Volume 11, Number 6 Backyard December 2016/January 2017

PoultryDedicated to more and better small-floc How to Extend Daylight in Winter

Planting a CHICKEN- THEMED GARDEN Dealing with CHICKEN MORTALITY Advice for CLIPPING FLIGHT FEATHERS Backyard Poultry FP 6-16 THINK:Mother Earth 4.5 x7 6/30/16 3:51 PM Page 1

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Backyard Buddies Do you have multiple species living harmoniously on your rural or urban farm? Was the integration seamless and without too much bickering? Or have you wondered if it was possible to integrate your already established dog pack with chicks or ducklings? In my experience, living together is not only possible, but very rewarding. My advice for brooding chicks and ducklings, es- pecially when you have dogs that will live with them, is to make sure you have your babies in a safe brooder, but within site of your dogs and cats, if you have them. I used a Great Dane size of a dog pen, which I reinforced with wire mesh to keep the babies in and paws out. The only space in my house available was my living room, which was perfect because my dogs and cats saw me handling them many times a day. Cody, my Australian Shepherd, was the most interested because he now had a job. He would sniff each chick or duckling I picked up to make sure they were okay. He was alert to their every move and peep. Once they were old enough to be moved into the barn, I could have both dogs in with them without an incident. I made the babies an outdoor run within the pasture so they could get used to the horses, as well as the horses getting used to them. If your animals are trained to listen to you, you will be able to enjoy multiple species on your farm. Darlene Terry lives in Bristol, Maine, with all of her beautiful animals.

Photos, clockwise: Muffin, a miniature horse, Mini Pearl, a Buff Orpington, and Sonny, a mixed breed dog, all share a bit of hay in the snow; Cody, the Australian Shepherd, was making sure Mini Pearl was doing her swimming lessons the right way and keeping up with her flock mates; Matilda flaps her wings in the snow while the horses eat their hay and Mini Pearl and Louie consider their next move.

Opposite Page: Gumdrop is a miniature horse, who has no problem allowing Pollyanna, a Barred Rock hen, to stand upon her back preening her feathers and staying warm. Louie, a Welsh Harlequin drake, Mini Pearl and Matilda are Buff Orpington ducks. Top: Muffin shares his hay with the ladies, who especially love the Timothy flowers.

Above: Cody, an Australian Shepherd, is the perfect “mother hen.” He is very gentle and attentive to the ducklings, and especially loves Mini Pearl.

Right: Muffin rests while Pollyanna takes advantage of his thick, warm coat.

Statement of Ownership, Management and Circulation Title of publication: Backyard Poultry. Publication no. 023-374. Published bimonthly. Annual subscription price $24.99. Mailing address of publication, head- quarters of general business offices, publisher, editor and managing editor: 145 Industrial Dr., Medford, WI 54451. Publisher, Mike Campbell; Editor, Ryan Sla- baugh; Managing Editor: Sam Ingersoll. Owner: Fence Post Company, Paul W. Toler, Chairman, 580 Mallory Way, Carson City, NV 89701. Known bondholders, mortgagees and other security holders owning or holding 1 percent or more of total amount of bonds, mortgages, or other securities: Swift Communications, Inc. Extent and nature of circulation: Average no. of copies each issue during the preceding 12 months (actual no. of copies of single issue published nearest to filing date): 15 A: Total no. of copies printed: 71,500 (70,000). 15 B(1): Paid/requested outside county as stated on form 3541: 37,046 (35,173). 15 B(2): Paid in-county subscrip- tions: 0 (0). 15 B(3): Sales through dealers, carriers, street vendors, counter sales, and other non-USPS paid distribution: 25,730 (25,250). 15 B(4): Other classes mailed through the USPS: 0 (0). 15 C: Total paid and/ or requested circulation: 62,776 (60,423). 15 D(1): Free distribution by mail: 0 (0). 15 D(4): Free or nominal rate 52 distribution outside the mail: 0 (0) 15 E: Free distribu- tion outside the mail: 0 (0). 15 F: Total distribution: Chickens and Gardens 62,776 (60,423). 15 G: Copies not distributed: 8,724 Planting the right (9,577). H: Total: 71,500 (70,000). I: Percent paid and/ or requested circulation: 100% (100%). 16 A: Paid elec- vegetables, flowers and tronic copies: — (375). 16 B: Total paid print copies + shrubs can actually make paid electronic copies: 62,776 (60,798). 16 C: Total print distribution + paid electronic copies: 62,776 (60,798). 16 raising chickens easier, D: Percent paid (Both print & Electronic copies): 100% more fun and healthier. (100%). I certify that the statements made by me above are correct and complete /s/ Ellen Grunseth, Business Manager, 9/1/16.

44 Backyard Buddies FEATURES 14 Something To Crow About CONTENTS 32 Family Album 18 Coming Events The best of the best photo submissions from flocks around 11.6 20 12 Days of Poultry the world.

36 Bookstore

38 Poultry Talk 24 Ron Kean and Pam Freeman answer reader questions about their flocks.

44 Healthy Feed Using rosemary can add a number of healthy benefits to your flock.

46 A Repurposed, Refurbished Coop How running the neighborhood on garbage day meant endless HELPFUL HINTS homing pigeons can help others create supplies for a coop. lifelong memories. 22 Chicken Flight Feathers 48 Winter Water Here is the proper way to cut your 28 In Defense of Backyard In cold areas, keeping water chickens’ flight feathers. Chickens from freezing could mean the Backyard chicken owners are always difference between getting eggs, 24 Peace, Love and Pigeons being asked to prove why it makes sense or not. Kenny Coogan explains how raising to raise your own birds.

8 Backyard Poultry largest

Many Supplier of Breeds to Choose Backyard From! Poultry in the USA!

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call or visit us online for more information and your free price list! ideal poultry breeding farms, inc. www.idealpoultry.com 800-243-3257 | 254-697-6677 | fax 254-697-2393 62 The Roman Goose Tufted or not, this smaller goose is a great bodyguard and backyard pet.

58 Musings on Chicken Mortality A sad part of raising chickens: they can die a thousand different ways. But dealing with death can be an important lesson. Follow the Light … To More Eggs 66 Finding CoCo When light wanes, chickens can stop laying. CoCo is showing off a few deals on One Maryland farmer figured out a few ways cool new products aimed at backyard around this natural cycle. 56 poultry owners.

72 For the Love of the Hobby Mark Hall is all cooped up … again.

74 Book Review: Locally Laid This amusing book chronicles one family’s conversion into being full-time chicken farmers.

78 Wanted: A Christmas Time Machine Lori Fontanes asks: Technology is great and all, but where is the breakthrough I really need to help me with my ducks?

80 Gertrude McCluck

82 Marketplace Duck Breasts Surprise your holiday dinner guests 84 Breeder’s Directory with duck breasts, and while you’re 68 at it, break all the rules. 86 Classifieds

10 Backyard Poultry

Volume 11, Number 6 : December 2016/January 2017 Backyard Poultry www.countrysidenetwork.com

ON THE General Manager Mike Campbell COVER [email protected] Congratulations to Katie Proffit Editor Ryan Slabaugh from northern Wisconsin. [email protected] She won our December 2016/ January 2017 photo contest. Circulation and Fulfillment See more entries, page 32. Laura Ching, Ellen Soper, Lori Adams, Christine Barkley

Bookstore Managers Ann Tom Sam Ingersoll [email protected]

Advertising Representatives 800-551-5691 From Backyard Poultry Alicia Komanec [email protected] Kelly Weiler [email protected] To a Healthier 2017 Clint Lindell [email protected] I laugh when I hear doctors complain about having to give away free advice at parties. Anyone Publication Designer with chickens, if they are like me, end up in the same Malisa Samsel spot. Recently, at a fundraiser attended by a lot of old friends, it did not take long before a friend took me by Backyard Poultry’s Main Coop the arm and introduced me to another attendee, who Backyard Poultry they swore would be getting chickens any day now. 145 Industrial Dr. Medford, WI 54451 It’s not that I mind. We sat around a table, and the [email protected] couple interviewed me for a good 10 minutes about all Ryan Slabaugh the things they needed to do to get ready. They were Editor Subscriptions (U.S. funds): young, ambitious and set to get married. Chickens $24.99 per year were their logical second step. Backyard Poultry Subscriptions I’ll share their main question, which turned into their primary concern: 145 Industrial Dr. if they should get chicks, or buy fully grown. I advised them to buy grown Medford, WI 54451 layers the first time around, unless they really had the space and time to raise 800-551-5691 the chicks by hand. It’s easier to understand the gender you are purchasing (they could legally own four hens and no roosters), but either way, we almost Printed in the U.S.A. always recommend avoiding the terrors of the U.S. Postal Service’s handling of live animals. Hundreds (thousands?) of birds die every year because the Backyard Poultry Postal Service has no humane program to ship them, so they end up suffo- (ISSN 1559-2251, USPS 023-374) cating, being rattled around in boxes or starving as the shipments wait and is published bi-monthly by Countryside Publications, linger and are held behind. at 145 Industrial Dr., Medford, WI 54451. Periodicals postage paid at Medford, WI and additional It’s time to get that fixed. The young couple agreed wholeheartedly. As mailing offices. ©2016 Countryside Publications. we go into this season’s busy time for ordering chicks, we ask everyone to The views presented here do not necessarily represent think about this. For some of you, we realize the mail might be the only op- those of the editor or publisher. All contents of this tion. For others, we ask you to think about making that road trip this spring issue of Backyard Poultry are copyrighted by Countryside Publications, 2016. All rights reserved. to the hatchery yourself, and ensuring your new chicks arrive to your coop Reproduction in whole or in part is prohibited except as healthy as possible. by permission of the publisher.

Email Ryan at [email protected] POSTMASTER: Send all UAA to CFS. (See DMM 707.4.12.5); NON-POSTAL AND MILITARY FACILITIES: send address corrections to Backyard Poultry Subscriptions, 145 Industrial Dr., Medford, WI 54451 12 Backyard Poultry

Do You Have Something To Crow About? We want to hear from you. Send questions, comments, opinions, advice, coming events, etc. to: Backyard Poultry Editor, 145 Industrial Dr., Medford, WI 54451 or email [email protected]

A Peppercorn Cure a beloved bird, it’s worth it to give it a try. asked my alma mater, North Carolina I have to share my coworker’s advice, Thank you for a wonderful magazine State University College of Veterinary which saved all five of my pet chickens and very informative Facebook page! Medicine, to hold a weekend continuing last July-August. They all are different Larisa Logan education conference for small animal breeds and ages. Washington practitioners, to learn basic poultry When first older hen got sick (stopped medicine, as many of us increasingly eating, drinking and had dreadful diar- Can I Find the Whole have clients with chickens. I have much rhea), I thought we would lose her soon. Biology Series? to learn. A few years ago, I lost two young hens My husband and I enjoy your excep- Thank you for what you do for back- with similar symptoms that lasted about tional publication. Backyard Poultry’s yard poultry owners and caretakers alike. two weeks. This time, I was given ad- quality and content improves with every Jenny B. Powers vice to make the chicken swallow whole issue. The series, “Biology of the Chick- Moncure, North Carolina black peppercorns. She didn’t want to en,” by Thomas Fuller, is outstanding! do it. I made her a drink from crushed However, I have failed miserably at col- Editor’s note: For first-time readers, black pepper and water, and literally was lecting and saving each installment. Will we just finished an eight-part series on the pouring it down her throat. It didn’t help. the series be available as a collection? I biology of a chicken, which illustrated how The hen was getting weaker and thinner would like to have every article together. all the different systems work together. They by the minute. After two days of watch- By the way, I am a small animal vet- are available at our website, www.country ing her deteriorate, I followed the given erinarian in North Carolina. My husband sidenetwork.com, and we are working to advice and force-fed her a couple whole and I are first-time chicken owners, and combine them all into an easy-to-read peppercorns. For a half-dead chicken, we have a small, aging flock. I have eBook form. she put up a fight! But the peppercorns did wonders and soon my hen showed interest in food and water. It took a week of feeding her a few peppercorns a day until I was sure she was out of the woods and would live. She didn’t lay any eggs for a month and I thought she became Christine sterile, but she is laying now again! The Heinrichs, only difference is the eggshells are very a longtime thin and break easily. and frequent Soon after the first chicken recovered, contributor the next chicken got sick. They all took to Backyard turns and all had the peppercorn treat- Poultry, ment. Some recovered faster than others. poses with Only one hen loves to eat peppercorns by one of her herself and not only had her share, but books she has tried—and succeeded a few times—at authored, and eating other chickens’ portions. a mountain The whole stressful episode lasted of squash, at two months. I became an expert at catch- the National ing the hen and making her swallow her Heirloom “meds” with as little fuss as possible. Exposition in I am very grateful to my coworker for Santa Rosa, timely advice that worked! I am sure it is California. not a cure for all, but if it helps someone to avoid the pain and frustration of losing

14 Backyard Poultry A Holiday Hen I am sure you have tons of Christmas photos, but thought I would share this with you just in case you’re looking for one! Debra Helbach Amherst, Wisconsin

Dogs are Not a Free-Ranging Concern I very much enjoy reading my issues of Backyard Poultry, but the last volume contained an article that I felt made some very poor recommendations. I am com- menting on the article “Free-range Prob- lems,” by Donna Insco. The paragraphs on Losing the Eggs and Foraging for Danger were helpful, but I was shocked that she routinely clips the flight feathers of her free-range birds instead of reinforc- ing her garden fencing. To my knowledge, it is never recom- mended to clip the feathers of a free-range chicken as this could prevent them from escaping a predator. I also recommend that chicken keepers not keep stray dogs or “free to good home dogs.” This comment is a huge disservice to all of the wonderful second-hand dogs Celebrating 40 years of incubator design out there. Ninety percent of the problem Brinsea the world leading incubator manufacturer is adding of dogs killing chickens is an owner to its range of incubators, brooders, egg candlers problem or a training problem. To give an and automatic coop door openers. example, I know of two households who All with 3 year warranty. NEW have purchased purebred Pyrenees pup- range pies. Both of these puppies were raised around chickens and at 1 year old, still occasionally kill chickens. I have four dogs, all of which were free second-hand dogs or came from a shelter. None have Free ever killed a chicken, duck or guinea, Color For more information Catalog www.brinsea.com which all free-range on my property. I www.brinsea.com or call 1-888-667-7009

December 2016/January 2017 www.countrysidenetwork.com 15 have spent a tremendous amount of time dad proceeded to purchase some hens, and the run area until fencing could be installed working and training these dogs around of course, he needed a rooster. over the top of the coop. Also, their wings livestock. They were not allowed to be off All seemed just right, except for one were clipped as a preventative measure. I leash or unsupervised outside until prov- thing. The run area didn’t have a fenced was sent to bed, so I don’t know how long en trustworthy around my flock. With the top on it. You can guess what happened it took my dad to retrieve the chickens. You proper training, second-hand dogs can that first night. All of the hens got out, in- can just imagine the flapping of wings, and be just as protective and trustworthy as cluding the rooster. The problem was that the squawking that went on at that time. a puppy who was raised on the property. no one told my dad that he needed to clip The relationship with the neighbor was J. Jackson the chicken’s wings so that they couldn’t never the same. He worked in Chicago Indiana fly. Well, fly they did, directly into the next and had to get up early each morning. He door neighbor’s trees. never appreciated the rooster’s calls after When the Flock Invades the My dad, being short in stature, had a that day, or night. Neighbor’s Tree difficult time placing the extension ladder It was a very short night for all of us, On the property that my folks bought at just the right spot, and trying to climb especially for Mom and Dad. was a used chicken coop. A lot of win- over the undergrowth and bushes that the Ron Albert dows were situated across the front side, neighbor had in his back yard. Then, Dad Elgin, Illinois with a service door and racks built on the tried to grab each bird by the feet, one by long, back wall. My dad decided to raise one. He came back down the ladder so that Thanks to Backyard Poultry chickens. he could walk each bird back to the coop. Thank you so much for the magazines Before getting the birds, he not only Then, he would go back to the trees and that you sent for all of the poultry kids in cleaned the coop, but prepped the racks do the same thing again. I can still see my this project at the Waukesha County Fair. with straw. He also cleaned up the run yard mom standing there with a flashlight, shin- The information they get is so helpful in in front. The chickens would be allowed ing it on each bird for Dad to see. There their continuing poultry education. Your to come and go from the coop, and were wasn’t much else she could do at the time. generosity is very appreciated! not locked in at night. It had a tall fence I’m sure the chickens just wanted Matt and Jenny Bugenhagen around three sides, with no way out. It to roost and sleep the night in the trees. Poultry Leaders seemed to be ready for the chickens, so my Needless to say, they were not allowed in Waukesha, Wisconsin

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BackyardPoultryOctov20151.indd 1 515 1215 P It was some time later I came across the nest again and realized that something did not add up. I knew the nest originally had 10 eggs and I had caught eight chicks. What happened to the other two eggs? Rummaging through the empty shells, I found one egg whole, cold and obvious- ly beyond hope. Then I found the other egg and it was piped half way around. I carefully freed the chick, but it was cold and lifeless and I feared it had been abandoned now for almost half the day. Maybe it was because I watched “101 Dalmations” as a boy and saw George bring the last puppy back to life Just Heart Warming when feared dead. Anyway, I put that My wife Kim and I rent a house on lifeless cold chick in my warm hand, the lake for a couple of weeks in May. closed it gently and began slightly You can imagine how much is going on squeezing it. I lost track of time gazing at our small farm at this time of year. We out the barn door, when suddenly I heard have a friend keep an eye on things for a faint chirp. My first impulse was that us, but little things sometimes get missed. I had squeezed too hard, but I knew I I travel home from the lake on occasion was being gentle. There it was again, a for work and to keep things easy to care faint but garbled chirp. With the chick for in my absence. starting to wiggle in my hand, I stopped On one of my trips home, I recalled my wife on the lawnmower just to share that I had a Red Jungle Fowl setting on my incredible story. 10 eggs at the base of a round bale of hay Now what to do? The mother hen in the barn. I had lost track of her hatch- with her brood was too far along to KEEP YOUR CHICKENS ROOMY & SECURE HANDCRAFTED ing date because I never knew when she accept this soggy weak miracle. So I HAPPY AND SAFE ™ ROUND-TOP CHICKEN COOPS started, only when I found her. I didn’t set up a brooder light with a cloth floor NO MATTER WHERE think to check on her early that morning being careful to allow space to get away until I almost stumbled into the nest. The from the light and hope for the best. I YOU ARE empty shells told the story and I needed to made occasional checks on Lucky, as Don’t settle for cheap track down the new family. My plan was he became known to us, throughout the Electric or Solar Powered import coops that won’t last. to catch the hen and her brood and house rest of the day. When nightfall came and Choose from 4 models that MOBILE COOP Fully Programmable are made right here in the USA. • PORTABILITY, STEALTH HEIGHT them until they were less susceptible to Lucky seemed strong enough, I slipped Easy-to-assemble kits ship • UP TO 4 CHICKENS predators. She had not gone far, only a him under his mother and hoped his luck Internet Enabled Easy-Fill right to your door. few yards. I collected my wife, a net and would hold out. Dusk-to-Dawn or Schedule Feeder an empty bucket. Catching a mother Jun- Still apprehensive, I checked on 100% CEDAR gle Fowl and all her brood is no simple Lucky first thing the next morning. I Solid Steel Worm Drive CONSTRUCTION matter. You need to secure mom with could not tell the difference between Predator Proof Weather Custom Panel Name Board the net and avoid an explosion of chicks any of the now nine little Jungle Fowl going in all directions. Jungle Fowl chicks chicks. I don’t think mom knew anything retain the instinct to run and hide as wild was ever wrong, as chickens can’t count,

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BackyardPoultryOctov20151.indd 1 515 1215 P COMING EVENTS: The Coming Events listing is gathered and provided by www.poultryshow central.com. Add your show listing on their website or send to: Coming Events, Backyard Poultry, 145 Industrial Dr., Medford, WI 54451 or email [email protected]. To be included in the Backyard Poultry magazine listing, event details must be sent 60 days in advance. If you do not have access to website show listings, please contact us for show specifics at 800-551-5691.

