Chickens: Goodwill Ambassadors

Backyard February/March, 20012

PoultryDedicated to more and better small scale poultry

6 Keys to Selecting a Breed Find the right breed(s) for your needs

Hatch Those Eggs! Secrets to a successful hatch

Where Did Those Feathers Go? Feather loss fully explained

Plus: • The vaccination debate • Ardenner fowl • Odd-shaped eggs • Goodwill ambassadors ...and more inside! Backyard Poultry FP 12-11 security:Mother Earth 4.5 x7 12/8/11 11:36 AM Page 1

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See How It Works @ www.niteguard.com SCAN TO February/March 2012 www.backyardpoultrymag.com 3 WATCH VIDEO 1.800.328.6647 • PO Box 274 • Princeton MN 55371 Backyard Poultry Backyard 145 Industrial Dr. Medford, WI 54451 www.backyardpoultrymag.com 800-551-5691 Poultry Publisher: Dave Belanger Editor: Elaine Belanger Volume 7, Number 1 Managing Editor: Anne-marie Ida February/March 2012 Editorial Assistant: Samantha Ingersoll Circulation and Fulfillment: Laura Ching, Ellen Soper, Kelly Weiler, From the Editor: Dessert Crêpes...... 65 Christine Barkley Trance-like Stare and Obsession Bookstore: Ann Tom with Staying in Nestbox are Signs Book Reviews: Advertising Representatives of a Broody Hen ...... 6 The Chicken Encyclopedia ...... 66 (Rates on request) Readers’ Letters ...... 8 Just for Fun: Alicia Komanec Bob’s Biddies Hatchery: Backyard Poultry Family 1-800-551-5691 AgrAbility Georgia Offers Assistance [email protected] Album: and Hope for Farm Workers 2011 Cover Contest Winners...... 16 With Disabilities...... 68 Gary Christopherson 1-800-551-5691 Coming Events ...... 18 [email protected] Gimpin’ Gertie...... 70 SPPA News Backyard Poultry New SPPA Website...... 20 Local Egg Producer Finds the (ISSN 1559-2251, USPS 023-374) Golden Egg ...... 72 is published bi-monthly by Helpful Hints: Countryside Publications, Ltd. at 145 Six Keys to Selecting a Chicken Goldie: The Christmas Miracle ...... 74 Industrial Dr., Medford, WI 54451. Breed ...... 22 Periodicals postage paid at Medford, Youth: WI and additional mailing offices. Hatch Those Eggs...... 24 Gertrude McCluck: Chicken in Charge ©2012 Countryside Publications, Ltd. Youth Writer Contest Stories ...... 76 Breed Conservation: The views presented here do not A Winning Photo Finish in Indy..... 30 necessarily represent those of the editor Backyard Poultry 2011 Index....78 or publisher. All contents of this issue The Ardenner Fowl ...... 32 of Backyard Poultry are copyrighted by Breeders Directory ...... 80 Countryside Publications, Ltd., 2012. All Health: rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or The Answer Man...... 38 n the cOver in part is prohibited except by permission O : of the publisher. The February/March 2012 Where Did Those Feathers Go? ...... 44 cover photo of a Buff Orpington Editorial and Advertising Office: hen was sent to us by Betty M. Backyard Poultry Vaccinations for the Small Flock Legg, Ohio. See page 16 for 145 Industrial Dr. Owner ...... 50 more information on the photo Medford, WI 54451 contest. [email protected] Infectious Laryngotracheitis: Should Subscriptions (U.S. funds): Poultry Fanciers Vaccinate Their Flock $21 per year; 2 years $35. for This Disease? ...... 54 Backyard Poultry Subscriptions 145 Industrial Dr. Light Management: How to Ensure Medford, WI 54451 Egg Laying During the Darkest 1-800-551-5691 Days of Winter ...... 58 POSTMASTER: Financial Opportunities: Send address changes to: Supermarket Chicken: A New Backyard Poultry Subscriptions 145 Industrial Dr., Medford, WI 54451 Model ...... 60

Printed in the U.S.A. Recipes: Chickens: Goodwill Ambassadors ...... 64 4 Backyard Poultry February/March 2012 www.backyardpoultrymag.com 5 FrOm the editOr: Trance-like Stare and Obsession With Staying in Nestbox are Signs of a Broody Hen

get a very determined look in their eye, almost as if they are in a trance. They puff up their feathers, peck at you, and make angry squawking sounds. Hens will go broody without a rooster in the flock, and a broody hen does not know if the eggs she is setting on are fertile. A broody hen will sit on rocks if that is all that is available! elaine Belanger Some breeds are more prone to broodiness than others, and bantam breeds are he first issue of our 7th year is the per- more commonly broody. The Silkie breed Tfect place to address our readers’ most is notoriously broody. common poultry-related concerns. The If you desire to have more birds in the three leading problems are feather loss, flock and if the eggs are fertile, watching unusual eggs, and broodiness in hens. a hen hatch and raise her own chicks is a A broody hen will fight with you to stay Feather loss is addressed by Gail Dam- wonderful experience, especially for chil- on the nest. She will have a trance-like erow in “Where Did Those Feathers Go?” dren. Don Schrider provides details on look in her eyes, puff up her feathers and on page 44. Ron Kean, the Answer Man, preparing eggs for hatching in his article, likely peck at you when you try to remove discusses two odd egg situations begin- “Hatch Those Eggs” on page 24. eggs from under her. Photo courtesy of Harvey Ussery. ning on page 38. That leaves broodiness. You can learn more about natural Frequently, a panicked owner, de- brooding in the article “Working with cover/block the nest so she can’t get to scribing a bird’s symptoms, writes Broody Hens: Let Mama Do It,” by it, or move her to a broody coop. something like this: “For days now my Harvey Ussery. It is available on the The purpose of the broody coop (not Buff Orpington hen just wants to sit in Backyard Poultry online library: www. to be confused with a brooding pen) is the nest box. If I try to touch her, or to backyardpoultrymag.com. Choose the the opposite of what the name implies. collect the egg(s) under her, she puffs up “library” egg. It is made of a hanging/vented bottom her feathers and hisses at me. Sometimes If you do not have fertile eggs or the cage, with a wire floor, where the hen she will even peck at my hand. I take her desire to raise chicks, it is best to break is housed for as long as it takes to break out of the box but she just sits wherever the hen as soon as possible. Broody hens her broodiness, usually from one to three I set her down for a little bit, will eat and stop laying, eat and drink very little and days. A bird cage or dog carrying crate drink, then rushes right back to the nest are very insistent on staying on the nest, work well. box. She is usually one of my friendliest all of which is physically hard on the Using a wire floor with the bird raised birds. What is wrong with her?” hen. Some things you can do to break a off the ground breaks broodiness when air A change in behavior can be alarming, broody hen include: movement under her bottom cools the vent but this hen is not sick. All those behaviors • Collect eggs from nests as soon as area. The warm vent is a part of the reason are usually a sign that the hen is broody. possible and as often as possible. a hen goes/stays broody—remove the Being broody simply means that she wants • Chase the hen out of the nest area. warmth and end the broody behavior. to sit on, and hatch, eggs. Broody hens Repeatedly remove her from the nest, If possible, keep the broody coop in the general area of the other hens so that you don’t have to integrate her back into the flock once the broody behavior has ended. The longer the hen has been broody, the longer it will take to break her, and longer still for her to begin laying again. If the hen has been broody for more than three days, it can take two to three weeks before she will begin laying again. Any of the above concerns can be scary, or at least puzzling, but understanding what’s happening assures the experienced poultry-keeper that there is no cause for alarm.

6 Backyard Poultry February/March 2012 www.backyardpoultrymag.com 7 Letters: 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 e-mail: [email protected]

Goose Temperament Varies Animals and I assume it might answer for Many Reasons this question, but then again, it might not. Geese can be very charming, and curious, In the December 2011/January 2012 I am also curious as to how much of this but can also become defensive when issue on page 53, you show a Quick temperament is genetic and how much is a threatened, especially during the nesting Goose Breed Profile chart as part of the function of environment. That is, I assume season. Photo courtesy of Paul & Diane “Home-Grown Goose” article. On this that a goose that has been loved by children, Lytwyn, Connecticut chart, the column for Temperament lists: guarded by a dog and generally ignored by Gentle, Docile, Calm, Usually Calm and cats might be easier to deal with than one have become part of the free lunch pro- Feisty. Adjectives such as: affectionate, that has been abused by children, chased gram one way or another. curious, defensive, energetic, friendly, by dogs and stalked by cats. As there are thick cattails by the shore- inquisitive, laid back, lazy, nervous, We have a small lake in San Diego line of about 1/4 of the lake, those that care spooky, tame, tolerant or unpredictable that has a jogging trail built around it to breed, do so. The entire lake complex is were absent. Also, and more to my need, for the adults and fishing is reserved for fenced and gated with stout chain link that the terms that were used were not rated children. Over the years, it has become pretty well prevents the birds from wander- on say, a scale of 1 to 10 regarding ease home to an inordinate number of ground ing into traffic and keeps most unleashed of handling. 1, being for birds that can be squirrels, pigeons and a motley mix of dogs out. At any rate, anyone approaching picked up, and generally inspected with- waterfowl. There are Pekins, Muscovies this flock with a paper or plastic bag is out putting up a fuss, and 10 for birds that and Mallards as well as various crosses sure to be mobbed. All of these birds are go into attack mode when approached. of the three. There are several Canadian enthusiastic. Some are downright pushy. I do not yet have a copy of The Back- geese, many Chinese or African geese, A few tend to nip at trousers and sleeves. yard Homestead Guide to Raising Farm and probably some Pilgrim geese that A very few will sometimes go for the fingers as well as the bread offered in them. Now, I understand that some presumably well-meaning bureaucrat is intending to put a stop to allowing people to feed these birds because it might not be good for the birds. I should also mention that a couple of organic grocers set aside cases of veggies that have just passed their sell-by dates for them too. Your thoughts? Tom Oliver, California

Gail Damerow, author of The Back- yard Homestead Guide to Raising Farm Animals and the above referenced article on geese replies: Thank you for your thoughtful comments. The temperaments listed in the “Quick Breed Profile” table are intended only as general indications and not as absolutes. Characterizing the temperament of an entire breed is tricky business because, as you rightly point out, a lot depends on a combination of genetics and environment. Exactly how much of an individual’s temperament derives from genetics as opposed to environment is a topic that continues to perplex behavioral scientists. Within any group of geese, as with other poultry, some individuals will be 8 Backyard Poultry more friendly or more unpredictable than others. All geese are curious/inquisitive, all become defensive when they feel threatened, especially during the nesting season. Some are more friendly, or more nervous, than others; or become more friendly, or nervous, at different times of year or under specific circumstances. I once had a goose that was friendlier than any other goose I ever raised, even though all have been treated the same. Another time I had a gander that was typically cautious and standoffish (maybe a 6 on the friendly-unfriendly scale), but when he had a chest wound from a skunk bite, that needed daily attention, he became a 2 until his treatment was completed, whereupon he reverted back to a 6. By the way, I would have rated him as a 1 instead of a 2, except that he put up a show of having to be caught for treatment, but once he was in my arms he was completely cooperative. Geese, especially the ganders, in general are more aggressive than other species of barnyard poultry. This ag- gressiveness can become a problem with hand-raised goslings that grow up with children or other humans for “parents.” As the goslings mature beyond the brood-

February/March 2012 www.backyardpoultrymag.com 9 ing stage, they begin sizing up other flock erwise nutritious diet, a little bread and members as either mates or competitors. some just-past-prime produce wouldn’t Of course, the humans who raised them be a problem if someone were regulat- are viewed as flock mates, and so instead ing the amounts and making sure the of respecting the humans as their caregiv- geese had an overall properly nutritious ers they display aggression toward them. diet. But geese that are fed haphazardly The first time I raised goslings I made may suffer obesity and other health con- the mistake of spending too much time sequences. “taming” them. When they outgrew their Gail Damerow brooder and I put them out in the yard, they followed me back to the house. Help Board Members Make Whenever they heard my voice they came Ordinance Decisions by running. Knowing this could escalate into Providing Documents a serious issue, I stayed out of their yard With reference to the article on get- for several weeks while my husband fed ting ordinances that will allow chickens, them, until eventually they decided they (December 2011/January 2012, page 24) were geese and I was not. it helps to get copies of all the surrounding Feeding geese on a public lake can counties/towns/cities ordinances to hand become problematic for several reasons. deliver to each board member for their One is that, as the goose population perusal. The less a township board has to increases the birds may become pushier research, the better your quest will be. and could eventually injure someone with Greenville, Michigan just allowed a hard nip or a slap of the wing. (I once backyard chickens. To help them make a got a black eye after being slapped by a decision, I went to the township planning goose’s wing, and a friend of mine was committee, provided them with all kinds beaten black-and-blue by two spatting of ordinances that allowed chickens and ganders.) Another problem would be even those that decided against them. health issues that can arise from feeding We kept the conversation civil, and spent too much bread, or from feeding moldy six months in meetings while they came foods or rotting vegetables. Given an oth- up with a plan that was presented to the

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Old Gal & Blondie Relationships Among Birds Adds Joy to Flock Keeping Our Buff Orpington, “Old Gal” is going to be 12 this coming spring. The hen under her is a 2-year-old Ameraucana named Blondie. Blondie has always been on the far end of the pecking order. Recently, Old Gal has taken her under her wing, so to speak—or in these photos— her body, and no one back talks Old Gal. They have formed a special relationship and Blondie is smart enough to realize that if she hangs with Old Gal, no one mistreats her. At night Blondie roosts beside Old Gal and sticks her head and neck under Old Gal’s wing. I guess she thinks out of sight out of mind, thus the other hens leave her alone. Old Gal is a champion setter and mother and has raised many a chick for us in her time. Perhaps her mothering

Right: Rosemary Stockwell’s hen, Blondie, has learned that no other birds will bother her if she hangs out with the top bird, Old Gal. Out of sight out of mind?

instinct has kicked in and she considers Blondie one of her chicks. My birds are such a joy. Rosemary Stockwell, Louisiana

Brown-Egg Laying Breeds On page 55 of the December 2011/ January 2012 issue is an ad with a chicken standing on a high chair (Nutrena’s Nature Wise). What breed is it? If it is a sexlink, what breeds did it come from and/or where can I purchase that breed to raise on my farm? I want large brown eggs so if you can, please recommend breeds for that purpose as well. Ray, Arizona

Breed specialist Don Schrider replies: That hen is a typical sexlink — often sold as Golden Comet or Red Sexlink. It is a cross of Rhode Island Red with either Rhode Island White or White Plymouth Rock. As you can see from the photo, they have introduced a good bit of White Leghorn as well to increase egg production. Almost every hatchery carries these basic sexlinks. 12 Backyard Poultry Buy 3 bags of Nutrena® poultry feed and get a FREE REUSABLE EGG CARTON. ($4.99 VALUE)

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O cial promotion dates are 3/1/12 through 5/31/12. O er applies only to the purchase of three (3) 40 lb. or 50 lb. bags of NatureWise® and Country Feeds® poultry feed by Nutrena® that are purchased together at one time. O er valid only at participating Nutrena® dealers. O er valid while supplies last. ©2011 Cargill, Incorporated. All Rights Reserved. Not valid with other o ers.

February/March 2012www.NutrenaPoultryFeed.com www.backyardpoultrymag.com 13

CAN110023_MagazineAd_BackyardPoultry 1 12/21/11 12:42 PM BACKYARD POULTRY JOB # CAN110023 DATE 12.21.11 INITIALS DATE CLIENT Nutrena MAGAZINE AD CD Mark H. HEADLINE Buy 3 bags... AD/DS Kym O. LIVE 7" x 10" CW TRIM 8.25" x 10.875" 3 BLEED 8.75" x 11.25" AM Heather S. MEDIA MAGAZINE PM Tamara M. COLOR CMYK STAGE: FINAL C MYK Another website with a list of poultry shows can be found at Christine Hein- richs’ resource center: http://poultrybookstore.com. The Poultry Press magazine (www. poultrypress.com) publishes many of the shows across America, and focuses almost totally on exhibition poultry. You can also find out about shows for youth, 4-H or fair events by contacting your county extention office, a listing can be found at www.pickyourown.org/coun- tyextensionagentoffices.htm.— Ed.

Stove Pipe Provides Coop Ventilation I have been reading with interest the recent discussions about chicken coop The bird in this Nutrena Nature Wise layer ventilation. My father was a county feed ad is a sexlink hen bred specifically for strong egg laying. Some dual-purpose agricultural agent with a special inter- breeds also lay brown eggs. est in barn ventilation. As a result, my coop — which started its life as a World Good purebred choices for strong War II plane spotters’ shelter — has been brown egg layers include most dual- retrofitted with a stove pipe going from purpose breeds including Buckeyes, about a foot off the floor to an exit near Plymouth Rocks, Buff Orpingtons, the ceiling. The theory involved is that the Rhode Island Reds, Australorps, Wyan- cool, moist air near the floor is warmed as dottes, Jersey Giants, Dominiques and it rises, creating an up-draft and going out Black Langshans. the upper end of the pipe to the outside. Don Schrider Many of the brown-egg laying breeds that Don recommends have been featured in Backyard Poultry magazine in past issues. They can be read on the Backyard Poultry website’s library: www.backyardpoultrymag.com/library.html.— Ed.

Finding Poultry Shows Recently I saw a few really large poultry shows mentioned in Backyard Poultry, but don’t often see small or local events mentioned. Where can I find information on these shows? Josephine Schmidt, Oregon

The American Bantam Association keeps a list of all ABA-sanctioned shows on their website: www.bantamclub.com. Search menu for “Breed clubs and show links.” You can also find out about APA- sanctioned shows at their website: www. amerpoultryassn.com. A stovepipe in this coop works on the There is a calendar of poultry shows theory that cool, moist air near the floor at http://www.metzerfarms.com/Calen- is warmed as it rises, creating an up-draft that goes out the upper end of the pipe, then darofEvents.cfm. You can also find a lot of outside. It keeps Dianne’s coop dry and useful information on raising waterfowl, odor free. The hanging feeder also keeps including articles, John Metzer’s blog, and mice out, with less waste from chickens a video on sexing day-old waterfowl. scratching feed out onto the floor. 14 Backyard Poultry This arrangement has been in place for 30 years. I am a strong advocate of deep litter- ing. I add dry leaves each fall but never clean the coop. I take out some litter when I need mulch for my newly planted tomatoes. The coop is dry, and odor-free. The chickens are healthy in spite of living in an unheated, un-insulated coop in our upper New York State Zone 4 weather. On another note, it just occurred to me that the recent absence of mice in the coop probably has something to do with the fact that I changed over to a chain hung feeder! Dianne Lansing, New York

USDA’s 2012 Healthy Birds Calendar Offers Helpful Tips to Poultry Owners The U.S. Department of Agricul- ture’s (USDA) 2012 Backyard Biosecu- rity calendar features colorful chickens waterfowl, parrots and even a flamingo in its 12-month spread. And, it’s free! Just log onto http://healthybirds.aphis.usda. gov to download yours. Also available at the USDA website — with text in English and Spanish — is advice on protecting and caring for the backyard flock. The USDA’s Biosecurity For Birds mascot, Healthy Harry, dem- onstrates simple steps bird owners can WHO’S AFRAID take to help keep their birds disease free, telling poultry owners to look, report and OF THE protect their flocks, noting early detec- tion is important to prevent the spread of disease. There is information on spotting the signs of a sick bird and photos of birds with avian influenza or AI, a disease that can strike poultry quickly. BIG

BADWOLF? NOT YOU OR YOUR FLOCK ANYMORE! ™ The USDA’s The Incredible Poultry Door coming soon! free 2012 calendar is filled with wonderful photos and monthly www.FallHarvestProducts.com • 1-866-352-6652 helpful hints and advice. February/March 2012 www.backyardpoultrymag.com 15 February/March, 2012 The February/March, 2012 cover winner is a photo of a Buff Or- pington hen by Betty Backyard M. Legg, Ohio. There is nothing as pleasing as a contented hen en- Poultry joying a little sunshine on a cold winter day. It offers us just a bit of hope that spring is on Photo Contest its way! Winner And the 2011 Photo Contest Winner is... e asked you, the readers, to select your favorite cover in choosing the prize winners for last year’s photo contest. We received many votes by mail and e-mail. The April/May 2011 cover photo by Fleur Weymouth, Hawaii, came out on top, takingW first place. Coming in second was the December 2011/January 2012 cover photo by Jan Mangin, Wisconsin, and third was the August/September 2011 cover photo by Daniel Powell, also from Wisconsin. Thank you to everyone that sent your vote. First place by Fleur Second place by Third place by Weymouth, Hawaii Jan Mangin, Wisconsin Daniel Powell, Wisconsin Backyard Backyard Backyard December 2011/January 2012 Volume 6, Number 4 Poultry August/September 2011 Dedicated to more and better small-flock poultry Poultry Poultry Dedicated to more and better small-flock poultry Dedicated to more and better small-flock poultry

Winter Feed Supplements 7 Myths Surrounding

Urban Chickens for the Poultry Lover Pg. 12 Flocking Together: Tricks For Winter Egg Production Integrating New Birds Thinking outside the box Pg. 20 Breeding for Vitality: Chickens in Your Community Become a Steward of the Breed

Poultry-Inspired Art All Dual-Purpose Breeds are NOT the Same! Pg. 68

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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. Each issue’s winning entry will be placed in a gallery of finalists, to be announced annually in the February/ March issue. First prize—$50; 2nd prize—$30; 3rd prize—$20. Send your entry to: Backyard Poultry Photo Contest, 145 Industrial Dr., Medford, WI 54451; or e-mail photos in jpg format to [email protected].

16 Backyard Poultry February/March 2012 www.backyardpoultrymag.com 17 ference on the University of North Carolina oming vents at Asheville campus, Harvey will present C E : “Gardening with Chickens” and, with Pat Foreman, “Integrating Poultry into the If you have a poultry-related event, send details 60 days in advance and Entire Farm.” we’ll include it in this listing. Send to: Coming Events, Backyard Poul- For more information and to register, see www.organicgrowersschool.org/con- try, 145 Industrial Dr. Medford, WI 54451 or e-mail:byp@tds. net tent/1505 or call or e-mail Karen Vizzina at 828-342-1849 or karen@organicgrow- For additional show listings, see http://poultrybookstore.com/ ersschool.org. West Central Ohio Poultry Club’s First Northeast Organic Farmers Husbandry for the Productive, Integrated Annual Poultry Show Association Homestead,” “Chickens in the Garden: March 3-4, 2012 January 28-29, 2012 Using a Garden Flock for Tillage, Insect Auglaize County Fairgrounds Princeton, New Jersey Control, and Making Compost,” “Trash Wapakoneta, Ohio Regular contributor to Backyard Poul- to Treasure: Bioconversion of Organic Open and Junior shows, ABA & APA try Harvey Ussery, author of the recently Wastes to Resources,” and “Mushroom sanctioned event. Includes showmanship, published The Small-Scale Poultry Flock Cultivation for the Home and for Small Lo- silent auction, raffles, sale row, speakers, (Chelsea Green, 2011), will give two pre- cal Markets.” and vendors. sentations at the winter conference of the For more information or to register for Vendors and new members encour- Northeast Organic Farming Association, the conference, see www.pasafarming.org/ aged. For more information, visit website: New Jersey chapter: “Chickens in the conference2012 or call 814-349-9856. http://wcopc.weebly.com, or contact Brian Garden: Using a Garden Flock for Tillage, Schmieder, show secretary; 937-623-7749 Insect Control, and Making Compost” and Holistic Poultry Management for the or 937-771-3426; e-mail wcopc2010@ “Pastured Poultry: Finding and Serving Your Homestead & Small Farm gmail.com. Niche Market.” Lynchburg College For more information or to register for February 25, 2012 MacFarlane Pheasants the conference, see http://www.nofanj. Lynchburg, Virginia 8th Bi-Annual Seminar org/winterconference.htm or call 908-371- Regular contributor to Backyard Poul- March 4 - 7, 2012 1111. try Harvey Ussery, author of the recently Janesville, Wisconsin published The Small-Scale Poultry Flock MacFarlane Pheasants, Inc., North Pennsylvania Association for (Chelsea Green, 2011), will give an all-day America’s largest pheasant producer, Sustainable Agriculture (PASA) presentation at Lynchburg College on holis- announces it’s 8th Bi-Annual Seminar February 1-4, 2012 tic poultry management for the homestead will be held Sunday, March 4 through State College, Pennsylvania and small farm. Wednesday, March 7th, 2012 in Janes- Regular contributor to Backyard Poul- Attendance at the seminar is free and ville, Wisconsin. try Harvey Ussery, author of the recently is open to the public. However, registration Seminar cost is $450 per attendee and published The Small-Scale Poultry Flock is required since space is limited. Request includes a full farm tour, many presenta- (Chelsea Green, 2011), will give numerous addition to the registration list via e-mail to tions from industry experts, hands-on presentations at the annual PASA confer- [email protected]. necropsy labs, an extensive question and ence. answer session, lunches and dinners that With Kate Hunter, author of the blog Introduction to Backyard Chickens allow time to socialize. On average our Living the Frugal Life (www.livingthefrugal- Workshop seminar receives 75-100 attendees from life.blogspot.com), he will offer an all-day, February 28, 2012 the U.S. to the U.K. pre-conference track (Feb. 2), “The Modern Mazo Hardware Sign up at www.pheasant.com/ Homestead: An Overview of the Productive, Mazomanie, Wisconsin seminar or contact Mary Phalen Integrated Homestead.” At the main confer- Free seminar presented by Mazo Hard- at 608-314-3448; e-mail: m.phalen@ ence during the following two days, Harvey ware and Nutrena Feeds. February 28th 6-8 pheasant.com; MacFarlane Pheas- will present four additional seminars: “The pm at Mazo Hardware,17 W Commercial ants, Inc., 2821 S US Hwy 51, Janes- Small-Scale Poultry Flock: Holistic Poultry Street, Mazomanie, Wisconsin. Just 20 ville, WI 53546; Ph.: 1-800-345-8348; minutes west of Madison. For details call www.pheasant.com. 608-795-9919. The Heart of America Game Organic Growers School Conference Breeders’ Spring Auction March 2-4, 2012 March 17, 2012 Hendersonville and Asheville Johnson City Fairgrounds North Carolina Gardner, Kansas Regular contributor to Backyard Poul- —— try Harvey Ussery, author of the recently Fall Auction published The Small-Scale Poultry Flock September 15, 2012 (Chelsea Green, 2011), will give three pre- Johnson City Fairgrounds sentations at the annual spring conference Gardner, Kansas of the Organic Growers School. —— Together with Jim Adkins of Center for Poultry and Small Animal Swaps Poultry, and Pat Foreman, author of City Overbrook, Kansas Chicks, he will present a pre-conference April 14, May 26, June 23, July 14 & all-day track, Friday, March 2, at Mills River August 25 Educational Farm near Hendersonville. The Heart of America Game Breeders’ On Sunday, March 4, at the main con- Association (HOAGBA) invites you to attend

