Online Chicken School Podcast

In this episode, we talk about Gordo's recovery from getting spayed, giving first aid to General Tso, a new website that gives poultry brands an animal-welfare score, and we give seven tips for buying chickens from an online hatchery.

In this episode, we talk about Gordo getting ready to be fixed, share a recipe for chicken 'n' dumplings, talk about vaccinating for coccidiosis, and discuss what the float test really means about your eggs.

Episode 53 - We talk about Max's flea allergy, help a listener with a predator issue, discuss whether it is a bad idea to buy hatching eggs, and try to figure out if Don is a biosecurity hypocrite.

Episode 52 - We talk about a possible new logo design, our young and crazy Delaware flock, and give some advice on how to get rid of an unwanted cockerel or rooster without them ending up in the hands of slimy cock-fighters.

Episode 51. In this episode, we talk about what to do when your chickens won’t go to bed, answer whether you can ferment medicated feed, and look at simplifying their chicken ranch.  

Episode 50. In this episode we share the story of a young hen who is getting a prosthetic leg and then talk about saving eggs for winter. A Wet Month The rain presents some interesting challenges for us in August and September every year. For one thing, it rains daily… sometimes several times daily. The […]

Episode 49. In this episode we talk about the extra care required for rescued battery hens and whether they have a place in your backyard flock. New Hen Apron Pippa, one of our Barred Rock hens, has been sporting a standard hen saddle for a little while now, but we noticed that her rooster is still […]

Episode 48. In this episode we discuss why it is important to quarantine new chickens, and then talk about how you evaluate a chicken coop before you buy it. Duck Emergency! Last weekend, I was working in my workshop in the back of our property when Suzy called me on the radio, shouting “Get up […]

Episode 47. In this episode we talk about the passing of our Australian Shepherd, Shep, and discuss whether it is a good idea to rent chickens.  

Episode 46. Today we take another look at the bird flu with special guest Joel Salatin, and ask why the avian influenza outbreak seems to be focused in commercial chicken growers and mostly leaving backyard flocks alone. We also take a look at snakes and talk about whether they are dangerous to your backyard flock. […]

Episode 45 Show Notes Fermented Feed Update The fermented feed experiment is under way – at least partially. Our latest batch of baby chicks has been snacking on fermented feed for just over a week. We decided to delay the implementation with the adult birds, mostly out of my laziness. Fermenting the first batch was […]

Episode 44 Show Notes Back from Vacation! We are back home from a week spent in Las Vegas with Suzy’s parents. I wasn’t sure how the trip was going to go since neither Suzy or I gamble, but we had a great time at the Hoover Dam, the Grand Canyon and just being out of […]

Episode 43 Show Notes Shortage of Chicken Sexers The poultry industry in the United Kingdom announced that it has a critical shortage of chickens sexers, the people who separate male and female chicks at chicken hatcheries. Apparently, this is not an occupation that young people are considering for a career despite a nice pay rate […]

Episode 42 Show Notes Happy Eggs Benedict Day! Today is one of the most important, yet under-appreciated, holidays of the year. Yes my friends, it is Eggs Benedict Day. To celebrate, here is a link to the Eggs Benedict recipe Suzy uses. What Do You Do with an Egg Eater? Craig sent us a message […]

Episode 41 Show Notes Dealing With a Chicken’s Broken Leg One of our good hatchery customers had an incident last week when she was moving her chicken tractor. One of her hens got her leg caught under the tractor and her leg broke. A broken chicken leg can be reset and splinted, but he ability […]

Episode 40 Show Notes Okay.. We Are Lazy We have been pretty well knocked out with allergies and the flu for many weeks, which turned us into two very lazy podcasters. Fortunately, we are both on the mend and back into our normal workflow. Lots of Work to Do Outside Now that the time change […]

Episode 39 Show Notes Shep is Now One Year Old Our cute little Australian Shepherd / Catahoula mix, Shep (named for astronaut Alan Shepard), turned one year old the last weekend. We like talking about the dogs on the podcast because they are an important part of our predator protection plan. We just had an […]

[hr] Episode 38 Show Notes Our Second Chicken Emergency in Two Weeks Cluck Norris, our Rhode Island Red rooster, has a favorite hen. Her name is Scarlett Crowhansson and being the object of Chuck’s obsession is not easy. Recently, she began developing bald spots on her back where Chuck stands to do his business. Normally, […]

[hr] Episode 37 Show Notes Welcome to the World, Brody! Suzy’s youngest sister had a cute little boy named Brody. This is our second nephew, and this one lives not too far down the street, so we are pretty excited to put him to work on the chicken farm! Foul Prank Two college students in […]

[hr] Episode 36 Show Notes The Giants Aren’t Too Bright Last week, we came home a little later than expected and it was already dark. Earlier, we have allowed the Jersey Giants some free time out in the yard while we were away. Normally, chickens will march themselves back inside the coop when the sun […]