Something got into the coop last night. One of our chickens didn’t make it. Now it’s up to you to figure out who killed chicken. Study the crime scene, examine the evidence, interview the suspects, and identify the predator responsible. This interactive detective game teaches you how to identify common chicken predators by the clues […]

Fermented chicken feed can cut feed waste by up to 30% while improving digestion, immunity, and eggshell quality. Here’s how to ferment feed safely — plus the summer caveat most guides skip.

Grit and oyster shell look similar but do completely different jobs. Here’s what each one does, why they’re not interchangeable, and how to offer them correctly.

Six hens. Deep in dirt. One very worried rooster. Our animated investigative report cracks the case of the backyard dust bath — and the HEN-spa hiding in a bag of The Dirty Bird™.

As temperatures rise, your chickens’ nutritional needs shift dramatically. Learn what to feed your backyard flock in summer heat to prevent heat stress, maintain egg production, and keep your birds healthy all season long.

The 61% Principle: What Confinement Takes Away Research on wild and free-ranging chickens reveals something profound: they spend approximately 61% of their day foraging. Not resting. Not roosting. Not socializing. Foraging—actively searching for diverse food sources, investigating textures, pecking at insects and seeds, turning over soil, sampling plants. This isn’t just how chickens spend time; […]

The Most Demanding Moment in a Hen’s Day Egg production is one of the most metabolically and physiologically demanding activities in a hen’s life. For a few minutes each day, your hen enters the nesting box and undergoes the intense, focused effort of forming and laying an egg. Her heart rate elevates, calcium mobilizes for […]

When Water Alone Isn’t Enough On a hot day, you’ve probably noticed your chickens clustering in the shade, panting heavily, drinking more water than usual. They’re experiencing heat stress—one of the most metabolically demanding situations a backyard flock faces. When chickens experience heat stress, their physiology shifts dramatically. They pant to cool themselves, causing rapid […]

The Hidden Nutrition Gap in Confinement When backyard chickens roam freely, they spend approximately 61% of their day foraging—scratching through soil, pecking seeds, and sampling the diverse plants around them. This includes plenty of mineral-rich vegetation: earthworms packed with trace metals, seeds loaded with micronutrients, and if they’re fortunate enough to live near coastal areas, […]

Science • Ingredients Why Botanicals Matter in Poultry Care Walk through any garden and you’re surrounded by plants that have supported animal health for centuries. Oregano, calendula, lavender, rosemary, thyme — these aren’t trendy additions to poultry care. They’re time-tested herbs with documented wellness benefits that modern research continues to validate. At Happy Chicks Feed, […]