18 Backyard Poultry our spring and fall auctions at the Johnson Poultry Chick Days Event County Fairgrounds on March 17, 2012 and Ongoing in April September 15, 2012. These great auctions Marathon Feed’s Retail Store attract sellers and buyers from Kansas, Marathon, Wisconsin Nebraska, Missouri, Illinois, Oklahoma, Beginning in April, Marathon Feed’s Colorado, and Iowa. A wide variety of quality new retail store will have live baby chicks bantam and standard chickens, domestic available in the store for purchase. We also waterfowl, rabbits, pheasants, quail, chu- provide nutrition consultations and will have kars, peafowl, wild ducks, geese, swans, an educational seminar on raising poultry. and aviary birds such as parakeets, finches, Stop in to see our baby chicks to learn more and others will be sold to the highest bidder. about these fascinating animals. Marathon Good used and new equipment will also be Feed’s NEW retail store is located at 3901 auctioned off. Hwy 107 South, Marathon, WI 54448; Ph. Ten percent of the proceeds from the 715-443-2424 or visit our website: mara- auction are used to fund our scholarship thonfeed.com. and youth programs. Each year we donate $1,250 for awards at area county fairs 4th Annual Funky Chicken Coop Tour® and junior show awards at three poultry April 7, 2012 shows. Austin Area, Texas Information about the auctions is On Saturday, April 7, 2012, Austin-area available at www.gbwf.orgAviculturalFo- poultry keepers will open their backyards rums; look in the events section. You may to the public to show off their chickens and also contact John or Terry Smith, e-mail: their urban coops. Visitors to the tour sites [email protected] or ph. 913-879- will see how recycled materials can be trans- 2587. formed into a low-cost coop or how a design- HOAGBA also sponsors poultry and conscious coop can enhance the beauty small animal swaps at the Osage County of a landscape. Tour hosts will share their Fairgrounds in Overbrook, Kansas (east of experiences with chicken care, coop design, town — Hwy. 56 & Cedar St). Swaps last maintaining harmony among the chickens, from 8:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m and will be held people and other pets, and more. April 14, May 26, June 23, July 14, and Chicken coops often integrate into August 25. For information call Terry Smith larger projects, such as organic gardens, at 913-879-2587 or LaDonna Lickteig at sustainability and permaculture efforts, and 785-542-2279. school activities. If you are thinking about All poultry and game birds sold at auc- keeping chickens in your own backyard, tions and swaps must be pullorum-typhoid you’ll get some great ideas. tested. Out of state sellers must have an The self-guided tour will run from 10:00 import permit. For call the Kansas Animal a.m. to 4:00 p.m, rain or shine. We will have Health Dept at 785-296-2326. maps available to purchase for $10 and Auctions and swaps are held regardless one map per vehicle will be required for of the weather. entry. For more information please visit our website http://austincooptour.org or e-mail: Susquehanna Poultry Club Show [email protected]. March 18, 2012 Heavenly Waters Park Bluegrass Poultry Association’s 608 N. Tollgate Road 1st Annual Spring Show Bel Air, Maryland April 7, 2012 Join us on March 18, 2012 for the Susque- and hanna Poultry Club’s show in Bel Air, Fall Show Maryland. Get complete details at the club October 27, 2012 website: www.susquehannapoultry.com or Frankfort, Kentucky contact the show secretary: Kay St. Amour, Join us for our 1st annual poultry and 410-836-3753; [email protected]. pigeon show on April 7, 2012 and October 27, 2012. For more information and to get Whole-Systems Poultry Management a show catalog, contact Marty Short at 859- for the Integrated, Productive 274-3337; e-mail martyshort1@hotmail. Homestead and Small Farm com. Join us on Facebook at Bluegrass March 24, 2012 (afternoon) Poultry. Lovettsville, Virginia Regular contributor to Backyard Central Pennsylvania Avian Club Poultry Harvey Ussery, author of the re- Spring Sale & Show cently published The Small-Scale Poultry May 5, 2012 Flock (Chelsea Green, 2011), will give Bloomsburg Fairgrounds a half-day presentation at the Loudoun Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania County Public Library in Lovettsville on Join us for the CPAC Spring Sale and whole-systems poultry management for Show on May 5, 2012, Judging begins at the integrated, productive homestead 10:00 a.m. Judges to be announced. For and small farm. more information, contact Greg Mathias For more information call 540-822-5824 570-444-9191 or e-mail at mathiasgreg@ or e-mail [email protected]. yahoo.com.

February/March 2012 www.backyardpoultrymag.com 19 SPPA News: Monte Bowen were active in exhibiting the Nankin bantam. These SPPA members were seeking New SPPA to have the Nankin included in the APA’s Standard of Perfection. Member Bernd Krebs had imported the Steinbacher geese into the United States from Ger- Website many several years ago. He and others involved in selective breeding programs were also seeking inclusion of this Fight- ing German goose in the APA Standard of Perfection. Everywhere you look Dr. Charles R.H. Everett The site is mostly informational but these days you will find SPPA members SPPA Secretary/Treasurer does allow some interaction through a active in the breeding and promotion of blog and the submission of pictures. You Standard Bred Poultry. he Society for the Preservation of can also join the SPPA through the site The SPPA is seeking members that Poultry Antiquities (SPPA) is en- as well. Please take a moment to view T are dedicated to the preservation and dis- tering the 21st century! Member Randy the site at http://sppa.webs.com. semination of old and rare genetic poultry Stevens has built us a website. In the stock. Our goal is to see these ancient past you could join through Christine Crossroads of America Show breeds flourish once again. We believe Heinrichs’ site and view a few articles Successful Event for SPPA their ability to survive and thrive makes at feathersite.com. The SPPA wishes Members them extremely suitable for the backyard to thank these folks for including us on Once again the SPPA members did poultry flock and modern homesteader. their sites, but now we have our own. well at the Crossroads of America Show You are invited to join by sending your this past October. Member Carl Brant- name and address along with $15 annual ley won Champion AOSB with a Black dues to: Dr Charles Everett, 1057 Nick Shamo pullet and was present on Cham- Watts Rd., Lugoff, SC 29078. With your 2006 BackYard Poultry half Page.qxd pionship 4/28/2006 Row in 11:09 one of AMthe largest Page venues1 membership dues you will receive the in America. Other members including new Breeders Directory and Quarterly Mary Ann Harley, Howard Kogan and Bulletins.

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20 Backyard Poultry February/March 2012 www.backyardpoultrymag.com 21 Helpful Hints: weight when filling a coop. The Dutch, Sebright, and Old Eng- lish Game bantams are the smallest at 18 - 24 ounces. Bantam Ameraucanas, Wyandottes, Cochins, and Polish are a little larger (26 - 32 ounces), and Brahmas, Plymouth Rocks, and Rhode Six Keys to Island Reds are the largest ranging from 34 - 40 ounces. That’s a big size difference when you consider a Dutch bantam chick is Selecting a only about half the size of a bantam Barred Rock chick. The smallest standard chickens (at about four or five pounds) are the Leghorns, Hamburgs, Ameraucanas, Polish, Chicken Breed and Anconas. Rhode Island Reds, New Hampshires, Black Australorps, Wyandottes, Naked Necks, Delawares, Sex-Links, and Andalusians range from 5.5 - 6.5 pounds. The Plymouth Brandon Mitchell Rocks, Orpingtons, Sussex, Cochins, and Minorcas range from Tennessee 7 - 9 pounds, and Brahmas and Giants are jumbos, tipping the scales at more than nine pounds for hens. One Brahma weighs hickens have the unique ability to adapt to a wide range about as much as six Sebrights, four bantam Wyandottes, or of conditions, more than most species of livestock. two Hamburgs. In a limited space, smaller is better, but on the Even with their adaptability, each breed is best suited open range, larger chickens are somewhat less susceptible to Cfor one type of environment more than another. But with so predation, although you’ll still lose some. many breeds, how do you choose? I start with a systematic approach to find the best birds for my backyard based on: egg Disposition color and laying ability, size, disposition, heat and cold toler- Considering the space you may have your birds in, disposi- ance, feather color, and carcass quality and other uses. tion is key to keeping birds healthy. Birds that are loose, flighty or even aggressive survive longer than more docile chickens like Buff Orpingtons. But trying to catch Orpingtons is a much Egg Color and Laying Ability easier task than Brown Leghorns. First I decide what egg color I want. If I’m selling roadside When you crowd birds, like is the case in a small coop or stand eggs, I prefer brown eggs. At least in my area, there is a moveable pen, aggressive tendencies result in more injuries, misconception that brown eggs are farm eggs and taste better infections, broken eggs, and even dead chickens, so consider than white-shelled eggs. Truth be told they taste the same (if this before you put aggressive breeds in with overly docile raised the same), but who am I to argue? Another misconcep- ones. If you particularly like your docile chickens, it may be tion is that blue eggs are cholesterol-free. They actually have best to keep them separated. At the very least, leave out all but cholesterol levels similar to white and brown eggs (and they one rooster to eliminate fighting. taste the same too). There is some novelty interest in them, but some people are just plain weirded out by them and even Temperature Tolerance prefer white eggs over their blue-shelled counterparts. If my Unless you’re in the far north or south, you probably don’t main concern is home use, I like variety. Whatever egg color you choose, some breeds lay those eggs better than others. Most white-egg layers lay the most eggs, although Rhode Island Reds (brown shell), Black Australorps (brown shell), and Ameraucanas (blue/green shell) are excellent layers as well. Usually breeds that don’t lay as many eggs do have some unique reasons to keep them. Many are heavy bodied, which means they are good winter layers (many small- bodied birds cease egg production in the cold months), and they have a good meaty carcass when their laying days are over. Others are old-style farm birds that are disease hardy, and are designed to lay a good number of eggs on little more than rocks and dirt.

Size Matters Size is another factor, and probably the most important one to consider if your birds will be confined to a small area. Chickens range from the tiny 20 ounce Dutch bantam to the monstrous 13 pound Black Jersey Giant and everywhere in between. (Both the Dutch bantam and the Jersey Giant breeds were featured in the December 2011/January 2012 issue of Backyard Poultry. — Ed.) Brandon suggests a variety of breeds add versatility and egg Most catalogs break down chicken breeds into bantams and color options to your flock. Additionally, he enjoys the many standard chickens, but you should consider their individual breed feather colors. 22 Backyard Poultry think about heat or cold tolerance when picking chicken breeds. I rarely do, but you should consider a few things. Black feathered chickens get hotter than light red, yellow, and especially white. Birds with single combs and light feather colors do better in hotter climates, but single-combed birds often suffer frostbite. Pea and rose combs are better choices for those cold nights. Feathers around feet can keep a dry chicken warmer at night, but if those feathers get wet, which is often the case in winter, it can lead to more problems than hens without feathers on their feet. Crested chickens have many of the same advantages and disadvantages as feather-footed breeds, although a crest is only a problem with rain, whereas a muddy pen affects feather-footed chickens whether rain caused the mud or not.

Feather Color Aside from its ability to reflect or absorb heat, feather color is not very important, so why is it part of my criteria? Partly because there are so many chickens, it helps to break down the breeds even more, and partly just because I like some colors more than others. Some producers even like to color coordinate with their other livestock breeds, black hogs, black cows, black chickens and so forth. There is one other practical reason to be concerned about feather color. If you tie lures for fishing, or can sell to someone who does, feather color is very important. Fly tying is all about A New Hampshire cross rooster adds size to Brandon’s flock. matching the hatch (insect hatch, that is), so flies are tied to match the color of the insect as best as possible. With all this criteria, there are still plenty of choices out there. Start out with a few breeds. Keep the ones you like. Sell Carcass Quality and Other Uses or eat the ones you don’t, and each year try a new breed on for Lastly are carcass quality and other uses. Fly tying, men- size. As they say, so many chickens, so little time. tioned above, is one of these other uses, and you’ll get the most feathers when “the hens stop laying and thy fryer starts frying.” Cornish-Rock crosses grow the fastest and have the Subscribe or Renew Today! most meat, but they lay very few eggs if allowed to reach that age (most aren’t). Spent hens are best slow cooked, and Backyard Poultry breeds like Delaware, New Hampshire Reds, Orpingtons, and

April/May, 2008 all Wyandottes and Rocks produce good carcasses and lots of Chickens, waterfowl, tur- Poultry eggs before they’re through. If you don’t feel like butchering Dedicated to more and better small-flock poultry keys, guineas… if you now hens, you can sell them and excess roosters for ornamental purposes, meat, or bug control. You can also sell them earlier have a small flock, intend (when they’re still laying) as discounted egg-layers. to purchase one, or ever dreamed of having some of Bantams

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Mail to: Backyard Poultry 145 Industrial Dr., Medford, WI 54451 Raising Ameraucanas, which lay blue eggs, lets you offer the multi-colored eggs so often desired by purchasers of your farm or call toll-free: 800-551-5691 eggs. February/March 2012 www.backyardpoultrymag.com 23 his comb or wattles, it causes a fluctuation in his body temperature and results in a Hatch Those lack of fertility lasting about 30 days. Next, let’s look at the hens. Hens Eggs generally have reliable social structures and most hens will be comfortable with Don Schrider Start with Healthy Birds their placement within the flock’s peck- Virginia Now let’s consider the birds them- ing order. Our main concern here has to selves. Roosters can and should be fertile do with the hens at the very top and the t is time to begin preparations for up to five or more years of age. I’ve known very bottom of the pecking order. Hens breeding and collecting eggs for a few roosters that were fertile even at the at the top of the pecking order have virtu- hatching. Anyone can have great age of nine — but such are rare exceptions. ally unrestricted access to food and water. successI hatching chicks; all that is nec- They need to feel good about themselves in Such hens can often become overly fat. essary is to provide good conditions that order to perform their role well. A rooster You can check the body condition of a work in accord with the nature of the that is picked on will breed fewer hens and hen by feeling the thickness of her pelvic birds, and the cycle of reproduction. So generally have less interest in breeding bones. (See “How to Get More Eggs,” where do we begin? than a male that believes he is the “king of Backyard Poultry April/May 2010 issue.) We start with the breeder birds. When the world.” It takes about 3-4 weeks for a Hens at the bottom of the pecking order mating birds, it is important to know and male’s view about himself to change. I’ve are stressed more often than other hens manage relationships within your flock. To noticed that very old males need roomy and have less access to feed; this will be avoid inbreeding bottlenecks, we want to pens to be fertile, and best results will oc- less manifest in smaller flocks and more avoid close genetic relationships — such cur when used in conjunction with young noticeable as flock size grows. Overly fat as full brother to sister matings. We want females and warm weather. The male also hens do not lay well; overly thin hens do to limit the use of close forms of line needs to be free of parasites, such as mites, not put as much nutrition into their eggs. breeding — such as sire to offspring or lice, or worms, in order to be reproductively Young hens have the advantage of being dam to offspring — so that this form is healthy and willing. better able to retain semen in a viable infrequent or represents a small portion of Some additional thoughts on roosters state, and are more likely to lay fertile the overall genetic relationships. But some and mating: Fertility is often low on roost- eggs. Old hens lay fewer eggs but also line breeding is not bad and can result in ers with comparatively small vents. Roost- express longevity and proven perfor- fixing cdesirable traits within our lines. ers often will not mate on wire-floored mance. Old hens will be very fertile with For those who have started with pens. Heck, the hens aren’t too keen to young males. Hens should also be free of chickens from hatcheries, or a pair or mate on wire-floored pens either. During parasites such as lice, mites, and worms, trio from a breeder without knowing if mating, it is the toenails of the roosters not only so that they may keep their egg any of the birds are close relatives, start that most often cause broken feathers and production high, but so that they do not “where you are with what you have,” bare spots on the backs of the hens. You infect males with these vermin. (to quote the famous barred Plymouth can trim their toenails to prevent feather Monroe Babcock, originator of the Rock breeder, Ralph Sturgeon) and damage and, for heavy breed males, to Babcock B2000 industrial Leghorn, thereafter manage your flock’s genetic prevent them causing wounds to the hens’ observed that in cases were fertile males relationships. backs. When a rooster suffers frostbite on mated with fertile females, but that the I find it helpful to keep in mind eggs had low fertility, the fault lay not that breeding’s first and primary role with the male but with the female; it is to produce the next generation while seems that the hen’s ability to keep the maintaining enough diversity to be able semen viable was the contributing factor. to continue to do so long into the future. Walter Hogan observed that the shape Culling and selection is where improve- of the pelvic bones made a difference in ments to the flock are made. fertility — on some birds the bones curve The pitfalls of genetically close rela- inward toward each other, this being not tionship — such as full brother to sister desirable. Mr. Hogan noted that fertility mating — is that they can result in poor was higher on birds with straight pelvic fertility, poor hatch rates, or the frequent bones and that males, whose bones turn appearance of genetic defects. in almost like horns, were not very fertile (For more on breeding methods, see with hens with nice, straight bones. Backyard Poultry April/May 2011 issue: “Breeding the Home Flock” by Don Consider Nature’s Breeding Cycle Schrider, and “Selective Breeding Applied” I always mention nature as I write by Charles Everett. There are additional about birds; so let’s think for a moment breeding articles available on the Backyard about the natural breeding cycle. As Poultry website’s library. Backyardpoultry- Successful hatches start with healthy sunlight increases in the spring it acts mag.com, choose the “library” egg and birds, including the rooster. He needs to upon the males and causes their bodies to scroll down to “Breeding.” — Ed.) be free of parasites and worms. produce higher levels of hormones. This 24 Backyard Poultry results of being in balance with their role in fertility rates of the eggs. Breeds environment. with very fat feet and large breasts, such Some excellent supplements can be as Cornish, can be hampered in fertility, added to “plain-Jane” layer mash when especially if males of such are mated to Game Bird Breeder feed is not avail- females that cannot handle their mass able. An excellent supplement is Omega or that are shaped such that copulation Fields’ Omega Ultra Egg. It is largely becomes difficult. The Wyandotte is a flax seed meal with extra vitamins added. good example of a breed that is very It boosts Omega-3 values, mimicking fertile — except during winter months the effects of a diet that includes prime, when the males are seldom interested in spring pasture. Other excellent supple- the females. It would seem that sunlight ments include wheat germ oil with vi- stimulation is key here. Cochins are a tamins A & D added, cod liver oil, and good example of a densely feathered Fertrell’s Poultry Nutri-Balancer. breed for which copulation is sometimes unsuccessful due to the feathers prevent- Fertility Varies Among Breeds ing contact. An old Cochin breeder, Now that we have taken a look at Johnny Arbaugh, once told me that to Cochins are a breed with dense feathers that feeds, let’s move on to breeds. While solve this issue you should pluck the can get in the way of a successful copulation. most breeds of chickens are capable of feathers below the male’s vent and above Trim back the feathers above the hen’s vent, natural reproduction, breed can play a the female’s. Often when breeding is seen and below the male’s vent. Photo courtesy of John Layton, New Jersey.

causes them to become more active and Egg Fertility Timeline more interested in mating. Sunlight also We have four different breeds of chickens and would like to raise more that are of causes higher levels of hormone produc- the same breed. We have kept the roosters and hens separated and are now ready for tion in the hens, resulting in more eggs selective breeding. All the chickens are 13 months old. Here are our questions: and the desire to nest. At the same time • How long after copulation do we need to wait until the first fertile egg will be grasses spring forth and the diet of the laid? birds will include bits of this fresh grass • How frequently can a rooster mate and still have healthy sperm counts? and the higher levels of vitamins, such as • Should there be a separate copulation act for each fertile egg laid or is the hen A and D, that it contains. Insect activity able to store sperm for multiple eggs? (I think I read that she can store, but for how also manifests, and the birds’ diet will long?) include more protein. • Should we only have one rooster and one hen at a time in the breeding pen? We have one rooster and four hens of New Hampshire Reds. The remaining breeds only Feed, Vitamins & Supplements have one hen and one or more roosters. for Breeder Birds We have a separate breeding pen that we will be using to join the rooster and hen. Let’s take a look at feed as we try to It is about a 10' x 10' area. imitate nature while we manage breed- Doug Johnson ing. Standard laying mash should be considered not as a premium feed but as In general, if a rooster mates with a hen on day 1, the eggs on day 2 might be fertile, a cut-rate, bare-bones, minimum level of and those from day 3 on should be fertile. It takes about 24-26 hours for the egg to nutrition. It has been formulated over the form once the yolk is released from the ovary (ovulation). Fertilization takes place about 15 minutes after ovulation, so it’s quite often the third day before a fertilized last 100 or so years to provide just what egg is produced. hens need to stay in laying condition — And you are correct, they don’t need to mate again for each egg. The hen can store there has been no consideration for the sperm (in tissues aptly named “sperm host glands”) for a couple of weeks. Turkey hens nutrition it passes on in the form of the have been known to produce fertile eggs up to a month after their last mating. eggs. To have the best results in hatch- In general, I’d suggest letting the rooster with the hens unless he is damaging ing, we need to feed our flock better than them. If you want to keep them separate, allowing them together twice a week should this level. Fortunately, we have better be often enough to get good fertility in most cases. In a natural mating situation, a quality feeds and supplements that can rooster will likely mate several hens at least once per day without any apparent loss aid in providing optimum breeder nutri- in fertility, so you probably don’t need to worry about overusing the rooster. tion. Most feed companies offer a Game You can keep the rooster in with all four hens, unless you want to keep them sepa- Bird Breeder Layer mash (crumble, pel- rate so you can keep track of the pedigree of the chicks. In this case, you may need let). Such a feed has a boost in vitamins to keep the hens separate so you can determine which egg came from which hen. In and is usually higher in protein and fat. general, a rooster can handle 10-12 hens without a problem. Yes, fat is needed in the diet of breeder I’d suggest only putting one rooster at a time in with one hen. Extra roosters may birds, it is necessary for the digestion tend to fight, may interfere with each other during mating, and may also cause injuries and absorption of protein. We also find to the hen, or at least tear up her feathers pretty badly. that all animals reproduce best when Ron Kean, the Answer Man not too fat and not too thin—maybe the February/March 2012 www.backyardpoultrymag.com 25 but eggs are not fertile, the underlying eggs are pregnant. From the time they are problem is this blockage by the feathers. laid until they are warmed to incubator A quick examination of your hens will temperatures, the embryo inside an egg usually show evidence of mating on the is growing very slowly. When an egg is feathers of the vent. warmed to 99-100°F the embryo begins growing “quickly.” If the embryo is not Temperature and the Egg growing, even microscopically slowly, Temperature plays a great role in then it is dead. successful hatching. Older males and When eggs are chilled for several hours males of some breeds will not mate dur- they often fail to produce live embryos. ing cold weather. Likewise, males of Traditionally, eggs in winter were collected some breeds will not mate in the dead several times during the day — to prevent heat of late summer. I would not expect freezing and heating and cooling as hens Brahmas or Cochins to be highly fertile entered and left nest boxes. Eggs that are in late summer. But I know from experi- warmed and then cooled one or more times ence that Leghorns will mate in triple often fail to grow. Eggs for hatching should digit temperatures. I once saved a clutch be stored in a cool location, out of direct of eggs for Frank Reese of Kansas when sunlight to avoid temperature fluctuations. Breeds with large breasts, such as this he came east visiting. The temperatures Ideally eggs being stored for hatching Cornish, can have problems mating due were over 100°F during the days, but 42 should be held between 50-60° F. to chest mass. Photo courtesy of Matthew Phillips, New York. of the 46 eggs collected during this time Most us will also want to know who hatched when Frank returned home. the daddy is. It takes 24-26 hours from Breeds with naturally high levels of the time the yolk is released (ovulation) be. In cases where a valuable male has broodiness, and conditions where many until the egg is formed. Fertilization been lost, fertile eggs from this male can hens prefer to use one nest, can result in happens in the first 15 minutes of ovula- be laid even three weeks, or more, after eggs being warmed to the point of grow- tion, but it is a total of about three days he last mated; keep saving and don’t let ing for just a few hours and then cooling until a fertile egg is laid. Once a rooster another rooster mate the hens. down again. This change of temperature mates with a hen, generally it is found can shock the delicate embryo, especially that all the chicks from the fertile eggs Careful Egg Preparation & when nutrition is basic/poor, and result in laid, beginning three days later, will be Storage Means Hatching Success apparent infertility or many embryos that his offspring. When a new rooster is used So we now have eggs from well- grow for the first few days of incubation on a flock, it is best to wait two weeks mated chickens on a breeder diet. Our and then die. before saving eggs to be sure that he has breeder birds have plenty of exercise and Peter Brown, aka the Chicken Doctor, mated with all the hens — then you can are free from vermin. We collect the eggs once shared a great wisdom with me – be sure who the sire of the chicks will each day before they can become chilled Candling Eggs andling is really nothing more than shining a bright light through the egg to visualize its contents. The first important key Cis to work in a dark room. The next key is to have a light focused into a fairly small beam. Some people will use a small flashlight. If it’s a bright one, this can work pretty well. Another method that is commonly used is to make a box with a small hole cut into it. A hole about 1 inch in diameter or smaller should work well. The box needs to be able to handle some heat. Wire a light bulb inside this box and you’re set. A 40-watt bulb (or less) will work just fine. The actual candling can be done in a couple of different ways. If you’re looking at partially incubated eggs (to determine fertility/viability), it’s usually easiest to shine the light near the large end of the egg. You can usually see a spider web of blood vessels if there is a developing embryo. If you’re looking for eating quality, you can gently spin the egg in your hand. This will cause the yolk to move inside the egg, and you can see if any dark spots are present. The yolk will look like a darker shadow, and the chalazae may be visible. These are normal. After doing a few, you’ll get more familiar with normal vs. “abnormal.” Most spots of blood (or tissue) in the egg will not be developing chicks. They are from the hen’s body while the egg was being formed. Still, many people like to remove these. Finally, it can still be difficult to candle dark brown-shelled eggs. Gathering eggs frequently and keeping gathered eggs cool will help a great deal to prevent a “surprise” in your omelet! Ron Kean, the Answer Man

At four days, nearly the entire body of the embryo has risen off the yolk and turned to lay on its left side. The upper portion of the embryo is even more curved and the tail is also beginning to curve. The heart is the dark red area within the upper curve of the embryo. Just a fraction of an inch from the heart, the eye is visible. The large node just above and to the right of the eye is a portion of the brain. Copyright © 1998, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

26 Backyard Poultry February/March 2012 www.backyardpoultrymag.com 27 soiled. Eggs with cracks will often have Follow the incubator manufacturer’s bacteria penetrate them, causing them to instructions on operating your incubator. rot and possibly explode in the incubator. Generally still air incubators run at 101°F Once you’ve experienced a rotten egg and forced air at 99.5°F. Run your temp a explode, you will never forget it! Dr. Al little low and the hatches will be delayed, run Watts of Washington State once told me it too high and the hatches come early. Bob that he drips the wax of a candle along the Hawes of Maine has noted that hatchability cracks and is able to hatch from eggs with is reduced by 4% and hatch is delayed by light cracks. I’ve tried this and it works. half-an-hour per day beyond four that eggs Heavily soiled eggs are simply bringing are saved. My neighbor, Paul Seymour of large doses of bacteria into the incubator Virginia, has observed that lowering the while their pores are largely blocked, and temperature by half a degree results in more are less likely to produce a live chick. females and raising it half a degree results in more males. The jury is out on exactly how Prepare Incubators for this works, but it seems that the lower tem- Successful Hatch Rate perature results in fewer of the male chicks Your incubators must be set up in hatching, and just the opposite for the higher a location without direct sunlight — to temperature. Studies show that chicks left in Placing a blanket over the incubator (without prevent temperature fluctuations, and the incubator for 24 hours after hatch suffer blocking the vents) can keep temperatures with a constant temperature. Incuba- less from heat stress as adults. stable and reduce electric bills. tor manufacturers never seem to have thought of insulating their products. I 7th day and we store them in a cool location (55- usually throw a blanket over my incu- 60°F) with a constant humidity. What else bators, without blocking the vents, and 14th day should we consider? joyously have found lower electric bills 18th day I always store my eggs in a cellar or and very successful hatches as a result. A room with no sunlight that could raise their blanket can save your clutch if the power temperature. A cooler works very well to goes out during incubation – often the keep the eggs stable with a constant humid- hatch will be delayed and not lost, just ity. With one, you can place a board under give it a few extra days. Seldom does an one end, switch the board once per day, incubator perform correctly in a garage or and thus rotate the eggs with little effort. barn — nighttime temperatures in early Maintaining humidity is important as the spring are just too low for the incubator eggshell is porous and eggs are designed to maintain internal temperature. My Size of air cell on 7th, 14th and 18th day to lose a little moisture before hatching, friend, Raymond Taylor of Virginia, built of incubation. Courtesy of Mississippi but if they lose too much the paper liner of an insulted, small closet in his garage State University Dept of Poultry the shell becomes too tough and the chicks for his incubator and this proved very Science, http://www.poultry.msstate. cannot get out of their shells. successful. edu/extension. Eggs well stored will hatch even when saved for 3-4 weeks. Best results are observed when eggs are saved for just 10 days, though saving for two weeks is easier to track when multiple hatches are planned. Since it takes three weeks for eggs to hatch, when using one incubator you can save eggs for two weeks, set, eat your eggs for a week, and then save two more weeks of eggs for the next setting. For optimal results, eggs should be allowed to warm to room temperature for 4-6 hours before setting. Eggs just laid should be allowed to cool to room temperature for this amount of time as well before being set. While we are speaking of setting eggs, it is important to realize that culling of your flock starts with the eggs. Discard all misshapen eggs, eggs that are long Daily changes in the weight and form of the developing chick embryo (White and thin, eggs that are too round, eggs Leghorn). Courtesy of Mississippi State University Dept of Poultry Science, http:// with rough or thin shells, and eggs heavily www.poultry.msstate.edu/extension.