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January 21, 2017, Anniston, Alabama: West Alabama January 20-21, 2017, Denver, Colorado: National January 28, 2017, Columbia, Mississippi: Pearl Poultry Club Show; www.poultryshowcentral.com/ Western Stock Show Poultry Show; www. River Classic; www.poultryshowcentral.com/ west_alabama_poultry_club.html poultryshowcentral.com/National_Western_Stock_ Pearl_River_Classic.html Show.html CALIFORNIA NORTH CAROLINA FLORIDA December 1-3, 2016, San Bernadino, California: December 10, 2016, Smithfield, North Carolina: Cape Los Angeles Pigeon Club Pageant of Pigeons; www. December 10, 2016, Pensacola, Florida: Fear Poultry Association; www.poultryshowcentral. poultryshowcentral.com/ Los_Angeles_Pigeon_Club. Panhandle Poultry Club Show Winter Show; www. com/Cape_Fear_Feather_Fanciers.html html poultryshowcentral.com/Panhandle_Poultry_Club. html December 17, 2016, Greensboro, North December 3, 2016, Victorsville, California: Pacific Carolina: Carolina Feather Fanciers Association Coast Bantam Club; www.poultryshowcentral.com/ GEORGIA Spring Show "Southern Hospitality Show"; www. Pacific_Coast_Bantam_Club.html poultryshowcentral.com/Carolina_Feather_Fanciers. January 21, 2017, Jefferson, Georgia: Northeast html Georgia Poultry Fanciers Association; www. poultryshowcentral.com/Northeast_Georgia_Poultry_ OKLAHOMA Fanciers.html December 10, 2016, Shawnee, Oklahoma: Oklahoma FASTFENCE MASSACHUSETTS State Poultry Federation; www.poultryshowcentral. Infoandbuynowat com/Oklahoma_State_Poultry_Federation.html January 14-15, 2017, West Springfield, www.electricnets.com Massachusetts: Northeastern Poultry Congress; December 10, 2016, Shawnee, Oklahoma: The www.poultryshowcentral.com/Northeastern_Poultry_ Serama Express; www.poultryshowcentral.com/ 800-356-5458 Congress.html Oklahoma_State_Poultry_Federation.html

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“Like” Backyard Poultry on and follow our posts to win! www.facebook.com/backyardpoultry Helpful Hints How To Clip Your Chickens’ Flight Feathers Keeping Them Safe Sometimes Means Keeping Them Grounded

By Donna Insco Missouri

Rhode Island Red pullets enjoy some autumn sunshine in the driveway.

lipping a hen’s wing feathers is easy, and who still manages to fly well and won’t take no for it doesn’t hurt the bird. Use a large pair of an answer. Hens who repeatedly find a way into the scissors or pruning shears to cut the feathers. garden end up as chicken soup. Chickens molt in late WearingC long pants and a long-sleeved shirt helps summer or fall, so the feathers must be trimmed again prevent being clawed by a struggling bird. when they grow new ones. Grasp the chicken around the body for a moment to Instead of trying to keep birds out of flower beds, calm her. If your birds are used to being handled, you try growing chicken resistant flowers. Rose bushes may be able to squat on the ground and have the bird and flowering shrubs usually aren’t bothered. Irises, stand next to you during the clipping. For more skittish mums and other tall plants are fairly resistant if they birds, stand upright and hold the hen’s legs between are protected when young. Place softball size rocks your own knees. Cradle the hen’s chest in the crook of throughout the flower beds to prevent poultry from your non-dominant arm and use that hand to spread the scratching and damaging plants’ root systems. Chick- flight feathers out. Cut across the base of the long flight ens like to eat the leaves and buds of pansies, petunias, feathers, being careful not to cut into the bird’s skin. and impatiens, so I grow these favorites in hanging I usually clip the feathers on only one wing. This baskets on the porch. allows medium-sized birds to gain a few feet of al- titude to escape dogs and other small predators, but Editor’s Note: Clipping the flight feathers will not not enough to fly over a 4 ½-foot fence. Occasionally, hurt the bird. If you notice blood or the bird experi- I have to clip the feathers on both wings on a hen encing pain, you are not cutting in the correct place.

22 Backyard Poultry My 12-year-old son demonstrates clipping flight feathers on a very calm pullet.

Spread the flight feathers and cut across their bases.

The finished wing.

December 2016/January 2017 www.countrysidenetwork.com 23 Helpful Hints

Peace, Love and Pigeons Tips for Improving Others’ Lives with Your Pigeon Business

White homing pigeons, often advertised as white doves, mate for life, and are positive symbols for any ceremony.

Invest in the Birds Choose birds that come from lineages that provide reliable homing instincts, have pure white feathers and are friendly. The homing in- THE WHITE CHARIOT stinct can be strong or weak By Kenny Coogan During your journey on your according to heredity. If you Florida final flight home. are going to be releasing your White wings will carry you birds only at the local church, eleasing white homing pigeons will surely add majesty and you will be flown. then you will not need to to a wedding or enlightened spirituality to a memorial To the pearly gates of Heaven, invest in birds that can home service. Throughout time, birds have been used in where they will usher you in. long distances. However, ceremoniesR and events. White homing pigeons (Columba livia To the feet of your Lord, your if you want to expand your domestica), which are often times advertised as white doves, can Savior, and your friend. business range, choosing birds represent eternal life, love, faith, purity and prosperity. Pigeons He will hold you in his arms that have strong bodies and and doves mate for life, and at a wedding, they can symbolize and the angels will sing. reliable homing instincts is a faithfulness, commitment, everlasting love, peace, serenity and better investment. Although As another one of His children new beginnings. Releasing them is environmentally friendly initially higher overhead, and reinforces the unforgettable occasion. is delivered by white wings. these birds will reduce your A professionally coordinated white dove release is a unique percentage lost, reinvestment addition to an outdoor ceremony. Seeing the birds soar into the Author: Julie Johnson, a cost, and can be easier to train. sky and circle overhead provides a breathtaking experience. For popular recited verse to go Feed your birds a suitable along with a pigeon release those getting into the hobby or those who wish to increase their diet to prepare them for long at a funeral. business, here are our top 10 tips. distance flights.

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Create a Business and Training Plan Your business plan should include No antibiotics, alcohol or steroids. your basic business concept, the markets Non-toxic & safe if ingested you’ll pursue, an advertising strategy (in- cluding social media) and your financial Safe for all life stages Advanced Hypochlorous needs. A loft that allows two square feet Technology per bird is recommend. No withdrawal time “I spent around $4,000 for a 250-square- foot loft with water and electricity,” said Veterinarian Recommended Jackie Greenough, owner of Sarasota Dove Release, in Sarasota, Florida. In addition to the cost of birds and housing, you’ll need Visit our website for a store near you! to factor in time for training the birds prior Vetericyn.com | 866.318.3116 | to selling your services. “First time around, it will take six to 12 months to prepare them for a release,” Greenough says. She purchased squeak- ers to train, rather than buying adult mated pairs and waiting for them to reproduce. “Once birds have flown—been trained from their home—it is always their home. Young birds are usually purchased at around 4 or 5 weeks of age. You’ll need to keep them in the loft area for a couple weeks before you let them out the trap to look at their new world.” Now, after 10 years in the business, she has a sufficient number of birds to breed and bring to events simultaneously.

December 2016/January 2017 www.countrysidenetwork.com 25 Psalm 55:6 “Oh that I had wings like a dove! For then would I fly away and be at rest.”

attire and keep detailed records of booked events, fees and organizations that you donate your services to.

Be Creative Greenough offers the wedding cou- ples the opportunity to come to her home and practice handling the birds. “I first hand them the bird, showing them how to hold them a few times and let them release the bird.” She then gives them the opportunity to reach into the basket and practice re- trieving them properly. For a couple that wasn’t from the area, she met them in a parking lot to practice. At funerals and memorials, she simply hands the birds to the participants. As an added touch of creativity, all of her clients get a thank Be prepared to answer client questions you card with real feathers from her birds about the welfare of the birds and what happens after they are released. as an additional remembrance. Provide Great Service and training process, the clean nest boxes “As a white dove release professional, and bathing areas. you will be invited to attend a private per- Greenough says that some couples sonal landmark family events,” Meyers want sunset weddings, which she has says, “such as an anniversary, reunion, to turn down. The birds cannot navigate graduation, wedding, baptism or funeral.” during the night, which is stated and Experienced dove handlers realize explained in the contract. this is not just about letting birds fly. “I explain how well the birds are “To some,” Meyers says, “this is a Analyze the Competition trained and how very important they are calling or even a ministry. We do this “The first question is price,” Gree- to me,” she adds. because we love sharing our birds with nough says. People often think, “What people and seeing how it touches their a great thing. Just re-using the same Boast Beautiful Release Boxes lives.” birds. Must be very lucrative.” And as Part of growing a business is being “In an effort to give back to the poultry owners we know that this isn’t professional. The beautiful white birds community throughout the year, many so. When coming up with fees for your should not be coming out of a plastic dove releases are donating to fund raisers services consider not only the bird’s costs, carrier that you transport a cat in. White such as Cancer Relay for Life, Battered but also your training time, mileage and wood or wicker release baskets and boxes Woman and Children, military offi- release crates. are ornamental and professional. Smaller cers who have lost their lives in combat, heart-shaped boxes that hold two birds to assist with raising funds for charity Advertise welfare for weddings go for around $50. The box or significant events,” Dolly Kouri the “Almost all clients ask what happens design and color will certainly affect the Treasurer of the National White Dove to the birds after the release,” said L.J. setting’s mood, so plan accordingly. Release Society (NWDRS) added. Meyers, owner of Homeward Angels, “I see the sense of peace the birds give located in Landrum, South Carolina. Get Organized to families and loved ones,” Greenough “They are comfortable with learning that In addition to having the birds well said, as she recalled bringing smiles to the birds are well trained and have a safe trained (the ability to home and remain those remembering their friend. home to return to.” calm when handled), the business aspect On your website or social media, ad- must also be organized. Include songs, Be a Pro vertise your spacious loft and how they poems, sayings and idioms as part of your “The white dove release industry live the good life. Advertise the rearing service. Show up wearing appropriate has trade organizations and national

26 Backyard Poultry directories that set standards and code of ethics for members,” Meyers explained. For those already in the dove release business, NWDRS offers a second level of membership, called the Gold Level. “The benefits to joining Gold is a state listing on our professional directory web- site (whitedovereleasesociety.com) and a Google AdWords advertisement, along with professionally designed marketing materials for purchase,” Kouri says. Gold level is $36 per year and includes a free membership to their Yahoo Forum.

Give Options When first researching this article, I initially thought that weddings would be the occasion that most often uses dove releases. “Our most requested releases are for funerals and memorials and then weddings,” Meyers says. “The number one choice at a funeral is the Trinity Re- lease.” Meyers’ company brings a flock of three birds, with a fourth being set free moments later. The symbolism illustrates the soul joining with God and ascending to heaven. At a wedding the popular choice is two birds released by the couple with a flock set free to celebrate the joining of the couple. This symbolic gesture represents two lives getting together and sharing a life journey as one. For those wanting to branch out, open your ser- vices to all outdoor events. In addition to weddings and memorials, dove releases are the perfect event for family reunions, store openings, renewal of vows, gradu- ations and even divorce parties. Locally, a couple had the birds released at their wedding. Six months later, the woman had a divorce party in which she rehired the dove release company. The next day, the man had his own divorce party and released his own set of birds.

Kenny Coogan, CPBT-KA, is a pet and garden columnist and grows mostly edibles on his 1-acre homestead. His goal is to be self-sustainable through his permaculture landscape. Please search “Critter Companions by Kenny Coogan” on Facebook to learn more about garden- ing and homesteading.

December 2016/January 2017 www.countrysidenetwork.com 27 Helpful Hints

In Defense of Raising Backyard Chickens How One Connecticut Couple Decided Raising Poultry Could Help You Among the objections noted by author $19.99) and bought it. He put the book in James McWillliams were the expense Beebe’s Christmas stocking. By Mary Jane Fine (when one factors in the cost of coop, And so it began. feed, vet bills and maintenance); the ten- “Chickens have long been appreciat- Connecticut dency of some owners to abandon their ed for their feather colors and attractive chickens once the birds stop laying; and forms,” the book’s authors note in Chapter couple of years the vulnerability of chickens to foxes and 1, “traits that have earned them a place hawks and other predators. in the art of cultures around the globe ... ago, Forbes Any chicken owner might consider A flock of chickens adds such a beautiful magazine ran throwing eggs at McWilliams. Or simply sense of movement to your garden that this A ignoring him and enjoying their backyard alone makes them a worthwhile addition to a story it titled, “Five brood. your yard.” Reasons Why Owning Connecticut residents T. Gates Coun- A worthwhile addition, indeed. cilor and Maurice “Punk” Beebe would The acquisition of chickens has turned Backyard Chickens Is be among the latter. out to be beneficial to both men. Councilor for the Birds.” Councilor and Beebe (his mother’s breakfasts on eggs every morning and affectionate term for him was “my little Beebe, the chef and owner of a restaurant Punkin,’” which got shortened into his in nearby New London, uses eggs for bak- grown-up nickname) are relatively new to ing. A lot of eggs. A lot of baking. Every the world of chickens. And, truth be told, summer and every Christmas season, he the idea, at first, was anathema to Councilor. and Councilor bake dozens and dozens Beebe was, he says, “toying with of cookies — at least 10 dozen each of 22 the idea of raising chickens,” basically, types — for their annual seasonal parties. “hounding him about getting chickens.” “We use 80 pounds of flour, 60 pounds of Councilor hoped his partner would drop sugar and more than 12 dozen eggs,” Beebe the notion. Then, while nosing around a says. “They (the six hens) keep up pretty Williams-Sonoma one day, he spotted the well.” He proudly flips through page after book, A Chicken in Every Yard: The Urban iPhone page to show the gorgeous results. Farm Store’s Guide to Chicken Keeping by For the eggs that help produce those Robert and Hanna Litt (Crown Publishing, cookies, the girls get.

28 Backyard Poultry The girls — three Rhode Island Reds Enough people now raise hens that and three New Hampshire Reds — arrived quite a number of towns and cities across as chicks about two years ago, a friend’s the country have been forced to revise their The girls — present for Beebe’s 50th birthday. ordinances on the subject. In Stonington, “They were at the ugly stage at four, Connecticut, for example, the Planning and three Rhode five weeks,” he says, recalling the early Zoning Commission altered an amendment days when the chicks lived in a big plastic to allow 10 hens, maximum, for those who Island Reds tote, lined with wood shavings and topped have lots of at least 20,000 square feet. by wire. Still, backyard hens can and do, on oc- and three New He initially considered naming them casion, cause squawking from neighbors. “Fricassee” and “Parmigiano” and so on, In the not-too-distant town of Colchester Hampshire but just couldn’t see himself summoning a few years back, a woman complained them that way. So, together, he and Coun- to local officials about the guinea hens, Reds — arrived cilor thought up better names: “Amelia” chickens and parrots that lived next door, for the chicken who was first in flight; telling a local newspaper that she couldn’t as chicks about “Beyonce” for the one with the most im- enjoy her own yard because of the noise. pressive tail-feather display; “Laverne and Local officials ruled pro-chicken; the two years Shirley” for the two who routinely sought town’s regulations allowed it. each other’s company; and “Big Red” for Hilery Slattery’s Colchester neighbors the biggest and boldest (and, yes, she’s don’t complain about her 16 chickens at ago, a friend’s Numero Uno in the pecking order). There all, especially since she gives them eggs. is one still-unnamed hen because they can’t “We’ve had chickens for years, all dif- present for tell her apart from Laverne and Shirley. She ferent kinds,” she says. “We like a variety.” may, they admit, be Laverne or Shirley at The only resident who isn’t happy Beebe’s 50th any given time. about the chickens? That would be Alice, And, speaking of unknowns: Because the family’s donkey, who routinely chases birthday. conducting an accurate nationwide count them out of her paddock. would be near impossible, there are no offi- Alice’s paddock and the family’s home cial chick-chick here, chick-chick there stats. are part of a four-acre farm on which the

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December 2016/January 2017 www.countrysidenetwork.com 29 chickens came to roost about a decade ago. First, there were five and it was all about enjoying fresh eggs. Then, the chicken population doubled — Speckled Sussex, Rhode Island Reds, Orpingtons, Silver Lace, Light Brahmans — and they became pets as much as egg-producers. “My daughters love them,” Slattery says, referring to 16-year-old Myriam and 13-year- old Tybal. And with a four-acre farm to run around on, the chickens “can do whatever they want. They eat ticks and bugs.” Everyone, Slattery says, seems eager to raise chickens nowadays. Well, not everyone. Jan Sawicki, who lives in nearby Nor- wich, raises ducks — a “weird childhood thing” she calls it — and praises duck eggs as being good for baking because they make baked goods fluffier. The coop that Sawicki’s six ducks call home is a former doghouse, with a cedar shake roof added by her husband. The coop itself sits inside a 12-by-14 chicken-wire enclosure, com- plete with kiddie pool for bathing. “They go into the coop by themselves at night,” she says. “In the past, hawks have eaten some. Now, I only let them out when I’m home.”

30 Backyard Poultry Sawicki is fond enough of her ducks “We’re very compatible,” Beebe says. that she no longer eats duck. She does eat “Nothing bothers us.” chicken, though. Their wedding was the most modest of So, too, do Gates Councilor and Mau- at-home ceremonies: just Councilor, Beebe, rice Beebe. They maintain that harvesting Roxie, Sophie and a justice of the peace. eggs from their chickens made them more “It was right after same-sex marriage sensitive to fresh foods of all kinds. Har- became legal federally,” Beebe says. “We vesting their own eggs has also taught them waited ‘til it was more than symbolic. Now a few things, one of which how relatively we get the same benefits as any married Jumbo French Guineas, easy their care would be. And how wide- couple.” Bantam Silkies, Freedom open are their diet requirements — layer And, like any married couple, they pellets are the basis, supplemented by, as share workload and household responsi- Ranger Broilers & Layers, Beebe says, “just about anything.” bilities, chicken-raising being one. They Muscovy Duck, & Khaki Just-about-anything includes Chia seeds also share an ongoing delight in their Campbell Ducks and cracked corn and meal worms and pine- small brood. apple and strawberries. They are not fussy, “They’re very unique creatures,” Bee- Beebe says, and would eat a chocolate cake be says. “They’re like dogs sometimes. All if he left one within their reach. you have to do is tap on the window and Caring for the girls has been no problem they’ll come running. They’ll follow you at all, just a few hours each week for coop around in the backyard.” cleaning, Councilor says. He uses a grill As if on cue, Big Red pecks at the brush and a little wire rake. It’s a chore kitchen window. The other hens are he never envisioned for himself, he says, gathered around her. They want attention. and grins. They want a snack. They want both. And Another thing neither he nor Beebe they get both. envisioned they’d do: They married. They’d Guineas are fast growing, suitable for met 19 years ago at Frank’s Place, a gay and Mary Jane Fine raises chickens and backyard growers who want to control ticks lesbian bar in New London, and have been writes from her home in Mystic, Con- and for those who would want to use them as together ever since. necticut. a meat bird.

