Raising Chickens : Keeping Chickens in your Backyard

Chick Leg Problems

2011-06-28T02:33:00.000-07:00

There are many types of leg problems with chicks but the most common potential causes of leg problems are usually primarily down to one of four possibilities :

1. Incorrect settings at the incubation stage (or an unreliable incubator)
2. Slippery floor surface in the brooder once hatched
3. Nutritional deficiency when growing.
4. Hereditary

Two of the most common chick leg problems with newly hatched chicks are splayed legs and crooked toes. In both cases the issue may have been caused at the incubation stage. Chicks that hatched with splayed legs may have had insufficient moisture when incubating or too high an incubation temperature. Crooked toes can be hereditary but often is due to the incubation temperature and/or humidity being too low.

Another cause of crooked looking toes is a riboflavin deficiency (vitamin B2) and that may be a deficiency in the chick itself or because the breeding stock had that deficiency. The toes may curl inward or underneath and a partial paralysis of the legs can also force the chick to walk and rest on the hock joints (in a squatting position). Curled toe paralysis may be helped if it is the starter ration that has insufficient riboflavin. In those cases symptoms can start to appear at around 10 days old and when a multivitamin supplement is supplied promptly before too much damage has been done the chicks can recover.

One thing that seems to help with splayed legs is to support the legs in a natural position. A common way to do this is to use a bandaid and attach horizontally between the chicks legs at a comfortable distance so that the gauze part of the bandaid is in the middle (the bandaid across the legs results in an 'H'). The support combined with a well balanced chick feed should help the legs grow the right way and allow your chick to walk whilst the legs are still getting stronger. Eventually the legs will hopefully be strong enough to support the chick without the need of the bandaid (they usually come off naturally after a few days but you may need to reapply). Here is a video of a chick that previously could not walk properly now getting around much better with the help of a bandaid.

The main cause of a development in chicks after hatching of splayed legs (also known as spraddle legs) is a slippery floor surface, particularly in their first few days of hatching. It may be that a chick with slightly crooked toes cannot stay balanced properly and so splayed legs can develop but more commonly splayed legs will be caused by a smooth slippery surface such as cardboard, plastic or newspaper and so those should not be used in the brooder. 1-2 inches of pine shavings with paper towels over the top would be a better flooring for very young chicks (when they are a little older just the shavings should be fine). If you have a chick with a twisted leg (like spraddle leg but only affecting one leg) it may potentially be due to a vitamin deficiency (specifically Choline - another vitamin from the 'B' family).

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In another post there are some photos and commentary from Keeping Chickens Newsletter subscriber Christina Raving performing surgery on a Maran chick with fused toes (a chick leg problem which can lead to other leg and balance issues if not corrected).

Maran Chick : Fused Toes Surgery

2011-06-27T15:53:00.000-07:00

Fused toes on a newly hatched chick can lead to other leg and balance issues if not corrected. The following photos and commentary come from keeping chickens newsletter subscriber Christina Raving of her surgery on a Maran chick with fused toes.

(May 6th) "This is one of my Maran chicks which was born on April 19, 2011. He is very well bred; he was the first one born from 8 Maran and 2 Buff Orpingtons which I’d purchased from a breeder in Roseville.

I called this chick “Lumpy” because he seemed to pop out of the egg in a hurry, and his head was misshapen. Unfortunately, he couldn’t get his bottom out of the shell, and started dragging it around the incubator. The next morning, I peeled the shell off of his abdomen before I put him into the brooder. His abdomen was still protruding with un-dissolved yolk, but he shaped up quickly.

I sexed the chicks three days later, and he was one of the males. Since he was the first out, he imprinted on me, and is easily recognizable as the biggest chick. Even at this young age, his tail seems to be erect and attitude very bold. I love to hold him while he snuggles under my chin as I sit at my computer.

Lumpy had a small defect, in that two of his toes were fused, which is related to the gene which gives this breed feathers on their legs.

I started the operation by trying to hold an ice cube on his foot in an effort to numb it. He is quite lively, but I managed for about 5 minutes. Then I dried and covered his foot with a Betadine- type solution.

I took an alcohol-sterilized pair of sharp manicure scissors and quickly made two snips to free the toes.

Then I lathered it with antibiotic ointment and put him outside with the rest of his brothers and sisters. He barely bled and did not seem stressed about the procedure at all.

When I brought the chicks in tonight, he acted no different from the rest, and his toe incision seemed well-sealed. I think he will be fine.

The only thing I would have changed was to use Ora-gel, the toothache pain reliever, as suggested by the breeder.

*Note: I later realized that I had some Lidocaine cream that might have worked to numb the foot as well. It is important to realize the merit of improvising in a home situation like this where you want to help your animal, but can’t afford to take it to a Veterinarian.

May 19, 2011: Lumpy continues to do well. His group is now outside and integrated with the flock, but Lumpy still recognizes me and nuzzles under my chin."

Building A Chicken Coop For The First Time

2011-05-18T03:30:00.000-07:00

By Dale Calder: "Just like everyone else says I love the keeping chickens newsletter and read it from cover to cover as soon as it arrives. I have never built any thing before and I just finished my coop.

I thought since I did this without any previous experience it might be an encouragement to others who are thinking of doing the same, to see the process.

My birds arrive the last week of May so only a few days to wait. I ordered six standard size brown egg layers, various breeds selected by the hatchery and nine straight run bantams one Slikie, three Mottled Cochins and five Bantam Grab Bag what ever is left over at the hatchery. They all hatch on Monday May 23rd and I should have the on either the 24th or 25th, can't wait."

I also made three short videos of the construction process.

Incubating and Brooding Chickens - Free 15 page Guide

2011-04-27T11:15:00.000-07:00

This is a short guide to incubating and brooding chickens written by one of the most influential men in chicken keeping - James Dryden. It is kind of old but I personally think there is still a lot of value in the 'old ways' - chickens haven't changed all that much and it is certainly interesting to see how things used to be done if nothing else.

'Right Click' and 'Save Target As' to download this pdf to your computer

Coccidiosis In Chickens

2011-02-04T08:47:00.000-08:00

This video gives an overview of coccidiosis in chickens and shows how devastating just one bird with coccidiosis can be to an unprotected flock. While coccidiosis can occur at any age the greatest danger of infection is in chicks from four to eight weeks old. It takes around 6 days for the disease to run its course. Often there are no visible symptoms until the third and fourth days. This video does include some archival footage of chicks with coccidiosis and shows some of the symptoms of the disease as it progresses which may be upsetting to some.

Automatic Chicken Coop Door

2010-11-12T12:15:00.000-08:00

Having an Automatic Chicken Coop Door can prove a useful addition to your coop. It can give you peace of mind if you are someone who occasionally forgets to lock your chickens in at night or in case you are not home until after dark. It can also give you the option of sleeping in without leaving some very disgruntled chickens in the coop – and generally it’s nice to have a back up.

When installing an automatic chicken coop door it is advisable to have a few test runs to iron out any potential problems before fully trusting and relying on it. From the experiences of subscribers of Keeping Chickens Newsletter.com here are a few things to watch out for :

Changes in Daylight Hours : As the daylight hours lengthen there is a potential to lock your chickens out of the coop if the timer is not updated to reflect the new time for dusk.
For those with a light sensor controlled automatic coop door opener the position of the coop/sensor and or surrounding landscape such as mountains, trees, valley etc. may trigger the sensor to close the door at the wrong time (so you may need to switch to using a timer instead)
If their entrance is prone to getting things like leaves and poop stuck in the doorway that may affect it’s smooth operation (or perhaps leave an unwanted gap at the bottom)
Power to the door – batteries eventually need replacing, power cuts can happen.

There are several automatic coop door kits available and even some pre-built ones. Below is a video from an automatic chicken coop door owner which cost around $150 and consisted of an Add-a-Motor D20, kitchen timer from Amazon, some wood, weather proofing and a plastic sheet from the hardware store for the door (which he is intending to change to galvanized steel roof flashing for added security)

Raising Day Old Chicks with A Broody Hen

2010-08-05T05:08:00.000-07:00

If you have a persistently broody hen and no fertile eggs, or a broody that has sat on eggs without success you may be considering purchasing chicks for her to raise. There are a few risks to this - she may not accept them as her own and ignore them, or even worse attack them (sadly this can sometimes happen even when a hen has just hatched her own chicks). You will need to be prepared to look after the chicks yourself if it does turn out that she will not accept them.

Although it does have its risks, putting chicks under a broody hen can work well and if you have a persistent broody it may finally satisfy her apparent need to raise chicks (no guarantees though!). The best chance of success seems to be to recreate a natural hatching as far as possible i.e. a hen that has been sitting on eggs for at least 20 days, day old chicks, and a gradual swapping of an egg for a chick over a few hours.

The video below is of Keeping Chickens Newsletter subscriber Lisa Ruminski’s ‘Carmen Miranda’ getting some adoptive chicks after sitting on infertile eggs for almost a month.

7 Rules for Keeping Chickens

2010-05-18T02:17:00.000-07:00

Letter for all those who have loved and lost a 'girl'
To Keeping Chickens Newsletter subscribers from Susan in Melbourne, Australia

Rule 1. Don't name your girls...I started with A for Anita and by the letter T and with only 5 girls to show for the alphabet, I decided it was emotionally safer to just call them 'girls'.

Rule 2. All herding dogs will herd - feather or fur or wool! Be prepared to introduce dogs on a lead and accept that they will have to admire your 'girls' through a fence. It's a very strong instinct to herd/chase and the girls simply don't have the heart for it.

Rule 3. Fences are made to fly over or wriggle under. I have divided my yard nicely with 4 foot lattice fencing. It has created a lovely backdrop for our garden and a freeway for the girls! Yes, I have trimmed a wing on each but they still manage easily to 'bank' over the fence. I am reluctant to totally remove their main defence mechanism for escaping predators including the deaf cat from next door.

Rule 4. Foxes will hunt anytime of the day. My previous hen house was broken into 3 times and each time I reinforced the walls with another layer of wire, then wood. I started to feel like one of the three pigs! Then the fox broke in through the wire roof of the run. I now have a welded mesh house with mesh floor. Most nights, after putting the girls to bed, I let the dogs run around the yard, leaving wet messages on the bushes, etc. This seems to ward off the foxes during the day while we are at work.

Rule 5. Be careful where you bury your dearly departed girls - their sisters have a gruesome tendency to dig them up (or the dog)! Apparently it isn't considered good manners to drop them into your neighbours garbage bin either...oops! (I had run out of ground space)

Rule 6. Your girls will lay way past their 'best by date'. As a result of bonding, feeding and protection, the eggs get bigger and better tasting. Even if they are old and can't lay anymore, they are still eating garden pests and delight in seeing you in the garden. Probably best not to dwell on what goes into their egg production - eewww

Rule 7. Try and go vegetarian for a month a year. It's a good reminder of all the other foods that are out there. It honours and recognises the importance of all life, especially our 'girls'.

