The Polish Chicken: Requirements Involved
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Inside: A guide to help choose the breed that’s best for you! Volume 2, Number 2 Backyard April/May, 2007 PoultryDedicated to more and better small-flock poultry Polish The Royalty of Poultry 10 Steps to Raising Chickens the Easy Way! Chickens in the Greenhouse PLUS: • A Gamebird for Everyone • Improve Your Hatch Rate • The American Gray Goose • Guinea Hens & Motherhood ...and more inside! Superior Farms, LLC. OVER 50 YEARS Superior EXPERIENCE Farms Breeding & Showing Exhibition Poultry m om ited C Selling over 175 Breeds of: TO E e xcellenc Large Chickens Bantams Ducks Geese Turkeys Call or Write for Availability & Pricing Superior Farms, LLC P.O. Box 22546 Oklahoma City, OK 73123 (405) 639-2187 (price list) (405) 921-7148 (avail./info.) (405) 848-8692 (fax). [email protected] 2 Backyard Poultry Superior Farms, LLC. OVER 50 YEARS Superior EXPERIENCE Farms Breeding & Showing Exhibition Poultry m om ited C Selling over 175 Breeds of: TO E e xcellenc Large Chickens Bantams Ducks Geese Turkeys Call or Write for Availability & Pricing Superior Farms, LLC P.O. Box 22546 Oklahoma City, OK 73123 (405) 639-2187 (price list) (405) 921-7148 (avail./info.) (405) 848-8692 (fax). [email protected] April/May, 2007 3 Volume 2, Number 2 Backyard April/May, 2007 Poultry Letters to the Editor ..........8 The Polish Bantam ....................42 Coming Events .....................15 Judging Polish Chickens: Winning in the Show Ring Helpful Hints: Requires a Good Head, Quality Using Fence Line Saves Feathering & Good Timing ... 43 Work & Garden ...................... 16 A Gamebird For Everyone.......46 An Inexpensive, Easy & Complete Coop ...................17 Mirror, Mirror On the Wall: Who's the Best Mom of All? .......49 Turkey Fryer Scalder ................. 18 The American Gray Goose ...... 52 Getting Started: So You Want to Raise Chickens: A Youth: Guide to Choosing Which Breeds Are The best way to get the most Cookbook Available: Best For You ..................................20 out of your chicken raising Proceeds Donated to 4-H Camp ..44 experience is to set your goals, Raise Chickens the Easy Way: do your research and be With These Ten Steps ..................23 prepared. Page 20 Health: The Answer Man .......................26 Improve Your Incubation Hatch Rate ..........................................32 SPPA News: SPPA Releases Updated Chicken Critical List ..............35 Some Historic Breeds Are Better Adapted to Cold Weather ....................................37 Raising Polish chickens can Craig Dertein explains how be a rewarding experience, but he uses a deep fryer to scald Breeds: there are some special his poultry and eases the The Polish Chicken: requirements involved. butchering process. Page 18 The Royalty of Poultry ............. 40 Page 40 4 Backyard Poultry BACKYARD ON THE C O VER : POULTRY Brenda Ernst, Ohio, sent us this stunning photo of a Silver 145 Industrial Dr. Laced Polish large fowl pullet. Medford, WI 54451 This issue features several www.backyardpoultrymag.com articles on the Polish breed Publisher: Dave Belanger beginning on page 40. See page Editor: Elaine Belanger 62 for photo contest details. Managing Editor: Anne-marie Ida Circulation and Fulfillment: Laura Ching, Ellen Waichulis, Kristin Martin, Kate Tucker Bookstore: Ann Tom Advertising Representatives (Rates on request): Alicia Komanec 1-800-551-5691 [email protected] Michele Motte 1-800-551-5691 [email protected] Backyard Poultry (ISSN 1559-2251, USPS 023-374) is published bi-monthly at 145 Industrial Dr., Medford, WI 54451. Periodicals postage paid at Medford, WI and additional mailing offices.©2007 The views presented here do not necessarily represent those of the editor A greenhouse is a multi-functional homestead resource. or publisher. All contents of this issue Harvey Ussery shows how he uses his greenhouse to house of Backyard Poultry are copyrighted by chickens in the winter months. Page 54 Countryside Publications, Ltd., 2007. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part is prohibited except by permission of the publisher. Chickens in the Greenhouse ....................54 Editorial and Advertising Office: Backyard Poultry Just For Fun: 145 Industrial Dr. Life Comes Full Circle Medford, WI 54451 [email protected] Feed ’em Papa ............................. 