This post is the second in my Incubation Series. In the first post, Incubating Advantages, I discussed some of the advantages and disadvantages of incubating your own hatching eggs. One of the advantages that I'd like to discuss further is that home incubating allows more control over what characteristics a particular chicken's offspring will have. It gives us the opportunity to encourage or discourage those features by select breeding. This post is going to explore that subject a bit more in the hopes of helping you to select the correct breed for you, or the parents of a breed you hope to hatch. I will share with you my own experience with our Blue Laced Red Wyandottes.
Breeding can be tricky, but very rewarding. Unfortunately it is not as easy as bird 1, plus bird 2, equals bird 3. I have learned so much about chickens by breeding, and the most valuable lesson, is the importance of starting with good quality stock.
All chickens are not created equal. Even a chicken that appears to be healthy can be carrying genetic secrets. Crooked beak, for example, is hereditary and can arise from two seemingly normal parents. Chickens that throw undesirable genetic mutations should be discouraged from producing offspring. There are many people who devote years of patience, effort, and love to producing healthy, beautiful chickens. When you see a bird raised in this way, the care speaks for itself.
With this being said, not everyone is able to start with "award winning chickens." In my opinion, this should not discourage someone from continuing their own flock. Do the best with what's available to you, research, research, research, and breed responsibly.
Blue Laced Red Wyandotte Cockerel (Blue Variety)
My first suggestion is to research breeds that do well in your area. Weather, climate, and humidity are all things to consider. Our Blue Laced Red Wyandottes do fabulous in our Michigan winters. They have a short comb, which is not prone to frostbite, and dense plumage that keeps them warm in the cold months. You will get the best results from offspring that are raised in a climate that suits them. Start with one breed and see how it goes. If you decide to raise multiple varieties, remember that each breed must be kept separate or "mutt" chickens will be the result. Sometimes this is desirable, sometimes not. Just make sure you know where you're going to put everyone, so that you don't have any oops-es! (More about this in my next post Part 3:Choosing an Incubator, Set Up, and Collecting Eggs)
Secondly, consider the space that you have and incubate accordingly. Even a small backyard collector can raise a few hatching eggs. It's not quantity but quality, and you don't have to fill an incubator to replenish your flock, and experience the fun of incubating.
One of the things that I find most interesting about raising chickens, are the breed standard guidelines, and trying to breed birds that will produce offspring with those qualities. This is a heated subject on many a chicken forum. Many people think that chicken breeding should only be left to experienced breeders who are strict to the standard guidelines. Others feel that breeding is a hobby, and it should be left up to the individual's discretion. Both sides of the argument have merit. On the one hand, there is a risk of loosing original breeds through "mutt" breeding, or loosing the breed's integrity though poor quality breeding. On the other, I think it's important to encourage newbies to get involved and to generate interest in raising chickens of all sorts. Honest communication would solve many of these debates. Breeders have a responsibility to be truthful about what they are selling, to provide line information when possible, and to divulge a bit in their breeding practices.
Buyers also have a responsibility, to do their homework and know what they're paying for. There is a ton of information on line to help explain the genetics of breeding, breed standards and how to pick a good looking bird. Talk to different breeders and ask questions. I find that people who are really enthusiastic about raising chickens will be happy to answer any questions you may have. There are also poultry clubs all over the United States. 4-H is a great place to start, even if you're over the age requirement (it's usually 18), the poultry club should have some information for your area and tell you where to start looking. Some clubs are even breed specific and will help you narrow in on your breed of choice. If you can't find something in your area, there are forums and even on-line chicken shows where people can up-load photos and get feedback on their birds.
Go to chicken shows in your area and get a feel for what a quality bird looks like in the breed your interested. Read the judges comments and talk to the judges if possible. For More information visit The American Poultry Association
There are two shows in our area that I hardly ever miss. The first being our local 4-H fair. To take a tour of our 4-H fair, read my post The Poultry Barn .
Another favorite show in our area is Fowl Fest. Each Autumn Zach and I head north to spend a day oohing and aahing over our area's finest selection of chickens. To see a tour of Fowl Fest 2010 check out my post Visiting Grandpa Tiny's Fowl Fest. Or click the video to see snip bits of the following year, Fowl Fest 2011. Seeing these beautiful specimens makes me want to raise the best chickens I can, and I'm sure it will inspire you as well.
My last bit of advice, is that when it comes to breeding chickens, yellow and blue don't always make green: Some breeds are more predictable than others. In these breeds, you mate a rooster and a hen of the same breed and color and you get offspring of the same type. But in the case of our Blue Laced Red Wyandottes, for example, there's much to learn under those pretty laced feathers.
Blue Laced Red Wyandotte Hen (Splash Variety)
Blue Laced Red Wyandottes come in two color varieties, Blue and Splash. There is also a third color, Black, that will occur, which resembles the coloring of a Golden Laced Wyandotte. If you mate a blue rooster to a blue hen, you will not get all blue chicks. You will get 50% blue, 25% black and 25% splash. To make it easier to understand, visit Blue Laced Red Wyandotte.com for a chart that breaks down the color combinations that will occur when mating the different varieties.
Frizzled breeds are another fun example of complicated breeding. Frizzles are a classification of chicken whose feathers grow outward, almost backward, curving toward the front of the chicken. To produce frizzled young, you must breed a smooth chicken (normal feathering) with a frizzle. This will produce 3 out of 4 frizzled chicks. If you mate a frizzle to a frizzle, all the chicks should be smooth.
This post is a mere drop in the ocean when it comes to learning about breeding, and is not meant to act as a guide, only to bring some interesting facts to your incubating experience. Even if you are the only one who will ever see your chickens, it's fun to look at where the breeds are going, and what people are doing to improve and prolong their existence. New breeds are being developed each year, some are trying to gain recognition, some are struggling to make a comeback from near extinction. Everyone raises chickens for different reasons, which makes the chicken world a fun and exciting place!