28 Backyard Poultry the incidence of malposition of chick or air cell in our flock. Second, the struggle to hatch causes the chick’s metabolism to speed up—in particular, it is a struggle for the circulatory system. This is necessary to have healthy chicks that grow into productive, healthy adults. Helping these “weaklings” out of the shell seems kind, but works against nature and handicaps future generations. Also, chicks that have been unable to remove themselves from their shells often will have tendon issues. Once chicks exert themselves and their metabolism increases, the tendons start to set — if this happens while the chick is in the shell, then crooked toes and even bow legs can and do usually result. Follow the incubator manufacturer’s instructions. House the incubator out of direct Work with nature and match her ways sunlight and away from any drafts. closely and we will all have successful hatches. Humidity is important. Get it too high What Goes Wrong and the eggs do not lose enough mois- Sometimes eggs fail to fully hatch, for Don Schrider is a nationally recognized ture before hatch — the result is chicks several reasons. Malposition of the air cell poultry breeder and expert. He has written whose navels have not sealed and many is highly heritable and causes most of the for publications such as Backyard Poultry, chicks that pip but then “drown” from cases of a chick growing to full-term with- Countryside and Small Stock Journal, the moisture that collects at their nostrils. out hatching. The chick must grow and be Mother Earth News, Poultry Press, and The chicks will also have a pastey ap- in proper position or it struggles and will the newsletter and poultry resources of the pearance because not enough moisture not extricate itself from the shell. In nature American Livestock Breeds Conservancy. evaporated from their down when they such do not hatch. Don’t help them out of Text © Don Schrider, 2012. All rights hatched. When humidity is too low the the shell! First, we do not want to increase reserved. paper membrane of the egg will toughen and many chicks will not make it out of the shell. Such chicks will have shriveled, thin legs and are more prone to dehydra- tion the first two days in the brooder. Incubation takes three weeks. Dur- ing this time, eggs should be first placed pointed end down and then rotated every eight hours. We want the pointed end down, as we need the air cell to remain at the top of the egg. If the air cell develops malposition from being placed downward during storage or incubation, the chick will not be able to hatch. We rotate the eggs so that the embryo does not stick to the side of the shell. Rotation stops on day 18. At this time most incubator manufacturers recommend raising the incubator humidity a little for the last three days prior to hatch — this helps ensure the paper membrane can be penetrated by the chick. The incubator itself should not be opened for fear of reducing humidity. If you have to open it, make it quick and spray a bit of mist in with a spray bottle. When the chicks start hatching, do not open the incubator. Many of us wish to hold that first chick, but the sudden drop in humidity may result in many others pipping but not hatching. Resist temptation! February/March 2012 www.backyardpoultrymag.com 29 Breed Conservation: A Winning Photo Finish in Indy

Jeannette Beranger ALBC Research & Technical Programs Manager

he ushering in of digital photographic technologies has presented a challenge for the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy’s (ALBC) traditional photo media archive andT has created the need to update the organization’s library and refresh the collection of images and video. Images in this collection help new breeders see through, and develop, the eyes of an experienced breeder whose animals we photograph. These visual aids can be utilized in educational materials and are also incorporated into outreach pieces on rare breeds that may be published in magazines, newspapers, websites, and books. With over 150 breeds on ALBC’s Conservation Priority List, it is no small task to photograph all of the breeds but a great opporunity was recently taken during two major shows held in Indianapolis this past November — the Crossroads of America Poultry Show (which was a combined American Poultry Associa- tion and American Bantam Association national show), and the annual American Rabbit Breeders Association (ARBA) National Show. Both events were held at the Indiana State Fairgrounds during the same week, giving the ALBC the perfect opportunity to photograph quality specimens of poultry and rabbits and con- nect with the breeders that work so hard to produce the amazing animals we saw at both shows. ALBC recently teamed up with Tractor Supply Company Bob Rennolet owns this handsome Rose Comb Ancona cockerel. (TSC) as a conservation partner working toward spreading the The Ancona chicken breed originated in Ancona, Italy. They were imported to the U.S. in 1906. The unique feather pattern is a mottled white on solid black background. The hens do not usually go broody, but they are strong layers of white eggs. They are hardy, medium-sized birds that thrive on open spaces and being allowed to forage, but they are flighty as well. The chicks are vigorous and mature quickly. They are rated “watch” on the ALBC Conservation Priority List. Photos by Jeannette Beranger, ALBC

word about breed conservation. It was through this partnership that ALBC was sponsored by TSC to prepare for and make the photo project possible. With their help, a long ten-hour road trip finally brought the ALBC team of four staffers to Indianapolis. The first order of business was to set up our booth and we found our spot on the busy show floor thanks to the guidance of our show host, Bill Wulff of Poultry Press, whose much appreciated assistance enabled ALBC to have a booth at the show. Day one at the show was spent connecting with bird owners and breed clubs to identify people with the breeds we were looking for and to find out if they would be willing to have their animals photographed for our archives. Thanks to This cute Green headed Australian Spotted duck (and egg!) are our good friends at TSC, for each solicited owner that agreed to owned by Bonnie White. The Australian Spotted duck is a bantam duck with an average weight of about two pounds. Despite the photos, we were able to offer a TSC gift card and some Purina misleading name, the Australian Spotted bantam duck was feed coupons for the effort — items greatly welcomed by the developed in Pennsylvania in the 1920s from stock of the Call, bird owners for sure! Mallard, Northern Pintail and a wild Australian duck. They are The ALBC team goal at the Crossroads show was to photo- rated “watch” on the ALBC Conservation Priority List. graph males and females of approximately 64 chicken breeds 30 Backyard Poultry and 14 duck breeds. Most important to this endeavor was to This picture- ensure that those that are photographed are good representa- perfect tives of the breeds and meet APA and ABA standards. During Rose Comb the photo shoot we encountered some outstanding birds to Rhode Island represent their breeds and their owners were no less outstand- White pullet is owned ing. By the end of the third day of the show we were able to by Ryon identify and photograph 56 of the chicken breeds and all of Carey. The the duck breeds on our wish list. Following the Crossroads moderately- show the ALBC crew switched gears and made it to the rab- sized Rhode bit show held in the building next door. That shoot was also Island White highly successful and we were able to photograph every breed chicken breed we needed for our project. originated Our trip to Indianapolis was one of the most intensely busy in 1888 by but satisfying experiences the ALBC team has had, both profes- crossing White sionally and personally. We hope to be able to return to the APA Wyandottes and ARBA shows with next year and Partridge continue learning Cochins and and documenting Rose Comb the extraordinary White Leghorns. It is a totally white bird. Because of their long, animals and peo- broad, and deep bodies and full breasts, they are excellent meat ple that work to birds, and are good brown-egg layers. They are rated “watch” ensure that these on the ALBC Conservation Priority List. breeds, and the fancy, continue for future generations to enjoy. Our sincere thanks to all that assisted us in our photo project. For more information on A poultry show is the ideal place to get the project, breed photos of the many breeds because the information, and winning birds are top-notch examples ALBC’s work, visit of their breed and variety. Jesus Llano www.albc-usa.org and his winning (Best of Breed) Malay or see their ad on rooster are a fine example of the bird page 63. matching the standards.

This Icelandic cockerel is owned by Jim Hall. The Icelandic chicken is very rare, with estimates of only 3,000 birds worldwide. They are good layers of white eggs, tend towards broodiness, are winter-hardy, good foragers and considered docile. They are not rated on the ALBC Conservation Priority List.

Left: A beautiful Blue Magpie duck owned by Julie Gauthier. The unusual Magpie duck is a lightweight breed weighing four to five pounds. Its name comes from distinctive markings made up of mostly white broken up by two darker colored areas on the top of the head and on the back from shoulder to tail. Magpies are good layers and considered top-quality meat birds and strong foragers. They generally have a nervous temperament and are rated “critical” on the ALBC Conservation Priority List.

February/March 2012 www.backyardpoultrymag.com 31 Breed cOnservatiOn—arOund the wOrld: The Ardenner Fowl

The Splash color, as seen in this large-fowl hen, is very rare. More common colors include black/red, salmon/partridge, birchen/duckwing, black/gold. Photos by Stuart Sutton unless otherwise noted. The Ardenner breed of chicken is considered to be Belgium’s oldest breed of poultry. Shown here is a silver/black bantam cock with two silver/blue bantam hens. Photo by a darker pigmentation is preferred, al- Ruben Boonen, Belgium though there is still discussion today as to the exact amount of dark coloration. stuart suttOn medium-size and single, the legs clean Like the large fowl, the eyes, beak, legs but dark, as are the eyes, beak and feet. devOnshire, england and feet are dark. The tail is medium high and longish with They are good broodies so vigilance arge fowl Ardenners have ex- pointed sickle feathers. The plumage is is required regarding finding their nest, isted for centuries and are con- fairly tight but soft and the youngsters as they will find the most unlikely places sidered to be Belgium’s oldest feather up quickly. The hens lay around to sit. Lbreed of poultry. As is often the case 140+ 2.1-oz., white eggs a year. They, Since they are fairly small, the ban- with ancient breeds, very little is known like other light breeds, can fly fairly tam Ardenners can fly well, but if they are regarding its exact origin, although it is easily. They are a very hardy breed that regularly handled they are easily tamed thought to have descended directly from would happily sleep outside. and become quite calm. The chicks are the ancient Gallic breed, the Gauloise. The Ardenner bantam is believed strong and usually grow up without any The Ardenner is classed as a light breed to be a creation from only one hundred problems. with the male weighing around 5.5 lbs. years ago when, around 1904, the first Both large and bantam fowl are also and the hen up to 4.5 lbs. The comb is steps were taken in the “Union Avicole” great foragers and terrific at keeping association in Liège to create a miniature bugs, slugs and snails in check, which is breed. In their native land they are known useful in a utility fowl. as the “hen of the hedge,” being both Both the Golden necked and Silver hardy and alert. The bantam is a fairly necked bantam breeds are very beautiful small-sized bird that weighs between birds as they have what appears to be 1.2 -1.4 lbs. It has a proud appearance a “mane” of gold or silver that is very and is very streamlined. The back is striking. The most typical colors seen in long and gently slopes towards the tail, Europe are black/red, salmon/partridge, which being long and closed in the hen, birchen/duckwing, black/gold. Black/ accentuates the streamline. The comb is silver, blue/silver, blue/gold, white and single and upright in both sexes, but not splash are very rare. There is also a too large. The breed has what is known as rumpless Ardenner bantam in which the a “gypsy” coloring in that it has dark pig- vertebrae and the feathers of the tail are mentation of the face, earlobes, wattles missing. Both the Golden necked and Silver necked and comb. The intensity of this pigment Not only is the Ardenner well regard- bantam breeds are very beautiful, with a however does depend on the color va- ed as an attractive and good hardy breed “mane” of gold, as seen here, or silver, as riety and the strain of the bird, and can but their meat flavor is also renowned in seen above. range from very dark to red. In Belgium France and Belgium. In fact, the Belgian 32 Backyard Poultry breed. Eggshell resistance was also good in both the Ardenner and the Fam- menoise (a local, very similar and some say, a breed originally derived from a white Ardenner sport) compared to commercial strains. The performance of the Ardenner, therefore, has appeared to be highly interesting, particularly considering that the Ardenner did not undergo any previous egg selection process. Further breeding for these traits is now being considered.* Ardenner chickens have a single comb, dark beak, and dark eyes, as seen on this My own experience of keeping the bantam gold/black cockerel. beautiful, rare and useful breed Ardenner, Ardenner hens lay about 140 eggs per year, or Ardennaise, as it is known in France, and are highly regarded for their meat. CoqArd© hybrid is based on the large began when I lived in Brittany, France This is a large fowl gold/blue hen. Ardenner, and it is likened somewhat to where owning some breed of animal the famous Bresse poultry of France. seemed to be not only compulsory, but a to the end where there stood one old In recent poultry studies undertaken bit of a national obsession. I had thought man, his dog and an old rooster. At first by the Univeristy of Liège, the propor- I’d seen every animal imaginable after I thought this a little odd and quite medi- tion of yolk to egg white ratio was found attending other large, weekly markets. eval, but on reflection it was very likeable to be much higher in eggs from Belgian However; this particular market seemed as it somehow portrayed how rural people local breed hens than in eggs from com- to start with the grand and more obvious in France still respect nature and live side mercial strains, with the most favorable stalls, then meandered like a stream down by side with their animals. proportions being found in the Ardenner to a creek, getting progressively smaller I saw more of the Ardenner, albeit in

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February/March 2012 www.backyardpoultrymag.com 33 Stuart Sutton’s coops in Brittany, France. This photo was taken during the worst snow storm in 30 years, but his Ardenner chickens remained active and healthy all winter.

the more common breed colors of black/ blending in with the rest of the birds red, at regional poultry shows. They al- about the house. They even remained fit ways seemed to stand out, strutting regally and healthy through the worst winter in from side to side with an unbowed spirit Brittany in 30 years. and showing their absolute distain at be- Their eggs hatched with no problems ing caged up like some mere animal. We and soon we had a number of chicks rac- bought a breeding pair from a wonderful ing around, quite happy being among the place called Jardins de Broceilande near larger French Maran and Faverolles. The Rennes. There they kept many rare French chicks were friendly and tame from the breeds including the Coucou de Rennes; beginning and regularily greeted us and a single-combed, barred large fowl, Brit- our visitors from atop the garden gate. tany’s oldest breed, the Caumont; a black Although admittedly we were fortu- bird with a cup-shaped comb and the La nate having land, an orchard or a piece Gournay; a dark brown speckled bird, all of land with some trees and shrubs is the interesting breeds in their own right. ideal. If space is limited, or if they were to At home we found the birds soon be housed in a more urban environment, I became tame and were real characters would recommend at least six-foot fences with netting across the top as they can be spooked and will happily roost in trees! Currently outside Belgium and France there are only a handful of breeders in the Netherlands, Germany and UK, and to my knowledge none outside of Europe. In the UK, there are only a small number of bantams with more large fowl including black/gold, blue and splash colors. The Ardenner is yet to be standardized in the UK, having only been introduced a few years ago, and at the moment, comes under the Rare Poultry Society. Further information can be seen at the Association for the Promotion of Animals of the Farm in Belgium: http://users. telenet.be/jaak.rousseau/english%20ver- sion/grote_hoenders/ARDENNER.HTM or e-mail: [email protected]. You can also e-mail me at ardenners@ hotmail.co.uk.

* Comparative study of egg quality traits in two Belgian local breeds and two The Ardenner is not currently standardized commercial lines of chickens, N. Moula, in the UK, but is categorized under the Rare N. Antoine-Moussiaux, E. Decuypere, F. Poultry Society. This is a Blue Partridge Farnir, K. Mertens, J. De Baerdemaeker large-fowl cock. and P. Leroy, 2009 34 Backyard Poultry February/March 2012 www.backyardpoultrymag.com 35 Backyard Poultry Bookstore For a complete listing of all books available from the Backyard Poultry Bookstore, visit our website at www.backyardpoultrymag.com. If you do not have Internet access, write to Bookstore Catalog Request, 145 Industrial Dr., Medford, WI 54451 or call 800-551-5691. The Chicken Encyclopedia New Book! An Illustrated Reference gail damerOw

New — and indispensable for all chicken enthusiasts! Beginners and old pros alike will welcome Gail Damerow’s latest contribution to the poultry world, The Chicken Encyclopedia, a listing of more than 1,000 entries 100% related to chickens! Anything you want to know about chickens is either included here or it’s probably not worth knowing. Not only a reference work, it’s interesting enough to read on its own, to get an education in chickenology. Or enjoy flipping through it to pick up fascinating facts on every page. The full-color photos and illustrations are also superb, both educational and a pleasure to look at. (See review on page 66 of this issue of Backyard Poultry.) 320 pages, $19.95

The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Storey’s Illustrated Guide Raising Chickens to Poultry Breeds JerOme d. Belanger carOl ekarius Whether you raise chickens, want to raise Gorgeous, full-color photographs of more chickens, or just don’t want to be left out when than 128 birds. This definitive guide includes a the conversation turns to chickens, this book brief history of the breed, detailed descriptions is for you! While it does include advice and of identifying characteristics and colorful information for the beginning poultry raiser, photographs that celebrate the birds’ quirky the author’s stated purpose is much broader: personalities and charming good looks. 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Poultry expert Christine Heinrichs lays out the distinc- A comprehensive guide to whole- tions between waterfowl (ducks, geese and systems, mixed-flock poultry husbandry. swans), turkeys, gamebirds (peafowl, pheas- Filled with essential information on basic ants, quail and others), ratites (ostriches, emus, care, housing, pasturing the flock and and rheas), and pigeons. She then clearly de- putting it to work, holistic health, poultry tails the very different requirements for raising in the kitchen, and creative strategies for each species, from feeding and housing to hus- more home-produced feeds, including bandry and health, to showing and marketing cultivated earthworms and soldier grubs. and legal concerns. 192 pages, $19.95 Contains detailed butchering instructions with dozens of photographs and the best guide to working with broody hens How to Raise Chickens available anywhere. 416 pages, $39.95 Everything You Need to Know For the Love of Poultry christine heinrichs This book is thoroughly modern and com- For the Love of If you missed the first year of Backyard Poultry—here’s your second chance. The prehensive. It delivers everything the sub- Poultry complete collection of articles and pho- title promises: “Everything you need to tos from 2006 is now a book! This large know—Breed guide and selection—Proper 8-1/2 x 11 full-color anthology contains care and healthy feeding—Building facili- 320 pages featuring more than 30 writ- ties and fencing—Showing advice.” And ers, including renowned poultry expert it’s all presented in the context of today’s and author Gail Damerow, homesteading small, backyard flock. How to Raise Chick- guru Harvey Ussery, and University of ens might sound like a simple premise for a A Backyard Poultry Anthology poultry book but this one goes way beyond The First Year Wisconsin’s top poultry specialist, Ron BY THE EDITORS OF BACKYARD POULTRY Kean. 320 pages, $19.95 the how-tos. 191 pages, $19.95 Chicken and Egg The Backyard Homestead Guide A Memoir of Suburban Homesteading with 125 Recipes to Raising Farm Animals Janice Cole, Photographs By Alex Farnum Gail Damerow Chicken and Egg tells the story of veteran food writer Janice Cole, who, like so many Imagine a weekend breakfast featuring other urbanites, took up the revolutionary eggs, bacon, and honey from your own chick- hobby of raising chickens at home. From ens, pigs, and bees. Or a holiday meal with picking out the perfect coop to producing the your own heritage-breed turkey as the main The Backyard Homestead miracle of the first egg, Cole shares her now- attraction. With Guide to Raising Farm Animals expert insights into the trials, triumphs, and , even urban bonds that result when human and hen live in and suburban residents can successfully raise close quarters. With 125 recipes for delicious chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys, rabbits, goats, chicken and egg dishes, poultry lovers, back- sheep, cows, pigs, and honey bees. It’s easier yard farmers, and those contemplating taking the leap will adore this than you think, and it can be done on small plots of land. Whether you want to be more captivating illustrated memoir 256 pages, $24.95 self-sufficient, save money, or just enjoy safer, healthier, more delicious animal products, you’ll find all the information you need inThe Backyard Chicken Coops Homestead Guide to Raising Farm Animals. 360 pages, $24.95 45 Plans For Housing Your Flock Judy Pangman The Mating and Breeding of Poultry Whether you’re keeping one hen in a small backyard or 1,000 hens in a large free-range Harry M. Lamon & Rob R. Slocum pasture, you will find the perfect housing plan in This is the only book (first published in 1920) to this comprehensive handbook. These 45 plans outline in detail all the necessities to becoming for housing both laying hens and meat birds an accomplished breeder. In addition to raising (chickens or turkeys) range from fashionable poultry, you can produce specific characteristics backyard structures to large-scale, moveable in your flock. Whether breeding for beauty, as shelters. You’ll also find plans for converting exhibition stock or for productivity, this book trailer frames, greenhouses, and backyard will show you how to pick and choose chickens sheds; low-budget alternatives for working with recycled materials; for specific circumstances, manipulate shape and and simple ways to make waterers, feeders, and nestboxes. With basic color combinations, prepare birds for weather, building skills, a little elbow grease, and this book of plans, you’ve got develop certain psychological characteristics, encourage the juiciest all you need to house your flock. 166 pages, $19.95 meat and largest eggs, and much more. 341 pages, $14.95 Storey’s Guide to Raising Chickens 3rd Edition Gail Damerow This informative book for both beginning and experienced chicken owners covers breed selection, building feeders and shelters, how to collect and store your eggs to maintain freshness (or hatching), care for chicks, maintaining good flock health, raising broilers for meat, showing your birds, and more. Always considered the definitive book on chicken care, the updated version simply adds to its value with new sections, and many updates. Features include: Raising chickens for pure enjoyment; new breeds; a new chapter on deciphering chicken sounds, chicken intelligence, and training; new sections on Avian Influenza; Fowl First Aid; and much more.448 pages, $19.95

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Name: ______Book(s) Total $______Address: ______City:______State:______Zip:______S&H $4 first item m Check Enclosed m Charge my credit card: $1 each addtl’ item $______Phone: ______Subtotal $______Visa/MC/AmEx/Disc No.______Exp.______ Signature______WI Residents Add 5.5% sales tax $______2.50 Backyard Poultry Bookstore Total Enclosed $______145 Industrial Dr., Medford, WI 54451 Call Toll-Free 800-551-5691 or Fax 715-785-7414 www.backyardpoultrymag.com February/March 2012 www.backyardpoultrymag.com 37 Health: The Answer Man Ron Kean Extension Poultry Specialist University of Wisconsin-Madison