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December 2016/January 2017 www.countrysidenetwork.com 31 Backyard Poultry Family Album Dec.2016/Jan. 2017

Photo WinnerContest Dec. 2016/Jan. 2017

The December 2016/January 2017 cover photo was submitted by Katie Proffit, from northern Wisconsin.

Send Your Photo(s) Today!

Mossy on the rocks. Mossy is a Wyandotte, almost 4 years old. She is splay legged, blind in one eye, and a very strong, determined, take-charge kind of lady. She is a great layer.—Walter Arnold, Illinois

32 Backyard Poultry Here is a photo of the Dalton Farmhouse Gang roaming around on a cold Broomfield, Colorado, winter day.—Daniel Dalton, Colorodo

When the holidays come around at our house, the pets get very festive, especially the chickens, from eating cranberries to posing for their winter photos. This picture is of Napoleon, an Ameraucana, and Emmie the dog. I call it “Santa Dog & Elf Chicken.” Our dogs and chickens (about 23 chickens, and two dogs) all wish y’all happy holidays.—Clair Cardwell, Texas

Send Your Photo(s) Today! Photo Contest Guidelines Each issue’s winner will be displayed in the position of honor—on the front cover of the magazine! Photos must relate in some way to poultry or their products. No limit on number of entries. Attach your name, address, phone number or e-mail and photo caption or description to each photo (not on the front, please). Backyard Poultry retains the right to publish and/or reproduce any and all photos submitted in future issues or publicity, with or without mention of source. To have your photos returned, please include a self-addressed stamped envelope. Send your entry to: Backyard Poultry Photo Contest, 145 Industrial Dr., Medford, WI 54451; or e-mail photos in jpg format to [email protected].

December 2016/January 2017 www.countrysidenetwork.com 33 Mikie and his favorite chick.—Suaree Nammechai, Michigan This is Eddie, my 6-month-old Sultan. He is such a doll.— Dee Waters, Ohio

Could Your Photo Be On The Next Cover? Tips to Make Your Photo a Winner eauty: Photos should be just plain pretty enough to be placed on the cover. Think ver- Btical with some space on top for a masthead. Many otherwise perfect photos are taken in a way that makes it impossible to display them in the position of honor on the front cover of the magazine. If we won’t be able to do it justice, the judges will avoid awarding it first place. • Clarity: The judges will be scrutinizing this aspect thoroughly and will only award first place to clear photos that can be enlarged to cover size without loss of clarity. • Conciseness: Photos are better if there isn’t too much clutter or aren’t too many things going on. I found six valances at Goodwill for $2.00. Perfect for the • Good Photos tell a story. nesting boxes. Fancy, my white leghorn, likes them as much as I do.—Molly Boyd, North Carolina

34 Backyard Poultry Lucky got the chance to tell Santa what she wanted for This is our beautiful rooster.—Elizabeth Yates Christmas!—Kirstin Chaulk, Nebraska

This beautiful bantam, named Effie, is very shy. She survived a hawk attack.— Roger & Janie Ulsh, Pennsylvania

December 2016/January 2017 www.countrysidenetwork.com 35 Backyard Poultry Bookstore

New Books! • New Books! • New Books! • New Books! Just Dutch It! Country Life ColoringNo Bookpower? No problem! Your GuideGardening To For Butterflies By CaitlynCharcoal Keegan Storage And Cooking By Xerces Society

The delightfulBy Aruralrchie aimagesnd Linda andDixon Welcome the world’s most exquisite timeless country sayings in Coun- visitors to your garden! Gardening for try Life Coloring Book provide Butterflies introduces you to a variety a distinctive take on the current of colorful garden guests who need our coloring craze. These 45 ready- help, and shows you how to design a to-color pages include a mixture habitat where they will thrive. This of intricately hand-lettered phrases optimistic call to arms is packed with and charming scenes of farm life everything you need to create a beau- and outdoor beauty — including tiful, beneficial, butterfly-filled garden. chickens, honey bees on flowers, Gardeners will learn why butterflies and barns. 45 pages, $12.95 matter, why they are in danger, and what simple steps we can take to make a difference. You'll learn how to choose the right plants, how to design a butterfly-friendly garden, and how to create a Gardening With Chickens garden that flutters and flourishes with life. 288 pages, $24.95

By Lisa Steele Welcome to a world where chick- The Backyard Field Guide To Chickens ens and gardens coexist! Start by By Christine Heinrichs planning your garden and learning Each breed of chicken listed in this field strategies and tips for keeping your guide is thoroughly described and is illus- plants safe while they grow. Plant trated by color photos. This book tells you with purpose, choosing from a doz- all about the bird, detailing each breed’s en plans for theme gardens such as particular usefulness, adaptation to cli- Orange Egg Yolks or Nesting Box mate, coloration, number of eggs typically Herbs. Or choose a design that’s laid, foraging ability, temperament, and filled with edibles—sharing the unique qualities. There are fun facts about bounty with your family and your varieties of chickens, as well as informa- feathered friends. Then comes the fun part: enjoy the harvest, tion about color and comb varieties, rare even let the chickens graze! 176 pages, $22.99 breeds, classification, and hybrids. 208 pages, $24.99

2006 BYP Anthology For the Love of Poultry A Backyard Poultry Anthology If you missed the first year of Backyard Books Poultry here’s your second chance. The complete collection of articles and photos from 2006 is now a book! Containing 320 pages featuring more than Make 30 writers, including renowned poultry expert and author Gail Damerow, homesteading guru Harvey Ussery, and University of Wisconsin’s top poultry Great specialist, Ron Kean. Enjoy reading as they share their knowledge, and be entertained by stories like Chick- ens in the city; Pampered poultry; Championing rare Gifts! and historic breeds; The world’s smallest chicken; The trained chicken “Eggzibit” and much, much more! 307 pages, $19.95

36 Backyard Poultry How to Raise Chickens How to Raise Poultry The Winter By Christine Heinrichs Harvest Handbook By Christine Heinrichs Raise Chickens, Ducks, By Eliot Coleman Everything Emus, Geese, Swans, Year-Round You Need Turkeys, Guinea Fowl, Vegetable Production To Know To Peacocks, Pheasants, Using Deep-Organic Raise Chickens Quail, Partridge, Pigeons, Techniques and Ostriches, & Rheas 208 pages, $19.99 Unheated 175 pages, $19.99 Greenhouses 247 pages, $29.95 Secrets of The Complete Survival Shelters Handbook Eat the Yolks Plant Propagation By Anthonio Akkermans By Lewis Hill By Liz Wolfe, NTP A Step-By-Step Starting Your Own Guide To Building Discover Paleo, Flowers, Vegetables, Lifesaving Fight Food Lies, & Fruits, Berries, Structures For Every Reclaim Your Health Shrubs, Trees, and Climate And Houseplants Wilderness Situation 288 pages, $26.95 Hardcover 168 pages, $19.95 144 pages, $15.95

To request a bookstore catalog, call 1-800-551-5691 or write to: Bookstore Catalog Request, 145 Industrial Dr., Medford, WI 54451 or for a complete list of books visit www.CountrysideNetwork.com.

If you prefer not to cut your magazine, or if you need more room, please write your order on another piece of paper. Backyard Poultry Book Order Form

Books: $ $ $ $ $ $ $ Titles: $

Book(s) Total $______Name: ______S&H $4 first item Address: ______$1 each add’l $______City:______State:______Zip:______Subtotal $______m Check Enclosed m Charge my credit card: WI Residents Add Phone: ______5.5% sales tax $______­ Visa/MC/AmEx/Disc No.______Exp.______Total Enclosed $______E-mail: ______2.50 Send to: Backyard Poultry Bookstore 145 Industrial Dr., Medford, WI 54451 Call Toll-Free 800-551-5691 or Fax 715-785-7414 • www.CountrysideNetwork.com

December 2016/January 2017 www.countrysidenetwork.com 37 Health

Pam Freeman Ron Kean Forums Coordinator Extension Poultry Specialist countrysidenetwork.com University of Wisconsin-Madison Poultry Talk You Ask Expert Poultry Questions, We Give Expert Poultry Answers

Is My Langshan Rooster Losing I have no idea what to do about this, so Leg Scales? why stress her? First, let me thank you for the maga- When we caught the affected rooster zine and the Poultry Talk column. I have to take the photos, we put a sulfur/pine-oil only had chickens for three years, and I ointment made for stock on the areas. He enjoy reading the magazine and get a lot did not act as if touching the areas causes out of the articles. him pain, and there are no weeping or My question: I have a 14-month-old open sores present. He does not pick at Langshan rooster that I hatched last spring his legs. from eggs I bought from a breeder. This At the same time I checked the rooster spring, I noticed he was getting dark red over well, and he had no mites, and no lines up the sides of his legs. They did not other discernible health problems. I use seem to bother him, and another poultry diatomaceous earth in the chicken house fancier, when I asked her, said that some bedding, which is pine shavings, and roosters get red on their legs, so I paid it wipe it on the perches, working it into any little mind, but kept an eye on him. cracks and crevices. I do run deep bed- He has no other symptoms, but the ding, but it is turned daily and kept dry and red has gotten worse, and I have found changed every few months. The chickens out that red on the legs happens to breeds have a coop that is designed specifical- with yellow-pigmented legs, but not on ly for northern climates, for excellent ones with black legs. Also, this is not airflow, and the ability to close some of a pigmentation issue. It looks like the the venting for the coldest parts of the scales are coming off and leaving bare, winter. The back of it, where the roosts red skin. The legs are not swollen, and the are, is completely draft-free. feet are not deformed. The bottoms of the The poultry is a mixed flock, and feet are unaffected and look very healthy. share a pasture with wooded areas with I have called the breeder from whom four ducks. They are fed layer pellets and I bought the hatching eggs, and who has fermented feed (2/3 organic scratch and more than 45 years of experience in poul- 1/3 organic game bird starter), and have try, and has raised Langshans for years. He access to the mixed greens of their pas- has never heard of or seen any such thing ture. Sometimes crows visit the feeders, on any of his chickens. and I am sure other wild birds do as well. I have seen nothing of this sort of any Any help with diagnosis as well as of the hens or on my other rooster (Jersey The photos, in order of appearance, are: the treatment and prevention would be very Giant, hatched at the same time). I do have leg, the top of the foot, the chicken coop, and much appreciated. I have looked in my one Langshan hen (same hatching) who the Langshan in question. The photo of the poultry diseases book, and find no men- looks like she might be getting some pink rooster was taken when he was only about 7 tion of this sort of problem with scales. months old. Now, at about 14 months, he is a strips on the outside of her legs, but I have gorgeous guy, much taller, with a lovely erect Thank you for your time, not caught her to check. For one thing, tail, and, of course, the beginning of spurs. Margaret Black

If you have health-related poultry questions, send them to us at Backyard Poultry, Attn: Answer Man, 145 Industrial Dr., Medford, WI 54451 or email to [email protected]. All submissions will be considered for print publication. Please include your name and hometown with your questions, which should be as detailed as possible. Pictures help us answer questions, so please include those too!

38 Backyard Poultry

Hi Margaret, Hi Andrew, We both looked at your question and Eggs with soft shells are a pret- the provided pictures. From the pictures, ty common problem with backyard neither of us can see anything wrong chickens. with your rooster’s legs. It doesn’t seem Here’s an interesting egg fact for any scales are missing or there are any you: Warm weather brings thin shells problems that we can see. as chickens pant. That’s why you see We, too, have a rooster that has red more soft or shell-less eggs in the sum- tissue areas on his legs. He’s a healthy mer. Panting helps water evaporate, rooster and the pigmentation changes are which cools the chicken and causes a natural in areas of exposed skin. Another reduction in calcium being put into egg example of this in the chicken world is production. the naked neck of a Turken, which be- Stress can also cause chickens lay- comes very red. Our guess is that this is ing eggs to rush, which will leave the FORGET TO CLOSE THE COOP AGAIN? what is happening with the skin on the eggs unfinished. When you’re raising side of the rooster’s feet, especially near chickens for eggs, it’s best to keep WHEN WILL YOUR LUCK RUN OUT? the feather follicles. them as stress-free as possible. A soft Our recommendation is to continue shell, or an egg with just a membrane,  
 watching him. If you see signs of trouble can happen when a hen rushes laying;     like limping or irritation, then it’s a good maybe she’s startled by a predator or        idea to consult a veterinarian so they loud noises. Remember, when raising   can take an in-person look and diagnose backyard chickens, it’s important to what’s happening. learn how to protect chickens from    ­€‚ Good luck with your rooster! hawks, owls, raccoons, dogs and other •      
 predators. •      It could also be health related. Even        First-Time Chicken Owner if you have the best chickens for laying • Questions eggs, soft shells can be signs of a sick •       I bought a hen two days ago. She laid chicken. Symptoms like soft eggs can •      an egg on the same day she arrived. But mean disease has infiltrated your flock.      she didn’t lay an egg on the next day. It’s good to perform a comb-to-toe • Battery   But she laid one today. So I want to ask checkup on your hens to make sure the •    if this egg is because of my rooster. So flock is healthy. • Charging options: ­  my main question is, does a hen needs to Finally, age could be a factor. Older      be mated every day to lay an egg every hens need more calcium. A great sup- • €              day? And what is the ideal age of a hen plement is to feed your chickens their ‚    to lay eggs? own shells. Save the used shells, clean • ƒ„ †     Taha Hashmi and microwave them for a few seconds. • Many     When they’re crispy, break them up and   Hi Taha, mix them with their feed. You can also • Three sizes available Hens do not need a rooster to lay add more calcium into your flock’s diet eggs. Their rate of laying depends on by purchasing a commercial feed with • Starting at $180 + options their breed and environmental factors added calcium. such as the amount of daylight. Most Overall, the occasional soft egg- hens will not lay every day, and they start shell isn’t a cause for concern, just laying eggs around 18 weeks. something to keep in mind. Best of luck with your flock!

Eggs Without Hard Shells? One of my hens named, Mary, who Runny Egg Whites? is a 3-year-old Ameraucana, has egg I need information regarding about laying problems. When she lays an egg why the whites of some of my fresh it has no hard shell and looks like a small eggs run all over the frying pan when water balloon. Please help me with this cracked, and the yolks are very easy  problem. to break as well. Also, the shell colors Andrew Karr, 10 have gotten lighter and lighter, a cream   

December 2016/January 2017 www.countrysidenetwork.com 39 color where they were once brown (I have Wet Vent Issue? to help. Another thing that can be done Barred Rocks, Rhode Island Reds and a I am new to poultry. I have only had is to warm the area slightly. Warming few Sex Links). chickens for one year. I have 15 hens and up the muscles may relax them slightly I feed them layer crumbles, crushed really enjoy them. The problem is, I have and allow normal contractions so she can oyster shell, cracked corn (treats), greens one hen that has a wet vent. She seems to lay the egg. and kitchen scraps (no potato peels). I also keep trying to go to have a bowel move- Some people suggest using steam for give them dog food for extra protein. I ment. Her butt area is extended and she this. It can work, but probably as many would appreciate your input. seems to have lost weight. All the other hens have been burned by steam as have Patricia Dosher hens are doing fine. been helped. Warm water can be used. I have given the birds three doses The hen won’t like it, and you’ll probably Hi Patricia, of probiotics over the last six days. Do get soaked, but it’s considerably safer It sounds like your chickens are you have any idea what is wrong and than steam! This should help most of the getting a nice, healthy diet. Beyond how it can be treated and what can be time, but if none of these things work, that, we don’t know much about your the problem? there’s not a lot else you can try. If the specific hens. But I can tell you that Chuck Lederer egg breaks inside the hen, it’s very likely runnier-than-normal eggs can be caused she’ll get an infection, since it’s very by high temperatures. Since we’ve had Hi Chuck, difficult to get her cleaned effectively. such a hot summer, that would be our best From your description, it will be Eggshell fragments can also be sharp and guess. Age can also play a factor in runny hard to know not exactly why that is can cause some damage to the oviduct. A eggs, so if you have an older flock, you happening with your hen. But if you veterinarian may need to intervene at this can also experience this problem. There notice the hen straining, spending lots point if you want to save the hen. are diseases that can present with this of time on the nest, and generally acting symptom, so if you feel like your hens different, it could be egg binding. You are unhealthy then it is wise to take them can sometimes feel the egg in the vent A Hen Getting Pecked to a veterinarian to be safe. area. The first thing to try is to add a I am an 87-year-old woman, and I We hope this is helpful. Good luck lubricant. It seems odd, but just adding was raised on the farm. I still live on with your flock! a little vegetable oil in the vent area and the farm, in fact. In all these years, I lightly massaging it in may be enough have never known a rooster to take a

40 Backyard Poultry spat out on just one hen, but for the Hi Courtney, past two years, our rooster has bullied Your first question is the easiest, so a white hen. He won’t let her come up we will start there. It takes an expert when I give them treats and pecks her eye to tell the sex of chicks, so most of head. She has stopped coming to my us have to wait until the chicks grow up house in the evenings, and stays by to truly tell if they are roosters or hens. herself around the chicken house, or You will start to notice the roosters tak- in the pasture with the cows. We got ing on male characteristics, depending rid of one rooster, and a friend gave us on the breed, as they start to get fully a white one. But he is doing the same feathered. The roosters also grow spurs, thing with the same hen. Do you have and, of course, crow, as they mature. any clues about this? Hens will start to lay eggs around 18 Ruth Hill weeks, and generally are smaller than the roosters. So, the short answer is, you Hi Ruth, probably have to wait a bit to really tell As you have learned, it does not take the difference. long for the chickens to establish the For your second question, we’ll look pecking order. A flock has a keen sense at mites first. Scaly leg mites seem to be of who is at the bottom, and in their own a common problem. It is interesting that way, communicates that to the rooster. different chickens seem to have more Some roosters will not be as violent as resistance to them than others do. You others, but it sounds like you’re on a will notice the scales starting to push bad streak. up and become inflamed, if mites have We would suggest, come treat time, burrowed in underneath. We like to that you separate the rooster from the apply petroleum jelly on the scales (you flock if you can. I realize that can be can also use vegetable oil). The jelly is tough, especially if they are free-rang- more viscous, so it stays on the tissue ing. The other option is to find a way longer, and it’s better at suffocating the to give treats to the hen in her location mites. Some permethrin-based sprays near the cows or in the chicken house, may work to treat these mites, as well. away from the rooster and other birds. Ivermectin will probably work, but it is There is a small chance that the rooster not approved for use in or on poultry. will recognize that he will not get treats There are no published directions for unless the other bird gets treats, but most use, withdrawal times, etc. If you are likely, this will continue if you try to feed not using the birds for consumption, or them all together. are only using them for your own use, We have heard some chicken owners you will likely want to give them two to having success in showing the rooster three weeks away from the spray before who is boss, by lightly pushing the you ingest the eggs or meat. I believe rooster away when they attack with a some people apply it in the water and broom or broom stick. You do not want administer it that way. At least some of to injure the rooster, but just show them the Ivermectin products are oil-based, so you are the boss! After a few days, when I’m not sure how well they will dissolve they are being pushed away as they peck in the water. Regarding where the mites at the hen, we have heard that they can come from, most likely they are either change their behavior. coming from wild birds or from exposure In any way, what the rooster is to other chickens that have them. So it’s doing is hard-wired into his instincts, important to make sure you are cleaning and is not an easy thing to fix. Best your coop regularly, and looking for of luck with your flock, and enjoy the places were mites might be collecting. farm life! The worm question is a little more difficult. We would suggest reading Gail Damerow’s piece on deworming in our Boys or Girls? Worms or Not? October/November 2016 issue. She goes How can you tell the boys from the into great detail on the ways to detect, girls in your flock? And how can you prevent and treat worms. Most chickens tell if the birds have mites or worms? have worms in them that will not cause Courtney Lamb any problems at all, but if you start to