While doing your homework is important, no amount of reading will replace the experience of actually hatching out a brood yourself. So let's get started! Be sure to read my next post Part 3: Choosing an Incubator, Set Up, and Collecting Eggs
Do you incubate your own eggs? I'd love to hear about your experiences. Feel free to leave comments or photos on Iron Oak Farm's Facebook Page, and I'll do a Reader's Response blog after the series has posted, celebrating all our new babies from Spring 2012!
It's that season again! Pictures of baby chicks are popping up all over my Facebook Farm Page, as fellow bloggers, homesteaders, and chicken enthusiasts share images of their new little peepers. It's an exciting day when chicks arrive, whether they come from a store, a breeder, through the post, a broody hen, or from an egg in your own incubator, baby chicks are a miracle I never tire of.
In the first post of this 4 part series on incubating, I'd like to talk about some different reasons for raising your own chicks from a hatching egg. The advantages, the disadvantages, and some tips that I've learned along the way.
My favorite way to add chicks to our flock is by allowing a broody hen to do the work for me. Mother nature really does know best, and it takes the guess work out of egg care for us humans. To read more about my first experience with a broody hen read my post Bath Time at the Lavender House.
If a broody hen isn't an option, my second favorite way to acquire chicks is by hatching them myself with an incubator.
The main reason I started incubating my own eggs is that some years ago, I was able to purchase some good quality stock from a serious and reputable breeder of Blue Laced Red Wyandottes. I couldn't afford to purchase new chicks of this type each spring, but I wanted the lines of these quality birds to continue each year, for our own farm and for our customers who buy our chicks and hatching eggs. (To read more about our hatching eggs and chicks, visit our farm blog at Iron Oak Farm)
We purchased three fertile hens and two cockerels, beautiful birds but quite expensive. We collected the eggs from our hens over the next week, ordered an incubator with rush shipment, and hatched our first incubated eggs.
From this experience on, I was hooked. This was one of the most amazing things I've ever had the pleasure of witnessing. I also felt that this experience needed to be shared. So with the next batch of eggs to be incubated, I set up a live cam so our blog readers could watch the miracle as well. The response was overwhelming! We weren't alone in our amazement, so many people were watching that it bogged down the online connection and I had to keep re-booting the system!
There is a lot to think about when making the decision to bring an animal into the world. Other than the pure joy of watching chicks hatch, there are some advantages and disadvantages of incubating eggs. Below are a few things to consider.
The Advantages:
These are some things that are really important to our farm and our own rearing practices. If you can think of more, I'd love to hear from you. Feel free to leave a comment!
1. Hatching eggs open up a whole world of breeds that would otherwise be difficult to find. A lot more breeders are willing to ship eggs than they are live chicks. Incubators can also be used to hatch other species of birds like turkeys, geese, guineas, peafowl, swans etc. Our model even came with directions for parrots and other tropical birds!
2. Raising rare breeds of chickens is not only interesting, but is a great thing to do for the historical integrity of all livestock breeds. Through incubation, we can help some of the disappearing heritage breeds make a comeback. For more information, visit the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy.
(I will have more information on choosing birds to breed in my next post in this series, Part 2: Choosing Birds to Breed.)
3. It is usually less expensive to buy hatching eggs of a rare breed than live chicks or adult birds.
4. It's less stressful for a bird to be shipped while it's still an egg versus a live chick. You cut back the chances of the chicks being chilled in the shipping process which can lead to pasty butt, or death. There are also regulations as to when chicks can be shipped. Many times it must be within the first day. Hatching eggs open up this short time restraint.
5. You don't necessarily have to order large minimum numbers. Many hatcheries will have a minimum order of 25 chicks. They do this for a number of reasons, one of which is in order for the chicks to stay warm in the shipping process. More bodies equals a warmer trip. For a small backyard collector who only wants a couple of chickens of a particular breed, this number can be a bit daunting. Some hatcheries will sell a smaller number of chicks, but many charge you for a heating device that is mailed along with the birds. This device can tack on more than $50 to your shipping price.
6. You know where your chicks have been from the beginning, what care they've had, and who's handled them. I cringe sometimes when we go to large chain stores that get in chicks to sell. I've seen chicks, chased, squeezed, dropped, and handled by every Tom, Dick and Harry that wanders over to the brooder bins.
7. You also have the choice to vaccinate or not vaccinate.
8. And finally one of the best reasons is that it is an incredible thing to witness and be a part of. It is a great learning experience for children and adults!
The Disadvantages:
While hatching chickens can be loads of fun, it might not be for everyone. Here are a few things to think about.
1. One of the few disadvantages of hatching your own chicks is that you can't order pullet eggs. If roosters are a problem in your area, bear in mind that you will more than likely hatch out a male bird amongst your eggs. But don't despair. While re-homing a rooster is classically harder than re-homing a hen, it's not impossible, especially for some of the rarer breeds. Have a few people or ideas in mind before committing to a hatch. There are forums for chicken enthusiasts that help people find homes for birds. For more helpful suggestions on dealing with roosters, read my post Keeping Roosters Together
2. The second problem is less of a problem and more of a test of patience. Incubation takes planning and preparation. In my third post I will touch on issues like choosing an incubator, prepping for your eggs and other helpful tips. With home hatching, you won't have the instant satisfaction of driving to the store and getting your chicks that day. You will have to wait for the breeder, to ship you your eggs, and then of course, there is the 21 days of waiting. Which to an excited chicken person like myself can seem like an eternity! But there are fun things to keep the impatient monster at bay. Like candling. Which I will also talk about in my third post.