I agree that the hen laid both eggs on the same day. A thought I’ve heard is that, for some unknown reason, the hen retained one egg, then the next one came down against it, causing the two flat sides. This can’t be quite If you have health related poultry right, since the first shell wouldn’t have questions you’d like answered, send formed with a flat edge, so I think they probably formed simultaneously. I can’t your questions to us at Backyard Poul- really explain why it wouldn’t just form try, Attn: Answer Man, 145 Industrial Dr., Medford, WI 54451 or e-mail to one large, double-yolked egg, however. It’s amazing to see some of the interesting [email protected]. We will try to include Apparently, the membranes must form eggshells that occur, but sometimes it is at different times, then the shell is laid very difficult to explain, and will likely not your question in an upcoming issue. down concurrently (maybe!). happen again. Chicken Lays Wrinkled Egg We see these a little more frequently I have oyster shell and grit in my coop Enclosed please find a picture of two in turkeys. They are often called “slab- free choice. eggs that were in the same nest the same sided eggs.” Rarely, a hen will lay eggs Can you tell me why this egg is like day. They are both kind of deformed, flat like this somewhat consistently, but usu- this and if I should single the hen out to on one side and wrinkled. I think they ally it’s just an occasional oddity. treat her for anything? were from the same hen that day. I have Thanks a million for all your advice never had an egg like this before and I This Egg Harder to Explain in every issue, that I read from front to have raised chickens for about 25 years. I was out collecting eggs this eve- back of course. Maybe you can give some insight into ning and opened my lay boxes and this Charles, Ohio what caused these eggs to be shaped like egg was here. It is very soft and has a that. Five days have gone by now and I weird looking thing on the end of it. I This egg is not so easy to explain. have not had any more like this. have raised Rhode Island Reds for 20+ Strangely shaped eggs such as this Joe via e-mail years and have never seen this before. happen occasionally, and I don’t really know what causes it. A virus that causes infectious bronchitis can cause misshapen eggs, but this is usually a more permanent thing and you’d see it more consistently. Normally, an oviduct will produce an egg around a yolk as it passes through. If something else passes through, however, an egg will also be formed. If she lost a bit of tissue, for example, albumen, membranes, and shell will be produced around this tissue. The most common time to see eggs such as this is when a hen is either just starting to lay or is going out of production. I don’t think it is anything to worry about, and it definitely produced a conversation piece! I’d be surprised if you see this again. Blindness in Chickens Joe Kennedy found both wrinkled eggs in the same nest, and it is assumed by the same I have a two-year-old black Silkie hen on the same day. Most of these unusual eggs will only happen once, usually when a hen. I was treating her for leg mites pullet is getting started laying, or from an older hen whose laying has slowed down. with alcohol and she seemed to actually 38 Backyard Poultry swallow some. This was over a month open between the rafters 4" x 24". How ago. Since then she has been very inac- can I keep it dryer in the winter? tive and has been quarantined to another Syd, New York pen by herself. All she does is sit on her feeder and do nothing. She is not eating If I understand correctly, the ventila- much either. tion in the winter is a 4-inch by 24-inch After closer inspection I saw she opening in the front. had smoky gray eyes. None of my other With 50-60 hens, you’re only allow- SWEETER HEATER chickens are showing symptoms. I am ing about 3-1/2 square feet of space per BROODERS - CHICKEN COOPS – HEN HOUSES ADVANTAGES beginning to think she is blind and am bird. While this is okay, you may need to • Energy efficient • Trouble free• No hot spot considering putting her down. Please provide some mechanical ventilation, or • Will not burn • Improves circulation • Lower stress • Improved comfort • Natural • Easily help me decide what to do! at least have two openings so you can sanitized by washing with disinfectant Sonya, West Virginia get some air movement. It’s difficult to • No bulbs to break • No fire hazard know how airtight your plastic cover- Visit http://www.sweeterheater.com I don’t think she would have swal- ing is, so that could be providing some to order/information. lowed enough alcohol to have any last- fresh air. ing effect. I think you have a few options. You I suspect she is blind, however, as could leave some of the plastic off to you said. Just as in humans, there are open things up. You could put an inlet things which can cause blindness in in the back, and hopefully get air move- chickens, and the gray, smoky eyes are ment across the house. I suppose a vent usually a sign of blindness. in the roof might also provide some You don’t necessarily have to put movement. her down, however. We have had blind You could also put in a small fan to chickens here at the UW poultry re- draw air across the house. I’d install the search lab, and they got along quite fan facing out, so it will pull warm, wet well. (The researcher was studying a air out and that will, in turn, pull cooler, genetic trait that caused blindness in dryer air in through the inlet. the chickens.) We usually kept at least Ideally, you’d have cold air entering one bird with sight in the same pen and and mixing with the warm air, then being the blind chickens seemed to be able to expelled on the other side of the house. find feed and water that way. You don’t want a draft blowing directly You can usually tell if they are blind on the birds, but they need some fresh by waving a hand beside their eye. Most air, and you need to get rid of the excess chickens, no matter how tame, will move moisture. If your vent is on the roof, fresh their head away when you do this. Blind air will likely enter through the 4-inch birds won’t typically move away from slot in the front. this, since they can’t see it. It seems to me that you probably just One word of caution — blindness need to get some air movement. in a bird of that age is often caused by A couple of other comments: a disease called Lymphoid Leukosis. 1) Make sure to cover the openings If your Silkie has this, she will likely to keep wild birds, rodents, raccoons, have other symptoms as the disease etc. out. progresses. This is a fairly common 2) It is tempting to close things up as disease in chickens, and a lot of older tight as possible to conserve heat, but chickens die from it. they definitely need ventilation. With 50 As always, to get a firm diagno- or more hens, they will produce quite a sis, you’d need to contact an avian bit of heat, so you shouldn’t need to pro- veterinarian or your state veterinary vide much, if any, extra heat, even with diagnostic lab. adequate ventilation.

Winter Ventilation of Hen Runny Nose, Swollen Face, House My hen house is 12 x 32 with a parti- Foul Stools and Listlessness tion in the middle, so I have two 12 x 16 Lead to Death units with the front open 5 feet and 24 I have a flock of laying hens that are feet are covered with wire. In the winter over a year old; different breeds of heavy I cover this with plastic. layers. They are housed with six turkeys, I keep 50-60 hens in each side, the two peafowl and eight guineas. Over the back is solid between rafters, the front is course of the last six months I have lost

February/March 2012 www.backyardpoultrymag.com 39 KL 3103 Poultry AD:Layout 1 12/12/11 3:

a few layers, roosters, and other birds to and disinfect to really get rid of them. a weird illness that I cannot cure or even Mycoplasmas can be passed from the find out what it is. hen to the chick through the eggs, so it The illness starts (in the majority of is a little more difficult to eradicate. If the birds) with a runny nose and a swol- you decide to start over with new birds, len face, then a rapid weight loss accom- you’ll want to make sure you buy chicks panied by loose, foul-smelling manure, that are from MG-negative flocks. white comb and wattle, extreme listless- Getting a confirmed diagnosis ness and then death. Sometimes the eyes should help you find out what is causing get watery and sometimes not. the problem. None of the guineas have had it, I have one turkey that has it, but it has not Chickens May Eat Snow- lost weight. I’ve lost four peahens to it. Melting Chlorides Neither my ducks nor geese — housed Will chickens eat the various snow Still Air Incubator in an adjacent pen — have been ill. melting chlorides...sodium, calcium, Model 2100 I’ve tried several different antibiotics magnesium, potassium? Will it harm to no avail. It will temporarily “cure” them? and then it comes back within a few Walt via internet weeks. Most of my layers seem to be im- pervious to this, but I have lost enough That’s a very timely question! Chick- • Solid-State Electronic • Large Viewing that it is concerning me that I have some ens might eat these, especially if they Thermostat and Windows horrible disease in my flock that will don’t have a lot of other things to peck Heating Element • Circulated Air Version eventually kill all my biddies. at. There have been reports of pheasants • Built-in Hygrometer Available (Model 2200) I’ve wormed my flock with diatoma- eating chunks of salt along the road- ceous earth to rule out worms, and they ways, and in those cases, it was thought Pro Series don’t have mites, lice, or fleas. that they were likely looking for grit. Circulated Air Incubator I am at a loss. Can you tell me what As you probably know, sodium Model 4200 this may be? chloride is what we commonly think of • Durable Plastic Deona via internet as salt. I don’t think the chickens will Outer Shell normally eat a lot of this, and if they • Built-in Hygrometer There are two diseases that are do, they can usually handle it as long • Fan Kit Pulls in strong possibilities. One is called as they have adequate supplies of fresh Fresh Air infectious coryza, and is caused by water. Their droppings will get very wet, • Automatic Egg Hemophilus paragallinarum. The other so that can be a mess. Turner Included is chronic respiratory disease (caused Likewise, calcium chloride and OPTIONALOPTIONAL ACCESSORIESACCESSORIES by Mycoplasma gallisepticum, or MG). magnesium chlorides can cause diar- Both of these are bacterial, but both can rhea. Calcium chloride is often used as sometimes be difficult to eradicate with a dessicant, drawing water out of the Automatic Egg Turner antibiotics. The birds often seem to get things around it. If a chicken ingests Model 3200 Forced Air Fan Kit better with treatment, but then relapse a chunk of this, it can cause burns in Model 3100 again when the antibiotics are removed. the mouth or crop. Fortunately, I think MG, especially, tends to flare up when most chickens would stop eating after the birds are stressed from something the first chunk. else — cold weather, a move to a new Potassium chloride is probably the Egg Candler facility, mingling with new birds, etc. most toxic. In small amounts, it can be Model 3300 It could also be a combination of good for the chickens. There are reports both. Or, you could be seeing some of using it in hot temperatures to im- Chicks dig us! other secondary problems, such as E. prove feed consumption, mainly by caus- coli, etc., after they have become sick. ing them to drink more water. Potassium Infectious coryza is not supposed to chloride is also used as a euthanasia Quail Rails Model 3400 infect turkeys. agent, since it can cause cardiac arrest A diagnostic lab can test a blood if given in higher doses. sample and look for antibodies against So, to answer your question, chick- www.farminnovators.com these diseases. There are other pos- ens may eat the various chemicals. I’d sibilities, of course, so for a firm diag- try to discourage it, but a little bit won’t nosis, you’ll need to contact an avian likely hurt them. Make sure to provide veterinarian or your state veterinary plenty of fresh water for them, in case For more information and to find a retailer, diagnostic lab. they need to dilute out and excrete any please contact us at 800-277-8401. With both of these diseases, you’ll excess. I’d stay away from the potassium probably need to depopulate and clean chloride, just to be safe.

40 Backyard Poultry February/March 2012 www.backyardpoultrymag.com 41 42 Backyard Poultry February/March 2012 www.backyardpoultrymag.com 43 Health: Where Did Those Feathers Go?

Gail Damerow The best plan, of course, is to prevent feather picking from getting started. But once it does get started, you need to take fast ne minute your chickens have a nice, slick coat of action. If feather picking in the brooder draws blood, wipe the feathers, the next minute they look ratty or nearly bloodied quills clean and change the brooder light to a red bulb, naked. Don’t chickens need those feathers? Of which makes blood less readily visible. A number of anti-pick Ocourse they do. A complete set of plumage provides insula- preparations have been suggested over the years, but none of tion against heat and cold, and protects a bird’s body against them works all the time. A better plan is to correct conditions sunburn and injury. When feathers go missing, the bird needs that lead to feather picking. more dietary energy to maintain its proper body temperature Once all other conditions have been optimized, look for while trying to regrow new feathers. Diverting nutrients for ways to relieve boredom. One of the best ways is to give your feather regrowth means hens lay fewer eggs. chickens something interesting to peck at. You might browse So why do chickens lose feathers? For any number of rea- your local pet shop looking for suitable bird toys or opt for sons, some of which can occur at any time of year while others something as simple and inexpensive as a shiny aluminum pie are seasonal. Let’s look at the most common reasons chickens tin hung by a chain or string. Better yet, hang a head of cabbage and other barnyard poultry lose feathers and how we can help to be pecked, or set out a hay bale to be pecked and perched on, our feathered friends remain feathered. to both relieve boredom and furnish dietary fiber. Perches in general give chickens a place to entertain them- Feather Picking selves, as well as providing additional space for them to get away from one another. Affix the lowest perch at least two feet Feather picking is a form of cannibalism that commonly off the floor, and space additional perches at least 18 inches occurs when chicks are first feathering out and when mature apart, to discourage chickens from entertaining themselves by birds are molting. The newly emerging blood-filled quills picking feathers off each other’s butt. attract the attention of flock mates, and once they get a taste Learn more about why chickens peck at each other from they crave more. Blood is full of protein and feathers are full Gail’s article, “Pecking & Picking” in the April/May 2009 of fiber, and birds that are growing new feathers need plenty of issue of Backyard Poultry. — Ed. both. So a diet that’s too low in protein, often caused by feeding too much corn or scratch grain, can trigger feather picking. So can a diet that’s too low in fiber, which may be improved by providing alfalfa (horse hay), whole oats, or fibrous vegetables such as pumpkins and other winter squash, mangels (fodder beets), yams or sweet potatoes, and cabbages. Feather picking often becomes evident when feathers disappear, and sometimes blood appears, at the top of the tail. Aside from nutritional factors, feather picking has many causes, often working in combination. Conditions that can trigger it include these: • Crowding, especially in fast-growing chicks that quickly fill the available space and can’t get away from each other (think how crabby you get when crammed into an over-crowded el- This Treat Ball from evator, subway, or waiting room) Happy Hens Treats is • Bright lights left on 24 hours a day (have you never been designed specifically short-tempered from lack of sleep?) for entertaining • Too-warm housing temperature (a hot day is enough to make chickens. Fill the anyone irritable) 4" diameter ball • Inadequate ventilation (how do you feel when you get stuck with cabbage leaves for too long in a stuffy room?) or other greens to relieve boredom while • Too few feeders and drinkers (well, gosh, eating feathers is providing nutritional better than an empty stomach) fiber. The Treat Ball • Feed and water stations too close together (what better way is especially ideal for to muscle to the front of the chow line than beak-jabbing the distracting chicks in guy ahead of you) a brooder. Photos by • Insufficient opportunities to engage in normal chicken behavior, Byron Parker, Randall especially scratching and pecking the ground (a chicken’s gotta Burkey Company have something to do, even if it’s picking on another chicken) 44 Backyard Poultry Itchy Parasites Reproductive Activities Lice and mites irritate a bird’s skin and feathers, causing the Activities intended for the purpose of making more chicken to peck at itself in trying to relieve the itch. If, in the chickens — laying eggs, fertilizing them, and hatching them process, the chicken pulls out some feathers, and especially if — can cause feather damage and feather loss. For starters, a it injures its own skin, other chickens will join in the pecking. good laying hen puts more energy into laying eggs than into In addition to the feather loss issue, infested chickens don’t lay maintaining plumage and therefore gradually develops a coat well and, because they spend less time mating while they’re busy of dull, broken feathers. As a result, your best layers will look trying to relieve the itch, their eggs are less likely to be fertile. the rattiest. Supplementing their diet with free-choice calcium External parasites may be treated with chemicals such as a in the form of aragonite or crushed oyster shell, along with dust containing carbaryl or a spray containing permethrin. Besides adding a little crushed flaxseed or food-grade linseed oil treating the chickens according to directions on the label, also treat to the layer ration, will help hens maintain smoother, more roosts and nests, as well as cracks and crevices in the coop walls, supple plumage. where parasites may be hiding. Repeat the treatment as necessary A cock intent on mating grabs feathers on the back of a to catch parasites that hatched since the previous treatment. hen’s head with his beak to help balance himself while he Popular non-chemical methods of parasite control include attempts to stand on her back. Over time, the hen’s head sprinkling wood ashes or diatomaceous earth (DE) in nests becomes bare or nearly so. Meanwhile, more often than not, and over the dust bathing area. Chickens are, however, highly while the cock is doing his balancing act his feet slide to the susceptible to respiratory problems, and routinely inhaling these sides so he takes a few quick steps to get a good hold. This abrasive materials can make matters decidedly worse. But if movement of the feet is called treading, and over time results your chickens are infested with harmful parasites, the benefits in the loss of feathers from the hen’s back, especially if the of using ashes or DE may outweigh the dangers. feathers were in poor condition to start with. The feathers have difficulty regrowing both because the cock keeps rubbing them off and because other hens tend to pick off any new feathers that emerge. A hen with missing feathers has little protection from the cock’s sharp spurs and claws, and may develop serious wounds along her sides. Bleeding wounds lead to pecking by other chickens, and deep wounds become infected, possibly resulting in the death of the hen. Before the situation goes that far, take measures as soon as you notice hens are missing feathers because of treading — or even before feathers go missing. The first step is to keep the cock’s toenails properly trimmed, taking care to round off the corners. If you have several cocks, you might house them in separate coops and let each run with the hens for a few hours a week. Each cock will have a different set of favorite hens, offering the others some relief. If you have only one rooster, you might Lice, which can cause itching and feather pulling, are not always divide your hens into two flocks and alternate the cock between easy to see, although their eggs are readily visible in clusters at the two groups. the base of vent feathers. Photo © Nancy C. Hinkle As a temporary measure you might dress each hen — or at least those the cock favors — in a jacket, also known as an apron or saddle, as described in “Saddles for Hens Damaged by Treading” on page 46. Apply the jacket when the hen’s feathers start disappearing, not after she’s already wounded. Such a garment will get your hens safely through the period during which you are collecting fertile eggs, and may also be used to protect a hen’s back if she cannot be separated from the others while feathers regrow and gashes heal. (Hen aprons can also be ordered from our advertiser, Hen Saver online at www.hensaver.com or see page 47. — Ed.) An attack by a hawk or other aerial predator can cause damage that looks an awful lot like treading. This fall one of my Silkie hens suddenly developed a completely bare back. When I examined her I found wounds along her sides and immediately blamed the Silkie cock. As I moved her to safety I wondered Blood-sucking mites cause intense itching and feather pulling, why I hadn’t noticed the problem sooner and why none of the and are easy to spot feeding around the vent, where they blacken other hens showed any signs of treading. Later that same day feathers with blood. Photo by Brad Mullens, © UC Regents. For I had an “ah-ha!” moment when a young red-tail hawk landed additional publications, go to http://animalscience.ucdavis.edu/ at the top of the chain link fence to eye the Silkies remaining avian/pubs.htm. in the yard, and on the ground below the spot where he had February/March 2012 www.backyardpoultrymag.com 45 perched was a large clump of freshly a brood patch because it remains hidden pulled Silkie feathers. I apologized to the while the hen is on the nest, and the Silkie rooster and moved him, along with feathers grow back while the hen broods his harem, to a safer place. her chicks. A Silkie makes a legendary setting hen, and like other setters will develop a defeathered brood patch on her breast. This bare spot serves two purposes: to bring the hen’s body warmth closer to the eggs and to keep the eggs from drying out too fast by lending moisture from her skin. Many people don’t notice

A setting hen develops a defeathered brood patch on her breast, which serves to warm the eggs with her body heat and keep them from drying out. Photo by Gail Damerow

Fall Molting Like most birds, chickens lose and This hen shows classic signs of feather Toward the end of summer some layers look replace their feathers at approximately one- loss and sunburn on her head, back, and nearly bare, resulting from a combination year intervals. The process, called molting, wings due to frequent treading. Photo by of nutritional deficiencies, treading, and occurs over a period of weeks, so a chicken Gail Damerow feather picking. Photo by Dave Carter never looks completely naked — although Saddles for Hens Damaged by Treading

By Gail Damerow, Artwork by Bethany Caskey Reprinted with permission from Storey’s Guide to Raising Chickens A cock may pull out a hen’s feathers while treading during mating. A hen with missing feathers on her back has little protection from the cock’s claws during future mating, and as a result may be seriously wounded. If a hen has her sides sliced up by a rooster’s toenails, isolate the hen and treat the wounds until they heal. To protect hens from particularly brutal roosters, house the cocks in a private coop and let each run with the hens for only a day or two per week. Be sure to keep the cock’s toenails clipped. A temporary solution is to dress each hen in an apron or saddle. You can buy saddles ready-made, or make a quick and inexpensive version from two pieces of canvas or old-fashioned stiff cotton denim stitched together and fitted with elastic straps. Apply the saddle when the hen’s feathers start disappearing, not after she is already wounded. Make a preliminary pattern from the legs of old denim jeans and keep adjusting it until it fits properly. If the saddle is too tight it will chafe, rub off breast feathers, injure the hen’s wings, or strangle the hen. If it’s too loose, it will flop to one side and be useless. To dress a hen, put her head through the center opening between the two elastic straps, then put one wing through each of the other openings so a strap runs beneath each wing. When first dressed, the hen will try to back away from the saddle (please refrain from wounding her dignity by laughing), but soon enough she’ll get used to it. To readily identify each saddled hen, put her leg band number on the saddle using paint, embroidery, machine stitching, or iron-on patches. A saddle is not intended as a permanent fixture on a hen’s back, but will get you through the period during To make a saddle proportioned for a Rhode Island Red hen, you will need which you wish to collect fertile eggs. two pieces of denim or canvas 6-3/8" x 9", two pieces of 1/4" elastic and thread.

46 Backyard Poultry occasionally one comes close. Under natu- can become an issue. Many feed manu- supplemental animal protein will help ral circumstances a chicken molts for 14 to facturers put out both a premium brand them through it, and will also improve the 16 weeks during the late summer or early and a cheaper, less nutritious, brand of plumage quality of show birds. Compared fall, a time during which Backyard Poultry starter and layer ration. If you opt for the to the protein in grains, animal protein is receives numerous e-mails and phone calls cheaper ration most of the year, consider rich in the amino acids a chicken needs from frantic chicken owners wondering switching to the premium brand at least during the molt. Animal protein can come what’s wrong with their hens. during the annual molt. Chickens and from any of the following items: Nothing’s wrong; it’s perfectly nor- other poultry that lack sufficient protein • High-quality cat food (not dog food, mal. Molting is controlled by hormones, in their diet may go through a hard molt, which derives its protein from grains) which are regulated by day length (natu- meaning they look like they’ve been hit • Raw meat from a reliable source (obvi- ral or artificial, or a combination of the by a tornado and the missing feathers ously not chicken) two). Shorter day lengths are a signal to seem to take forever to regrow. • Fish (but don’t feed fish to a chicken birds that it’s time to renew plumage in When chickens are about to molt, you plan to eat anytime soon or the meat preparation for migration and the coming their plumage takes on a dull look. A little may taste fishy) cold weather. The best layers molt late and fast. They lay eggs for a year or more before molting — which is one reason why your best layers look so ragged — and take only 2 to 3 months to finish the molt. The poorest layers start early and molt slowly. They may lay for only a few months before going into a molt, and the molt may take as long as 6 months — which is why the plumage of lazy hens looks shiny and sleek. Culling slow molters is a good way to improve your flock’s laying average. These hens are easy to identify because they start molting before September and drop their wings’ primary flight feathers one at a time, compared to a fast molter that drops primaries in groups. Most hens stop laying while they’re molting. Although no one has found a direct connection between molting and laying, common sense tells you that during a molt nutrients needed to produce eggs are channeled into producing plumage. As a result, most hens stop laying until the molt is complete, so culling during the fall molt on the basis of nonlaying is a bad idea — you could end up getting rid of your best hens. Molting may occur out of season as a result of disease or stress, such as chilling or going without water or feed. A stress- induced molt is usually partial and does not always cause a drop in laying, while a normal full molt is typically accompanied by at least a slowdown. Growing chicks molt several times, developing a complete first set of feathers by about the age of 6 weeks. Thereafter they go through partial molts at 7 to 9 weeks, 12 to 16 weeks, and 20 to 22 weeks, when the stiff tail feathers finally grow in. Since feathers are 85 percent protein, a chicken’s need for dietary protein increases during a molt, when the amount and quality of the protein in their diet February/March 2012 www.backyardpoultrymag.com 47 • Molting food, sold by pet stores for Molting occurs in a specific sequence, pinfeather when the chicken preens. caged song birds (it’s expensive but starting with the head and neck feathers. You may not notice these sheaths, ex- lets you circumvent issues with poten- The newly emerging feathers are called cept on the chicken’s head and neck, tially toxic pet foods and bacteria-laden pinfeathers, or sometimes blood feathers where the bird can’t reach with its meats) because they contain a supply of blood beak. Eventually, these sheaths fall off • Mashed, scrambled, or hard-boiled to nourish the growing feather. Blood or get scratched off by a claw. Chick- eggs feathers, especially around the tail and ens appreciate your help removing the • Sprouted grains and seeds, particularly along the back, attract picking at a time hard-to-reach keratin sheaths by gently alfalfa and sesame seeds (sprouting im- when molting chickens crave additional scraping them off with your fingers, proves the quantity and quality of the protein, so watch for and deal with pick- rubbing the feathers in the direction proteins) ing before it turns into a full-blown case of their growth with a damp cloth, or • Worms (mealworms or earthworms) of cannibalism. Once a feather lightly misting with a spray of plain is fully formed, the blood supply warm water followed by gentle wiping is cut off and no further growth with a dry terry cloth. occurs, which is why broken Sometimes you’ll see one chicken, feathers stay broken until the especially a hen, groom another, espe- next molt. cially a cock, around the head and neck. Each newly emerging feath- You can tell the cock loves it by the way er is covered in a thin sheath he stands there with his eyes closed; you of keratin that comes off the can almost hear him purr like a contented cat. Unfortunately, hens don’t always re- Left: This Royal Palm tom turkey move just the keratin sheaths but in their renewed all his breast and back enthusiasm may entirely denude the neck feathers at the same time, in a of feathers. (At non-molting times of year hard molt resulting from a protein- cock grooming and neck-feather eating deficient diet. Photo by Gail is sometimes initiated by nutritionally Damerow deficient hens.)

molting sequence

1 head

2 neck

3 back 8 tail

5 stern

4 breast 7 wings 6 thighs

Feathers molt in a specific sequence, starting with the head and gradually working toward the tail; some spots may molt simultaneously. Artwork by Bethany Caskey from The Chicken Encyclopedia, an Illustrated Reference

48 Backyard Poultry Feather Regrowth tracts, on a chicken’s skin that are sepa- decidedly slowing regrowth. In such a Feathers that are broken off, leaving a rated by featherless tracts. When feath- case, a chicken jacket may be used to stubby quill sticking out of the skin, won’t ers are missing from part of a tract that protect the area both from sunburn and regrow until the next molt, when the quills adjoins a naturally featherless area, or are from being picked clean. Assuming that fall out naturally to allow new feathers entirely missing between two naturally the quills have been completely removed to emerge. For this reason, chickens and featherless tracts, the chicken develops from their follicles, that feathers don’t other poultry that have had their wings quite a dramatic bare patch. The exposed get picked out as they regrow, and that clipped won’t grow new wing feathers skin may turn bright red as a result of the chicken gets adequate nutrition for until the next molt. Similarly, unless the re- sunburn. Rubbing on a little sunblock feather regrowth, missing feathers should maining quill pieces are removed, clipped will help alleviate discomfort until the grow back within about a month. vent feathers or broken foot feathers won’t protective plumage grows back. regrow until molting time. Feathers attempting to regrow in a Gail Damerow has raised chickens Feathers grow in specific areas, or large bare patch often attract picking, for more than 40 years and has written numerous books about them. Her latest book, The Chicken Encyclopedia: an Illustrated Reference, is reviewed on Feather Tracts page 66. nlike a mammal’s fur, feathers do not cover the chicken’s entire body She shares her poultry-raising exper- surface but grow in narrow, symmetrical tracts. A chicken has 10 distinct tise in these additional books available featherU tracts — head, neck, shoulder, wings, breast, back, abdomen, rump, from our bookstore on page 36: The thigh, and legs — from which the feathers fan out to cover the chicken’s body. Chicken Health Handbook, Your Chick- The feathers’ follicles are linked by a network of tiny muscles that allow a ens, Barnyard in Your Backyard, The chicken to raise and lower its feathers; for instance, to trap warm air by puffing Backyard Homestead Guide to Raising out the feathers in cold weather. Farm Animals, Fences for Pasture & Garden, and the recently updated and revised classic — Storey’s Guide to Rais- ing Chickens, 3rd edition. feather tracts

feather tracts featherless (pterylae) tracts (apteria)

Artwork by Bethany Caskey from The Chicken Encyclopedia, an Illustrated Reference

The feather tracts (technically, pterylae) are separated by featherless areas (apteria) that may contain some down. These bare areas facilitate cooling when a chicken holds out its wings in hot weather; otherwise, no one is exactly sure why chickens and other birds grow feathers in specific tracts.

