Raise
When Do Pullets Start Laying? Signs, Timing and Why Yours Is Late
Your pullet hit 20 weeks in October and gave you nothing. Every chart you pulled up had a number — 18 weeks, 20 weeks, 22 weeks — and every one of them…
Backyard flock keeping
Is that safe to feed your chickens? Find out before you throw it in the run.
Eight years of keeping hens, written down honestly — including the parts where I got it wrong. Straight answers on feeding, breeds, coops and the strange things chickens do.
Quick answers
Can chickens eat…?
Type what is in your hand. Every food I have looked into, with the honest answer — safe, fine in moderation, or keep it well away from them.
- Horse Alfalfa Pellets Food
- Dried Alfalfa Food
- Bitter Melon Food
- Black-Eyed Peas Food
- Black Rice Food
- Beet Tops Food
- Basil Leaves Food
- Barley Grass? My Funny Story Finding Out Food
- Artichoke Leaves Food
- Arrowroot Powder Food
- Acorn Squash Seeds Food
- Honey Locust Pods Food
- Honey Roasted Peanuts Food
- Honey Graham Crackers Food
- Honey Mushrooms? A Forager's Guide Food
- Honeydew Food
- Honey Nut Cheerios Food
- Honey Food
- Medjool Dates Food
- Dried Dates Food
- Date Seeds Food
- Alfalfa Cubes Food
- Alfalfa Sprouts Food
- Alfalfa Food
- Red Grapefruit Food
- Dubia Roaches Food
- Grapefruit Seeds Food
- Grapefruit Peels Food
- Grapefruit Food
- Buckwheat Food
- Coconut Flour Food
- Coconut Rice Food
- Coconut Yogurt Food
- Coconut Milk Food
- Hamster & Gerbil Food Food
- Coconut Food
- Rabbit Alfalfa Pellets Food
- Rabbit Food Food
- Tofu Food
- Crab Apples Food
- Crab Shells? My Funny Story Finding Out Food
- Goldenrod? My Zany Experience Finding Out Food
- Minnows? My Hilarious Experience Finding Out Food
- Pancakes Food
- Loofah Seeds Food
- Durian? This Tater Tot Has the Whole Story Food
- Locusts Food
- Purslane Food
- Comfrey Food
- Goosefoot Food
- Fresh Yarrow Food
- Peanut Butter and Jelly Food
- Lovage? The Surprising Truth! Food
- Frogs? The Truth About Chickens & Frog Diets Food
- Chicken of the Woods Mushrooms Food
- Their Own Egg Shells? A Shell-Shocking Truth Food
- Chicken Salad? Feeding Chicken to Chickens Food
- Beetroot Leaves and Stalks Food
- Cantaloupe and Seeds Food
- Prawn Heads and Shells Food
- Oats and Honey Granola Food
- Bell Peppers and Their Seeds Food
- Oranges and Peels Food
- Apple Cores and Seeds Food
- Bananas and Banana Peels Food
- Broccoli and Cauliflower Food
- Spaghetti Squash Seeds Food
- Frozen Peas? Chickens on Ice Food
- Zucchini and Cucumbers Food
- Strawberries and Blueberries Food
- Old Carrots? Garden Scraps to Chicken Treats Food
- Canned Peas and Carrots Food
- The Cake Debate: Can Chickens Eat Carrot Cake Food
- Too Much Greens Food
- Clucking in Color: Can Chickens Eat Purple Onions Food
- From Coops to Crisps: Can Chickens Eat Onion Rings Food
- Pickled Onions? The Surprising Answer Food
- Cheese Pizza? A Slice of Advice for Chicken Owners Food
- Honeysuckle? A Sweet Treat Your Flock Will Love Food
- Hummus? The Tasty Truth Food
- Hamburger? The Juicy Truth Revealed Food
- Flies? A Bug Bounty Your Hens Will Love Food
- Strawberries With Mold Food
- Spring Onion Delight: Can Chickens Eat Spring Onion Leaves Food
- Onion Stalks? Cluckin' Good Choices Food
- Onions & Tomatoes? Chickens' Delight Food
- Seasoned Potatoes Food
- Oats for Horses? From Coop to Stable Food
Nothing in the list matches that yet.
Search every page instead →Explore
Where do you want to start?
The whole site, in five shelves.
Fresh
Latest from the run
Newest posts first.
Method
How I decide what to tell you
Feeding advice for chickens is full of confident nonsense copied from one blog to the next. This is the filter everything here goes through.
01
Is it actually dangerous?
Toxic, or just untidy? Those get very different answers, and most lists online muddle them.
02
How much, and how often?
Almost nothing is poison in a peck and safe in a bucket. The dose is the whole answer.
03
What does the vet literature say?
Where a real source exists I follow it, and where one does not I say so instead of inventing confidence.
04
Have I actually done it?
My flock or somebody else’s. I mark the difference, because it matters.
05
What goes wrong in practice?
The failure mode is usually the useful part — the mud, the rats, the hen who eats none of it.