Do you incubate your own eggs? I'd love to hear about your experiences. Feel free to leave comments or photos on Iron Oak Farm's Facebook Page, and I'll do a Reader's Response blog after the series has posted, celebrating all our new babies from Spring 2012!
by Jennifer Burcke In my last post, I shared the horror of finding two frozen and cracked eggs waiting for me in our coop on a frigid January morning. I removed their shells and placed them in a bowl in the hopes that they would defrost and be usable in a baking recipe. After they had spent several hours in the refrigerator sans shells, they did in fact thaw and by the end of the day we had chocolate chip cookie bars to eat for a bedtime snack.
In the days that followed, countless chicken keepers shared their methods for combating the bitterly cold weather and frozen water in their coops. I was amazed at the creativity and thankful for all of the great suggestions. I can’t wait to give a few of them a try and share the outcome with you.
As the comments and suggestions came in, I continued to think about the frozen eggs. My curiosity was piqued. My inquisitive nature has a long history of getting the best of me. In fact, my curiosity was responsible for me getting the slightly crazy idea that we should add a flock of heritage breed hens to 1840 Farm. Here we sit less than two years later with a herd of dairy goats living in our circa 1840 barn and a French Angora rabbit happily munching on alfalfa hay.
Now that I consider us a full-fledged farming family, I was ready to put my curiosity to practical use. I wanted to learn more about the anatomy of the egg. As a homeschooling parent, I took it as an opportunity to teach my children a science lesson while also learning something valuable myself.
Enter the website for The Exploratorium Museum in San Francisco. I had visited their site in the past and my children and I had already completed several of the experiments detailed there. In moments, I discovered that their section regarding eggs contained just the type of experiment I was looking for.
If my goal was to learn more about the shell and membrane of an egg, than I had found just the way to do so. It seemed simple enough, didn’t require any materials that weren’t easily at hand in my kitchen, and was bound to make for an interesting educational experience. It was time to gather our supplies and make a few naked eggs.
It didn’t take long to assemble the few tools necessary for this experiment. While the instructions call for putting two or more eggs into one container and then making sure that they are not touching, we opted to put each egg in its own container. Pint-sized Mason jars proved to be just large enough to hold each egg and easy to close in order to mitigate the smell caused by the vinegar.
Soon it was time to select a few eggs. Let me be clear: No farm-fresh eggs were harmed during the course of this experiment. We actually purchased a half dozen eggs at the store. While buying eggs at the grocery store is something I try to avoid at all costs, it seemed like a better option than ruining two perfectly fresh eggs from our coop. I just couldn’t bring myself to put one of our farm-fresh eggs in harm’s way.
We weighed each egg and recorded their weights at 58 grams each. Then it was time to lower them gently into their jars using a tablespoon. We covered them with white vinegar and sealed the jars. Initially, nothing seemed to be happening. We set the jars in the refrigerator and wondered how long it would take for them to begin their transformation.
When we checked on the eggs a few hours later, the shells were still intact. However, bubbles were forming on the shells and rising to the surface of the vinegar. The vinegar contained in the jars resembled a carbonated beverage more than it did plain vinegar. We were hopeful that by morning we would have two shell-less eggs to investigate.
By morning, the shells were not gone, but we were making progress. The shell had begun to break down and small portions were completely dissolved. Bubbles were still forming and rising to the surface taking small particles of the disappearing shell with them.
The acetic acid in the vinegar was clearly breaking the egg’s calcium carbonate shell into calcium, which was rising to the surface. At the same time, the acid was reacting with the shell to create carbon dioxide in the form of bubbles. We also noticed that the eggs began to float in the vinegar solution. Each time we opened the refrigerator door, they seemed to be closer to floating to the surface of the vinegar.
Once we hit the 24-hour mark, we checked and found that the eggs were far from being shell-less. So, as the instructions recommended, we removed the eggs from the jars to observe them and then returned them to clean jars and covered them with fresh vinegar. According to the experiment’s instructions, we would find completely naked eggs in another 24 hours.
We did not find shell-less eggs the next day. We made the decision to repeat the process of draining the jars and replacing the day-old solution with fresh vinegar. Apparently, the third time was the charm. The next morning, we discovered that our eggs were finally free of their shells and it was time to remove them so that we could take a closer look.
The first observation we made was how much the naked egg had increased in size. In fact, it was nearly double the size of an egg that we had reserved from the half dozen purchased at the store. The eggs had weighed 58 grams at the beginning of our experiment. We now had two shell-less eggs that weighed 90 grams and 98 grams, respectively. It was clear that not only was the vinegar working to dissolve the shell, it was also being transferred through the membrane into the egg.
Using a paper towel, we carefully removed the remnants of the dissolved eggshell. The membrane was intact and resembled a water balloon. Pressing on the membrane with my finger allowed me to make a depression, but its elasticity prevented it from breaking. I found myself marveling at the strength and flexibility of the membrane. Even though the egg’s membrane was now holding over an ounce of vinegar along with the egg, it was still doing the job that nature intended.
In minutes, my children were talking to each other about the eggs, the shells, and the miraculous membrane that had survived an environment that the shell could not. Out came the microscope. Soon there was a slide made with a fragment of the dissolving eggshell. Under the microscope, it became clear that what was left of the shell was incredibly porous.
After we had all given the naked eggs a full inspection, it was time to move on to the second part of the experiment. We had already seen firsthand that the eggshell could not stand up to the acetic acid in the vinegar while the membrane had emerged unscathed. Now it was time to see what the membrane could do on its own.
We placed one egg in a clean jar filled with tap water. The second egg was destined for a jar filled with corn syrup. While the first egg was happy to sink in the water, the second refused to be submerged in the thick corn syrup. Instead, it floated on top like an egg-shaped ship lost at sea. I tried to push it down into the syrup, but it was no use. Now it was time to place them both back in the refrigerator for 24 hours.