December 2016/January 2017 www.countrysidenetwork.com 41 notice issues like a lack of egg-laying, or However, one duckling, a Rouan Hi Gerrie, the hen acting strangely, then you may duckling, would eat and drink but was We both looked at your question. We need to aggressively pursue a deworming unable to keep its balance to stand. So definitely feel you deserve an award for strategy. we made an eating and sleeping station, persistence for keeping your duck this We hope this helps. Best of luck with a wheelchair and a separate place to sleep long! It sounds like you’ve done a great your flock! and play from the others. He is now 5 job with him. months old and still has no balance as he We are not sure what’s wrong with your falls over on his back. He swims, preens, duck. If you have access to a veterinarian, An Unbalanced Duck? stretches his wings and does everything you may want to have him checked. The Hi, I’m a reader of Backyard Poultry else a duck is supposed to do except walk. veterinarian can do a much more thorough and I look forward to each magazine. Have you ever heard of this before? investigation than we can. There is one Last spring, when I picked up my order His feet and legs are strong and he can thing you mentioned that did pique our of ducklings from the local feed store, take a few steps but always falls over. curiosity — your duck scratching near his I noticed one of the clerks putting four Sometimes he can right himself but not ears. The ears are important for the sense of ducklings into a box. for long. Also we have noticed that when balance (in birds as well as mammals), so When asked what she was doing, in the water (his own private kiddie pool), there could be a connection. The problem she informed me that these particular he constantly scratches around the loca- is that we don’t know what to suggest you ones would not make it, and because she tion of where his ears are supposed to be. do about it, even if that is the issue. couldn’t stand to watch them suffer and I have not been able to locate his ears, but We think it’s a possibility that the duck die she was putting them out of sight. I I know he hears me because when I call has an infection in its inner ear, but it’d be volunteered to take them home and see if out to him when I come to feed him and surprising if he lived this long with it, and I could give them a second chance. One put him in his pool, he answers me with if it didn’t get worse. would not eat, even when fed hydrating his duck quacks. Given that, you could try giving an fluid, would not swallow, and died within Do you have any suggestions of any- antibiotic, though we don’t know what two days. Two ducklings, after hydration, thing else we can do to help him? antibiotic, or what dosage, to suggest. And melded into the rest of the flock and Gerrie Whitley it’s definitely a long shot! there was no telling any difference from We’re sorry to be so vague. We wish the others. you, and your duck, the best of luck!

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42 Backyard Poultry Remember the Fun of Summer Camp? Excitement! Anticipation! Cool Camp Counselors! New Skills and New Friends!

REGISTER TODAY! ABCSPORTSCAMPS.COM/ Chicken-lovers come together at Coop Camp™ for a COOPDREAMS weekend of fun and learning from experts, bloggers LIMITED SPACE! and other chicken-keepers from across the country. ENTER CODE BYP Mingle at the Friday Night Social, shop in the FOR $25 OFF Marketplace and attend workshops and presentations throughout the weekend. TWO locations in 2017! 2017 Locations Feb 17-19 • Glendale, AZ (Phoenix area) Feb 24-26 • Dripping Springs, TX (Austin area) Healthy Feed By Lisa Steele

Lisa Steele is the author of Fresh Eggs Daily: Raising Happy, Healthy Chickens…Naturally (St. Lynn’s Press, 2013). She lives on a small hobby farm in Maine with her husband and their flock of chickens and ducks, two dogs and a barn cat. She is a fifth-generation chicken keeper and writes about her experiences on her award-winning blog at www.fresheggsdaily.com. In her free time, she loves to garden, bake, knit and sip homebrewed herbal teas. Rosemary, for she doesn’t get up as much as she Better Circulation should to exercise, so tucking a bit of fresh rosemary under her can Rosemary, the intensely fragrant nibble on it, so it’s a good choice to be very beneficial. She doesn’t herb from the Mediterranean, looks plant around your coop or run for need to eat the rosemary to glean much like lavender, but is actually some pretty landscaping. There’s its benefits; the contact between more closely related to mint. The a good chance your chickens will her bare breast (since she’s pulled plant resembles a miniature ever- leave it alone. Rosemary is a well- out the feathers in preparation of green tree, with a thin woody stem known a pesticide, working to hatching her chicks) and the oils in and flat needle-like leaves. discourage insects, so it can help the needles will cause the oils to be Rosemary has been used since keep your coop and run free of flies absorbed into her skin. ancient times for a variety of health and mosquitoes when planted in When you harvest your rosemary, reasons for humans, and makes a window boxes or hung in bouquets be sure to put some aside to hang in nice seasoning for roasts and soups. around the area. your coop or scatter in the nesting It’s one of my favorite herbs to grow Rosemary also contains anti-in- area for better chicken health. to use in my chicken keeping as well. flammatory properties. The oils From an aromatherapy stand- can be applied to a sore or sprained point, rosemary can be used in your leg or foot to reduce swelling and GROWING ROSEMARY “The key to successfully chickens’ nesting area to calm and provide some pain relief to your keeping potted rosemary plants soothe your laying or sitting hens. hens. Rosemary is thought to help alive in winter is to take them Fresh or dried, sprinkling some fight staph infections also, making outside as much as possible. rosemary around your coop can help it a great natural choice to treat Once you pot your rosemary relax your flock. Just smelling the bumblefoot. plant, let it stay out during days rosemary essentials oils can also Lastly, rosemary improves cir- that are 40 degrees or above.” improve their immune systems and culation, which is very important — From Pam Freeman’s piece, enhance respiratory health. especially when your chicken is “Exploring the Rosemary Plant,” Rosemary is edible, but I don’t sitting on a clutch of eggs. During at www.countrysidenetwork.com. find that my chickens really like to the three-week incubation period,

44 Backyard Poultry

dition ed E e Tub Limit estiv Toy 3LB F y Pet hubb tickers Santa C er S & 3x bump Y ONL

The high protein, high energy content of dried mealworms in your chickens diet will help during winter months!

Helps your chickens When molting! Coop Inspiration Do you have a fun story behind your chicken coop, or just some really cool design ideas? We’d love to share them with our readers. Email us at [email protected] with a few pictures and a story about your coop!

46 Backyard Poultry My four backyard chickens, Luna, Inga, Mildred and Ruby, were born on March 14 (Pi Day), 2016! Last summer, I began to collect refuse-building materials that I would A Repurposed, encounter while on my morning run. Flagstaff has a monthly bulk pick-up program, and each month, curbs can be a treasure trove of very useful materials that are heading to the landfill. Refurbished Coop When I would spy useful items while running, I would remember the location, then after the run, drive back to load up my car. If By Rebekah Nordström the material was light enough, and near to my Arizona house, I would just run home with it. I must have been a sight to behold, running down the street with two-by-fours under each arm. The result is that 95 percent of my coop is made from salvaged materials. Even the screws are from a demolished deck. I had to purchase some hardware wire and some clasps; other- wise, the wood, paint, metal roof, windows and doors are all found materials. Because I saved so much money on materials, I was able to install the solar Chicken Pullet automatic door, and there is a roof herb garden over the coop. My coop sits on two layers of buried chicken wire. The other sides are secured with hardware wire. Coop dimensions are the size of interior doors. I kept finding fantastic doors in the trash! When we built the roof herb garden, we constructed the window from an old shower door and double-paned it. The doorknob holes provide the natural ventilation, and the egg door is an old drawer front, with an access door from an old entertainment cabinet. The nest boxes are old desk drawer boxes. The run door is constructed from two doors that were in appalling condition. We salvaged the good bits, and cut it down to fit. The coop siding (cedar) was left at a build- ing site. Trim pieces, I believe, are tongue and groove interior paneling, and beautiful. The jungle gym is an old deck post. I painted sand into the top platform for traction. Interior and exterior paint are left over from various painting and staining projects (Editor: Make sure they are non-toxic and all-weather, as some chickens will peck and eat paint chips.) The desk chair mat under the coop roost makes for easy cleaning. The coop is lightly insulated with old sweaters and underpants.

Rebekah Nordstrom is an oil painter who lives and loves in the beautiful mountain town of Flagstaff, Arizona. Learn more about Re- bekah Nordström Artworks by emailing her Photos courtesy Rebekah Nordström at [email protected].

December 2016/January 2017 www.countrysidenetwork.com 47 From Nutrena WINTER WATER: Keep it Flowing!

By Lana Beckard Nutrena Poultry Expert

ike all living things, chickens need water to thrive, but keeping your hens hydrated in winter can be a challenge when temperatures plummet. Consider these tips to keep the fluids flowing, even in the coldest climates. Above all, make sure your girls always have access to water that isL fresh, clean and unfrozen. Why Water Matters Lack of water — even for just a matter of hours Granted, chickens don’t drink as much water — can throw off egg laying, which may already be in winter. But abundant liquid water is essential compromised due to molt and waning sunlight. This for a variety of reasons. First is egg production. thinking applies to meat birds, too. Without water,

48 Backyard Poultry Pecking Order and Water New chicken owners may not realize that basic flock psychology can hinder Lack of water can water access. In fact, in any flock of chickens, there is a pecking order, Alpha also cause problems on the top, Omega on the bottom, and ev- eryone else in between the two extremes. with digestion and This is seen initially with baby chicks. If a chicken’s ability to there is a weak chick, the rest of the flock will eliminate it from the gene pool. “Vote metabolize food. her off the island,” so to speak. The flock may do this as adults, too, if they sense the need to eliminate another adult from the gene pool (even a healthy, they won’t have as much of an appetite egg-producing hen). One way they do and won’t grow as big. this is to keep the hen in question from • Chicks • Turkeys • Ducklings Lack of water can also cause prob- drinking. Thankfully, wintering birds lems with digestion and a chicken’s will expire less quickly from dehydration • Goslings • Guineas ability to metabolize food. Chickens than in summer. You can help reduce the • Gamebirds • Bantams need water to help soften and dissolve chances of this by adding a few extra • Equipment • Books their feed, and keep it moving smoothly watering stations that allow more options Call 717-365-3694 through their crop. for drinking. This simple step can be key www.hoffmanhatchery.com to keeping the entire flock healthy. Fresh, Not Frozen Along these lines, make sure your FREE PO Box 129BP Access to fresh, liquid water 24/7 is coop is big enough to accommodate your CATALOG!! Gratz, PA 17030 especially important because chickens flock. A variety of issues may cause don’t drink large amounts all at once. pecking or other aggressive behaviors. They take in small amounts frequently. One common cause is possible changes in That’s impossible to do if the water bowl weather (winter’s cold) that would force keeps freezing. the birds to spend more time indoors, You have two choices to prevent where crowding may trigger aggression the problem: Haul heavy buckets from and limit some birds’ access to water. a distant source and replace the water each time it freezes, or use an electrically Keep the Coop Dry heated chicken or pet waterer. The latter While keeping water bowls filled with are thermostatically controlled to keep ice non-frozen water is critical, so is keeping from forming. (Note: Curious chickens that water in the bowls. Wet living con- have been known to unplug heated water- ditions for chickens can foster cold and ers.) In really cold locales, some chicken disease. Unfortunately, the downside to owners rotate two waterers. One stays in some electric water dishes is that the birds the coop half the day and is rotated out can easily tip them over. A simple, level with a fresh one from indoors for the cradle made from scrap wood can solve second half of the day. The waterer that the problem. gets removed then sits indoors to thaw, Your specific winter conditions if needed. (from mild to downright miserable!) will Also, keep in mind that even if your dictate what’s needed to keep your hens coop is heated or has a heat-producing hydrated. As always, stay diligent about bulb, the warmth may not be evenly flock care and you’ll keep them happy distributed. If you have extremely chilly and healthy until warmer weather arrives. winters, always check the water bowl to make sure it’s liquid or not covered in an To find a Nutrena dealer near you, icy layer. While some chickens will “eat” visit NutrenaPoultryFeed.com. You can snow, it’s unlikely they’ll ingest enough subscribe to the Nutrena® poultry blog for adequate hydration. at ScoopFromTheCoop.com.

December 2016/January 2017 www.countrysidenetwork.com 49 join the Countryside Network now includes all the information from Backyard Poultry magazine, Countryside magazine, Dairy Goat Journal and sheep! in one, easy-to-read website, plus a ton more from our team of experts.

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TpoultryBackyardPoultry-.25x10.5.indd 1 151 21 P Feature Plant a Chicken- Themed Garden

and transplanted when the weather warms. 10 Plants that Go Perfectly The compact but prolific plants grow 18 to 24 inches tall and are extremely resistant with Raising Chickens to pests and diseases. Compared to other hot pepper plants, hinkelhatz is more cold tolerant, up to the point of hard frost. By Gail Damerow In late fall, the peppers ripen from green to glossy red and are ready to harvest Artwork by Bethany Caskey some 90 days from transplant. These peppers have thick juicy flesh and pack a top me if you’ve heard this serious wallop, earning a rating of 125,000 one: A city slicker moves to the on the Scoville scale of pepper hotness. They are typically used for brine pickling country and decides to raise or are cooked and pureed to make a hot Schickens. He goes to the local farm sauce, similar to Tabasco, that is reportedly store and buys 100 chicks. A week later sprinkled on sauerkraut and other he’s back at the farm store for another traditional Pennsylvania Dutch dishes. 100 chicks, telling the clerk, “The chicks I bought last week all died.” HATZ SAUCE “Goodness!” says the incredulous 1 pound ripe hinkelhatz peppers, tops cut off Hinkelhatz 1½ cup cider vinegar (5%) clerk. “What happened?” (Chicken Heart) 1 teaspoon fine salt “I’m not sure,” says the city Hinkelhatz is a rare heirloom pepper slicker. “I must have planted them cultivated by a small group of Pennsylvania Mennonites since at least the 1880s. It Grind the ingredients together in a blender or either too deep or too close together.” food processor until the peppers appear minced Well, you don’t have to plant is named after its size and shape, which resemble a chicken’s heart. The small, (not puréed). In a saucepan, simmer the mixture chicks to enjoy this chicken-themed thick-skinned peppers are about ¾ inch in over medium-low heat for 10 minutes. Press the garden. Here are 10 fun plants to diameter and 1½ inches long, conical in shape mixture through the fine screen of a food mill. grow in your chicken garden sans with a blunt point, and slightly wrinkled. Funnel the sauce into a bottle, and store the cooled chickens. Like other peppers, hinkelhatz (Capsicum bottle in the refrigerator. Makes about 1 pint. annuum) is usually started indoors from seed Source: The Joy of Pickling by Linda Ziedrich

52 Backyard Poultry Rooster Spur Rooster Spur is another rare heirloom hot pepper (Capsicum annuum) that gets its name from the size and shape of the peppers, which look much like rooster spurs. Plants grow to about 24 inches tall and produce an abundance of thin-wall peppers that are 1½ to two inches long and about ¼ inch wide. The peppers grow in clusters of upright pods and mature from green to bright red approximately 90 days from transplant. The plants are easy to grow and are attractive enough to be used as ornamentals. The peppers rate 30,000 to 50,000 on the Scoville scale and are typically dried and ground into chili powder. In Japan, the piquant peppers are known as hawk claws (Takanotsume) and are added to stir-fries. In China they are called poinsettia peppers (Hahong Kocho) Hen and Chicks and are used in Szechwan dishes. Hen and chicks is not the name of a single type of plant but of a sizable In the southern United States, rooster group of flowering succulent perennials spurs have been cultivated for more than in the stonecrop (Crassulaceae) family. 100 years and are an important ingredient All members of this group grow in in traditional rooster pepper sausage, rosettes (looking similar to an artichoke) made with pork, mixed spices, and rooster that reproduce by developing side Cockscomb spur peppers. Then Attorney General My grandmother kept a flock of Rhode buds. The original rosette is the hen. Griffin Bell claimed that in 1978 he snuck Island Reds. She also tended a sizable The tiny new rosettes surrounding rooster pepper sausages past the Secret garden that kept her busy canning most the hen are the chicks. Eventually the Service for President Jimmy Carter, who of the summer. Still, she always made chicks set down roots, and then begin liked them so well he asked for more. This room in her garden for flowers, and budding off chicks of their own, creating event sparked a futile search by citizens among those I remember best were the an ever-widening mat of rosettes. red cockscombs, sometimes also called across the country for a source of rooster rooster’s comb. The formal name is pepper sausages, or at least the recipe. Most hen and chicks are of the genus Celosia (Celosia cristata). To this day the recipe remains elusive. Sempervivum, from the Latin words semper meaning always and vivum The two to five-inch compact annual meaning living. Other names for flower blooms in late summer to late members of this group are liveforever fall on an upright 12- to 28-inch leafy and houseleek (although they are not stem. The blossom is narrow, elongated, related to the true leek). The name hen and rumpled like a rooster’s pea comb. and chicks is also applied to members of Although the traditional variety is red, the closely related Jovibarba (beard of modern varieties come in pink, orange, Jupiter) genus, as well as to a few other yellow, or white. species in the Crassulaceae genera. Cockscomb is easy to grow and reseeds Sempervivum hen and chicks prefer dry freely. It likes full sun and well drained conditions, grow well in poor soil, and can soil, and is hardy and resistant to most survive cold winters. They are also popular diseases. It is a member of the amaranth as house plants. Depending on the family, and in many countries the leaves species, leaf color may range from deep and flowers are served as vegetables, to pale green or gray, or may be tinged in although I don’t recall my grandmother pink, red, or purple. Juice from the leaves ever serving cockscomb at her table. is used like aloe vera to sooth burns and insect bites. Typically when a hen is 3 years old or more, a stalk — sometimes referred to as a rooster — rises upward from the center and develops blossoms that may be white, yellow, pink, or red, depending on the species. After the flowers produce seeds, the mother hen dies, leaving behind her brood of thriving chicks.

