The Russian Orloff Chicken They Are Somewhat Rare in the U.S

Home , California Gray, Candling, Chicken tractor, Rare breed

Volume 8, Number 1 Backyard February/March 2013

PoultryDedicated to more and better small-flock poultry

Think Like a Chicken

Understanding Bird Talk Pg.26

From Russia with Love: The Russian Orloff Pg. 62

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See How It Works @ www.niteguard.com SCAN TO WATCH VIDEO CHICKEN Volume 8, Number 1 Backyard February/March 2013 Poultry Backyard 145 Industrial Dr. Medford, WI 54451 www.backyardpoultrymag.com Poultry 800-551-5691 From the Editor: About Geese: A 3-part series Publisher: Bart Smith Great Memories of the Past Seven Years....6 Part 1: Heavy Geese ...... 64 Editor: Elaine Belanger Managing Editor: Anne-marie Ida Readers’ Letters ...... 8 Anne Robinson is New Metzer Editorial Assistant: Samantha Ingersoll Farms General Manager ...... 70 Circulation and Fulfillment: Laura Backyard Poultry Family Ching, Ellen Soper, Kelly Weiler, Album: A Love of the Hobby: Christine Barkley 2012 Cover Photo Contest Winners .....16 Like Mother, Like Daughter, A Bookstore: Ann Tom Father’s Memory Sparked This SPPA News: Family Hobby ...... 72 Advertising Representatives Breeders Directory Loaded With (Rates on request) Rare Breed Sources ...... 18 Recipes: Alicia Komanec Sweeten Spring with a Trio of Coming Events ...... 20 800-551-5691 Cookies Featuring Eggs...... 76 [email protected] Helpful Hints: Gary Christopherson Hen and Chick Lemon Cookies ....76 800-551-5691 Winter Tips...... 22 Polka Dot Meringues...... 77 [email protected] Provide Wide, Flat Boards for Roosting...... 23 Chewy-Chocolate Brownie Cookies.... 77 Backyard Poultry (ISSN 1559-2251, USPS 023-374) Natural Nest Box Filler...... 23 Your Flock: is published bi-monthly by Amelia’s Flock ...... 80 Countryside Publications, Ltd. at 145 Chicken Behavior: Industrial Dr., Medford, WI 54451. Learning to Think Like a Chicken ...... 26 Atty’s 4-H Flock...... 81 Periodicals postage paid at Medford, WI and additional mailing offices. A Guide to Raising Roosters ...... 30 Just for Fun: ©2013 Countryside Publications, Ltd. Hen Provides Therapy for Housing: Seniors...... 82 The views presented here do not Ken’s Coop...... 32 necessarily represent those of the editor Youth: or publisher. All contents of this issue My Chicken House...... 36 of Backyard Poultry are copyrighted by Gertrude McCluck: Chicken in Countryside Publications, Ltd., 2013. All A Designer Coop: Owner gives coop Charge ...... 84 rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or own unique style ...... 40 Youth Writing Contest Second in part is prohibited except by permission of the publisher. Health: Place Winner Stories...... 84 The Answer Man...... 42 Backyard Poultry 2012 Index ...... 86 Editorial and Advertising Office: Backyard Poultry Healthy Dust Bathing...... 48 145 Industrial Dr. Saving Frak: A Surgeon’s Story ...... 52 Medford, WI 54451 On the cOver: [email protected] Feed: The February/March 2013 cover Grit and Oyster Shell; When in photo is by Jeffrey Dewey, Oregon. See page 16 for more information on the Subscriptions (U.S. funds): Doubt, Put it Out ...... 54 $21 per year; 2 years $35. photo contest. Backyard Poultry Subscriptions Book Reviews: 145 Industrial Dr. Reinventing the Chicken Coop...... 56 Medford, WI 54451 800-551-5691 Hatching & Brooding Your Own Chicks ...... 56 POSTMASTER: Send all UAA to CFS. (See DMM Young Chicken Farmers ...... 57 707.4.12.5); NON-POSTAL AND Breed Focus: MILITARY FACILITIES: send What Breed Is It? Understanding address corrections to Backyard Sex-Link Chickens ...... 58 Poultry Subscriptions 145 Industrial Dr., Medford, WI 54451 From Russia With Love: The Printed in the U.S.A. Russian Orloff...... 62

4 Backyard Poultry February/March 2013 www.backyardpoultrymag.com 5 Fr o m Th e Ed i t o r : Great Memories of the Past Seven Years

El a i n e Be l a n g e r His hobbies include being outdoors, play- If you have a poultry association, Ed i t o r ing music, and reading a good book. group or special event coming up, tell us While there is a new editor in the about your activities. ith this issue, Backyard Poultry house, you can expect the content of the Give some thought, right now, to what celebrates the first issue of its magazine to remain the same. We will you have to share with others. If it comes eighth year! I am constantly continue with many of the current array to your mind, chances are others will be Wamazed at how much fun it has been to be of topics, and familiar writers. We ask thinking about it too. the editor of a magazine that shares such that you, the readers, continue to share Articles are not always used imme- joy among its pages. your stories as well. diately and may be kept for an issue that The sheer volume of knowledge our fits the season/theme better. readers offer throughout its pages has Stories/Suggestions/Questions We can’t promise that everything sent been the key to the success of the publica- We ask you to share your experiences will be printed, but we do promise that tion, and we take this time to thank each that have worked well and those that every article or letter will be read and of you for your generosity and helpful- haven’t (maybe you can save someone considered. ness in guiding others as they begin the else the expense and disappointment of fun hobby of raising chickens. It’s almost trying some project you already know Photo Contest like everyone that reads and participates won’t work). Include details and try to The photo contest is ongoing. When in the content of Backyard Poultry is part be specific. Include photos or diagrams we receive a photo, it is electronically of a secret club that has already discov- to help others visualize your project. copied, recorded and forwarded to the ered how great an impact chickens can Share the fun stories of your poultry. contest judges. The original photos are have on our lives, whether we raise a few Consider why you raise birds and encour- then returned to you, but your photo may as pets, to show in competition, or as part age others who are still hesitating about still be used at any time in the future. of a healthy, home-grown diet. what breed to raise, or even if they should When we started Backyard Poultry in raise poultry at all. All Communications 2006, I was just beginning to understand If you raise unusual breeds or poultry For the quickest response to any all the unusual issues that can arise when other than chickens, tell others. They inquiry, be sure to include the following raising any poultry, especially chickens. may need that little nudge to “just do contact information with every communi- But thanks to an awesome support group it” and your story might be the one that cation: name, complete mailing address, of knowledgeable writers, I learned, and convinces them. phone number (including area code), and learned, and am still learning something email, if you have one. Your inquiry can every day. It has been a terrific learning often be answered by phone in a more curve, packed with humor, sadness and timely fashion than any other method. heartwarming stories. Along the way, I Send your stories, questions, con- made many friends in the poultry world, cerns and photos to Backyard Poultry, and treasure each of them. Thanks for Attn: Editor, 145 Industrial Dr., Medford, sharing the ride! WI 54451 or email [email protected].

With Great Sadness, and Address Changes Excitement, I Say Goodbye The post office does not always for- This is my last issue as editor. As I ward magazines when you move. To be move forward to new challenges, I will sure you don’t miss an issue, contact us always remember this job (if it can even as soon as possible by phone, email or be called that) as one of the most pleasur- letter. Be sure to include your full name, able phases in my career. complete old and new address.

New Face, Same Name Contact Information Beginning with the April/May issue, If you have any questions or con- Ryan Slabaugh will be the new editor. cerns, please contact us immediately. He joins Backyard Poultry with much to Office hours are Monday-Friday, 8-4:30 learn about the agricultural world, but has central time. worked for more than a decade with daily, Ryan Slabaugh joins Countryside Write to Backyard Poultry, 145 In- weekly, monthly and annual publications Publications as the new Backyard Poultry dustrial Dr., Medford, WI 54451; email: in the mountains of Colorado and Nevada. editor in February 2013. [email protected]; or phone: 800-551-5691. 6 Backyard Poultry February/March 2013 www.backyardpoultrymag.com 7 Le t t e r s : New University E-extension Do you have something Offers On-line Poultry Help E-extension has a new site for small to crow about? flocks. This information source offers details on upcoming poultry related we- We want to hear from you. Send questions, binars, answers from experts, articles on comments, opinions, advice, coming events, etc. health and care of small flocks, poultry to: Backyard Poultry Editor, 145 Industrial Dr., behavior, poultry biology, poultry man- Medford, WI 54451 or email: [email protected] agement and much more. Visit http:// www.extension.org/poultry for more. Bill Weeks, Oklahoma New Goals Set for the and APA news. Therefore at least 20% 2013 Edition of the of the book will be informative articles. Chickens Provide Peace During American Poultry Association In addition, we are offering color ads for Terminal Illness (APA) Yearbook the first time. We have also committed to Thank you for the subscription offer. I The newly appointed APA Yearbook having the book “on the street” in July would love to be able to have chickens in committee of David Wulff (Chairman), 2013 which means that all advertising my backyard and have a rooster’s crow- Dave Anderson, Carl Brantley and Jamie and articles must be received no later than ing waking me early in the morning, as it Carson has been busily preparing and ex- April 1, 2013—no exceptions. did when I was growing up, but we live ecuting a detailed plan and schedule for the Several of you have already been in the center of our village. 2013 edition. This edition will commemo- contacted concerning articles for this edi- The reason I am writing this note is that rate the 140th anniversary of the APA. tion and we appreciate your willingness it brought back the memory of my mother Goals and objectives are as follows: to participate. In the following months and her love for her chickens, which she • Have the Yearbook in advertisers’ we will be soliciting ads from members, raised years ago. In the early 50s she was and members’ hands no later than July clubs, and commercial advertisers. Please diagnosed and treated for cancer when 2013. show your support and do your part to the treatment resulted in not a very good • Provide a quality product with clear, make this anniversary edition something percentage of recovery and her cancer focused pictures and legible, consistent to remember. became terminal. Upon this prognosis printing. Dave Anderson, APA Yearbook her doctor presented her with two choices • Have at least 20% of the book de- committee as to how she wished to spend her final voted to informative articles. days. The first choice was confinement The committee believes that the Year- For more information or to contact in a hospital environment and the other book must be improved in both aesthetics the APA, please visit their website at choice was being at home with her family and content. Members like to be informed www.amerpoultryassn.com or see their and normal surroundings. Her choice was and have something to read other than ads ad on page 50. —Ed. to live out the remaining days at home to

Happy Valentine’s Day We raise and sell layers, broilers, turkeys, ducks, geese and guineas. My husband eats a lot of hard-boiled eggs, but this one was more unusual than most. It is from one of our chicken layers. We have had our Bourbon Red turkeys for four years: we got them as poults. This pair is the first ones we raised, and we use them as breeders. They follow me wherever I go, all I have to do is yell, “Little ones,” and they come running. They have trained our other turkeys to come when called too. The Wheeler Farm, Minnesota

8 Backyard Poultry be with her family, and she added, “Then when I become bedridden I shall also be able to look out of my bedroom window Backyard Poultry’s Back Issue List and see my chickens.” Backyard I know that her second choice of going April/May, 2006 Vol. 1/2 • Chick Success: Start Those Birds Right! home, being with her family and hearing • Working With the Cock(s) in the Flock PoultryDedicated to more and better small-flock poultry her rooster’s crowing in the morning led to • Serama: World’s Smallest Chicken a more peaceful passing than the confine- Aug/Sept, 2006 Vol. 1/4 Pg.6 ment of four walls in a hospital room. Are Chickens in Your Future? • Make Your Own Feed Pg. 34 Brooding Chicks is Easy! • How to Bathe That Bird Pg.56 Isn’t it strange how receiving a sub- A New Kind of Chicken Coop scription offer to a magazine in the mail • Chickens Help Build a Community • Decorating and Dyeing this morning could result in the resur- Oct/Nov, 2006 Vol. 1/5 • Kids Build an Egg Cleaner $4.99 US facing of the above memory of so many • Portable Chicken Runs • Turkey History & Varieties years ago? Thank you for unknowingly • Integrating Chicken Flocks June/July 2011 Vol. 6/3 doing that for me. • Chick Know-How Alice Bowen, Wisconsin Dec, 2006/Jan, 2007 Vol. 1/6 • Opportunities to Profit with Poultry • Winter Care for Your Poultry • Manage Pests Naturally • Make a Poultry Saddle • The Neglected Goose October/November 2011 Vol. 6/5 Chickens Provide Hobby & • Want Healthy Birds? Give Them Fresh Air! Responsibility for Youth August/September, 2007 Vol. 2/4 • Prepare Your Flock for Winter • The Java Chicken Breed My grandson Jake is only 10 years December 2011/January 2012 Vol. 6/6 old and this past summer he asked his dad • Designing Your Pasture Shelter • Poultry Predator Identification • Tricks for Winter Egg Production for some chickens. After some conversa- • One Dozen Tips to Legalize Chickens tions, my son took him shopping and they June/July, 2008 Vol. 3/3 • Gardening with Guineas April/May 2012 Vol. 7/2 bought about six chickens. Jakie worked • Integrating Poultry Flocks • Brooding Chicks is Easy! right with his dad in the hot sun to build • Build an Affordable Poultry Plucker • A New Kind of Chicken Coop the coops and pens. Long story short, October/November, 2008 Vol. 3/5 June/July 2012 Vol. 7/3 Jakie totally cares for his chickens and • One Dozen Poultry Keeping Tricks • Plant a Poultry Garden spends much of his time with them! • Turkeys: History, Culture & Varieties • Feather Your Nest, Poultry Business Ideas • Feed for Nutritious Delicious Eggs He eventually helped his dad build • Plymouth Rocks: The Heirloom Breed even more coop space, as he is now April/May, 2009 Vol. 4/2 August/September 2012 Vol. 7/4 • Heritage Breed Options • Build an “Old West” Style Chicken Coop up to 30-some chickens. He has been • The Mystique of Swans called “The Chicken Whisperer,”—to • Alternatives to the Cornish Cross • Understand and Prevent Pecking & Picking • Tools to Legalize Urban Poultry Keeping his delight—and someone else dubbed him “Coop,” which has stuck as his February/March 2011 Vol. 6/1 December 2012/January 2013 Vol. 7/6 • Essential Housing Tips • Build a Beautiful & Practical Brooder nickname. He still takes total charge of • Chicken Anatomy • Beginner’s Guide to Raising Ducks them, with very little help from his dad. • Silkies: Furry, Five-Toed Bantams • Chantecler Chickens: A Canadian Icon He collects the eggs, puts them through two cleaning processes and sells them for Only $4 each... while supplies last $2 per dozen. Circle the issues of your choice. (Note: Past issues not listed are sold out.) 1/2 1/4 1/5 1/6 2/4 3/3 3/5 4/2

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Ten-year-old Jake Bellizia started with We accept Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover. six chickens, and is now raising more For more information on back issues, visit our website: than 30. Photo courtesy of Grandma, www.backyardpoultrymag.com Carol Bellizia. February/March 2013 www.backyardpoultrymag.com 9 Someone gave me the postcard to Chickens Provide Therapy for “Hen Provides Therapy for Seniors,” on send for a free copy of your magazine People with Special Needs page 82.—Ed. and I told him that I sent it in and if he I have read that chickens are great liked it, I would subscribe to it for him. animals to use in therapy for people Each issue of Backyard Poultry is full You won’t believe this, but for Christ- with special needs. I know this is true, of wonderful stories and helpful hints mas he asked for an egg scale. It is so because my three-year-old son who has from readers like Ronda Wilkoff. On refreshing to see this in today’s world! Down Syndrome, adores his chickens and page 6 of this issue, we tell readers how Carol C. Bellizia, Pennsylvania would stay outside all day long with them they can share their knowledge with oth- if he could. His first word was chicken! ers. Imagine the satisfaction of reading Folks who don’t raise chickens find He is learning how to be gentle and kind that your story saved the life of another a child’s interest in raising them pretty to our very patient hens! person’s bird! amazing, but we know just how much fun Elizabeth Goulding, California Back issues are available on page 9, they can be. We also know there are other or for more detail on each issue’s content, good reasons to let kids raise chickens: Find more information on chickens visit our website, www.backyardpoultry- It keeps them active and out of the providing therapy in the article titled mag.com. You can find a large library of house (yet off the streets). free articles there as well!—Ed. They learn animal husbandry and gain a sense of where our food comes Varying Protein Needs of Hens from. I’ve been a subscriber since the They learn that the care of animals is first issue and find your magazine not a full time responsibility, a behavior that only informative, but delightful. will carry over into many other areas of I recently ran across Jd Belanger’s their lives. book, Idiot’s Guide to Raising Chickens, They learn that with good manage- at our local library. Though hesitant to ment and business skills, they can earn call myself an “idiot,” I checked the money, offering parents an opportunity book out and could hardly put it down. to teach them about finances. A friend noted that I had plans to read yet A study published in the magazine another book on chickens and asked, “Do Pediatrics even suggests that being you think you’ll learn anything new?” around animals may help develop the To be honest, I wondered myself, but in human body’s defense systems and that Elizabeth Goulding’s son, who has Down each book I do seem to find at least one children who lived with pets got sick less Syndrome, has found joy in raising “some or two new helpful hints. Well, this book often than those who did not.—Ed. very patient hens.” was loaded with terrific information and fun facts, and is one of the best I’ve come across on keeping chickens. Not only that, it is easy to read and written in a down-home, non-technical style. After taking in all that good information, I was left with a question (yep, only one). The author states that laying hens actually need less protein than younger hens. I was surprised at this, as I had always assumed that layers would have higher protein requirements because of the egg production. Here in California, we have little to no rain, and thus no grass/forage/worms, from May to Oc- tober, give or take. The girls get garden goodies, of course, but during this time I also give them the 20% protein pellet feed instead of the 16% (the price is the same). According to the book, it is apparently harmless. But I’m still wondering…is it a good idea in my situation, or completely unnecessary? Thanks to Mr. Belanger for his excellent book, and to Backyard Poultry for all your efforts on our behalf! Marla Bentien, California 10 Backyard Poultry Thank you for the nice comments about Backyard Poultry and my chicken book. Glad you enjoy them! Low Cost Your question about protein is logical, Life Insurance and you’re right about eggs requiring Age M F a lot of it. In fact, according to Scott’s 40 $16.11 $13.64 Nutrition of the Chicken, the classic book 50 $29.30 $21.12 on the subject, a laying hen needs 12.2 60 $57.73 $34.67 gr/day for egg production, but only 3 for Monthly Premium, 10yr term body maintenance, and just 1.8 for body Up to $350,000 - No Physical and feather growth. Replacement pullets Call 24 hours obviously need zilch for egg production, 855-201-0418 but far more for body and feather growth, for application or quote which explains the difference. (Interestingly, older hens, >42 weeks of age, use more protein to make an egg than younger layers do because their eggs are larger. They also need more to maintain their heavier bodies. But since they need less for growth and feather development, the % stays the same.) Additional protein simply isn’t used, and is therefore “wasted.” And it’s usually expensive, but if you can get 20% and 16% for the same price, it really doesn’t matter. But there’s another angle: I’m not sure how or if this affects California chickens or how your dry summers might fit in, but hens eat more in cold weather to keep warm, and less in summer. So when we’re talking about the percentage of protein in a ration, and they eat less of that ration, they’re getting less actual protein (figuring 16% is 17-19 gr/day). If the lack of grass/forage/worms means your chickens are eating less— and/or are getting less protein—your 20% ration would seem to be justified. I hope this answers your question. Jd Belanger Cod Liver Oil Article in Past Soy-Free, Organic Feeds. And More. Issue of Backyard Poultry Saves Turkey’s Life We make a great soy-free, certified organic chicken feed. But that’s notall we do. Thank goodness I had sent for back We also have essential organic ingredients for your garden, pasture and orchard. issues of Backyard Poultry! In the Want more great organics? Please visit our website. Or give us a call. We welcome October/November 2006 issue, I read your questions. We work hard every day to bring you the best in organics. an article written by Ronda Wilkoff of Please visit our online store Texas. It told of a spastic, stiff-legged at www.countrysideorganics.com or call 888-699-7088 pullet being saved by cod liver oil and

electrolytes. Months passed. This year the CO last poult of rare Bourbon Red turkeys I CO hatched was weak and began to exhibit Countryside the same symptoms as Ronda’s bird. He CO would fall to one side and kick, trying to CO Organics right himself. At first I was conflicted, I didn’t want him to suffer, but his eyes Certified Organic, Soy-Free Feeds • Animal Health Products OMRI Approved Organic Gardening and Farming Products • Good Stuff were bright and he worked so hard to 801 2nd Street, Waynesboro, VA 22980 • Nationwide Shipping get his legs to work. I hand fed him fluid February/March 2013 www.backyardpoultrymag.com 11 electrolytes for a couple of days before remembering reading about “something else” to give him. I thumbed through all my copies of Backyard Poultry before Start ‘em Right with finding the article and running to the store to pick up cod liver oil. Two capsules of cod liver oil, poked open with a pin, then sucked into an R eyedropper along with “Sav-A-Chick” electrolyte solution and 4:1 ratio of water and sugar was what I used to keep him hydrated. It was easy to take a couple of Premium Poultry Feed minutes several times a day to feed him the solution. I also held him steady a few times to make sure he could peck at feed. By the end of his first week of life he Angela Faulkner’s Catalana flock came from Rev. Roland Romig, who has aflock was walking normally and able to care imported from Peru in the 1980s. George Jensen is seeking other breeders who have the for himself. I want to thank Ronda for Catalana breed. Photo courtesy of Angela Faulkner, BamaJam Farms, Pennsylvania her lifesaving tips and your wonderful magazine for printing it. I am sure keep- in North America. One of the judges I upright and had beautiful feather colors, ing my subscription going! talked to during my search said the last hardly any comb, ear tufts and a beard. Wendi Fischer, California time he saw a Catalana was at the 1997 I had no idea what breed he was as Ohio National. I had never seen one like him. I asked a Reader Seeks Help Finding Several breeders and judges helped friend who is very knowledgeable about Catalana Breed of Chickens me with advice, especially Dan Honour poultry and he told me he is a Russian I became fascinated with the Catalana of New York. Because I am fortunate to Orloff. I did some research on the breed breed since seeing photos of the breed in have located birds with a documented and found it to be very interesting. Christine Heinrichs’ book, How to Raise history, I plan to keep this flock closed They were named after a Russian Chickens, several years ago. I became a until I can assess their strengths and Count, Alexey Grigoryevich Orlov. The “Chicken Detective” as I followed clues weaknesses. Count was a major promoter of the breed in my search for this rare breed. After I am eager to connect with others who in the 19th century so it bears his name. He many promising leads fizzled, my search have an interest in this breed, especially if lived from 1737-1808. For a long time the was rewarded with success! I’ll acquire you have a breeding flock. Please contact breed was considered to be a breed from three pairs of this historic Spanish breed me at 803-549-0948. Thank you. Russia, but it has been found to have first and start my own flock. George Jensen, South Carolina been in Persia and spread across Europe I began my search for Catalanas by and Asia by the 17th century. contacting the breeders Christine sug- The Russian Orloff Chicken They are somewhat rare in the U.S. gested and following up with any other This is a picture of my Russian Orloff The Orloff stands tall and upright; a contacts I got along the way. None of them cockerel, Mikel. He was given to me in proud looking bird. They are calm and still have their Catalanas, but I heard a lot a box of assorted young chicks. As the docile. Because they have a small, tight of rumors. I succeeded when I connected babies started to grow this guy stood out comb and tiny earlobes and wattles, they Home Fresh starter feeds have guaranteed levels of essential amino acids with Rev. Roland Romig of Pennsylvania. as different. He was standing tall and are very well suited to cold climates. He still has a flock, from birds he imported They also have full muffs and beard. necessary for growth and reproduction as well as healthy skin and feathers. from Peru in the 1980s. He offered to help There are several color varieties but mine me get started with six of his 11 birds. is Spangled. He is a sweet boy and I feel Catalanas, officially known as Cata- very lucky to have him. Starter Multi-Flock: Starter/Grower lana del Prat Leonada, are shown in the I was hoping you could provide more Medicated Non-medicated Mediterranean class. The breed originally information on the Russian Orloff. with Amprolium developed from landrace chickens in the Carolyn Warnock, Ohio Catalonia district of Spain mixed with Asiatic breeds that arrived in seaports in See page 62 for an article on the Rus- the 19th century. They are a hardy and sian Orloff breed. —Ed. Protein - 20% Protein - 22% vigorous breed, first exhibited at the Ma- Fat - 3% Fat - 3.5% drid World’s Fair in 1902 and admitted to No Tolerance for Fiber - 4% Fiber - 4% the American Standard in 1949. They are Menacing Rooster good dual-purpose birds, cocks weighing Roosters can be meaner than a wet eight pounds and hens six and laying hen. Tommy, a Black Australorp rooster plenty of white or lightly tinted eggs. With tight combs and small wattles, the I used to have was just that. He did not The breed remains abundant in South Russian Orloff is a cold-hardy breed. Photo want you in his coop. My eight-year-old Available in 25-lb or 50-lb bags America and Spain, but has lost ground courtesy of Carolyn Warnock, Ohio brother was attacked by him twice. 12 Backyard Poultry Start ‘em Right with