The next morning, the corn syrup egg had already been transformed. The membrane had given us a lesson in osmosis that was so easy to understand that my 6-year-old grasped it immediately. Because the corn syrup does not contain much moisture, the selectively permeable membrane of the egg had allowed liquid from inside the membrane to exit into the container in order to equalize the pressure. When that happened, the egg was suddenly flabby and deflated, weighing a mere 50 grams. In fact, there was a considerable amount of vinegar now floating on top of the corn syrup in the Mason jar.
We could actually pinch the membrane between our fingers and even pick the egg up by the membrane. In contrast, the egg that had spent the evening in water had ballooned up to 91 grams. Its membrane was stretched so tightly that we could no longer press our fingers into it. It felt as if it might burst at any moment.
We held the egg that had been in water up in front of a light to see how translucent it was. We could see the contents of the egg clearly. It was as if we had a three-dimensional cross section of an egg. It was easy to see the yolk, albumen and chalaza. By rotating the egg, we could watch as the contents moved freely.
After we finished inspecting the egg in the bright light, we moved on to complete the experiment. We returned the full egg to its water bath. The egg that had spent 24 hours in corn syrup was placed in a clean jar and covered with water. Within a few hours, it had absorbed enough water to be fully formed. When we weighed both eggs the next morning, they each weighed 94 grams.
This experiment reminded me of the marvel of nature that an egg represents. Magic happens out in our chicken coops every day. Now, thanks to our hens and a few store-bought eggs, magic had happened in my farmhouse kitchen. My children learned not just about the egg, but about chemical reactions, osmosis, and permeability while having fun. Here's another amazing fact: I had as much fun as they did and learned a lot about the anatomy of the egg in the process.
Tomorrow morning, when I’m out in the coop delivering morning oatmeal to our hens, I may have to make one change to our morning routine. Instead of addressing them by their names: Hedwig, Amelia, Bertha, Marigold, Abigail, Fawkes and Sally, I may have to call them by a more descriptive moniker. Until I can figure out the appropriate greeting, I’ll guess that, “Good morning, professors” will have to do.
This spring, we'll be making a few additions to our flock and sharing the experience with you. The chicks are ordered and will be arriving in April. I will be chronicling the life of our new chickens from day-old chicks into laying hens through a recurring series of posts about life in the coop at 1840 Farm. Stay tuned!
This spring the Master Gardener chapter that I'm a member of is doing a series of gardening classes, and I'm excited that I will be doing a presentation titled "Gardening with Chickens." In my previous posts for Community Chickens I shared the first three portions of my presentation:Why Chickens?,The Setup and Gardening with Chickens. Now, I'm going to list my favorite resources or my top choices for where to find information on the basics of chicken keeping: online sites and books. During my actual presentation, I'll also include resources such as local hatcheries and feed/supply stores.
Of course, Community Chickens is one of my favorite online sites! I enjoy the biweekly newsletters and reading the comments, suggestions and advice from chicken keepers throughout the worldwide community ... Its Facebook page is also a great social site to share photos, ask questions or just follow the posts of other chicken enthusiasts!
This is valuable site for new and experienced chicken keepers. Its forum always has hundreds of online members ready to answer any question you might have. The site also has a huge selection of coop designs/photos (many with free blueprints). There's also a learning center that includes everything from raising chicks to maintaining a healthy flock. One fun feature on this site: You can design your own web page and share photos and stories of your coop and flock!
Another great site, but what I appreciated most about this site when I first entered the world of backyard chickens was their free Chicken Care Guide. This guide includes info, advice and tips, including: why you should have chickens, caring for baby chicks, and what to expect the first year and beyond.
For less than $7.00, this guide includes: tips on incubating eggs, basic chick care, info on 25 heritage chicken breeds, DIY projects, strategics to protect the flock from predators, raising chickens for meat, recipes and more. It also has info on the benefits of raising additional types of poultry: guineas, ducks and turkeys.
In my opinion this a great book, with everything you could ever want to know (and more) about raising chickens. It even has a few tips on chickens and gardens:
Surround the garden with a double-fenced chicken yard, or "moat," creating a bug-free, weed-free zone.
Let chickens into your garden late in the day, giving them an hour or so to eat bugs and nip leaves, but not enough time to do serious damage.
Divide the garden area in two with the chicken house in the middle. Garden on one side and confine the chickens to the other, alternating these uses annually.
For those of us who sometimes would rather thumb through a book than the Internet, here's an additional book by Gail Damerow that I think is a great "search engine" for all chicken-related info... I enjoy how this book is arranged in an easy A to Z format, and it's full of detailed definitions, color photos, illustrations, charts, tips, etc. Once you start browsing through this book, it's hard to put it down!
As a gardener with a flock of chickens, this is my top choice in chicken-resource books! Not only does it cover the basics (how to care for new chicks, coop requirements, etc.), but it's written with a gardener in mind. It includes many tips on how to protect your plants, garden designs, lists of plants chickens prefer or will avoid. Not only is the book well-written and informative, it's full of wonderful photos of chickens, gardens, coops and more. Of course, this book couldn't have come at a better time, as I'm preparing a presentation on "Gardening with Chickens!"
Here's the best part: I'll include anyone who leaves a comment in a drawing for a free copy of Free-Range Chicken Gardens. Share a gardening or chicken-related tip, or simply comment, "Include me in the drawing!" In two weeks, I'll announce the winner ... So, check back on my next post to see if you won!
To see what else is happening on our Southwest Missouri property, visit ...the garden-roof coop.