December 2016/January 2017 www.countrysidenetwork.com 53 Eggplant The eggplant (Solanum melongena) has been cultivated by gardeners since as far back as 544, when it was mentioned in a Chinese book on agriculture. Early plants imported into Europe produced small yellow or white fruits that were about the size and shape of an egg, hence the name eggplant — a term used for both the plant and the fruit it bears. Because of the bitterness and tough skin of those early fruits, the plant was grown mainly as an ornamental. Today the most common eggplants are shaped like an oversize pear and are deep purple. Some of the bitterness has been bred out, and when the fruit is cooked the flesh takes on a rich flavor and the skin is tender enough to eat without peeling. Although eggplant is technically a berry, it is prepared and served as a vegetable, often as a meat substitute that is rich in vitamins and powerful antioxidants. When sliced and salted, then pressed between two plates Chickweed for half an hour, the fruit releases some A weed is simply a plant growing in the wrong place. While some people rigorously of its liquid, making it more tender when root out common chickweed growing in their cooked and less apt to absorb greasy oil. Chicken Gizzard gardens, others welcome it or even plant it In some areas eggplants grow wild. In Chicken gizzard is another name for on purpose. If you are the latter, you might temperate zones they are cultivated as a bloodleaf (Iresine herbstii), a plant with bright add it to your salads, or cook and serve it like tender garden annual. They are closely red foliage and puckered leaves that are spinach. If you are the former, at least let your related to tomatoes and bell peppers, shaped something like a chicken’s gizzard. chickens enjoy the pulled weeds. Chickens and are grown in much the same way. Thanks to its showy foliage the plant is love chickweed — leaves, flowers, seeds and Varieties are now available in many colors used primarily to add contrast to borders all — and that is why it’s called chickweed. that include white, green, orange, purple, and flower beds. A native of Brazil, chicken gizzard is a tender perennial that likes full Common chickweed (Stellaria media) is an lavender, and striped and in shapes that sun, warm temperatures, and high humidity. easy-to-grow annual herb for temperate range from the size of a large zucchini It can be kept outdoors year around in USDA climates. Each plant develops numerous to that of a hen’s egg. Unlike real eggs, hardiness zones 10 and 11, where it will grow stalks that spread thickly along the ground eggplants are highly perishable; stored in the as high as five feet, with a three-foot spread. and produce small white blossoms. At night fridge they keep well for only a few days. and in rainy weather, like a good mother In other zones, where chicken gizzard may be hen, the chickweed plant folds its leaves cultivated as an annual, it grows only as tall to protect tender buds and new shoots. as about 18 inches. During winter it may be moved indoors as an attractive houseplant. Three characteristics will help you identify Alternatively, fresh new plants may be started chickweed: from cuttings. Indoors the plant becomes 1. The stem has a single line of hairs straggly unless provided plenty of bright that changes side after each leaf pair; light, preferably in a south-facing window. 2. When you pull on a stalk, it separates Full sun also results in richer leaf color. to reveal an elastic inner core; and Pinching back the growing tips of a young 3. The sap is not milky. When blossoms plant keeps it tight and bushy. Pinching out appear, between May and July, gather flower buds also keeps the plant dense, and plants to use fresh, or dry them to the small, greenish-white blossoms don’t brew into a medicinal tea should you amount to much anyway. Besides, when did come down with a winter cold or flu. you ever see a real chicken gizzard in bloom?

NO CHICKPEAS OR HENBANE If you noticed that chickpeas and henbane are excluded from this chicken theme garden, there are good reasons. The chickpea, otherwise known as a garbanzo bean, derives its common name from its Latin designation (Cicer arietinum), cicer meaning pea. The French call it pois chiche meaning pea pea, and the English reversed it to chich-pease or chickpea. No chicks or chickens are involved. The word henbane derives from the Old English wordshenn meaning hen and bana meaning killer, which makes henbane a chicken killer. All parts of the plant are hallucinogenic and can be deadly poison. Chickens were once fed a few seeds to stun them, and the dried herb was burned where the fumes would “make hens fall from their roosting place as though they were dead” — both tricks intended to make the birds easier to steal. So, although henbane is indeed named after its affect on chickens, it is certainly not a plant we want in our chicken garden! — Gail Damerow

54 Backyard Poultry Hen and Chicken Fern The evergreen hen and chicken fern is named for its production of small bulb- like growths on top of its fronds. Several plantlets hatch from each brown egg-like bulbil and, when they reach a length of about two inches, fall to the ground to take root. The fern also reproduces by spores, but not as easily as it hatches new chickens. Other names for this plant are mother fern, Fat Hen mother spleenwort, and parsley fern. Fat hen is a fast growing annual in the same family as spinach. It gets its name The hen and chicken fern (Asplenium from its use in fattening chickens and other bulbiferum) is native to New Zealand, where Golden Chicken poultry. Because it’s also fed to pigs, it’s it grows in cool, moist conditions, usually sometimes called pigweed. Its scientific along flowing streams. In the United States name Chenopodium album derives from it does well in hardiness zones 9 through Fern The golden chicken fern gets its name from 11. It likes shade or partial sun, prefers a the Greek words chen meaning goose, its slow-growing rhizome, which is covered northern exposure, and must be protected podos meaning foot, and album meaning with shiny golden-brown hairs that give it from frost, wind, drought, and full sunlight. white. The shapes of the leaves resemble a the appearance of a Buff Silkie. The plant The frilly leaflets, which resemble carrot goose’s foot and new leaves are white, so is also called wooly fern, golden moss, and leaves, grow on black stems, starting out another common name for this plant is white Scythian lamb. Many myths are associated bright green and turning darker as they goosefoot. It’s also called lamb’s quarters, with this fern, including the Middle Ages mature. Each frond grows to about two feet a corruption of Lammas quarter — Lammas belief that it produced sheep as fruit. being a Scottish harvest festival occurring in long and nine inches wide. Both the roots August, during the third quarter of the year. and uncurled young fronds may be cooked The golden chicken fern (Cibotium and eaten as a vegetable. The fronds taste Barometz) is a tree fern, meaning its fronds Fat hen grows about 3 feet tall and 8 something like asparagus, only a little bitter. develop atop a trunk-like stem. The plant inches wide. It likes moist soil and plenty of may grow upright to a height of about three sunlight. New leaves have jagged edges, Hen and chicken fern is also cultivated as feet, with fronds spanning as much as 10 while mature leaves are toothless. The a houseplant that thrives in low light. In feet, or the stem may grow sideways and plant starts blooming in July and produces cultivation it has been crossed with a related form trailing colonies of plants. For use as a seeds from August through October. Fat fern to create a sterile hybrid known as false houseplant, the stem is cut off and only the hen is closely related to the grain quinoa, hen and chickens (Asplenium lucrosum), rhizome is potted. with tiny dark seeds that taste much like which reproduces by bulbils but not by buckwheat. Each plant produces tens of spores. Most cultivated hen and chicken Rhizomes, young plants, and new growth thousands of seeds, ensuring that the ferns are actually false hens. Although they on mature plants are densely covered with species not only survives from year to can’t reproduce sexually, they develop golden hairs 1½ inches or more in length. year, but readily spreads far and wide. more plantlets than true hen and chickens, The hairs are used to sooth insect stings, and making them highly lucrative for fern dealers also as a styptic to stop bleeding. The inner In many parts of the world fat hen is — hence the scientific name lucrosum. part of the rhizome has anti-inflammatory and cultivated as a grain and vegetable crop for pain relieving properties; diluted solutions feeding both humans and livestock, but in are used to control aphids and spider mites. North America it is considered a common weed. Among foragers it is sometimes The fern is native to the mountainous regions known as wild spinach and is gathered of Southeast Asia, where it grows in moist, as a nutritious green that’s packed with shady ravines. Although it has been so vitamins and minerals and also prized as extensively collected for both ornamental an antioxidant and antibacterial. Fat hen and medicinal purposes that it is becoming grows just about everywhere in the United rare in the wild, the unique beauty of States (except in the extreme desert) the golden chicken fern ensures a wide and Canada. It readily adapts to local enough distribution to secure its survival. conditions and interbreeds with related local species, resulting in an ever-changing variety of sizes and shapes from one locale Gail Damerow is author of The to another. That makes fat hen a lot like our beloved chickens in coming in many Chicken Encyclopedia and other forms, regularly turning up on farms and in books about poultry available from backyards, and producing lots of offspring. our bookstore on page 36.

December 2016/January 2017 www.countrysidenetwork.com 55 Feature Follow the Light … Maryland Farmer Devises to More Eggs Tool to Combat Decreased Egg Production in Winter

By Joshua Laurent

or those of us who wouldn’t trade the delicious and healthy eggs our chickens produce for an inferior Fproduct at supermarkets, winter months can be a lean time as egg production can drop by as much as 80 percent. A Maryland doctor tried to figure out Mother Nature’s scheme and see if he could fix the problem in a safe, hassle- free way. “We are in our 60s and empty nesters!” joked Dr. John Zarpak about why his family started the nest-filling hobby. “I’m very sensitive to unnatural food sold ev- erywhere and we needed all-natural eggs.” In order to overcome the problem, Dr. Zarpak, who also loves growing organic vegetables, first had to learn why egg pro- Clockwise: A standard duction rises and drops with the seasons. plug in, timer and cord, and full setup, Chickens, like all animals, are with the light. equipped with survival instincts allowing them to adapt to a number of harsh con- ditions, such as weather and lack of food. For thousands of years, this “internal regulator” would reduce egg production and the likelihood of winter hatchlings. Since food was scarce in winter months, the regulator prioritized the chicken’s There are a couple of natural solutions already: First, providing survival over eggs and hatchlings. the chickens with additional protein. This can be achieved by using But what about chickens under our a different feed or a commercially available supplement. Scratch care that don’t face harsh conditions? grains can also be used, but they are not a replacement for con- They’ve provided a weather-safe coop ventional feed. The idea here is the more protein a chicken takes and enough food and water, yet egg pro- in, the higher its core temperature will increase. Second, allowing duction still dwindles in winter months. your chickens to free-range gives them the most daylight and exer- Theoretically, egg reduction doesn’t help cise possible, in turn keeping egg production hormones pumping. these chickens survive since their needs After some research, Dr. Zarpak discovered that it wasn’t the are already met and it shouldn’t have to do temperature that causes egg reduction, but rather the decrease in with the hatchlings since most backyard duration of natural light, which explains why autumn begins the chicken owners don’t have roosters. reduced egg production for most farmers. In order for chickens to

56 Backyard Poultry “I’m very sensitive light sensor to unnatural food sold everywhere and we needed all-natural eggs.” hanging light — Dr. John Zarpak, Inventor of the 110V Daylight Extender line

DLX With his physics background, Dr. Zarpak knew he could devel- op a tool for coops that would eliminate the guesswork and potential for human mistakes. stay on their cycle of one-egg-per-day After some trial and error, the Daylight (technically, the process is about 25 Extender (DLX) was born. In his typ- hours), the optimum amount of light ical joking manner, he explained why they should receive is 15 hours in one this new product is better than trying to day. More than 15 hours may cause do-it-yourself. egg production hormones to shut down “Yes, you can do it manually but you entirely. can also walk to your destination instead The obvious solution is placing ar- of flying,” said Dr. Zarpak. tificial light into the coop to help where The process for installation is simple nature leaves off, but since application and once in place should operate year- of the supplemental light is best prior round and is both maintenance and pro- to sunrise, you’re looking at some very gramming free. The DLX plugs into any early mornings to fix the problem. Flip- traditional outlet, and whatever artificial ping a switch on at dusk will give the light is being used is plugged into the chickens a light shock after seeing the DLX. Once the attached light sensor is sunset and then being exposed to bright placed in an area that receives sunlight, light. Yes, you could keep the light on all the backyard farmer’s work is done. day to avoid the transition to dusk, but The DLX’s built-in microcomputer what’s that going to be in energy cost measures daylight duration every day, for a full winter? calculating the exact amount of light Sure, a timer could be used, but with needed each day and turns the light on the daily changing time of sunrise and while it is still night. The next morning, sunset, will you be able to keep up? Just it shuts off automatically. a few days of slipping up could mean a Along with the DLX unit, Dr. return to reduced egg production. Zarpak’s website at www.daylightex- For those who wish to try this route tender.com has an array of lighting on their own, a low-wattage bulb is best. accessories the user can tailor to their As long as the chickens can see the feed- coop’s needs. er and waterer, a 40-watt incandescent “My device is all automatic and safe lamp should do the trick. LED lights for chickens with no work required from can work just as well, although they are you,” said Dr. Zarpak before heading more expensive. back to his vegetable garden.

December 2016/January 2017 www.countrysidenetwork.com 57 Feature A rooster goes on the defensive to protect his flock.

Musings on Mortality Life, Death, Poultry and Star Trek

By Dr. Cynthia Smith, DVM Washington

s a veterinarian, I often meet people who want their dog or cat to have a litter so “How we deal with death that the children can “experience the miracleA of life.” They are taken aback when I is at least as important as advise them to raise chickens instead, so that the children can experience the miracle of life and the how we deal with life.” — wonder of death, sometimes all in the same day. Captain Kirk, in The Wrath of Khan When I was a child, I showed horses, and then I moved on to dogs. Now I show chickens. (I’ll probably retire and show goldfish or plenaria. I’m instead of spending around $40 to enter one in a just moving my way down the food chain.) There are show, entries for poultry range around $3. If some- so many wonderful things about raising chickens, as one asks me how much money I make on my show compared to mammals! For one thing, you can have chickens, I tell them $20,000 a year. 30 or 40 or 100 of them, and no one thinks you’re a “Really!” they exclaim, “I didn’t know you could chicken mill. They’re fairly cheap to feed, too, and earn so much. Is that from selling eggs or birds?”

58 Backyard Poultry “Oh, no,” I reply. “That’s how much I such a way as to render it unable to compete each addition has had a purpose in preserv- save not showing dogs anymore.” for a period of six or more months. Birds ing our little flock. A bald eagle swooped All sorts of things can go wrong with with more pacific tendencies may choose down and took a bantam sultan hen right in whelping puppies, but I’ve never yet done to simply become egg bound and pass away front of my horrified then-9-year-old son’s a Caesarian section on a chicken. We only quietly. Silkies and Tufted Araucanas have eyes. We’d rescued her from an auction and dream of doing embryo transfer in our a special license to die for no reason at all at named her “Lucky.” (Veterinary tip: never show bitches, but I do it every day with any given moment. There are restrictions, name any creature, “Lucky. ”) my birds. Reach into the nest box, pick up of course. For instance, males that attack Try getting a few ducks, I was advised, the fertilized egg, put it in the incubator. their caregivers are strictly forbidden to they are good at watching the sky. A few Embryo transfer accomplished and nary a die, as are birds with major defects or any darling Call ducks joined our band. They Petri dish in sight. recognized disqualifying fault. If show sea- delighted in the mud and rain that are con- Chickens can also be as friendly as son is over, the friendliest birds, especially stants in western Washington and made us dogs but without the separation anxiety. those beloved by a child, are permitted to laugh with their silly antics and clown-like “Hi Mom! Is that bread for me? Cool! Oh, progress to their Eternal Reward. personalities. They do indeed watch the you’re off to work, well, I’ll miss … hey, sky and it is interesting to see them tilt their look, a bug!” heads often to look up. However, they didn’t More eggs than you want to hatch? “He’s dead, Jim.” do much to alert the chickens to danger. Breakfast! Any dog breeder can tell you The three geese joined us after a the worry that goes into placing the puppies — McCoy, in The peregrine falcon chose to dine with us so they aren’t going to keep in forever homes. Changeling regularly that we thought about getting Extra birds? Unless you’re a vegetarian, it a punch card. A serial killer, the falcon that problem is easy to solve too. would swoop down through our nets Yes, the advantages of raising poultry This is a tongue-in-cheek rendering of a of fishing line that we had arranged to are many, but there is a downside, and that very real phenomenon in raising poultry. It cover our one-acre yard where our birds downside is their mortality. The first two is amazing how tough they can be, and how free-range, killing up to a record seven in years I raised chickens, I was appalled at fragile. At the beginning, when my 8-year- one day and eating only the livers. (The the death rate. If I lost dogs at the rate I old son started the whole thing by asking fishing line, strung from tree to tree in a lost birds, I’d be in jail. Chickens die. They for chickens for his birthday, we began our spiderweb pattern, had had some success die a lot. I think it’s recreational for them. introduction with a peeping box of hatchery deterring other hawks, but this peregrine Chickens have many options for releasing chicks. Of the minimum order of 30 straight laughed at them.) Geese are big, loud and their poultry spirit and achieving Oneness run bantams, seven had already expired in unpredictable. From time to time, they all with the Universe. They have a strong the box. My son lifted their limp bodies suddenly lift their heads, and for no reason preference for being eaten by predators. one by one with tears streaming down his apparent to any human, suddenly go thun- There is a Predator Union (PU) that works face. We had a little funeral for them. We dering off across the pasture, screaming with them to make sure losses are correct- had already been concerned about what like banshees all the while. This behavior ly assessed each year. Hawks, raccoons, we would do with the extra males, but the is alarming to the chickens, the neighbors, coyotes, and sometimes even your friendly problem was worse than we thought, as the and, apparently, the hawks. I don’t know if neighborhood dog, are required to attend hatchery had included nine standard size geese would be a good hawk deterrent in all online classes given by the American Rhode Island Red rooster chicks as packing situations, but they have been for us. Last of Poultry Association twice yearly and must pellets. Now what were we supposed to do? all came the turkeys, when we lost a bunch be well-versed in breed standards before The Reds towered over our little ban- of birds to Marek’s disease after bringing in they are allowed to substitute corn-fed tams and were obviously not something some Seramas from out of state. When we chicken for field mice in their diets. Only we wanted or planned for. We were poultry began to research the disease, we found out in this way are they able to successfully novices in those days, and the thought of that turkeys carry a variant of Marek’s and pick out the best show prospects on which killing them ourselves was unthinkable. that chickens raised with turkeys are often to dine. If they are unable to choose a We ended up raising them in a separate pen naturally vaccinated for the disease. Thus, definitively best bird to so honor, they are until they were old enough to butcher, and a fourth species joined our growing flock. permitted to take all worthy candidates carefully refraining from naming, handling When one of the turkeys became mean and and invite their friends for a luau. or even looking at them much. A neighbor started attacking people from behind, we In the event that no local predators have did the dirty deed for us and took half the crossed another benchmark as poultry rais- yet passed the APA exam, the birds must carcasses in payment. I think we gave our ers. Bleeding and angry, my husband was become more creative. Talented birds who half away, not having the mental fortitude inspired to take a class on home butchering, have been entered in an upcoming show to consume them. and that was the end of begging for homes have been granted permission from the Fast forward some 11 years. Only one for extra roosters. I could hardly choke union to stick their heads through the only of the original 30 hatchery hens still roams down that first turkey, but now we blithely two-inch gap in the fencing and break their our yard. We now concentrate on Polish and put three bantam cockerels in the crockpot, necks. Less worthy jealous birds are always Araucana bantams, but also have a few call (Believe me, as 5-month-old free-ranging permitted to even the odds by beating up ducks, turkeys and geese. Like the woman chickens are too tough to fry!) and come a likely contender, if not fatally, at least in who swallowed the spider to catch the fly, home to chicken and dumplings.

