It’s very rewarding keeping chickens – they help recycle nutrients, keep pests down and provide us with food and amusement. We, in turn have a responsibility to keep them healthy, safe and happy. In a warm climate, making sure your flock doesn’t get heat-stressed is crucial. I don’t think many creatures would survive summer days […]
Tags: animal care, chickens, livestock, poultry
Posted in Sustainability | 2 Comments »
Lining your chooks’ nesting and laying boxes with sweet-smelling herbs may seem a bit ‘out there’ at first, but when you think that many species of wild birds add aromatic plants to their nesting material, the idea may be worth considering for the local flock. Herbs used in this way by wild birds usually have […]
Tags: animal care, chickens, herbs, poultry
Posted in Organic Gardening | 2 Comments »
It’s not the first thing that springs to mind when I hear the words ‘charcoal’ and ‘chicken’ together, but charcoal as a chicken feed supplement can provide real health benefits for your chooks. Because animals’ water and feed can be exposed to contaminants – from rodents, flies or birds, for example – many poultry farmers […]
Tags: animal care, chickens, poultry
Posted in Organic Gardening | 21 Comments »
What have chickens ever done for us? Let’s see – for a start, they produce eggs and fertiliser, control pests, eliminate weeds and take care of kitchen scraps. But for me, they are just great little creatures to have around and they make me feel more connected to the whole cycle of the garden. It’s […]
Tags: animal care, chickens, poultry
Posted in Organic Gardening | 5 Comments »