The Chicken Care Library
Straight answers for a healthy, happy flock
Practical, vet-informed guides to backyard chicken health — written by Sarah Bellweather, a lifelong keeper raised on her family's organic farm. No fluff, just what actually works.
Flock Health & Ailments
Deworming, wounds, mites, molting & respiratory issues — spot it early, treat it right.
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Eggs & Nutrition
When hens start laying, why they stop, richer yolks, and exactly what to feed.
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Coop & Seasonal
Coop setup, space & predators, plus winter and summer routines for a thriving flock.
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Behavior & Breeds
Choosing breeds, the pecking order, broody hens and introducing new birds calmly.
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Eggs & Nutrition guides
Eggs & NutritionWhat Can Chickens Eat? Safe & Toxic Food ListA founder's plain-spoken, vet-informed guide to what chickens can and can't eat — with a big safe/avoid table...
Eggs & NutritionSoft-Shell & Shell-Less Eggs: Causes and FixesSoft-shell and shell-less eggs scare new keepers, but most have a simple cause. Here's how to tell calcium...
Eggs & NutritionHow to Get Darker, Richer Egg Yolks NaturallyYolk color comes almost entirely from pigments in your hens' diet. Here's an honest, farm-tested guide to the...
Eggs & NutritionHow Many Eggs Do Chickens Lay? (Day, Week, Year)A plain-spoken guide to how many eggs a hen really lays per day, week, and year, with a...
Eggs & NutritionWhen Do Chickens Start Laying Eggs? (Age & Signs)Most hens lay their first egg between 18 and 24 weeks old. Here is the point-of-lay age by...
Eggs & NutritionWhy Did My Chickens Stop Laying Eggs? 8 ReasonsFrom shorter days and the annual molt to stress, broodiness, age, nutrition gaps, and hidden nests, here are...
Eggs & NutritionWhat to Feed Backyard Chickens: A Complete Daily Diet GuideFrom chick starter to layer feed, grit and oyster shell, safe treats and a clear never-feed list, here's...