December 2016/January 2017 www.countrysidenetwork.com 59 “I’ve been dead find a blood bath. Somehow, through the small hardware wire, a predator had pulled before.” — Spock, her wing through and eaten half of it. The white fluffy bird, now red, with splintered in The Undiscovered wing bones exposed, was a horrific sight. I thought I would have to put her down, but Country she wasn’t having it. She let me know in no uncertain terms that she had chicks to raise Everyone who has hatched chickens for and no time to die. She waited impatiently a while knows that you never give up on a as I ministered to her injuries, clucking all bird, especially a chick, until it’s clear that the time to her kids, and then went back to there is no hope. Many are the cold, dead, the serious work of motherhood. I have no stiff chicks I have picked up off the barn doubt that, had she been alone in the pen, floor, only to feel a convulsive twitch after I would have found her dead that morning. a few minutes in the warmth of my hand. Conversely, I have known three healthy Pop them in the incubator or under a hen hens to die the day after something hap- and in an hour they’re peeping and running pened to their chick. All these birds had around like nothing ever happened. There only one chick and no others to care for are many anecdotal stories of adult birds, when their young one was lost. Call me which appeared to be frozen stiff, reviving anthropomorphic, but I believe they died while waiting in a warmer place for disposal. of a broken heart. “Aren’t you “I haven’t faced dead?” — death. I’ve Captain Kirk, in The cheated death. Undiscovered Country I’ve tricked

Considering how easily they die, it’s my way out amazing to see the hardiness and downright courage in the so-called chicken—par- of death and ticularly when they are defending others. patted myself When a hawk is sighted, the male screams Heavy Duty an alert, and while the females and young on the back for Automatic Chicken birds run for cover, the cock stands in the Coop Door middle of the yard, flapping his wings and my ingenuity.” screaming his defiance. (“Do you want a piece of me?”) If anything, the hens can be — Captain Kirk, in The even fiercer in the defense of their young. One of our Japanese bantams, “Small,” Wrath of Khan was out in the yard with her six chicks one day. From nearly right under my feet, I saw Raising chickens is not for the faint of a small hawk swoop down and grab one of heart. If you do it long enough, you may the chicks in its talons. My startled eyes fol- become far more acquainted with the grim lowed it far into the air. Right on its tail flew reaper than you ever hoped to be. You may the desperate mother. She attained speed and lose to predators, accident or disease. You altitude I would have thought physically may weep bitter tears and wonder why you impossible. Finally, with a despairing cry, put yourself through this at all. Then the she tumbled in midair and fell, exhausted, spring comes, and with it, the peep-peep- - Keeps Predators Out to the ground. She returned to her other peep of fluffy yellow chicks. It makes you - All Weather Materials - No Assembly Required chicks, but the next day, I found the dead feel young, as when the world was new. - Electric W/Battery Backup chick fallen in the trees. She had forced the Chicken-hearted, you begin again. - Digital LCD Display predator to abandon its kill after all. SALE: $245.00 Another time, one of my Silkies was Dr. Cynthia Smith is a veterinarian in raising her chicks in a small tractor we Washington state. She writes frequently Call 1-800-624-4493 keep for that purpose. One day, I woke to for Backyard Poultry.

60 Backyard Poultry Here’s a wonderful idea for: • A “thank-you” for a helpful neighbor • Birthdays • Holidays • Or just a random act of kindness!

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The Roman goose comes in tufted (pictured) and plain- headed varieties.

The Roman Goose

Story and Photos By Kirsten Lie-Nielsen Maine

oman geese bring history and a unique geese have been raised for a variety of uses, and appearance to the farm. Their carriage they make a helpful and entertaining addition and plumage are swanlike, and their to any flock. Rlineage traces back more than 2,000 years. These geese are not common on American Key Facts farms, being more popular as an exhibition Roman geese come in two varieties, a tufted breed in this country. Around the world, Roman and a plain-headed version. The more common

62 Backyard Poultry Prepare your Flock For the coming cold

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Download your valuable Calf Manna Coupon at http://info.mannapro.com/backyardpoultry and distinct variety in America is the tufted Roman, which has an unusual upward plume of feathers at the top of its head. Plain-headed Roman geese have flat feathering over their heads, as well as the rest of their bodies. Roman geese are widely believed to be the oldest breed of Tufted goose still being bred today. Originally Roman’s domesticated in Italy, these geese have been kept since the times of the Roman graceful Empire, when they were crucial in de- necks are fending the city against an attack by the Gauls in the fourth century B.C. accented A smaller breed of goose, Romans with the weigh usually less than 10 pounds. Their bodies are plump with curving necks, upright and because of their size many are raised plume of as ornamental additions to a farm or as show birds. The honk of a Roman goose feathers on can alert you to intruders on your farm, their crests, just as their squawking alerted sentries centuries ago. and their

Appearance eyes are a Distinct and elegant are excellent piercing terms for the Roman goose. Tufted Ro- blue. man’s graceful necks are accented with the upright plume of feathers on their Romans usually weigh less than 10 pounds and if they are on pasture, only need a crests, and their eyes are a piercing blue. nightly feeding. With fine white plumage and orange bills and feet, their bodies are full figured and Care Considerations they have gained some interest recently have a round breast and full paunch. The Roman geese, having survived thanks to their docile temperaments and The “tuft” on the Roman goose is not human domestication for centuries, are striking appearance. a crest like some breeds of ducks and hardy and tough. They over-winter well chickens have. A tuft is smaller and points and do not require special care. Like all Primary Uses upwards, rather than creating a “beehive geese, they appreciate bathing water to The efficiency of Roman geese cannot hairdo” appearance. keep their plumage clean, and need fresh be exaggerated. With plump, compact bod- These elegant geese are capable of water to digest their food. Free access to ies, they make good table birds despite their limited flight. While they cannot maintain feed will be appreciated, but geese on small size, and their eggs are large and laid height or distance, their wide and power- pasture need only nightly feeding. reliably from May through September. Con- ful wings will take them severals yards a stantly vigilant and vocal, they are excellent few feet above the ground. History for guarding but not so aggressive enough Once sacred to the goddess Juno, to be a nuisance. This makes them great Temperament Roman geese were kept outside her birds for the small farm or as a family goose. Romans are most famous for their temple in Ancient Rome. In the year 387 Small in size but big in attitude, Roman abilities are guard animals, however they B.C., Rome was under siege by the Gauls geese are versatile and beautiful birds. If can be relatively docile. Their aggression and a few enemy soldiers thought they you are looking for a less hostile watchdog, tends to come out during the springtime, would attempt a sneak attack. While the they should be at the top of your list. If when the ganders are showing off for the guards slept and the dogs were placated you are in search of a smaller goose with a female geese. Male Roman geese prefer with fresh meat, the geese noticed the positive attitude and appearance, the Roman a harem of three to four females during soldiers immediately and called out a goose is one to consider. mating season. shrill alarm. This timely call allowed the Alert and vocal, the guarding abili- city to ready its defenses and thwart the Kirsten Lie-Nielsen is a freelance writer ties of the Roman geese are so admired potential attack. and farmer from Liberty, Maine. When not because of their constant vigilance. Any- Since then, Roman geese have been a cultivating a growing garden and tending thing out of place will receive a honk, and popular utility goose throughout Europe. her geese and other animals, she maintains their calls are especially piercing. Male Their size and shape make them suited Hostile Valley Living (hostilevalleyliving. geese can be feisty and certainly will not to many purposes, the perfect backyard com), hoping to help others learn about back down when threatened. fowl. Not as common in the Americas, self-reliance and simple living.

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photos and story By Janice Cole Minnesota

68 Backyard Poultry f you’re looking for something into the meat. Turn the duck breast late and save it for another use, like special to serve this holiday and do it again creating a crisscross roasted potatoes in duck fat. After season, think duck. That is, pattern. Then season the duck with 8 to 10 minutes of browning over duck breasts. Yes, you can do the sea salt and pepper and let stand it low heat, the breast will be perfectly traditionalI whole roast bird, and 10 minutes before cooking to allow golden brown, the meat still rare and while it’s always appreciated and the salt to begin pulling the water ready for a final quick heat in the beautiful, more than likely you from the skin, which facilitates oven. Perfection achieved in just and your guests have already had a browning and crisping of the skin. 10 minutes. whole bird at Thanksgiving. So why not try something a little different Start with a Cold Pan Doneness this time around? Browning meat in a cold pan Duck breasts today are tradi- If you’re short of time (and who is a recipe for disaster most times, tionally served at medium-rare isn’t this time of the year) and want resulting in gray unappetizing beef temperature where they are at their something quick yet memorable and and pale chicken. Normally, you juiciest and most tender, like a good crazy easy to make, you really must should always start browning meat steak. However, the USDA does rec- try duck breasts. They’re elegant, in a well-heated pan. But break the ommend that duck and all poultry be easy to serve and look like you’ve rule when cooking duck breast and cooked to 165°F, meaning the duck spent hours in the kitchen. You’ll be you’ll be amazed. would be medium to medium-well, surprised at how amazingly simple Place the breast, skin-side down, a little more well done and drier they are to make; in fact, they’re as in a cold dry pan. There’s no need than most people prefer. If you are easy as throwing on a steak or cook- for oil, butter or any other lubricant pregnant or serving people with ing a chicken breast. And the really to help the duck brown. Granted, compromised immune systems, fun part of cooking duck breasts is, it’s weird at first; there’s no sizzle, please follow the USDA guidelines. if you break the cooking rules they no smell, no nothing until the pan Otherwise, you can decide yourself come out perfect. slowly starts to heat up. As it begins where your comfort level is at re- slowly heating, the fat under the garding doneness. Score the Skin skin begins to melt and sizzle and all Remember, when you pull the The first rule to break is cutting of the good things associated with duck from the oven, let it rest lightly the skin. Normally, you want the cooking begin to happen. Giving it covered for at least five minutes skin on a bird to be unblemished the extra time by starting it slowly before slicing in order to allow the and uncut so it browns beautifully, helps drain out more fat, creating juices to flow back throughout the making a gorgeous presentation. On a leaner duck breast and beautiful meat. The temperature will also a whole chicken, it’s important to browning. continue to rise at least 5°F during pull the skin taut and truss the bird that time. to give it shape creating a beautiful Low and Slow appearance when finished. Duck Browning meat usually happens Do-Ahead breasts are different. The fat in duck on medium-high heat, giving the Perfect for entertaining, you accumulates under the breast skin meat a quick sear and good brown- can brown the duck breasts ahead and needs to drain away creating the ing without overcooking the inside. of time, cover and refrigerate them crispy browned skin we all crave. Once again, duck breast is different. up to one day ahead. Finish them Scoring the skin before you cook is Slowly allowing the duck to brown in the oven following the baking the way to go. at medium-low heat allows most directions adding an additional Carefully cut through the skin in of the fat to leave the bird. You can one to two minutes cooking time if half-inch intervals without cutting drain the fat as it begins to accumu- necessary for the desired doneness.

As it begins slowly heating, the fat under the skin begins to melt and sizzle and all of the good things associated with cooking begin to happen. Giving it the extra time by starting it slowly helps drain out more fat, creating a leaner duck breast and beautiful browning.

December 2016/January 2017 www.countrysidenetwork.com 69 Seared Duck with 1 tablespoon coarsely chopped fresh minute or until lightly cooked on the Maple-Balsamic Sauce thyme plus extra sprigs for garnishing bottom. Turn and cook the sides of the breast 30 to 60 seconds or until This sweet-tart pan sauce is the Directions: lightly seared. Place skin-side down perfect accompaniment to the rich Heat oven to 400°F. Score the in pan and immediately place in oven. duck and is made while the duck duck skin in a crisscross pattern in Bake 4 to 6 minutes or to desired rests from the oven. Serve with soft 1/2-inch intervals without cutting into doneness. Let stand loosely covered polenta and seasonal vegetables. the meat. Generously sprinkle with 5 minutes before slicing. Meanwhile, salt and pepper. Let stand 10 minutes. remove excess fat from pan, place Ingredients: Place breasts, skin-side down, in a over medium heat. Add vinegar, 4 (6 to 8 ounces) duck breasts, or cold dry nonstick skillet. Slowly heat maple syrup and thyme and bring 2 large (12-16 ounces) duck breasts over medium-low heat 8 to 10 minutes to a boil; boil 1 to 2 minutes or until Sea salt or until skin is golden brown and fat slightly thickened. Serve over sliced Freshly ground pepper has drained out; remove excess duck duck; garnish with fresh thyme. 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar fat reserving for another use. 2 tablespoons maple syrup Turn breasts skin side-up; cook 1 Serves 4 Janice Cole, 2016

Buying a Duck Breast Some of you may have your own ducks that you raise, and some of you may be avid wild duck hunters, but most of us will have to go to a store to get our duck breasts. You’ll find there are several types available at the store. The most common ducks are white Pekin, followed by Moscovy and Moulard. They can range in size from 6 to 8 ounces, up to about 1 pound each. The cooking methods described will work for all ducks whether wild or domestic but the timing will vary depending on size and the fattiness of the bird.

70 Backyard Poultry Masala Duck with Duck: or until skin is golden brown and the Apple-Cranberry 4 (6 to 8 ounces) duck breasts, or fat has drained out; remove excess 2 large (12-16 ounces) duck breasts duck fat reserving for another use. Chutney Sea salt Turn breasts skin side-up; cook 1 The Indian-spiced duck pairs well Freshly ground pepper minute or until lightly cooked on the with a seasonal apple and cranber- 2 teaspoons garam masala* bottom. Turn and cook the sides of the ry chutney. Serve it with roasted breast 30 to 60 seconds or until lightly mashed squash. Directions: seared. Place skin-side down in pan To make the chutney, heat oil in and immediately place in oven. Chutney: small saucepan over medium heat. Bake 4 to 6 minutes or to desired 2 teaspoons canola oil Add all ingredients; cook 5 to 8 min- doneness. Let stand loosely covered 1/2 cup diced unpeeled apples, such as utes or until apples are tender, stirring 5 minutes before slicing. Serve with Braeburn or Gala frequently and adding additional cider room temperature chutney. 1/4 cup apple butter if necessary. 2 tablespoons rice vinegar Heat oven to 400°F. Score the duck *Garam masala is a blend of up to 10 spic- 2 tablespoons apple cider or water, skin in a crisscross pattern in 1/2-inch es including cinnamon, cloves, cumin and as needed intervals without cutting into the meat. pepper. It’s available in the spice section 1 tablespoon dried cranberries Generously sprinkle with salt, pepper of most grocery stores or you can mix up 1/4 teaspoon minced fresh ginger and masala. Let stand 10 minutes. your own using some of the above spices. 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes or to taste Place breasts, skin-side down, in a cold dry nonstick skillet. Slowly heat Janice Cole, 2016 over medium-low heat 8 to 10 minutes

December 2016/January 2017 www.countrysidenetwork.com 71 For The Love Of Hobby

All Cooped Up, Again

By Mark Hall Ohio

t was a mild November morning in the year 2011. The ground was littered with autumn leaves that crunchedI under my boots as I stomped my way across the backyard. Into the field beyond I carried a bucket of water and an egg basket. Soon I arrived at the chicken coop and reached for the door. sweating, I was able to pull the jamb the I had just finished building their rest of the way off by hand. I then slid the roomy, 100 square foot coop a month earli- My arch nemesis: the coop door lock. pocket knife blade between the frame and er. It had several good features, such as the the door, and with the very tip of the blade, 16 feet of roosting space, the four cozy nest flipped the locking pin up and over the arm. boxes, a large double pane window, and Then, pushing the door open, I regained numerous openings for ample ventilation. slammed the door shut behind me. Turning my freedom. However, the latch on the door I was about back to the door, I stood helplessly, willing Relieved, I put the door jamb back into to open was not one of those features. it to somehow re-open. There was an awk- place, and went on with the day’s work. The I initially should have used a latch ward, momentary silence in the coop as all chickens went back to their breakfast, en- that would open the door from the inside. 11 pullets turned their heads to the side and tertained by the silly man’s antics and glad, Instead I had installed a self-latching gate sized me up and down with one eye. I’m sure, that he would not be cramping latch, which, though cheaper and simpler, I wondered how I was ever going to their space after all. was a real hazard, unless you wanted to get out of there. I couldn’t climb out the Now this is the part of the story where I be locked inside of a chicken coop for an window because I had secured it with would like to be able to say that this expe- unspecified length of time. Foreseeing this heavy-gauge wire. When I called my wife, rience was never repeated — that I learned strong possibility of being incarcerated, I my cellphone died just after we exchanged my lesson. Surely I took the time to replace developed the habit of slipping something a “Hello.” Then, as I was about to choose the latch, or at least found some way to through a hole in the latch to prevent the a spot on one of the roosts for myself, I modify it. Undoubtedly I was not so foolish locking pin from falling down over the remembered that the nails I had used in the as to believe that I would never again forget corresponding arm on the door. This was door jamb were short. Maybe I could pry it to insert something through the latch hole. a good method… as long as I remembered right off of the door frame! Sadly, these surmises would all be inac- before stepping inside. I dug into my pocket and grabbed my curate. Incredibly, over the next four years, I However, on that particular morning, I pocket knife. Flipping it open, I slid one locked myself inside the coop no fewer than did not remember to slip anything through of the blades between the jamb and the six times. Despite my best efforts, my mem- the hole in the latch. After replenishing their frame. After much twisting, turning and ory continued to fail on occasion, and each feed and water, the wind picked up and prying, plus some groaning, frowning and time I found myself “cooped up” again.

72 Backyard Poultry Incredibly, over the next four years, I locked myself inside the coop no fewer than six times. Despite my best efforts, my memory continued to fail on occasion, and each time I found myself “cooped up” again.

During those years, my dad locked him- NON GMO self inside the same way, twice. While my family and I were enjoying our freedom on a sunny beach in some tropical clime, poor Dad was trying to gain his, trapped inside of a smelly chicken coop. Fortunately, I guess, the chickens’ tiny exit door was open on both occasions. After chores were completed, he stretched out on the floor and squeezed through that little doorway, headfirst. When told about the event later, by Mom, I felt horrible. If I had only taken the time to fix the problem in the first place, this all could have been avoided. I have since wondered how Dad’s escape must have looked. As it turned out, I did not have to wonder for long because I had to make the same escape not long after his. Not coincidentally, the latch was modified a week later. I drilled a tiny hole through the wall and inserted a short piece of wire through it. One end is attached to the locking pin, and the other end sits on the inside of the wall, waiting to be tugged by some unfortunate chicken coop prisoner. Ironically, more than a year has passed since the modification, and yet I have never again locked myself inside. Go figure!

Mark Hall writes from his home in Alexandria, Ohio.

