Yes, you did read the title correctly! Whilst not traditionally thought of domesticated pets, there is a minority faction in the poultry keeping community that treat their hens with the same level of care and affection that would usually be reserved for the family cat or dog, and yes, in some cases this even means allowing them to live inside the home of the owner! Chances … [Read more...]

If you want to start raising chickens at home you probably already know hens lay eggs regardless of the presence of a rooster. You probably also know that without a rooster none of these eggs will be fertilized, and it won't be possible to have a self-sustaining setup whereby you can hatch more baby chicks as your female chickens grow older. This can make a rooster an … [Read more...]

It seems to be widely accepted as fact these days that the planet is getting warmer; summer heat waves are intensifying, and northerly climates are noticeably slowly creeping up in temperature. We can all do our bit to reduce the effects of climate change, and as it happens, keeping chickens is probably one of them-  it bypasses the industrial operations required to get eggs … [Read more...]

Keeping chickens is often touted as a way for folks to save money whilst at the same time doing their bit to reject planet destroying industrialisation… Well maybe anyway. The second point is a rabbit hole I won’t go down here, but the first point, that keeping chickens saves you money in the long run, is definitely an appealing one, but just how true is it? If you’re … [Read more...]