Thanks for the newsletter and I love some of the designer hen houses! It's got me thinking about what to design when we move to live at the beach - at least a small surfboard as a ramp up to some beach sheds???!!!

Susan, Melbourne, Australia and enjoying a beautiful, balmy autumn/fall.

Clever Chickens ?

2010-03-21T04:03:00.000-07:00

The story below comes from Keeping Chickens Newsletter subscriber Jackie.

Hi Gina - thankyou for sending the chicken newsletters, they are helpful and interesting. have kept chooks for many years, loved them well, but never attributed much in the way of brains to them until recently when I saw something extraordinary happen:

A good friend had two elderly hens remaining from a small flock which had gradually dwindled from old age. His hens, Mrs Red and Mrs Brown, ran free most of the time and came to his door to look for food, especially when he was sitting there in the sunshine enjoying a roll-your-own cigarette. Mrs Red had raised many chickens and was admired as a good mother.

Jack, their owner, decided to do a trip away. He gave Mrs R and Mrs B to me to care for while he was away. They gradually integrated with my hens and rooster, and became part of the flock, especially Mrs Red, who is naturally bossy. She went clucky and raised chickens for me, and generally dominated the hen house.

It was nearly two years before Jack returned. He drove the car up my drive, parked behind the house, and got out. All the hens, about twenty in all, were just let out for their afternoon run, and were clustered round the door to the henhouse, about 20 metres up a hill from Jack's car. Quite suddenly Jack's two detached from the flock and RAN down the hill, straight up to Jack's feet, and looked up expectantly at him. I could almost hear them saying "OK - where's our dinner then?"

Whether it was the car, or Jack's voice, or the smell of his tobacco, or a combination, I dont know, but those hens remembered him perfectly - he had not been at my home while the hens were there, or fed them in that place. They had not done that to any other of the many visitors they had seen arrive over two years. Chooks have more brains than I thought!

Cheers, Jackie, North Hokianga, NZ

How To Hypnotise a Chicken

2010-02-19T09:07:00.000-08:00

John : I was talking to an Amish man about chickens at a Saturday auction and he asked me if I knew how to put a chicken to sleep. I said no, of course. He picked up a chicken, put it's head underneath one of its wings, then held the chicken with both hands, making sure the head was kept under the wing. Then he moved the chicken in a wide figure 8 motion in front of him - just swinging it back and forth 3-4 times. Then he put the chicken on the ground, still with its head under the wing. It just laid there, motionless. After a minute or so, he lifted the wing, the chicken woke up, stood up, and was completely awake. I tried it with one of my chickens when I got home, with the same result.

This might actually be helpful if you want to work on the chicken's foot, or examine it for mites, etc. And, of course, it's fun. I'm curious if you've heard of this before. And, while I doubt that this harms the chicken in any way, if it is harmful, I'd like to know.

There are a few variations to this including laying the chicken down and drawing circles in the air with your finger over it or repeatedly drawing a line on the floor away from the beak. 'Hypnotised' chickens seem to wake up quite easily if touched but perhaps it could be helpful to have them keep still like this if you need to look at something (especially if you have a real squirmer). I haven't heard that it is harmful, but I did have a subscriber tip in the latest newsletter which mentioned chickens (and birds in general) way of breathing is using air sacs and so to be careful not to hold them too tightly around the body. On the BBC's 'Autumnwatch' Martin Hughes-Games gave the explanation that it is a natural protection from attacks (i.e. a fox would think they were already dead and leave them be).

There are several variations on how to 'hypnotise' a chicken - here is one method :

Bumblefoot Chicken

2009-09-18T05:33:00.000-07:00

Bumblefoot in Chickens

The symptoms of bumblefoot are limping and a large soft swelling on bottom of foot. Usually bumblefoot is due to bruises or small wounds. Some possible causes are jumping from perches that are too high; jumping on a hard surface from the perch or other high spot; long periods on hard floors or runs; extremely narrow perches. I am not a vet but from what I have read it seems to me that the main consensus of all the methods I have seen is that mild cases may go away if the blumblefoot is cleaned up and kept clean, and more serious cases will need the ‘bumble’ part removing and then the wound kept clean until healed (there are many different variations of antiseptic and antibiotics available)

Mild Cases of Bumblefoot

In mild cases of bumblefoot the bottom of the foot is swollen and is inflamed and noticeably painful.

Treatment (as recommended in the Success With Poultry book) : Washing in warm water and applying boric acid ointment (to make boric acid ointment add one part boric acid to five parts vaseline).

Method :

1. Hold the foot in warm water for about ten minutes
2. Apply boric acid ointment
3. Repeat this once each day for three days, keeping the bird confined on soft earth or in a coop with some sort of soft bedding.

Below is a video of a rooster being treated for a mild case of bumblefoot.

In aggravated cases, abscesses form and the ‘bumble’ will need to be removed and the wound cleaned (I will list the basic method below, but it may be something you would prefer your vet to do):

1. Soak the foot in warm water for about ten minutes
2. Then with a very sharp knife or scalpel try to work around the ‘bumble’ pulling back the edges of the scab (the trademark bumblefoot black scab may be like a plug hiding puss at a deeper level).
3. Remove all the puss and clean the wound thoroughly with lukewarm water. You should be left with a clean hole.
4. The Success With Poultry book then suggests dusting it with iodoform and applying the boric acid ointment – an alternative to this step 4 would be to fill the hole with an antibiotic cream such as Neosporin.
5. Bandage the foot with cotton or use vetrap (or similar)and dress it daily as (4) above

Using A Greenhouse As A Temporary Chicken House Or Scratching Shed

2009-08-30T06:14:00.000-07:00

An Alternative Use For Greenhouses...

Chickens often enjoy fresh vegetables as a treat but you could also find your greenhouse can serve a double purpose as a chicken coop like the chickens in the video below have :-)

This video shows chickens enjoying a dustbath in the middle of a cold December when the snow on the ground had prevented the chickens from bathing or foraging comfortably outside : "We give them free access to the 1250 square foot greenhouse, where the soil is warm and soft even in the winter. They love it."

If building your own greenhouse is something you have considered then you might be interested in this downloadable greenhouses plans book which contains detailed step-by-step instructions for five different greenhouses. The greenhouses plans include a Victorian style greenhouse and plans for how to build a large hoop / arch greenhouse as well as several other designs.

Victorian Style Greenhouse

Affordable PVC hoop Greenhouse

Chickens in the Yard

2009-07-24T11:26:00.000-07:00

Chickens are not currently allowed within Salem's residential areas. Dana Matthews of Chickens in the Yard is hoping to change that by persuading Salem city council to revise it's ordinance to allow residents in Salem to keep a few backyard hens, for eggs and as pets. Other cities already do allow chickens and have found that there can be many benefits. This item from living culture also features a chicken keeper (and her backyard flock) from Portland Oregon where they do allow backyard chickens and she shows some of the benefits of keeping a few chickens in your back yard.

Chickens in the Yard - Part 1

Chickens in the Yard - Part 2

How To Stop A Broody Hen From Staying Broody

2009-06-06T16:03:00.000-07:00

Mike Breder : Hi Gina, Thanks for your newsletter. I have a question for you.
I have 4 hens including an Americauna, Rhode Island Red, Ancona and Buff Orpington. Our Buff (Jupiter) the big girl became rather broody a month ago and while we had to leave town for the weekend, I decided to seperate her from the other girls so my chickensitter / my mom didn't have to pick her up and get pecked moving her out of the nest box. I usually just toss her out of the nest box to try and break things up a little, but she makes her way back there.

Nevertheless, while we were out of town and Jupiter was serving her time in our dog kennel detention facility away from the others, she had time to think about her crimes and when I returned I let her back in the coop and whamo....no more broodiness. Well until a week ago anyways. Now a month since her 1st trip to the pen, I am getting ready to send her to the dog kennel again, but sometimes she's on the eggs and sometimes she's off......more on than off, but I don't want this to become a problem. Do you have any pointers? My research says that Buff Orpingtons tend to be a broody breed. As much as I'd like to cull her from our flock and onto our barbeque, my boys would be devasted and my wife would dissaprove (and I really don't think I could do it anyways). I was wondering if you could put this on your blog. I would love to get some tips from other backyard chicken folks. Thanks for your time. Mike Breder. Citrus County

Broody hens can be a law unto themselves, and they can go broody with or without fertilised eggs to sit on. If you have a broody you will probably already recognise the signs. When broody, hens are very single minded and will want to sit on the eggs almost constantly, taking only brief breaks for food and the toilet (sometimes they forget to even do that). She may pull out some of the feathers from her belly to feather her nest and allow her to feel the eggs directly on her skin. She could get aggressive screeching and even pecking at anyone who gets close. She will also probably have 'broody poos' (the not very nice result of keeping everything held in for hours on end!).

This is all very well if you want her to hatch chicks, but if you don't (or it's not possible) long periods of broodiness can take their toll on her health and so it is sometimes necessary to take action to stop her being broody.

One of the broody signs - A broody hen screeching to be left alone

This is a video of Lisa Ruminski's broody Chinese Silkie Natasha protesting her incarceration.

When broody her body temperature will rise and she will obviously want to get herself comfortable ready for several weeks of being on the nest. The main ideas for stopping broodys are centred around stoping her getting herself too comfortable. Sometimes it can be as simple as removing her from the nests several times a day, but a determined broody can be hard to dissuade. The main method I have seen for persistent broodys (which is basically the same as Mike's dog kennel detention facility), is to put her in a raised wire cage (or wooden / plastic one with a slatted bottom) for a few days with food and water but no comfy bedding - the idea being that the cool air around her 'bits' and lack of comfort deters her from wanting to settle and hatch eggs. Another method common in 'the old days' which is still sometimes used is to dunk her in a pail of cool (but not really cold) water which will bring her brooding temperature down and perhaps make her indignant enough to give up on being broody altogether. This video shows one keepers broody hen 'Pipi' getting the cold water treatment - she had been broody for 3 days and two dips in the water was enough in this case to snap her out of it.

A keen rooster can also 'bother' the broodiness out of a broody hen (if he's brave enough to!).

Keeping Chickens Entertained

2009-03-20T12:03:00.000-07:00

Paul Scott : "Hi Gina Many thanks for your newsletter - it's great to see all the different stories that your readers send in.

I'm Paul, a relative newcomer compared to some of your readers. My wife Jo, and daughters Kayleigh (9) and Shannon (7) love our chickens. I bought six young laying hens last year and after about 2 months we were all truly pleased to find them gradually start to produce eggs. I had heard somewhere that the egg colour is not connected to the breed of bird - ha. We have two Warrens (laying golden eggs), 2 Bluebells (laying slightly purple/brown eggs), 1 White Star (massive white eggs) and 1 Black Rock (smaller darker brown eggs). The plan was to have them laying eggs for a couple of years, and then replace them (i.e. have them for dinner whilst bringing in new ones). Unfortunately, our girls gave names to the chickens as soon as I brought them home and any mention of eating them brings tears to their eyes...I guess that's one subject we'll tackle in a couple of years time!