December 2016/January 2017 www.countrysidenetwork.com 73

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Book Review all morning.” The astute reader rightly wants to know: Why did they die? On page 86, we learn that approxi- mately 775 of the original 900 hens had survived, which means a whopping 125 chickens had died. The plot thickens — why are those pullets dying in droves? On page 89, we learn the pullets would not use the roosts, but preferred to sleep on the floor. Earlier in the book Jason visited the farm where the pullets were being raised on contract and found them housed in a somewhat neglected warehouse. Feed- ers and waterers are mentioned, but not roosts. Raised without benefit of roosts, chickens wouldn’t know what a roost is. Back to page 90: “We’d based the footprint of the shelter on a vertical use of space. To say this another way, it was like we built a high-rise apartment and LOCALLY LAID everyone was racing to live in the ground- By Lucie B. Amundsen floor unit. The danger of suffocation was Avery (2016) very real.” Hardcover: 336 pages Mystery solved! But there’s more. Toward the end of the book, by which time those first hens back into our rural areas were some 28 weeks old, Lucie attends and repair our country’s a poultry workshop in Maine and learns broken food system. about the hazards of raising pullets in a With a sprinkling of humor, the author light-tight barn and then turning them describes how Jason’s mid-life dream of loose outdoors without first getting them BLUEBONNET FEEDS: love in a bag. becoming an egg farmer involved a lot of used to being out in light. “Otherwise,” networking, creative grant writing (Jason’s she says, “a hen will go from a hormone Locally former career), and a steep learning curve. trickle to a virtual estrogen tempest, which And, although the Amundsen’s had devel- sends their little poultry nerves into a oped a detailed business plan, things didn’t hysterical swirly. You love your birds and they love you. Show them even a little more love with our complete line of poultry Laid always go according to schedule. Even while “Poultry hysteria is a terrible condition their first facility was under construction, that entails everything our birds suffered feed designed for your backyard flock. Whether it is starter feeds, scratch grain or our high-end premium Review By the couple incurred an unscheduled $10,000 through in those early days on pasture. Gail Damerow expense in the form of a Kubota ATV. “The It cranks up perfectly lovely chickens to and conditioner feeds, Bluebonnet Feeds has you covered. You’ll feel the love every time. ATV’s four-wheel drive and hefty suspension acts of cannibalization, piling and suffo- ocally Laid by Lucie B. Amund- became necessary as spring transformed the cating in droves, and becoming flustery, sen chronicles how the author and field into a sucking clay trap that made trans- wing-batting freaks to every actual or BLUEBONNET FEEDS: love in a bag. her husband Jason, both liberal porting lumber needed for the floor frames of imagined sound or movement.” With this artsL graduates with no agricultural expe- the coops with the minivan (our most rugged new knowledge, the Amundsen’s decide BluebonnetFeeds.com rience and less knowledge about chickens farm vehicle) impossible…. to brood their own replacement pullets in You love your birds and they love you. Show them even a little more love with our complete line of poultry than a first-year 4-Her, risked it all to “The four-wheeler was happy orange the future. feed designed for your backyard flock. Whether it is starter feeds, scratch grain or our high-end premium establish the first commercial pastured and easy enough for our children to drive As another result of their improper and conditioner feeds, Bluebonnet Feeds has you covered. You’ll feel the love every time. egg farm in the upper Midwest on rented with supervision. They called it BoBo. In upbringing, the pullets didn’t start lay- land 35 miles from their urban home in my head, I referred to it as the ‘summer ing according to schedule. Says Lucie, 800.365.2456 [email protected] Duluth, Minnesota. The book reads on tour of Europe I will never have,’ but I “The chickens were laying later than our BluebonnetFeeds.com three levels: the gymnastics they went tried not to dwell on it.” business plan had stated (apparently they through in developing an egg business In some ways the story resembles a hadn’t read it) but given the condition in from scratch, the toll the endeavor took Gertrude McCluck mystery. On page 79, which they arrived we were happy they 800.365.2456 [email protected] on the lives of the couple and their two we learn that on the morning after the first were laying at all.” grade-school kids, and why returning to pullets arrived, Jason tells Lucie, “I’ve As it turns out, it was probably a good local food production can both inject life been taking trash bags of dead hens out thing the hens didn’t crank up production

74 Backyard Poultry ©2016©2016 Bluebonnet Bluebonnet Feeds. Feeds. All AllRights Rights Reserved. Reserved.

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©2016©2016 Bluebonnet Bluebonnet Feeds. Feeds. All AllRights Rights Reserved. Reserved. Reserved. Rights All Feeds. Bluebonnet ©2016 In some ways the story resembles a that realization, Lucie decides she wants “to Gertrude McCluck mystery. On page 79, we learn jam the term middle agriculture into the lexicon,” using their farm to start a bigger that on the morning after the first pullets arrived, conversation about midlevel producers and their importance to the rural economy. To Jason tells Lucie, “I’ve been taking trash bags that end she chronicles their travails and triumphs in her book Locally Laid, titled of dead hens out all morning.” The astute reader after the brand name of the eggs produced rightly wants to know: Why did they die? by their hens — each and every one named LoLa — at the Locally Laid Egg Company. When I wrote my first book about on schedule. After Jason had carefully that “It’s all problem-solving, that’s all chickens, back in the 1970s, one of the complied with a notebook full of state farming is.” publishers I approached asked hopefully if regulations regarding the establishment of For Lucie, though, the “hens weren’t anything about the book could get it banned a mandatory egg washing facility, the state the only ones with new realities to adjust to. in Boston — a sure way to boost sales. inspector told him, “Oh, I think someone I began to see that our lives had shifted as Times have changed, and to my knowledge sent you the wrong regs or maybe you’re well. Jason was now a farmer, and I was a Locally Laid has not been banned in Boston. missing some pages, but yeah, this won’t married single parent.” She begins to won- But the title — and the egg company’s “Get work.” He handed the binder back to Jason der if “...maybe there’s a reason why we’re Locally Laid” advertising campaign — has and wrote out the denial paperwork, piling the first commercial-scale pasture-raised raised a few eyebrows. on a whole new set of rules to the tune of egg farm in the entire upper Midwest.” Says the author, “I’d come to think of some $40,000 more than their business The turning point for the Amundsen’s Locally Laid as ‘dirty optional.’ I mean, you plan called for. Yet, through ingenuity, and their fledgling business came when can go there if you want, but there’s also a stubbornness, and more networking, Jason they discovered, after attending two perfectly family-friendly primary meaning successfully overcame this new setback poultry conferences, that their operation that thoroughly describes our venture.” Be- and once again prevailed. lies in that never-never land of middle sides, she says, “No one would have given Early in his quest to become a chicken agriculture — too big for manual labor, us a second look if we’d called ourselves farmer, Jason comes to the conclusion too small to economically mechanize. With Amundsen Farms.”

76 Backyard Poultry Coming up with catchy business names seems to run in the Amundsen organic eggs. family. One of my favorite scenes in the book involves young son Milo, whose happy fairy princess. time at the chicken farm was limited because of his incoordination and clumsi- ness. Instead he was given responsibility for the five home hens in Duluth. Says Lucie, “This spurred my son to THE HEALTHIEST CHICKENS start his own budding egg-pire. Wanting to drive sales, he had an idea to put some- LAY THE TASTIEST EGGS. thing ‘value added’ into his cartons, like YOU AND YOUR KIDS WILL NOTICE cereal companies do with cheap toys. THE DIFFERENCE. However, when I explained that he’d have to buy the object and that would come out of his profits, he blanched. He figured Get your organic on he could create something instead. Milo wrote out knock-knock jokes from library at newcountryorganics.com books and clipping comics from newspa- pers, tucking them into each carton of his home-laid eggs. Thus, Milo’s Yolks and Jokes was born.” Another favorite scene occurs when Jason and Lucie visit an Amish couple who became egg-producing partners. As Lucie narrates, “I sat near Ruth, who SOY-FREE, CERTIFIED ORGANIC, affably inquired about my projects, things LAYER FEED • MORE GREAT STUFF I might be sewing, jams I’d put up last 888-699-7088 • M-F 8-6, SAT 9-1, ET summer, the breads I bake. I had nothing to offer, to the point that as the conversa- tion plodded on, I began to wonder, What did I do all day? Watching her desperately trying to create polite conversation, earnestly attempting to find something, anything I can do that she’d be able to remark upon was charmingly awkward. I didn’t know how to tell a woman who’d recently helped a neighbor birth a baby that I nearly failed junior high home economics.” Thanks to Lucie’s gift for making fun of everything, including herself, her book strikes the perfect balance between being highly informative and providing pure entertainment. Anyone who is interested in the chicken business, or in what it takes to start a midlevel commercial enterprise, or in the importance of local food produc- tion to our economy, or just in enjoying an exceptionally good read should go out and get Locally Laid.

For more information about the Lo- cally Laid Egg Company, visit local lylaid.com and www.npr.org/sections/ thesalt/2016/06/16/482051190/-locally- laid-a-hilarious-memoir-to-cure-you-of- farm-fantasies.

December 2016/January 2017 www.countrysidenetwork.com 77 Just For Fun

Hoo boy, now I’m freaking myself out! Ahem. Where was I? Oh, deterrent lights. Right. So, as it happens, I let a couple of those doohickeys burn out (they don’t last forever in our robust climate) and this meant that one night while I peacefully dreamed of an effortless harvest, an air raid siren went off in the backyard. Well, not exactly an air raid siren. Merely the high-pitched alarm quacks of seven full-grown waterfowl accelerating from anxious to terrified in five seconds flat. Of course, I jumped out of bed to see what was the matter. By the time I reached the back deck and flicked on the security lights, though, not one alarming item seemed to sully the sanctity of the poultry pen. The girls, All I Want for however, were standing at attention and despite the fact that I stayed outside with them for several half-asleep minutes, Christmas is a Backyard they refused to settle down (i.e. get quiet enough to stop disturbing the neighbors). That meant I had only one solution: Open up the winter coop. Sure enough, once Time Machine I lowered the flap, they waddled inside as if some small, red-eyed, non-moving By Lori Fontanes predator was hot on their fluffy butts. Quack Me Up Now here’s the prob. It’s July. Ducks in a coop in the middle of July equals one nasty mess of a cleaning problem. s you probably know, I’m not into the App Store as much as the ag store, but In the summer, the hens usually sleep even a self-reliant backyard farmer has to admit that technology has its uses. in a secure pen that can be hosed down Take those wonderful contributions to homesteadery like the thermostatic lickety-split. A coop, on the other hand, Abarn heater, the electric sideways egg wiggler and the robotic rooster with built-in means pine shavings. And pine shavings snooze feature. mean more and more pine shavings. And Okay, I made up most of those but, really, it’s true. Every once in a while I come more and more pine shavings means only across an electronic gizmo that’s so useful, so timesaving or so darn cute, that I simply one thing — mucking. And there’s only gotta have it. Last summer, for example, I ran across just such a thingamajig and, one thing I hate more than mucking and boy, do I wish I had thought of buying it sooner! that’s middle of steamy, stinky, buggy, But I get a little ahead of myself. Let’s go back in time. July kind of mucking. It all started when I forgot to keep tabs on those night reflector thingamabobs that There had to be a better solution. we zip-tie around the duck pen. You know the ones I’m talking about, right? That Enter, the time machine. No, wait. doodad with the solar strip that as soon as the sun goes down starts flashing off and Back up. First some technology with on like a miniature Rudolph with his blinking beacon? The idea, I guess, is that a little less heavy-duty physics. That’s flickering lights are supposed to mimic another animal’s eyes. And not just right, my new favorite thingamajig: a any other animal but a non-prey animal because the lights are close together security camera. and that means they belong to a predator. A very small predator with tiny red, strangely flashing eyes that never moves all night long.

78 Backyard Poultry As leery as I’d been of Orwellian or Bigfoot, I mused, as I stepped onto Yours Truly shows up in robe and slippers. elements in our agrarian retreat, I kind of the deck. No sign of the beast, and darn Unfortunately, having proof positive liked the idea of keeping an eye on our it, the ducks wouldn’t settle down again. of our uninvited guest did me no good girls from the convenience of my smart- Open the coop and plop them onto pine at all. The elusive critter didn’t show up phone. I could check on them from road shavings yet another night. every night, but whenever he did, the trips or when I had to be stuck in really But now I had a techno-advantage. ducks would need to go in the coop and boring meetings. (Oops, did I say that?) I could parse the record and see exactly more pine shavings would need mucking. And we spared no expense to sup- what annoying varmint had been breach- If only I could know in advance which port my poultry voyeurism. We plopped ing the perimeter. After examining the nights he planned to make his visits! for roofline cameras, sensor-activated recording frame by jerky frame, I finally That way I would only have to prep the floodlights and a web-connected digital found the digitized culprit. The creature bedding on those occasions and avoid the recorder to time-stamp nefarious activity. that had not been playing possum was, in noxious work when I knew the possum Alas, not much activity and none of it ne- fact, a possum. wouldn’t bother to show. farious. Other than getting to watch my- Imagine that! And that, my friends, is why I need to self look ridiculous as I chased feathery By ghostly infrared light, I could see ask Santa for a time machine. tails around the yard at pen-up, not much the pesky marsupial as it entered from the Wonder if I’ve been good enough excitement was on the Duck Channel. back of the yard not even coming close to this year? Then, it happened again. The quack the pen but freaking the ducks all the same. alarm went off at 3 a.m. The security Back and forth the possum goes, forth and Lori Fontanes is a humor writer based lights weren’t triggered, so that must back go the ducks. Finally, the intruder in New York and writes regularly for Back- mean a pint-sized adversary. Phew! At skedaddles at the sound of the backdoor yard Poultry. She also writes about her least, I’m not going up against a coyote opening, the security lights pop on and flock at www.whattheducks.com.

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December 2016/January 2017 www.countrysidenetwork.com 79 Youth:

Dear Poultry Pals, The coldHello wind and Poultry cloudy days have Pals! kept the flock inside more than out. While most hens use this time to catch some extra zzz’s on the roosting bar, I think of it as my “planting time.” This is the season where I catch up on reading and lots of ideas are planted in my bird brain. I plan everything in my mind (and a little on scratch paper) so that when the weather is warm again, everything can be set in motion. Or at least that’s what I hope for; springtime usually has its own ideas and plans of what will happen. But dreaming is important, and keeps me warm on the roosting bar. As a rooster once told me, “We are such stuff that dreams are made of, and our little life, if we’re lucky, is rounded with some sleep.” Keep your beak clean, Gertrude McCluck, CIC

Minute Mystery “You put your left I couldn’t take it anymore and set my claw in and eggnog on the table. you shake it “Eggatha was born on this farm a year Gertrude McCluck, all about…” and a half ago. She’s not a freeloader and Chicken in Charge is assisted The hens it would be best to mind your own egg by chicken wrangler shook their laying.” Cyndi Gernhart. Find out more tail feathers at the Why did Babs keep laying all winter about Gertrude and her book annual New Year’s barn dance, The Fowl but Eggatha stop? series for children and other Ball. With all the hokey-pokey-jitterbug- twisting going on, I wouldn’t be surprised fun activities at: if tomorrow morning a few scrambled www.GertrudeMcCluck.com ANSWER ON NEXT PAGE eggs were laid in the nesting box. As the “Chicken Dance” began for the fourth time, I waddled to the eggnog table. Taking a sip of the creamy beverage I overheard Babs, a fellow Buff Orping- ton, cackling to her group of hens. “Just look at her! Shaking her shanks like she deserves to be in our flock. Honestly! If I was her I’d be hiding my head under my wing or better yet, hiding from the farmer. This farm can’t afford skinny chickens who don’t produce.” Babs was staring at Eggatha, a B.B. Red hen who’d produced a nice clutch of eggs this summer. I wondered what she was talking about until Chick-a-dee added, “If I put that much energy into the Macarena I wouldn’t make many eggs in this cold, either.” The hens gathered around cackled. “We all slow down this time of year,” Babs leaned forward, “but she has completely stopped. Not an egg for two months. I bet she’s older than she says.” The other hens gasped as their beaks dropped.

80 Backyard Poultry Browsing The Poultry Standard Jokes…Get the Yolk? (sung to the tune of “Jingle Bells”) Q: How does a chicken mail a Verse 1: Every color, shape and size Christmas card to her friend? Polish have a crest Always something new! A: In a HEN-velope! And a Dorking has short legs Silkie’s made of fluff Verse 2: Orpingtons are nice Q: Why can’t you take a turkey to Leghorns lay more eggs church? A Cochin’s really round And make a great first pet And has fine feathered feet Barred Rocks come in stripes A: Because they use such FOWL But if you want eggs blue & green Broodies like to set language! Then an Auracana’s sweet. A Langshan’s really big Knit a scarf for Naked Necks A duck walks into a pharmacy and Chorus: B.B. Reds are short but proud Poultry’s fun, poultry’s fun And a Call duck’s quack is loud. asks for chapstick. The cashier says, Betcha never knew “Cash or credit?” The duck says, Standard chickens, bantam size Chorus (repeat: crow, quack or cheep “Just put it on my bill.” in the style of your favorite poultry Ducks, geese, turkeys, too type) Poultry’s fun, Poultry’s fun Start a poultry zoo Fun Facts • If an egg accidentally freezes and the shell cracked during freezing or is dirty, discard the egg.

Baack Talk • If an egg accidentally freezes and the shell is uncracked and clean, it doesn’t WhatWhat is this have to be thrown away. Keep the is this ? eggs frozen until needed, then thaw in chickenduck saying the refrigerator. Thawed eggs can be thinking? hard cooked successfully and work as scrambled eggs or in baked goods.

• Freezing an egg causes the yolk to become thick and syrupy so it will not flow like an unfrozen yolk or blend very well with the egg white or other ingredients. This is why it would not work very well in a souf- flé or fancier egg dish.

MINUTE MYSTERY ANSWER: In the winter it is common for hens to produce fewer eggs. Some birds are more seasonal layers, and when the weather turns cold and the days get shorter they stop laying completely. They need their energy to stay warm. This was the case with the petite B.B. Red hen. Buff Or- pingtons as well as Leghorns will con- tinue to lay throughout the year with the proper amount of light and heat. E-MAIL your caption idea by December 10 along with your name and state to [email protected] OR MAIL to Baack Talk, 159 Hall Dr. S, Montgomery, TX 77316. Selection for publication in a future issue will be at the discretion of Backyard Poultry. Name and state will be print- ed with response unless otherwise requested.

Favorites from October/November 2016 Issue: • “This is my favorite class, Home Eggonomics!”—Myra Arvig, Minnesota • “I just don’t see how geometry will help me in the future...”—Samuel Parks, Nebraska • “This ‘cluckulas’ gives me a headache!”—Denny Beaver, Iowa • “Pine shavings! Where’s the Serta mattress I ordered?”—Neil VanDrese, Michigan • “Our teacher, Miss Cluck, is one cute chick!”—Susan VanDrese, Michigan • “Do I really have to go to chicken school?”—Sam Risik, Idaho

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82 Backyard Poultry Here’s “almost everything you ever wanted to know” about RAISING POULTRY!