When plumage is missing from the part of a feather tract that adjoins a naturally featherless tract, the chicken develops a visible bare patch. Photo by Dave Carter

February/March 2012 www.backyardpoultrymag.com 49 Vaccinations for the Small Flock Owner

off their bones. MD is spread via feather Cynthia Smith, DVM dander and is endemic in most flocks of Washington exhibition poultry. How much damage it does depends on a number of factors: ommercial layer flocks are vaccinated against many diseases, usu- 1. Genetic Susceptibility—Some ally on multiple occasions and often breeds, such as Silkies and Sebrights, asC an aerosol administered to hundreds are known for their susceptibility to this or thousands of birds at one time. These disease. Some lines within a breed may birds are tightly confined, genetically also be less resistant than other lines. My similar, and heavily crowded—all pre- Polish were always extremely resistant to scriptions for rampant disease outbreaks. MD. I never vaccinated and never lost a Consequently, large scale producers bird until I bought some lovely birds from practice extreme biosecurity (not even al- a different bloodline. The losses among lowing employees to own or have contact these individuals were so dramatic that with other poultry), all in-all out housing I now vaccinate every chick I hatch for (complete depopulation of flock), and Marek’s, rather than just the Silkies as I prophylactic use of antibiotics. originally started with. On the other hand, The decision to vaccinate your flock is Backyard poultry lovers, on the other many breeders argue that, by vaccinat- a personal management decision. If you hand, never take their birds anywhere and ing and then breeding these birds, we never expose your flock to any disease, may have only a few birds, all purchased perpetuate genetic weakness. They are, there may be no need to vaccinate. If as chicks. Many of them have never heard of course, quite correct. The Darwinians you do expose your flock to any potential of vaccines for chickens. among us recommend that we vaccinate disease, such as at a poultry show, We small flock hobbyists, on the none of our birds, breed those that sur- vaccination is a must. Photo courtesy of other hand, deliberately take our birds to vive, and thus produce healthier birds Laura Haggarty, Kentucky. shows and fairs—where they are exposed down the line. There is much to be said to other birds for days at a time, often mix for this philosophy, particularly in those experts recommend mixing birds of dif- different ages of poultry in our flocks, and breeds already noted for their hardiness. ferent ages, or at least waiting until young may buy adult birds from across the coun- Those who pride themselves on produc- birds are five months old to introduce try—potentially introducing new groups ing heritage and free-ranging breeds, for them to the flock. of diseases from who knows where. It is instance, may wish to deliberately choose 3. Other poultry—Running turkeys not surprising then, that our needs for not to vaccinate, specifically in order to with your chickens is a time-honored vaccination are quite different. weed out weaker individuals from the way to naturally vaccinate against MD. As a veterinarian, fancier, and exhibi- genetic pool. Alternatively, those of us Turkeys carry a similar virus which is tor, I have been researching this topic. I who breed “hothouse varieties,” such not pathogenic to chickens but which will warn you that I still consider myself as Polish and Silkies for exhibition, is genetically similar enough to induce a novice, having gotten my first pure- already recognize that these birds, at an immune response to the real Marek’s bred poultry just a little over four years least with the extreme features (such as virus, rather like cow pox vaccinates ago. Nevertheless, here are some of my large crests) necessary to be competi- humans against small pox. While it is thoughts thus far. No doubt they will tive, are already man-made creations not beneficial to the chickens, co-mingling change as I learn more on the subject. adapted to survive in the wild. Breeders these two species constitutes a risk to the Marek’s Disease of these varieties are far less likely to be turkeys, as chickens may be a source of willing to sacrifice what are often the the organism which causes “blackhead,” This debilitating illness claimed the best conformed individuals in a hatch to a fatal disease of turkeys. For this reason, lives of over a dozen of my Silkies when what is essentially a preventable disease. many breeders raise the two species sepa- it was first introduced to my flock after I Similarly, pet poultry people find heavy rately, but then “salt” the chick feed with purchased two new birds a few years ago. losses to disease emotionally draining dried turkey manure in order to impart Signs of Marek’s Disease (MD) include and unacceptable. They too are likely to the same protection without endangering tumor development and neurological vaccinate rather than watch a proportion their turkeys. signs such as paralysis of a leg or wing. of their pets die unnecessarily. Assuming one is neither a Darwinian, Often, birds with MD just fade away, 2. Exposure before the age of 16 nor a turkey-fancier, vaccination against sitting in a corner, hunched, with feath- weeks—Older birds are far more likely MD is the logical course. ers fluffed, while the weight just melts to survive infection with MD. Therefore, Chicks purchased from a hatchery

50 Backyard Poultry can arrive vaccinated for a small fee. import who started the whole thing, were The breeder must, however, vaccinate dead. Many others were saved with good the chicks he produces. As the vaccine nursing care. Pox lesions start out looking itself is inexpensive—about $19, though like a vesicle or blister, then crust over. overnight shipping on ice often raises the There are wet and dry pox forms — pri- price significantly—the small producer’s marily relating to whether the bird has question is more often, “What the heck internal lesions as well as external. The do I do with 1,000 doses?” The vaccine wet or internal form is more likely to be is labeled for use on day-old chicks only. fatal. We stopped the cycle by vaccinating The small breeder may hatch only a few every bird on the place, and you can bet chicks each week and end up throwing I will continue to vaccinate yearly rather away 98% of the vaccine. This does than ever go through that again! (Notice become cost-prohibitive in a short time. how all my lessons seem to be learned the Many breeders attempt to split the vial hard way...) of vaccine, but I have always considered this risky. Live virus vaccines are notoriously easy to kill and what is the point of vaccinating at all if the vaccine becomes ineffective? I recently attended a con- A Polish frizzle with fowl pox. The severity ference on pet poultry medicine, where of fowl pox lesions can vary from mild to very severe. Fortunately, most birds will I was assured by several top people in get better in a few weeks. If the lesions are the field that the MD vaccine is equally in a bird’s mouth or throat, it may refuse to effective whether the chick is 1 day, 1 eat or drink, causing additional problems. month, or 1 year old. The trick is that Photo courtesy of Cynthia Smith, DVM. the vaccine will, of course, be rendered ineffective if the bird has already been wounds on their faces and combs were not exposed to MD. healing because they were now infected I generally hatch chicks from Febru- by fowl pox. It was mosquito season here, ary until April, then vaccinate everyone so by the time I figured it out, eight good at once, along with vaccinating any newly birds, including the expensive Florida acquired chicks or adults at the same time. I usually call in reinforcements (my 4-Hers) for this in order to get through the process in under an hour. Usually with one kid holding birds and the rest taking them out and putting them back in their pens, the process goes pretty quickly. I use tuberculin syringes (1 cc total) and preload them with 5 doses. Then I vaccinate each chick with 0.2 cc at the nape of the neck. By the time I get around to vaccinating, I’ve usually culled a fair number of my chicks, so the chicks which are sold/given away before the process are not vaccinated. This year I hatched about 300 chicks but only vaccinated 86. I always intend to finish hatching by April 1st, always change my mind, and end up doing one more follow up round of vaccination for the stragglers. Fowl Pox This is a horrible disease—very pain- ful for the birds involved and often, though not always, fatal. The disease is primarily blood-borne, being spread by mosquitoes and fight wounds. The stunning little show bird I bought last summer got into a fence fight with another rooster. It took me a long time to realize that the two birds’ fight February/March 2012 www.backyardpoultrymag.com 51 This vaccine is given in the wing by actually causing a mild form of the ing a carrier state. It can be purchased web with a nasty-looking little two- disease and renders the bird a carrier. I only from the company in lots of 10 and pronged instrument that you poke all have been reluctant to use this vaccine must be used within an hour like most the way through the wing. It’s pretty precisely because I often sell or give of the other vaccines. I believe cost was creepy the first few times. There are two away birds to other fanciers and I have no about $50-$60 a vial. I tried to get other different vaccines: a weaker vaccine for desire to cause them trouble by sending in fanciers to go in with me on the product, use in birds as young as one day old, and a carrier bird to possibly infect their clean then contacted Peter Brown, DVM at a vaccine for birds over the age of six flock with ILT. I also feel a vaccinated First State Veterinary Supply to see if weeks which produces a longer lasting bird is a real risk to the unvaccinated bird his company would consider carrying immunity. This year, I used the weaker in the cage next to it at a show. Indeed, it the vaccine for individuals to purchase product. Several young birds and adults may actually be the practice of vaccinat- in smaller lots. It was his opinion that still became ill — sitting all fluffed up ing for ILT which is responsible for the the vaccine may not provide adequate in a corner, obviously feeling poorly. I show-related outbreaks. I have been very protection against ILT. He advises vac- saved all of these birds as long as I took interested in the two “vector” vaccines, cinating with a product known as ILT- them inside for a couple of days and which incorporate part of the ILT virus IVAX, produced by Schering Plough. gave them a little TLC (vitamins, food, in a larger virus in order to vaccinate for Although this vaccine is again a live warmth, etc.) The one bird I procrasti- both diseases without creating a carrier virus given as an eye drop, the company nated on did die. state for either. These are now in com- claims it is a greatly weakened vaccine mercial use. One of these incorporates a which will not produce a carrier state Infectious Laryngotracheitis vaccine for MD with ILT. The problem as will the other eye drop vaccines. As As I write this, the Infectious Lar- with this vaccine is that it must be stored I said, I have yet to use it. yngotracheitis (ILT) vaccine lingers in and shipped in liquid nitrogen, raising my refrigerator, unused as yet. When I the cost to astronomical for the small In summary, should you vaccinate attended the Polish and Silkie nationals producer. your small flock? If you never bring in in Tennessee last year, I heard multiple The second vaccine is more promis- adult birds and practice strict confine- horror stories about this virus wiping out ing, this is Vectormune FP ILT- produced ment after shows and fairs, maybe not. entire flocks after a show. The problem by Ceva. This vaccine—given in the On the other hand, it is a terrible thing to is that ILT vaccine is generally adminis- wing web and stored at regular refrigera- watch your birds die from a preventable tered as an eyedrop — a live virus given tor temperatures—would protect against disease—I should know. An important directly on mucous membranes. It works both fowl pox and ILT without produc- caveat is that all these vaccines are live viral vaccines and, as such, potentially contagious to other birds while their bodies are establishing immunity to the pathogen. Therefore, timing of vaccination is critical! Don’t be like me and get up one Saturday, say, “Oh, I think I’m finished hatching, let’s vaccinate everyone,” only to realize that evening that you’ve just knocked every chicken you own out of the big spring show the following month. Birds should not be vaccinated within 60 days of a show to be safe and some birds, which are known carriers, ought not be exhibited at all. I hope my experiences, and mistakes, may be useful to someone else.

Learn more about infectious laryngotracheitis on page 54.—Ed.

Cynthia Smith, DVM, graduated from Washington State College of Veterinary Medicine in 1987. She is a partner at The Pet Doctor in Tacoma, Washington where she practices canine reproductive medicine. She has shown horses and dogs and now exhibits poultry. She and her son Rob breed and show bantam Polish, bantam Araucanas, Silkies, Seramas, and a few ducks and geese.

52 Backyard Poultry With Manna Pro, feel free to put all your eggs in one basket.

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Don Monke, DVM A requirement for ILT is not stated partment of Agriculture titled “Vaccine-like Ohio for poultry originating from flocks in Infectious Laryngotracheitis (ILT)” dated Michigan and exhibited in Michigan. March 24, 2011 provides answers to this poultry management ques- A poultry fancier not from Michigan question. The report states that: tion occasionally asked by ex- may have several responses after reading hibitors concerns whether they those Health Requirements. They may “Birds that have received the chicken Ashould vaccinate their flock for one or 1) be happy they have not vaccinated embryo origin [CEO] ILT vaccine may show symptoms later on and shed the more diseases of poultry. For backyard their flock for ILT and in turn will send virus. Symptoms of ILT and shedding poultry flocks, the primary diseases an entry to the show secretary, or, 2) if of the virus can occur when the bird has considered are Marek’s Disease (MD) their flock has been vaccinated for ILT been stressed.” and Infectious Laryngotracheitis (ILT). they may decide to not show their birds “Chickens treated with CEO vaccine This article will discuss ILT. Whether in Michigan. can become carriers of the virus, putting you vaccinate your flock, or not, is a I had a third response, which is ex- unvaccinated flocks at risk.” personal management decision for each pressed as a question: Why would a state fancier. This article will provide some have a requirement that forbids poultry These statements provide an obvious technical and regulatory information to from entering the state for a show or ex- concern about the CEO vaccine for ILT. consider when making a decision. hibition if the bird has been vaccinated This concern is corroborated in a Fact I started pondering this issue after for ILT? I speculate the requirement was Sheet (#821) from the University of receiving a premium for the Michigan written to protect poultry flocks in the Maryland Cooperative Extension Service Poultry Fanciers show held twice a year. state of Michigan from being inadver- which states “the chick embryo origin In the entry premium for the show it intently infected with a live strain of ILT, (CEO) vaccine cannot be used without cluded the following health requirement albeit a vaccine strain. The implication is written authorization by the Maryland for ILT pertinent to poultry “imported” that the vaccine virus for ILT may cause Department of Agriculture.” to Michigan from other states: as much of a problem or health concern There are three types of vaccines as an active infection case of ILT. for ILT: “Poultry vaccinated for Infectious That leads to another question: Is vac- 1. Chicken embryo origin (CEO) Laryngotracheitis (ILT) shall not be cination for ILT really that potent? Or per- vaccine that may be administered by an imported into this state unless permission haps the question should be: “Is vaccination eye drop or mass vaccination such as from the director is granted.” for ILT likely to transmit vaccine virus to spray or via the water. It provides good non-vaccinated and susceptible poultry?” immunity but can cause severe clinical An article from the Washington State De- signs and disease.

Vaccination for ILT is by the eyedrop method, allowing one drop of the rehydrated vaccine to fall into the open To prepare the ILT vaccine, some of the eye of the bird. Initial vaccination is sterile diluent is mixed into the vaccine ...then transferred back to the diluent recommended at 4 weeks of age. vial to rehydrate the vaccine plug, ... vial to make the final vaccine product.

54 Backyard Poultry 2. Tissue culture origin (TCO) vac- Such statements contradict each cine. It has a relatively low level of other and result in confusion, misunder- infectiousness and is administered by an standing, or uncertainty regarding the eye drop. The level of immunity is less vaccination of backyard poultry for ILT. but it causes a less severe reaction and The answer to these statements pertains the birds do not shed the virus. to the type of ILT vaccine used. As stated 3. Recombinant ILT vaccines. It is in the University of Maryland Extension administered as a single dose by sub- Service Fact Sheet: cutaneous injection on day 1 or in older birds. This vaccine does not cause shed- “There are different types of vaccines ding of the virus. This vaccine is more that can be used to control ILT, but expensive. only one should be used, if at all, in noncommercial poultry. Owners should I think this is an important topic for consider the tissue culture origin (TCO) poultry fanciers and persons raising vaccine, which is administered by simple backyard poultry. I have attended many eye drop. Administration of this vaccine shows over the last 15 years and have should occur at least 30 days prior to heard statements like: shows and fairs.” “My birds got laryngo after a show and many birds at home got sick in the It is important when discussing the following week or two. I now vaccinate vaccination of poultry for ILT that the my flock every year.” type of vaccine used must be stated. “That vaccine is as bad as the dis- Without that clarification, a lot of mis- ease. Why would I want to vaccinate my understanding occurs. birds and have them get sick from the The Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal vaccine?” Health Corporation has made a TCO vac- “I heard from an extension agent that cine for ILT that provides good immunity I should vaccinate my flock annually and and the vaccine virus was not spread to that it does not cause any problems for contact control (unvaccinated) birds. The my birds or others. Why doesn’t everyone vaccine is called LT-IVAX. In vaccine vaccinate their flock?” trials, some of the vaccinated birds de-

February/March 2012 www.backyardpoultrymag.com 55 veloped antibodies as soon as four weeks antibodies when exposed to the recently live-virus vaccine within 30 days of post-vaccination and more developed vaccinated chickens. import.” antibodies by six and eight weeks after So, as stated previously, if you are go- Texas states “that the poultry have vaccination. The non-vaccinated contact ing to vaccinate your flock for ILT, use a not originated from an area that has had control birds did not develop antibodies TCO type vaccine. The LT-IVAX vaccine is active Laryngotracheitis within the last at any tme even though they resided with one product available to poultry fanciers. 30 days” and “no modified live virus the recently vaccinated chickens. When Let’s now return to the original dis- chick embryo origin Laryngotracheitis the two groups were challenged with cussion about the regulatory concerns (LT) vaccine….may be used on poultry ILT virus, none of the vaccinates showed pertinent to ILT. I wondered if other entering the State.” clinical signs of ILT disease. They were states had written health requirements Interestingly, Pennsylvania (1997) protected. However, 60% of the contact pertinent to the transport of poultry vac- stated an intrastate requirement for poul- control birds died after exposure to ILT cinated for ILT. I reviewed the animal try destined for shows or exhibitions (Part virus and the other birds had clinical dis- health import requirements of 25 states 3.196): “Pennsylvania chickens moved ease. This challenge study confirmed that (AR, CA, CO, CT, IA, ID, IL, IN, KY, to shows and exhibitions shall be from the contact control birds did not develop MA, ME, MI, MN, MT, NY, OH, OK, flocks participating in a verified vaccina- OR, PA, SC, TX, VA, WA, WI, WV). tion program against laryngotracheitis in All states include conditions regarding accord with Department specifications.” a certificate of veterinary inspection, That is, rather than writing a require- testing for Salmonella pullorum- ment to protect poultry within a state typhoid or participation in the National by prohibiting entry of birds exposed to Antibiotic Free Chicks Poultry Improvement Plan (NPIP), and a specific disease or vaccinated with a Start your flock with a strong, some states mention avian influenza type of vaccine, Pennsylvania protects natural immune system. and/or Enzootic Newcastle Disease. its poultry from ILT by requiring in-state 6 or More Baby Chicks Only three of these 25 states included poultry going to shows or exhibitions to Only $1.95 each! a statement about ILT for poultry im- be part of a vaccination program. ported into the state: Michigan, Mon- After considering this topic, it is obvi- (727) 388-9456 tana, and Texas. ous that ILT is a disease of concern within Quality Poultry Products for less: Michigan has already been dis- the poultry industry, but the approach DiscountPoultrySupply.com cussed. to control is variable among states and Montana states “all poultry must among fanciers. Each person must de- email: [email protected] not be vaccinated or exposed to termine what risk they are willing to take and if they want to vaccinate their flock annually. But if a vaccination program is instituted, it seems clear that a TCO vaccine is the best product.

References: http://agr.wa.gov/FoodAnimal/Avi- anHealth/Docs/iltfactsheet.pdf http://extension.umd.edu/publications/PDFs/FS821.pdf http://www.intervetusa.com/ products/130_163337/productde- tails_130_163661.aspx

Dr. Don Monke is Chairman of the Health & Regulations Committee of the ABA. He is also President of the Wyandotte Breeders of America club. Dr. Monke has achieved Master Exhibitor Status within the American Poultry Association.

This article was reprinted with permission from the American Bantam As- sociation’s November 2011 Newsletter. To learn more about the American Bantam Association, visit: www.bantamclub.com; write: P.O. Box 127, Augusta, NJ 07822; call: (973) 383-8633 or see their ad on page 12.

56 Backyard Poultry February/March 2012 www.backyardpoultrymag.com 57 Light Management

How to Ensure Egg Laying During the Darkest Days of Winter

twain lOckhart into a timer and have it come on early these scratch blocks, which can keep nutrena POultry cOnsultant enough in the morning to give the birds winter birds busy for hours of pecking 15 hours of daylight, and they will lay and scratching. Look for the Nutrena® aising healthy layer hens is an well all winter. NatureWise® Scratch Block at your lo- investment in fresh, wholesome If you want to conserve electricity, cal Nutrena feed dealer. Reggs. Yet keeping those hens up consider an automatic light system featur- to production year-round, especially ing a photocell, a plug-in timer and a light Minimize Stress: It’s not uncommon during the darkest days of winter, re- fixture with a compact fluorescent bulb. for hens to stop laying for a couple of quires extra care. Set the timer to activate light at 5 a.m. weeks if they have experienced emo- Extreme cold can certainly reduce and shut off at 8 p.m. When the photocell tional trauma. Keep disturbances to a egg production. But darkness is the main senses adequate daylight coming through minimum and their routine on track. reason production begins to slow in late the coop window, it will cut power to the fall. Research shows that chickens lay best light to minimize power consumption. Caution with Pullets when they receive about 15 hours of light As with older hens, light will stimu- daily. In the northern part of the United Where to Place Lamps late the reproductive cycles of a pullet States, natural daylight can drop to under The distribution of light depends on (a female chicken under 16 weeks). If nine hours or less. This makes supplemen- lamp placement. Place lamps so that grown under too much artificial light too tal (or artificial) lighting a must. maximum illumination is spread over soon, the young chick can develop sexu- the largest area. In other words, don’t ally before her body is ready to support The Connection Between just light the nest box. Hang a bulb or laying eggs. Prevent complications by Light and Layers lamp at the top of the coop to spread the not using supplemental light (other than The science behind light and laying light. Also, beware of dirty lamps. They for heat) before pullets reach 16 weeks is fairly simple. Birds sense light through can decrease light output by as much as or weigh two pounds. their eyes (retinal photoreceptors) and 15 to 20 percent, so clean lamps at least through photosensitive cells in the brain. once a week. Winter Eggspectations When a hen sees light – natural and/or Despite the most diligent supplemen- artificial – the light stimulates a gland A Few More Tips tal light therapy, some decline in winter within the eye. The gland, in turn, releases Assuming you’re providing adequate egg production is normal. The question a hormone that stimulates egg laying. nutrition, fresh water and safe surrounds, is, how much? Results can vary widely It makes sense that egg production there are a few additional ways to keep based on breeds and ages, but here are is stimulated in poultry by increasing wintering hens happy. some very general guidelines. day length. In nature, as day length ap- Normally, a flock of healthy birds proaches 14 hours per day in early spring, Keep the Coop Cozy: Chickens are re- won’t stop laying completely in winter, chickens begin laying eggs. This gives silient birds and tolerate temperature ex- but their production will be lower as the chicks the best chance to thrive during tremes well. But, like humans, they will days shorten. In general, domestic chick- warm summer months and mature before suffer in cold winter drafts. Make sure ens begin to lay at approximately 16 to 20 harsher weather. By providing artificial the coop is free of drafts during winter weeks of age and will lay between 20 to light, growers can manipulate this natural (but don’t compromise ventilation). You 23 dozen eggs the first year. That’s about cycle and increase the duration of egg want hens to direct their nutrient re- one egg a day for a period of four to six laying. serves to egg production, not the battle days, with a day or two off for rest. Dur- to stay warm. ing the coldest, darkest winter months, How Much Light? egg production will drop to about three Setting up a simple light controlled Relieve Cabin Fever: Chickens enjoy to four eggs per week. by a timer solves the problem of wan- going outside, even if it’s cold, but most If a hen has been through its first ing sunlight. The same silver reflector don’t like to walk on snow or in the rain. molt — around 14 months — she’ll lay lamps used for brooding chicks work During cold snowy weather, hens may larger but fewer eggs per year, about 16 well for winter light. A nine-watt compact get cabin fever. A good way to perk to 18 dozen. For these hens, their winter fluorescent bulb is all that’s needed for them up is to provide a block of grain production will drop to about two or three a typical backyard coop. Plug the light mixed with minerals. Feed stores sell eggs per week. 58 Backyard Poultry Egg Production Basics Before you focus exclusively on lighting, remember the other factors that impact egg production. They include: • Age — the hen may be too young or too old • Decreasing day length/molting — the hen may be taking time off from laying to build up body reserves • Egg-eaters — the chickens are eating the eggs before you can gather them • Undiscovered nest — the hen is laying, you just haven’t found the eggs • Undiscovered pest – the hen is laying, but something (dog, skunk, raccoon, etc.) is eating the eggs • Improper nutrition — not enough energy or an overall unbalanced diet is harming egg production • Disease — health issues are impacting the hen’s egg production

For sure, newly laid eggs in the nest are the jewels of poultry keeping. With extra care paid to light management, you can count on abundant fresh eggs through every season, including winter.

