A few months ago in the summer, I came across a Facebook page by the name of “Raising Chickens without the Drama”. I joined it mostly because I thought the name was funny, but it has since become a very useful tool on this chicken journey. It’s 8,000+ members are chicken lovers from all over the country! Members will post trying to sell and pass along roosters, or concerned chicken owners will post asking questions about sick chickens.

Although this is a much less formal way of getting information on chickens, the honesty of the members and years of experience make up for the lack of proper grammar. One of my biggest concerns with getting chickens for LaFarm is the prospect of chicken disease. These illnesses are easily spread among a flock and can often take the whole coop out in a matter of weeks. This page has given me a better understanding of common chicken illnesses, infections and skin diseases. While preventing them isn’t always simple, these people have a wealth of knowledge on curing illnesses and how to protect the rest of the flock.

Other tips on this page includes what breeds get along well, how to make your own chicken feed and what to do with aggressive roosters. I am hoping that as we get closer to the implementation stage of the chicken farm, this community will be a great resource to us.