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www.blueseal.com • 1.866.647.1212 Tommy acted like he was 12 feet When dealing with roosters, one im- several weeks without any success, your tall when he was only 12 inches tall. portant thing to remember is that they see best option may be to rehome him. After a while my grandpa started to themselves as the protectors of “their” hens, Chicken Chick catch him and hold him a couple times so they may not take kindly to anything that to try to tame him, but he still attacked scares the girls or causes them to squawk— Silkie Hen Carries us. He had pecked all the feathers out this includes a toddler happily and harm- Eggs Under Neck of the hens’ backs. This past fall he re- lessly running amongst the flock. Also, In the October/November 2012 issue ally did it—Tommy killed two of the roosters are geared to be looking for danger of Backyard Poultry there was a ques- hens. My grandpa got rid of him. We from above (like hawks), so sometimes if tion asked, “Can a chicken tuck an egg agreed to never tolerate a rooster like a child even flings off a jacket, it can seem under its wing to move it?” that again. like a dire threat to the rooster! While I have never seen a chicken Sam Costello, Michigan For the most part, roosters are wonder- move an egg by placing it under its wing, 11 years old ful to have around, even if they don’t mix I have one chicken—a black Silkie mix— well unsupervised with small children. that tucks the egg under her chin (i.e., Brittany Thompson provides informa- We love their beautiful voices, and it’s beak) and holds the egg against her breast tion on her dealings with roosters in the comforting knowing your rooster will try to move it. I’ve seen her move more than article,“A Guide to Raising Roosters,” to protect “his” girls when humans are not one egg from one nest to another. She on page 30. outside watching over the flock. tends to gather up all the other chickens’ My Pet Chicken provided the follow- Most roosters will go through a period eggs and places them into one nest if they ing advice in the December 2009/January at about five or six months old where aren’t picked up in a timely manner. 2010 issue of Backyard Poultry. For more they suddenly become more aggressive, She is extremely broody and spends information about My Pet Chicken, see even when they aren’t aggressive birds almost the entire year on the nest. If taken their ad on the back cover.—Ed. overall. This is because they are reach- off and shut out of the nesting area, she ing sexual maturity, and they now have will make a loud, and seemingly never- Not all roosters are aggressive. Some new hormones racing through their bod- ending racket and will try to fly over breeds tend to be more aggressive than ies. They tend to settle down after a few the run or onto the roof of the chicken others. However, many can be quite months, although not all do. In addition, house in an effort to get back into the docile. Having said that, though, it would even adult roosters can sometimes be coop. Since we live in the city with close be a good idea to make sure children more sensitive to perceived threats in the neighbors, such disruptive behavior can- are not left alone with any rooster, just spring when it is natural for them to be not be tolerated. to be safe. Roosters are “programmed” more active. One thing that has worked She is such a sweet hen otherwise, to protect their flock, but kids are not for me in the past when dealing with a so we leave her be and gather the eggs necessarily programmed to understand cranky rooster is to—carefully—pick under her no matter which nest she finds rooster behavior, or what a rooster might him up and carry him around with me herself sitting on that day. find threatening! Thus, an “attack” might while I refill the feeder, check for eggs Robyn via email seem to come from nowhere even if, and so forth. If your rooster shows sign from the rooster’s point of view, he gave of aggression, you will want to carry him Alabama Chicken “ample” warning. The last thing you want around, holding him firmly but without and Egg Festival is a hurt child! hurting him. He may struggle a bit at first, In Lawrence County, Alabama, local but then he will realize he is in no danger community leaders have turned to agricul- and that you are in control. ture as a means for bringing quality art pro- This is a much better response when grams into the rural community. Launched he acts out than kicking him or stamping in 2005, the Alabama Chicken and Egg at him. If you kick or stamp at him, he Festival is an interactive agricultural ex- will interpret that as a challenge: you are perience offering old-fashioned fun, food, suddenly “fightable.” The idea is that by and live entertainment by popular regional carrying him around, you place yourself bands and local favorites. Proceeds from at the top of the pecking order without the annual event provide funding for engaging in “chicken” behaviors (fighting programs such as the new Courtroom or stamping at him or kicking). If you are Concert Series, where the Lawrence aggressive (sensed by him as challenging), County courtroom is transformed into a you might always have some problems concert hall introducing locals to a variety with aggression from him. of musical talent. Proceeds also support When you carry him around, he will an art gallery where local artists are able come to realize that you are a creature to showcase their works of art and ongo- at the top of the pecking order, but one ing children and adult art classes are held Sam Costello’s rooster, Tommy, looks out for the hens. Sometimes a rooster will that he cannot challenge in the normal throughout the year. take his job so seriously that he can be a chicken way. For those festival goers who want menace to the owners, especially if there If you have consistently tried this to learn all about chickens, stop by the are children around the flock. method with an aggressive rooster for Chicken Whisperer’s booth in the Down 14 Backyard Poultry on the Farm area. Throughout the three- and postproduction on this video and it day event, Andy Schneider, a.k.a. the was so much fun making it. Chicken Whisperer, will conduct free After appearing on the Tonight Show 30-minute educational sessions, tailored four years ago, everybody asked me what especially for adults, on how to get I am going to do next, and I said, of course, started with a backyard flock. “make my own TV show.” And that I did! In 2012, the Alabama Chicken and As a music educator for 38-plus years, Egg Festival debuted its first poultry I decided it was time to have some good show, attracting over 450 fancy fowls TV content for young people (ages four from across the United States. Sponsored through 13), and adults to watch. We felt by Cackle Hatchery, the poultry show that our website and our YouTube chan- returns in 2013 to Moulton, Alabama, nel were good vehicles to “show off” our April 12-14. Along with the crowning of TV show to the world. We hope you enjoy a Grand Champion, the three-day event it as much as we enjoyed making it. offers plenty of family fun centered on We have released many videos in our agriculture and the arts. new series in the last several weeks on our For more information, visitwww. website, www.peafowl.com/mrpeacock. alabamachickenandeggfestival.com or html and our You-Tube channel www. call Event Coordinator Vicki Morese at youtube.com/user/dmfett?feature=guide. 256-905-0700. We hope you have time to check them out Karen Beasley, Public Relations and please let us know what you think. Alabama Chicken and Egg Festival We hope one or more of these videos www.AlabamaChickenand go viral and that maybe this series would EggFestival.com be picked up on national TV. In the mean- time, as we look for and wait for funding, The Wacky World of Peafowl sponsorship and a production company to Series Now Available do our show for national TV. We wish you At last, our new series, “Mr. Peacock well as you enter into The Wacky World of and Friends” is now complete. We spent Peafowl of Mr. Peacock & Friends! 3-plus years writing, producing, filming, Dennis Fett, a.k.a. Mr. Peacock

February/March 2013 www.backyardpoultrymag.com 15 The February/March 2013 cover February/March 2013 winner is a photo of a Silver Laced Wyandotte hen by Jeffrey Dewey, DDS, Oregon. He tells us, “I took this photo Backyard of our chicken ‘Scratcher’ on our back deck right after a rainstorm. The scenery Poultry in the background is the Columbia River Gorge in Oregon.” Is there a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow? Chickens certainly add riches to our lives. Happy Photo Contest St. Patrick’s day. Winner And the 2012 Photo Contest Winner is… e asked you, the reader, to select your favorite cover in choosing the prize winners for last year’s photo contest. We received many votes by mail and email. The Dec. 2011/Jan. 2012 cover photo by Betty M. Legg, Ohio, came out onW top, taking first place. Coming in second is the April/May 2012 cover photo by Lily Kline, Wisconsin, and third place is the June/July 2012 cover photo by Linda Horn, Alabama. Congratulations winners!

First place by Second place by Third place by Betty M. Legg, Ohio Lily Kline, Wisconsin Linda Horn, Alabama Backyard Volume 7, Number 2 Backyard April/May 2012 Poultry Poultry Dedicated to more and better small-flock poultry Dedicated to more and better small-flock poultry

Garden Pg. 28 Are Chickens in Your Future?

Pg.6 Poultry Business Ideas Brooding Chicks is Easy! Pg. 34 Feed for Nutritious A New Kind of Chicken Coop Delicious eggs Pg. 40 Pg.56

Focus on Eggs: • Spring Egg Recipes Breed Focus: • Decorating and Dyeing • Kids Build an Egg Cleaner $4.99 US www.backyardpoultrymag.com ...and more inside! $4.99 US www.backyardpoultrymag.com ...and more inside!

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 email 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 email photos in jpg format to [email protected].

16 Backyard Poultry February/March 2013 www.backyardpoultrymag.com 17 SPPA Ne w s : This is an excellent time to join the Society. Just mail $15 to Dr. Charles R. H. Everett, 1057 Nick Watts Rd., Lugoff, Breeders Directory SC 29078. Loaded With Rare Breed Sources

By Dr. Ch a r l e s R.H. Ev e r e t t ing for is not found, you will more than SPPA Se c r e t a r y /Tr e a s u r e r likely be able to network through the listed breeders to find the living treasure very two years the Society for the you seek. Preservation of Poultry Antiquities Many rare breeds of poultry need (SPPA) publishes a Breeders Di- lots of work to help bring them back Erectory. Several months prior to its publi- from the brink of extinction. Often the cation a request is made to the member- gene pool on these breeds has become ship for a listing of the rare breeds of fowl so narrow that there is difficulty with they keep and the availability of those the hatching and rearing of adequate The SPPA’s Breeders Directory lists rare breeds. This is the largest publication of numbers of chicks to really see im- breeds of fowl and the breeders who raise individual breeders of rare poultry breeds provement. The beginning breeder sees them. This two-year-old Old English cock in the United States. Also listed are sev- these problems and either stays away is of the Traveler strain. The Travelers are direct descendants of the Cripple eral hatcheries that are also members of from the rare breeds entirely or tries Tonys originated by the famous cocker the SPPA. It is an indispensable resource but ends of giving up the breed as a Nick Arrington of North Carolina in the for those looking for rare breeds of poul- hopeless loss. In the Spring Bulletin of 1820s. Arrington traveled from North try. The response of the SPPA member- the SPPA, these issues will be addressed Carolina to Texas where he pitted his ship varies with each Breeders Directory and advice given for appropriate breed- cocks against those of Santa Anna. The publication thus not every rare breed or ing strategies. Cripple Tonys won! SPPA breeder will be listed. The 2013-2014 SPPA Breeders Direc- tory was mailed to all current members during January. If you did not receive your copy please contact me at crhever- [email protected]. I will immediately put another in the mail to you. The Breeders Directory is included with each $15 membership. If you are looking for a breed of rare fowl within the U.S. or Canada, then the SPPA Breeders Directory is a great place to begin your search. If a particular breed you are look-

One benefit of being a member of the SPPA is the opportunity to help bring rare breeds back from near extinction. This three-year-old Hyderabad Asil cock is owned by Dr. Everett. His ancestors were imported into the U.S. from Pakistan via London before most importations were stopped.

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February/March 2013 www.backyardpoultrymag.com 19 cOming events: The Coming Events listing is gathered and provided bywww.poultryshow central.com. Add your show listing on their website or send to: Coming Events, Backyard Poultry, 145 Industrial Dr. Medford, WI 54451 or email byp@tds. net. To be included in the Backyard Poultry magazine listing, event details must be sent 60 days in advance. If you do not have access to website show listings, please contact us for show specifics at 800-551-5691.

February 2, Dalton, Georgia: Northwest Georgia com/Sweetheart_Fur_Feathers.html tral_Texas_Classic.html Poultry Club of Calhoun, Georgia Show: www. poultryshowcentral.com/Northwest_Georgia_Poul- February 17 - 24, Dade City, Florida: Pasco County March 3, Bakersfield, California: Bakersfield try_Club_Calhoun.html Fair Youth Poultry Show: www.poultryshowcentral. Fancy Feather Club & Golden Gate Bantam Club: com/Pasco_County_Fair.html www.poultryshowcentral.com/Bakersfield_Golden_ February 9, Monroe, Georgia: Fancy Fowl Club Gate_Bantam.html Show: www.poultryshowcentral.com/Fancy_Fowl_ February 23, Tampa, Florida: Central Florida Club_Show.html Poultry Breeders Assoc. Spring Show: www. March 9 - 10, Wapakoneta, Ohio: West Central poultryshowcentral.com/Central_Florida_Poul- Ohio Poultry Club: www.poultryshowcentral.com/ February 9, Salt Lake City Utah: Utah Classic SC: try_Breeders.html West_Central_Ohio_Poultry_Breeders.html www.poultryshowcentral.com/Utah_Classic.html February 23, Newcastle, Oklahoma: Great Plains March 15 – 17, Poteau, Oklahoma: Small Flock February 9, Duncan, British Columbia, Canada: Game Bantam Spectacular: www.poultryshow- Poultry and Backyard Guinea Fowl Conference: Sarnia Poultry, Pigeon & Pet Stock Association Bud central.com/Great_Plains_Game_Bantam_Spec- www.poultryshowcentral.com/Small_Flock_Poul- Parsons Memorial Show: www.poultryshowcentral. tacular.html try_Backyard_Guinea_Fowl_Conference.html com/Sarnia_Poultry_Pigeon.html February 28 - March 10, Plant City, Florida: March 16, Cape Girardeau, Missouri: Heartland February 9 & 10, Phoenix, Arizona: Arizona FLORIDA STRAWBERRY FESTIVAL® Youth Classic Poultry Association: www.poultryshow- Poultry Association www.poultryshowcentral.com/ Poultry Show www.poultryshowcentral.com/ central.com/Heartland_Classic_Poultry_Associa- Arizona_Poultry_Association.html FLORIDA_STRAWBERRY_FESTIVAL.html tion_Show.html

February 9 & 10, Alberta, Canada: Wetaskiwin March 1, Morganton, North Carolina: Old Eng- March 16, Monroe, Washington: Washington North Central Albert Poultry Association Poultry, lish Game Bantam Club of North Carolina Unifour Feather Fanciers Cascade Spring Show: www.poul- Pigeon & Waterfowl Show: www.poultryshowcentral. All Breed Show: www.poultryshowcentral.com/ tryshowcentral.com/Washington_Feather_Fanci- com/NCAPA_Poultry_Pigeon_Waterfowl_Show. Old_English_Bantam_Club.html ers_Cascade.html html March 2, Rison, Arkansas: 1st Annual Backwoods March 16, Barnwell, South Carolina: Sandlappers February 9 & 10, Eureka, California: Humboldt Benefit Poultry Show:www.poultryshowcentral.com/ Poultry Breeders Show: www.poultryshowcentral. Poultry Fanciers Winter Show: www.poultryshow- Backwoods_Benefit_Poultry_Show.html com/Sandlappers.html central.com/Humboldt_Poultry_Fanciers.html March 2, Manteca, California: Nor Cal Serama March 16, Stevenson, Washington: Pacific February 9 & 10, Tampa, Florida: Florida State Fair Spectacular & SCNA Semi-Nationals: www.poultry- Northwest Poultry Association Spring Show: www. Spring Purebred Poultry & Waterfowl Show: www. showcentral.com/Nor_Cal_Serama_Spectacular. poultryshowcentral.com/Pacific_Northwest_Poul- poultryshowcentral.com/Florida_State_Fair.html html try_Association.html

February 16 & 17, Fresno, California: Greater March 2, Harrington, Delaware: Cooptastic! Con- March 17, Turlock, California: Stanislaus Co. California Society of Poultry Fanciers: www.poultry- ference, sponsored by Delaware State University Youth Poultry Show: www.poultryshowcentral.com/ showcentral.com/Greater_California_Society.html Cooperative Extension: www.poultryshowcentral. Stanislaus_Co_Youth.html com/Cooptastic.html February 16 & 17, Newnan, Georgia: Chat- March 17, Bel Air, Maryland: Susquehanna Poultry tahoochee Valley Poultry Association: www.poul- March 2, Pryor, Oklahoma: Northeast Oklahoma Club: www.poultryshowcentral.com/Susquehanna_ tryshowcentral.com/Chattahoochee_Valley_Poul- Poultry Club: www.poultryshowcentral.com/North- Poultry_Club.html try_Association.html east_OK_Poultry_Club.html March 22, Beaumont, Texas: South Texas State February 16, Bozeman, Montana: Sweetheart Fur March 2, LaGrange, Texas: South Central Texas Fair: www.poultryshowcentral.com/South_Texas_ & Feathers Youth Show: www.poultryshowcentral. Classic: www.poultryshowcentral.com/South_Cen- State_Fair.html

March 23 – 24, Harrington, Delaware: Harrington Delmarva Poultry Fanciers Club: www.poultryshow- Save the Date central.com/Delmarva.html Thursday, February 28, 2013 March 23, Pensacola, Florida: Pensacola Pan- 2 p.m. EST, 1 p.m. CST, 12 noon MST, 11 a.m. PST handle Poultry Club Show: www.poultryshowcentral. com/Panhandle_Poultry_Club.html USDA/APHIS Webinar Growing Chicks into Healthy Chickens: March 23, Winnfield, Louisiana: Magnolia Classic: www.poultryshowcentral.com/Big_Bird_Classic. Getting Ready for Spring html

For more information go to: http://healthybirds.aphis.usda.gov March 30, Marietta, Ohio: Southeast Ohio Poultry Breeders Show: www.poultryshowcentral.com/ Southeast_Ohio_Poultry_Breeders.html

March 30, Anderson California: Nor-Cal Poultry Association Open & Youth Show - 1st Annual: www. poultryshowcentral.com/Nor_Cal_Poultry_Associa- tion_Show.html

March 30, Winston-Salem, North Carolina: Forsyth Fowl Fanciers Spring Show: www.poultry- Celebrate Bird Health Awareness Week: February 24 – March 2, 2013 showcentral.com/Forsyth_Fowl_Fanciers.html

20 Backyard Poultry February/March 2013 www.backyardpoultrymag.com 21 He l pf u l Hi n t s : they have been laying for the past eight months. Winter Tips: Dennis P. Nussbaum, Pennsylvania Deep Litter Warms the Coop Low Wattage Lighting & While Oatmeal Warms the Birds Warm Breakfast Will Result I have a small flock, 11 hens and a in Continued Production rooster. My hen house is 8x12 and for I would like to comment on two the last six years I have put peat moss items, namely lighting and feeding for 6-8 inches deep for bedding on the floor. winter egg production. We have a 7' x I water it down whenever it gets dry to 12' hen house. A 4-watt nightlight has keep the dust down. About once a day I proven ample for their lighting needs. rake in the manure—it never smells and We let it burn constantly day and night in is like a compost heap. Twice a year I the darker months of the year. It takes no scoop it all out and put it on my garden special electrical experience or expense. and flowerbeds. Simply plug the light into an ordinary Anytime the weather gets cold or cord, fasten the end of the cord for stabil- nasty I fix my chickens a large soupy pan Susan Meyer uses a deep plant pot as a ity at about 3-4 feet high or higher. The of warm oatmeal. It keeps them warm and dust box. The deep pot, with wide top bulbs usually last about three months, is nutritious. helps keep the dust inside. are inexpensive, and take little electricity Deanna Carter, Oklahoma to operate. With no opportunity to go outside and As winter temperatures begin to dip Alfalfa as Feed & dust in our Iowa winters, this works great into the 30s, we provide hot mash every Dust Box for Mite Prevention to help keep them healthy. morning along with our regular dry My issue of Backyard Poultry arrived Susan Meyer, Iowa feed. We pour dry mash into a small, and it is interesting. I raised chickens watertight trough, add hot water and stir from the 1950s to the 1980s. I raised Susan Burek provides an article on together until it reaches the consistency 200 fryers one year, but most of the time on natural recipes for poultry dust baths, of oatmeal. 150 down to 100, and kept some for lay- long considered an aid in preventing lice We only provide enough hot mash so ers. We have lots of winter snow. I fed and mites, on page 48. that the hens will clean up most of it in my layers alfalfa in the winter for green Regarding alfalfa hay, Ron Kean, the several hours. The hens can fill up on dry stuff. They were free range from spring Answer Man, has suggested that feeding mash the rest of the day. We also provide to fall. I gave them oyster shells, grain of alfalfa hay can offer some additional warm drinking water. and cracked corn. To keep mites away I benefits to our poultry: Our hens really enjoy a warm break- had a tub full of wood ashes they could fast and are regularly rewarding us dust bathe in. Reduce feather pecking in flock: with 90% egg production even though We lived on a ranch with both range I’m a big believer that excess energy cows and dairy cows. I had four sons and in the feed is a common cause for peck- a husband who loved fried chicken. The ing. I’d definitely cut back on the scratch FAST�FENCE boys are all married and have families grains. Another thing that’s good, if you Info�and�buy�now�at now. I have nine grandchildren and 11 can get it, is alfalfa hay. You can leave a www.electricnets.com great-grandchildren. My husband died bale intact, or just put out a few sections in 1999. The ranch was sold, and now I from the bale. These give them something 800-356-5458 don’t raise anything except two cats, but to peck at, and provide some fiber in their I still like to read about raising things like diet, which reduces the energy level. chickens, horses, cows, etc. Another thing that has been done Doris Dale, Idaho with some success is to give large, intact vegetables, such as turnips, pumpkins, etc. Another Indoor Dust Box Idea Again, these are fairly low energy, and I have a small flock of six bantams give the birds something else to peck at. and to help with their dusting routine, I found that a large flowerpot works great. Reduce layer problems in hens: The wider top of the pot helps keep the There is some evidence that overly fat dirt in the pot and not all over the straw hens are more prone to internal laying. on the floor of the coop. I have a few pails It’s not very easy to “diet” the hens, espe- of dry dirt (I sifted out the big chunks) cially if some are laying and some are not. and can put in clean dirt as needed. A few You might try to provide a higher fiber shakes of mite powder are mixed in the diet, to help prevent excess fat buildup in dirt. The chickens line up on the rounded the other hens. Adding alfalfa, oats, wheat edge of the pot and wait their turn to dust. midds, etc. would be things to try. 22 Backyard Poultry Provide Wide, Flat Boards for Roosting