Learn more about Nutrena products in their ad on page 13. — Ed. Have You Hugged Your Backyard Poultry T-Shirt Order Form All T-shirts are $14.00 each and available in red or navy blue. CHICKEN Today? Please specify size(s) and color(s). Youth size 14-16 Color______Quantity____ $ Tell the world how you really feel... Adult size medium Color______Quantity____ $ with a High-Quality, Adult size large Color______Quantity____ $ Backyard Poultry Adult size XL Color______Quantity____ $ T-shirt. Adult size 2XL Color______Quantity____ $ Available in two colors, and two styles. Adult size 3XL Color______Quantity____ $ Women’s cut size medium Color______Quantity____ $ Front: Women’s cut size large Color______Quantity____ $ Women’s cut size XL Color______Quantity____ $ Women’s cut size 2XL Color______Quantity____ $ Order total $______S&H $4 first item, $1 each add'l item $______Subtotal $______WI residents add 5.5% sales tax $______Total enclosed $______Name: ______Address: ______Only $14 each City:______State:______Zip:______Back: m Check Enclosed m Charge my credit card: Visa/MC/AmEx/Disc No.:______Exp.:_____ ORDER YOURS TODAY! Signature:______Phone:______

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February/March 2012 www.backyardpoultrymag.com 59 Financial OPPOrtunities: Supermarket Chicken: A New Model

The on-farm abattoirs at White Oak Pastures. The poultry plant is on the right. Photos courtesy of Angie Mosier.

harvey ussery after majoring in animal science at the entire farm. (The array will be expanded www.themOdernhOmestead.us University of Georgia and eventually to generate 100 kilowatts in 2012.) White took over the farm’s management entirely, Oak also uses solar thermal technology to ecent years have brought an enor- continued to follow these established heat the wash down water for its process- mous increase in the number of paradigms of beef production. But he was ing facilities. Rsmall farmers producing broilers more and more troubled by the negative In 2010 Harris came to see a beef- and other dressed poultry for local mar- impacts of artificial inputs on his soil and only farm as monocultural, and added kets. For consumers completely depen- artificial feeding on his cattle, and more sheep and poultry (initially chickens and dent on supermarkets to feed their fami- and more pained by their inhumane treat- turkeys), trying for a closer approxima- lies, however, there has been little choice ment as they endured shipment of up to tion on the farm of nature itself—what he other than the mediocre, even dangerous thirty hours without feed, water, or rest to terms the “Serengeti model”—in which output of the industrial poultry giants. feedlots in Nebraska and Iowa. In 1995 large ruminants are followed by small Fortunately, since White Oak Pastures he abandoned hormone implants, antibi- ruminants, followed in turn by birds, in southwest Georgia added poultry to otics, and the feeding of grain, and began each species filling crucial ecological its offerings of beef and lamb, consum- a transition to an exclusively grass-fed niches: The cattle thrive on the grasses, ers in the Southeast now have supermar- production model. Rather than shipping the sheep eat the weeds, and the poultry ket access to high-quality poultry raised feeder calves a thousand miles, he began help control insect populations. on pasture and processed under sanitary finishing them on the farm and having More prosaically: The cattle are conditions. them butchered at a local custom abattoir. moved every day, rotating through a se- The story of White Oak Pastures is In 2000 he terminated all use of chemical ries of 20- to 45-acre paddocks defined one of ongoing evolution. It was founded fertilizers and pesticides on the farm’s with high-tensile wire, each paddock as a beef cattle farm in 1866 by James 2,000 acres (1,000 of them leased). Like containing a watering tank and enough Edward Harris, great-grandfather of the many of the most creative farmers of our trees to shade the herd. Neither the sheep current owner, Will Harris, and has been day, he had concluded that the key to prog- nor the poultry are confined by the wire, operated by successive generations ever ress may well be a giant step backward, so they range where they please, though since. Together with almost all segments and he returned to raising beef cattle much they tend to follow the cattle. of American agriculture following World as his great-grandfather had. Addition of pastured poultry to the War II, Harris’s father enthusiastically But Harris did not remain bound to mix led in 2011 to the addition of a com- adopted a new model for beef farming— a static model from the past. In 2005 he panion processing plant for poultry. based on mechanization; use of pesticides built an on-farm, two-and-a-half-million- and chemical fertilizers; forcing faster dollar USDA-inspected beef abattoir to The Pastured Poultry Mix growth of cattle with hormone implants eliminate the stress of transporting his Livestock management at White and by feeding them corn and soy (laced animals to slaughter elsewhere and to Oak Pastures is certified as humane by with antibiotics) in lieu of grass and hay; achieve complete control over the final four nationwide and global certification and on shipping calves to distant feedlots product he offers his customers. agencies, including Animal Welfare Ap- rather than finishing, slaughtering, and In 2010, Harris installed a 50-kilowatt proved and Certified Humane. While distributing them locally. solar array that saves White Oak thirty such certification reassures White Oak’s Harris, who worked with his father to forty percent of energy costs for the customers that their dollars do not sup- 60 Backyard Poultry port an industrial production model that is unspeakably cruel, humane treatment is truly just a matter of empathy and common sense. As Harris observes, “If you would like to open up a lawn chair and drink a couple of glasses of wine while you watch [your animals], then you have good animal welfare. No normal person enjoys watching a hen in a battery cage or a sow in a farrowing crate, or a steer wading in its own excrement.” For all its livestock, whether ruminant or poultry, humane certification requires first and foremost that the animals not be confined, but be allowed to range over high quality pasture. All the poultry at White Oak—chickens, turkeys, geese, ducks, and guineas—range freely over the same pastures as the cattle and White Oak’s pastured poultry mix includes ducks and geese, who enjoy the many sheep. ponds on the farm. Indeed, I do not know of any other pastured poultry operation that is as of Gainesville, Georgia, from American site’s library: www.backyardpoultrymag. absolute in its definition of “free range” parent breeds exclusively, as a more ro- com/library.html. See their ad on page as White Oak’s. Its broilers are not even bust pastured alternative to the Cornish 55. — Ed.) confined by electronet fencing, but wan- Cross. The farm raises 2500 chicks per In contrast to pastured poultry opera- der over the pastures with no restriction week, in batches of 500 each in large cir- tions in much of the country, the mild cli- whatever—as Harris puts it, they “could cular brooders. The chicks remain in the mate in southern Georgia enables White walk to Atlanta, if they wanted to.” brooder two or three weeks and, as soon Oak Pastures to continue raising pastured White Oak raises 130,000 broilers a as they are well feathered, go directly out broilers twelve months of the year. year on its own 1,000 acres. Will Harris onto the pastures. White Oak also has a couple of hun- calls his customized broiler strain “T- (Danny Eiland’s S & G Poultry was dred layer hens in the mix, and will soon Rex Reds,” since their robustness and listed as a source of chick stock for increase that number to a thousand, in or- go-get-’em behavior bring to his mind pastured broilers in “Sunday Dinner der to provide more eggs to its markets. Tyrannosaurus rex dinosaurs. They are Chicken: Alternatives to the Cornish Beginning in 2010, White Oak has a fast growing, proprietary hybrid meat Cross,” first published in the April/May been raising American Standard Bronze strain developed by White Oak in coop- 2009 issue of Backyard Poultry, now turkeys, a heritage breed known for its eration with its supplier, S & G Poultry available on the Backyard Poultry web- rich flavor. In its first year, White Oak marketed 1,000 turkeys, then increased production to 2,000 in 2011. Next year it will probably raise about 5,000. In 2011 White Oak added ducks, geese, and guineas to its pastured poultry mix. Like the chickens and turkeys, these species are entirely free-ranging, and the waterfowl enjoy the use of the many ponds scattered around the farm’s pastures. All the poultry have as much access to shelter as they desire, in the form of 82 range houses, each 14 x 20 feet and mounted on skids. The shelters are moved by tractor as required to provide fresh grass for the birds and to fertilize targeted sections of pasture. All the droppings of the birds are thus “digested” by the pasture sward and boost its fertility, rather than becoming a source of runoff pollution. White Oak Pastures starts 2,500 chicks per week, year round, for sales in six states in Though White Oak’s poultry get a the Southeast. good deal of their nutrition from the February/March 2012 www.backyardpoultrymag.com 61 at any time, and the poultry abattoir has the capacity for that level of processing. The step up in production will come as soon as the farm increases sales through its distribution network. The farm has been selling its turkeys through its online store and three farmers markets in Atlanta. Whole Foods markets recently began offering White Oak Pas- tures turkeys throughout the Southeast. To this point, White Oak has raised turkeys for the classic “turkey seasons” only—Thanksgiving and Christmas. However, Harris plans to start raising smaller groups of turkeys throughout the year to test the out-of-season market.

Movable range houses like these (82 in all) provide shelter on the pastures for all the A Change in the Status Quo? poultry. The water truck makes provision of water more efficient. Readers of my articles in Backyard Poultry who know that I favor home and pasture, unlike the ruminants they cannot in industrial poultry processing, which is local small farm production of poultry subsist entirely on what they forage there. the source of most of the contamination of may be surprised I am so excited about The farm supplements their foraged diet typical supermarket chicken by salmonella a producer operating at White Oak’s with a wild game bird mix, purchased and campylobacter. White Oak personnel scale and marketing to supermarkets in locally—various millets, sorghum, further guard against bacterial contamina- six states. But there are many consum- sunflower seeds, and the like in lieu of tion by regular testing of dressed carcasses ers in those states whose sole source of the typical mix of corn, soy, and small for pathogens. table poultry is the supermarket, in large grains—and entirely free of antibiotics White Oak is committed to a zero part because of the demise of small local and synthetic additives. waste policy with regard to both its poultry abattoirs. It is a welcome devel- Guardian dogs—seven Great Pyr- beef and its poultry processing plants, opment indeed that such customers now enees—provide full-time protection and takes care to reclaim the resource have the option of choosing poultry that against predators for all the poultry, and potential of all slaughter wastes. Blood was raised healthfully and humanely, for the sheep and cattle as well. and softer tissues go into an anaerobic ranging freely on green pasture rather Like Joel Salatin’s layer flocks, which digester, which converts them to liquid than crowded with tens of thousands of follow his beef cattle in the grazing rota- fertilizer. Tissues that are more difficult their fellows in factory conditions over tion, the chickens, turkeys, and guineas to break down—tendons and tissues their accumulating wastes. pick apart the cowpies to break pathogen high in fat, for example—are composted A fundamental law of the market is and parasite cycles, disperse their fertility in windrows that include as well “gin One dollar, one vote, which is to say that over the entire sward—and glean high- waste” (cotton mill residues) and pulver- any purchase is first and foremost a vote for protein feed in the form of fly larvae as ized bone from the beef abattoir. Both the more of the same. One thing White Oak’s a bonus. solid compost and the liquid fertilizer are customers are voting for is a production applied to the farm’s hay fields and to model in which manure from market flocks Slaughter pastures outside the current rotation. is a resource that builds soil and contributes In September, 2011, Harris opened Wash water from both abattoirs passes to agricultural sustainability, not an addition his second processing plant, the only on- into White Oak’s water treatment plant, to a deepening stain of environmental pol- farm USDA-inspected poultry abattoir in where it is prepared for use as irrigation lution. (If you doubt the role of industrial the Southeast, at a cost of one and a half water on the farm’s pastures. poultry as a major factor in pollution of million dollars and with a capacity of our streams and estuaries, please see the more than 200,000 birds a year. Marketing disturbing two-hour documentary Poisoned Typical processing volume in the poul- White Oak sells its free-range pas- Waters, available on DVD from Public try abattoir is 500 broilers per day (soon tured broilers in its online store; Whole Broadcasting System.) to increase to 800 per day). In contrast to Foods markets in Georgia, Florida, Ala- Perhaps even more important to con- an industrial plant that might process up bama, South Carolina, North Carolina, sumers who seek out White Oak’s poultry to 500,000 broilers per day on high-speed and Tennessee; and restaurants and health is concern for the safety of what they put mechanized lines, production at White food stores via four distributors. At the on their family’s table. Perhaps they have Oak features automation of scalding and time of this writing, White Oak was mar- read reports from Consumer Reports— plucking only. Evisceration is done en- keting 2,500 broilers a week, though Har- three to date—of random sampling of tirely by hand, a point worth emphasizing, ris wants to increase production to 4,000 supermarket broilers from all over the since a Consumer Reports study found per week. His supplier, S & G Poultry, nation, revealing that they are routinely that it is evisceration, handled robotically is ready to supply that number of chicks (well over half in all samplings) contami-

62 Backyard Poultry nated by salmonella or campylobacter, that Big Poultry will be inspired to follow or both. (Even mass market “organic” suit. If it does not, it may well be supplant- broilers—so certified because they are ed by other producers entering the market fed certified-organic feeds even though at the supermarket scale who follow the they are raised in high-confinement new model at White Oak Pastures. facilities by the tens of thousands rather than on pasture—revealed 57 percent Harvey Ussery is the author of The contamination by campylobacter.) Or Small-Scale Poultry Flock (Chelsea perhaps they read the study from the Green, 2011), which offers an integrated Emerging Pathogens Institute (published poultry husbandry based on imitation April, 2011, at the University of Florida) of nature for production of safer, more which found that salmonella is respon- wholesome poultry at any scale. sible for more foodborne illness in the For more information about, or to United States than any other pathogen; order his book, see page 36.—Ed. and that, as a food-pathogen combination, campylobacter in dressed poultry tops the list of food-related illnesses, with 600,000 Americans sickened each year. In a time when so many American farms are struggling to survive, it is significant that White Oak Pastures is thriving—paying its 75 employees well above minimum wage, with generous benefits; installing multi-million-dollar, state-of-the-art facilities; and expanding its markets. Clearly it is possible to make a profit while fulfilling its responsibilities both to the customer, for safe food of high quality, and to the ecology. We can hope

There are poultry books on coops, breeds, health and feed. Now there is a book from the editors of Backyard Poultry covering all that—and more! For the Love of For the Love of Poultry! Poultry A Backyard Poultry Anthology—The First Year This complete collection of articles and photos from the first eary of Backyard Poultry touches on every topic of interest to the poultry fancier and backyard breeder, sometimes in great detail, sometimes not so much, but always mindful of your love of poultry. This 320-page, 8-1/2 x 11 book contains articles from more than 30 writers, including re- A Backyard Poultry Anthology The First Year nowned poultry expert and author Gail Damerow, homesteading guru Harvey Ussery and Uni- versity of Wisconsin’s top poultry specialist, Ron Kean. Enjoy spending a few minutes—or a few hours—as they share their knowledge. q Order Your Copy Today! q Learn about... 3 Chickens, Turkeys, Waterfowl and 3Yes, send me ______copies of For the Love of Poultry for only Other Poultry Breeds $19.95 each plus $4.00 s/h per order (Add 5.5% sales tax, WI residents only). 3 Introducing New Birds to the Flock Name:______3 Stopping Predators 3 Layer Problems (and Solutions) Address:______3 Coop Ideas and Designs 3 Financial Opportunities City, State, Zip: ______3 Keeping Your Birds Healthy Phone:______3 Homegrown Feeds 3 Managing Poultry on Pasture m Payment enclosed m Charge my credit card 3 Working with Broody Hens Visa/MC/AMEX/DISC #______Exp.______3 Marketing to Restaurants mail to: 3 Youth Poultry Programs 3 Chick Care Backyard Poultry Bookstore • 145 Industrial Drive • Medford, WI 54451 and much, much more! Or order toll free: 800-551-5691 or online at www.backyardpoultrymag.com

February/March 2012 www.backyardpoultrymag.com 63 Recipes: Chickens: Goodwill Ambassadors

Janice Cole how quickly many of them bond with the Minnesota chickens, even though most have never seen a live chicken before. Last summer ne of the unexpected plea- the egg cooking lessons included making sures I’ve received from own- mini-omelets, fried egg salads and dessert Oing chickens has been sharing crêpes (see the recipe on page 65). the joy with others around me. At the My chickens also participate in a Pa- start of the year it’s nice to reflect on rade of Coops Tour. This wonderful event the pleasures and benefits we get from encourages those interested in raising our birds and consider the ways we can backyard chickens to check out neighbor- share their virtues. ing coops to gain ideas on building their Several times during the year my own coops, and gather information from flock is a goodwill ambassador at events experienced chicken owners. This past Inner-city high school interns are promoting the raising of chickens. One fall we had over 40 coops participate in educated on environmental, gardening, event in particular is a yearly favorite: the Twin Cities coop tour and hundreds and food-related activities. Above, they learn to make crêpes, and below, discover the Chicken and Egg class. For the past of people visited the chickens in one how soft and friendly chickens can be. four years, the chickens have been fea- day. It’s easy to set up your own tour in tured at a participation class for up to 45 your community, let me know if you’re inner-city high school interns working interested in more information. with the Community Design Center of One of the reasons why I’m always St. Paul, Minnesota. The students work delighted to share my flock with others, on environmental, gardening, and food- whether it’s with a lecture, a coop tour, or related activities throughout the summer a cooking class for kids, is that I’ve found and this class is one of their highlighted when people have a chance to see chick- events. During the class, the students ens up close and personal and learn more learn about raising backyard chickens and about their nature, they are less likely to cooking with eggs. It’s amazing to see take these beautiful creatures for granted.

They begin to realize the wonderful gifts chickens provide us with everyday. My experience has been that the more people are exposed to interacting with chickens, the greater the respect they have for the species. I also urge those who meet my chickens to take a further step and think about making humanely raised food choices when they are at the store. This year I’m looking forward to more events where the chickens are the stars. Interestingly, my chickens seem to love being the center of attention and never mind the petting of various hands Chickens make great goodwill ambassadors, and everyone enjoys holding them, as seen and the inexperienced handling of those at the Chicken and Egg class, a program sponsored by the Community Design Center interested in holding a chicken for the first of St. Paul, Minnesota. time. They seem to know they are being 64 Backyard Poultry praised and always sit up a little higher and pose a little more regally, especially when the cameras are snapping.

Janice Cole is the author of Chicken and Egg: A Memoir of Suburban Home- steading with 125 Recipes (Chronicle Books, 2011). She is a food editor and food writer. For recipes and more information about her birds visit her blog at ThreeSwinginChicks.com. Chicken and Egg: A Memoir of Sub- urban Homesteading with 125 Recipes is available from the Backyard Poultry bookstore, see page 36.—Ed.

Dessert Crêpes

hese crêpes make an impressive yet Tversatile dessert. They can be made ahead of time and filled right before serving. Or, get your guests involved and have them make and fill their own crêpes; it’s a fun way to get everyone into the kitchen.

2 eggs 2 tablespoons sugar 1/2 cup whole milk 1/3 cup water 2 tablespoons canola oil 1 cup all-purpose flour Canola oil for cooking crepes Your choice of fillings: fresh fruit, fruit preserves, chocolate shavings or chocolate sauce, whipped cream, ice cream, etc. Powdered sugar for sprinkling

Whisk together eggs and sugar in medium bowl until blended. Add milk, water and canola oil; whisk until smooth. Slowly whisk in flour. Cover and refriger- ate at least 30 minutes or up to 4 hours to allow the gluten in the flour to relax, resulting in tender crêpes. To make the crêpes, heat a small nonstick skillet or crêpe pan over medium heat until hot. Brush lightly with oil. Pour about 1/4 cup batter onto pan and immediately swirl so batter thinly coats the bottom of the pan. (Pour out any excess batter.) Cook for 30 seconds or until lightly browned. Use a thin spatula to turn the crêpe and cook about 20 seconds or until lightly browned and dry. Place the crêpe on a plate and repeat using the remaining batter. Fill with your choice of filling and roll up or fold in quarters; sprinkle with powdered sugar. February/March 2012 www.backyardpoultrymag.com 65 BOOk review: The Chicken Encyclopedia

reviewed By Jd Belanger encyclopedic review of the world of editOr emeritus poultry. This is immediately evident upon Chickens. Encyclopedia. Gail Dam- opening the book, to any page. I just did, erow. and landed on pages 106-107. The entries What more needs to be said? are Electronet, embryo, embryo death, Backyard Poultry readers certainly Empodanesa, enamel white, endangered know Gail even if they haven’t read A breeds, endoparasite, energy, and more Guide to Raising Chickens or the latest than half a page on embryo dyeing. If edition called Storey’s Guide to Raising you don’t learn something new here you The Chicken Encyclopedia, by Gail Chickens, or Your Chickens, The Back- are certainly entitled to go to the head Damerow; Storey Publishing; 320 7" x yard Homestead Guide to Raising Farm of the class. 9-1/4" pages; full-color photos and illus- Animals or her landmark The Chicken Want to try that again? Here’s page trations throughout; paperback; $19.95 Health Handbook. And poultry raisers 185: natural-draft incubator, naturally can be excused if they aren’t even aware raised, neck, neck wringing, necropsy, is that even though I’ve been involved that she has also written books on goats, necrotic enteritis, nematode, nest, nest with chickens most of my life, this book draft horses and mules, fences, ice cream, egg, nesting call, and nesting material. told me about things I’d never heard of: and two on pumpkins. With an eclectic Reviewing an encyclopedia is some- draggy hatch, gait scoring, Manx Rumpy, background like that, combined with a what akin to reviewing a telephone bilateral gynandromorph. penchant for detail and accuracy, she’s directory (“lousy plot, but a great cast of And then there’s the stuff I used to definitely the right choice to author an characters”). What really impressed me know but forgot: wind egg, spike, kinky back, popeye. I can think of three excellent uses for this book. First and most obviously, it’s a reference work non pareil: anything you want to know about chickens is either included here or it’s probably not worth knowing. Second, it could function as an awe- some textbook: read it through and you’ll get an education in chickenology unlike any found in a “how-to” type of book. And third, just flip through it and savor the wonderful world of poultry as seen in a flow of fascinating facts: fowl pox, frazzle, free choice, free range, free roaming, Frizzle, frostbite, frosting, fryer… I love books, but don’t consider very many of them essential. For the serious poultry raiser, this one is indispensable.

Jd Belanger founded the original Backyard Poultry in 1979 and is the author of The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Raising Chickens. It is available from the Backyard Poultry bookstore on page 36.

The Chicken Encyclopedia can also be ordered from the bookstore on page 36. 66 Backyard Poultry February/March 2012 www.backyardpoultrymag.com 67 Just for fun: Bob’s Biddies Hatchery AgrAbility Georgia Offers Assistance and Hope for Farm Workers With Disabilities

E. Wayne McDaniel in production agriculture nationwide experience physical, sensory or cogni- Georgia tive disabilities that affect how they Reprinted in part with permission perform one or more essential work tasks. In Georgia, the number of agri- by Georgia Magazine, May 2011 Bob Berry’s lifelong love of chickens led cultural workers who have disabilities www.georgiamagazine.org to his hatchery business, known as Bob’s is estimated at approximately30,000. Of Biddies in Ray City, Georgia. hat if you were a farmer, these, about 5,000 are already clients of AgrAbility in Georgia. rancher, farm worker or “The rest, as they say, is history. I Individuals eligible for AgrAbility farm family member af- began hatching my chicks and looking W services include farmers, ranchers, farm flicted with a disability? What would for customers,” says Bob. workers or family members that are you do? Give up? Not by a long shot! Bob was soon selling chicks in mod- employed in production agriculture and You would exhibit the same grit and de- est numbers and planning to grow his have any permanent type of disability. termination for which farmers have al- hobby into a lifetime business. In the The AgrAbility program is about serving ways been noted. You would pick your- early 1980s, however, something hap- people, and here is one of their stories: self up, square your shoulders and get pened that threatened his business, and back to work. But hold on—there’s help forever changed his life. waiting to assist you in doing just that. Bob Berry, Ray City, Georgia Bob was diagnosed with glaucoma, a The program is called AgrAbility Bob loves chickens, and always has. debilitating eye disease often known as Georgia. Support for AgrAbility comes He likes to tell visitors to his Ray City “the silent sight stealer.” Once it dam- from the federal government through hatchery that, when he was a child, his ages the optic nerve, sight can never be the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and family always raised chickens, anywhere restored. He is now blind in one eye. administered by the University of Geor- from three birds to several hundred. One Undaunted, Bob was determined gia from offices in Athens and Tifton. day, while visiting a feed store to pick to continue his business. With his wife It offers, among other things, help in up poultry supplies, young Bob spied an Diane’s help, he was able to care for and identifying assistive technology solu- incubator. It was love at first sight. He deliver his chicks. The other alternative tions such as tractor lifts, hand controls bought the egg-hatching apparatus and was for customers to drive to the little and customized farm modifications to was soon incubating his own chicks. A hatchery and pick up their chicks. The make farming easier; a business plan to small business, “Bob’s Biddies Hatch- Berrys decided that, to grow their busi- stabilize and grow your business; and a ery,” was soon born. ness they needed to ship their chicks wide variety of other resources, including directly to their customers. training, classes and workshops. Help is “In order to do that,” says Bob, “we even available in the form of volunteer needed to be certified by the NPIP.” The projects. It is a partnership of many non- National Poultry Improvement Program profit disability organizations. was established in 1935 to keep poultry Some of the serious health problems free from disease nationwide. that qualify farmers and ranchers for A visiting NPIP inspector told Bob the program include back pain, cancer, that his operation would need to be up- cerebral palsy and diabetes, to name a graded before he could be approved to few. Just about anything that prevents ship his chicks by mail. Bob contacted you from performing at your highest level the Georgia Department of Labor Voca- qualifies you for help. tional Rehabilitation (VR) program in According to the Department of La- Valdosta. VR’s goal is to help people with bor, about 288,000 individuals engaged disabilities become fully productive in 68 Backyard Poultry Rhode Island Reds, Dominique, Buff year round, and he and Diane ship to just Orpington and Delaware are some of about anywhere in the country. th chicken breeds available from Bob’s If you do go to Bob’s Ray City hatch- Biddies. ery, you will see a sign at the front gate that says “Bob’s Biddies—Please Honk their chosen farm endeavors. Bob went Horn for Service.” You won’t need to to the VR office and met rehabilitation honk, however. You’ll soon be greeted counselor Kim Wagner, whom he now by two barking door bells, with Bob thinks of as his guardian angel. VR also right behind. came to Bob’s hatchery. They stated that If you would like a tour of Bob’s in order to get financial aid to upgrade Biddies Hatchery, just give Bob a call at and meet NPIP standards, Bob would 229-455-6437, e-mail him at bobsbid- need a business plan. Wagner advised [email protected], or see his breeder listing him to contact AgrAbility. There he under Dominiques on page 80. was assisted by Glen Rains, AgrAbility program director, and his staff, E. Wayne McDaniel, of Gainesville, and soon Bob had his business is a journalist, historian and teacher. He plan. He was approved and in writes and teaches history and creative business. “I’m very grateful writing in the continuing education de- to both VR and AgrAbility for partments of several area universities. their help,” says Bob. “They were both just great!” If you are interested in obtaining Bob still loves his chick- AgrAbility assistance, find out more ens. In particular, he likes by calling AgrAbility at 706-542-0304 Rhode Island Reds, true Do- or toll-free at 877-524-6264, or sign miniques and Buff Orping- on to the program’s website at www. tons. He plans to add several farmagain.com. The National AgrAbil- more heritage breeds soon. ity Project also has a website at www. Bob’s chicks are available agrability.org.