It was another exciting day for us! Our chicken, Sunshine, has just started laying eggs! With the unusually warm weather, she started laying this week. We weren't expecting her to lay until spring, since we opted against supplemental lighting to get her to lay during winter. I was able to get the girls' reaction on video this afternoon and am happy to share it with you. The egg we found today was not in the nesting box. We found it entrenched in a whole lot of poop! When Ara pulled it out, it was covered in some rather large gobs of poo. So it begged the question: "What the heck do we do with a poop-covered egg?" I found a stellar site from Colorado State University Extension that explains in detail what to do. Here is an excerpt from their site that succinctly addresses our questions:
Caring for the Eggs
Collect the eggs often. Eggs that spend more time in the nest have an increased chance of becoming dirty, broken, or lower in quality. Collecting eggs at least twice daily is recommended, preferably before noon. Consider a third collection in late afternoon or early evening, especially in hot or cold weather. Coated wire baskets or plastic egg flats are good containers for collecting eggs. Discard eggs with broken or cracked shells.
Cleaning. Dirty eggs can be a health hazard. Eggs with dirt and debris can be cleaned with fine sandpaper, a brush, or emery cloth. If eggs need to be washed, the temperature of the water should be at least 20F warmer than the egg. This will prevent the egg contents from contracting and producing a vacuum. It will also prevent microscopic bacteria from being pulled by vacuum through the pores of the egg. A mild, non-foaming, unscented detergent approved for washing eggs can be used. A dishwashing liquid that is free of scents and dyes is acceptable. Eggs can be sanitized by dipping in a solution of 1 tablespoon household bleach to 1 gallon of water before storage. Dry eggs before storing because moisture may enter the shell pores as eggs cool on refrigeration.
Storage. Store eggs in the main section of the refrigerator at 35F to 40F; the shelves in the door tend to be warmer than interior shelves. If collected and stored properly, eggs can have a safe shelf life of greater than three weeks. Date the storage carton or container and use older eggs first. If you have more eggs than you can use, you can break them out of their shells and freeze them. Only freeze fresh eggs. Beat until just blended, pour into freezer containers, seal tightly, label with the number of eggs and the date. Add a small amount of salt, sugar, or corn syrup to prevent gelling and improve the keeping quality of the eggs. It’s a good idea to note any additional ingredients on the freezer container. The whites and yolks may also be frozen separately.
Preparation. Never eat eggs raw. Undercooked egg whites and yolks have been associated with outbreaks of Salmonella enteritidis infections. To prevent illness from bacteria, cook eggs until yolks are firm and cook foods containing eggs thoroughly to 160F. Use a food thermometer to be sure. Do not keep cooked or raw eggs at room temperature for more than two hours.
Every week at Community Chickens, we get dozens of questions from people across the world, hoping to find someone who has shared a similar experience. We try to answer them all, and forward them on to experts where we can. But many of the questions are unique, and because of this, we realize that sometimes the best people to answer the questions are precisely the people who are or have been in your shoes. This is why we often ask our guest bloggers to tackle questions - and they do such a great job!
So here's what we're asking, "What would you do ..." if you were in some of the following situations? What would you tell our readers? What is your best advice?
YOU might be the best person in the world to answer someone's question ... and we want to provide you with that ability. So, go for it!
If you'd like to respond to a question, leave a comment, and be sure to indicate to which question you're responding: (e.g., Q1: This is what you should do ...)
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Q1: T. Murray writes: After NOT being satisfied with the feed that our local farm stores were selling (the formula changed last summer!), I purchased a different kind of layer crumbles. Then 2 weeks later, I purchased yet another kind of 'crumble' that was in smaller pellet form. I kept the label and compared ingredients. What I found was interesting, but I am not sure exactly what the hens need from vitamins and minerals, etc. listed on the tag. Currently my 3 year old hens (still laying) get the poultry crumbles, cracked corn, oyster shells (that I find sometimes are just limestone rocks), grit and whole oats. Plus any scraps go to them, which they love! I am puzzled..... Can you help???
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Q2: Vern writes: Can my chickens catch the flu or a cold from humans?
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Q3: Dinah writes: What kind of greens are okay to give my chickens in the winter? I was wondering if I could add a pellet dried green to their diet?
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Q4: Dave writes: My chickens were supposedly 26 weeks old when I bought them 8th August 2011. They seem happy are scratching around and eating layers pellets and drinking fine but haven't laid an egg yet is it possible to have infertile chickens (I have 2) or am I doing something wrong?
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Q5: Irena writes: When the eggs have blood spots on the egg...are they good to eat? I have been throwing them away.
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Q6:Linda writes: I have mini chickens, the hen just hatched out 5, 3 are her size but I have 2 that aren't much bigger than when they were hatched, the others are back in the big pen. I've had to keep the other 2 with us in the house; too cold outside. Any information on mini chickens would help!
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Q7: Phillips writes: Having a problem with ants in with the small chicks, afraid to use spray or granular poison. What would be safe to use?
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Q8:Loretta writes: How high off the ground should the chickens perch be? Also what should a perch be round (dowel) or can you use a 2x4? What should the diameter be?
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Q9: Debra writes: A seemingly healthy 3-month-old chick is suddenly paralyzed on one side. She is still alert and eats. I am giving her grower and electrolyte water. Any ideas?
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Q10: Barbara writes: I have a question regarding health. I have a hen that has gotten very quiet and hasn't laid for well over a week. She acts like she's cold all the time with her feathers puffed up and hiding her head. I might mention I had another hen act the same way and I lost her.
Today I picked her up. she was very docile. I notice that her chest seemed swollen with like a sack of something.
Should I isolate her, should I try antibiotics, Is there anything I can do to improve her health? I am a new backyard chicken hobbiest and am learning by trial and error and it can be quite heartbreaking at times.