By Ma u r e e n Moo r e Ca l i fo r n i a

have a helpful hint for those who I are building coops. I grilled our avian vet for details before and during our coop construction and I feel this is one of the best tips he gave us. I know many people use 2" x 2" planks, dowels, small branches from trees and even PVC pipe as roosts. Our vet says a broader platform is so much better for them. He told us to make the roosts out of 2" x 4" boards so that that the hens can stand on the broad 4" side. We have standard large fowl hens and the girls having to do a balancing act all night on a too small roost is not exactly what I had in mind for them. Surprisingly, the roosts rarely get soiled. Also, we put child guard plastic plugs in the electrical outlets in the coop after I found one of the hens pecking the outlet! Maureen Moore’s two Buff Cochin hens, Miss Chicken and Pecky Omlette, roost on 2 x 4 flat boards for more stability and comfort. Natural Nest Box Filler After our hens kept scratching out all the hay and wood shavings we put in the nest boxes, I finally decided to try a few different things. After trying to use moss, dirt, and pine needles the hens seem to like the pine needles best. It is free and the hens do not scratch it out. All you have to do is collect it off the forest floor if you have some pines trees around. Kacie VanderZon, Michigan

Kacie VanderZon uses pine needles in the nest boxes. After trying various other products, her hens seem to like them best, and the price is right—a walk in the woods. February/March 2013 www.backyardpoultrymag.com 23 helPFul hints: Security Scans A common belief is that the hatchability of shipped eggs is compro- Mail-Order Hatching Eggs: mised by security scan radiation. I can find no study done specifically on hatching eggs passed through se- A Risky Investment curity scanners. I did, however, read one hatchability study in which eggs were subjected to high-intensity radiation for several minutes longer than an egg By gail damerOw ing chicks. So look for a seller as close carton takes to go through a security to you as possible. You might get lucky scanner. One-third of the eggs failed to ources for hatching eggs abound and find someone near enough for you to hatch, one-third of those that hatched on the Internet and may be found pick up the eggs in person. Not only will soon died, and one-third hatched and Sby doing a keyword search for that reduce the eggs’ travel time, but also survived. “hatching eggs.” When you buy eggs you will avoid the sometimes-exorbitant People who routinely ship fertile from someone you don’t know or who cost of having them shipped. eggs or hand carry them through se- is not known to the greater poultry com- Eggs that are shipped can encounter curity checkpoints report results that munity, you never know what you’re any number of problems that will affect vary from no eggs hatch, to eggs hatch getting. The breeder flock may be un- their hatchability. Here are some of the but the chicks are deformed, to eggs healthy or of poor quality. The eggs may more common issues: hatch without a problem—all of which have been stored improperly, stored for • Poor packing, which can result in leads me to believe these hatchability too long, or packed insufficiently to pro- cracked or broken eggs issues relate to other factors associated tect them in their journey through the • Rough handling, including bouncing with shipping. postal system. The eggs may not even around in a mail carrier’s delivery ve- Suggestions that shipped eggs be fertile. hicle should be wrapped in foil to avoid ra- So the first thing to do before buying • Being subjected to summer heat or diation can backfire. A package that is online is to check the person’s reputation winter freezing subjected to inspection and found to be by looking at auction-site feedback rat- • Being transported in a plane’s nonpres- suspicious most likely will be opened, ings and checking poultry forums, which surized hold potentially delaying delivery. occasionally discuss sellers to be avoided. • Remaining in transit for too long Once you have identified reputable sell- • Passing through a security scanner ers, check to see how close they are to (For my take on this issue see the ac- shipped on a Monday for delivery in you. The less time eggs spend in transit, companying sidebar.) midweek. Eggs shipped later in the week the better chance they have of produc- If at all possible, eggs should be run the risk of a weekend layover, perhaps under conditions that are less than optimal to maintain good hatchability. When the eggs arrive, allow them time to settle before placing them in your incubator or under a hen. Settling has two purposes: to give the eggs a rest after being jostled during transport and to give them time to adjust to a uniform temperature before incubation starts. Let the eggs settle for at least half a day in an environment that is ideal for hatching-egg storage: away from sunlight in a cool, relatively dry place (such as a back room closet or a food storage pantry) with a temperature between 50°F and 60°F, and humidity between 70 to 80 percent. You will likely not get the same hatch percentage as you would get from fresher eggs that weren’t subjected to the rigors of transport, but settling should improve Properly packed eggs should arrive with plenty of protection against jarring during your percentage rate compared to eggs transit. Photo by Bethany Caskey that haven’t been settled. 24 Backyard Poultry Some years ago a friend from a dif- tricky business—whether in a mechanical Chicks, from which this article has been ferent state and I both planned to visit the incubator or under a hen—and any num- adapted. Find a review of this book on same farm show, so he brought me one ber of things can go wrong between day page 56. dozen hatching eggs of a breed I had long one and hatching time. Once the eggs are Gail is also author of these books been seeking. I was pretty excited about the out of the seller’s hands, that person has available from our bookstore on page 45: possibility that those eggs might hatch, but no control over what happens to them. So The Chicken Encyclopedia, The Chicken I didn’t get my hopes up because I knew purchasing eggs for hatching is always Health Handbook, Barnyard in Your the eggs would be making a long journey to a gamble, and just as with any form of Backyard, The Backyard Homestead get to the farm show, sit around a motel for gambling, it’s best not to put more money Guide to Raising Farm Animals, Fences several days during the show, then make into it than you can afford to lose. for Pasture & Garden, Your Chickens, another long journey to my place. and the completely updated and revised On the way home I insulated the Gail Damerow is author of the just- classic Storey’s Guide to Raising Chick- eggs to keep them from getting cooked released Brooding & Hatching Your Own ens, 3rd edition. by the summer heat beating down on my vehicle while I stopped for lunch, but I later learned that my friend had carried them on the seat of his pickup without any protection from heat or direct sun. At home I gave the eggs time to settle before placing them in the incubator. Three of the 12 eggs produced chicks and—how lucky can you get!—they turned out to be two pullets and a cockerel. Regardless of where you get your hatching eggs, except maybe from a friend, relative, or neighbor, they are unlikely to come with any kind of guaran- tee. Even if the eggs are perfectly viable at the time you obtain them, incubation is

February/March 2013 www.backyardpoultrymag.com 25 chicken BehaviOr: entirely different information from the same sound, and therefore responding in entirely different ways. A perfect example is the food call used by a cock: Learning to Think Like a some hens come running while others ignore it. We’ll expand on this subject of food calling in a moment. Instead of focusing on any message conveyed by a specific sound, this ap- Chicken proach focuses on what the caller may gain by making the sound. For instance, on hearing a cock’s aerial predator By gail damerOw and idea, that the process of perceiving signals (hawk) alert, not all the chickens in the gene mOrtOn is what produces information, turns the in- yard react in exactly the same way. Some formational view on its head—the listener, check it out by looking up into the sky. nyone who spends much time not the caller, rules the roost. Others either crouch down or run for around chickens can tell by the Accordingly, based on past experi- cover. The caller, by thus inducing fear in sounds they make whether they ences and accumulated knowledge, the the other chickens, obtains benefit if their Aare frightened, contented, cautious, or a listener reacts to whatever information subsequent activity distracts the hawk whole range of other responses to each it extracts from the signal in a way that and thus reduces the chance the caller other and their environment. Chickens benefits itself. A hefty rooster crows, will become the predator’s target. make a lot of different sounds, and ev- for instance, and a lesser rooster on Because the scientists in this camp ery one of them means something, at hearing the crow moves away to avoid interpret the meanings of animal sounds least to another chicken. a confrontation. Sometimes, as in this based on their function—the function But do chickens convey information example, the listener’s reaction benefits always being to influence a listener’s in the same way humans do with words? the caller as well. behavior to the benefit of the caller—this Do they, like humans, use symbolic word- A chicken calls, then, not to say method of studying animal communication like sounds to refer to specific items? Do something or share information, but is known as the functional approach. they name things? to get something it wants—perhaps a Both camps agree that all the various Animal behaviorists are divided on copulation, a higher rank in the pecking sounds chickens make have meaning. this question. Some describe the sounds order, or safety from predation. What Where they disagree is on how to inter- chickens make in terms of human speech. makes this approach difficult to grasp is pret the meaning. To complicate matters, They believe chicken sounds parallel hu- that the caller does not always obtain a the two groups use different terminology man language to the extent that each call desirable response, as would be the case, to describe the various sounds. Informa- either refers to something specific, like a for example, if the lesser rooster didn’t tional behaviorists name and describe hawk flying overhead, or sends a detailed move away, but instead confronted the sounds in terms of any meaning they may message of one sort or another. crowing rooster. convey, and they assume the structure Because these scientists believe each The listener’s interpretation of any of each sound is arbitrary and symbolic, sound refers to something specific, their given sound may differ depending on such like most human words. Nothing about approach to studying animal communi- things as its age, gender, social status, the sound of the word “chicken,” for cation is sometimes called referential. reproductive state, degree of hunger, re- instance, tells you what the word means Because they believe sounds are in- lationship to the caller, and distance from unless you happen to speak English. tended to convey information—they say it. Whether a rooster, on hearing another (Similarly, “pollo” means nothing unless information is encoded in the sound and rooster crow, will flee or fight depends you speak Spanish.) then decoded by those that hear it—their on its perception of the crowing rooster’s Functional behaviorists describe method of study is also known as the size, strength, condition, and location as sounds based on how a diversity of listen- informational approach. For these scien- assessed by the lustiness of his crow. ers might interpret them, and they assign tists, the caller rules the roost in terms of Compared to the information ap- greater importance to each sound’s struc- controlling communication. proach, according to which each listener ture—Does it rise or fall? Is it harsh or A competing group of animal behav- hears the same message, we now have melodious?—because a sound’s structure iorists believe a chicken making a sound each listener extracting potentially holds the key to the caller’s motivation does not intend to impart any sort of in- (as described in “Motivation Structure” formation. Rather, the bird is stimulated to on page 28). make a particular call based on its circum- If you find the difference between stances or mood, with the intent of influ- the two approaches entirely too subtle, encing any chicken that happens to hear just remember that the informational the sound. The listener, in turn, uses the approach focuses on any message the sound to assess the caller’s circumstances caller may intend to convey, while the and mood, perhaps along with other quali- functional approach focuses on the inter- ties such as its age or state of health. This pretation and subsequent reaction of each 26 Backyard Poultry individual listener. To better understand cock gives a somewhat less excited food to deceive hens into believing he has found this difference, let’s look at some typical call on encountering feathers, leaves, or something good to eat. Not so fast, says sounds chickens make and see how they other debris in the yard. To a functionalist the functionalist. A growing cockerel, like might be interpreted by both sides. this use of the so-called food call when no all chicks, is conditioned by reinforcement Let’s suppose a chick gets separated food is present reinforces the idea that its with food when he responds to his mom’s from the mother hen. The chick sends out intent is to attract attention to something of food call. Later, as a mature cock, he a series of loud peeps with descending interest. The purpose of the cock’s call is exploits the association between the food frequency—the panic peep. The informa- not to find food for the hens, but to attract call and eating to keep his hens nearby tion behaviorist will tell you the chick is them to come closer, thereby increasing where he can both readily mate them and calling, “Help,” and the mother hen hears his chances for reproductive success. keep them from mating his rivals. The the cry and comes to the rescue. The func- Indeed, the cock’s food call sometimes cock hasn’t expressed the message that tional behaviorist will tell you the chick’s segues into courtship sounds. he has found food; rather, the hens (or insistent and annoying peeps attract the Aha! Says the informationist—the some of them, anyway) assess from the mother hen’s attention, stimulating both rooster is deliberately using the food call call that he has found food. What appears her maternal instincts and her knowledge that the racket could potentially alert a predator. The hen is motivated to rescue the chick just to shut it up. The chick benefits by being reunited with its mother. But that’s not always the case. The mother hen might not be near enough to hear the chick’s cries, although other chickens in the vicinity may. Only rarely would these other chickens have a similar maternal instinct to the mother hen’s, but they would become equally annoyed by the persisting distress signal. They, too, want to shut the chick up, but instead of doing it by comforting the chick, they may attack and kill it. The chick thus may suffer unintended consequences because its cries of panic elicit different reactions from different listeners. The food call—a high-pitched, rap- idly repeated sound—is another readily recognizable call chickens make, usually while pecking at the ground. A mother hen makes this sound when she’s found some tasty tidbit for her chicks. Once in a great while a hen without chicks, or a chick itself, will make this sound. To information behaviorists it means “I found something good to eat.” And, indeed, the chicks are attracted to food found by their mother. Sometimes a clucking hen, upon encountering some tasty morsel, will segue from the cluck to the tuck-tuck- tuck food call that inspires chicks to come running and look for food. The functional behaviorist will tell you the food call is mislabeled because its true function is to draw attention to something of interest that may or may not be edible. Yes, it helps a mother hen efficiently nour- ish her chicks. But a cock makes a similar excited, rapid tuck-tuck-tuck sound. Because he does so while pecking on the ground, informationists say he is inform- ing his hens that he has found something tasty to share with them. But sometimes a

February/March 2013 www.backyardpoultrymag.com 27 to be deception—calling without a food can agree on exactly how many words Chickens do not, however, have a find—works for the rooster because on are in a chicken’s vocabulary. Scientists language comparable to ours. They do average he actually does find some tasty using a functional approach don’t have not use abstract symbolic sounds, like the food item for his ladies. this problem because all those grada- word “chicken,” to refer to things. Rather, As with food calling, other sounds tions mean something when interpreted they use sounds to indicate things that are chickens make have variations (such as by the association of a caller’s motiva- right here, now (food on the ground or the the difference between a hen’s food call tion with the structure of the sound it approach of a stranger)—not something and a cock’s more excited, high pitched makes. These scientists recognize that that exists apart from what is going on at version) and also gradations from one the intergrading of various calls shows the moment, like we humans know what call to another (as a hen’s transition from how finely tuned the signaler is to the a chicken is even when we’re not pres- a cluck to a food call, or a cock’s transi- situation at hand. ently looking at one. Chickens don’t, as tion from a food call to a mating call). There’s no denying that every sound far as we know, discuss abstract concepts, Informationists, who consider the sounds a chicken makes has meaning, and that a or past or future events, but limit their chickens make to be similar to human chicken’s complex and sophisticated sys- communications to the present. words, tend to ignore these variations tem of communication parallels human What difference does all this make to while functionalists embrace them as language in many ways. Like humans, you as a chicken keeper? Well, you can indications of changes in motivation as chickens are able to distinguish specific enjoy speaking to your chickens as you interaction unfolds. sounds, use sounds to denote environ- would a dog or a cat, and otherwise treat- Because information behaviorists mental events (such as the discovery ing them as fellow humans and delighting ascribe word-like meanings to chicken of food or the approach of a predator), in their human-like responses. Or you can sounds, they try to count up the number and produce sounds for the benefit of an dig deeper into your chickens’ psyche and of words in a chicken’s vocabulary. They audience (other chickens). Further, the learn to communicate like they do, by are annoyed by all those pesky variations structure of each chicken sound reveals attempting to understand what motivates and intergradations among and between the motive of the sender or speaker in a them. Observing the common element in sounds because they mess up the count, similar way to how we humans intone which the same sound is made under dif- which is why no two informationists words to sound angry or frightened. ferent circumstances will help you learn to recognize what stimulates a chicken to make that sound and, from the bird’s Motivation Structure behavior at the time, you can determine the bird’s motive. Adopting an objective he structure of a sound made by a chicken or a word spoken by a human view to how chickens think will enrich tells you something about the motivation, or state of mind, of the individ- your chicken-keeping experience by let- ual making the sound and therefore gives you a clue about what the sound, ting you relate to your chickens the same orT word, means. Sound structure involves three basic qualities: intensity (loud or way they relate to each other. soft), pitch (high or low), and tonality (strident or melodious). For both chickens and humans, brief, soft, repetitive, low-pitch notes are sounds Gail Damerow has raised chickens of comfort. Pleasure sounds begin low in pitch, rise, then end; they might also go and other fowl for more than 40 years up and down like a chevron. All 6,000 known human languages use “motherese”— and has published numerous articles and high soft sounds to calm a baby. several books including these on poul- Loud, harsh, high-pitched sounds are alarm cries. Sounds that start high and try: Hatching & Brooding Chicks, The go lower indicate distress. High intensity distress calls have a whining quality Chicken Encyclopedia, Storey’s Guide caused by a longer high-pitched part before the pitch falls. A shriek that is both to Raising Chickens, The Chicken Health harsh and rising in pitch symbolizes a state of fright. A continuous high-pitched Handbook, Your Chickens: A Kid’s sound indicates abject terror. Guide to Raising and Showing, Barnyard A low harsh sound is a sign of aggression. Humans use a growly voice tone in Your Backyard and Fences for Pasture and lower the last syllable of a sentence when making a demand (“you do it now!”) & Garden. Gail’s books are available The response to sounds of aggression is often a melodious or whistle-like sound from our bookstore on page 45. motivated by fearfulness or friendliness. Such high-pitched baby-like sounds make an individual seem small and non-confrontational, thus reducing aggres- Gene Morton is a former researcher sion directed toward the one making the baby sounds. In male-dominated human at the National Zoo and Conservation cultures women tend to speak in a high-pitched baby-like voice to indicate their and Research Center in Front Royal, non-threatening status, while women in more feminist cultures tend to speak at a Virginia, a senior scientist emeritus at lower pitch to make themselves appear more authoritative. the Smithsonian Institution, and director Because the motivation for making a specific sound determines its structure, this of Hemlock Hill Field Station in Cam- system of identifying the state of mind of a person, a chicken, or any warm blooded bridge Springs, Pennsylvania, where for animal by the structure of sounds follows well-defined motivation-structural rules. more than 20 years he has studied birds, Emotion is thus embodied in each sound a chicken makes or each word a human including free-ranging chickens. He has speaks. Chickens, it turns out, use exactly the same set of motivational-structure published numerous research articles rules that are used by humans, which is why we are able to detect a chicken’s and several books on bird behavior and emotional state by listening to the sounds it makes. communication.

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February/March 2013 www.backyardpoultrymag.com 29 ok to pick him up often and hug him. It is ok to have a soft spot for your rooster. Just remember: consistency and just plain A Guide to bravery make a difference. Roosters are the bravest animal I have ever encountered. My rooster once fought Raising Roosters a wild turkey hen that came too close to his flock. He also will fight dogs and cats By Br i t t a n y Th o m p s o n ing a rooster’s pea-sized brain is the key if he thinks they are a threat. Ge o r g i a to taming your mean rooster. The Fatty was raised from two days old, and raising Caring for Your Rooster e’ve all heard the horror sto- a rooster as a chick makes the task a lot I have spent more time taking care of ries about roosters: “When I easier. As he grew older he became more my rooster than all my hens combined. Wwas little my grandmother aggressive. He attacked everyone, in- He is so transfixed with looking after had a mean rooster that attacked me ev- cluding me sometimes. A rooster attacks his hens he neglects to care for himself ery time I was at her house,” and “I have because he views you as the threat, or most of the time. Mites are the biggest this scar on my leg from a rooster.” Deal- simply put, as another dominant rooster. problem. I bathe The Fatty in the bathing with roosters can be challenging. To understand an animal, think like the room tub with Dawn® dish detergent. This topic is rarely covered in books and animal. Roosters only attack other roost- Mites make roosters more aggressive. A magazines. I have people ask me how I ers, not hens (usually). favorite place mites like to settle on is the got my rooster to be so tame, especially I learned slowly over the three years vent area. To check for mites just part the since he weighs 10 pounds. Over the that I have had The Fatty that he views vent feathers. Inflamed and red skin is a three years I have been raising chickens, others as a threat to himself and his flock sign of a bad mite problem. Your rooster I have come across some solutions to of 22 hens. So I started feeding him last. may start picking at his neck feathers rooster problems. It is possible to have Always feed the hens before the rooster. when you mess with his vent area full of a rooster and enjoy having one! They To him this signals you are feeding the mites. After a bath I dust him completely do require extra care, handling, and yes, hens like he would—he eats after the with Red Lake Earth DE. You can usu- training! Certain breeds are known to be hens eat. Providing food for the hens is ally find this dust at a local feed store less aggressive and each flock may have a rooster’s job. He always eats last, so like Tractor Supply. It is a non-chemical different rooster needs. Roosters are not feed him last. dust and has many benefits besides as a that hard to figure out. My rooster, “The Whenever your rooster is breeding a bug repellant. Fatty,” will be referred to in this article to hen, stop it immediately! Make it clear One of the most aggravating things give you a real life example. to him he is not allowed to breed hens in about roosters is their spurs. My rooster your presence. This tells him you are the has huge spurs. My vet, Dr. Dean Camp- Establishing the Pecking Order dominant rooster and only you are allowed bell of Heart of Georgia Animal Care told Roosters are simple creatures. They to “breed” the hens when you are around. me when a rooster is young enough and were hard wired for a few jobs: protect A dominant rooster shows the submissive his spurs have not come in fully there is a the flock and breed the hens. Understand- rooster his place by attacking him if he procedure that can be done to keep them breeds a hen in the dominant’s presence. from growing. Ask your avian vet about Be consistent. A rooster will always this procedure. I found out about it too look for a weak spot. He will keep chal- late though. So I have found some ways lenging you, but on his terms. He decides to deal with those spurs. I purchased a when he is ready for a rematch. This does horse hoof rasp. They come in many dif- not mean kick him or be too rough. You ferent sizes. A hand-sized one should do can still get your message across without nicely. This is a non-painful way of filing resorting to hitting him with the rake. Do down the spurs. File the spurs down until not be scared of him. Your body language there is a little blood, which tells you you tells him everything. Stand tall and puff have come upon the vein. The rasp works yourself up. Roosters do this when fight- great on those big rooster toenails as well. ing. Rough him up a bit even when he I have heard of people trying the hot has not done anything or challenged you. baked potato method. That did not work Roosters and hens engage in this practice for me. I also tried clipping them with dog constantly, even when the victim has not nail trimmers but the trimmer cracked done anything. They are always reminding the spur so bad it bled. Another method each other who is dominant over whom. is simply wrapping the spurs in padding, That is why it is called the pecking order. like layers of gauze and then wrap that in Brittany Thompson’s rooster “The Do not be afraid to walk among your electrical tape around the leg. This helps Fatty” had become aggressive, until she flock, even when the rooster is among pad the hens’ backs when he jumps on implemented a few rules about who really them. Spending time with your chickens, them. Hen saddles are also a great method rules the roost. especially the rooster, is important. It is for protecting your hens’ backs. 30 Backyard Poultry breeding purposes, you choose any breed you like but take into account that heavier roosters may have less chance to successfully breed a hen. Bantam roosters do tend to be more aggressive than their larger counterparts but they do not harm the hens as badly as a large fowl rooster. I believe two different things determine how aggressive a rooster is: the breed and how he was raised. There are tons of facts and research on all of the different breeds in books, magazines, and the Internet. So do your research before choosing a breed! You do not want to be “stuck” with a rooster that does not meet your needs. Having a rooster does not need to be a hassle. They can be enjoyed. These are just guidelines and things I have learned over the years that work for me and my rooster. Individuals may want to tweak The Fatty continues to be protective of the flock. Brittany hatched some Silkies from the guidelines to suit their roosters and eggs she ordered from Crazy K Farm in May of 2012. The Silkies would go into The their style of handling their roosters. That Fatty’s pen and eat his food, where she caught him babysitting! rooster you despise has his reasons for being a big meanie! Your rooster’s comb may sometimes protecting your flock, so keep this in mind You are welcome to contact me by email look like it has black spots on it and looks when choosing his feed. at [email protected], dry. That is because it is sunburnt! I use I worm our chickens regularly. Worm- and I am available on Facebook for fellow Corona ointment on my rooster’s comb ing your rooster keeps him healthier and chicken enthusiasts. and wattles, especially in the summer. in better breeding shape. I use Ivermectin This ointment can be found in the equine equine wormers on my chickens. I know section of your local feed store. It is water it may not be safe to eat the eggs of hens proof and lasts for days on the rooster. wormed with this but it is my preference. He may look funny walking around with Ivermectin takes care of a broader spec- a white head but he will feel a lot better. trum of worms. (Black spots on a comb may also be a sign of frostbite. To help prevent frostbite you Choosing The Right Breed can use the above mentioned ointment or Choosing the right rooster for your SWEETER HEATER Vasoline on the comb.—Ed.) flock does require some thought. Right BROODERS - CHICKEN COOPS – HEN HOUSES ADVANTAGES Feeding your rooster layer feed will now I am raising a mixed-breed cock- • Energy efficient • Trouble free• No hot spot not hurt him. The Fatty has been eating erel, not yet old enough to compete with • Will not burn • Improves circulation • Lower it for three years and is healthy. Adding my senior rooster, The Fatty. Also in the stress • Improved comfort • Natural • Easily sanitized by washing with disinfectant things like Calf Manna does improve per- flock is a Silkie cockerel. Both are not • No bulbs to break • No fire hazard formance and feathering. The more pro- old enough to crow, which is a rooster’s Visit http://www.sweeterheater.com tein, the better looking he will be strutting way of marking his territory. If you are to order/information. around the yard. Feathers are made mostly looking for a pet rooster, Silkie or Brahma of protein so adding more protein than roosters are your best bet. If you want a just what is in the layer feed does make more protective rooster, Rhode Islands or a difference. The heavier your rooster is, game roosters are your pick. Of course, if the harder time he will have breeding and you are looking to add to your flock for

Brittany uses a horse hoof rasp to file spurs and toenails. They come in various sizes; she uses a full-sized rasp since her rooster is huge. She recommends the hand-size rasp Call Toll Free 888-902-2272 for smaller roosters.

