Editorial Guidelines

These are the rules we hold ourselves to. We publish them so readers can judge our work, and so editors know what has to be true before a page goes live.

About Raising Chickens

Raising Chickens is an independent editorial publication for backyard chicken keepers and beginner gardeners. We publish concise guides, calculators, and seasonal checklists rather than long lifestyle posts. Every page is written, edited, and reviewed by the Raising Chickens editorial team using the standards on this page.

Review process

Every published page passes through five steps:

1. Intake. An editor scopes the topic, the reader question, and the search intent: quick answer, problem-solver, tool, or seasonal checklist.
2. Source research. The writer pulls primary sources from university extension services, veterinary schools, and recognized poultry organizations. Forum posts, social media, and personal blogs are never the main authority on a safety claim.
3. Drafting. The writer answers the reader question early, structures the page around a clear fact pattern, and adds tables or checklists where they help.
4. Source check. A second editor verifies every claim against the cited source, removes claims that cannot be traced, and confirms quantitative values match the source.
5. Publish & review. The page goes live with a "Last reviewed" date. Pages are revisited on a rolling basis and the date is updated when content changes meaningfully.

Voice

Neutral, practical, direct, calm. We answer the question early. We do not pretend to be a vet, a farmer, or an expert beyond what our sources support. We also avoid breathless or cutesy language; chickens are funny enough on their own.

Source standards

For health, safety, toxicity, and disease topics, we prefer:

• University extension services (e.g., poultry.extension.org)
• Veterinary schools and poultry-science departments
• Government agriculture and food-safety agencies
• Recognized poultry and veterinary organizations

We use forums, Facebook groups, Reddit threads, and personal blogs cautiously, and never as the main authority for a safety claim.

Page structure

• Every page leads with a direct answer.
• We use tables, checklists, and step lists where they help the reader.
• FAQs answer the questions a reader is most likely to type next.
• Long pages get a Table of Contents.
• Every page lists its sources and the date it was last reviewed.

Problem and health pages

Pages about sick or injured chickens use "possible causes include" language and avoid pretending to identify one certain cause from symptoms alone. Every health page includes a clear note that the page is general education, not a substitute for a poultry veterinarian.

Review cycle

Pages show a "Last reviewed" date in the byline. We review pages on a rolling basis and update the date when content changes meaningfully. Editorial corrections are made in place; significant corrections are noted.

What we don't do

• Mass-publish thin pages to chase keywords.
• Use AI-generated copy as the final article without human review and source-checking.
• Run health claims past affiliate or product opportunities; safety wins.
• Use HowTo, FAQPage, or other structured-data markup on content that is not actually a how-to or FAQ.

Corrections policy

If you find an error, a stale source, or a page that needs review, please tell us via the contact page. We take corrections seriously. Minor factual fixes are made in place and the page's "Last reviewed" date is updated. Significant corrections, especially anything that changes a health or safety recommendation, are called out at the top of the corrected page.

Independence and conflicts of interest

Raising Chickens is independently owned and not affiliated with any feed, equipment, or hatchery brand. Affiliate relationships, where they exist, are disclosed on our affiliate disclosure page and never influence whether a safety claim is published or how it is worded.