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Q11: Tina writes: Is it normal for my chickens to continually pluck the feathers from the others and eat them? Is there something they need to be eating that I am not aware of? Some have all their tail feathers plucked; some have all there hind feathers missing to the point of bleeding! What can I do for them?!
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Q12: Patti writes: I want to get 4-6 laying hens and was wondering what size the coop should be and how much outside pen area I would need. I work during the day but do not want to keep them in the coop all day.
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Q13: SouthCoast Guy writes: I have 3 hens and this is the first time I have raised chickens. All three were very docile, but over the last couple of weeks one of them has began to peck at us every time we come close, to the point where she drew blood from my wife's finger ... is there any way to discourage that behavior?
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Q14: Lisa writes: I was given a bag of walnut saw dust, do not know what type of walnut. Is it safe to use as bedding? Thank you.
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Q15: Jay writes: My 3 layers are housed in a 50 sq. ft. fenced run with a second floor coop with roost and nest boxes. I leave them in the run during the day, when I go to work. I let them run free in the yard when I get home. They are out for an hour or two before it gets dark.
My problem is that they will not willingly eat the layer feed that I put out in a feeder for them, either crumbles or pellets. They will eat kitchen scraps and scratch corn, or 3-way scratch, plus the yard and forest foraging. They seem to get what they need, since the egg shells are strong, and the yokes are a healthy yellow-orange, but I wonder why they will not eat the processed layer feed.
I have tried to mix varying proportions of scratch and the feed, but they pick through the feed for the corn, and scatter the rest. If I only put out the layer feed, it sits around until it absorbs moisture from the humidity, and gets moldy and soiled from their scratching through the soil and bedding.
Do you have any advice?
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Q16: Carl writes: How much should you feed a full grown chicken per day? How many times should you feed them per day?
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Have a question of your own?
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Every week at Community Chickens, we get dozens of questions from people across the world, hoping to find someone who has shared a similar experience. We try to answer them all, and forward them on to experts where we can. But many of the questions are unique, and because of this, we realize that sometimes the best people to answer the questions are precisely the people who are or have been in your shoes. This is why we often ask our guest bloggers to tackle questions - and they do such a great job!
So here's what we're asking, "What would you do ..." if you were in some of the following situations? What would you tell our readers? What is your best advice?
YOU might be the best person in the world to answer someone's question ... and we want to provide you with that ability. So, go for it!
If you'd like to respond to a question, leave a comment, and be sure to indicate to which question you're responding: (e.g., Q1: This is what you should do ...)
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Q1: Paula writes: Why won't my hens use the nesting boxes I bought? They lay in one spot on the barn floor. I have a six-box nest that I have moved to different areas but they ignore it. They are free range birds.
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Q2: Marlene writes: I have 4 laying hens and several young hens coming up who are almost old enough to lay. However, lately, my hens have decided to lay their eggs anywhere except the coop. We were letting the gang out of the coop and fenced area in the late afternoon and evening for something different for them to do before going back to roost at dusk. But unfortunately, I found several clutches of eggs laid in tall weed/grassy areas outside of the coop. By the time I found the eggs in tall thistles :(, they were spoiled. I have tried to keep them in the coop & fenced yard to encourage them to lay in the coop and their laying boxes for several days in a row--but I am not sure if or when I should start letting them out again.
So my question is: How do I get my year-old hens to lay in the coop in the laying boxes and not outside in some remote area just because I am trying to be nice to them and let them have some free roam time in the evenings? I thought hens were 'suppose to' lay in the mornings and I'd be ok letting them free-range after 3 p.m. until dusk? They sure enjoy it--and so does my chicken-dog, a gentle soul--a Collie who loves being with the birds when they are outside the coop and fenced area too!
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Q3: Tim writes: What is the best way to clean the eggs?
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Q4: Amanda writes: I have a mobile chicken triangle "ark" setup, and right now I have the sides covered with 10mm of plastic to keep the snows off, and I have installed a Bayco 13 watt fluorescant work light in the open space underneath their coop/roost in the run area. The hens seem quite happy, and at this point are 27 weeks old. I have 2 Delawares, 3 Ameracaucanas, and 1 Barnevelder. As of yet, I have not to see one egg. I am gradually moving back the time frame when I turn the light on and feed them in the morning, 15 minutes per week, in order to try to stimulate egg production beginning. I am at 12 hours and 45 minutes today. As I began looking online to try to find some other ideas, I came across a couple of articles stating that warm white bulbs are better for stimulating hen's reproductive cy! cles. I chose the light I purchased for three reasons: #1- It had a protective plastic cover over the light, so I figured that was better if the chickens tried to peck it. #2- The specifications for the light stated that it was "equivalent to 75 watt incandescent bulb with Natural Daylight illumination- 6500 Kelvin." I think now that the "natural daylight" may have thrown me and I may have gotten the exact opposite of what my hens need. I cannot buy a warm white bulb for this work light. #3- It stated it was "cool running," which I though was important since it was going to be mounted only 2 inches away from the wooden floor of the coop/ceiling of the run area.
My question is: is this light going to do anything for my hens? or should I just switch to a different fixture with a warm-white or incandescent bulb?
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Q5: Brett writes: I have a hen that can't eat to fill her gullet. She is very light for an Orpington she coughs when she tries to eat or drink fast. Help?
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Q6: Laura writes: Any advice on how to correct chickens from eating their own eggs out of the bedding in their boxes?
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Q7: Debbie writes: I live in Ohio and plan to get day-old chicks in the Spring. How can I heat the coop without using electricity? I would have to add a pole (and a 2nd bill) in order to have the power, and prefer to use something other than electric. What can I do to avoid getting the electric? Thanks!
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Q8: Jean writes: My hen laid a shelless egg and then ate the yolk of it. Why?
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Q9: Jerry writes: My chickens have quit laying, they were molting but seem to have all their feathers back now. How long before they start laying again.