February/March 2013 www.backyardpoultrymag.com 31 Ho u s i n g : Ken’s Coop

Ken has double wire covering the window on the outside along with a screen inside since the window is lowered for airflow. He made a plywood covering for the window during the winter to protect his hens from the New York winds and snow. Ken also put a black dog mat at the top of the nesting box to keep rain from getting in.

same. On the coop itself there was a brand-new window, which was given to By Ke n n e t h L. Wh i t e brother-in-law was trying to price the cost Jim in exchange for his fresh eggs. It is Ne w Yo r k to build one, when out of the blue my a combination window, and very easy to daughter Cheryl (one of four daughters) clean. I had Jim put it on the east side so have always enjoyed chickens, start- said, “Dad, I am tired of you bending the morning sun could shine in on the ing from the time I was able to pound down on your hands and knees to take chickens. Ia nail with a hammer in helping my care of those hens. I am going to get you a The north side has the nesting box dad build our chicken coop in the early brand new coop, one you can stand up in. and the door is on the west side. The door 1950s. Every year my parents would My boyfriend Jim is going to build it and was also given to Jim. The south side has order White Leghorn chicks from, I be- design it for you.” I was speechless. the fenced-in run. The coop is 4' x 6' x 8' lieve, Sears-Roebuck & Co. I remem- I introduced Jim to chickens, so he high and the fenced-in area is 10' x 12' x 6' ber the mailman honking his horn and built his own coop from lumber that was high. I have a human-sized door to enter saying, “Chicks are here.” I would run given to him. I gave him six hens to start down with Mom and we would take with. When I saw his coop I fell in love chicks to a separate coop to put under a with it. It reminded me of the old woman brooder. We always got a couple of ex- in a shoe. He said, “I am going to make tra chicks in case some didn’t make it. you one just like this—except everything We would water, feed and count each will be brand new.” one. I gave my other chickens to a friend We always raised about 200 chickens and tore down all the old coops and had at a time. The eggs would go to the store them hauled away. I ordered my white in town, 24 dozen at a time, in exchange Leghorn chicks just like we had when for groceries. We always had chicken for growing up as a child and hoped that Sunday dinner and when I got older I had when they arrived I would have a coop to behead two roosters for those Sunday for them. dinners. There were 10 of us children. One Sunday in June, while returning- Chicken on Thanksgiving seemed extra ing home from church, after turning in special and I am not sure why. I have had my driveway I saw my coop being built. chickens of all types and sizes almost all With tears in my eyes I ran up and kissed my life. They are comforting and fun to and hugged my daughter Cheryl and then Ken keeps his feeder and waterer watch. hugged her boyfriend Jim. I then changed suspended from the coop rafters, but says I had some coops, before this one my clothes and helped with building the he keeps no feed in the run area so as was built, but they were in poor shape. coop. not to attract varmints. Hanging feeders I had 15 hens and told my wife that we Cheryl and I painted the coop “Coun- and waterers help to keep the birds from needed a new coop. I was trying to price try Red,” which they like so much that standing on top of them and soiling the one or have someone build me one. My they are going to paint their coop the contents. 32 Backyard Poultry the fenced run too. We used all metal Tractor Supply on floor after cleaning, roofs so snow can slide right off. then wood shavings on top of that. PDZ As you enter the coop, directly ahead keeps the smell down. I put it in the coop is the hanging waterer and feeder. They after the chicks were six weeks old. In a are hung from rafters with 2x4s. On the 4' x 6' coop a handful is sufficient. other side of the green door a full-length I have 18 pullets that started laying mirror is attached. You can hear the sometime in October. chickens pecking at it from outside. Now I had three roosters and at first one they can see what they look like! was crowing nicely, one had laryngitis Also in the coop, I have cracked corn (so to speak) and one, Bob, was not in a small feeder, for a treat, and on the talking. My brother took two of them. right side under the window a feeder with I kept Bob, and he now crows. Bob is oyster shell. There is also a blind on the the first rooster I have ever had that window. crows at night as a warning to storms, I sprinkle a little PDZ I purchase from “If a rooster goes to bed crowing, a sign FORGET TO CLOSE THE COOP AGAIN? WHEN WILL YOUR LUCK RUN OUT? Ken’s Coop Dimensions PROBLEM SOLVED! Stay out visiting friends, PrOvided By Jim clOssOn sleep in, enjoy your vacation! (cOOP Builder and Future sOn-in-law) Prevent losses. • Overall dimension: 4 foot x 6 foot and ceiling height 73 inches • I made the base 4 foot x 6 foot. We used pressure treated 2x4s 16 inches ENJOY PEACE OF MIND. on center. We used 3/4-inch plywood as the floor. Use the plywood to square up • Endorsed by Rob Ludlow of BYC the floor. Start in one corner. Nothing is squarer than a 4' x 8' sheet of plywood. • Automatically closes and opens Push or pull the floor to line up with the plywood, nail or screw the plywood • Easy to set open & close times and trim off the excess. • Easy install. All parts included. • We put the word out that we were looking for windows and doors. You will • Solid Aluminum Frame and door be surprised the materials you can get donated. When we got the window and with brass pivots, no wood door we framed the walls to accommodate them. Be sure to keep all the walls • Battery Status Light level and plumb. • Photo sensor option • When it came to the roof I laid out 2x4s on my shed floor. I wanted 12-inch overhang on each side. I made the bottom of the truss 6 feet long. Then laid out • Charging options: 12v battery more 2x4s until I got the look I wanted. I made a pattern and assembled four with solar panel or charger trusses. I used 1/2-inch plywood and screws to join them together. • No switches to fail, no string to • The metal roof, screws and roof cap came for the Home Depot. We got break, no plastic arms two 12-foot long pieces. I cut them into 4-foot lengths. This gave us six 4-foot • BUILT TO LAST. Fast Shipping. long pieces. We put three pieces on each side, and attached them with matching • Many features other doors wish color screws. We added the matching roof cap. The Home Depot sells abrasive they had! blades for circular saws to cut the metal. • 15” t a l l by 11” wide opening • We used 1x8 rough cut lumber with 1x2 batts as our siding, bought from $180 plus shipping, options extra our local sawmill. All of the wall and roof materials were bought there too.

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February/March 2013 www.backyardpoultrymag.com 33 he will rise with a wet head.” Bob lays I enjoy chickens even more now above the entrance from yard to coop on with this new coop and am sure I will a platform I extended for him, I guess for many years to come, thanks to he is trying to protect the other chickens Cheryl, Jim and my flock of Leghorn on roost. chickens.

Kenneth White with his new coop, and new flock. The coop took two days to complete, and the yard area was done on July 4th, 13 hours to complete. Chickens were let out July 5th, at seven weeks of age. They are 11 weeks old in these photos. The rope seen in the oval goes under the run’s roof to the plexiglass door that separates the run and the coop. Ken simply pulls it down in the morning, or up in the evening, shutting the coop door without having to enter the coop or run. Since this photo was taken, Ken has added chicken wire around the entire run to keep birds in, and predators out.

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www.featherman.net Inside the coop, the flock happily roosts, safe from predators. Some chickens PO Box 62, Jamesport, MO 64648 660/684-6035 email to:[email protected] roost on the rafters, others roost on waist-high roosts. Bob, the rooster, roosts above the chicken-sized door, as if he is watching for interlopers. 34 Backyard Poultry February/March 2013 www.backyardpoultrymag.com 35 My Chicken House With Sincere Thanks to Bill Humphries

Joe Heatherly built this coop with a lot of help, and the many clever ideas of his neighbor Bill Humphries.

By JOe heatherly 6-foot coop was approximately $1,000 plus an $80 delivery fee. tennessee I wanted a larger coop so I could have more chickens. I took my neighbor Bill Humphries with me to look at the coops and to get pproximately two years ago my neighbor, Bethel, got his opinion as to which might be the best for my backyard coop a few roosters from another neighbor. Bethel traded needs. Bill used to work for a poultry company and was well Atwo of the roosters for some hens. Before long he had informed. The co-op had four different coops of various sizes a rooster, a few hens and a bunch of chicks. I was fascinated and prices—and all were out of my preferred price range. by the way they interacted and would watch his chickens for Bill didn’t say much until we got back to the house. He then extended periods of time. told me we could build a bigger one and take out the labor costs. I started talking to some of my friends at work and was That would give us the larger coop for the smaller coop price. At surprised to find out how many of my coworkers were keep- that I was ready to start! Being the hottest part of the summer, ing chickens. we decided to construct the floor, walls and roof trusses in my One of my friends, Al, who worked in my department, had (air conditioned) garage and assemble it in the backyard. also become interested in chickens. We had ideas from the coops we had seen and five pictures Because we were both reading books on poultry, we would have discussions that fascinated others around us. We soon be- Joe hung a Dutch door came known as the “Chicken Whisperers.” Al, being an architect, so he could open the soon started building his chicken coop/lot. He made it with a top half for ventilation quick cleanout in the coop area and also made it portable with purposes, without having wheels. It was very nice, and although I wanted a coop badly it to worry about escaping was a much bigger job than I was willing to tackle at the time. birds. He added a screen to the top as well. Al and his wife went to a poultry show in Dandridge, Ten- According to Wikipedia, nessee and came back with a bunch of chicks, of which I was “the Dutch door is told that two of them were mine. I had absolutely no place to divided horizontally so keep chickens and refused to just throw up some unattractive that the bottom half may mess on my property. I went down to the local area farmers remain shut while the cooperative and bought a nice little chicken coop/lot that would top half opens. Known house about six chickens. I went to Al’s house and got my two in early New England chicks and they seemed to be in heaven. Since my coop/lot as a double-hung door, was sized for six chickens (which included two nests) I bought the initial purpose of this door was to keep animals three more chicks from the same cooperative. I modified it and out of farmhouses, or put wheels on it so I could move it around in the backyard. All to keep children inside, was well but, after about 16 weeks, the five chickens seemed while allowing light and to be a bit crowed in their coop. air to filter through the I again went to the local cooperative to find they now carried open top,” exactly what large coops from 4-foot x 6-foot to 8-foot x 12-foot. A 4-foot x Bill had in mind. 36 Backyard Poultry He also drilled unnoticeable holes in the trim to allow rainwater to drain so water wouldn’t stand on the door when open. Bill continued with the nail gun blazing, me as chief painter and doing whatever Bill needed me to do for the next several weekends. When we finished, I was amazed at the innovative ideas Bill had presented during the construction of my Chicken House. (Never to be referred to as a chicken coop again.) As we started to clean up Bill (again) stated he had an idea for a clean out. I questioned what he meant by a clean out and he stated that we would cut a hole in the floor approximately 2 -1/2 feet by 1-1/2 feet. We hinged and used the piece we cut out as the door and added slide bolts to latch it. My immedi- ate response to cutting a hole in the floor of my new Chicken House was “No way, you say to do what?!” Bill—once again—with ultimate patience, explained to me Based on Bill’s suggestion, Joe made a handle that would crank that we could build a box or buy a plastic box and slide it under the ramp/door open and closed from outside the coop. the building and with the trap door open be able to sweep the litter into the box and have it cleaned out in five minutes. I of the coop my friend Mark had built. That was all we had to always have a garden so now I’m making fertilizer. work from (no actual plans). Bill took the lead and showed up with nail guns, work tables, several cordless drills, every kind of saw you could imagine and enough equipment to build a house. I was very impressed and we began construction in my garage. We spent the next several weekends building, with Bill coming up with new ideas each week. As we built the floor, which we covered with vinyl sheet flooring for sanitary reasons, the walls and roof trusses, we also included the standard needed items: a human-sized door, oper- able windows (for light as well as ventilation) chicken-sized door, ramp, vent door and laying boxes. Bill had a better idea for each of these as we progressed! Starting with the human door, Bill suggested instead of a solid door we build a Dutch door to allow me to open the top and look in without the chickens shooting past my feet as I tried to enter. I thought a screen door on the inside of the top part of the door would allow additional ventilation on nice days and for when I would clean out the chicken coop. This would also allow additional The roof was built with an security when I would open the top half of the door. overhang to keep the nest Next were the windows, which we turned backwards to boxes dry. They also hung allow them to be operated from the outside. Bill had already the windows reversed so Joe decided to extend the roof an additional two feet further than can open them from outside our model pictures showed, which would completely cover the the coop. Poultry wire was added on the inside of the nesting boxes. We had seen a ramp/chicken door at the local windows. co-op but I would have to go into the lot or coop to open and Below: Egg collection is done close it. Once again Bill had a better idea. Bill bent a steel rod from outside the coop. into a handle with about four-foot extension. He had me buy some 3/8" cable and built a crank that opened and closed the ramp/door from outside the lot. Once again I don’t have to enter the lot or coop. The lid over the nests somehow turned out a fraction of an inch too long and since we had decided to close in the sides to keep weather off the lids of the nests, we needed a solution. Unlike our pictures and what we saw at the local farmers cooperative, we decided to cut the lid in half and have two lids. We decided this would again help keep the chickens in when gathering eggs from outside the coop. The vent door was a simple issue but Bill didn’t like my idea of propping it open with a stick. Bill attached a chain to the soffit with a “screen door hook” that hooked into a hole in the vent door. February/March 2013 www.backyardpoultrymag.com 37 Joe used dog kennels to make his chicken run. He also covered part of it to offer shade.

For easy coop cleaning, Joe and Bill cut a hole in the floor below the roosts, and placed a plastic bin underneath.

We spent several weekends build- and am appreciative of his taking the lead ing the components and assembling the in the construction of a Chicken House. I Chicken House. For the run, I used two 10 feel that it can’t be rivaled by any for the foot x 10 foot dog lots to build a 10 foot x 30 backyard, at any price. Happy Hen Treats foot area. We covered the run with chicken wire and for shade, two dog lot covers. Premium Treats for Chickens Almost everything through the construction went perfectly, and I could never have built such a fine Chicken House on my own. I am thankful I elected We know how much you love An interior view of the nest boxes. to take every suggestion Bill presented, your flock, so reward them with some tasty Happy Hen Treats. Our treats are specially formulated for chickens and made from quality ingredients. We know you’ll love our products, because all our products are tested and approved by our own backyard flock.

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This is the back of the chicken coop, painted by Dan Gonsalves, of some of the Diederichs’ hens and roosters. He used an airbrush technique to do this wonderful painting on the nesting box hatch doors. To see more of his work, visit his website at www. trickairpaintworks.com.

By Tamara Diederichs California

love to read your publication. It is great to have a good source for I “chicken stuff,” handy tips and information. Enclosed, please find the photos of the back of our chicken coop. We access the nesting boxes via the hatch doors to collect the eggs each day. A friend of ours does airbrush paintings of animals and people, so I asked if he could paint the nesting box hatch doors as if the depiction is what was actually going on inside. He then took photos of our hens and roosters and painted them on the coop. It turned out wonderfully whimsical and now we have something fun to look at each time we go out to visit with our flock!

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February/March 2013 www.backyardpoultrymag.com 41 He a l t h : Th e An s w e r Ma n Ro n Ke a n , Ex t e n s i o n Po u l t r y Sp e c i a l i s t Un i v e r s i t y of Wi s c o n s i n -Ma d i s o n

about four hours a day, several times crop can cause this. I have heard of a week. people treating with probiotics, such as I have raised chickens for about 30 yogurt, and seeing some improvement. years and have never had anything like There are also some anti-fungal treat- this. Do you know what this is and what ments, though I don’t know that any are caused it? labeled for use in poultry. One person Mary Lou, Vermont I spoke with about this had some short- term success with probiotics, but the If you have health-related poultry What is seen here is known as pen- symptoms returned later. questions, send them to us at Back- dulous crop, and is seen occasionally. I also found one reference to an yard Poultry, Attn: Answer Man, 145 I’ve seen it more commonly in turkeys. infection of trichomoniasis. This is more Industrial Dr., Medford, WI 54451 That’s the easy part! The cause is not common in pigeons and other wild birds, or email to [email protected]. We will so simple. but it can be seen in chickens. I’d look try to include your question in an Some research has suggested that it at the water they are drinking if this is upcoming issue. can be caused when the bird goes without the case. There aren’t any drugs that feed or water and then loads up when are labeled for use in poultry for this, they are given feed and water again. It so you’d need to talk to a veterinarian Pendulous Crop is thought that this excessive gorging for a prescription. I have a chicken with a problem. causes physical stretching of the crop, Generally, there isn’t a great deal This chicken has had this soft squishy so that it is permanently stretched. I that can be done for a chicken with this. bulge since the fall of 2011. Otherwise read of an example where the drinking You can try to tip them up and gently she seems okay. She is active and eats water gets hot so the birds don’t drink, massage the crop contents out. This is layer pellets. She is around three years then when it cools off at night, they drink likely a temporary fix, and it will fill up old. A friend said that he thinks she is excessively. again. Some birds can live quite a while crop bound from eating grass and hay. I’ve also seen some claims that with this. They generally develop an I now have two other chickens that are damage to a nerve in the area of the infection that will kill them eventually, starting to get a small bulge. They have crop can cause this. The idea is that this or the crop becomes impacted and they a fenced yard with gravel but I do like nerve regulates emptying of the crop, can’t get enough feed and water through to let them out to eat grass and bugs for and when the nerve is damaged, the crop to live. doesn’t empty like It is unusual to see multiple hens with it should. this, so I’d look at some of the possibilities I’ve heard mentioned above. You may need to contact of anecdotal evi- an avian veterinarian or your state veteri- dence that a fun- nary diagnostic lab to check for some of gal infection of the the infectious disease issues.

Prolapsed Cloaca See page 52 for the story of Frak, a hen that had a prolapsed cloaca. Frak’s owner is a surgeon who operated on the prolapse. Since most of us aren’t willing or able to operate on our birds, we provide some other methods for dealing with prolapse here. Reprinted from The Love of Poultry, a Back- yard Poultry 2006 An- Mary Lou Brod’s 3-year-old hen (left) has had pendulous crop for more than a year. Another hen is now thology, see page 45 for showing similar signs. There are several things that could cause this problem, and no real treatment. details. —Ed.

42 Backyard Poultry I’ve attached a picture of a hen with a chickens until it has a chance to heal. The the prolapsed part with the cortisone to prolapsed cloaca. This hen lived for around reddened tissue seems to attract a lot of reduce swelling and pushed the cloaca five months in this condition; much lon- unwanted pecking. back in. This took three or four times ger than I’ve understood birds with such with the prolapse shrinking and staying conditions to live. She maintained body Follow-up to Prolapsed in longer each time until it finally stayed weight and overall vigor. We eventually Cloaca put! Tootsie is fine and is laying little decided to eat her since we didn’t want In a previous issue, a reader submit- brown eggs every day. this trait passed on to offspring. I’m sure ted a photo of a chicken with a prolapsed Thanks for the great magazine! We she would have lived much longer. cloaca. My family also had this problem are city slickers with chickens for the Cherrie, Wisconsin with our little Black Silkie, Tootsie. first time and really enjoy reading your With advice from my brother, a vet, we articles. Hope this information can help bought a tube of cortisone cream and someone with a similar problem. a box of rubber gloves. We slathered Lucy, Georgia

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Prolapse in layers may be able to be corrected if you can get the tissue cleaned Incubators, Brooders, Cages & Supplies and pushed back in. The hen should be forced out of production and isolated to prevent pecking by the rest of the flock.

You must have good management! You’re right, in most hens, the prolapse will continue to worsen, or other birds will pick at it and cause more harm. Otherwise, they can get an infection and die from that. Chicken soup has been the time-honored use for a hen that has prolapsed. Some people who keep them as pets, however, have had luck in correcting this condition. If you can get the tissue cleaned and pushed back in, and get her out of production, in some cases she’ll heal up, come back into production after a month or so, and be perfectly “normal” and healthy for a long time. Forcing a hen to go out of production is not always easy, but usually if you can decrease her day length to about eight or nine hours per day for a week or two, it Quality, Utility, and Performance at a Reasonable Price should do the trick. You’ll probably need GQF MANUFACTURING CO. to keep her indoors, so you can have com- PO BOX 1552 SAVANNAH, GA 31402 USA plete darkness for 15 or 16 hours each visit GQFmfg.com day. It’s best to keep her away from other February/March 2013 www.backyardpoultrymag.com 43 Swollen Toes in Guineas than can be excreted by the body. These We have four male guinea fowl. Two crystals then deposit in the body. In this of them are fine and healthy, however, case, they are probably deposited in the the other two have something wrong joints of the toes, which isn’t uncommon. with their toes. Some of the toes—not The guineas may have had an immune all of them—are very swollen, the toe- response against this, too, which will add nail pretty much having disappeared. to the swelling. They were still getting on fine until just It can also be caused by an excess recently, now one of them can hardly of calcium in the diet, which damages walk. We have treated with an antibiotic the kidneys. It is seen more commonly in spray for poultry but it hasn’t helped. We male birds that are eating a layer diet, thought it might be frostbite, but can’t or in older hens that have gone out of imagine how they could have gotten it; egg production, but are still being fed a they roost inside an enclosed coop every high-calcium layer feed. night with a heat lamp. I’m not sure what can be done for Again, the second bird with the same them. You could try to cut down the level problem seems to be doing okay, but of protein and calcium in their diet, and walked a little funny. If you could tell us see if that helps. If they have kidney dam- what this is, we would really appreciate age, there probably isn’t a lot you can do it. There are no vets in this area that work to help. Make sure they have plenty of with birds. fresh water, but I doubt if a shortage of Barbara, New York water has been a problem.