61 Subscriptions (U.S. funds): Backyard Poultry $21 per year; 2 years $35. Photo Contest .................62 Backyard Poultry Subscriptions 145 Industrial Dr. Medford, WI 54451 Just For Fun: 1-800-551-5691 The Tale of the Quail & Dixie, the Accidental POSTMASTER: Bunny ......................................64 Dana Manchester believes Send address changes to: there is a place for gamebirds in Backyard Poultry Subscriptions 145 Industrial Dr., Medford, WI 54451 Breeder’s Directory ......66 every backyard flock. Page 46 April/May, 2007 5 At Your Service FR O M THE EDIT O R : Meet The Staff of Countryside Publications SPRING CLEANING Laura, Customer CLEARING UP Service/ Subscription NY ONF U SION Fulfillment A C BY ELAINE BELANGER Kristin, Customer rom the inception of Backyard Poul- If you have a poultry association, Service/ try we have encouraged readers to be group or special event coming up, tell us Subscription F Fulfillment part of our poultry community by sharing about your activities. their knowledge, experiences and ques- Give some thought, right now, to what tions with other readers. you have to share with others. If it comes Ellen, With many more subscribers now to your mind, chances are others will be Subscription reading our magazine, I wanted to again thinking about it too. Circulation/ Articles are not always used imme- Fulfillment welcome your participation and offer some clarification on different sections diately and may be kept for an issue that of the magazine. fits the season/theme better. Kate, Editorial We can’t promise that everything sent Assistant/ All Communications will be printed, but we do promise that Subscription For a quicker reply to any inquiry, every article or letter will be read and Fulfillment be sure to include the following contact considered. information with every communication: name, complete mailing address, phone Photo Contest number (including area code) and e-mail, The photo contest is ongoing. When Michele, if you have one. Your inquiry can often we receive a photo, it is electronically Advertising be answered by phone in a more timely copied, recorded and forwarded to the fashion than any other method. contest judges. The original photos are Send your stories, questions, con- then returned to you, but your photo cerns and photos to Backyard Poultry, may still be used at any time in the Alicia, Attn: Elaine, 145 Industrial Dr., Medford, future. Advertising WI 54451 or e-mail [email protected]. Stories/Suggestions/Questions We ask you to share your experiences that have worked well and those that didn’t (maybe you can save someone Ann, Bookstore/ else the expense and disappointment of Mailroom trying some project you already know won’t work). Include details and try to be specific. Include photos or diagrams to help others visualize your project. Anne-marie, Share the fun stories of your poultry. Managing Consider why you raise birds and encour- Editor age others who are still hesitating about The editor’s daughter, Liz, holds one of what breed to raise, or even if they should their chicks born February 2, 2007. See raise poultry at all. the photo contest on page 62 for more If you raise unusual breeds or poultry pictures of youth and birds. Then read a fun story on page 61 of the pleasures other than chickens, tell others. They of poultry keeping one man shares with may need that little nudge to “just do his grandson. Starting kids when young Dave, it” and your story might be the one that and keeping them involved offers them a Publisher convinces them. lifetime of poultry pleasure—just for fun. 6 Backyard Poultry Address Changes The post office does not forward magazines when you move. To be sure you don’t miss an issue, contact us as soon as possible by phone, e-mail or letter. Be sure to include your full name, complete old and new address. Credit Card Orders When you order a subscription, books or back issues with a credit card, the charges are processed under our publish- ing company, Countryside Publications, and will reflect that on your statement. When you order online, a confirma- tion e-mail is sent to you stating that your order has been sent to Countryside Publications. Be assured your order is for Backyard Poultry. Contact Information If you have any questions or con- cerns, please contact us immediately. Office hours are Monday-Friday, 8-4:30 central time. Write to Backyard Poultry, 145 In- dustrial Dr., Medford, WI 54451; E-mail: [email protected]; or phone: 800-551-5691. Nite Guard The Nite Guard is a state of the art solar powered, weather-proof, flashing, red light that is guaranteed to stop all nighttime predators. A totally portable unit requiring no batteries or electricity. For ground predators use single Four lights mounted on a single lights placed approx. 20 inches off pole, each light facing a different the ground and 100 feet apart to 1-800-328-6647 direction will absolutely stop owl protect the perimeter. Call to order. kills. 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