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Q10: Mandi writes: We have an A-frame uninsulated style chicken tractor, with 6 laying hens. This is our first winter in NW PA with our chickens. Our winter temps get down to zero, but usually are in the teens-twenties. We are labeled as zone 5 and receive between 100-200 inches of lake effect snows each season. We picked breeds that we believe will do well with cold, that have small combs, using the chicken picker app. (thank you!) We have 3 Ameracaucanas, 2 Delawares, and 1 Barnevelder.
I have a few questions though about the cleaning of a mobile coop and about our thoughts regarding winter with this type of coop setup.
1. First, we have been moving the coop daily around the yard, and cleaning out any poopy straw from the upper portion (sleeping and laying area) of the coop either everyday, or every other day. Is that often enough to clean? We hear alot about the deep litter method, but that won't work for our little arrangement.
2. In regards to winter, our plan is to put the chicken tractor into my husband's uninsulated pole-barn with the REAL tractor; putting it perhaps on a tarp that we can shake out into the yard everyday or every other day. Should we put some straw down daily on the tarp for them to scratch in? We will be running an electrical bulb to hang near their coop area for the 14 hours of light they are supposed to need to continue laying. Is a CFL bulb sufficient or should we use an incandescant one? In addition, would you suggest that we put a blanket or insulation over the outside of the top sleeping area to insulate it a bit? Also, at what temperature should we begin to move them into the pole barn?
Thank you for allowing people to write in with their questions. It's so hard to get reliable information.
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Q11: Diane writes: Once a chicken is done laying 2-3 years, what is the best way to cook an older bird. Also, how high does the fencing have to be to keep chickens from flying over?
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Q12: Mike writes: I live in the Florida panhandle, Zone 8, and working on coop plans.
Can the floor of my coop be made from hardware cloth? I am new to the chicken raising experience. My thoughts are to raise the hutch about 4 feet and put leaves and such under to catch chicken poop. After a time rake it out and replace putting used into compost bin.
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Q13: Lyra writes: Recently, I took my Barred Rock in to the vet thinking she was egg-bound. Turns out she had cancer of the ova duct. I suppose I should have realized that chickens, like every other living creature, can get cancer but I hadn't.
She was only 3 years old and the alpha.
Is this common in chickens?
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This spring the Master Gardener chapter that I'm a member of is doing a series of gardening classes and I'm excited that I that I will be doing a presentation entitled "Gardening with Chickens." In my previous posts for Community Chickens I shared the first two portions of my presentation:Why Chickens? and The Set-up.Now, I'm moving on to the next subject:Gardening with Chickens
Sure backyard chickens are a great addition to any home, but if you're a gardener like me you'll want to know how you can use your flock to aid you in your gardening and how to protect your crops and plants from the voracious foragers.
Advantages
Free Fertilizer
Chicken manure is a sought after fertilizer for organic gardeners. It ranks top among animal manures in nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium--and when combined with straw or similar coop bedding it not only adds nutrients to the soil, but also organic matter. And--since your average size hen also produces one cubic foot of manure every six months, you'll have an unlimited supply of free-organic fertilizer!
Because of its high nitrogen content though, it needs to age or compost before it can be used as fertilizer. It's important to not add fresh or "hot" manure directly to the garden in the spring, otherwise you'll end up killing or actually burning your plants. Here's how it measures up:
Here's my scoop on the poop...
To keep things simple most composters follow the general rule of 1 part carbon (brown, i.e. coop/run bedding) to 2 parts nitrogen (green, i.e. chicken poop). However, because chicken manure is too high in nitrogen you may be more successful using a 1:1 or even a 2:1 mixture. How long it takes to produce compost depends on your method of composting or how diligent/dedicated you are to turning, watering and monitoring the temperature of the pile. If done properly, the compost could be ready to use within 2-3 months. Otherwise, it's probably wise to let it age for 6-9 months before incorporating it into the garden soil.
Here's what I do...
I use straw in the coop and during the summer when I clean the coop (about twice a month), I add it to the compost bin. After the last fall harvest, I spread the straw/manure combo on top of the garden. In January I stop adding the fresh manure to the garden, giving it time to age before my first spring planting. I used to use straw in the run also, but the first time I cleaned the run, the straw had compacted into a huge slimy, smelly, moldy mess. Since then I switched to wood shavings.--The run only needs to be cleaned out a few times a year and it's a great fertilizer/mulch to add to the top of my berry beds in the fall/winter.
Weed eaters and organic pesticide!
If you have free-ranging chickens, then organic gardening is a must. Using chemical insecticides, pesticides and herbicides is not only is harmful to the environment, but it will poison your foraging chickens as well. Fortunately, hens love weeds such as chickweed (so named because chicks love it), purslane and dandelions (leaves, not the flowers) and they are constantly on the move, searching for the perfect bug... They provide outstanding tick and mosquito control and have a huge appetite for slugs, snails and other pests including--Japanese beetles!Because the chickens have quite an appetite for Japanese beetles, I don't use an insecticide to control the beetles, instead I just hand-pick them--and then feed them to the chickens!
If you can't handle a handful of squirming beetles then you can knock them off the leaves into a bowl of water. It makes a disgusting beetle-soup that the chickens love. I've read where some chicken keepers purposely put up beetle traps and use the beetles as a free organic chicken feed. Some even freeze the excess beetles to use as a protein supplement during the winter or offer them as a cold treat in the summer. Of course, chickens will not eliminate the beetles from your garden, but I do find it quite enjoyable watching the hens devour these annoying pests!
My property is surrounded by a wooded area and ticks are a major nuisance... I don't know if it's just my imagination, but this past summer (which was the first year that I let the chickens free-range on my property) the amount of ticks present in my yard was noticeably lower.
