickens. If you raise birds strictly for their meat…

It hurts to lose a chicken you’ve lovingly raised from a cute, fluffy chick — to go out one morning and find Henny Penny mysteriously missing or worse, discover a shocking scene of bloody, feathery carnage. Not only does it hurt emotionally, but for those whose livelihoods depend on their flocks, it hurts financially, too. So it seems almost a sacrilege for me to confess the following. Even though I adore my chickens and hate to sacrifice even one to a coyote or other wild thief, I don’t blame the predator for doing what predators do to survive. Furthermore, I refuse to take a lethal approach to retaliate for any depredations — with one exception. Blame it on my volunteer work at a zoo as a teenager and, later, a…

During snowy winter days, while the bitter wind cuts through even the warmest of jackets, dreams of fluffy young chicks and weed-free gardens fill the minds of many a homesteader. As the sun begins to hang in the sky a little longer and the days gradually warm up, carefully drawn plans can begin to turn into reality with each trip to the local farm-supply store or order placed to a hatchery. As a child, I can remember my mother’s excitement over a new batch of poultry coming to our little farm on the hilltop. She would place an order to a hatchery, and a cardboard box would eventually arrive at the local post office. We would drive into town to pick it up, carefully carrying the box full of chicks…

The local farm-supply store has hundreds of week-old chicks living carefree lives in wood-chip-lined water troughs every spring. The signs above the shiny water-trough homes tell everyone the breed of chick and the price, but it might as well be telling everyone that raising these cute little chicks is the easiest task on the farm. It very well might be the easiest job on the farm for the individual buying a half-dozen chicks and putting them in a cozy little cardboard box in their house. However, many hobby farmers aren’t purchasing small quantities of chicks at a time and don’t have the luxury of keeping them in a controlled environment such as inside their home. It can all seem like it’s going well, but in the blink of an eye,…

Most introductory chicken manuals fail in their attempt to describe the 1,001 diseases, maladies and afflictions that sometimes befall our friend, the chicken. I will hit on the most common, but certainly many more are out there, and you should continue to do your research and, of course, visit your veterinarian whenever a concern arises. PREVENTING PROBLEMS It’s infinitely easier to keep chickens healthy than to doctor them after the fact, and in most cases, keeping them healthy isn’t at all difficult. To keep healthy, bright-eyed chickens, begin with healthy, bright-eyed chickens. BUY FROM RELIABLE SOURCES. Don’t stock your coop with someone else’s rejects or bedraggled bargain fowl picked up at country swap meets. Instead, consider starting with day-old chicks from reputable hatcheries. PROVIDE SUITABLE QUARTERS. They needn’t be fancy,…

Here are some facts and tips that every chicken-keeper should know to keep his or her flock happy, healthy and productive. OVERCOMING COMMON PROBLEMS Keep a small area around the coop clear of snow and ice during the winter, so your chickens won’t have to freeze their feet just to stretch their legs. A BREATH OF FRESH AIR Make sure your chickens have some access to fresh air during the day outside of the coop, especially when temperatures rise. SURVIVING FOWL WEATHER Keeping water in its liquid form can pose a significant challenge when temperatures take an icy dive. Some people will paint the waterer black and shine a heat lamp on it. This keeps the water thawed and also provides some warmth for the birds. THE GOOD, THE BAD…

Which chicken is right for your egg-laying needs? There are many to choose from, and eggs come in a variety of colors. Here is a list of the best egg-laying breeds and what they have to offer. AMERAUCANA The Ameraucana is best known for its ability to lay eggs in various hues of blue. These eggs are a stunning addition to any egg basket or market table. In the looks department, Ameraucanas themselves are cute, too; they sport facial furnishings and are available in a wide variety of colors and feather patterns. They have winning personalities and are fun birds to have in any flock. PRODUCTIVITY: good to very good EGG COLOR: blue TEMPERAMENT: calm, nonaggressive, friendly, easily handled HARDINESS: cold-hardy VARIETIES: black, blue, blue wheaten, brown-red, buff, silver, wheaten…

For most backyard chicken-keepers, the second 6 months of their flock’s life is a lot of fun. You continue to watch the intricate dynamics and enjoy their endless antics. The purpose of this article is for you to learn about how and why chickens behave and communicate the way they do, deepening your understanding of your charges and making you a better steward. A family of chickens, called a flock, is organized by a social structure commonly called a pecking order. Every member of the flock falls somewhere on this spectrum of dominance and submission; no one is left out. The more dominant birds are higher in the pecking order, and the more submissive birds are lower in the order. A flock’s hierarchy can be fluid and changes as birds…

For those of us enamored with chickens, a hen or rooster in glossy fine feather rivals any postcard-perfect sunset for sheer loveliness. Consider the Rhode Island Red’s vivid cinnamon suit, the Barred Rock’s outfit of dapper black and white and the Australorp’s iridescent night cloak — and these breeds comprise only a tiny portion of a beautiful, feathery whole. Feathers are so integral to our birds’ beauty that it can be disconcerting when they start dropping all over the place, often making the coop look like a poultry slaughter scene. In the northwestern United States where I live, this usually occurs in September and October just as the weather turns cold and rainy again. “Why do they always do this now?” I complained to a fellow raiser when it happened…