Our coop is a converted dogs kennel, a stone building for nesting and roosting and a large run for them to scratch around in. They all seem pretty content, and have put on a pretty decent weight over the past 6 months. However, recently (and this is one of my reasons for writing) two of the hens (black rock and bluebell) have started to lose feathers around their "saddle" area - I believe that's the correct terminology. I've tried to read up on the subject but cannot find any reason (or cure) for this. I'm presuming that they are being bullied by some of the more dominant hens but when watching them in the run I don't see any evidence for this. Any suggestions?

Keep up the good work.

Kindest regards Paul
Ps - the chickens are called Clucky, Mylie, Hannah, Sandy, Penny and Lily"

Often missing feathers around the saddle area can indicate an over attentive rooster, but as these are all laying hens that is obviously not very likely :-)

There are several reasons why hens can peck at each other (beyond the usual pecking order scuffles) things like overcrowding, boredom and nutritional deficiency (methionine). If there is no pecking going on then it might even be lice or mites causing the feather loss. In past issues of the newsletter I have covered different aspects of feather loss a few times, but I don't think I have ever given any suggestions for boredom - and that can be one of the most fun things to do for your chickens.

The things they most enjoy are free-ranging to find food, so things that emulate that are quite good fun for them. It is not always practical for chickens to free range very much so setting up a few little 'challenges' inside their coop or pen can be a good way to keep them occupied. Really it is a case of experimenting and finding out what particular challenges your girls (and boys) enjoy the most. One quite popular idea is hanging a whole cabbage or lettuce or apple etc. from a pole or from the coop off the ground (if using string it should not be too long to minimise any chance of entanglement). Or how about something with bugs in (such as a clump of earth and grass which they can enjoy picking apart). The possibilities are endless :-)

Bev Wagar : "I made the girls a 'pecksicle' - a suet feeder fastened to a stick, filled with peckable stuff like cabbage, lettuce, carrots, apple. These are foods they have trouble with, since their beaks have to peck out little bite-sized chunks, and the stuff will roll away as they peck. These ones also fight over this stuff.

The 'pecksicle' lets them peck from all directions (less fighting!). The food stays clean, and the girls stay entertained all day."

(In the photo they're gobbling down their yogurt treat, so are ignoring the pecksicle.)

What is Green Bone? (feeding chickens)

2009-02-03T08:06:00.001-08:00

'Green bone' is a bone that is fresh from the butchers, contains all the natural juices and with more or less fresh meat stuck to it. (source 'Success With Poultry')

Winter Mash - Homemade Chicken Layers Feed

2008-10-25T09:38:00.000-07:00

A recent query from keeping chickens newsletter subscriber Staci : "Thanks for the newsletter. I have enjoyed it very much. I did a little searching through it, but have not seen mention of 'winter mashes'. A friends' mother told me she remembers that her father used to feed his hens a mash of some sort to keep them laying through the winter. If you have any recipes for such a thing (the mash), I would love to see them."

I'm not sure if this is exactly what as meant by a 'Winter Mash' but there are a few mash recipes included in the 200 Eggs Chicken Care Guide (used by various poultry farmers of 'the old days'). It also includes details on food values and what a chicken needs so you can devise your own aswell. Here's one winter time mash recipe for laying hens that may help :

"From October to May I feed as follows: A mash the first thing in the morning. The mash is made as I am about to describe. Into an iron kettle holding 12 quarts I put two quarts (dry measure) cut clover, two quarts mixed feed or wheat bran, two quarts corn meal, one quart green ground bone or beef scraps, and one quart table scraps. The ingredients are thoroughly mixed together. I then take the kettle into the house and set it on the range where the metal can become warm. I next stir in a heaping teaspoonful of coarse-fine salt, and in the coldest weather sprinkle in a little black pepper. Boiling water is then added to the mash in just sufficient quantity to moisten every particle and yet not have it sticky and sloppy. I consider the mash just right to feed when I can take some up in my hand and have it feel pleasantly warm (not hot), and dry enough so that it will not adhere to the palm or fingers. Some advocate dry feeding. I have no doubt the food is just as nourishing without the water, and after they become accustomed to it (or starved into it) the hens will eat it readily enough; but before the food can be digested it must be moistened, and I think it better and safer to moisten it for the birds myself than to allow them to do so. I do not believe the bird can moisten a large handful of dry mixture after it enters the crop so evenly as I can before it goes there. Then if the mash is about the temperature of the bird's body when it is fed (or, on cold mornings, a little higher) she will not have to use up her heat in raising it to that temperature."

Photo : lanuiop

Types Of Chickens

2008-10-10T12:47:00.000-07:00

Chicken Breeds Can Be Divided into Four Main Types

The four main types of chickens are:

1. Egg Laying Breeds
2. Meat Chicken Breeds
3. General Purpose Breeds
4. Fancy Breeds

Egg Laying Breeds tend to come into maturity relatively early and so can often be laying eggs by 4-5 months old. They are not very likely to go broody and so lay eggs steadily and in good numbers.

Meat Chicken Breeds grow large, and fast. Depending on their intended use (roasters, fryers etc.) they can be ready for the table by as young as 6 weeks old.

General Purpose Breeds are good all-rounders. They lay a good number of eggs, but also have a bit of meat on them.

Fancy Chicken Breeds have some kind of fancy feathering such as bearded, crested and/or feathered feet etc. and were originally bred for showing.

Hatching Chicken Eggs Naturally

2008-09-27T14:35:00.000-07:00

There comes a point in many chicken enthusiasts’ lives when they long to experience hatching and raising their own chicks. Essentially there are two choices when it comes to hatching your own chicken eggs; natural incubation under a hen or artificial incubation in an incubator.

For natural incubation you will obviously need to have some fertile eggs ready and a broody hen. Whilst fertile eggs are usually available at all times (if not from your own flock, then they can often be purchased elsewhere) the presence of a broody hen is not something you can really control. Some hens go broody only once or twice in their lifetime, others will go broody regularly. Your girl(s) will also be strongly influenced by the time of year and so the window of opportunity is again likely to be further narrowed down to the warmer weather of the spring or summer.

Photo By Dottie Day

Once you do have a broody she will probably benefit from a secluded nest and having food and water within easy reach. The nest is safest close to ground level to prevent any unfortunate accidents when the chicks are hatching out. A small coop or area of a coop if available can be an ideal solution as it also allows her and the chicks some safety and privacy if she is to raise them. She will need to leave the nest from time to time, but these periods will be brief, and unless she is quite young and / or flighty, she is not likely to abandon the nest unless she has cause to (i.e. a predator attack or if she knows there are no surviving chicks left to hatch out).

The biggest benefit of hatching chicken eggs naturally (in my opinion) is that you can, if you want to, leave everything up to the hen. It can be hard to resist visiting the nest to candle the eggs or check that none have been soiled or damaged, but it is probably fair to say that even without that additional help she is likely quite capable of successfully hatching out some chicks. All being well, in around 21 days, you will be enjoying watching your broody with her brood.

Good luck!

Some of the benefits of natural incubation are:
-----------------------------------------------

You can leave everything up to Mother Nature - what will be will be.
Watching a good mother hen teaching her chicks how to find food and dust bathe etc. is a joy to behold.
Chicks hatched and raised naturally can tend to be more robust.

Some of the downsides of natural incubation are:
------------------------------------------------

You can't choose when, or even if, you will have a hen go broody.
She will stop laying eggs whilst she is broody, and will not start laying again until her chicks are well developed (that could mean as many as four months without eggs from her).
There is a limit to the number of chicks one hen can hatch and raise.
Not all hens make good mothers; some can be clumsy and break the eggs they are supposed to be hatching, others will ignore their newly hatched chicks, some may even peck at and attack them (have a back-up plan for brooding the chicks yourself in case the need arises).

Photos by Jill Capel

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"Sometimes you don't get to choose where broody hens will nest. These chicks were born in a high-rise nesting box. My solution is the balcony. . . ."

Hatching Chicken Eggs

2008-09-15T12:39:00.000-07:00

The above video shows the progress and hatching of a chick.

Raising Chickens - First Steps

2008-08-11T08:47:00.000-07:00

There are many benefits to raising chickens; they can make great pets, they provide natural bug control, they give you several eggs each week (and potentially meat), and they provide endless hours of therapy and enjoyment in watching them cluck and peck around.

For many people, raising chickens is their first step to becoming more self sufficient. Chickens need relatively little care, but there are a few things you may want to consider before placing your order :

Do you have the space : A coop needs to allow at least two square feet per chicken and they will also need a secure run allowing at least three square feet per chicken (the bigger the better - particularly if they won't have a chance to free range safely). Their coop doesn’t have to be anything palatial, but some care will need to be taken to ensure that it is dry, free of drafts and safe from predators.

It doesn't hurt to allow some extra room - you never know
when you might need it!

Do you have the time : Chickens need relatively little care, but they do need to be locked into their coop safely at night, and let out again in the morning. They also need fresh water and feed every day, and the coop should be cleaned out regularly.

Cost : In terms of the monetary cost of feed and bedding, hens usually more than pay for themselves with their eggs (not to mention the enjoyment they bring as pets). The cost of buying or building a coop and run however, may take a few years for them to 'earn'.

How many : How many chickens really depends on how many you think you would like, have the space for, and can look after. Chickens have a group mentality so having at least two or three is better than having just one. With most egg laying breeds you can expect to get four to six eggs per week from each hen (this number will probably decrease as they get older). You don't need to have a rooster to get eggs but if you want one then the normal ratio is one rooster to every ten hens.

Neighbours : Some local areas have rules on keeping chickens so you should always check for any restrictions before building / buying your coop. Even if you are allowed to get chickens, it may be a good idea to have a word with the neighbours first if they are very close by - particularly if you are thinking of getting a rooster.

A Rooster can add a lot of colour and excitement to your flock - but will your neighbours mind being woken up at 5am (or earlier) every morning?

Free Ranging : Chickens enjoy being able to free range, but if they are not in a secure area, and / or you are unable to keep an eye on them, it is not always safe for them to do so (predators, including your local neighbourhood dogs, can make their presence felt very quickly). If you are able to free-range safely then nothing in your garden is safe – they will eat / dig up / dustbathe in everything! If they can’t free range safely then they will need a secure pen – fresh air and exercise is as important to a chickens well-being as it is to our own.

Caring For Ex Battery Chickens

2008-07-25T09:32:00.000-07:00

When you first get your ex-battery hens home you may find that they look like they are in a pretty poorly state - most hens that survive their life in a battery farm will have up to two thirds of their feathers missing. Their beaks will have been trimmed to prevent them pecking at each other. Legs will be lumpy and bumpy. Toe claws are usually long and their combs will probably be quite large and pale. Happily, most issues will be aesthetic and resolved relatively quickly with a few weeks of 'the good life'!

Re-homing ex battery hens is not just about putting them into a big enough space with shelter, food and water and hoping they are going to be okay. They will need a little supervision and guidance to become a 'real' chicken again. Food and water dishes may need to be a little deeper to allow for their trimmed beaks. It will probably take a few days (even weeks) for them to get used to having space to move around in and fresh air to breathe. You may find that they hardly move at all to begin with, and they might even surprise you by wanting to stay inside the coop!

