The term broody might not be an everyday word used in the average person’s vocabulary, but for anyone who owns chickens it is a well-known poultry tendency. Broodiness is a behavior a hen can exhibit ...

If you are looking to place newly hatched chicks with a hen, you could save yourself some work and give them a more natural experience. Introducing chicks to a broody hen requires some guidance but ...

Egg incubators, such as this Brinsea countertop model, offer another way to hatch chicken eggs if you don't have a broody hen. Now, on to working with broody hens. What follows is an adaptation from ...

Hatching your own chicks with a broody hen is an adventure that combines the wonders of nature with the charm of traditional farming. My year/old Easter Egger, Peach, decided she wanted a family of ...

Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter. You become adept at combing your fingers through feathers. I’ve got a Buff Cochin hen on my lap who is a giant, ...

An often overlooked consideration when one is choosing a breed of hen is the extent of their natural inclination to sit on a clutch of eggs. Beatrix Potter summarised the challenges of brooding with ...