Life With Backyard Chickens

Many urban chicken farmers will eagerly confess that raising small flocks is addictive. Daily interaction with these pets that make breakfast is educational, entertaining and nutritious for the whole family.

By Anna Millman
Filed under: Pet Friendly Gardening, Gardening

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Anatomy of a Chicken

Easy lessons in biology and animal husbandry come into play when you raise backyard chickens. This is a mature Buff Orpington hen named Zuzu. She's sporting a single comb on the top of her head, a pair of wattles in her chin area and earlobes behind the wattles — the red fold. Her nostrils are located right above her beak. The color of a chicken's ears correlates to the color of its eggs. Zuzu lays light brown eggs. Bright or dark red combs and wattles are a sign that a hen is in egg-laying mode.