Hi, I’m Bijaya Kumar, B.Pharm, founder of Chicken Journal. I’m a registered pharmacist and a hands-on chicken keeper with over 15 years of practical poultry-keeping experience, raising chickens with my family since 2010.
I created Chicken Journal to share practical lessons from caring for real flocks, along with research-based information that can help backyard chicken keepers make better decisions. The site focuses on chicken breeds, daily care, feeding, flock health, coops and equipment, predator protection, egg laying, and the everyday problems that come with keeping chickens.
Our Family’s Chicken-Keeping Journey
My family and I have been raising chickens since 2010, giving me more than 15 years of hands-on poultry-keeping experience. What started as a practical farming activity became a long-term part of our daily life. Over the years, we have learned through routine flock care, mistakes, seasonal challenges, disease prevention, housing problems, predator pressure, feeding decisions, and the many small observations that only come from spending time around chickens.
Today, our flock generally ranges from about 250 to 500 free-range chickens. We use roughly 3,000 square feet of shed space for safe nighttime housing, while the birds are allowed to range during the day when conditions are suitable and we can supervise them.
Watching chickens scratch, dust-bathe, forage, establish their pecking order, raise chicks, and settle into their normal routines has taught me as much as any poultry manual. That hands-on experience is the foundation of Chicken Journal.
The Chickens We Raise
Our flock has included several breeds and local varieties over the years. Some of the chickens we have raised include:
- Asil (Aseel) chickens, known for their distinctive build and strong personality.
- Vanaraja chickens, a hardy variety we have experience raising in our conditions.
- Sonali chickens, along with other locally raised birds and crosses.
- Naked Neck chickens, one of the most recognizable birds in a mixed flock.
- Various hybrids and mixed-breed chickens raised for practical backyard and farm purposes.
My Professional Background
I am also a registered pharmacist with a Bachelor of Pharmacy (B.Pharm) and more than 12 years of professional experience working with human and veterinary medicines, including products used for poultry, cattle, goats, dogs, and other livestock. My pharmacy education helps me read scientific and medical information carefully, understand why medication safety matters, and evaluate health claims more critically. You can browse all articles by Bijaya Kumar from my author profile.
That background is useful when I research subjects such as poultry nutrition, vaccination, disease prevention, supplements, and medication safety. However, I am not a veterinarian. Chicken Journal provides educational information and practical chicken-keeping guidance, not a diagnosis or a substitute for care from a qualified veterinarian.
When an article covers poultry health, I aim to separate everyday flock-care experience from veterinary questions and to rely on credible veterinary, university Extension, government, or other technical sources where appropriate. You can also read our Poultry Health and Veterinary Disclaimer.
The Story Behind Chicken Journal
The idea for Chicken Journal began in 2019. After years of keeping chickens, I wanted a place where I could organize what I had learned and make it useful to other people. Chicken Journal went online in 2020 and gradually grew into a collection of breed guides, chicken-care articles, equipment guides, health information, and practical backyard experiences.
I do not want Chicken Journal to be a site that simply repeats what is already on the internet. Whenever possible, I add what I have seen with our own flock, correct older information when better evidence becomes available, and update guides when poultry-keeping recommendations change.
Why Readers Can Trust Chicken Journal
- Hands-on experience: My family and I have been raising chickens since 2010, including managing a large mixed flock.
- Real farm observations: Many guides include practical lessons learned from feeding, housing, breeding, flock behavior, seasonal care, and everyday poultry problems.
- Evidence-aware health content: Poultry-health information is researched carefully, and veterinary care is recommended when a condition is beyond normal backyard management.
- Corrections and updates: Older guides are reviewed and improved when information becomes outdated, unclear, or unsupported.
- Commercial transparency: Some pages contain affiliate links. These are disclosed openly, and you can read our Affiliate Disclosure.
What You’ll Find on Chicken Journal
- Chicken breed guides: temperament, egg production, appearance, size, climate tolerance, and suitability for backyard flocks.
- Raising chickens: feeding, chicks, eggs, flock behavior, predators, seasonal care, and everyday management.
- Poultry health and management: prevention, nutrition, common symptoms, biosecurity, and when veterinary help may be needed.
- Coops and equipment: practical guidance on feeders, waterers, brooders, incubators, fencing, heating, ventilation, and other flock supplies.
- DIY projects and farm experience: useful projects and lessons from real chicken keeping.
Connect With Chicken Journal
I enjoy hearing from readers, especially when you have a useful correction, a question about one of our guides, or a chicken-keeping experience that could help other flock owners.
- Email: chickenjournalcontact@gmail.com
- Contact Chicken Journal
- Reddit: u/chickenjournal
- See more of our real flock in A Day in My Chicken Coop.
Thank you for reading Chicken Journal and for trusting us to be part of your chicken-keeping journey.
Bijaya Kumar
Founder, Chicken Journal