When you consider the life that the battery hen has become used to (in fact the only one she has ever known), it is easy to see how her new life outside of the cage may seem quite bewildering to her. It will be the first time she has walked about, pecked for bugs, seen the sky, felt grass (or straw or mud) under her feet, dust bathed and even roosted. Everything will be new - and probably scary. This may result in a very timid bird, or it could even cause her to be a little aggressive. She could 'flop around,' as if unsure how to use her limbs. She may not want to move about a lot, and it can take a little bit of time before she will be ready to explore. In fact, in many ways, ex-battery hens may not act like 'normal' chickens at all, but be patient; a transformation is taking place.

You will need to make sure you have some kind of layers feed available for your new hens. They will most likely have been fed a layers mash at the farm (you can double check that with the farmer / rehoming organisation), so if you can continue with the food format they are used to, at least for the first few weeks, then that should also help them settle in quicker. Additionally, a poultry vitamin / nutrient supplement can also help give them an extra little boost.

Where there is already an existing flock it is best to keep the two groups separate, at least until the 'new girls' have built up their strength and confidence. Whenever two flocks are mixed, whatever the situation, a quarantine period of at least 30 days is always advisable. Each flock will have built up its own immunities to their own particular environment. Couple that with the stress of a move, and/or the upset new additions can bring and even seemingly healthy flocks can 'catch' something if mixed in together straight away. With battery hens you have the additional consideration of their appearance - bare and sore patches are often an invitation for others to peck (surprisingly this can happen even amongst themselves). There is also a good probability that they will already be at less than full strength and confidence, which can sometimes prevent them approaching the feeder and waterer if other more confident chickens are around. All in all, a separate safe area for them to get used to things is likely to be very beneficial. As can be expected with any flock of chickens once they have settled in a little there will probably be the usual squabbles as they sort out a pecking order between themselves.

Their new home should be a sturdy, comfortable, draft free place that offers good protection from predators. These hens might not be physically very strong due to a lifetime of inactivity, so you may wish to make sure that they have a ramp up to their roosts or nest boxes, or perhaps even start them off with a nest box or bedding on the floor. As they probably have never roosted before they are likely to huddle on the floor at night initially and so it must be safe for them to do so. Despite having reached the end of their commercial egg laying life, you will probably find that they will still continue to lay a few eggs. They might take a few weeks to get back into the swing of things, and don't expect them to always lay in the nestboxes - some hens will lay eggs as they are walking around. Do not worry though as most hens eventually do start laying in the comfort of the nest box. Golf balls or other 'pretend' eggs left in the nests can sometimes help give your new hens a nudge in the right direction.

The satisfaction that you will receive from watching each of these hens become more like a normal healthy chicken is beyond words. They will show you how much they appreciate this second chance, not just by the amount of eggs they lay, but in the life that you can see being injected back in to them!

***************

There is more about caring for ex-battery chickens in the July 08 Newsletter, including several subscriber stories and photos of their own ex-batts. You can subscribe to the Keeping Chickens Newsletter at the top right-hand corner of this blog, for access to the current and past issues.

Sexing Chickens

2008-07-05T04:06:00.000-07:00

(The free online chicken magazine mentioned in the above video can also be subscribed to by entering your name and email address in the box at the top right hand corner of this blog).

Tips To Keep Your Chickens Cool

2008-06-17T13:23:00.000-07:00

Some Ways To Keep Your Chickens Cool

Shaded areas
Electrolytes in their water (if they are panting / drinking a lot) will help replace the electrolytes they are losing.
Fresh water throughout the day (water left out in the sun will soon be warmed, so it is nice to replace it with new cool water every now and then if you can). A few ice cubes in the water can help keep it cooler for longer. They will probably be drinking more than normal so it should be checked on to ensure that it does not run out.

Cool fruits such as water melon, can help cool and
refresh your chickens on a hot summers day.

Ventilation in the coop
Frozen ice packs - freeze 2 litre plastic bottles of water (or similar) as something cool that can be hung or laid on the floor of the coop or in a shaded area of the run for them to sit by or perch on if they want to (if you can place the bottles in something like a zip-lock bag then they should be kept clean so that they can go back into the freezer ready for another hot day).
Cool fruits such as watermelon (straight from the fridge for extra coolness!) will help cool and hydrate your chickens.
A fan in the coop. A well ventilated coop may not need a fan, but in very hot weather if there is no air circulation the heat they expel from their own bodies can increase the temperature even further.

Dog Training with a Chicken - Reducing Prey Drive

2008-04-26T06:02:00.000-07:00

This is just a quick follow up to the 'Do Your Pets Get Along?' article in this months newsletter.

I've found a short video of dog training with a chicken (who'd have thought it!) and thought you might be interested in watching it.

All dogs are individuals and so will have a different set of underlying issues, but there are several practical tips in this video that will hopefully be useful. In this video the family chickens of Marley and Me author John Grogan have been attacked by their dog and Cesar Millan shows some techniques to help reduce their dogs instinct to attack their pet chickens.

I hope you enjoy the video :-)

If you are interested in (or need) training for your dog to co-exist with your feathered pets then you might like to try this online dog training course (it comes with a 56 day money back guarantee). It covers all the things you'd expect and includes many bonuses like recipes, grooming, alpha dog etc. and access to a private dog training forum. Dog Training Course.

A SETTIN' HEN

2008-02-17T04:17:00.000-08:00

A SETTIN' HEN

When a hen is bound to set,
Seems as though 'tain't etiket
Dowsin' her in water till
She's connected with a chill.
Seems as though 'twas skursely right
Givin' her a dreadful fright,
Tyin' rags around her tail,
Poundin' on an old tin pail,
Chasin' her around the yard.
- Seems as though 'twas kinder hard
Bein' kicked and slammed and shooed
'Cause she wants to raise a brood.
I sh'd say it's gettin' gay
Jest 'cause natur' wants its way,
- While ago my neighbor, Penn,
Started bustin' up a hen ;
Went to yank her off the nest,
Hen, though, made a peck and jest
Grabbed his thumbnail good and stout,
- Liked to yanked the darn thing out.
Penn he twitched away and then
Tried again to grab the hen.
But, by ginger, she had spunk,
'Cause she took and nipped a junk
Big's a bean right out his palm,
Swallowed it, and cool and calm
Histed up and yelled "Cah-dah !"
- Sounded like she said "Hoo-rah!"
Wal, sir, when that hen done that,
Penn he bowed, took off his hat,
- Spunk jest suits him, you can bet -
"Set," says he, "gol darn ye, SET."

Holman F. Day

Caring For Chicks - A Quick Guide To Raising Baby Chicks

2008-01-04T04:02:00.000-08:00

As a general rule it is usually best to keep chicks of the same age together and to only keep as many chicks as there is comfortably room for (bearing in mind that they grow quickly!). The main concerns when raising chicks are proper heat and proper feeding – there must also always be clean fresh water available (not easy to achieve when they tend to like to go paddling in it and perch on the edges!). Heat should ideally come from overhead as that is the most natural method. They also need to be able to get away from the heat if they want to. For the first two or three days the temperature should be around 95 degrees and will be gradually lowered to around 80 degrees by the end of the first week and a half and then continuing to gradually lower the temperature by about a degree a day. If your chicks have not already been vaccinated then medicated chick feed will help protect them against coccidiosis.

Using A Hoop House To Raise Baby Chicks

Related Blog Post : Using a Greenhouse as a temporary chicken house or scratching shed.

Chicken Coop in the Snow

2007-12-17T13:06:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Laura in eastern Massachusetts for this photo of her coop during a recent snow fall.

Egg Nog Recipe

2007-12-14T11:06:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:

6 eggs
1/4 cup of sugar
1/4 tsp of salt
1 quart milk
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 of a cub of bourbon
1/3 of a cup of dark rum

Method:

Eye Infection

2007-12-03T08:21:00.000-08:00

This comment comes from subscriber Michael Breder's personal experience with an eye infection in one of his flock - it may prove helpful to other chicken folk.

"One of my 4 hens was not being herself when I came home from work and I found her in one of the nest boxes with her eyes gunked up. I immediately got her a bed in the nearest dog kennel quarantined on my porch and started calling my chicken support group. I spoke with one of my vet friends after hearing from many others that I should just dig a hole or eat her. My vet buddy said I had to get her eyes cleaned out with a warm wash cloth and get some neosporin in her eyes. He said to save the 15 bucks for terramycin at the feed store....turns out neosporin turned out just as good. Next day her eyes looked much better and she was on her way to recovery. I kept her in the dog kennel until she got her bearings and her appetite back. She is now back with the flock and it's a month later with no further problems. What looked like a possible sick chicken turned out to just be an eye infection...she is the rowdier of the flock and I think she just ran into something and hurt her eye. Just thought I'd share the story about the neosporin and getting her eyes cleaned out."

Rehoming a Battery Hen - November Newsletter

2007-11-14T01:19:00.000-08:00

I have just finished the latest newsletter - I hope you all enjoy it. In addition to some subscriber coops and photos, tips and a story I also have an article on re-homing battery hens. If you have ever thought about re-homing an ex-battery hen you may have wondered what you might expect from one. Ex-battery hens can go on to thrive as 'real' hens in your backyard.

Battery eggs will hopefully one day be a thing of the past, but it does take time. One thing we can all do that will help speed things up is to refuse to buy any products that contain battery farmed eggs (if a product contains free-range eggs it will usually say so).

If you are interested in supporting an ex-battery hen there is currently a 'help care for a battery hen for a week' campaign in progress.

If you are interested in re-homing a battery hen(s) then you may be able to find contacts through your local animal welfare charity. Sometimes it is possible to go to the source directly - egg farms are often willing to sell off their 'spent' hens. Please bear in mind when contacting them that many egg farmers do use cage-free / free range egg farming. Those that are using caged hens, are probably operating well within the legal requirements for egg farming and will be happy to co-operate with you if possible.

Here is a link for USA based egg companies grouped by state –
http://www.manta.com/mb_34_C00FC_000/chicken_eggs

If you are in the UK then The Battery Hen Wellfare Trust can help you locate some ex-battery hens http://www.bhwt.org.uk

I hope you enjoy the newsletter, if you are not already subscribed you can do so by entering your name and email address in the form at the top right-hand corner of this blog.