February/March 2012 www.backyardpoultrymag.com 69 do that though. They find a weakness and I had one last card to play. My dad pounce. They were all over the wounded owed me a big favor and it looked like bird, pecking and jumping on her. If the angering the wife about missing our first trauma from the car didn’t kill her, her “flying across the country” vacation to- Gimpin’ fellow feathered friends surely would. I gether was the most practical time to use moved her and called the wife. it. He grew up on a farm and was living in “Well we just can’t leave her out here a big house in suburbia, all alone. I made to freeze to death,” she said. the call. He wasn’t happy but he owed Gertie I nodded. me one and it looked like babysitting a “I’ll make her up a nice box with sick bird was the pay back. I packed up blankets and she can stay in the other that broken chicken and drove her over bedroom for tonight,” she said. to his house. I told him to do the best he Again, I nodded. could but I would completely understand I figured I would find a dead bird in if I came back in a week and found him the morning and have her buried before pickin’ chicken from his teeth. breakfast. She survived the night. We enjoyed our trip and made the One of my neighbors, a man that I rounds visiting caretakers with thank would wave to when he drove past but yous in the form of stenciled tote bags had never actually spoken to, knocked on and t-shirts from the warm southwest. the door that morning. We shook hands The last stop was Dad’s. I went in first and he told me how the chicken just ran to see if the air reeked of boiled bird or out of nowhere. He couldn’t stop. He was fresh poo. The poo smell was strong so sorry. He had carried the wounded bird I waved the wife in. We found my dad to the top of the drive. Could he pay for in his usual spot on the sofa, reading the mike cavanaugh the dead bird, he asked, reaching for his paper. Next to him was the chicken. She new Jersey wallet. I stopped him from paying and was watching him turn the pages and if thanked him for coming over to tell what he stayed too long in one place she would t’s not a good idea to name a chick- happened. The mystery of how the chicken peck at the paper as if she was bored with en, especially if the flock is free got to the top of the drive was solved…but the news on that page. ranged, especially in our yard. Too more problems would follow. I promised “Looking for feed specials?” the Imany things can happen. Bad things. to keep my kind neighbor informed of the wife asked. Our first flock started out with 15 chicken’s progress and he left shaking his I just stood shaking my head. tiny fluff balls, of which only 10 reached head in wonder that the hen lived after “She took to reading the paper with adulthood. By the time Gimpin’ Gertie riding the bumper of his SUV. I couldn’t me a few days ago,” Dad said. was named we were down to a half dozen. help but wonder myself. “Well, what’d ya name her?” the Our rural road is lightly traveled but was “What are we gonna do with her?” the wife asked. busy enough to claim the lives of several wife asked after the neighbor left. Dad scratched his chin and stared at birds trying to figure out why indeed a I shook my head. the bird next to him on the couch. I held chicken would ever cross a road. The “We are leaving in two days for Ari- my breath. I knew the cost of naming a neighbors’ Doberman got the others. zona. Who’s gonna watch her then?” chicken in our yard. I knew the heart- I wasn’t terribly surprised when I Again, I shook my head. break of burying a named bird. I knew the came home from a walk one Febru- We had found people to watch over panic of searching the yard for a favorite ary evening to find the street sprayed our house and menagerie for the week bird, hoping she was safe. I knew this with feathers. I was surprised to see the we would be gone, but a broken chicken bird’s life was about to change. chicken that they came from lying in the didn’t really fit into the plan. The lady “Gertie,” he said, “Gimpin’ Gertie.” weak winter sun up near the top of the next door, who loved having the chickens I had to admit it fit. The name got driveway. She didn’t try to move when wander her yard and the free eggs they the nodded seal of approval from the I got close to her but she was definitely produced, was actually looking forward wife and after unsuccessfully trying to alive. I lifted her, then set her down. to feeding them in our absence. The convince him to keep her; we gave him One of her legs wouldn’t hold her up. sister-in-law across town had agreed to his t-shirt and packed the bird up for the She had been hit by a car, that much was come once a day and feed the two spoiled ride home. clear, but how she got to the top of the rotten inside cats and toss some kibble The remaining five hens didn’t greet drive was a mystery. She couldn’t stand to the outside ones as well. The beagle her warmly. I put Gertie in a sunny spot on her own let alone walk, and I guessed was going to stay the week at another and watched as she adjusted herself. She that she probably didn’t fly. I scooped her relative’s house. It was a good plan and could move around a little using her bro- up and put her in the coop, hoping she took some doing on our part to get all ken leg like a crutch and she decided to would get better. The air was cold and parts of it going. Now the wounded bird cuddle up next to the house. A passing hen the night promised single digits so the was going to try to ruin it. spied her and sent out the alarm. There was rest of the flock would have to keep her “We are going even if we have to something different in the yard and they warm for her to survive. Chickens don’t bring her as carry on,” the wife said. needed to come investigate. They crowded 70 Backyard Poultry around Gertie and forced her to laid another egg. I didn’t care stand. I thought it was going just as long as she was happy to be all right until she tried to scratching in the dirt by the move. Her awkward gait was a house. red flag and the others pounced. I The kind neighbor who hit couldn’t watch but for a moment her would stop by once in a before I chased the healthy hens while with bits of bread to feed away and secluded Gertie in a her. He couldn’t break the habit fenced-in area. She looked miser- of shaking his head in disbelief able. She had just spent a week as he walked away after his being hand fed in a warm house visits. I sometimes shook my and now she was secluded behind head too. bars. I set her up with food and Gertie was taken from us water and walked away feeling by a hungry raccoon one night as miserable as she looked. You The Cavanaugh’s rural road is lightly traveled but was busy in early summer. I had failed have to be careful when you give enough to claim the lives of several birds. to secure the door to the coop a chicken a name. and I supposed she was an At night, when the others easy target. From the amount took to the roosts in the coop, I would put by limping across the lawn and when the of feathers she left behind I think she Gertie in with them, hoping the morning others tried to attack her she would stop, put up a fight that the raccoon wouldn’t would be different. Each day I would stand tall and they would go away. soon forget. I felt guilty for not keeping open the door to “free the hens” and wait A détente had been reached. Peace her safe. Don’t name your chickens; it’s for Gertie to limp out. She would bravely once again blew across the land. Gertie just better that way—believe me. come out into the morning light and be in- stayed close to the house as the others Of the original 10 to reach adulthood, stantly attacked by the others. She would ranged across the road and into neighbors three made it through the following win- hunker down and the rest would pile on yards. I looked for her whenever I was ter. Going against my own advice and and I would make them scatter and take outside and panicked until I found her. better judgment I named them, too. Soup, her to the isolation ward across the yard. Gimpin’ Gertie survived the winter and Stew and Fricassee survived that winter, We both were not happy. into the spring. I’m not sure if she ever but that’s a story for another time. “How’s it goin’ with Gertie?” the wife asked one day. I just shook my head. “Well, what’s wrong?” I explained how the others were just too much for her to handle. “She survived being hit into next week by a truck; I think she can handle a couple of other birds,” the wife said. She had a point. Gertie was one tough bird. She survived the truck and a week with my dad. She must have the stuff to handle a few other chickens. I went out and moved her to her sunny spot by the house and waited, the others soon found her and attacked. Gertie was getting around pretty good on her busted up leg but couldn’t escape five frenzied hens. They would swarm her and retreat and wait for her to move again and swarm in again. It was heartbreaking to watch. Take my advice and don’t name the chickens, ever. After about an hour of this abuse something amazing happened. When the crazed flock tried to attack, instead of hunkering down, Gertie stood up as tall as she could. A switch seemed to get tripped in the brains of the attacking birds and they stopped dead in their tracks. I don’t know who was more surprised, me or Gertie. She started testing her newfound power February/March 2012 www.backyardpoultrymag.com 71 “After returning to my position outside the barnyard, I looked in amaze- ment at what I held in my hand. This Local Egg Producer Finds small white imperfect object, worth roughly $1,500, was the culmination of my dream.” Several months earlier Benton had the Golden Egg invested a sizeable sum of money to not only build a lovely condominium style home for his flock, but he had provided each with their own separate bedroom and had given them a lovely landscaped terrain in which to roam. Though his investment was high, this much-awaited event put everything in perspective and Benton exclaimed, “It was well worth the wait!” In the days and months ahead Benton expects many more of his fine feathered friends to follow this same path. He has told us, exclusively, that he might even entertain selling a few of the yet- to-be-produced eggs. What excitement this news will bring to the Casar community. When asked what his next venture might be, Benton exclaimed, “To build a bigger chicken house!” Ace reporter, Linn Wynes, (left) also of Casar, was “Johnnie on the Spot” just a few hours after the big event. Benton’s account is an “on the edge of your seat” commentary.

linda wynes of distress. She was walking slowly, with her wings in a tight arched formation. nOrth carOlina As I watched her intently, she stopped harlie Benton of Rural Cleve- briefly and then began moving on around land County, North Carolina, the yard. I saw her neighbors beginning outside the Casar city limits, to walk rapidly to investigate what had Chit it big yesterday. It has been reported taken place. Not knowing if their mindset that he actually witnessed the laying of was one of inquisitiveness or jealousy of a $1,500 egg. not having been the first to present such “I was out checking on my fine feath- a gift, I knew I had to act quickly. I care- ered friends when I noticed that one of fully entered the yard and snatched the my prized beauties seemed to be in a bit treasure that had been left behind.”

Charlie Benton is no longer sure which pullet laid the precious first egg, but he is looking forward to many more. 72 Backyard Poultry February/March 2012 www.backyardpoultrymag.com 73 would take the broom and gently prod her across the basement and back. Finally Goldie was able to stand and walk ok. It had been about three months since we Goldie brought her home and spring was getting close. It was time for Goldie to join the The Christmas Miracle other chickens in my outdoor chicken house. marvin harlOw I had worried about this for a long virginia time. I knew the other chickens would pick on her and she was much smaller than they f you believe the Christmas story, were. Goldie was weak from her wound then you must believe in miracles. and from staying in her cage so long. How could a lowly sexlink hen pos- I thought of an old friend from many siblyI be a part of a Christmas Miracle? years ago who bred and kept game chick- My wife, Carolyn, and I had gone to a ens. I had watched him condition chickens Christmas cantata at one of the churches a to get them in shape. I decided that Goldie few miles from our home. It was a perfect was going to have to defend herself and night for the season, snow on the ground Goldie, the Christmas Miracle chicken. she needed to get in shape too. and very cold. We have no trash pickup Photographs by Elizabeth Williams. I found a piece of carpet and put it on in our rural area and have dumpsters the table and every day I would work her where people dispose of their trash. Our She had black grease on her back so I out a little harder. By the end of her “ex- friend, Elizabeth Williams, wanted to ride knew she had been hit by a car. I said to ercise class” she would have her mouth with us to the cantata and it was near the Carolyn, “What am I going to do with open and breathing hard just like a person dumpsters that we met her and traveled Goldie?” Carolyn said, “We are going to out of shape. You wouldn’t believe how to the church for the cantata. take her home with us.” much better she felt and acted. Now I Upon returning from the cantata I I had my dress pants on and since felt Goldie was ready to deal with the big had the Christmas Miracle on my mind I would have to hold her on my lap for hens and oh my—the rooster! when we pulled off the highway by the the ride home, I was worried she would Now the time had come—I put her dumpster to allow Elizabeth to get her ruin my clothes. I just couldn’t leave her on the roost after the other chickens had car. There was a big mud hole next to there to freeze or get hit again, so I set gone to bed. I was up the next morning the dumpster so Carolyn turned the car a her on my lap anyway, Carolyn drove and at daybreak to see what would happen. different way so Elizabeth wouldn’t step we went home. Goldie “talked” chicken All the chickens flew down from the in the mud while getting to her car. sounds all the way home. When we ar- roost and started to eat. One hen noticed Now this is the first part of the Christ- rived home I took her to the basement to Goldie and acted as if she would like to mas Miracle: when Carolyn turned the check her condition. She couldn’t stand fight. Goldie stretched herself up about car I noticed something in the headlights. up and it seemed to be her hip. six inches taller than she really was and At first glance I thought it was a cat that We found an old bird cage and put her let out a squall like I had never heard. had been hit by a car. I don’t know why in it for the night. I gave her some feed The hen backed down and to this day not I didn’t just leave it at that and go home. and water and was surprised at how much a one of them have pecked her. Matter of But I got out of the car to check, only to she ate and drank. The next day I found fact—Goldie is the boss! find that it was a chicken. By this time it a larger cage I had made from hardware Most folks would have said, “some- was ten o’clock at night and all my other cloth for a bird we had long ago. I lined one killed a chicken,” and just left her chickens were in bed. it with newspaper, fixed Goldie a feeder there. I think it was meant to be that I picked her up from the frozen and water cup, and set her in the cage on someone who loved chickens would find ground and found that she was alive. a table near our basement bathroom. her and also the headlights of the car All of our children and some of that Carolyn turned in Goldie’s direc- their friends came to our home during tion is another portion of this Christmas the holidays. Whenever anyone would Miracle. A few days after taking Goldie go near Goldie’s cage they would stop home with us I drove back to where we and chat with her. With all this attention had found her. I went to every house it didn’t take long before Goldie was within a mile and no one in that area getting really spoiled. It was about two owned chickens! weeks later when she started to stand on It has been two years this past Christ- her sore leg. She still had a bad limp, but mas and we still have Goldie. She is very she was improving. sweet and most nights when I shut them I would take her out of the cage each up for the night I will pet her on her morning and make her walk. As she back and call her, Goldie, My Christmas improved each day and could stand up Miracle. Goldie and buddy Abe. better, if she wouldn’t walk willingly, I I believe! 74 Backyard Poultry February/March 2012 www.backyardpoultrymag.com 75 yOuth: 2nd Place— Age 11-14: Next Stop 1886 By: Carolyn Travis, Indiana

2004... “Today is a beautiful day to announce our winner of our annual National English Class Competition. We have a Buff Orp- ington and a Black Australorp who are in it to win it! They both are very high classed exhibition birds. The Buff Orpington simply looks stunning! There is nothing wrong with the Buff Orpington. Now the Hello, Poultry Pals! Black Australorp has one problem. She Or perhaps I should say “Ni hao.” I just came from a Chinese New Year does not have enough green feathers. In party thrown by the Japanese bantams and Cochins. They served moon cakes, the American Standard of Perfection the mandarin oranges and an onigari (rice ball). We played kung pao chicken nin- Black Australorp has more green feath- ja and everyone received red envelopes with scratch grain treats inside. The ers. The winner is the Buff Orpington! celebration ended with a bang when the cockerels got into the fireworks box, Congratulations to the Buff Orpington, wrestled over the matches and lit the whole box off at once. They said it’s the Dawn!” Judge Mindy says. year of the dragon and I believe them—my tail feathers have been “drag-on” The Black Australorp, Evalia, madly all day! Arigato—thank you! looks at the judge and walks home. Gertrude McCluck, C.I.C. When she arrives at her coop she makes a vow that she will get back at the Buff Orpingtons. She makes a plan to build 2nd Place—Age 7-10: a time travel portal. It will take a lot of time to build but she wants to make sure that the Buff Orpingtons will never see Solving One Problem another season. 2011... By: Anna Durand, Missouri “Evalia proudly looks at her gray time travel portal. She sets the year to rs. Roberts was a calm and if there were no gate and now she was 1886. 1886 is when William Cook estab- normal lady who lived on a on the paved street. Madly, Mrs. Rob- lished the Buff Orpingtons. She wanted farm. Because her chicken erts jumped into her car and honked the Buff Orpingtons to be deleted forever. GertrudeM McCluck could read books, the horn because she needed to stop She sets the place settings to Orpington, many odd things happened. For ex- Gertrude who was heading for the England. ample, Gertrude could soar with her highway. Cock-A-Doodle-Do! A proud rooster home-made glider like an eagle in the Mrs. Roberts cleverly thought of a sings early in the morning. Gertrude blue sky. Mrs. Roberts kept a close eye new plan. She hustled to a book store McCluck wakes up and looks up at on Gertrude, who simply ignored her where she bought several picture books her rooster, Chuck. Chuck is a Buff owner. After reading a book on driving, about inventions. Near the turn off to the Orpington. Gertrude is a mix between a the chicken recently learned to drive a highway, Mrs. Roberts waved the books Buff Orpington and a Buff Cochin. She tractor. Certainly Mrs. Roberts would in front of Gertrude, who was fascinated mostly looks like a Buff Orpington and have problems if Gertrude got on the by such books. Instantly the chicken be- chickens mistake her for a full-breed Buff highway. She was not calm now. gan to follow Mrs. Roberts home. They Orpington. Gertrude hears a loud noise “Stop driving! Be a normal chick- made it back safely. and walks outside. She sees a large blue en!” Mrs. Roberts wailed as she closed By solving one problem, however, light coming from her neighbor’s coop. the gate. Without stopping, Gertrude Mrs. Roberts created another because Gertrude races over and sees Evalia, her triumphantly ran over the gate like it chickens that can read get many odd neighbor, jumping into a portal. Gertrude was a speed bump. She kept going as ideas. jumps in after her. 76 Backyard Poultry The Portal takes the two chickens to to the bottom. Gertrude picks up the egg William Cook’s house in 1886. Inside the and drags it to the surface. Quickly Eva- Jokes...Get the Yolk? house is an egg that supposedly has the lia squishes the egg and out comes an Q. If you crossed a Cocker Spaniel, first Buff Orpington. Evalia runs inside egg yolk. The egg was William Cook’s a French Poodle and a rooster, what the house and finds an egg. She grabs the breakfast! Evalia stole the wrong egg! would you get? egg and starts to run off with it. Gertrude Gertrude lets out a relieved sigh and A. A cockerpoodledoo! pushes Evalia into the river. Quickly catches her and chases her all the way Q. Why should you never tell a joke to the bridge. When on the bridge Eva- Evalia floats down the river and is never to an egg? lia says, “You and your Buff Orpington heard of again. A. Because it might crack up! friends will soon be gone forever.” Gertrude runs to the Portal and Evalia throws the egg over the returns home. Gertrude saved the breed Q. What do you get when you cross a bridge. Gertrude gulps and dives for the of Buff Orpingtons and now she can rooster and a duck? egg. The egg makes a splash and sinks finally relax. A. A bird that gets up at the quack of dawn. Fun Facts • The largest chicken on record was a White Sully named “Big Snow.” He weighed a whopping 23 pounds, 3 ounces. The breed was developed by Grant Sullens of West Point, Califor- nia, and was bred and owned by Ron- ald Alldridge of Deuchar, Queensland, Australia. Big Snow died of natural causes on September 6, 1992.

Carolyn Travis and Chess Carolyn Travis with Dove and Heart Gertrude McCluck, Chicken in Charge is assisted by chicken wrangler Cyndi Gern- hart. Find out more about Gertrude and her book series for children and other fun activities at: Baack TalkWhat is this www.GertrudeMcCluck.net Whatduck is this chickenthinki saying?ng?

A few favorites from Oct./Nov. Issue: • “I wonder who does her hair!”—Mar- cy Eischen, Minnesota • “I didn’t know cotton balls could walk.”—Carly Skwaryk, Pennsylvania • “I must get the name of your hairdresser!”—Kristi Coggins, South Carolina • “Don’t look now, but the exchange students are here.”—Lucas G., Cali- fornia 1. WRITE your caption idea on a piece of paper. • “Fuzzy Wuzzy was a chicken???”— 2. MAIL it along with your name and address to Baack Talk, Daniel Gaynes, New York 15154 W 231st St., Spring Hill, KS 66083 OR e-mail suggestion to • “Someone was messing around with [email protected] before Feb. 15. Selection for publication in a the blow dryer.”—Olivia Kamps, Wis- consin future issue will be at the discretion of Backyard Poultry. Your chances of • “Told y’all to stay away from those your response being used improve if it is received by Feb. 15. Name, town electrical lines!”—Howard Montgom- and state will be printed with response unless otherwise requested. ery, Arkansas February/March 2012 www.backyardpoultrymag.com 77 Health: Avian influenza, free online course, 6/6:9-10; biosecurity, concerns, Backyard Poultry 6/6:35-36; cloaca, prolapsed, correction difficult, 6/6:34-35; crooked toes (club footedness), 6/1:56; deaths, of chicks, 2011 Index 6/1:54; oviduct, surgery for impacted, 6/5:48-49; prolapse, result of egg bound, (Volume/issue:Page is indicated as 4/1:61) 6/6:10; respiratory problem, 6/1:56; soft- American Bantam Association, news mination: methods, various, 6/3:18-22; ened water, effect of, 6/1:58; spraddle from, 6/5:20 comments on, 6/5:14; tail feather length, leg, cure with Band-Aid, 6/3:40; spraddle Answer Man (Kean, Ron): 6/1:54- using, 6/4:8; starting, without medica- leg, Band-aid cure works, 6/6:13; worm- 58; 6/2:62-64; 6/3:36-38; 6/4:30–32; tion, 6/2:32; er, Susan Burek’s recipe, 6/3:14 6/5:44-45; 6/6:34-36 See also disease Coops See housing Housing: brooder: choosing, 6/2:28-30; and health Disease: aspirin solution, recipe, 6/2:64; temperature: control in, 6/2:30; recom- Art, poultry-inspired: cutting board, Avian influenza, free online course, mended ranges, 6/2:32; coops: Casa de Pollo, with materials list, 6/4:22-25; hen, 6/3:10; handbags, from feed sacks 6/6:9-10; coccidiosis, 6/1:54; fowl pox, 6/2:72; headpiece, from feathers; 6/2: 6/2:64; gapeworm, 6/1:56; necropsy, creative examples, 6/2:20-24; fencing, 68-72; painting, from photo, 6/2:68; benefit of, 6/4:39-40; scaly leg mites, must be strong, 6/3:9; “ideal”, 6/1:22-25; 6/5:75 3/6:36; subcutaneous emphysema (gas plan, of student entrepreneurs, 6/1:26- Backyard Poultry magazine, www. under skin), 6/2:66; vent gleet, 6/2:62 28; playhouse, converted to, 6/6:32-33; backyardpoultrymag.com Ducks: as pets, 6/3:64-66; diagram, la- tours of, in Davis, Calif., 6/6:28-30; fresh Bantams: Dutch, a true breed, 6/6:62- beled parts of, 6/3:66; feed for, 6/3:65; air and exercise, importance of provid- 64; Greyleg, a homemade bantam breed, Rouen, on ALBC “watch” list, 6/3:65; ing,6/5:32-34; comments on, 6/6:10-11; 6/4:48-50; Serama, American White, water needs of, 6/3:66 See also Breeds, nest box, 21st century design, 6/4:72-73; 6/4:60-61; Silkie, 6/1:32-34 duck urban chicken raising, 6/5:36-37; winter, Book Reviews: Art of the Chicken Egg production: drop in, numerous need for heat in, 6/5:6 Coop, The, 6/6:72; Backyard Home- causes of, 6/5:45; possible cause of, Incubation: dehydrator, food, as incu- stead Guide to Raising Farm Animals, 6/4:30; egg-bound hen, dealing with, bator, 6/2:26-27; hatching: hints for suc- excerpt, 6/3:70; Chick Days, excerpt, 6/6:34; egg cells, number pullet born cess, 6/2:58-59; poor results, causes of, 6/2:46; Chicken and Egg, 6/2:44-45; with, 6/5:44-45; internal laying, dealing 6/1:56; viability of eggs, determining, Cluck: From Jungle Fowl to City Chicks, with, 6/4:32; laying process, 6/5:44; pro- 6/3:36; humidity, effects on peafowl 6/6:72-73; Hana Rooster, letter from au- ductive hens, determination of, 6/5:44; eggs, 6/2:59; incubator, Brinsea, used in thor, 6/3:12; Small-Scale Poultry Flock, winter, tricks to improve, 6/6:38-39 classroom, 6/6:13; spreadsheet, to track The, 6/5:68; excerpt, 6/4:68-70; Talking Eggs: size, by volume and weight, a hatch, 6/2:27 Chicken, 6/6:73-75; Ultimate Pet Goose 6/4:74; yolk: double-yolk, cause of, Index, 2010 Backyard Poultry, 6/1:78 Guidebook, The, 6/1:60 6/4:74; unusual appearance of, 6/4:30; Kean, Ron, See also Answer Man, dis- Breeding: for vitality, 6/4:46-47; home using in recipes, 6/4:74-75 ease and health flock, breeding of, 6/2:38-41; selective, Eggshells, “paper mache,” cause of, Management: biosecurity courses, free applied, 6/2:34-36; tips on, 6/1:20 6/6:34 online, 6/6:9-10; breeds, cold-hardy, to Breeds, chicken: Attwater’s Prairie Feed: bean sprouts, as a dietary supple- consider, 6/4:6; business: game birds, Chicken (APC), 6/6:68-71; Buckeye, ment, 6/6:40-41; calcium, ensure proper raising, 6/3:28-32; starting, consider- 6/1:30; Cornish-cross, 6/5:60-62; Fa- quantity, 6/4:44; chard and mangels, as ations in, 6/3:6; workshop educates, vorelle, 6/1:30; Fayoumi, Egyptian, winter feed, 6/1:8; feed type, choosing 6/3:24-26; cedar shavings, not recom- 6/5:54-59; getting the facts on, 6/1:30- the right, 6/5:52; medicated for chicks, mended as bedding, 6/2:62; chicks: 31; Java: Auburn, retrieving from extinc- reasons for using, 6/3:38; native plants, picking, recipe to reduce possibility tion, 6/2:50-52; SPPA resources, 6/3:58; toxicity of, 6/3:38; options, to consider, of, 6/3:51; starting right, 6/2:6; dual- working to recover, 6/3:56-57; Jersey Gi- 6/3:50-51; popcorn Christmas tree, as purpose breeds, are they all the same?, ant, 6/6:56-60; La Fleche, 6/5:65; rare, in a treat, 6/6:48; suet, herbal, to make a 6/4:54-58; feed bags: plastic, versus pa- France, 6/5:64-66; Spanish, 6/1:30; Sul- winter energy source, 6/6:44-46; table per, comments on, 6/1:14-15; recycle, tan, 6/1:30, See also bantams scraps, using as, 6/1:9; treats, 6/1:8 as shopping bag, 6/1:16-17; 6/4:12; Breeds, duck, Rouen, on ALBC “watch” Geese: American Buff, 6/4:65; breed reusable bag, alternate construction, list, 6/3:65 profiles, chart of average number of 6/2:10; 6/4:16; sandbags, used as, dur- Chickens: Healthy Chickens Bulletin, eggs/year, weight, foraging, tempera- ing hurricane, 6/6:14; feeder, egg car- 6/4:6; parts of, identified, 6/1:68; sweat- ment, status, 6/6:53; feather, plucking, ton, 6/2:8; getting back to our roots, ers, knit for battery hens, 6/1:12 See also method, 6/6:52; goose eggs, using, 6/5:38-40; heritage flocks, carrying on, Breeds, chickens 6/6:52; home-grown goose, from select- 6/4:62-63; income opportunity, raising Chicks: brooding, combining hatches, ing to cooking, 6/6:50-54; raising, for game birds, 6/3:28-32; integration, of 6/4:35; feed: medicated, reasons for us- the holidays, 6/4:64-65 new birds, 6/4:34-36; knot tying, illus- ing, 6/3:38; size, important, 6/4:8; rais- Guinea Fowl: fascinating breed, 6/3:60- trations, 6/4:18; labs, state, source for ing, from week 2 – 4, 6/2:46; sex deter- 62; raising, enriches life, 6/3:72-73 list of, 6/6:8; pests: bug catcher, seeking 78 Backyard Poultry plans for, 6/4:10; herbal management of, ing, 6/6:51; Pineapple Orange Stuffing, 6/3:44-48; resource, website and iPad 6/6:51; Sauerkraut Stuffing, 6/6:51 apps, 6/2:8; roosters, raising together, Showing See showmanship 6/4:35; soil fertility, issues of, 6/1:46- Showmanship: etiquette, in show- 51; tips: hints, helpful, from long-time room, 6/1:66; first show, what to expect, flock keeper, 6/2:14; poultry keeping, 6/5:18-20; guide, for youth, 6/1:64-66; 6/2:10-11; urban chickens; avian vet’s information, sources for, 6/5:19 advice, for healthy flock, 6/5:46-47; Society for Preservation of Poultry comments on, 6/6:10; myths, regarding Antiquities (SPPA) See also SPPA chickens, 6/2:12; veterinarian, avian, News source for list of, 6/6:8; water: compo- SPPA (Society for Preservation of sition, acceptable maximum in, 6/2:32; Poultry Antiquities) See also SPPA temperature, keeping cool, 6/3:8; win- News ter: preparing the flock for, 6/5:24-29; SPPA News: Stromberg, Loyl, obituary, comments on, 6/6:12-13; water freez- 6/6:20; Tips on Breeding, 6/1:20 ing, prevention of: birdbath deicer in Turkeys, Midget White, 6/5:61 roaster pan, 6/6:14-15; gardener’s seed- USDA (U.S. Department of Agricul- ling mat, 6/6:16; low-wattage bulb in ture): Biosecurity For Birds, 6/1:10; cement block, 6/6:15 keep poultry healthy, video, 6/4:10 McCluck, Gertrude: 6/1:70-71; 6/2:78; Waterers: Solar Sippers, prevent water 6/3:78-79; 6/4:78-79; 6/5:78-79; 6/6:78- from freezing, 6/5:10-12 79 Website, Backyard Poultry: www. Peafowl: humidity, effects on peafowl backyardpoultrymag.com eggs, 6/2:59; varieties: breeding new, Youth: adventure, chased by chickens, 6/4:52-53; identifying, 6/1:38-40 6/4:76-77; education, for a lifetime, Photo Contest: winners: 6/1:52; 6/2:67; 6/2:76; friendships, develop through 6/3:23; 6/4:26; 6/5:50-51; 6/6:18-19 poultry keeping, 6/2:74; writing contest Poultry: emus, 6/1:36; pigeons, Indian winners 6/6:78-79 See also McCluck, Fantails: raising, 6/2:54-56; more info Gertrude on, 6/3:8-9; Ratites, 6/1:36; waterfowl, on Metzer Farms, Calif., 6/2:60-61 Predators: dogs: farm dogs, traits to consider in, 6/4:67; no command, teach- ing meaning of, 6/6:8-9; shock collar, experience with use of, 6/5:8; training around poultry, 6/4:66-67; fencing, must be strong for poultry houses, 6/3:9-10; rooster and a hawk, report of, 6/3:52-54 Public service: backyard chickens, tips, to legalize 6/6:24-26; chicken rescue service, Calif., 6/3:10; eggs and poultry knowledge, donate to various organizations, 6/4:8; experience with, 6/5:8-9; non-profit ranch community, for people with disabilities, 6/1:72-74; poultry, welfare of, 6/2:8-10 Quail: breeds/varieties, 6/1:44-45; hatching tips, 6/3:8 Recipes: Chicken, Holiday Roast With Cranberry-Fig Stuffing, 6/5:70- 71; Chicken Roast, secrets to a perfect, 6/5:70; Chicken, Rosemary-Lemon Grilled, 6/3:69: Chicken, tips for grilling, 6/3:68; Deviled Eggs, Lemon-Tarragon 6/2:45; Egg Salad, Tossed Bacon-Pota- to and, 6/3:68; Goose, instructions for roasting, 6/6:53-54; Goose fat, rendering, 6/6:54; Lemon Bars, Double-Yolk Sour, 6/4:75; Spinach Strata, Golden, 6/5:71; Stuffing, for goose: Apple Orange Stuff- February/March 2012 www.backyardpoultrymag.com 79 Backyard Poultry Breeders Directory Have birds for sale? Advertise in the Backyard Poultry Breeders Directory for less than $4.50 a month. Your ad will be seen by more than 85,000 poultry enthusiasts who read every issue. Fill out the order form and return it today! Associations Ameraucana Dominique