I would first check that there is no Broodiness in Winter sign of physical trauma to the feet, such One of my hens is very broody, and as a cut, thorn or wood splinter, or string persists on sitting on eggs. Is there any wrapped around the toes. These could reason not to allow her to hatch eggs cause swellings such as this. in cold weather? Will the eggs hatch in Barbara has two guineas with very freezing temperatures? swollen toes, probably from gout, which Jeffery, Michigan poultry can get from excess protein, excess calcium or if the kidneys aren’t Depending on how cold your nights RESPIRATORY REMEDY functioning properly. have been, the eggs might still be good. Don’t be fooled by imitations! While ideal storage temperature for Ask for the original I doubt that is the cause, since you hatching eggs is usually around 60° F, VetRx Respiratory Remedy. noticed it in two birds. My best guess is they can withstand temperatures down Alleviate symptoms that they are suffering from gout. Gout to nearly freezing. When the eggs freeze, and get your flock is a buildup of uric acid crystals. Uric they’ll often crack open, so if they haven’t cracked, I’d guess they may still be vi- back on feed. acid is the waste product from protein metabolism, similar to urine in humans. able. For more information visit our website at If the birds are fed excess protein, or if Once she starts sitting on the eggs, www.goodwinol.com or contact Goodwinol Products at their kidneys aren’t functioning properly, she’ll likely keep them warm enough to 1-800-554-1080 or if they have some inherent metabolic hatch. problem, they can produce more uric acid If you don’t mind dealing with chicks this time of year, I’d encourage you to try to move her to a safer (and possibly Offering day-old baby chicks, warmer) place. If you move the eggs and her to a nest somewhere, she’ll probably ducks, goslings, turkeys, continue to sit on the eggs. You might guineas, and pheasants. close her in (easily done by putting a board over the front of the nest) for the first couple of days after moving her. Predators are a real concern, especially in the winter, since they are likely hungry and cold, too! Welp Hatchery If you don’t want to deal with chicks, Free PO Box 77 catalog Bancroft, IA 50517 it’s probably best to keep her away from (800) 458-4473 the nest for a few days. She’ll likely www.welphatchery.com break her broodiness fairly quickly if she doesn’t have a nest. 44 Backyard Poultry Backyard Poultry Bookstore

By the founder and editor of Countryside & small stoCk Journal For the Love of Poultry Enough! A Backyard Poultry Anthology, The First Year A Critique of Capitalist Democracy And a For the Love of If you missed the first year ofBackyard Poul- Guide To Understanding the New Normal Poultry try—here’s your second chance. The complete JerOme d. Belanger collection of articles and photos from 2006 is now a book! This full-color anthology contains You don’t have to follow the news closely to be 320 pages featuring more than 30 writers, in- aware that these are tumultuous times. Every cluding renowned poultry expert and author American should read this book to understand Gail Damerow, homesteading guru Harvey what has happened to the American Dream—and A Backyard Poultry Anthology Ussery, and University of Wisconsin's top poul- what the New Frugality really means. Of all the changes in recent The First Year BY THE EDITORS OF BACKYARD POULTRY try specialist, Ron Kean. Enjoy reading as they history, one that stands out is how many ‘wants’ have now become share their knowledge, and be entertained by ‘needs,’ and the dire consequences that follow. For too many people stories like Chickens in the city; Pampered poultry; Championing rare their chief purpose is to produce and consume beyond all reason. and historic breeds; The world's smallest chicken; The trained chicken The chaos affects everyone. ENOUGH! will help you understand the mess from a homestead perspective. “Eggzibit” and much, much more! 320 pages, $19.95 The three-pronged economic system involving capitalism, democracy, and producer/consumers is in deep trouble. How did it happen? The Small-Scale Poultry Flock How will it affect your life? And most importantly, what can you do An all-natural approach to raising chickens and about it, in your own home and backyard, before it’s too late? Get the other fowl for home and market growers answers in ENOUGH!, the latest book from Countryside’s founder, J. D. Belanger. Read an analysis of current (and future) events based harvey ussery on Countryside’s Homestead Philosophy! If you weren’t around 75 years ago, you didn’t live through the rise and fall of the American A comprehensive guide to whole-systems, Dream... which also might mean you don’t have a very clear picture mixed-flock poultry husbandry. Filled with of where we are today, and where we might be going. For a better essential information on basic care, housing, understanding of the day’s news, and how it applies to your life, pasturing the flock and putting it to work, order your copy of ENOUGH! 299 pages, $14.95 holistic health, poultry in the kitchen, and creative strategies for more home-produced feeds, including cultivated earthworms and The Complete Idiot’s Guide to soldier grubs. Contains detailed butchering Raising Chickens instructions with dozens of photographs and the best guide to working with broody hens JerOme d. Belanger available anywhere. 416 pages, $39.95 You’re no idiot, of course. You know there’s nothing like the taste of fresh, free-range eggs The Mating and Breeding from chickens you’ve raised yourself, but you’re wondering if owning your own flock of Poultry of birds would be all it’s cracked up to be. In harry m. lamOn & rOB r. slOcum this Complete Idiot’s Guide you’ll find advice This book, first published in 1920, and now back on locating and buying your first chickens; tips in print, outlines all you need to know to become an for buying or building the right coop; learn all accomplished breeder. It includes manipulating shape about eggs from conception to cooking; learn and color combinations, preparing birds for weather, to identify normal behavior in healthy chickens encouraging the juiciest meat and largest eggs and and what to do when something goes wrong, and decide for yourself if much more. Authors Lamon & Slocum were the Senior Poultrymen at raising chickens organically is right for you. 160 pages, $14.95 the Bureau of Animal Industry for the USDA. 341 pages, $14.95

Free-Range Chicken Gardens How to Create a Beautiful, Chicken-Friendly Yard Chicken and Egg A Memoir of Suburban Homesteading with 125 Recipes Jessi BlOOm Janice cOle, PhOtOgraPhs By alex Farnum Many gardeners fear chickens will peck away at their landscape, and chicken Chicken and Egg tells the story of vet- lovers often shy away from gardening eran food writer Janice Cole, who, like so for the same reason. But you can keep chick- many other urbanites, took up the revolu- ens and have a beautiful garden, too! Fresh tionary hobby of raising chickens at home. eggs aren’t the only benefit—chickens can From picking out the perfect coop to pro- actually help your garden grow and thrive, ducing the miracle of the first egg, Cole even as your garden does the same for your shares her now-expert insights into the tri- chickens. In this essential handbook every- als, triumphs, and bonds that result when thing a gardener needs to know is covered, human and hen live in close quarters. With including chicken-keeping basics, simple 125 recipes for delicious chicken and egg garden plans to get you started, tips on attractive fencing options, the dishes, poultry lovers, backyard farmers, and those contemplat- best plants and plants to avoid, and step-by-step instructions for getting ing taking the leap will adore this captivating illustrated memoir. your chicken garden up and running. 218 pages, $19.95 256 pages, $24.95 NEW BOOKS! • NEW BOOKS! • NEW BOOKS! • NEW BOOKS! • NEW BOOKS! Reinventing The Chicken Coop Hatching & Brooding 14 Original Designs with Step-by-Step Building Instructions Your Own Chicks Chickens, Turkeys, Ducks, Geese, Guinea Fowl Ma t t h e w Wo l p e & Ke v i n McEl r o y Ga i l Da m e r o w Backyard chickens meet con- If you want to incubate, hatch, and brood temporary design! Matthew chicks yourself, rather than buying them Wolpe and Kevin McElroy from a hatchery, this is the guide you need. give you 14 complete build- Poultry authority Gail Damerow explains ing plans for chicken coops exactly how to hatch healthy baby chickens, that range from the purely ducklings, goslings, turkey poults, and guin- functional to the outrageously ea keets, addressing everything from select- fabulous. One has a water- ing a breed and choosing the best incubator capturing roof; one is a great to ensuring proper set-up and sanitary con- example of mid-century ditions, understanding embryo development, modern architecture; and an- and feeding and caring for newborn chicks in a brooder. This is an other has a built-in com- indispensable reference for any poultry raiser, whether you want to posting system. Some designs are suitable for beginning hatch three eggs or one hundred. 240 pages, $24.95 (Reviewed on builders, and some are challenging enough for experts. Com- page 56 of this issue.) plete step-by-step building plans are accompanied by full- Note: Hatching & Brooding will be available from the Backyard Poul- color photographs and detailed construction illustrations. try bookstore on February 1, 2013. All orders received prior to that 192 pages, $19.95 (Reviewed on page 56 of this issue.) date will be shipped on February 1. — Ed. City Chicks For a complete listing of all books available from the Keeping Micro-flocks of Laying Hens Backyard Poultry Bookstore, visit our website at as Garden Helpers, Compost Makers, www.backyardpoultrymag.com. Bio-recyclers and Local Food Suppliers If you do not have Internet access, write to Pa t r i c i a Fo r e m a n Bookstore Catalog Request, Chickens have become the mascot of the local food movement. A desire for sustainable, clean, 145 Industrial Dr., Medford, WI 54451 wholesome food and superior soil quality has led or call 800-551-5691 more and more suburban and city dwellers to keep laying hens in their backyards and gardens. City Chicks is an excellent The Chicken Encyclopedia resource for the beginner or avid chicken enthusiast. 460 pages, $22.50 An Illustrated Reference Storey’s Guide to Raising Chickens Ga i l Da m e r o w Ga i l Da m e r o w New—and indispensable for all chicken enthusiasts! Beginners and old pros alike will welcome This informative book for both beginning and Gail Damerow’s latest contribution to the poul- experienced chicken owners is now completely try world, The Chicken Encyclopedia, a listing of updated. It covers breed selection, building feed- more than 1,000 entries 100% related to chick- ers and shelters, how to collect and store your eggs ens! Anything you want to know about chickens to maintain freshness (or hatching), maintaining is either included here or it’s probably not worth good flock health, raising broilers for meat, and knowing. Not only a reference work, it’s interest- showing your birds. 341 pages, $19.95 ing enough to read on its own, to get an education in chickenology. Or enjoy flipping through it to pick up fascinating facts Chicken Coops on every page. The full-color photos and illustrations are also superb, both 45 Plans For Housing Your Flock educational and a pleasure to look at. 320 pages, $19.95 Ju d y Pa n g m a n Whether you’re keeping one hen in a small Storey’s Illustrated Guide backyard or 1,000 hens in a large free-range to Poultry Breeds pasture, you will find the perfect housing plan in this comprehensive handbook. These Ca r o l Ek a r i u s 45 plans for housing both laying hens and Gorgeous, full-color photographs of more meat birds (chickens or turkeys) range from than 128 birds. This definitive guide includes a fashionable backyard structures to large-scale, brief history of the breed, detailed descriptions moveable shelters. You’ll also find plans for of identifying characteristics and colorful converting trailer frames, greenhouses, and photographs that celebrate the birds’ quirky backyard sheds; low-budget alternatives for working with recycled personalities and charming good looks. If it’s materials; and simple ways to make waterers, feeders, and nestboxes. fowl facts and photos you want, you’ll find With basic building skills, a little elbow grease, and this book of plans, 46 them all here! 278 pages, $24.95 you’ve got all you need to house your flock.Backyard166 pages, $19.95 Poultry The Chicken Whisperer’s Guide The Chicken Health Handbook to Keeping Chickens Ga i l Da m e r o w Everything You Need to Know...and Didn’t Know You In this must-have reference for the small flock Needed to Know About Backyard and Urban Chickens owner, Gail discusses the problems and diseases common to chickens of all breeds and all ages. 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If you prefer not to cut your magazine, please write your order on another piece of paper. Backyard Poultry Book Order Form Titles: $ $ $ $ $ Name: ______Address: ______Book(s) Total $______T-Shirt(s) Total $______City:______State:______Zip:______ m Check Enclosed m Charge my credit card: S&H $4 first item Phone: ______$1 each add'l item $______2.50 Visa/MC/AmEx/Disc No.______Exp.______Subtotal $______E-mail ______WI Residents Add Backyard Poultry Bookstore 5.5% sales tax $______145 Industrial Dr., Medford, WI 54451 Call Toll-Free 800-551-5691 or Fax 715-785-7414 Total Enclosed $______www.backyardpoultrymag.com February/March 2013 www.backyardpoultrymag.com 47 He a l t h y Du s t Ba t h i n g

By Su s a n Bu r k e , He r b a l i s t Moo n l i g h t Mi l e He r b Fa r m Mi c h i g a n

o watch our fowl taking a dust bath, we can be taken quite unaware Tat first what is going on because frankly, it is quite a sight to see! It can either be quite heart stopping before we realize they were not attacked by some Dustbathing is a normal and important behavior. While we can enjoy watching this predator, or quite amusing once we real- display of “chicken-ness,” we can also know that it is important for our flocks’ health and well-being. Photo by Carrie Cook, Wisconsin ize what is going on and we watch the joyful flinging of dirt into the air! It is an ancient ritual of motions that can be quite try what is called, in scientific studies, as means; a place where our poultry can dust fascinating in how exact it is. Dust bath- sham dust bathing. It is the attempt to dust bathe when they need to. Foremost, dust ing can be triggered by internal factors or bathe using nothing at all on a wire bottom bathing reduces the amount of lipids on external factors. It might seem that dust cage. Even free-range flocks can be cur- the feathers, which helps to optimize their bathing is largely a social thing, and it is tailed from this natural activity due to ex- insulation ability to keep our poultry warm true our poultry do enjoy dust bathing to- treme weather conditions and we may not in colder temperatures. Dust bathing keeps gether if they have the unlimited choice even think of how this negatively impacts the feathers in good shape. It can also help to do so. But research has shown that our flocks. In research it has been shown control ectoparasites that can create health having the proper material stimuli along that deprivation of dusting not only causes risks if left unchecked. with heat and light might be the real im- frustration and a build-up of cortisol that petus triggering the instinct. translates to stress, but it may even promote The Dust Bath Process From the ancient ancestors of the jun- feather picking. It is believed fowl actually My research shows that the internal gle fowl to our present domesticated fowl, will pull out feathers for something to dust impetus for our poultry will be to bathe going through the motions of dust bathing bathe in! We may also think that using the every two days. Jungle fowl chicks (which appears to be an innate behavior that occurs deep litter method or a straw or wood chip I think our own domestic chicks mirror) whether there is proper dusting materials litter will suffice. Yet only when the basic will not start dust bathing until after the available or not. This single behavior is bedding material is of very fine particles first week of age, peaking at 2-3 weeks shown in gallinaceous birds only, which do will our fowl reap the benefit. Therefore, old with multiple bouts of dusting during not use the more common use of water to it seems important that we make sure that the day. At adult age, the trigger is about bathe, as with other creatures. It has been we provide either within their normal liv- after six hours of light (about midday) and observed that even battery caged fowl will ing environment, or some manufactured settles into a two-day routine, with which our domestic fowl share. Adult fowl will also adjust their dust-bathing schedule to take advantage of maximum heat and light outside. Young birds from 6-9 months old develop a distinct choice for bathing materials depending on their early exposure. Again, an absence of proper litter can also have a negative impact. This could mean your flock will start dust bathing a little older than normal, and may initially be confused on what to dust bathe with! I find this interesting because an innate instinctual behavior can be modified by learned external factors. Since fowl are vulnerable to predators while dust bathing, they will not do so unless they feel secure. Once they feel secure, and a good spot is found, your Susan’s poultry are gathered around the burned brush pile scratching up places to dust fowl will start scratching and bill rak- bathe. Wood ash is something they love to dust in! Photo by Susan Burek ing in suitable dirt or sand. Bill raking 48 Backyard Poultry we seriously underestimate just how warm tained with something at least 6-8 inches these feathers keep our poultry. We go to high to catch a lot of the material that is great lengths in time and money to provide flung about works really well. In that re- mechanical means to provide heat lamps gard, you will want to be sure it is not near and insulated coops, yet it is most likely any feeding station or water founts. overkill for what they really need. Feathers If you have a large flock, make the area are also instrumental in flight from preda- large enough to fit several birds at once. tors, and for attracting mates to breed. Research has shown peat moss, sand and Ectoparasites can attach and feed on then wood shavings—in that order— are blood through the skin, (See June/July effective at removing stale lipids and 2011 Backyard Poultry “Herbal Pest conversely improving the amount of Management”) and it seems logical that the retained body heat capacity. I rotate in mechanical actions of dust bathing would wood ash, clay and ground herbs mixed help kill and smother them, to help control a in lesser amounts for their own particular lesser infestation. Mixing various aromatic supplemental values (which I detail more Even chicks begin dustbathing naturally powdered herbs into the dust bath can aid as on page 50). You can experiment with the if given the right environment. Photo by an added bug repellant to the skin. mix that works best for your flock. And Jason Babb, Arizona when all is said and done, just plain old Providing a Dust Bath Area dirt is plentiful and will work too. is nothing more than your bird checking With all that said above, it appears It would also be good if young chicks surface composition. We see this behavior providing proper materials and a safe had a place to bathe available starting from outside of dust bathing as well. They will environment to dust bathe would make ages 2-4 weeks. Since many of us brood scratch up the soil to create a nice fluffy sense. Many of us probably free range chicks on woodchips around those ages, mix of fine particles. Down they will flop our poultry and so they take care of dust that is a good start. If they are outside with with raised feathers ready to begin. Then bathing largely on their own. But we do Mama, all the better for them to watch and they begin the crazy motions of vertical need to be aware that rainy, wet weather, learn from her. wing shaking, head rubbing, bill raking or frozen ground with snow, will hamper I consider wood ash, clay, and finely and scratching one leg followed by side their dust bathing schedule. I have read ground herbs as supplements because rubbing that we have all observed. With that deep litter in the coops helps to facili- they will provide an added benefit in others nearby, they may do some groom- tate dust bathing, but be aware that adding ing as well. In about 20 minutes they stand large materials like wood chips, straw and up, shake out a nice big cloud of dust and leaves, these items are too large by size dirt and are on their way! to do the job effectively. Very small particles are needed to cover the skin. I have Feather and Body Health found that providing a constructed dust Feathers are very important to our box of some sort, filled with the proper poultry, just like our skin is to us. Healthy basic essentials in a permanently covered, feathers provide a variety of health ben- safe, dry space with total access will do efits for our poultry. I have read that the the trick. I have a large covered pen and feather coat can outweigh the dry weight simply use a kiddie pool. of a bird’s bone weight by 2 to 1. These I initially tried to use a dug out pit in huge amounts of feathers are arranged in the dirt floor, but it became unmanageable an intricate pattern foremost for insulation due to the heavy foot traffic of penned to keep our poultry dry and warm. I think birds during the winter. Keeping it con-

Susan places a small pool in the flock’s big pen $20 membership - Benefits include: during winter. It is filled with sand, peat moss and 2013 is the year to join! wood ash from her • Welcome packet fireplace. She will • Care and feeding brochure also mix in some • Annual educational seminars aromatic herbs • Be in touch with other guinea fowl throughout the owners and experts. winter. Photo by www.guineafowlinternational.org Susan Burek Guinea Fowl International 2812 FM 987 • Kaufman, TX 75142

February/March 2013 www.backyardpoultrymag.com 49 Dust Bath Material AmericAn Poultry AssociAtion Base Peat moss (Organic) DEDICATED TO PROMOTING AND Sand (Natural or play sand) PROTECTING STANDARD-BRED POULTRY Dirt (Natural) Wood chips (Natural or fine as possible)

Benefits include: Supplement Quarterly Newsletter-Annual Yearbook Wood ash (Natural) Officially Sanctioned Shows and Judges Clay (Natural) Finely ground herbs (Aromatic herbs like anise, eucalyptus, Sweet Annie, pennyroyal, rosemary, pine, thyme, JOIN TODAY-Dues: $20 per year or $50 for 3 years sage, wormwood and lemongrass are Junior members $15 per year or $40 for 3 years examples.)

American Poultry Association addition to coating the skin and reducing PO Box 306, Burgettstown, Pa. 15021 stale lipids. All three supplements can Phone: 724-729-3459 - Email: [email protected] be eaten, which will benefit our birds internally. Wood ash is highly soluble Website: amerpoultryassn.com in vitamin K, followed by calcium and magnesium. Vitamin K is useful for blood clotting in poultry. Using clay externally is antiseptic, promotes wound healing, and is an emollient for the skin. Internally clay is a powerful detoxifier and also provides minerals and trace minerals. Aromatic herbs externally provide ectoparasite control as a repellant, and internally can provide a variety of medicinal value depending on the herb used. Not to mention the aromatics just plain smell good too. Dust bathing is an essential part of the health for our poultry and we can help them do what comes naturally by providing a clean, dry, well-stocked and secure area to dust bathe. You may find a reduction in stress in your penned flock during the winter, giving them a place to socialize while they are taking care of their warm winter coats. In their quest to dust bathe, our poultry fulfill their instinctual wisdom for their physical and emotional health. So perhaps the next time we watch the dust fly, we should realize it is truly quite remarkable!

Susan is an herbalist who advises on Poultry Natural Living & Herbal Care on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/ groups/herbalpoultrycare/. Susan also is the owner of Moonlight Mile Herb Farm in Willis, Michigan, where she lives with a variety of critters, and is a chicken and guinea fowl breeder. She also grows native and cultivated herbs on six acres of land, and sells her own formulated avian poultry products at www. moonlightmileherbs.com. 50 Backyard Poultry February/March 2013 www.backyardpoultrymag.com 51 Saving Frak A Surgeon’s Story

By Le e Hi e b , M.D. Io w a

our years of college, four years of medical school, five years of orthopaedic surgery residency, and a year of spine surgery fellowship at one of the nation’s leading medicalF research institutions—and at the end, I found myself in a dimly lit shed operating on a chicken’s rear end. In 2009 I moved back to my home state of Iowa, to my Frak survives a raccoon attack, becomes head honcho of the home town, and into the house where I was raised. My sons pecking order, and then gets a prolapsed cloaca. Fortunately were in college and high school, my husband was retired, and for her, owner Lee Lieb, M.D., happens to be a surgeon. I wanted to slow down. So back we went to rural life, where I reclaimed the old garden, and decided to raise chickens. My father was the small town doc, and although my relatives chickens and took pity on me, giving me two of her Ameri- were farmers, I had had no firsthand experience with poultry caunas that were just shy of egg laying. This is when I learned beyond Frickasee or Chicken Kiev. But I talked to my friends, about pecking order and chicken dominance. Frak—tough sur- got advice from my many farmer patients, and ordered my vivor of the raccoon attack that she was—became the head hen first flock—six Wyandottes and seven sex-linked “production and countenanced no newcomers. She was really mean to the chickens.” While the chicks hung out under a heat lamp in a Americaunas, picking mercilessly on hens that had heretofore cardboard box in the kitchen, I leisurely began constructing the been happy in a friendly large flock. I felt so bad for them, and coop. Unfortunately, mid construction, my husband got sick although I will not admit this to my colleagues, I spent most and was rushed to a hospital 35 miles away, where he under- went surgery and an uneventful but 10-day recovery. Between working part time 80 miles away in one direction, then driving 35 miles the other direction to the hospital, the coop remained stalled in mid construction. One day, I came home to find a “chick” perched on the edge of the box ready to fly out into our house. Oops—time for reinforcements! With an extra set of hands, the roughed in coop became habitable. So far, so good. The chickens grew, we all became spoiled at having home raised eggs, and I finished off the coop with a solar door and accessory fenced area. I even added six Americauna chicks in the spring—this time building a chick brooder house before buying the chicks. Then, disaster struck. While we were gone on vacation, even with friends minding the birds, a local mob of masked raccoon bandits somehow figured out the change in human routine, and the day before our return, before the solar door closed at dusk, they attacked the coops, carrying off all the chicks and all but two of the adult birds. We came home to the remains of a massacre and two lonely sex-linked production chickens— hereafter referred to as Frik and Frak. It was horrible. Not only did I feel bad for the chickens, but Since most of us aren’t willing or I felt bad for hav- able to operate on our birds, we pro- ing to—gak—buy vide some other methods for dealing lousy store-bought with prolapse in the “Answer Man” eggs. section, see page 42. —Ed. My office as- The surgical team—Savannah and Mike sistant had lots of 52 Backyard Poultry alcohol and threw several figure-of-eight vicryl stitches at the bottom of the anus. This closed the size of the opening and maintained the reduction. But who knows what the normal diameter of a chicken rectum should be? I certainly did not. So we waited. Three days later, when I drove home from work for the first post-operative check-up, Frak wasn’t her old self, but as the Monty Python line goes, she “wasn’t quite dead yet.” So, we put her back with the flock, and they didn’t pick on her. A good sign! Over the ensuing weeks she steadily improved. She molted and looked rough, but those tail feathers have all grown in. She has regained her weight, and her dominance—happily pecking away at any upstart chicken that might have been thinking of taking over. She leads the girls hither and thither, and is in the head of the line for grapes and other treats. She Two weeks post-operative and the vent is nearly back to doesn’t squat down to be stroked, and it isn’t as easy to catch normal. Frak did go through a molt after the surgery, and her now—probably fearing that some crazy human is going to now her tail feathers have grown back. prick her butt with a needle again. I haven’t been sanctioned by the Veteranarians’ Union nor of three days dabbling in chicken psychology. I finally fenced the Iowa Medical Board, although clearly operating on chick- the two mini-flocks apart, then finally left three hens together ens and doing a “posterior repair” is out of the scope of the and put Frak in a “time out” by herself. But, eventually, they usual orthopaedic practice. I learned that chickens are fairly worked things out, and over the next year I was able to enlarge resilient, and don’t have a lot of pain sensors in their bottoms. the flock. Of course, everyone knew—chicken and human I learned it takes a village—or at least a good assistant—to alike—that Frak was in charge. sew up a chicken’s rectum. And, finally, I learned that Frak is People who got eggs from me came to know the saga of Frik a keeper, even when she stops laying eggs. If cats have nine and Frak, and often asked me how they were doing. Frak led the lives, how many do chickens have? Frak is two down but girls into the garden, then led them back at feeding time. She looking good. greeted me at the gate and squatted down to be stroked when I came in. She kept “good order and discipline,” pecking at any other chicken that got too pushy. One of the joys of raising chickens is the friends you meet. Mike, a local retired Vietnam vet, and Savanah, a young woman whose chicken flock was taken away due to local politics, began helping me tend the girls. Rain or shine, the three of us would meet at my house at 5:00 p.m. to work the coop and give the girls fruit or other treats. Savanah, who had a lot of experience with chickens, noticed one day that Frak had a large red lump on her bottom. On further inspection, this proved to be a fairly large prolapse—the rectum had inverted outside the anus, and was clearly swollen with inflammatory edema. Fortunately, my cousin had given me a subscription to Backyard Poultry, so I knew information was available about such conditions. The odds were not good. At best, prolapse is salvageable in 50% of chickens. But after surviving the Great Raccoon Massacre, Miss Frak deserved extraordinary measures. We put her in a darkened shed on a low protein diet. We gave it a day or two. Alas, this prolapse was too big to resolve spontaneously. So I read on. Someone described sewing temporary bolsters to the rear end to keep the rectum reduced, but we had no bolsters, and as a surgeon this A healthy, happy Frak seemed overly complicated. (The joke goes that an orthopaedic with owner Lee Hieb, surgeon is someone who does a procedure once and then modi- M.D. after recovering fies it. And if you are good, you modify the procedure without from her “posterior ever having done one!) repair” surgery. So, with Savanah as “first assistant” holding Frak, Mike offering moral support from the safety of the porch, and my husband wanting no part of any of this, I trimmed the butt feathers (I’m sure there is some technical name for these, unknown to me), reduced the rectum back inside, swabbed the area with February/March 2013 www.backyardpoultrymag.com 53 Feed: Grit and Oyster Shell: When in Doubt, Put it Out