Winter Tips in the Keeping Chickens Newsletter

2007-10-22T07:36:00.000-07:00

Here are a few winter tips I have picked up along the way that you may find useful. This is by no means exhaustive. There is no definative right or wrong way for wintering your chickens so these are not “this is what you should do…”, just ideas that you can take or leave. Some of these tips involve the use of electricity in the coop. Electricity in a coop can be helpful but is not essential (afterall people have been keeping chickens for hundreds of years without it). If you do use a heat lamp for the coldest nights, then it is obviously essential to make very sure it is fixed somewhere securely and safely. A dry, draft free coop (but still ventilated) will be the most important part of keeping your girls (and boys) warm. Chickens will acclimatise to colder weather and can create a lot of warmth just huddling together. You will need to consider the temperatures you get in your area and work within that (i.e. nicely insulated coops and cold hardy breeds if you are in a very cold area). Bantams will feel the cold the most. Extra insulation in the coop and extra dry bedding can often make a coop surprisingly cosy, even in the coldest of climates. Fully grown chickens are actually surprisingly hardy and can cope with around 30 degrees above zero. A little extra corn (as a supplement to their normal nutritionally balanced feed) can give them additional internal warmth.

Chickens very often don’t particularly enjoy the snow or rain, but they do need fresh air and exercise. Unless it is blowing up a storm, if given the choice, they will normally prefer to venture outside (even if for only a little while) rather than stay ‘cooped’ up inside for the whole day. In many respects you can for the most part trust your chickens to take care of themselves. Many a keeper has gotten soaked through to the skin trying to round up their chickens in bad weather – only to find them dash right back outside again as soon as their back is turned! Unless there is a reason they do not want to go back to the coop (such as a predator) they will probably not venture far from the coop, and may even just stay inside of their own accord if they feel it is too cold for them or raining hard. In cold weather a covering of thick plastic/tarp over the top of all or part of the run can leave them with a snow-free place to run around. Some unroll bales of hay into the pen to give them a bit of insulation from icy ground. Others will just shovel snow out of the chickens way so they have a little bit earth to walk on and peck at.

Ventilation in the coop (whilst still avoiding drafts) is important - even in the very coldest days. The chickens breathing will create moisture which needs to get out or it could result in a damp atmosphere inside the coop, possibly leading to air quality problems and frostbite. If the coop door is situated in a position where it will get rain blown in or nasty drafts, then you may want to put some sort of protector at the door if it is to be left open. Your chickens can learn to push their way through. Some people have had success with strips of rubber, an old towel, pond liner – even a dog flap!

Those with large combs and wattles are most susceptible to frostbite (unfortunately not an uncommon problem in very cold climates where it can regularly be below freezing). It usually affects just the tips, but whole combs have been known to get frozen. Rubbing vaseline or another kind of petroleum jelly onto a frostbitten comb should soothe it, but there is usually not much that can be done to fully restore the look of the frostbitten bits (which tend to go black and possibly scab)....

The complete Winter Tips article (and October 07 Newsletter) is archived in our free members area - to join, simply enter your name and email in the Keeping Chickens Newsletter Subscription box at the top right-hand corner of this blog.

Two Roosters - looking for a good home...

2007-10-17T09:27:00.000-07:00

"I have two roosters that need good homes. They both have been raised on my land, free ranged and offered organic feed. They are both beautiful, both have feathered legs. One is taller and lean, orange body and bright green tail feathers, the other shorter a large brahma style. They are just not what I need. I am only interested in keeping my hens. But I hope you could maybe share these with folks and we can get these guys a good home. I am in Virginia, not far from Richmond, or DC...
Would be happy to mail out a nice rooster." Adam.

If anyone is interested please post a comment below (check back for replies if you do) or email me at the newsletter email address and I will pass the message on.

Poultry Tent at the Royal Show 2007 - Video

2007-10-12T08:49:00.000-07:00

A video from the Royal Show 2007 Poultry Tent including interviews with Philip Smedley, owner of the winning 'Best In Show' Ancona, and the Veterinary Surgeon for the GB poultry Club talking about avian flu.

Using A Poultry Saddle

2007-09-29T11:32:00.000-07:00

Roosters often have their favourites and sometimes this can cause a lot of soreness and missing feathers to a hens back.

This is when a poultry saddle can come in handy.

A poultry saddle is essentially what it sounds like - a saddle to put on the back of a hen (or rooster) to protect from rough treatment or to give an injury a chance to heal without being pecked at. The saddles are made of hard wearing material with the straps fitting snuggly around the wings, but still giving complete freedom of movement.

In the short video clip below a Buff Orpington is sporting a little blue number :

Wing Clipping - Clipping the wings of a chicken

2007-09-23T15:42:00.000-07:00

Wing clipping is where you clip the primary flight feathers on one wing with sharp scissors. Clipping one wing puts them off balance but still allows them to fly a little. You may need to do this if your chickens are likely to be able to fly away over a fence, but bear in mind that it will also make it harder for them to fly away from any predators.

The primary flight feathers are the farthest away from the body. There are usually 10 primary flight feathers and it is those ten that you clip on one of the wings if you want to stop your chickens from being able to fly too high. The 10 primary feathers of the wing you are clipping should be cut just beyond the edge of the next layer up. If the feathers are not completely grown (i.e. they are still pin feathers / blood feathers ) then you should not cut them yet.

Here is a video showing how to clip your chickens wing. I have included it to illustrate how it is quite easy to see the difference between the primary flight feathers and the others. It also demonstrates that wing clipping does not hurt the chicken.

Feral Chickens

2007-09-05T07:10:00.000-07:00

Twice a month City of Miami volunteers hit the streets to control the growing feral chicken population.

They are known as...The Chicken Busters
To catch a chicken, you have to think like a chicken.

All the captured chickens are sold to a farm and the proceeds are donated to several local charities.

Chicken Tractor Inspired Temporary Housing

2007-08-24T09:11:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Paul Monachino for sending in his new chicken tractor inspired temporary housing:

"After a fox attack killed off my six chickens and rooster, I realized I had major reconstruction that I needed to do in my barn and chicken coop and run. Inspired by chicken tractors I had seen on line, I decided to temporarily house my new birds in my version of a tractor.

The chicken tractor was placed inside the sheep pasture (after checking with the local vet) as the pasture is protected by five electric wires, keeping out predators."

Click Here for more construction details and photos of this coop

Chicken Coop and Run

2007-08-12T15:11:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Al and Judith Inman for sending in photos of their newly built poultry ark using the plans from this site.

"I've built quite a few chicken coops over the years for my sons when they were young, then three years ago we decided to have chickens again, so I built another one. After three years, it got to be a little too much (especially in the Maine winters), plus we ended up giving most of the eggs away. We gave them to one of our sons and I made yet another coop for their new house. We turned the old one into a playhouse for young grandkids. Now our twin granddaughters (8) are getting chickens and once again I'm making a coop!!"

Dustbathing Chickens

2007-08-11T14:09:00.000-07:00

Chickens love to dustbathe! The first time it happens can be a bit of a shock if you are not expecting it. Your chickens will look like they are having some kind of fit, rolling around on the floor and twitching. Happily it is all perfectly normal and they are instead having a great time giving themselves a dustbath. The act of dustbathing is the natural way that chickens help alleviate pest issues. With that in mind the dustbath should contain material that is very light, fine, and dry. They don’t need anything special to dustbathe in, just normal (fine) soil, perhaps a bit of sand mixed in. A lot of chicken keepers add a little DE (food grade Diatomaceous earth, NOT the pool kind) to their dust bathing areas as a lice and mites prevention.

You may find that your chickens have dug themselves a little hole in their coop / run and are using that as a dust bath. Or perhaps they have found their way into your flower beds! If you would like to make a dust bath for them (particularly if there is nowhere the chickens can make their own) it should be deep enough to hold about six inches of dusting material. The dust box should be placed where sunlight can shine into it, and must be kept free from droppings and other foreign matter such as straw etc.

Here's a short video clip of some chickens dustbathing

Chicken Ark and Run

2007-08-07T05:18:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Amy Wardwell for sending in photos of her completed chicken coop. The coop and run itself have been made from the chicken coop plans from our website, but Amy has also added several of her own homely touches - including a hanging basket! :-)

The pansy beds lasted about a week before the chickens ate them. :-}

The Chicken Ark Plans used to build this coop.

More photos of this poultry ark can be seen here

Mike the Headless Chicken

2007-08-05T12:12:00.000-07:00

A lot of you will probably have heard of this true story:

In 1945 a farmer from Fruita, Colorado took his axe, and instead of killing one of his chickens for his meal as intended, he accidentally created 'Mike the Headless Chicken'. The farmer had failed to completely decapitate Mike, missing the jugular vein and leaving one ear and most of the brain stem intact. Mike didn't let being headless get him down and continued to do all the usual 'rooster' types of things like crowing (gurgling) in the mornings, roosting, preening and trying to peck at food (albeit with his neck). He was fed with a dropper and seemed to be quite healthy and happy (over time he had been examined by several humane societies and was confirmed to be free from any suffering - he had even put on several pounds in weight over the following 18 months of his life). During his lifetime Mike became quite a celebrity and made a good living by doing tours and displays. He was even featured in an article in 'Life and Time' magazine and has an entry in the Guinness book of records. Mikes obvious will to live was, and still is, an inspiration for many. His life is celebrated in Fruita to this day where they have an annual festival based around him.

You can't keep a good chicken down!

Chicken Tractor

2007-07-24T15:20:00.000-07:00

Here is a photo sent in by subscribers Kevin and Kashia of their backyard chicken tractor in Austin, Texas - the new home to 5 colorful six week old pullets! :

Restrictions Against Keeping Chickens

2007-07-23T12:28:00.000-07:00

This blog is titled 'Keeping Chickens In Your Back Yard' but in a lot of areas there are laws preventing or restricting your ability to keep chickens in your own back yard. Many see this as an afront to their basic rights. This video is an interview with Jim Tucker who has been fighting for over a year to keep chickens at his marina on US Highway 98. In that time he has given nearly all his chickens away, but he still has one chicken left...

He has recently been told that he has 6 months to resolve several code violations - including keeping a farm animal within city limits.

Silkie Chickens

2007-07-21T07:10:00.000-07:00

Silkies are believed to have originated from China where they are used in Chinese medicine and also considered quite a cullinary delicacy. In other countries their fluffy feathers and black bones and skin ensure they are almost always kept as pets. Exactly when the breed was established is not known, but records of them exist as far back as the end of the 13th Century. In Europe and Australia, there are both standard and bantam Silkies. In the United States and Canada, the only Silkies are bantams.

Meet Wilma White and Betty Black

These two gorgeous silkies belong to proud new chicken mommy Kathy Molizon (who also designed and built the chicken tractor they are living in).

**UPDATE Wilma started crowing a few days ago - it looks like the name will be 'Willy White' now :-) **

There are six standard colors for silkies: black, blue, buff, white, partridge and gray.

Crop Bound Chicken

2007-07-17T11:45:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago I received this email from a subscriber:

Re: sick chicken

Good Morning Gina - My daughter has a top-hat hen with a problem. She seems to be extremely thin yet her gullet is full and very hard. She's loosing any desire to move or eat rapidly. Thoughts? Could something be stuck? Is there anything that can be done? Force water?