AMERAUCANA BREEDERS CLUB. New members Michigan Georgia receive a Handbook & quarterly Bulletins and are Chick Hatchery, ChickHatchery.com John W. Blehm, BOB’S BIDDIES HATCHERY, Bob Berry, 2155 eligible for club awards. Yearly dues are $10/junior, Birch Run, Michigan. Bantam chickens: buff, laven- Weaver Dr., Ray City, GA 31645. 229-455-6437. $12/individual and $18/family. der & silver Ameraucana. Large fowl chickens: buff, Baby Chicks—Rhode Island Reds, Dominique, spring Rd. Elgin, IL 60120-5103. partridge & buff Chantecler. Buff Orpington, Delaware, Dena’s Special. Sexed AMERICAN BRAHMA CLUB, Kim Aldrich, Sec./ and shipped year round. Other breeds February- South Carolina Treas., 12948 Ring Rd., St. Charles, MI 48655. September. NPIP Certified. Disabled owned/operated 989-865-6702. . Promoting Salley, SC 29137. 408-205-8150. Quality true Game Birds Adults/Partnership/Farm $15/yr., US Juniors $10/yr., Ameraucana chicks. Hatching and shipping weekly. all other memberships $30/yr. Indiana AMERICAN SUMATRA ASSOCIATION, Membership Dues: $18/2 diana. 765-985-2805. Pheasant enthusiasts check yrs.; $25/3 yrs. Newsletters, show awards, breeders Colorado this out! Displaying full color the Golden Pheasant, list. Doug Akers ROSEN AMERICAN GAME BANTAMS, Mark Rosen, Ghigi Golden, Lady Amherst, Silvers. Also Temminck 59221 E. U.S. Hwy. 50, Boone, CO 81025. 719-947- Tragopan, Brown Ear & Blue Ear. No brochure avail- ARAUCANA CLUB OF AMERICA. Promoting the 3006. [email protected] http://rosenagb.webs.com/ able. Give me a call and we’ll talk about the birds! tufted, rumpless, blue egg laying Araucana. $20.00 AGB’s in Brassyback, BB Red, Golden Duckwing annual dues includes quarterly newsletter, breeders Minnesota and White. Blue Laced Red Wyandottes. Koklass guide, and Araucana Handbook. Mail inquiries to: Pheasants, Erckel’s Francolins and Pied Peafowl. OAKWOOD GAME FARM, INC., PO Box 274, Princ- Araucana Club of America, 207 Pickens Drive, Pend- We ship nationwide by USPS Express Mail. These eton, MN 55371. 800-328-6647. We sell day-old pheasant and chukar partridge and forum: have a catalog. chicks and eggs. Ask about our new smaller quantities on eggs and chicks. CHANTECLER FANCIERS INTERNATIONAL, Mike Gilbert, Secretary, W5171 Baker Rd., Araucana South Carolina Holmen, WI 54636. 608-857-3386 (Call be- HT AUSTIN, 1766 Homestead Rd., Bowman, SC fore 9 PM CST.) South Carolina 29018. 803-308-1203. Rare pheasant egg assortment- RAMEY FARM, Gary L Ramey, 440 Surrey available April and May only. Order early to reserve, COCHIN’S INTERNATIONAL CLUB, Jamie Matts Sec/ Race Rd., Salley, SC 29137. 408-205-8150. limited supply. Will receive at least four breeds from Treas., 283 State Hwy. 235, Harpursville, NY 13787. the following: Lady Amherst, Red Golden. Yellow 607-725-7390. Three newsletters True rumpless Araucana chicks. Hatching and Golden, Dark Throated Golden, Plantinum, Silver, a year and a breeder’s directory promoting Cochin’s, shipping weekly. Buff, Green Mutant, Swinhoe and Elliotts. $65/dozen, both Bantam & Large Fowl. Adult membership $15 a postage included. year, Youth $7.50. Aseel Wisconsin DOMINIQUE CLUB OF AMERICA. Boosting America’s Pennsylvania PURELY POULTRY, Tyler Danke, PO Box 466, Oldest Breed Since 1973. Large fowl and bantam. Fremont, WI 54940. 800-216-9917, 920-472-4068. GREEN VALLEY STABLES, Joe Ambrose, PO $10.00 annual dues. Contact: Tracey Rodenbach, Wild Turkeys: Eastern, Rio Grande, Merriams, valleystables.com> Osceola, Pheasants: Chinese Ringneck, Kansas Ring- com> 100% Pure Aseel and Red Jungle Fowl neck, Jumbo Ringneck, Manchurian Cross Ringneck, GUINEA FOWL BREEDERS ASSOCIATION. GFBA hatching eggs. will encourage, support, and educate people as to the Melanistic Mutant. Mallard Ducks. Chukar Redleg benefits in raising guinea fowl and provide information Buckeye Partridge. Quail: Bobwhite, Coturnix, Guineas. and support to those who own or plan to own them. Geese Kentucky NATIONAL JERSEY GIANT CLUB, Robert L. Vaughn, PATHFINDERS FARM, P.O. Box 35, Wil- Michigan Sec./Treas., 28181 Chickadee Ln., Pequot Lakes, liamstown, KY 41097. 859-801-6081. KREBS’ FARM, Bernd & Mari Krebs, 1043 E. John MN 56472. 218-562-4067. Beers Rd., Saint Joseph, MI 49085. 269-408-0282. Promoting Jersey Adult exhibition Giants with newsletters including informative articles, Exhibition Quality Buckeyes in large fowl. Chicks & breeding pairs. Rare Blue Steinbacher “Kampf” annual Members Directory and awards at club meets. and started birds. U.S. Yearly Dues–Individual $15; Family $20. U.S. 3 geese. Years Dues–Individual $40; Family $55. International Missouri Yearly Dues–Individual $20; Family $25 (U.S. Dollars). J SQUARED FARMS, 816-586-2262, Guinea International 3 Years Dues–Individual $55; Family We raise Buckeyes $70 (U.S. Dollars). & only Buckeyes! Rare, heritage, dual purpose. Iowa PALM BEACH COUNTY POULTRY FANCIERS AS- Day old chicks ship October–May. Limited supply. WINTERS GUINEA FARM, Ralph Winter, 21363 SOCIATION, Marie Reddy, Newsletter/Web Site, 2191 Not flock bred. White Pine Ln., New Vienna, IA 52065. 563-853-4195. Pepper Rd., West Palm Beach, FL 33415. fanciers.com> A dedicated group of poultry breeders Cochins Guinea fowl, Peafowl. and enthusiasts that believe in the advancement of poultry breeding and exhibition. Dues are $20/yr. New York Jersey Giants WYANDOTTE BREEDERS OF AMERICA, Karolyn JAMIE’S COCHIN COLLECTION, Jamie Matts, 283 Sutton, Sec./Treas., 1901 N. 181st Hwy., Sylvan State Hwy. 235, Harpursville, NY 13787. 607-725-7390. Indiana Grove,KS 67481. 785-526-7449. cochinsrule.com> 7030 S. Bloomington Trail, Underwood, IN 47177. 80 Backyard Poultry 812-752-7825. Quality Gentle Giant Blues, Turkeys Pilgrim Geese. NPIP#91-121. Splash & Blacks eggs, chicks, started birds & adults. Shipping. Minnesota Illinois HAWK’S VALLEY FARM, Joanne Griffin, 18005 Tru- ANDY ANDERSON, 17496 E. 1000 Rd., Mt. Carmel, Ohio man Dr., Spring Grove, MN 55974. 507-498-5108. IL 62863. 618-262-8389. Call after 6 PM. Hatching JOHNSON JERSEY GIANTS, Tim Johnson, 17650 Bourbon Red turkeys. eggs–$17 per dozen freight paid. Wyandotte bantams: W. Poe Rd., Weston, OH 43569. 419-353-0424. Selective breeding for color and maximum size. Partridge, Buff, Blue Laced, Black, Golden Laced, Black Jersey Giants large Columbian. Buff Orpington. Old English: Brown Red, fowl. Also New Hampshire Bantams. Various Spangled, Wheaten, Mille Fleur. CHICKEN SCRATCH POULTRY, Larry & Angela Peafowl California McEwen, RR3 Box 44, McLeansboro, IL 62859. CHICKEN RIDDLE, Bridget, 3030 Orestimba Rd., 618-643-5602. Coronation THE PEACOCK INFORMATION CENTER, Dennis netvelocite.net> No catalog! Large Fowl: Shamo, Sussex, Light Sussex, Lavender Orpington, Black Fett, 24783 330 St., Minden, IA 51553. 712-483-2473. Buttercup, Salmon Faverolle,Minorca, Sumatras, Copper Marans, Blue Copper Marans, Blue Laced Red Barnvelders, White Ameracanas, Light Sussex. Wyandotte, Welsummers, Blue Ameraucana, Black Peahen eggs, Peacock DVDs. Will sell show quality and non-show quality teens Ameraucana, Rumpless Araucana, Olive Egger. and adults. Iowa Pigeons METZER FARMS, 26000K Old Stage Rd., Gon- zales, CA 93926. Year-round hatching. Nation- COUNTY LINE HATCHERY, 2977 Linn Buchanan Rd., New Mexico wide shipping. Free catalog now, 800-424-7755. Coggon, IA 52218. 319-350-9130. Rare and fancy peafowl, guineas, INDIAN FANTAIL CLUB OF AMERICA (IFCA), Paul Ducklings: Pekin, Rouen, chickens, ducks, turkeys, geese, bantams and more. Tapia, Secretary/Treasurer, 1908 Utah St. NE, Al- Khaki Campbell, Golden 300 Egg Layer, Blue Swedish, Featuring Showgirls & Silkies. Most economical and buquerque, NM 87110. 505-235-1151. Join the IFCA today and start raising and & Runners (Black, Chocolate, Blue, Fawn & White) showing these beautiful pigeons! Contact Paul Tapia Goslings: Embden, White Chinese, Brown Chinese, SCHLECHT FARM & HATCHERY, 9749 500th for more information. Indian Fantail pigeons. Toulouse, Dewlap Toulouse, African, Canada, Buff, Ave., Miles, IA 52064. 563-682-7865. Ringneck pheasants, French Pearl guineas, Wild Quail Poultry: Cornish Rock, Brown Leghorn, Blue Laced turkeys. Red Wyandotte, Golden Lace Wyandotte, Sex-Link, Iowa Idaho Rhode Island Red, Barred Rock, Buff Orpington, Americauna, White Laced Red Cornish; Bantams: SAND PRAIRIE QUAIL FARM, Dale, FEATHERHILLS FARM HERITAGE HATCHERY, Gold Sebright, Silver Spangled Hamburg. Ducks: Becky or Joel Davidson, 2264 200th Tony Albritton, 16405 Orchard Ave., Caldwell, ID Mallard, White Mallard, Rouen, Khaki-Cambell, Pekin, Ave., Maquoketa, IA 52060. 563-652-5407. 83607. 509-995-7284. Fawn & White Indian Runners. Quail chicks & eggs: Barred Plymouth Rock, White Chantecler, Partridge WELP HATCHERY, Box 77, Bancroft, IA 50517. 800- Bobwhite, Tennessee Reds. Chicks Only: Chantecler, Speckled Sussex, White Wyandotte, Silver 458-4473. Specializing in Chukar, Pheasants. Ship express mail, truck Laced Wyandotte, Silver Leghorn, Rhode Island Red. Cornish Rock broilers. Also offering baby chicks, duck- delivery.

North Carolina GEORGE PARKER, 768 Moores Ln., Lumberton, Breeders Directory Order Form NC 28358. 910-738-7432, Cell:910-374-8176. Quail Eggs: Bobwhite, Texas A & M White, Jumbo Brown Coturnix. Shipped postage paid for $55/100. Classification/Breed:______Sebrights Your Farm Name:______Florida Your Name:______BLACKBURN’S QUALITY BANTAMS, Wayne Blackburn, PO Box 736, Anthony, FL 32617. Address:______352-236-0359. Sebrights, Wyandottes and Self Blue Old English. City, State, Zip:______Seramas Phone Number:______Louisiana E-mail/Website:______JERRY’S SERAMAS, LLC., Jerry Schexnayder, PO Box 159, Vacherie, LA 70090. 225-265-2238. Additional Words:______ Serama. Silkies Mail this One Year Directory Listing (6 issues) $ 50.00 form along Additional Words $1.50 each: $ _____ California with your AMBER WAVES, as featured on The Tori & payment to: Total amount enclosed: $ _____ Dean Show on Oxygen. Jim cell: 951-233-4231. Visit: A leading information resource for all poultry. Bearded bantam Silkies & Blue Slate turkeys. NPIP. Backyard Poultry Ship nationwide and internationally. Credit cards accepted.Visitors welcome by appointment. 145 Industrial Drive, Medford, WI 54451 Massachusetts GOLDEN EGG FARM, 413-477-8872. E-mail: Hatching eggs—Champion Silkies—Master Exhibitor, [email protected] Breeder, NPIP#1299.

February/March 2012 www.backyardpoultrymag.com 81 lings, goslings, bantams, exotics, turkeys, Guineas, Appleyard, Pekin, White & Black Crested, Saxony, nian; Tufted Roman; Brown Chinese; Shetland; Or- pheasants. Free catalog. MC/Visa/Discover. Black Cayuga, Black, Blue Swedish, Black & Blue egon Mini-Geese. Magpies, Campbells, Penciled, White, Blue, Black, Maryland Grey (Mallard), and Emory Penciled Runners, White, Pennsylvania WHITMORE FARM, Emmitsburg, Maryland. Shipping Grey, Snowy, Black, Blue Bibbed & Pastel Call duck- HORSTMAN’S POULTRY, Dick Horstman, 5 S Kings day old chicks March thru June. Show quality lines, ex- lings. Free brochure. Creek Rd., Burgettstown, Pa 15021. 724-729-3701. cellent egg color, selected for performance. Black and Eggs—chicks—adults. Large Fowl: and Blue Copper Marans, Welsummer. Photographs, St. SW., Red Lake Falls, MN 56750. 218-253-2291. Partridge & Silver Penciled Rocks; Blue Orpington; pricing and online ordering at Free catalog. All breeds, SC & RC Rhode Island Red; WC Black Polish; Red com>. Email waterfowl, chicks, gamebirds, poults, rabbits, hatch- Dorking; Goldlaced & Silverlaced Cochin. Bantam: ing equipment. Barred & White Rock; Buff & Dark Brahma; Goldlaced Michigan & Columbian Cochin; White Araucana; Bearded URCH/TURNLUND POULTRY, 2142 NW 47 Ave., Silver Polish. CEDAR CREEK HATCHERY, 5840 Sweet- Owatonna, MN 55060-1071. 507-451-6782. Large er Rd., Twin Lake, MI 49457. 231-821-0670, fowl: Wyandottes, Rhode Island Reds, Rhode South Carolina Chickens: Island Whites, Java, Giants, Buckeye, Dominique, HT AUSTIN, 1766 Homestead Rd., Bowman, SC 29018. Rhode Island Reds, Black Australorps, Golden Com- Langshan, Cochins, Dark Brown & Black Leghorn, ets, California Gray Leghorns, Pearl White Leghorns, 803-308-1203. Bantam hatching eggs, price includes R.C. Light Brown Leghorn, Spanish, R.C. Black Buckeyes, Silver Laced Wyandottes, Blue Laced Red postage: $65/dozen—Rare Barred Silkies. $38/ Leghorn, Australorp, Polish, Hamburg, Faverolle, Wyandottes, Turkins, Americaunas, Delaware, Light dozen—Assorted Silkies from five different colors, Black Welsummer, Campine, Sumatra, Ameraucauna. La Brahma, Dark Brahma, Buff Brahma, Barred Rocks, Rosecombs, assorted Golden and Silver Sebrights or Fleche, Crevecoeur, Sultan, Phoenix. Bantam: Modern White Rocks, Black Javas, Mottled Javas, Salmon assorted Polish from five different colors. Game, Rhode Island Red, Leghorn, Naked Neck, Faverolles, Buff Cochins, Black Jersey Giants, White Polish, Ameraucana, Cochin, Faverolle, Langshan, Jersey Giants, Blue Orpington, Black Copper Marans, Washington Frizzle, Silkie, Mille Fleur, Buckeye, Ancona. Geese: Blue Copper Marans, Blue Splash Marans, Wheaton ELYSIAN MEADOWS POULTRY FARM, John & Bev Canada, Egyptian. Ducks: Muscovy. Turkeys: Black, Marans, Welsummers, White Crested Black Polish, Tenneson, 10117 Fruitdale Rd., Sedro-Woolley, WA Slate, Bronze, Red, Palm, Beltsville, Eastern Wild, Cornish/Rock Cross, Cedar Creek Bluebell Super- 98284-8200. 360-856-6242. MASSIVE Light Brahmas & Black Minorcas–Not Golden, Dark Throated Red Golden, Lady Amherst. Oklahoma your ordinary, everyday birds, but 40 years of intensive Quail: Pharoah Coturnix, Tuxedo Coturnix, Bobwhite breeding stategies producing show-stoppers wherever Quail. Guineas: Pearl, Royal Purple, Snow White, COUNTRY HATCHERY, Dr. Dennis P., Joseph & shown! Visitors by appointment. Show birds: $100 and Coral Blue. Turkeys: Narragansett, Bourbon Reds, Matthew Smith, PO Box 747, Wewoka, OK 74884. up. Simply interested in productive, beautiful birds that Blue Slate, Royal Palms, Standard Bronze. Ducks: 405-257-1236. Muscovy Ducks, Pilgrim Geese, SHIP. NPIP #91-97. Peacocks: India Blue. Standard Bronze Turkeys, Black Australorps, Barred Rocks, Reds, Buff Orpingtons, Ameraucanas, Buff Wisconsin TOWNLINE POULTRY FARM, INC., Box 108, Minorcas & Black Minorcas. Free Color Brochure. BUTCH’S BIRDS POULTRY FARM, Airling Gunder- Zeeland, MI 49464. 888-685-0040. 616-772- son, N6465 Schwantz Rd., Pardeeville, WI 53954. 6514. Poultry: Isa-Brown, Rhode HOLDERREAD WATERFOWL FARM, Millie & Dave ButchsBirds.com> Geese, ducks, chickens, NPIP. Island Reds, California Grey Leghorn, Barred Rock, Holderread, PO Box 492, Corvallis, OR 97339. 541- Araucana, Buff Orpingtons, Black Sex-Link, Black 929-5338. Silver Appleyard; Saxony; Fremont, WI 54940. 800-216-9917, 920-472-4068. Golden Lace Wyandottes, Silver Wyandotte & Light Cayuga; Magpie; Welsh Harlequin; Khaki Campbell; 300 varieties: chickens, bantams, ducks, Penciled, Blue Fawn Penciled, Dusky, Cinnamon, geese, turkeys, guineas, peafowl, swans, pheasants, Minnesota Saxony , Silver Runners; Dutch Hook Bills; Australian ornamental pheasants, chukars and quail. JOHNSON’S WATERFOWL, 36882 160th Ave. NE, Spotted; Mini Appleyard; East Indie; White, Gray, Middle River, MN 56737. 218-222-3556. Grey, Buff & White Africans, Embden; Brown, Buff Africans; Dewlap Toulouse; 920-887-2122. Shipping to North Central U.S. only. Grey Pomeranians, Sebastopol geese, Rouen, Silver American Blue; American Lavender; Gray Pomera- Jumbo broilers, Leghorns, Blacks, Browns, turkeys & ducklings. Everything you need to know to Waterfowl care for your own flock of chickens! Michigan WEBBED FOOT PINES WATERFOWL FARM, Lucas Dickerson, 3985 Packard Rd., Sand Creek , MI 49279. 517-436-3849, 517-442-9686. Exhibition Gray & Buff Toulouse, Black & Chocolate Muscovys, Silver Appleyard. Je r o m e D. Be l a n g e r Oregon You’re no idiot, of course. You know there’s nothing like BOONDOCKERS FARM, Evan & Rachel Gregoire, the taste of fresh, free-range eggs from chickens you’ve 28055 Briggs Hill Rd., Eugene, OR 97405. 541- 689-0881. Cell: 775-544-7722. Ancona ducks. flock of birds would be all it’s cracked up to be. In this Complete Idiot’s Guide you’ll find advice on locating and Wyandottes buying your first chickens; tips for buying or building South Carolina the right coop; learn all about eggs from conception to RAMEY FARM, Gary L Ramey, 440 Surrey Race Rd., cooking; learn to identify normal behavior in healthy Salley, SC 29137. 408-205-8150. Blue Laced Red Wyandottes. and decide for yourself if raising chickens organically is right for you. As a first-time flock owner, you have questions, this book Yokohama has the answers. 160 pages, $14.95 South Carolina See bookstore on page 36 to order RAMEY FARM, Gary L Ramey, 440 Surrey Race Rd., Salley, SC 29137. 408-205-8150. Red Shoulder Yokohamas. 82 Backyard Poultry Customer Review… The PRS 50 solar charger is a great deal. It works great and very easy setup right out of the box. I am using the charger to charge two of the 164’ rolls of poultry netting. We were having a problem with foxes getting into our portable chicken pens. We set up the poultry net, hooked up the charger and have had no more fox problem. The charger delivers a good zap to keep out things you want to keep out and keep in things you want to keep in.

Larry H. (South Georgia) See more reviews on our website

Need an “instant” fence? (above) Both the PRS energizer and ™ PoultryNet are ready to set up when they PoultryNet & PRS Energizers arrive at your door. See the center spread of this magazine for Premier’s poultry supplies—for baby chicks. What is PoultryNet? PRS Solar Energizers— • Fence in most non-fl ying poultry PRS 50 and PRS 100 energizers Ask for our free booklets! (chickens, ducks & geese). have these special features: • Fence out dogs, foxes, coyotes, • Half the cost and more output raccoons, opossum & skunks. (joules) than other’s energizers. A prefabricated fence that arrives • All metal case; very strong at your door as a complete roll (see and rugged. Won’t rust. It’s photo at left) but still needs to be aluminum and stainless steel. electrifi ed with an energizer. • Light brown exterior reduces its Energizer and additional support visibility to vandals and reduces Fencing Poultry posts sold separately. heat buildup inside the case. White vertical strings are “welded” • All metal clamps for lid. to black/white electroplastic • 2 yr warranty on solar panel, Free Shipping! energizer and case. conductive horizontals. White plastic On qualifi ed internet orders. Visit our website. posts built into the net (every 12 ft. • If properly used and stored in PoultryNet and every 6.5 ft. in batteries should last 3–4 years. PoultryNet Plus) support the mesh. • Kits also available which include PoultryNet comes in two heights. a 5-light fence tester. 42 or 48 in. tall with 12 horizontals and verticals every 3 in. A 164 ft. roll weighs less than 15 lbs. A PRS 50 Note: Not effective with baby chicks can power up that are small enough to crawl through to 5 rolls of www.premier supplies.com the net openings and therefore are not PoultryNet. 1 deterred by the electric shock. 800-282-6631 • Washington, IA February/March 2012 www.backyardpoultrymag.com 83

Premiers BYP Feb IBC.indd 1 12/19/11 4:33 PM 84 Backyard Poultry