By tiFFany tOwne digestive blockages, poor nutrena POultry exPert feed conversion, discom- fort, and even death. t’s hard to make an argument against using grit and oyster shell supple- Who Needs Grit? Iments. They’re fairly inexpensive Generally, hens exclu- for this and a little lasts a long time. But from sively eating commercial feed pur- a nutritional viewpoint, the stakes are (think caged production opera- pose. much higher. These two supplements tions) don’t need grit because the Na- (yes, they are two very different things) feed quickly dissolves in their di- tureWise® are essential for healthy birds and maxi- gestive tract. But as soon as chickens get poultry feed mum egg production. other types of feed, they need grit to break now offers seven- As spring approaches, it’s a good time it down so the gut can absorb it. pound bags of to review why you should make grit and Grit is essential for any both oyster shell oyster shell supplements available free bird consuming large and grit, which is choice—in separate feeders—all the particle-sized feed (grains, enough to last a small time. According to Twain Lockhart, a grass, weeds, etc.). The same goes for birds flock all year. The grit is a mix of two poultry consultant for Nutrena® brands, that are confined to a coop and given any particle sizes, so it works for smaller birds “It’s better for birds to have continual scratch, grain or kitchen scraps. access to grit and oyster shell and not and standard breeds. need them, than to need them and not Biggest Grit Myth have them.” Here’s why. Many people think free-range birds When to Start Grit don’t need grit. False. Grit should be Start chicks on grit once they leave Grit and the Gizzard available even to free-range birds if there the brooder and are introduced to outside From beaks to vents, chickens have one of is any chance they can’t find natural grit forage and feed sources that are not solely the most efficient digestive systems in the materials in their surroundings. (For a pellet or crumble (grass, greens, bugs) animal kingdom. Very little of what they example, areas with clay soils, lack of and/or once you start feeding scratch or eat goes to waste, despite the fact that they small gravel particles, heavy snow cover any grains. have no teeth. Instead, they swallow tiny or grass pastures.) rocks that end up in their muscular giz- Lay on the Calcium zard. Food that mixes with these pebbles How Much Grit? Laying hens require much more calcium is ground up as the gizzard contracts, It’s best to give birds free access to (three to four times) in their diet to sup- breaking food particles into tiny specks grit. They’ll take what they need for proper port laying and to create eggs with hard the bird can digest. Lack of grit can lead to digestion. Feed stores sell insoluble grit shells. Feeding layer feed will keep laying hens healthy and productive. But extra calcium is essential to help prevent thin eggshells, birds that eat their own Hatch your own chicks eggs, and prolapse. Eggshells consist primarily of calci- Easy to use. Affordable. um carbonate, the same material found in Quality incubators since 1978 oyster shells. Likewise, calcium supple- Full line of incubators and brooders ments are typically ground-up oyster with a two-year warranty shells or natural calcium stones. These Toll free dissolve in the hens’ digestive tract and 888-667-7009 or add calcium to their diet. 321-267-7009 for FREE color catalog Who Needs Oyster Shell &

Se habla The Incubation Specialists When? www.brinsea.com español All laying hens should have access to a separate container full of crushed oyster 54 Backyard Poultry shells. Begin feeding free choice when pullets come out of the brooder.

Biggest Oyster Shell Myth Like the grit myth, many people think feeding a high quality layer feed means an oyster shell supplement isn’t needed. False. Even the elevated amount of calcium in most layer feeds might not meet the daily requirements for all hens at all times.

How Much Oyster Shell? Give birds free access to oyster shell and they’ll take what they need, based on age, diet, breed, stage of production, etc. Older hens, for instance, need more calcium than younger hens. Hens on pasture obtain some amount of calcium naturally, but illness may cause a calcium imbalance. In warm weather, when all chickens eat less, the calcium in a hen’s ration may not be enough to meet her needs. On the other hand, a hen that eats extra ration in an attempt to replenish calcium gets fat and becomes a poor layer. The solution is simple. Put the ground oyster shell in a small dish or sprinkle it on the coop floor for hens to discover and eat. If you are feeding a layer-specific feed along with oyster shell as a source of supplemental calcium, you should be covered, assuming all birds have access and can get their full requirements of feed and oyster shell.

One Final Myth Debunked Despite all the information available, there’s still some confusion that grit and oyster shell are the same thing, and you don’t need both. Not so! Oyster shell is soluble in the digestive tract. It dissolves after a period of time and the calcium is taken up. Grit is insoluble and will stay in the crop (a pouch in the esophagus used to store food temporarily before moving it to the stomach) and help with digestion without dissolving. Remember, when it comes to grit and oyster shell, when it doubt, put both out.

To find a Nutrena® dealer near you, visit www.NutrenaPoultryFeed.com or see the ad on page 83. February/March 2013 www.backyardpoultrymag.com 55 Boo k Re v i e w s : extraordinary, and most have innovative features that could be incorporated into Hatching & any design. Re v i e w e d b y Jd Be l a n g e r The stories behind the designs offer Brooding further insight. Descriptions of construction tools, materials and methods add yet YOUR OWN CHICKS another dimension unrelated to poultry, REINVENTING and of course there are plenty of tips and comments about chickens THE CHICKEN COOP themselves. Overall, this book has the feel of an Architectural Digest for chicken people: it’s not just about architecture. The practical, how-to information is certain to be both interesting and valuable to anyone even con- sidering building a chicken coop, that is, anyone with a chicken! The authors admit up front that they are not farmers or chicken experts: they are makers, part of a Reinventing the Chicken Coop; Mat- group of inventive tinkerers who delight thew Wolpe and Kevin McElroy; 191 in creating useful things. They stumbled Hatching & Brooding Your Own Chicks; pages; many drawings and photos; Sto- onto chicken coops somewhat acciden- Gail Damerow; 240 pages; well illustrat- rey Publishing, $19.95, available from tally, but once hooked, determined that ed; Storey Publishing, $24.95 available the Backyard Poultry bookstore, see they had something to contribute to the from the Backyard Poultry bookstore, page 46. body of chicken coop knowledge and see page 46. experience: “something well-designed, or some people, reading a book con- contemporary, clean, a coop people ail Damerow continues to educate, Fsisting of plans and complete build- wouldn’t apologize for as an eyesore in Gentertain, and astound us with her ing instructions for 14 different chicken their yard but instead present proudly as a detailed coverage of all-things-chick- coops might sound about as exciting as statement of self-sufficiency; something en, this time with seldom-encountered reading a book containing 14 different well-built with thought and intention.” facts and tips on hatching and brooding. recipes for zucchini. Such reference They joked that their mission was to bring Some of the astonishment came at the works are fine when you need details on the chicken coop from the backyard to very beginning, when it appeared that a specific project, but to sit down and the front yard. she was reading my mind. read one, like a novel? Not so appeal- Many of the designs are innovative, After the usual flipping through the ing. literally thinking outside the “box”. The pages and scanning a few, I started read- That said, it must be noted that many materials lists and step-by-step instruc- ing the table of contents. Whoa, what’s people do, indeed, enjoy reading cook- tions could be followed to the letter to this? She talks about brooding, feeding, books, perhaps savoring the cooking and duplicate these. growth and health first, and then goes the results vicariously, without dirtying Or the creative builder could pluck into incubation? Isn’t that… well, out of a spoon or gaining an ounce. Likewise, ideas from several of the plans to come synch? They have to hatch before you there are those who find the same kind of up with something entirely different. can brood them! pleasure in a well-written and illustrated One of the greatest strengths of But then in the introduction immedi- reference work on poultry housing. You this book is the information on basic ately following, she addresses that as if don’t have to actually build it to enjoy construction methods, essential for anticipating the question. thinking about it. building a coop of any design. This is a Very few people start their poultry Reinventing the Chicken Coop might gold mine for anyone new to carpentry, enterprises with hatching eggs, she notes: extend that group of readers, in several but even builders who are somewhat ex- they start with day-old chicks. Only after ways. perienced are likely to learn something. gaining some experience with poultry do First are the splendid illustrations, (One of the authors teaches furniture- they venture into hatching. So it makes both drawings and photographs, which making, so this isn’t just about rough sense to begin with acquiring and brood- provide a sort of virtual tour of more than carpentry.) ing chicks. a dozen interesting and unusual coops Chickens are much more fun than Anticipating questions and objec- without leaving home. Some are simple, zucchini, and this is much more than a tions like this is common throughout the some are elaborate, a few are downright cookbook. book, making it seem more like a warm 56 Backyard Poultry personal guide and tutor than a cold, dry In brief, this book covers much, much the associated pleasures. Nowhere does textbook. more than just hatching and brooding it say “do not try this without adult su- Adding to this spirit are the many per- chicks. It’s an in-depth poultry education. pervision,” but that standard children’s sonal notes and observations, which not Add this one to the already long list of cookbook warning is implied in such only suggest the voice of experience but Gail Damerow books that belong in every statements as “Check the zoning laws the presence of a knowledgeable, helpful, poultry lover’s library. where you live.” (In some jurisdictions and friendly “chicken lady.” This book checking zoning laws is light-years away is very easy and pleasant to read. Even Hatching & Brooding will be avail- from child’s play!) We learn that chicks the material that is somewhat technical able from the Backyard Poultry bookstore must be kept warm, but there is no men- in nature will be easily understood by the on February 1, 2013. All orders received tion of specific temperatures. We’re told average reader. prior to that date will be shipped on that “Chickens come in many different There are a few other books on February 1.—Ed. breeds and varieties” (what about sizes, hatching and brooding, but none (that shapes and colors?), but no specifics are I’m aware of) that go into the detail given. For that, a few adult sources are provided here. And then this one goes provided at the end of the book. beyond the titled topics, providing Young Chicken One “tip” was puzzling to this re- helpful and interesting bonuses such as viewer: “help your chicks practice getting definitions of chicken terms, charts on Farmers used to the dark by turning out the lights a variety of subjects, sidebars offering for a short time each day. tips and shortcuts, and even product Pick the warmest part of information. the day so your chicks This book touches on turkeys, guin- don’t get cold.” This is eas, ducks and geese as well as chickens. news to a guy who grew It covers both incubators and broody up with chickens 75 years hens. It addresses water and feed, and ago and has successfully how best to provide them. You’ll learn raised them since without about eggs and how they develop, and following this advice, what to expect as chicks develop and but apparently it’s done grow. There are sections on health, and today. You’re never too —very important—troubleshooting: old to learn something what went wrong with the hatch? This new. includes keeping records, and how to Although it has the use them. I wish I could have had this “feel” of a children’s sto- information many years ago! rybook, it’s actually much more. The young, new or prospective chicken raiser will learn how to Young Chicken Farmers; Tips for Kids handle chicks, the necessity of good hy- Raising Backyard Chickens, by Vickie giene, and the danger of predators. Black; Beaver’s Pond Press; www.book- Children too young to read will be de- housefulfillment.com; 10.25" x 9.25" lighted by the outstanding photographs, hardcover, 32 pages; $16.95 (Backyard as will the adults who read this to them. Poultry readers are offered a discount, Older children should find the writing see end of review.) interesting and easy to understand. The next time you need a meaningful f there is a young child in your life who gift for a child, keep this book in mind. Iis (or ought to be) interested in poultry, this book is just what you’ve been To order this book, visit www.beaver- looking for: a unique combination of spondbooks.com or call 800-901-3480. information and entertainment wrapped Backyard Poultry readers can claim a in a wonderful package of delightful 20% discount by using the coupon code photographs and engaging design. (The “chicken” at www.bookhousefulfillment. comic-book-like captions on many of com. After about two weeks of incubation, the outstanding pictures are particularly the chick fills so much of the shell that enchanting.) Jd Belanger founded the original candling reveals little more than an air It’s not a how-to book or a stand- Backyard Poultry in 1979 and is the au- cell and a dark form; movement of the dark form against the air cell tells you alone instruction manual for beginners, thor of many books including The Com- the embryo is alive. Artwork by Bethany but rather a way for adults and children plete Idiot’s Guide to Raising Chickens Caskey, from: Hatching & Brooding Your to share some of the basic concepts of and his latest book, ENOUGH! See page Own Chicks poultry husbandry along with a few of 45 for details. February/March 2013 www.backyardpoultrymag.com 57 Breed FOcus: Understanding What Breed Is It? Sex-Link Chickens

By dOn schrider Terms some historic relevance worth knowing west virginia Before we go too far in stating what in order to help understand how they “is” and what “is not” a breed, there are relate to pure breeds. The idea of purity t Backyard Poultry we get ques- some terms we need to define. First, what in a genetic population has old roots, but tions all the time asking for help does the word “breed” really mean? We was not widely applied to poultry until identifying the breed of various can define “breed” as a group of animals the 1800s. At this time there were only A a few “breeds,” most flocks of chickens chickens. Many times the chickens pic- with similar characteristics that, when bred tured are not purebred chickens at all together, will produce offspring with the displayed a variety of color characteris- but crossbreeds hatcheries produce for same characteristics. In other words, a tics, sizes, rates of production, etc. Little very specific purposes – such as egg breed breeds true. The advantage of pure thought was given to selective breeding. production. Such poultry can be very breeds is that each generation of offspring These flocks were referred to as “mon- productive and useful for the back- can be counted on to look and perform in grels” or “mongrel poultry.” yard fancier but cannot be considered the same way as the previous generation. a breed. Breeds were often developed due History to geographic isolation or for specific At the time (circa 1850), more and purposes. For instance, Rhode Island more poultry from diverse parts of Reds were developed in Rhode Island the globe become available in North and lay brown eggs. Each generation will America and Europe. Crossing of Asian be “red” in color and lay brown eggs, and European stock formed the basis for just as their parents did—and at much many new “improved” breeds—such as the same rate of production. Purebred American breeds like the Plymouth Rock Rhode Island Red chickens, when mated or the Wyandotte—these “improved” to purebred Rhode Island Red roosters, breeds formed the basis for a burgeoning do not produce offspring barred in color emphasis on poultry or that lay green or white eggs. farming as a stand- Mongrels, crossbreeds, and hybrids alone farming are all terms for chickens that are not enterprise. pure breeds. Each of these terms has

Breeds with large breasts, such as this Cornish, helped develop the Cornish Cross, being crossed with (below) the Plymouth Rock. Photos courtesy of Matthew Phillips, New York (top) and Robert Blosl, Alabama.

The Cornish Cross meat bird is a cross between the Cornish and the Plymouth Rock breeds. Fast growth have them ready to harvest as fryers at six weeks of age. Photo courtesy of Gail Damerow 58 Backyard Poultry The fact that purebred poultry could poultry became know as CornRocks or Are They a Breed? be relied upon to produce predictable Cornish crosses. CornRock pullets, how- Because sexlink chickens do not results, generation after generation, and ever, were not very good layers and did produce offspring that look and produce the fact that they were productive, by have large appetites. But other crosses as [well as] they themselves do, they are the standards of that time period, were were also very important. For many years not breeds. They simply do not fit the the basis of profit that could be relied New Hampshire Reds were crossed with definition of a breed. So what are they? upon. Any chicken that was not a pure Barred Plymouth Rocks – producing fast Since they are the result of crossing two breed was referred to as a mongrel and growing, meaty and tasty market poultry. (or more) breeds, they may only be termed the meaning was derogatory. From this cross a few white sports were crossbreeds. produced—and thus the Indian River or So if you have a sexlink chicken and Crossing Breeds Delaware breed was born. Poultrymen you wonder what breed it is—it is not a A crossbred chicken is simply the noticed that these various crosses of breeds breed but a crossbreed. result of crossing two or more purebred with different colors did produce pullets chickens. There is nothing new about that laid very well. They also noticed Poultry Color 101 crossing breeds. I like to think that hu- something interesting—the chicks from Before we talk about the various types man curiosity—that desire to wonder, these crosses often had easily noticed of sexlinks available, let us talk a little “what would you get”—led to many differences in down color that could be about poultry color genetics. In poultry experiments. All throughout the late used to distinguish between the males the males carry two full genes for color 1800s and early 1900s, some poultrymen and females. In other words, the color of and the females carry the sex-determining would cross various pure breeds. This the male and female offspring from these gene and one gene for color. This is true in may have started as a curiosity, but a few crosses were linked to the sex of the chick. all avians and is the opposite of what we of these crosses were found to produce And so the “sexlink” chicken was born. see in mammals (and people). faster growth, meatier bodies, or higher Anyone that has wanted to purchase Different color genes are dominant or egg production. only female chicks to grow out to be egg modify other color genes, for example; During the early 1900s, poultry- producers can easily see the advantage the barred color is the result of genes for men supplying chickens for meat found of having chicks with down color being black plus a gene for barring. Since the these crosses advantageous, but popular linked to sex—anyone can distinguish males have two genes for barring and the opinion had already been formed against the males from the females at hatch. But females only one, we can see that in barred chickens that were not purebred. Early the disadvantage comes in that flocks of breeds the males have finer barring than promoters of these crossbred chickens each of the two parent breeds must be the females. When we breed a barred hen knew they needed a new term for their maintained in order to have birds with to a solid color male, her daughters do not poultry to disassociate them from the which to make the cross to produce the receive the barring gene but her sons do derogatory connotations of terms like sexlink chicks. Sexlink crossbred chickens get one dose of barring. As day-old chicks, “mongrel” or “crossbreed.” As they can be mated and will produce offspring, males carrying a barring gene will have noticed some improvement in rate of ma- but color, rate of growth, and egg laying white on their heads while their sisters turity and growth, they stole a term from ability will vary much from one offspring without will be solid black. plant breeding—the term “hybrid.” to another. This means that for those that Breeds with white color or some “Hybrid” chickens could be relied wish to produce their own stock, sexlink white color often carry what we call the upon to grow slightly faster and lay well. chickens offer no advantage. silver gene. This is a dominant or par- They also exhibited that same trait we find when we cross two breeds of almost any animal – vigor, a.k.a. hybrid vigor. Vigor and faster rates of growth were true advantages in meat production, and eventually led to the birth of today’s 4-way cross industrial meat chickens. But for many decades the need to keep and produce breeding stock for two or more pure breeds in order to have stock to produce the “hybrids” was of no advantage to the farmer/ poultryman; cost simply outweighed any advantage. Pure breeds were still the preference for the production of eggs.

Meat Production and Sexlinks Back to meat production for a moment: Probably the most famous cross to produce fast growth and meaty chickens for market was the cross of the Cornish We can see that there are no males in this little flock of Red Sexlinks—their color makes breed to the Plymouth Rock breed. These them all easily identifiable as pullets. Photo courtesy of Isabel McFadden, Tennessee February/March 2013 www.backyardpoultrymag.com 59 tially dominant gene—meaning it only takes one dose to express itself. When a female with the silver gene is crossed to a solid colored male, her sons will be white and her daughters will be the color of their father (though often with white undercolor). Male chicks will hatch with yellow down and females will be like their dad (usually buff or red tinted). When we breed a barred male to solid color females, his daughters get a normal and full dose of barring and his sons get only one gene, or half the normal dose, of barring. If the hen used was black, all the chicks will be barred. If the hen carries the silver gene, then the daughters will be barred and the sons white or white with barring. As chicks, we would see yellow down on Being able to sex birds at birth is one reason for the popularity of sex-link chickens, males and black down with white spots such as the Golden Comet sold by hatcheries. Photo courtesy of Cackle Hatchery. on females. Red Sexlinks, Red Stars, Shaver Brown, Hampshire Red rooster over Barred The Sexlinks Babcock Brown, Bovans Brown, Dekalb Plymouth Rock females. Both sexes So what are the various types, or Brown, Hisex Brown, Black Sexlinks, hatch out black, but the males have a kinds, of sexlink chickens? We can di- Black Stars, Shaver Black, Bovans Black white dot on their heads. Pullets feather vide these as either red sexlinks or black and California Whites. out black with some red in neck feathers. sexlinks. Popular names under which Males feather out with the Barred Rock they are marketed include: Cherry Eg- Common Black Sexlink Crosses pattern along with a few red feathers. gers, Cinnamon Queens, Golden Buff Black sexlinks are the result of Black Sexlinks are often referred to as and Golden Comets, Gold Sexlinks, crossing a Rhode Island Red or New Rock Reds. Common Red Sexlink Crosses Red sexlinks are the result of crossing a Rhode Island Red or New Hampshire Red male over White Plymouth Rock, Rhode Island White, Silver Laced Wy- andotte, or Delaware females. Specific crosses: a New Hampshire male is crossed with White Rocks with the silver factor to produce the Golden Comet. New Hampshire males crossed with Silver Laced Wyandottes gives the Cinnamon Queen. Two other crosses are obtained with Rhode Island Red x Rhode Island White, and Production Red x Delaware. These two crosses are simply called Red Sexlinks. Generally, red sexlink males hatch out white and, depending on the cross, feather out to pure white or with some red or black feathering. Females hatch out buff or red also depending on cross, and they feather out in one of three ways: buff with white or tinted undercolor (such as Golden Comet, Rhode Island Red x Rhode Island White); red with white or Here we see a good example of a Golden Comet pullet (left) and a Partridge Plymouth Rock tinted undercolor (Cinnamon Queen); pullet (right). While this Golden Comet will lay very well, if bred, her offspring are not likely red with red undercolor (Production Red to produce as well as their mother. Photo courtesy of Eugene A. Parker, Pennsylvania x Delaware). 60 Backyard Poultry Other Sexlink Crosses Bovans Goldline chickens are an European sexlink produced by crossing Rhode Island Red males with Light Sus- sex. This cross produces red hens and roosters largely white in color. ISA Browns are another sexlink cross from stocks owned by the multinational poultry corporation ISA—Institut de Se- lection Animale. It is produced by crossing a Rhode Island Red type male with a commercial White Leghorn female. The California Gray was developed around 1943 by famous poultryman Horace Dryden from his family’s lines of production White Leghorns and Barred Plymouth Rocks. He wanted a breed of fowl that would dress out at four pounds—a little larger than a Leghorn— www.CHICKENARM R.com but lay white eggs. Made in the U.S.A.U.S.A. LowLow asas These tough, affordable chicken saddles resist: California Whites are the result of 75¢ crossing a California Gray rooster to a pecking scratches and punctures rain and snow White Leghorn hen. The sire carries the mud and feces and even PREDATORS! barring gene, and gives one barred gene Protects free range or coop chickens and roosters. to sons and one to daughters. The dam Add extra protection with Eye-Spot decals, only 50¢ each. carries the dominant white gene and gives this only to sons. So, in theory, the sons www.CHICKENARMOR.com P.O. Box 1044 Conifer, CO.80433 are white and the daughters are white 10% off with coupon code: BYW2 with black mottling or barred in color. As chicks, the sons’ down color should CHEAP, EFFECTIVE, ENOUGH SAID! be clear yellow on the tops of their heads, the daughters should have black spots on their heads. (Both may have some black spots on bodies, but the males fewer and smaller spots.)