Before I give my reply I would like to emphasise that I am not a trained vet or a chicken 'expert', just an enthusiast. It may help someone else in a similar situation, but then again, it may not. Here is my reply, for what it is worth:

Hi

It may be that she has eaten something hard to process - does she have access to grit (which is needed to break down food)? If not, then giving her a little bowl of grit to take what she needs from may help. If it is not that then it may be an impacted crop. The best way to tell if a crop is impacted is to take away the food at night, and see if the crop is empty by the morning (if it is still full and hard then you may have a crop problem). It is not something I have personal experience of but I have copied the following from the 'Success With Poultry - 900 Questions' ebook we sell (which was written by an experienced poultry man) regarding 'crop bound'. I have included the full answer here for informational purposes, but it may be better to just visit the vet if the oil solution does not help.

QUESTION What is the proper treatment for "Crop Bound ?"

ANSWER - Mild cases can be cured by giving a tablespoonful of sweet oil and one or two tablespoonfuls of quite warm water, after which knead the crop gently and force the contents out of the mouth, holding the bird head downward. If the crop is hard and much distended and the above treatment fails to give relief, an operation is necessary to remove the obstruction. Make an incision in the outer skin with a very sharp knife. It should be near the top and should be up and down, not more than two inches in length. Force the crop to one side before making an incision in it, so that when the wounds are sewed up the one in the crop proper will not be opposite the one in the outer skin, but will be entirely covered by the skin. After making the second incision remove the contents of the crop, after which cleanse it thoroughly with warm water in which has been placed a small quantity of any good antiseptic solution, four drops of carbolic acid to an ounce of water will answer the purpose. Stitch the cuts with silk thread, being particular not to fasten the crop to the outer skin. The wounds should heal in five or six days. Give no food at all for about twelve hours, and then begin feeding by giving milk for a day in small quantities at a time, then allowing soft foods, principally mashes, and in four or five days whole grain and the regular diet may be given.

Good luck

Best wishes
Gina

Happily the above advice seemed to do the trick as I received the following email back 3 days later:

Good Morning Gina - Hurray!! - With your information, my daughter massaged the crop and Moe seems to be feeling much better. The crop became softer and she's moving around, has raised her wings, she's drinking and eating. Things seem to be moving along much better now. Thanks much - Judy

Chicken Feed

2007-07-06T03:14:00.000-07:00

I have had a few questions lately regarding what to feed grown chickens, which got me thinking - there really isn't much chickens won't eat ;-) Chickens are also quite individual - one will love lettuce and another will hate it, one will practically take your hand off for a piece of melon rind, whilst another will look at you like you are mad to even consider offering it to them in the first place!

So here is some general feeding information - Please feel free to add your own comments about foods your chickens love (or hate).

In the old days people used to make up their own chicken feed, things are a lot easier nowadays and it is possible to buy commercial feed aimed specifically at your type of chicken. The good thing about commercial feeds is that they are properly balanced so you know your chickens will be getting the nutrients they need (for example layer pellets / mash will include calcium to encourage strong egg shells). Some people feed their chickens only scratch but I would recommend not doing that as it is not a balanced food - scratch really should come under the 'treats' category.

As commercial feed is balanced you can let the chickens take what they need / want of it (chickens are very unlikely to overeat). In addition to the commercial feed chickens can also eat treats you give them such as the ocassional handful of scratch or 'healthy' (i.e. not salty or sugary) scraps such as watermelon rinds, steamed rice, figs, blackberries, green leafy vegetables, cucumber, ear of corn, broccoli, tomatoes, apple cores, cooked potato peelings (raw potato peelings can be slightly toxic) etc.etc. They'll also eat any worms and bugs they can find!

Grit is needed to grind anything they eat that isn't commercial feed (worms, veggies, fruits etc.), if they are free ranging they will probably get some grit from the earth, you can also buy grit from the feed store and put a little out for them to help themselves (in a seperate container to their normal feed).

Chickens eating salad

Chicken Coop - Pen Construction

2007-06-29T14:51:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Amy Finley for sending in photos of the first phase of her coop construction.

"I didn't want anything to do with my husband's grand plan to grow chicken... but oh well, that's how it goes. He is a custodian at a grade school that was hatching chicks for the spring term. He came home one day with 8 fuzzy little chicks and grand plans to eat free eggs. Thank you so much for the chicken coop plans you sent. After careful consideration we decided to start with a small temporary and easily movable pen so that we could take our time building a larger permanent coop. I knew the plan was in trouble when Mike, my husband, insisted on starting with 6 foot 4x4's. Nothing temporary or portable about that. $300 some dollars later I am sending you pictures of phase one of the chicken coop. They shouldn't start laying eggs until late fall, so we will build the rest later. For now home is a large dog house. They really seem to like it."

Playhouse Coop

2007-06-21T15:02:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Cheryl Kubista for sending in photos of her recently completed coop - the new home to 3 barred, 3 golden comets, and 6 rhode island reds.

The coop has been adapted from an old playhouse that a friend had donated for the cause. A 16’ run has been added so that they would be protected from any hawks or eagles that are around the area.

More photos of this coop can be found here :
Playhouse chicken coop photos

Hatching Eggs Naturally

2007-06-11T08:56:00.001-07:00

From time to time one or more of your hens may go broody (most likely during the spring and summer months). You may wish to take advantage of their broodiness and put some fertilized eggs under them to hatch out naturally (the broody hen does not have to be the natural mother, so you can buy some ready to hatch eggs if you do not have a rooster yourself). Generally, it is best to choose a medium sized hen for the job (i.e one that is not too fat and clumsy) – she should also preferably have a gentle temperament and not be too much of a fidget.

To hatch her eggs the hen will need a comfortable nest box which is big enough for her turn around in and adjust herself as necessary. It should be positioned so that the other hens cannot interfere with her. Generally, a good size for a nest box is around 12x12. A large soap box (or anything similar) with two-thirds of the top removed, and turned on its side would make a suitable nestbox (see illustration below).

Set on the floor of the laying room or on a shelf with the open side toward the wall but a few feet away from it, a box of this kind can make a nice secluded nesting place when needed - when a hen becomes broody, simply move the box a bit nearer to the wall to keep the other hens out (alternatively you can partition the broody hen and nest in her own area).

The nest should be made of some soft material, broken oat straw or hay, carefully spread out and pressed down, lightly hollowed and with the edges raised a little to prevent the eggs from rolling out. If the bottom is made too flat the eggs roll away from the hen and she cannot cover them; if too convex, they will roll close together, and when the hen enters the nest and steps on them or among them they do not separate or roll away and a fouled nest is the result. It also helps to put some feed and water in reach of the sitting hen as ocassionally you can get a hen that is so intent on hatching she forgets to leave the nest to eat and drink (most will get off the
nest at least once a day).

If you need to replace non-fertile eggs with fertile eggs (for instance if you do not have a rooster and have bought in some fertile eggs), it is easiest to make the switch after dark – just reach under your broody hen (or lift her up), and swap them in. Don’t worry if she growls or tries to peck you, it is perfectly normal (hence the reason why it is easiest to do it at night when she is sleepy!).

The above photo has been sent in by Susan Taylor of her recent successful Broody hatch : 2 Columbian Pekins and 3 Belgian D'Anvers chicks - congratulations Susan!

Chicken Ark and Run

2007-06-11T07:16:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Barry Woodruff for sending in photos of his completed coop built from the plans available on this site. He has used the basic dimensions of the plans but generally beefed it up a little (most 1x became 2x etc.)

It has been built completely from "recycled" (scrap) lumber and leftover wire (there is still some leftover Elk Prestige roofing which is also going to be put on). The only purchases were long deck screws which were used in place of any nails.

More photos of this coop can be found here :
http://www.self-sufficient-life.com/u.php?16

How to build an egg catching nesting box for chickens - video

2007-06-10T12:04:00.000-07:00

This instructional video shows how to make an egg drop nesting box for your chickens.

Chicken Coop - split level design

2007-06-05T15:48:00.000-07:00

This coop was built entirely out of scrap lumber by Jennifer Grunklee whose previous building experience was a simple household shelf!

A poultry ark with a few surprises :

"Both roof-sides come off for easy cleaning, and both roof ends open; we used 4x4's to help reduce intruders through the bottom of the coop; we also used a cable that comes through a hole in the top so we can pull the ramp up at night for their security."

Chicken Coop Photos

2007-06-04T02:58:00.000-07:00

Here is a photo of the newly finished coop belonging to Cara and Jason Spath
- designed and built by Jason himself.

The chickens love their new home.

Click to view more photos of this coop.

Lakenvelders, a headless chicken and more

2007-05-28T11:52:00.000-07:00

The following photos come from subscriber Jack Bennett :

"I Loved the article on Chicken Rearing 101... Oh the joys of learning from others and on your own! What is truth and what is myth? Currently my Wife and I only have 23 chickens. Most are Buff Orpintons. We also have a nice pair of Lakenvelders and a pair of Black Cochin Bantams. I have included some pictures of our chickens. Keep up the good work

Just An Egg Throw Away

Lakenvelders Rooster and Hen

This is my prize rooster Goliath 13lbs

The famed headless chicken"

Henhouse

2007-05-25T03:47:00.000-07:00

This photo is of subscriber Ole Grevstad's recently completed henhouse

Laying Hens

2007-05-22T16:30:00.000-07:00

One of the most exciting and enjoyable aspects of keeping chickens is collecting all those lovely eggs each morning! While you are waiting for your girls to start laying though it can be frustrating. It is normal to take anywhere from 4 months to a year for chicks to start laying. Egg laying depends on the breed and time of year (length of daylight hours etc.) - traditional egg production breeds such as leghorns and rhode island reds etc. usually start at around five months old. Breeds like silkies and bantam breeds tend to be closer to 8 months to a year old before they start. The first few eggs will probably be relatively small and random, but it won't be long before your hens get into their rhythm. A family with a flock of 8 hens of average production could soon expect to get 4 or 5 eggs a day (sometimes more).

For commercial purposes laying hens tend to be given around two years to produce as many eggs as quickly as possible and then get replaced. As it is becoming more normal for people to keep chickens as pets we are finding that many hens will continue to produce eggs through four, five, six years old and beyond. As they get older egg production does tend to slow and eventually stop, but it is not unheard of for an elderly hen to still be producing an egg or two a week. The natural life of a normal free range chicken can be into it's teens.

Reasons for egg laying to stop
--------------------
Molting - molting usually happens in the autumn/fall. Some lose nearly all their feathers and others lose hardly any at all. Once molting has finished (which can be a couple of months) they should start laying again. If you have several hens it is unlikely that they will all molt at exactly the same time.

The Hen has gone broody - usually indicated by staying in the nest boxes for hours on end (or you might find her sat in your flowerpot!). It normally takes at least two or three weeks for a hen to start to lay eggs again after she has been broody.

The Hen has recently had chicks - it can be around two months before egg laying starts again (her instincts will be to wait until her chicks are grown).

Stress - commonly from a change to routine or situation eg. a fright, new housing, new housemates etc.

Winter - excessive cold and reduction in daylight hours can cause chickens to slow down their egg production (a heat lamp in the coop can help minimise this).

Old age - egg production usually slows down (and eventually stops) as hens get older. Some will stop by about 5 years, others will carry on giving the occasional egg for the whole of their life (which can be into their teens).