They're almost like miniature garden tillers--they scratch up the soil white they're foraging for weeds and bugs--another benefit!
Disadvantages
They prefer veggies over weeds...
When I first got chickens I wouldn't let them out of the coop/run in fear of my border collies or cats attacking or killing a bird. Fortunately, I had one chicken who would charge and peck at any dog or cat that even looked their way... When they were confined they would eat anything and everything I offered them--weeds or veggies. However, when I started letting them out to free range and choose what they preferred, they grazed through my garden eating their favorites and completely ignoring others. They especially love blueberries, tomatoes, (not the plant), broccoli crowns (not the leaves), sweet peas (again not the plant/leaves) and bok choy. They loved the bok choy so much, they only nibbled at the lettuce and spinach. They never touched the chard or herbs when allowed to free-range, but if I would add it to their run when nothing else was available--they would eat it... I've never had them even take a second glance at my onions, garlic or peppers, but supposedly chickens lack the ability to detect capsaicum,--the chemical responsible for the hot/burning sensation of peppers.
They aren't as interested in my flower garden, though they do love scratching up the mulch pathways I have, foraging for grubs and bugs...
Here are a few plants that could be poisonous or harmful to your free ranging flock:
I have most of these "poisonous" plants and what's interesting is that the chickens somehow know what they can and cannot eat. The same goes with insects... I have several varieties of milkweed (which they avoid completely), but I've also seen them look at the milkweed bugs, Oncopeltus fasciatus, (which are also poisonous and always present) and not eat them. However, they first time I offered them a mealworm, they fought amoung themselves over who could eat the most...
They're messy foragers and bathers...
It's great that while their foraging for bugs and weeds that they scratch up the soil, but as I mentioned earlier they will also make a mess of mulched garden paths. I even have rocked paths that they have been able to kick large stones out of place searching for hidden treats, but I do try to remember that there is probably one less grub or beetle thanks to their diligent scratching.
In addition to your garden becoming their personal smorgasbord, it also becomes the best spot for a dust bath and sometimes the ideal spot might just be in the middle of a row of beans...
A dust bath, however, is an essential part of a chicken's health; It is their way of eliminating mites, lice and other parasites. Providing them a bathing area away from your garden might help them avoid using your vegetable patch as their spa. I've tried making a dust bath out of a container, but it doesn't really work. What works best is just a cleared out patch of earth--add equal parts Diatomaceous Earth (DE), soil and sand. DE is a natural product consisting of the fossilized remains of diatoms (a type of hard-shelled algae). According to some sites, DE can be used as a treatment and preventative measure against intestinal worms, mites and lice. It's a safe product that can be added to the chicken's feed, sprinkled around the coop as well as included in the dust bath.
Solutions
Fencing, bird netting, barriers...
The chickens do love tomatoes and last summer I experimented with a couple of different homemade spray repellents (taste/smell) that I use on my plants to deter the deer. One, which was pepper based, did seem to slow the hens down a bit, but I came to the conclusion that if you want to keep your chickens from eating your garden, you can't allow them to have access to your garden... A fence--either around the garden or containing the chickens is the best option to ensure that your plants are protected.
What my plan is for this year, is to use removable metal fence panels. At $12.00 a panel, it has been an investment to contain my entire garden, but I like the way it looks and the fact that I can remove it in the fall when I'll allow my chickens back into the garden to eat weeds, bugs and contribute their "fertilizer." I've also made a temporary fencing that I use to protect new seedlings and to "cage" my birds into a section that I want to take advantage of their proficient weeding skills. It's nothing more than 4-foot high plastic fencing attached to wooden stakes. As I mentioned above, they're especially fond of seedlings--any variety (for example, they're not so interested in spinach once it's mature, but they love to snatch up the sprouts). Even if you don't fence your entire garden, a newly seeded area needs some sort of protection until the plants are more established, or keep the chickens contained in their coop/run for a few weeks.
Some chicken keepers get pretty ingenious trying to keep the chickens away from their plants, but still put them to work weeding and eating bugs in the garden. Chicken tractors (movable coops without a floor) are one option--you can move the tractor to different areas of the garden, controlling where and what they have access to eat. A chicken tractor is a great option if you are not able to let your flock truly free range. It allows them to forage, but keeps them contained and protected from predators. I use my tractor as a place for the girls to forage when I'm at work or when I'm not able to check on them frequently. During the fall and winter I leave the tractor in the garden and take advantage of their weeding and fertilizing skills. Around January I move the tractor out of the garden to avoid a large deposit of uncomposted chicken manure.
I also found one chicken farmer who invented a "chicken tunnel" that he places between the rows of his garden and uses his flock as sort of a garden tool to weed and work up the soil.
Plant a chicken-proof garden...
If you want to live in perfect harmony with your free-ranging chickens, then you could devote a special garden full of their top choices, or you could design a garden around chicken-resistant plants...
Free-Range Chicken Gardens by Jessi Bloom, a new book hot off the press, provides a whole list of plants that chickens will avoid.
Timing is the key to successful gardening with your flock. They're a great addition to your garden and they'll be your best helpers if you just plan out when and how you'll take advantage of their attributes.
Check back at my next post when I'll list my top choices in chicken resources (books, on-line sites, etc.), I'll talk more about Jessi's book and there will also be a giveaway!
To see what else is happening on our Southwest Missouri property, visit ...the garden-roof coop.
Frizzled breeds are another fun example of complicated breeding. Frizzles are a classification of chicken whose feathers grow outward, almost backward, curving toward the front of the chicken. To produce frizzled young, you must breed a smooth chicken (normal feathering) with a frizzle. This will produce 3 out of 4 frizzled chicks. If you mate a frizzle to a frizzle, all the chicks should be smooth. 
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