Conclusion While you may have a nice flock of sexlink chickens, producing many wonderful eggs, a breed they are not. You can refer to them as a “kind” or a “type” of chicken and be correct. But they will not breed true and that is the basic meaning of a breed. So be proud of your hens and enjoy the fruits of your labor!

Don Schrider is a nationally recognized poultry breeder and expert. He has written for publications such as Backyard Poultry, Countryside and Small Stock Journal, Mother Earth News, Poultry Press, and the newsletter and poultry re- sources of the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy. He is also the author of a revised edition of Storey’s Guide to Raising Turkeys.

Text © Don Schrider, 2013. All rights reserved. February/March 2013 www.backyardpoultrymag.com 61 From Russia With Love The Russian Orloff As part of American Livestock Breeds Conservancy’s project to document endangered breeds of livestock and poultry, breed profiles are compiled on each so prospective owners have a better understanding of what to expect with each. One of the most unique chicken profiles is that which was put together for ALBC by Don Schrider on the Russian Orloff. The following is an excerpt from this work.

By dOn schrider FOr american livestOck Breeds cOnservancy Because of the tight comb, small wattles and heavy feathering, the Russian Orloff he Russian Orloff is the only distinctly Russian breed of chicken to be found chicken will tolerate cold and foul weather in America. Russian tradition credits Count Orloff – Alexey Grigoryevich well. TOrlov (1737-1808)—with the importation and promotion of this breed of chicken. This is the same famous Count responsible for the Orlov horse breed. Count Orloff is said to have imported the breed from Persia. But there is also some speculation that the European breeds the Bruge, Thuringian, and Ushanki formed the basis or have contributed to the Rus- sian Orloff chicken. The Bruge is a heavy-boned, Malayoid type Game chicken found in Belgium. The Thu- ringian is a bearded chicken breed found in central Germany, light-weight and in size close to that of a Leghorn. The Ushanki is an eastern European landrace of fowl very much like the Russian Orloff chicken in appearance, with the exception of having a single comb. The Ushanki is an ancestor of the Thuringian and it seems quite probable that some Ushanki birds have been, at the least, incorporated into the Russian Orloff chicken breed. The Russian Orloff chicken was not known in England and western Europe until 1899. But clearly the breed arrived in America much before this, being included in the American Poultry Asso- ciation’s standards from the first in 1875 until 1894 when it was removed due to lack of popularity. Famous American poultry author, John Robinson of Reliable Poultry Journal, also remarked that he A Russian Orloff rooster. Birds included in this story are owned by Neal Fildes, had seen the breed as a child in America Ohio and were shown at the American Poultry Association’s meet in Pennsylvania, many decades before 1899. October 2012. Photos by Jeannette Beranger/ALBC The Russian Orloff chicken is tall, with a very thickly feathered neck, 62 Backyard Poultry breeds cannot. Russian Orloffs are indifferent layers of light brown eggs. They are classified as non-broody and are noted to be calm in temperament. They were primarily favored for meat production.

The American Livestock Breeds Conservancy has an extensive library of breed articles and other free educational materials on their website at www.albc- usa.org, or for more informatin see their ad on page 10.

The Russian Orloff chicken is tall, with one of three color varieties now available; spangled (as seen in this excellent cock example), red or white. Other color varieties have nearly disappeared. The Russian Orloff is listed as critical on the ALBC Conservation Priority List.

yellow legs, minuscule wattles and a cushion/strawberry comb. The first APA standard lists the breed as having a rose comb (a.k.a. double comb) without a spike and solid black plumage. This lack of spike is genetically consistent with what we term today as a cushion comb, or another variant, the strawberry comb. Strawberry, cushion, and walnut combs result from the interaction of the dominant genes for rose and for pea shaped combs. The Russian Orloff chicken males should weigh 8.5 pounds and the females 6.5 pounds. The Russian Orloff chicken can be found in three color varieties: Red; White; and Spangled. The once popular Black variety is seldom seen anymore. At least three other color varieties of Rus- sian Orloff have existed: Mottled, Black Breasted Red (Wheaten), and Buff. The British Standard lists four varieties of this breed: Black, Mahogany, Spangled, and White. The chief distinction of the Russian Orloff chicken, besides its looks, is the extreme hardiness of the breed. This is a breed that will tolerate cold and foul weather and survive when other

February/March 2013 www.backyardpoultrymag.com 63 Geese are generally hardy and easy to manage. They are naturally resistant About Geese: A 3-part series to many of the maladies that afflict other poultry. Reginald Appleyard, legendary English waterfowl breeder, describes Part 1: Heavy Geese them as “being amongst the brainiest of all classes of domesticated fowls.” They eat grass and weeds. They are so- ciable with each other and with people. They form a cohesive gaggle—the word technically correct for a group of geese on the ground—as they graze. They are a flock in flight. Domestic geese retain some ability to fly, but they need time to take off and a clear runway. With a happy home and comfortable living conditions, they are unlikely to present any problem by taking to the air. Some geese are territorial, especially during the breeding season, and will sound the alarm when strangers approach. They are effective as watchdogs, because they announce the presence of strangers so noisily. They are protective of the flock. Geese have strong individual personalities. “They will respond to you and have a conversation with you,” said Konecny. “They make great pets even if you don’t tame them down.” Domestic geese retain some wild qualities. Even wild geese tame relatively easily. Wild/domestic hybrids are not uncommon. Domestic geese, like their African geese at Metzer Farms, Gonzales, California. Photos courtesy of John Metzer wild relatives, are seasonal egg layers. unless otherwise noted. Chickens and some ducks have been selectively bred and domesticated to be By Ch r i s t i n e He i n r i c h s Light. This article will focus on the heavy year-round egg layers. Geese have not, Ca l i fo r n i a breeds: Embden, African and Toulouse. although some breeds lay between 20 The other classes will be covered in up- and 40 eggs in a season. eese, long ago domesticated and coming issues. a companion to human agricul- All three heavy breeds have been in Embden Geese ture, are losing ground. Back- the Standard of Excellence since the first These are the big, white farmyard Gyard chickens are popular and easy to one was published in 1874. Big geese geese. Standard weights for adults are 26 keep, but breeding full-size traditional require time and space to succeed. But pounds for males, 20 pounds for females. geese, now raised mainly for exhibition, there’s a market for them and they are They are not as noisy as Africans but not is a different commitment. They require an asset to integrated farms. as quiet as Toulouse. They are excellent lots of time, feed and space to grow and All three heavy goose breeds have meat birds that require three years to mature through their life cycle. separate lines for commercial production reach full maturity. “The decline has subtly grown over and exhibition showing. It’s confusing, “You can see your potential and the years, due to loss of farms, for eco- because they go by the same names. Exhibi- what you will have at Year One,” said nomic reasons and the cost of feed,” said tion birds are larger than commercial ones. Konecny, “but full potential will be James Konecny, experienced waterfowl Exhibition Embdens stand 36 to 40 inches reached in three years. You have to have breeder and president of the International tall, compared with commercial ones at 25 patience. That’s the growing cycle of Waterfowl Breeders Association. “There to 30 inches. Commercial varieties are bred these big birds.” are limited flocks. The numbers have re- for quick growth to table size. They have ally declined.” good fertility and reproduce well. Toulouse Geese The American Poultry Association “Compared to commercial varieties, Historically, this French breed was separates geese into three classes for exhibition geese are just massive,” said raised for its large liver, used in making exhibition purposes: Heavy, Medium and Konecny. foie gras. Today, the exhibition Toulouse 64 Backyard Poultry According to John Metzer, Metzer Farms, “Because of their fast growth rate, large size and white feathers, Embden are the most common goose used for commercial meat production. Their feet and beak are orange but their eyes are a distinct blue. At hatching time you can be quite accurate in sexing the day olds from their coloration as the gray down in the males is lighter than in the females. As adults, however, both sexes are pure white and the only way you can determine the sex is that the males are normally larger, more pompous and proud in their carriage and shriller in their voices (as with other goose breeds).” An Embden gosling. is less desirable as a meat bird because African Geese Goose History of its extra fat. Commercial Toulouse The big brown or white African geese Geese were domesticated as far back are popular for the table, smaller and have a distinctive knob on their head, as 5,000 years ago in Egypt, the natural leaner. The ideal exhibition Toulouse black in the brown variety and orange flyway for waterfowl migrating between is low-slung and heavy bodied, with a in the white, above the top bill. A buff Africa and Eurasia. The migrating flocks dewlap under the chin and a fatty keel variety, with black knob, is being raised included Asia’s Swan goose and Europe’s below its midsection hanging nearly but is not yet recognized for exhibition. Graylag goose, the ancestors of modern to the ground. Because of this lower They stand more upright than other domestic geese, as well as the Egyptian distribution of its body, its legs appear geese, and have long, swan-like necks. goose, technically not a true goose. Egyp- short. Standard weights for exhibition birds are tians netted them as hundreds of thousands The Toulouse was originally an all 22 pounds for old ganders and 18 pounds settled on the Nile on their migration. gray breed but now a buff variety is for old geese. Like the other breeds, com- From catching wild birds to eat, it’s a short recognized and some breeders maintain mercial varieties are smaller, more like step to keeping them in pens, then breed- white flocks. Chinese geese, their cousins in the light ing them and selecting breeding birds for Ganders often weigh as much as 30 classification. African geese are more the qualities most desired. Religiously, the pounds, although the Standard weights likely than the other two heavy breeds to goose was associated with the cosmic egg are 26 pounds for old ganders and 20 be interested in having a relationship with from which all life was hatched. The god pounds for old geese. humans. They are also the most likely to Amun sometimes took the appearance of be good setters. a goose. Geese were also associated with “Even though I don’t spend a lot of Osiris and Isis, as a symbol of love. time with them, they stay pretty tame,” The Romans and Greeks raised geese said Konecny. “Africans stand out as the and honored them. Geese were sacred to friendliest.” Juno, queen of the gods, wife of Jupiter

Above: Exhibition Dewlap Toulouse goose owned by James Konecny. Right: A large commercial Dewlap Toulouse from Metzer Farms, and (far right) Toulouse. Commercial geese are generally much smaller than the Standard of Perfection’s exhibition birds. February/March 2013 www.backyardpoultrymag.com 65 and protector of Rome. White geese lived some geese and the goose was the tradi- in her temples. They are said to have Dewlap in Geese tional holiday bird. Contemporary chefs saved Rome from an attack by the Gauls are re-discovering this favored bird on the around 390 BC by raising the alarm and he dewlap is the feathered fold of table. Current USDA statistics show that awakening the guards. They became Tskin that hangs under the head of American consumers eat an average of less associated with Juno as symbols of mar- African and Standard Toulouse geese. than a third of a pound of goose annually. riage, fidelity and contentment at home. A dewlap is a required breed charac- Commercial geese are produced The Greek goddess of love, Aphrodite, teristic. The strictly cosmetic dewlap mainly in South Dakota and California. was welcomed by the Charities, whose may not appear until a gosling is six Commercial producers have their own chariot was drawn by geese. months old, but it continues to grow varieties that they rely on, the ones sold The 4th century AD Christian Saint throughout the goose’s life. frozen in markets. Martin of Tours is the patron saint of For African geese, the Standard Their down and feathers are also geese, which is traditionally the feast describes it as “large, heavy, smooth; valuable goose products. Goose down centerpiece on his day, November 11. lower edge regularly curved and is the best insulator for clothing and The tale is that he did not want to become extending from lower mandible to comforters. bishop, so he hid in a barn with the geese. below juncture of neck and throat.” They noisily drew attention to him and For Toulouse, it must be “pendulous, Raising Geese well-developed, extending in folds he became bishop of Tours in 372. Char- A breeder needs to keep at least one from base of lower mandible to front lemagne encouraged goose husbandry in family of geese to keep a bloodline intact, of neck.” his empire, 768-814 AD. without experiencing loss of characteris- Celtic myths associated the goose with tics or inbreeding. Generations will live war, and remains of geese are found in 1786. “The Goose Girl” was included in together, but geese prefer to mate in pairs, warriors’ graves. The migrations of geese Grimm’s Fairy Tales in 1815, translated although some are willing to live as trios. suggested their role as messenger of the into English in 1884. Geese should produce and lay and gods to early cultures. They also symbolize As little as a century ago, people in be fertile. “Around here they burn fat off movement and spiritual quest. Their return England kept geese in a half-wild state, because it gets cold,” said Konecny from each year is a reminder to come home. letting their geese forage and live on the his Royal Oaks Farm in Barrington Hills, Mother Goose may have been based river. The geese spent the spring and sum- Illinois. If that weight loss doesn’t happen on a historic person or may be a mythic mer on the village green, then migrated to naturally, reduce feed so that the geese character to embody storytelling. The the River Cam for the winter. In February, enter breeding season fit and trim. goose is a symbol of communication, the owners would call their geese, which “If they go into breeding season with expressing themes of human life in leg- responded to their voices and returned a full keel and haven’t burned some of ends and tales. The first book of Mother home to nest and rear their young. Those that fat off, they will have fertility prob- Goose stories was published in Boston in offspring were a significant contribution lems,” he said. to the villagers’ income. As waterfowl, geese like water but can manage without it. They do better if The Book of Geese Cooking and Eating Goose they have some access to water, even if Goose has fallen out of most cooks’ it’s only a kiddie pool. A Complete Guide to repertoire and few cookbooks even of- “A nice clean tub of water gets them Raising the Home Flock fer advice for cooking it successfully. in the mood and stimulates them to As a cold weather bird, goose carries a mate,” he said. By Da v e Ho l d e r r e a d thick layer of fat under its skin. Their fat Angel wing is a problem that may makes those unfamiliar with them stay result from a diet too rich in protein. “It One of the classics of away, but their meat is not marbled with can happen to any breed of goose,” said waterfowl management. fat, as beef is. The meat is actually quite Konecny. “They are all going to be big This easy-to-read book lean, and all dark meat. The roasting birds and they grow fast.” He reduces with good illustrations protein in the goslings’ diet as soon as and diagrams, takes you process produces prodigious fat, inches from the egg through in- of it in the roasting pan. The fat under blood feathers start coming in, around cubation, gosling stage, the skin acts as a natural basting for four to six weeks of age, by putting them feeding, housing, mating, roasted goose. Goose grease is an unap- out on grass or providing greens in some health and physical problems. It covers all preciated oil that can be used in baking. other way. (See sidebar for more informa- breeds of geese with descriptions of the Collect it from the roasting pan and use tion on angel wing.—Ed.) traits unique to each breed. This really is the it throughout the year. NPR commenta- All geese are grazers and prefer to complete guide to raising the home flock. tor Bonny Wolf calls it “the crème de la move around on pasture. Konecny’s birds 209 pages, $18.95 crème of fat.” have both pasture and woods to roam. “I am not advocating the daily use of Although some commercial growers claim To Place Your Order Call goose fat. I wouldn’t, for example, put success with as little as nine square feet per 1-800-551-5691 it on my morning toast,” she said. “It bird, John Metzer of Metzer Farms in Cali- www.backyardpoultrymag.com would, however, be delicious.” fornia considers that a bare minimum. In the 19th century, every farm raised “I would like to see at least nine 66 Backyard Poultry square feet inside and 30 square feet The IWBA has developed its own crotoxins that geese can tolerate but can outside per bird,” he said. feed formula to supply all the nutri- kill smaller ducks. Konecny has observed that Toulouse tional needs of waterfowl. Breeders The IWBA has arranged for the geese are especially sensitive to a diet were dissatisfied with the formulas of- formula to be produced by Hubbard overly rich in protein. fered on the market, none of which had Feed, making it available in the Midwest “They must process protein a little bit everything waterfowl need. The IWBA and Great Lakes area. Production and differently,” he said. He didn’t have any formula includes fishmeal, important distribution for the rest of the country angel wing in his flocks in 2012. to waterfowl that often include fish in are in the works. IWBA is looking for Commercial meat birds can be al- their wild diet, and probiotics. It’s also other small, regional feed companies to lowed to hatch their own eggs and raise competitively priced to be affordable produce duck and goose feed according their goslings. Exhibition birds are too for both backyard poultry keepers and to their formula. large and heavy. Konecny recommends commercial producers. Distillers grain, The IWBA’s “Winter Bulletin” setting their eggs artificially. a common feed ingredient, harbors mi- has a detailed description of the feed Angel Wing am a Backyard Poultry subscriber and love the information I find in there. I am hoping you can give me some advice. I I rescued my goose, Lefty, from a former tenant of my parents where she was being beaten up by his Toulouse geese. He bought her at a sale and told me she had been a pet, which is obvious in that she loves people. She doesn’t want to be touched, but she loves to be hand-fed clover and grass and she honks to get our attention. Her wing has stuck out since he got her. I have thought all along that it was angel wing. Since she was a pet, I assumed the previous owners weren’t feeding her a proper diet. But two years and a healthy diet later it still looks like this. Does angel wing go away? My biggest question is this: The only time she is comfortable sitting (not on an angle) is when she has molted and all those feathers drop off. So, can that wing be removed? Or should I stop fretting about her and just leave her be? Any advice you can give me on Lefty’s wings will be greatly appreciated! Anna Ulrich

ngel wing does not go away without help, and a mature goose that hasn’t been treated for the condition is beyond help, Asince the wing muscles, tendons, etc, have set long ago. The wing can be removed, but probably should be done by a vet. It needs to be snipped off at the joint and disinfected. The vet might retain some skin to pull over the amputation. The wing feathers might be clipped short, but watch at the next molt to make sure they fall out properly so new feathers can come in (and be snipped). This is info from my forthcoming book, Hatching and Brooding Your Own Chicks: Twisted wing, also called slipped wing or angel wing, is a condition in which one or both wings have one or more twisted feathers. Either the primary feathers overlap in reverse order—over rather than under each other from outer to inner—or, more commonly, the entire last section of the wing flops to the outside, angling away from the body like an airplane wing. This condition may be genetic or may be caused by a dietary imbalance. It is more often seen in waterfowl, particularly geese, than in land fowl and is more common in ganders than in hens. In geese the defor- mity occurs usually when flight feathers grow faster than the underlying wing structure. The heavy feathers pull at the wing, causing the wing to twist outward. When the bird matures, the affected wing remains awk- wardly bent outward instead of gracefully folding against its body. Prevent this condition by avoiding excess protein. Letting young waterfowl graze helps. Once it is noticed, switching from high protein starter to alfalfa pellets will give the wing’s structure a chance to catch up with feather development. Vet wrap securing the last two joints Twisted wing (also called slipped wing of the wing for 4 or 5 days will hold the or angel wing) can happen to one or feathers in proper position to help the wing both wings. Two examples of angel grow in the right direction, but be sure to wing are seen here: Above courtesy remove the vet wrap each night so the bird of Anna Ulrich via email and right by can exercise its wing muscles. Sam F. King, Nebraska. Gail Damerow

February/March 2013 www.backyardpoultrymag.com 67 formula and is available through its Sexing Geese website, http://iwba.org/, or by contacting Chris Ervay at Neuseriverwtrfl@aol. ale and female geese look alike. Telling males from females on the basis com or 919-880-8538. Mof looks alone has resulted in more than one disappointed breeder who “We want everyone who raises eventually learned he had a pair of one sex in the breeding pen. Males are gen- waterfowl to have good feed,” he said. erally larger, louder and have higher voices than females, but the sexes overlap “Most commercial feeds are horrid for in those characteristics and it’s not a sure thing. The only certain way to know our birds.” the sex is by examining the genitals. Vent sexing reveals whether the goose has Feed may be a factor in keeping a male penis or female genital eminence. Dave Holderread describes the proce- heavy geese legs, feet and bills the cor- dure, with accompanying photographs, in his book, The Book of Geese. rect orange color. They should not be Some geese are auto-sexing, which means that males and females are differ- pink, but pink feet and legs and reddish ent colors, so they can easily be distinguished from each other. The Pilgrim, in pink bills have been showing up all the medium class, is the only recognized auto-sexing breed. Shetland geese and around the country. Even Konecny’s Cotton Patch geese are unrecognized auto-sexing breeds. geese have developed pink feet. Metzer attributes it to feed that relies on grains other than corn. Lower levels of xan- thophylls in other grains result in the undesirable pink feet. Some birds may have a genetic tendency toward pink feet, legs and bills, too. “Unless they are getting green grass or alfalfa hay, their bills, feet and egg yolks will lose their orange color over time,” Metzer said. “The underlying color in some geese seems to be pink.” With time and space to grow, good food to eat and a pool to splash in, geese do well in all climates. The United Na- tions, in a Food and Agriculture brochure titled “The Underestimated Species,” calls them “a multipurpose animal,” an “ecological weed control alternative” and “the unbribable watchdog.” Underap- Murray McMurray preciated for the value they can add to integrated farm operations, heavy geese Est. 1917 are losing ground on American farms. “Our large Standard breeds of chickens, ducks and geese are the breeds that are disappearing and are in trouble,” said Konecny. “IWBA is available to help new breeders get started and succeed.”

Learn more about the International Waterfowl Breeders Association from their website, http://iwba.org/ or contact Chris Ervay, 4202 Optimist Farm Rd., Apex, NC 27539; phone: 919-880-8538 or email: [email protected].

Get more information on Metzer Farms from their website, www.metzer- farms.com, or see their ad on page 55.

Christine Heinrichs is the author of How to Raise Chickens and How to Raise Poultry, Voyageur Press, both of which focus on raising traditional breeds in small flocks. See the Backyard Poultry bookstore on page 45.