If there is no obvious reason for laying to stop (and they are not sick) things to check for are a hidden nest and egg eating chicken(s)

Egg Recipe - Eggstravaganza!

2007-05-22T13:52:00.000-07:00

As your hens get into their laying rhythm it is easy to get overun with eggs. This new egg recipe book contains 175 ways you can make use of those lovely eggs - and regain some space in your fridge! :-)

Click Here to order now for just $5

It is in PDF format so delivery will be almost instant.

Chicks with their hatching hen

2007-05-20T09:02:00.000-07:00

Photo by Laura Panduru

Sad News

2007-05-19T03:40:00.000-07:00

I have had a very sad update from Jason Akin (a lot of you will remember Jason’s split-level coop design featured a few weeks ago). I will let Jason explain – we hope that sharing his tragic story will help others avoid having a similar experience.

Woe is me! On May 5th while my family and I were at the beach, my neighbors dogs dug under the fence and killed all but one of my chickens. We only had them for a couple of months before this tragic event, so I was quite surprised to see how upsetting this situation was to both my and my neighbors family.

To help prevent this from happening again I worked late into saturday night burying chicken wire along our fenceline. On sunday the neighbors responded in kind and dug in their own run of chicken wire, and by the end of the week they had also put lattice down to stop erosion and discourage digging, and put in a single strand electric wire fence.

Bless their hearts. I feel fortunate to have such good neighbors.

The surviving chicken, Tabetha (formerly Tastybird), survived without a scratch by flying into the neighbors (now) dog-free yard. She was obviously traumatized by the massacre and misses her coopmates. She now sleeps with two teddy bears and gets tucked in at night by my wife and me. The teddy bears seem to provide the comfort and security she lost.

Lessons learned...

1. Don't free range your birds in the suburbs if you aren't there to watch them.

2. Don't think that a 90Lb dog won't fit through an 8 inch hole.

3. Just because your dogs learned to live peacefully with fowl does not mean that all dogs will live peacefully with fowl.

4. Chickens can win your heart as easily as any other pet.

Thought I should share my story (part of the healing process, y'know).

Jason

Pensacola Fl, USA

p.s. My wife is now in the market for chicken diapers so Tabetha can hang out in the house without leaving a deposit.

Chicken in a Basket ?

2007-05-16T16:26:00.000-07:00

Photo by Mr David Scattergood.
First ever hatching at 3 weeks old.

Banties & More - Mary & Carl's Story

2007-05-16T06:23:00.000-07:00

Gina, thanks for sending the chicken coop directions. My husband will need to get right on this project. We will need to house the chukars for a while. I think we will be releasing them when they are old enough and hope that they stick around. At this moment we have 3 large cardboard boxes set up in our computer room, which is neat since we spend a lot of time in here.

We wanted to add to the 5 banties we have had for the last couple of years. Don't know if the old gals will accept the young'ns. We had the good fortune that the week old chicks accepted the new hatched babies that we got a week later. Almost lost one little guy. He was cold, but he seems to be holding his own at this time. I believe he and the rest of his batch will be a week old tomorrow.

Then we got carried away and added 6 pheasants. These are not supposed to be released into the wild. We were told that they need to be kept in separate cages because they fight. Don't think I like that idea.

We are going to need to get a little bit more educated on our new fowls. They are all warm and eating a high protein starter feed, grit,fresh water, etc.

Again we thank you,
Mary & Carl

Henopause cartoon by Dan Reynolds

2007-05-15T17:11:00.000-07:00

Chicken House and Run 'Chalet de Poulet'

2007-05-10T15:41:00.000-07:00

These chicken coop photos have been
sent in by Bret Edwards.

He has used the traditional chicken house and run plans but has added a couple of dormers and hidden lift hatches over nesting boxes. Very ingenious!

Here are the new chicks settling in to their new home (view is from the keeper door). A mixture of Black Australorps, Silver Laced Wyandottes, Buff Orpingtons, New Hampshire reds and Dominiques.

Click here to view more photos of Bret's 'Chalet de Poulet'

How to tell the sex of chicks

2007-04-30T10:37:00.000-07:00

A lot of people only want hens (for eggs or because they are not allowed, or do not want, the noise that comes with a rooster). So pullets are ordered. However, sexing chicks is very hard to do with most breeds. Hatcheries employ professional chicken sexers. They use vent sexing (squeezing them to make them poo and then observing whether they have a 'bump' inside their vent - bump=male, no bump=female), but some females do have small bumps, so even with a professional sexer most hatcheries will only guarantee a sexing accuracy of 90-95%. (Vent sexing is not a method recommended for the rest of us to use by the way, and only really works with day old chicks anyway).

The only way to be sure of what you are getting when you order is to choose sex linked breeds. Black Sex Links are a cross between a Rhode Island Red or New Hampshire Red rooster and a Barred Rock hen. Red Sex Links are a cross between a Rhode Island Red or New Hampshire Red rooster and a White Rock, Silver Laced Wyandotte, Rhode Island White or Delaware Hen.

The Black Sex Link female is a completely black chick
The Black Sex Link males are black with a white spot on the top of
their heads.
The Red Sex Link female hatches out a buff or red
The Red Sex Link males hatches out white.

If you order 25 pullets (which are not sex link breeds) then you are likely to have 2 or 3 roosters in there. But, how can you tell which is which?

GENERAL SIGNS

- Pullets usually get their wing and tail feathers before cockerels (in the first week or so).
- At around 5 to 6 weeks, sometimes sooner, you will see definate comb development on the cockerels in most breeds (it will start to redden, whilst the pullets will still be yellowy).
- At 2-3 months you will see the hackle feathers developing on the males. They will start to get longer and will be more pointed.
- Cockerels are usually braver - if you walk into your henhouse and accidentally sneeze, the pullets should be the ones that scattered!
- Cockerels have more pointed feather tips.
- Cockerels are usually bigger by a few weeks old.
- Pullets tend to have a smaller, round head, compared to the cockerels larger more angular one.

- Cockerels usually have longer legs (look for spur development).

All of these general signs are indications - not certainties. There are always exceptions to the rule, and not all breeds will conform to the general signs. You may have a really friendly timid
cockerel in your bunch masquerading as a pullet (and vice versa).

BREED SPECIFIC INDICATIONS

Barred Rocks and Cuckoo Marans - Males have wider white barring. They will often appear more silvery-grey than black. The males usually have a much larger, splotchier headspot.

Rhode Island Reds - By 5 weeks males have larger and thicker legs and a larger (pinkening) comb and wattle area.

Salmon Faverolles - By 2 weeks you can usually see a difference in the colours on the wings. Black should indicate a cockerel. Salmon brown should indicate a pullet.

Silkies - It can be several months before signs start to appear. Boys tend to stand more erect and girls more likely to be short and squatty. If the feathers swoop back towards the neck on the crest, then it is likely to be a boy.

White Crested Polish - The females tend to get more fluffy, mushroom looking crests.

OLD WIVES TALES - take with a pinch of salt!

If you pick a chick up with two fingers by the neck, the pullets will draw their legs up to their body and the cockerels legs will dangle.

Hold your chick on their back in your hand. If they stop kicking after a short time, it's a pullet, if they keep kicking it's a cockerel.

Needle and Thread - dangle the needle over your chick ... if it moves around and around it is a female, if it swings back and forth it is male - this is supposed to work for both chicks and eggs.

However you try to determine the sex of chicks you won't know for sure until it crows or lays an egg - but it can be a lot of fun finding out :-)

Parts Of The Chicken

2007-04-23T12:45:00.000-07:00

1. Comb

2. Face

3. Wattles

4. Ear-lobes

5. Hackle

6. Breast

7. Back

8. Saddle

9. Saddle feathers

10. Sickles

11. Tail-coverts

12. Main tail-feathers

13. Wing-bow

14. Wing-coverts, forming wing-bar

15. Secondaries, wing-bay

16. Primaries or flight feathers; wing-butts

17. Point of breast bone

18. Thighs

19. Hocks

20. Shanks or legs

21. Spur

22. Toes or claws

More Chicken Coop Photos

2007-04-18T11:07:00.000-07:00

Thanks to everyone who has sent in (or promised to send in) their photos and stories. Keep 'em coming!

Here is a colourful design from Stephen Hoffman

Ready for the new arrivals :-)

Click here to view more photos of this coop

Wild Baby Rats

2007-04-17T14:45:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we had about 6 baby rats running about in our front garden. It was only midday so I think we can confidently say we must have a lot of rats around (understandable on a farm!).

Here is a photo of some in the gateway to illustrate how tiny they were:

They were bold as brass all day, but we haven't seen any sign of them since (apart from a dead one on the lawn) so it seems likely that they didn't survive the night.

Chicken Coop Photos

2007-04-15T06:39:00.000-07:00

Thanks to newsletter subscriber Jason Akin for sending in photos of his completed 'Chickathedral'. Based on the traditional Poultry Ark design (but with a few of his own twists) it is the new permanent home for his eight resident chickens (ranging from 2 to 8 weeks old), and a part-time residence for his cheeky little yorkie Molly!

The coop plans this Chicken Coop Design was based on.

Click to view more photos of this coop

Feeding Chickens Video

2007-04-13T03:17:00.001-07:00

Famous Chicken Breeds : The Rhode Island Red

2007-04-12T06:58:00.000-07:00

The Rhode Island Red was originally bred in Adamsville, a small village which is part of Little Compton, Rhode Island. Apart from black in the flight feathers, their colour is a dark mahogany red. They are bred both for meat and for eggs and produce up to 250 to 300 large, light brown eggs per year.

Know Your Enemy : Rats

2007-04-09T05:50:00.000-07:00

Here is a little introduction to Rats (and a few ideas of how to get rid of them).

Rats are primarily nocturnal animals, so if you are regularly seeing them in the day, it probably means that you have a lot of them. They are not interested in your chickens as such, but they are interested in the food that your chickens are eating. Having said that, they will attack (and kill) chicks, and they will take your eggs if they get a chance to. A rat might attack a chicken, but an angry chicken can be a mighty foe, and it is not unknown for chickens to kill (and eat) rats.

What attracts rats: Food!
-----

* Make sure you only feed your chickens what they need, to avoid attracting vermin.
* Keep your chicken area clean.
* Collect any eggs as often as possible (as rats will try to steal them).
* If you have a compost bin, don't put any cooked food in it.

How they are likely to get in if they are attracted:
-----

Rats have razor sharp teeth and have been known to nibble through wire, but they are most likely to try and burrow in, or nibble away at the chicken house itself (if they can get to it).

One solution is to use weld mesh instead of chicken wire, as weld mesh is far stronger and cannot be pulled out of shape or bitten through as easily as chicken wire can be. For added security you could continue the wire fencing down another 12 inches (or more) buried into the ground and then turn it outward 6 inches to help prevent burrowing underneath.

Some people also recommend making sure there's at least a 4" gap between the floor of the shed and the ground as apparently rats can't stand upright and chew.

