Backyard Chicken Cam

Welcome to Backyard Chicken Cam

Backyard Chicken Cam is a work of love and boredom, created by a man who spends a little too much time at home. What started as a simple backyard setup turned into a live, always-on look at daily chicken life.

We do our best to keep the cam running 24/7, so feel free to stop by any time—day or night. The coop is always changing, with ongoing tweaks, upgrades, and improvements, so be sure to check back from time to time.

The coop door currently opens at 8:41 AM Eastern Time, and the chickens usually head to bed around 5:10 PM Eastern Time. These are some of the most entertaining moments to watch.

Thanks for stopping by, and enjoy the cam. Scroll down if you want to learn more about chickens, including fun facts, breeds, and the names of everyone in our flock.

About Chickens

The chicken is a domesticated subspecies of the red junglefowl, originally native to Southeast Asia. Chickens were first domesticated around 8,000 years ago and are now one of the most common and widespread domesticated animals in the world.

Chickens are primarily kept for their meat and eggs, though many—like ours—are also kept as pets. As of 2023, the global chicken population exceeded 26.5 billion, with more than 50 billion birds produced annually for consumption.

A hen bred for laying can produce over 300 eggs per year. Chickens are social animals with complex vocalizations and behaviors, and they appear in folklore, religion, and literature across cultures. Their economic importance makes them a central part of global animal husbandry.

Chickens are omnivores. In the wild, they scratch at the soil in search of seeds, insects, and even small animals like lizards, snakes, and mice. Depending on the breed, a chicken may live 5–10 years; the oldest known chicken lived to be 16.

Chickens live in flocks and establish a social hierarchy known as the pecking order. Dominant birds receive priority access to food and nesting sites. Despite often being viewed solely as food animals, chickens demonstrate cognition, emotions, and social behavior comparable to many birds and mammals.

Facts About Roosters

Roosters are male chickens known for protecting their flock, maintaining social order, and crowing to alert others of potential danger. They typically have brighter plumage, larger combs and wattles, and spurs.

Roosters play a vital role in fertilizing eggs and often put their hens first by "tidbitting"—finding and offering food to hens before eating themselves. They also possess remarkable facial recognition abilities for both humans and other chickens.

Our Rooster: Floofy McFloofyPants

Floofy McFloofyPants is our Black Silkie rooster. Silkies are a Chinese breed named for their unusually fluffy plumage, which feels soft like silk or fur.

Silkies are known for several unique traits, including black skin and bones, blue earlobes, and their gentle personalities. If you watch closely when treats are thrown out, you may see and hear Floofy tidbitting for the hens.

The Matriarch: Lego

Lego is a Silver Laced Wyandotte and the oldest surviving hen in our flock. She joined us as a baby chick in 2018 and has firmly established herself as the matriarch of the coop.

The Hens