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BYP April/May 2006 — Vol. 1/2 BYP December 2011/ January 2012 — Vol. 6/6 • Working With The Cock(s) In The Flock • Winter Feed Supplements • Chick Success! • Tricks For Winter Egg Production • Predator Control • Tips To Legalize Chickens In Your Community BYP August/September 2006 — Vol. 1/4 BYP February/March 2013 — Vol. 8/1 • Make Your Own Feed • Understanding Bird Talk • How To Bathe That Bird • Clarifying Crossbreeds • Homestead Butchering • The Russian Orloff BYP October/November 2006 — Vol. 1/5 BYP August /September 2013 — Vol. 8/4 • Let’s Talk Turkey • Keep Your Poultry Healthy • 7 Over-The-Top Coops • Digital Incubators • Changing Feed With The Seasons • Rare Birds From Northern France BYP December 2006/January 2007 — Vol. 1/6 BYP August/September 2014 — Vol. 9/4 • 15 Winter Care Essentials • Noisy Birds, How to Keep The Big Boys Quiet • Protect Your Bare-Back Hens With A Saddle • Feathers 101 • Bring Peace To Your Flock • 8 Awesome Coop Ideas BYP February/March 2011 — Vol. 6/1 BYP December 2014/January 2015 — Vol. 9/6 • Essential Housing Tips For The Ideal Coop • What NOT To Feed Your Flock • Which Is The Right Bird For You? • How To Make Meringues • Turn Empty Feed Bags Into Reusable Carryalls • Poultry Winter Proofing Ideas (These are not guaranteed to be the issues you will receive, we may substitute if an issue sells out)

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Pheasant, Ghigi Golden, Lady Amherst, Silvers, Associations Ayam Cemani Swinhoe, Elliots and Blue Eared. NO CATALOG AVAIL- ABLE. Give me a call and we’ll talk about the birds! Virginia AMERAUCANA ALLIANCE. Membership includes Minnesota quarterly Ameraucana Newsletters and registration Stonehaus Farms Aviary, 59 Forsythia Dr, OAKWOOD GAME FARM, INC., PO Box 274, on the Ameraucana Forum. Members are eligible Martinsville, Virgina, 24112, 276-957-4048, Princeton, MN 55371. 800-328-6647. Breeding one of the woodgamefarm.com> Pheasant & Chukar Partridge $10 (Newsletters Emailed) or $15 rarest and most exotic birds, the Ayam Cemani. chicks & eggs available. (Newsletters mailed). Call for details and availability. John W Blehm, Secretary/Treasurer, 4599 Lange Texas Road, Birch Run MI 48415. Bantam John, 101 Forest St., Whitsett, TX 78075. AMERICAN BRAHMA CLUB, Diana DeL- 830-480-2372. Stewart, Hulsey, Hatch Crosses, aney, Sec./Treas., 12312 L Drive North, Bat- Arkansas Claret, Whitehackle, Brown Red , Yellow and Green tle Creek, MI 49014. 269-589-4020. HILLBILLY HATCHERY, Jeff Barnett, 718 Legged. Eggs for sale. Promoting the Majestic Ones! Various breeds PURELY POULTRY, PO Box 466, Fremont, WI year or $50 for 3 year membership, 54940. 800-216-9917. $10/year Junior membership. Indian Red Junglefowl, Guineas, Peacocks. Ducks: Mandarin, Ringed Teal, AMERICAN EMU ASSOCIATION, 510 West Barred Rock Whistling Ducks, Wood Ducks, Mallard Ducks. Swans: Madison St., Ottawa, IL 61350. 541-332-0675. White Mute, Australian Black, Trumpeter, Whooper, Emu. North Carolina Black Necked. Quail: Northern Bobwhite, Jumbo BILLY PLACE FARM, Cynthia Glasscoe, East Bend, Bobwhite, Texas A & M, Valley, Gambel, Blue Scale, CHANTECLER FANCIERS INTERNATIONAL, North Carolina. 336-699-2677. Barred Plymouth Rocks, Red Dorkings. Chicks. Ringneck Pheasants: Chinese, Jumbo, Kansas, Man- WI 54636. 608-857-3386 (Call before 9 PM CST.) NPIP# 55-1077. churian Cross, Melantistic Mutant. Ornamental Pheas- ants: Red Golden, Yellow Golden, Blue Eared, Brown PENNSYLVANIA AVICULTURAL SOCIETY, Kerry Buckeye Eared, Lady Amherst, Silver, Timminicks Tragopans. Teats, President, Barb Teats, Treasury, PO Box 95, Wild Turkeys: Eastern and Merriams. Reeders, PA 18352. 908-752-9515. Please visit California our website: . Spring Swap/Mtg. at CENTRAL VALLEY BUCKEYES, Atwater, CA. Jersey Giants Clearfield, PA Fairgrounds. Big Fall Tailgate/Mtg. at 831-212-0173. Illinois Day-old heritage breed chicks shipped. (NPIP#CA409). SEBRIGHT CLUB OF AMERICA, Herbert R. Rogers, JOE VIVIAN, 1796 Lee Center Rd, Amboy, IL 61310. Pick-up or delivery in central and northern 1023 Beam Rd., Denver, PA 17517. 717-314-5323, 815-632-7254. A very nice selection of 2016 hatched California. Qaurterly newsletters, Black Jersey Giants Cockerals and Pullets, available membership directory, Cash awards at sponsored Virginia after 10/1/2016. Welcome to come to my farm and shows, dues $20/year. select stock or I will ship. WILLOW SPRING FARM, Rural Retreat, Virginia. WISCONSIN BIRD AND GAME BREEDERS, 276-782-0499. We Sell Day Old Chicks (local pickup Indiana only) & Hatching Eggs. Jim Bleuer, President, 1756 E. Scott St., Omro, QUALITY GENTLE JERSEY GIANTS SINCE 1977. WI 54963. 920-379-6188. Nicely laced blues/black/splash colors. Producers Annual Fall Show & Swap and Spring Swap at Buff Orpington of large brown eggs/meat/4-H-APA winners/shipping. Fond du lac County Fairgrounds Expo Center. No catalog available. Maria Hall. Texting 502-548-1075, 2016 Fall=Sat., October 29, 6:30am-1:30pm Alambama www.mariasjerseygiants.com. & 2017 Spring=Sat., March 11, 2017 VALLEY FARMS HATCHERY, 4270 Ricks 6:30am-Noon. Ln, Leighton, AL 35646. 256-324-9078. Large Fowl WYANDOTTE BREEDERS OF AMERICA, Dr. Don- ald Monke, Sec./Treas., 7481 Plain City Georges- Rhode Island Red and Buff Orpington. We are Tennessee NPIP Certified. Chicks are hatched and shipped ville Rd., Plain City, OH 43064. 614-873-8106. CHICK N STUFF FARM– in Crump, Tennessee. weekly. (Mail: PO Box 87, Adamsville, TN 38310) 901-490-0022, 731-607-7324. Large Fowl Cream Legbar Breeds: Jersey Giant, Brahma, Barred Rock, American Buff Orpington, Jubilee & Mottled Ameraucana Wisconsin English Orpington, White & Exchequer WICK PLACE FARM, 1907 43rd St., Cale- Leghorn, Cream Legbar & Salmon Faverolle. Michigan donia, WI 53108. 414-708-4057. Also Heritage Bronze & Narragansett Turkey. Fowl Stuff, FowlStuff.com, John W Blehm, 4599 Cream Legbars. Black Copper Marans, Facebook. chickens: buff, lavender, silver & black Ameraucanas. Olive Eggers, Orpingtons. NPIP certified. Bantam chickens: buff, lavender, silver & wheaten Ameraucanas, plus Vorwerks, Lakenvelders & silver Pigeons spangled Hamburgs. Game Birds Arkansas Arkansas LIVE BIRD SHIPPING BOXES /USPS Approved. Aseels LINEBARGER FARMS, Eddie Linebarger, PO Box BoxesForBirds.com 35, Scotland, AR 72141. 501-592-3317. Quail: Tennessee Red, Valley, GREEN VALLEY STABLES, Joe Ambrose, PO Box Mountain, Gambel, and Blue Scale. South Carolina 511, Vanderbilt, PA 15486. 724-323-4948. 100% Pure Aseel and Red Jungle WOODSIDE AVIARY, James Kotterman, Peru, quality fancy pigeons–Jacobins, Fantails, Fowl hatching eggs. Send $50 per dozen shipping Indiana. 765-985-2805. PHEASANT ENTHUSIASTS and German Owls. Doves–Diamond and assorted included. check this out! Displaying full color the Golden Ringnecks.

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year! Fast growing, Minimal feed required—GREAT Texas Quail NATURAL HAPPY CHICKENS! NPIP certified, Non- CLABORN FARMS, PO Box 194, Ross, TX GMO/No soy feed for all natural chicks. Shipping 76684. 254-829-5331 Massachusetts available on all birds. WE EXCEPT ALL ORDERS. Chickens: New Hamp- ANTONIO R. FERREIRA, JR., 49 Chestnut St., Seekonk, shires, Black Austalorps, Welsummers, Delawares, Illinois MA 02771. 401-465-1662. Northern Bobwhite Quail. Barred Rocks, Dark Cornish, Red Dorkings, Mottled Eggs: $11.75/12, $23.50/24, $49/50. Postpaid. ANDY ANDERSON, 17496 E. 1000 Rd., Mt. Carmel, Javas, New Hampshire x Delaware Cross, Buff IL 62863. 618-262-8389. Call after 6 PM. Hatching Orpingtons (limited availability); Turkeys: Bronze, North Carolina eggs–$17 per dozen freight paid. Wyandotte bantams: Beltsville White GEORGE PARKER, 768 Moores Ln., Lumberton, NC Partridge, Buff, Blue Laced, Black, Golden Laced, 28358. 910-374-8176. 6 flight condition Bob White OR Columbian. Buff Orpington. Old English: Brown Red, Virginia Tennessee Red Quail. $124/shipped, 12 Quail, $180/ Spangled, Wheaten, Mille Fleur. Stonehaus Farms Aviary, 59 Forsythia Dr, Mar- shipped. Express Mail to your post office. CHICKEN SCRATCH POULTRY, Larry & Angela tinsville, Virgina, 24112, Ph 276-957-4048, McEwen, RR3 Box 44, McLeansboro, IL 62859. Breeding one of the Rhode Island Reds 618-643-5602. Coronation Also breeding Blue Andalusian, Silkies, and White Illinois Sussex, Light Sussex, Lavender Orpington, Chocolate Crested Polish. Call for details and availability. HUTCHINSON FARM, Rollie Hutchinson, 15793 Orpington, Jubilee Orpington, Black Copper Marans, Washington 500th St., Orion, IL 61273. 309-749-8277. Blue Copper Marans, Blue Laced Red Wyandotte, BAXTER BARN, 31929 SE 44th St., Fall City, WA Rhode Island Lavendar Wyandotte, Cream Legbar, Welsummers, 98024. 425-765-7883. (Tues. thru Sat. 10AM-5PM Reds–100 year heritage flock. 100% Underwood Blue Ameraucana, Black Ameraucana, Rumpless by appointment.) bloodlines. Araucana, Olive Egger, Ayam Cemani. All breeds of poultry. Chicks Sebrights Indiana & hens. Pickup only. Email for list. HIDDEN CREEK FARM, Matt John, Columbus, In- Wisconsin Florida diana. 812-603-7722. Several varieties of Exhibition and PURELY POULTRY, PO Box 466, Fremont, WI BLACKBURN’S QUALITY BANTAMS, Wayne Black- Heirloom poultry as well as Bantams and Waterfowl. 54940. 800-216-9917. burn, PO Box 736, Anthony, FL 32617. 352-236-0359. Chicks will be available beginning in January. 300 varieties: chickens, Sebrights: Golden, Silver & Buff; Wyandottes: Silver bantams, ducks, geese, turkeys, guineas, peafowl, swans, Laced & Golden Laced. Iowa pheasants, ornamental pheasants, chukars and quail. COUNTY LINE HATCHERY, 2977 Linn Buchanan SUNNYSIDE HATCHERY, Beaver Dam, Wis- Silkies Rd., Coggon, IA 52218. 319-350-9130. Rare and fancy peafowl, guineas, U.S. only. Jumbo broilers, Leghorns, Blacks, California chickens, ducks, turkeys, geese, bantams and more. Browns, dual purpose Sagitta, turkeys & ducklings. AMBER WAVES BEARDED BANTAM SILKIES, 1320 Featuring Showgirls & Silkies. Most economical and Mountain Ave., Norco, CA 92860. 951-233-4231. diverse poultry assortment available. Chicks available year-round. We ship nation- WELP HATCHERY, Box 77, Bancroft, IA 50517. 800- Waterfowl 458-4473. Specializing in wide by USPS Express Mail. Credit Cards Welcome. California Private Breeder NPIP CA-308. Cornish Rock broilers. Also offering baby chicks, duck- lings, goslings, bantams, exotics, turkeys, guineas, METZER FARMS, 26000K Old Stage Rd., Gonzales, pheasants. Free catalog. MC/Visa/Discover. CA 93926. Year-round hatching. Nationwide shipping. Turkeys Free catalog now, 800-424-7755. Ducklings: Pekin, Rouen, Khaki Campbell, WHITMORE FARM, Emmitsburg, Maryland. Shipping Golden 300 Egg Layer, White Layer, Blue Swedish, SECOND CHANCE HERITAGE TURKEY FARM, Buff, Cayuga, Mallard, Welsh Harlequin, White Crested day-old chicks March thru October. Show quality lines, Kathryn King, 9011 Branch Rd., Scio, OH 43988. & Runners (Black, Chocolate, Blue, Fawn & White) excellent egg color, selected for performance. Black 330-739-5054. Goslings: Embden, White Chinese, Brown Chinese, Adults, eggs, and Blue Ameraucana, Delaware, Black Copper and Toulouse, Dewlap Toulouse, African, Buff Toulouse, feathers, poults, Narrangansett, Oregon Greys, Royal Blue Copper Marans, Welsummer. Photographs, Buff, Tufted Buff, Sebastopol, Pilgrim, Roman Tufted. Palms, White Hollands, Chocolate, mixed. pricing and online ordering at . Email Minnesota Various Minnesota JOHNSON’S WATERFOWL, 36882 160th Ave. NE, Colorado SUNNY CREEK FARMS, Don Schirrick, 15378 160th Middle River, MN 56737. 218-222-3556. johnsonswaterfowl.com> Buff & White African geese. Silver Appleyard, Pekin, White & Black Crest- zxq.net> Free catalog. All breeds, waterfowl, chicks, ed, Saxony, Black & Blue Magpies, Penciled, White, Light, Buff, Coronation, Red, Speckled, Silver. English gamebirds, poults, rabbits, hatching equipment. Blue, Black, Grey (Mallard), and Emory Penciled Orpington: Black, Blue Splash, Gold Laced, Jubilee, Runners, White, Grey, Snowy, Black, Blue Bibbed & Red, Lavender, Chocolate. Swedish Flower Hen, Missouri Pastel Call ducklings. Free brochure. Marans, Breda, Augsburger, Isbar, Sultan, Sicilian CACKLE HATCHERY®, PO Box 529, Lebanon, MO Buttercup, Ayam Cemani, Sweetgrass Turkeys, & 65536. 417-532-4581. 78 years of HOLDERREAD WATERFOWL FARM & PRESERVA- FLORIDA hatching and shipping baby chicks. FREE COLOR TION CENTER, Millie & Dave Holderread, PO Box CATALOG, 193 varieties. 492, Corvallis OR 97339. 541-929-5338. Silver Appleyard; Saxony; Welsh Harlequin; Legbar, Swedish Flower Hens, Bielefelder, Marans, Phillipsburg, MO 65722. 888-412-6715. Order As Low Golden Cascade; Dutch Hook Bills; Rare colors of Isbar, Barbezieux, Bresse, Sulmtaler, Spitzhauben, As 3 Chicks, Heritage chicken breeds, Ducks, Guinea Calls;Silkie Ducks. Embden; Brown, Buff Africans; Olandsk Dwarf, Orust, Barnevelder, Merlerault, and Turkey. Dewlap Toulouse; American Blue; American Lavender; Niederrheiner, Marsh Daisy, Altsteirer, East Frisian Shetland; Oregon Mini-Geese. Gull, Lyonaisse, Malines, Pavlovskaya, Queen Silvia, Pennsylvania Swedish Black Hen, Sussex, Twentse, Lavender HORSTMAN’S POULTRY, Dick Horstman, 5 S Kings Wisconsin Wyandotte, Yamato Gunkei. Creek Rd., Burgettstown, Pa 15021. 724-729-3701. BASIL’S DUCKS, Todd Prutz, 4751 Coolidge Ave., Eggs – chicks – adults. Large fowl: com> Wood Duck, Mandarin, BOB’S BIDDIES, LLC, Bob & Diane Berry, 2155 White & Silver Penciled Rocks, Single Comb & Rose Green Wing Teal, Blue Wing Teal, Falcated Teal, Weaver Dr., Ray City, GA 31645. 229-455- Comb Rhode Island Reds, White Crested Black Pol- Cinnamon Teal, Baikal Teal, Garganey Teal, Pintail, 6437 or 229-375-1991. ish, Red & Silver Gray Dorkings and Single Comb RedHead, White Redhead, Silver Redhead, Gold- Small-Medium flock growers. Black Minorcas. Bantams: Barred & White Rocks, eneyes, Hooded Merganser, Ring Teal, Mallards, Two types of heavy brown egg layers, two types of Dark Brahma, Bearded Silver, Non bearded White Smews, Tufted, Greater Scaup, Ring Neck, Ruddy, pasture broilers, and four hertiage breed brown egg Crested Black and White Crested Blue Polish, Dark Canvasback, Common Merganser, Red Breasted layers. Heavy egg layers and broilers available all Cornish and Spangled Russian Orloff. Geese, Emperor Geese.

December 2016/January 2017 www.CountrysideNetwork.com 111 December 2016/January 2017 www.countrysidenetwork.com 85

Repairs, manuals, supplies. Complete process- Backyard ing setup. Chicks, gamebirds, waterfowl, guin Poultry Classifieds as, rabbits. Sunny Creek Farms, 218-253-2291. Building Materials Mealworms Post and beam and round barn/house frames, olde Mealworms in the US. We only supply the best qual- boards and beams sale or rent; Tree service; Portable ity dried mealworms sold in the quantity you need bandsaw milling. 717-548-4238. and with Free Shipping. Over 50% Protein these are a 100% natural healthy treat for your chickens! Do It Yourself www.chubbymealworms.com (855)-473-6592. Prevent posts from rotting. Quick–Easy–Effective– Pigeons Low-Cost. Get info 1-888-519-5746. Pigeons - White Doves for Dove release. Racing Hom- Fencing ers, Rollers, Tipplers. Foy’s catalog. 724-843-6889. www.foyspigeonsupplies.com FREE FENCE GUIDE & CATALOG – Electric net- ting, solar supplies, woven wire, high-tensile wire, Poultry and rotational grazing supplies. 1-800-KENCOVE. www.kencove.com. Mealworms by the Pound–Bluebirds, Chickens, Turkeys, & Ducks all love our dried and live meal- Fowl Play Products, Chicken Swing, Treats, Diapers, Hen Saddles worms. or Saddles, Dresses, chicken gifts for all! PH 877-223- 888-400-9018. 8048, http://www.fowlplayproducts.com/. Egg Carton Source—America’s best source for Egg Chubby Mealworms are the #1 supplier of dried Cartons. Free Shipping. or 888-902-2272. Poultry Supplies Free Catalog: Egg Washers, Incubators- Brooders new/used! Nationwide Locations!

Backyard Poultry Advertising Form Next Deadline: December 9, 2016

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• Call for multiple issue discounts • Feel free to use a separate sheet of paper Waterers Please type or print legibly and indicate the words you would like in bold or capital letters. • Don’t forget to count your name, address, phone number and e-mail if it is part of your ad. Model - G • 10 word minimum. Ads under 10 words will be charged $30. • Prevents manure on handle • Reduces water contamination Display Breeders/Classified (1" & 2" sizes): Use pictures, Sale Valid 11-15-16 To 1-31-17 1x - 2x=$110 per inch, per issue For a color ad, Model - G Fits Harris & Little Giant logo and color! 3x - 5x=$105 per inch, per issue add $25 per insertion 2,3,5 & 8 gallon drinkers. List Price $37.60 6x=$100 per inch, per issue Drinkers Sold FREE Ad Design! SALE PRICE $26.86 + SHIPPING Separately Model - P Fits Brower 4, 7 & Little Giant Mail to: 3,5 & 7 gallon drinkers. List Price $32.41 SALE PRICE $23.15 + SHIPPING Backyard Poultry Breeders/Classifieds, 145 Industrial Dr., Medford, WI 54451 • Quality Steel Construction or E-mail: [email protected] • www.CountrysideNetwork.com • Proudly Manufactured in IOWA 1-800-551-5691 • Fax:Or 1-715-785-7414 Visit www.countrysidemag.com 515-967-3513 Model - P

11286 Backyard Poultry Heated Poultry Waterer Provides fresh, clean water all winter long.

Stop freezing! Prevent your birds from going without water this winter. Top-fill design enables easy refilling. Side placed nipples reduce dripping and $ keep water clean. Thick insulation 54 in the lid keeps the heat in. Provides water for up to 26 chickens. Features: • Insulated top. Top-fill waterers are far easier to use than the flip-over style. Cuts down on the amount of water spilled during chores. • Simple to use. No valves, floats or hoses. Remove top, fill with fresh water and replace top. • Side facing nipple. Most chickens adapt immediately to using nipples, even if previously on trough waterers. Set the waterer so the nipples are just above head height (the birds should stretch up slightly to drink). § FREE Shipping! On qualified orders. FREE Catalogs! Contact us at 800-282-6631 or visit our website.

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