Getting rid of rats if you have them:
-----

Some cats and dogs will catch rats for you.
Poison and Traps (available at diy store etc.) - Poison is not a good idea around the chickens if they are likely to find the dead rat or the poison (as they will eat them).

Two old-fashioned methods you might like to try:

1. Mix equal parts of corn meal and plaster of paris and place it in the rat holes. The plaster of paris hardens in the stomach of the rat and is sure death.

2. Old-Fashioned Rat Trap

* Dig a hole and bury a large fruit jug or jar.
* The top part of the jar should be left uncovered, and a hole should be broken in it just above the ground.
*Place some shelled corn in the bottom, put a board on top, and weigh it down.

Check it every few days

(an illustration of the above trap can be found here http://www.self-sufficient-life.com/u.php?6)

Rat Facts:
-----

A female can produce up to twelve litters of twenty rats a year.
It is estimated that one-fifth of the world's total food output is eaten, spoiled or destroyed by rats. Around 26% of all electrical cable breaks are caused by rats, and they are thought to be responsible for around 25% of all unexplained fires.

Famous Chicken Breeds : The Orpington

2007-04-02T09:14:00.000-07:00

The original Orpington (the Black) was developed in 1886 by William Cook. He crossed Minorcas, Langshans and Plymouth Rocks to create the new hybrid bird. Cook named the breed after his home town in Kent. The first Orpingtons looked very much like the Langshan and were black. Between 1889 and 1905, Cook also created white, buff and blue colored Orpingtons. The Orpington was bred as a dual-purpose breed (meat production and eggs), but its popularity grew as a show bird rather than a utility breed. Their large size and soft appearance together with their rich color and gentle contours make them very attractive.

Besides the original colors (black, white, buff, blue), lots of other varieties exist today, e.g. porcelain, red, mottled and birchen. The original colors are still the most widely bred varieties.

Photo by Jack Bennett of his prize Rooster 'Goliath'

Orpingtons lay between 110 and 160 eggs a year.

Below is a little video footage of some Buff Orpington Hens, and Cockerel.

The above text about Orpingtons is licensed under the
GNU Free Documentation License.

Chicks and the brooder house

2007-03-31T03:25:00.000-07:00

Chicks don't have to be kept inside your house, but they do need to have warmth. A chick being raised naturally by its mother would be kept warm by her sitting on it, but would also be able to wander about and get it's exercise and food/water etc. when it wanted. That is essentially what is intended to be recreated when in the brooder house. I have a short video clip on my website of a brooder house - it's from a really old educational film, but you might find it interesting. You can see from the video clip on my site that in that particular brooder house there is a stove towards the back of their area but also space in front and around the sides so that the chicks can get away from the heat if it is too hot for them.

Caring For Chicks - A Quick Guide To Raising Baby Chicks (Video)

In fact, there are several short video clips dotted around through the chicken section of my website including the growth stages for chicks and also how they hatch out in an incubator. Talking of which, here is a recent news story you might like about a ten year old girl who to decided to try and hatch out some duck eggs bought from Waitrose!

Do chickens get along with cats / dogs?

2007-03-28T03:06:00.000-07:00

This seems to be one of the biggest concerns of new and potential chicken keepers. There are always exceptions to the rule, but this is what I have found (based on my own personal observations, opinions and experiences):

Family pets are usually not the problem. Chickens can look after themselves quite well when it comes to seeing off a too inquisitive cat or dog. A swift peck on a soft nose is usually all it takes! It can be a good idea to let your dog or cat explore the new chicken house before the chickens arrive so that there is no mystery to the housing itself. You can let your pet know in the first introductions if it is doing (or about to do) something wrong and that is very often enough to keep everyone living together happily.

It is not safe to trust them with young chicks but fully grown Chickens can get along quite nicely with the family cat(s) - infact most of the time they just ignore each other (in my experience, if anything, it is more likely to be the cat that is chased!).

Dogs can be a bit more troublesome but really it depends on the dog itself. If you have a dog that chases and barks at anything that moves, then it probably is not a good idea to have chickens, but some dogs are so docile they can end up being perched on! One advantage if you do have a cat or dog around is that their presence can sometimes deter unwanted intruders (such as foxes, rats, neighbourhood cats and dogs) etc.

Photo By Valerie Rose
"I have 6 free ranging 10 wk old hens that roam my fully fenced city lot. I also have a 21lb MainCoon cat named Taio. Taio is extremely docile ball of fluff of a cat... but I didn't realise just HOW docile until this afternoon. I thought you would enjoy these photos of Taio and the chickens. :)"

Most of the problems with cats and dogs seem to come from the neighbourhood pets that are not being properly controlled and looked after. Owners have no legal responsibility for cats but a neighbourhood dog can be reported to your local authority (although it will not necessarily do any good). If you have a co-operative neighbour then there could be a compromise, but unfortunately some neighbours are very inconsiderate - hopefully you have good neighbours!

Regardless of how well your pets get along with the chickens it is advisable to keep your 'girls' in a secure run and only free range them when you can actually be outside with them - Foxes (and badgers!) are becoming increasingly common in even the most urban of areas.

Chicken Rearing 101

2007-03-26T12:32:00.000-07:00

Your Complete Guide to How Not to Raise Chickens
By Nola Kelsey
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Capon: A castrated male used for meat. [How much could that yield?]
Pullet: A female chicken under one year old.
Hen: A female chicken over one year of age
Rooster: A male chicken over one year of age.

Raising Chickens for the first time can be intimidating. When I first called the Feed Shop, I was trying to sound like a pro. I asked, "Do you sell pullets?" "Yes", the man replied. "Are they all females?" It's been an uphill battle ever since.

Pullet parenthood is as much of an adventure as child rearing, only with more feces per pound of body weight. However, I've been reading quite a bit on poultry matters. [Yes, my coolness just turned over in its grave.] So if I am correct and I am quite certain I am not, here is how chicken rearin' goes.

Go to your local feed store and purchase $10 worth of chicks and $50 worth of food and supplies. Don't forget the water dispensers. Buying the metal ones, never plastic is always advised. Must be country humor. I have yet to see a metal one.

Next, place the chicks somewhere sheltered, like a bedroom closet. Toss in some highly flammable straw or wood shavings and promptly dangle a glowing heat lamp just above them. Note to self: Update homeowner's policy.

For the next several weeks feed them 3 lbs of food per day and remove 4 lbs of sh*t per day from the closet. Despite all logic the birds get bigger. As the adult feathers grow in be sure to clip one of their wings. That is one per bird, not just one wing total. If clipping is done late chicks will nest in your toilet. This is a bad thing.

Clipping can be accomplished by tossing your scissors and your body into the heaping mound of chicks, feces and straw. Grab a wiggling screeching bird from the bile pile. Restrain it with one hand. Stretch the wing out with your second hand. Clip off 50% of the wings outer ten feathers with your third hand.

As the birds grow adjust the heat light temperature down by one degree per day. No, this is not actually possible. That's not my point. You start at 100 degrees for hatchlings then continue down by one degree per day until your bedroom is a minimum of three degrees cooler than the spring blizzard outside your window.

Once you have frozen your ear to your semi-cannibalistic down pillow and the chicks have grown their adult feathers, they can be moved outside to the coop. I estimate the initial closet rearing stage to have taken five years.

Before the move, experience the Joy of Wing Clipping one more time. Feather clipping never works the first time. No one knows why. Still, after all the hassle you probably don't want them to fly the coop in under sixty seconds. Of course, if you're like me, by this time you may be inclined to pack them each a lunch and leave a stack of Greyhound tickets by the open coop gate.

Regarding habitat construction: Hen houses and chicken coops are a competitive art form. There are a myriad of websites showing off architectural designs from Chicken Chateaus to Bird Bordellos. The meticulous craftsmanship makes my own home look like - well - like a chicken coop.

Always fashionable, I went with a shabby chic motif for my coop. The nesting boxes are an eclectic mix of stolen milk crates affixed to the wall by anything in arms reach. As for the coop itself, there is a gift for tight chicken wire which eludes me. Quite frankly, my first attempt at a coop looks like Dr. Seuss dropped a hit of acid, blasted some Jefferson Starship and rolled around on the wire with every Who in Whoville. I think I'll keep it.

Inferior design aside, I ultimately learned a thing or two. The nesting boxes are supposed to be up off the ground. That is correct. For those of you keeping score you just spent two weeks cutting back the birds flight feathers only to hang their houses in the sky. It's just sick.

Higher than the nest boxes, you are to build a roost. This is where the birds crap at night so they do not crap on your breakfast eggs. Of course the roost is usually OVER the nesting boxes, so whatever you do, don't use those perforated plastic milk crates.

For young birds maintain a heat light in the hen house. Then on cooler nights an animal with a brain the size of a bulimic toe nail clipping will make the conscious decision to forgo your nest boxes, bypass the instinctual roost and leap into a tanning bed.

And finally there is the feed regime. I asked several experts and read up on feeding as well. Make sure to give your chickens starter formula, mash, growth formula, start & grow, brood formula, grit, no grit, scraps, no scraps, goat placenta, nothing suggested on the internet, tetramyaicn, no antibiotics, medicated starter, non-medicated starter and never, ever switch in-between.

I may not be Queen of the Coop yet, but I'm working on it. Though I am a zoologist and I still know Birds 101. Here are two myths I can help with. First, you do not need a rooster to get eggs. Most folk, especially those who have never owned chickens, will advise you on chickens. Each will insist you need a rooster for a while to do his manly duties. Then you can slip him in the pot. As appealing as this concept is, your pot is a separate issue.

Roosters are only needed to make fertile eggs. Hens are all that is needed to make breakfast eggs. Fertile eggs are just peachy if raising chicks was such a joy the first time you want to repeat the whole freakin' process. In addition there is always the risk of breaking a fertilized egg open and finding a 50% formed chick fetus hitting your hot skillet. Yum! Years of therapy will follow.

To keep it straight in your mind consider this: You are going about your life. Suddenly massive balls of calcium start stacking up inside your abdomen. Are you going to hold on to them just because you have not had sex lately?

The second bird myth is totally unrelated so I thought I would mention it. Penguins occur in nature from the Equator on Southward. That is down to the Antarctica, not the Arctic! No, they do not hang out with Polar Bears who live in the Arctic. No, you did not see them when you worked in Alaska, in the Arctic. Those were puffins. No, I am not sorry you look stupid to all those folks you told penguin tales to.

Yes, some penguin species even reside on the Galapagos Islands at the equator (Cold weather would kill them), not floating around on icebergs - and not in the Arctic! Yes, I realize my eggs are not all in one basket. Delusional, close-minded people who insist you need a rooster to fertilize your penguin eggs so polar bears won't lose their food supply drove me crazy!

Satirist Nola L. Kelsey is the author of Bitch Unleashed: The Harsh Realities of Goin' Country & coauthor of the wicked political/self-help, satire Keeping the Masses Down. Both are available everywhere fun books are sold. More of Nola's work may be read at: http://www.NolaKelsey.com