68 Backyard Poultry February/March 2013 www.backyardpoultrymag.com 69 As general manager, Ms. Robinson Anne Robinson is will take on some of the day-to-day respon- New Metzer sibilities he’s been handling. She’ll take on new projects in managing the breeders and Farms hatchery, such as improving goose fertility, experimenting with artificial insemina- General Manager tion of some breeds of geese, starting a Salmonella Monitoring program based on the NPIP model, performing necropsies By christine heinrichs to develop a baseline, integrating egg pro- caliFOrnia duction, fertility and hatchability records, initiate membership in the California ike chickens, ducks and geese Quality Assurance Plan, and work to meet are growing in popularity. John Metzer Farms’ new general manager Anne the needs of the European Union health LMetzer realized that his Metzer Robinson. requirements so the farm can export there. Farms in Gonzales, California needed to She’ll also work on improving the show add a new position, that of general man- Metzer Farms employs a hatchery quality of Metzer’s birds. ager. After a nationwide search, he found manager and a breeder manager to Anne is a graduate of the University the right person in Anne Robinson. supervise at least eight and as many of California at Davis with a degree in “We are all excited to add Anne to as 16 other employees during the year. Avian Science. While at Davis she our team at Metzer Farms,” Metzer said. As farm owner, he focuses on business worked at the Veterinary School Poultry “With Anne’s assistance, you can expect areas such as increasing sales, looking Pathology Lab and the Cooperative Ex- to see us add more products and services for areas of expansion and monitoring tension Lab. for our valued customers.” potential regulations. After graduation she worked at Nu- Cal Foods, a progressive egg production company in California. Nu-Cal posts real-time video of its production layers online, a step recommended by Temple Grandin as a way to improve humane treatment of livestock and is certified by the American Humane Association’s Humane Heartland program. Robinson continued her education studying business at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. At this point she also gained experience with Grimaud Farms, a Muscovy duck grower and processor. Ms. Robinson started exhibiting poultry as a 4-H member and served as one of California’s representatives for the Na- tional 4-H Poultry and Egg Conference. At Davis, she was the Avian Science Club Young breeder Embden geese on Metzer Farms’ Gonzales, California location. President and was the Educational Hatch- ery Exhibit Coordinator at the California Below: Metzer Farms employs managers for the hatchery and the breeders. State Fair for several years. She presented Catching young Embden goose breeders is part of the job. three different papers at the Poultry Sci- ence Association Conference in Auburn, Alabama and the Pacific Egg and Poultry Association annual meetings. She continues to volunteer her time as an egg judge and poultry health inspector at fairs throughout California. Away from the poultry barn, she plays her fiddle in Scottish Fiddler concerts and is a member of The Ninety Nines International Organization of Women Pilots and the California Alpine Club. “Where else can you work with 25 breeds of ducks and geese and get paid?!” said Metzer. 70 Backyard Poultry O M EST ILL

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February/March 2013 www.backyardpoultrymag.com 71 a lOve OF the hOBBy: As a child Jackie remembers the stories of her father growing up on a chicken farm in California. During a winter storm, the farm lost power. That night, due to the Like Mother, Like Daughter extreme cold, her father, who was still a A Father’s Memory Sparked This Family Hobby child, slept with 200 baby chicks in his bedroom to keep them warm. The devo- tion toward these fragile chicks and the sweet sound of peeping—that ultimately kept him up all night—spun imagination in Jackie. Her father’s childhood memory was the spark that led to her next hobby. The transition from dogs to chickens seemed like a perfect fit. Jackie is the kind of mom who encour- ages her children to seek out hobbies. She knows the benefits of having a hobby: creating discipline, reducing stress levels, broadening social lives, just to name a few. Her daughter, Vanessa, got her first chickens at the young age of seven: a pair of Buff Brahma bantams. The birds called the playhouse in the backyard their home. The second round of chickens were a gift from Santa, an assortment of breeds that she dressed up as dolls, taking them on sled rides and on rides in the basket of her bike. The very next year Vanessa showed chickens in the junior poultry show at the Sussex County Poultry Fanciers Annual Fall Show in Augusta, New Jersey. Im- mediately she began to win; apparently Jackie and Vanessa stand in front of the “retirement” home, a coop based on the architecture of Jackie’s own home. It was originally built for Daisy, a Rhode Island inheriting natural instincts from her mom. Red hen that became part of the family. As she aged, hanging out in the same coops as Both mom and daughter were showing the younger chickens made her anxious. Because she had been so special to the family, the same breed at the same shows, so it Jackie decided that she deserved to live in a mansion, so they built what has to be the made sense to combine their efforts and most exquisite chicken house around. to show together.

By tamara staPles new yOrk

ackie and Vanessa Koedatich are mother and daughter. Together they Jhave been breeding and showing chickens since 2000, proving that a family that plays together stays together. In a beautiful rural community outside of Springfield, Massachusetts, the Koe- datichs live on several acres. Near their home sit four coops, a large barn and a “retirement home” for the aged Champi- onship Row chickens. Jackie grew up in a family that raised and showed German Shepherd and Lhasa Apso dogs. The hard work of grooming and traveling paid off as she proved early on that she had an eye for award-winning animals. She continued to show dogs until she was 25 and then went on to make a successful career as a dog groomer. The rest of the 60-100 birds—the flock size varies throughout the year—are housed here. 72 Backyard Poultry The common denominator of these birds, and a little known fact, is that they are all wonderful layers. Jackie explains how the casual chicken person is only familiar with the handful of chickens that have a reputation for being good layers: Rhode Island Reds, Orpingtons, Araucanas, or Plymouth Rocks. But in fact, there are many other birds that are able to produce the same quality and abundance of eggs. Depending on the time of year, they have between 60 and 100 birds. I asked Jackie to share some of her regular chicken chores with us. The daily chores include providing fresh water and feed. Every other week she takes an entire day to clean her coops. She prefers to use pine shavings as opposed to hay because it’s easier to clean, keeps bugs at bay and is easier on feathered feet. Shavings get swept out; the building gets a thorough vacuum and dusting from walls to wire. She scatters the pesticide, Sevin Dust, on the floor before the shavings go back down. Every other month she sprays her birds with Adams Tick and Flea to prevent mites or ticks. In the winter she The Brahma chicken is admired for its size, hardiness, and docile personality. Jackie and uses heated dog bowls to provide fresh Vanessa Koedatich chose to raise bantam Brahmas for their beauty and intelligence. water.

Choosing a Breed high stance, short back sweeping up to When deciding which birds they a fairly high and amply spread tail, the New from wanted to breed, Jackie and Vanessa had Brahma bantam appears elegantly arched. two criteria: beauty and intelligence. To The head is on the small side but the find this bird, Vanessa and Jackie spent a neck appears thick and short due to the good deal of time going to county fairs profuse feathering. They appear to have in search of the perfect chicken. When “eyebrows” because the broad skull, they came upon the bantam Brahmas, which protrudes over their eye, called a they were both struck by the beauty of beetle brow, and gives them what some this bird and also noticed that the birds people might say is a fashionable edge. seemed to be paying attention when They do, however, have the propensity spoken to. This was the winning com- to become fat, therefore one must ra- bination they sought, and they’ve never tion their food. The feathered feet need looked back. careful consideration in housing, such as soft bedding and roofed runs to avoid The Brahma Bantam excessive mud, especially for exhibition Easy to The Brahma bantam originated in the poultry. Because of their large size, they disassemble and clean – United Kingdom around 1870 just after are not inclined to fly and the cocks are helps combat the large fowl Brahmas were introduced not at all aggressive. red mite in England. Originating from India, these Although their first love is the Buff birds are calm and friendly, have a great Bramha bantam, the Koedatichs have Clifton Coops are the answer to hygienic, tolerance for cold, and are great setters other birds as well: the Speckled Sus- durable and attractive henhouses… and mothers. sex bantam for their extreme curios- …without breaking the bank. Much like the larger version, Buff ity and amiable personality; the New bantams are true giants. They have a Hampshire bantam for their colors and For more information visit formidable body mass accentuated by sturdiness: and the Black Australorp www.brinsea.com/cliftoncoops its full and abundant plumage. Sturdy large fowl for sweet disposition and or call 1-888-667-7009 what Jackie calls “the most beautiful and broad are the characteristics that Brinsea Products Inc. 704 N. Dixie Avenue, Titusville, FL 32796, USA best describe this bird. With a medium face of any chicken.” February/March 2013 www.backyardpoultrymag.com 73 Right: The Brahma, including the roosters, is considered one of the most docile chicken breeds, making it a good option for families with younger children. This is the Koedatich’s bantam Buff variety used for exhibition.

A Retirement Home for Chickens I photographed Jackie and Vanessa standing in front of what Jackie calls a “retirement” home. I was curious to know Jackie’s inspiration for building such an extravagant coop. It turned out to be a special Rhode Island Red. Daisy was one of those pets that became part of the family. She endeared herself to every family member by following them around, busily chatting, sitting on their laps, and even coming when called. As Daisy got older, hanging out in the same coops as the younger chickens made her anxious. She now required a different type of care and because she had been so special to the family, Jackie decided that she deserved to live in a mansion. Based on the architecture of Jackie’s own home, they built what has to be the most exquisite chicken house around. Brahmas: The Majestic Ones ccording to the American Brahma Club, the large fowl (LF) Brahma was admitted to the American Poultry Association’s A(APA) Standard of Perfection in 1874. This included only the Light and Dark varieties. The Buff variety was admitted in1924. The Dark Brahma bantam was admitted in 1895, the Light bantam in 1898, and the Buff bantam in 1946. While the APA only recognizes three large fowl varieties, the American Bantam Association’s (ABA) Standard recognizes five varieties of the bantam Brahma: Dark, Light, Buff, Black, and White. The Standard’s shape and color description of Brahmas are basically the same for both LF and bantams. The Brahma LF is a large bird, with standard weights at 12 lbs. in cocks, 9-1/2 lbs. in hens, 10 lbs. in cockerels and 8 lbs. in pullets. The Dark and Buff varieties are generally not as heavy; often weighing one pound less. Important breed characteristics are a small pea comb, a short strong beak, small wattles, a wide head and skull, creating heavy eyebrows called a “beetle brow.” Skin color should be yellow. Plumage should be profuse and smooth fitting. They also have well-feathered shanks and toes.

Behavior and Personality The Brahma is a large, stately, and extremely docile bird, making them easy to handle and a favorite in the showroom. They are trusting birds and easy to tame. They also make a fantastic pet for the small flock owner and children because of their easygoing and calm dispositions. They are tolerant towards other breeds so can be kept together with other varieties without any problems and can even be submissive toward others, despite their size. Even cocks will tolerate each other. They make very little noise and even the cockerels do not crow particularly loudly. It takes the LF Brahma about two years to reach full maturity and size. Pullets don’t start to lay until they are six or seven months old and will continue laying throughout the winter, unlike some other pure breeds. They are layers of small, brown eggs. Brahmas make good broodies because of their broad bodies and a full breast and can therefore cover quite a few eggs. The chicks usually hatch strong and grow quickly.

From “Brahmas: The Majestic Ones,” August/September 2008 issue of Backyard Poultry, or available at the Backyard Poultry website’s online library, www.backyardpoultrymag.com. To find out more about the American Brahma Club, please visit the club website, http://theamericanbrahmaclub.org/ or contact Candy Prince, Sec./Treasurer: [email protected]; 213-920-7837.

74 Backyard Poultry Have You Hugged Your CHICKEN Today? Front:

With top-quality birds and an admitted NEW Hot Pink Only available in women’s style competitive streak, it is easy to see how Jackie and Vanessa have collected many top show honors. Tell the world how you really feel... Back: with a High-Quality, What happens inside the house is Backyard Poultry T-shirt. equally as fascinating. One can learn quite a bit from observing the relation- Available in two styles. ships the chickens construct. They have an innate sense of “us” and “we,” just ORDER YOURS TODAY! like humans. The same breeds find companionship with each other, even the same color of the same breed seeking out Backyard Poultry T-Shirt Order Form its equal. But just like any community, All T-shirts are $14.00 each. Please specify size(s) and color(s). there is a pecking order and in the end, they take care of each other no matter Youth size 14-16 (Red or Blue) Color______Quantity _____ $ the breed. Adult size medium (Red or Blue) Color______Quantity _____ $ Jackie admits that she is competitive Adult size large (Red or Blue) Color______Quantity _____ $ when it comes to showing her birds. Adult size XL (Red or Blue) Color______Quantity _____ $ Adult size 2XL (Red or Blue) Color______Quantity _____ Like most people, she likes to win, $ Adult size 3XL (Red or Blue) Color______Quantity _____ $ but her favorite part of raising poultry Women’s cut size medium is taking care of the birds. She spends (Red, Blue or Pink) Color______Quantity _____ $ hours watching the birds interact with Women’s cut size large each other and sees beauty in everything (Red, Blue or Pink) Color______Quantity _____ $ they do. Women’s cut size XL (Red, Blue or Pink) Color______Quantity _____ $ Jackie works as an office manager Women’s cut size 2XL where her hours are flexible; affording (Red, Blue or Pink) Color______Quantity _____ $ her the ability to take days off when traveling for a poultry show. Jackie is Order total $______an ABA (American Bantam Associa- S&H $4 first item, $1 each add’l item $______tion) judge. She is also an avid runner Only $14 each Subtotal $______and enjoys interior design. Vanessa is a WI residents add 5.5% sales tax $______registered nurse working in a dementia/ Total enclosed $______alzheimer’s unit. Name: ______Tamara Staples is the author of The Address: ______Fairest Fowl: Portraits of Championship City:______State:______Zip:______Chickens, published in 2001. Her second m m book of chicken portraits, The Mag- Check Enclosed Charge my credit card: nificent Chicken: Portraits of the Fairest Visa/MC/AmEx/Disc No.:______Exp.:______Fowl will be published in the spring of Email:______Phone:______2013 (Chronicle Books). Tamara is a commercial photogra- Mail to: Backyard Poultry pher who lives and works in New York 145 Industrial Drive, Medford, WI 54451 City. Visit www.tamarastaples.wordpress. www.backyardpoultrymag.com com or www.tamarastaples.com. or call Toll-Free: 800-551-5691 or Fax: 715-785-7414 February/March 2013 www.backyardpoultrymag.com 75 reciPes: Sweeten Spring with a Trio of Cookies Featuring Eggs

By Janice cOle Egg Whites at ThreeSwinginChicks.com. Chicken minnesOta Egg whites are two-thirds of the egg, and Egg: A Memoir of Suburban Home- but most of it is in the form of water with steading with 125 Recipes is available ow that the days are lengthening 10% protein and only trace amounts of from the Backyard Poultry bookstore, and my three girls are starting to minerals and fats. Egg whites help set see page 45. lay again, I’m baking some of baked goods and are also prized for their myN favorite spring cookies. The baking drying abilities as well as their leavening Hen and Chick has led me to further explore the role of power. While egg whites are rarely used eggs with a focus on cookies. as leavening in cookies, they do provide Lemon Cookies While the ingredients, baking tem- an excellent path to crisp, crunchy, deli- These cutout cookies bake up tender perature and baking time all combine to cate cookies. Egg whites can be added and delicate because of the egg yolks, but create the ultimate cookie, I find eggs are to whole egg cookie recipes for added the dough is still easy to work with while always at the center of the discussion. crispness or they can be used alone to rolling and cutting into your favorite Eggs not only provide color, flavor and create such classics as macaroons and shapes. If the dough begins to stick at texture, they are also one of the main meringues. The Polka Dot Meringues any stage, refrigerate until chilled before components that hold cookies together. are an example of the crisp snappy cook- continuing. Eggs, along with flour, provide the struc- ies created from egg whites. ture for the cookie by adding water, 4 cups all-purpose flour protein and fat. Too small a proportion Whole Eggs 2 teaspoons baking powder of eggs will definitely cause the cookie Using whole eggs in cookies gives 1/2 teaspoon baking soda to crumble. you the best of both worlds. The egg 1/2 teaspoon salt To analyze the properties of eggs, it’s whites help set the cookies and create 1-1/3 cup sugar easiest to think of them as three separate a crisp surface, while the yolks create 1 cup unsalted butter, softened 1-1/2 tablespoons slightly packed lemon ingredients: egg yolks, egg whites and moist interiors prized by connoisseurs zest whole eggs. To highlight each of these of puffy soft cookies. Chewy Chocolate 4 egg yolks ingredients, I’ve developed three reci- Brownie Cookies showcase the effect of 1/2 cup sour cream pes that demonstrate the different roles whole eggs with their crisp outer crust 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice eggs play. and chewy soft center. Royal Icing (see recipe below)

Egg Yolks Janice Cole is the author of Chicken Whisk flour, baking powder, baking Egg yolks are only one-third of the and Egg: A Memoir of Suburban Home- soda and salt in medium bowl. Beat sugar, entire egg but they contain 50% of the steading with 125 Recipes (Chronicle butter and lemon zest at medium speed 2 water, 35% of the fats and about 15% Books, 2011). For recipes and more in- minutes or until light and fluffy. Beat in of the protein. While they do contain a formation about her flock, visit her blog egg yolks one at a time just until blended. majority of the calories, they also Beat in sour cream and lemon juice. At contribute most of the vitamin A, thia- low speed slowly beat in flour mixture mine and iron to the egg. Egg yolks just until blended. have natural emulsifiers that add Divide dough in thirds; shape into moisture and silky texture to cookies flat rounds. Cover with plastic wrap and cakes. The natural color of the and refrigerate 2 hours or overnight yolk adds golden color to cookies until well-chilled. while the carotenoids also contrib- Heat oven to 350ºF. Working with ute to browning during baking. Egg one dough round at a time, roll to yolks create soft tender dough with a 1/8-inch thickness. Cut into desired delicate sandy texture that’s perfect shapes; place on parchment paper- for all-butter sugar cookies. The Hen lined baking sheets. Re-roll dough and Chick Lemon Cookies are an scraps as necessary. example of the tender melt-in-your Egg yolks make the cookies tender while egg Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until light mouth texture of egg yolk cookies. whites make the frosting firm and shiny. brown on edges. Cool completely on 76 Backyard Poultry wire rack. Frost with Royal Icing or your favorite icing. Makes about 6 dozen cookies

Royal Icing This egg white-powdered sugar frosting has been a favorite of bakers for years and has recently become very popular with home cookie decorators. It’s easy to work with and produces a hard shiny Freedom Ranger surface that protects the cookie and allows for intricate designs. Color Chicks

2 egg whites* Gel paste food coloring works the best 4 cups powdered sugar when coloring egg white cookies including 1 to 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice the Polka Dot Meringues. Food coloring ~ Freedom Rangers~ are specially suited for full Whisk egg whites in large bowl until extract or flavoring, vanilla extract or pasturing, free frothy. Slowly whisk in powdered sugar peppermint extract range, organic until frosting falls from whisk into a Paste food coloring* certified, slowly dissolving ribbon on the surface backyard, etc. of the frosting. (This will be thick enough Heat oven to 250ºF. Whisk powdered to pipe a border around the cookie.) sugar, flour and cornstarch in small To order Freedom Rangers, call Color frosting as desired with paste food bowl until combined. Beat egg whites at Kendall at 717-336-4878 or visit coloring. medium speed until foamy. Add cream www.freedomrangerhatchery.com Using a pastry bag with a #2 or #3 of tartar; beat at medium-high speed Guineas are fast grow- plain tip, or a resealable plastic bag with until soft peaks form. With the mixer ing, suitable for a small hole cut in the corner, pipe an running, slowly beat in sugar, beating backyard growers who outline around the outside of the cookie. until stiff peaks form. Beat in powdered want to control ticks Let frosting stand until dry and firm. sugar mixture; continue beating until firm and for those who Add enough lemon juice to the frost- glossy peaks form. would want to use them ing to provide a slightly thinner frosting. Divide egg white mixture into four as a meat bird. Using a larger tip, pipe or spread the bowls; add food coloring for desired col- frosting around the cookie, allowing the ors. Using pastry bags and 1/2-inch plain frosting to flow within the piped outline. tips or resealable plastic bags with 1/2- Let stand until dry. Pipe on any additional inch corner cut off, pipe 1-inch rounds on features or decorations. parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Bake 30 minutes; rotate baking pans *Pasteurized egg whites or powdered in oven. Continue baking 30 minutes or egg whites may be substituted for the raw until meringues are crisp and dry. Turn egg whites in this recipe. off oven; let meringues stand in oven 1 hour to continue to dry. Remove from The muscovy is fast growing and a oven; cool completely. Store in airtight great range duck with a lean meat that is Polka Dot container. desired by many resturants. Meringues To order Muscovy ducklings call *Paste food coloring can be found in Stephen at 717-445-6255. These ethereal egg white puffs are stores that carry cake decorating or craft like biting into crisp sweet air. Serve supplies. Call or visit us online. them in a clear round bowl or, for added Makes 3 to 4 dozen meringues decadence, sandwich them together with lemon curd, Nutella or dark chocolate J.M. Hatchery frosting. Chewy-Chocolate 178 Lowry Road New Holland, PA 17557 1/4 cup powdered sugar Brownie Cookies 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour Whole eggs contribute to the success 717-354-5950 1 tablespoon cornstarch 3 egg whites of these cookies. The whites combine www.jmhatchery.com 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar with sugar to produce the crisp shiny 3/4 cup sugar surface while the yolks keep the center 1/4 teaspoon almond extract, raspberry moist, creamy and luscious. The cookies February/March 2013 www.backyardpoultrymag.com 77 will be soft when first removed from the oven but will firm during cooling. For a less sweet cookie, use dark bittersweet chocolate and bittersweet chips.

8 oz. semisweet chocolate, chopped 1/4 cup unsalted butter, cut up 3/4 cup all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt 3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar 2 eggs 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1 (12-oz.) pkg. semisweet chocolate chips “Creating smiles, one chick at a time” 1 cup coarsely chopped pecans, toasted

Foy’s Electronic Door Keeper 75 CHICKEN BREEDS This automatic control device can be used wherever a vertical sliding gate is to be opened and closed to respond to light conditions at Also available: dawn and dusk. Using one of our timers, it is not only possible to open and close the sliding gate Turkeys Guineas Swan according to the time setting, but it is also easy to set a maximum for America’s Oldest Bird Supply Company! Ostrich the closing time. Ducks Pheasant #2100 Doorkeeper (outside installation) $189.95 #2101 Doorkeeper Geese Quail (for installation which includes outside light sensor and cord) $211.95 #2102 Timer $83.95 #2103 Metal Sliding Door (9" w by 13" h) $26.95 #2104 Metal Sliding Door (12" w by 15" h) $29.95 #2105 Metal Sliding Door (13" w by 20" h) $42.95 Farwest Hatchery, LLC 724.843.6889 | www.foyspetsupplies.com These are the ultimate chocolate-lover’s P.O. Box 856 cookies. For soft chocolate centers, serve them slightly warm. Aurora Oregon 97002 503-266-2566 Heat oven to 350ºF. Combine chopped Phone: chocolate and butter in medium heatproof Fax: 877-678-1649 bowl set over saucepan of simmering water (bowl should not touch water). [email protected] Let stand until chocolate and butter are almost melted, stirring occasionally. Office Hours 8:00 - 5:00 PST Remove bowl from heat; let stand until chocolate and butter are melted, stirring Monday through Saturday frequently. Cool 10 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk flour, baking powder and salt in small bowl. Beat brown sugar, eggs and vanilla in large bowl at medium speed 2 minutes or √ Small Orders Welcome (3 chick min.) √ Nationwide Shipping until the mixture is light and blended. √ Sexing Accuracy Guaranteed to 90% √ Color Catalog Available At low speed, beat in the flour mixture. Stir in the chocolate chips and pecans. √ 100% Live Delivery Guaranteed √ Gift Certificates (If dough is very soft, refrigerate until slightly firm.) √ Marek’s vaccination included at no additional cost Drop 2 tablespoons per cookie onto parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Bake 9 minutes or until the tops are shiny and cracked (centers will be soft). www.FarwestHatchery.com Cool cookies on baking sheet 3 minutes on wire rack; remove cookies, cool United States Featuring dark brown egg layers: completely. Avian Influenza Makes about 3 dozen cookies Pullorum Black Copper Maran, Cuckoo Maran, Barnevelder, Welsummer Typhoid 78 Backyard Poultry Clean National Poultry Improvement Plan, NPIP Member #OR-312 “Creating smiles, one chick at a time”

75 CHICKEN BREEDS Also available: Turkeys Guineas Swan Ducks Pheasant Ostrich

Geese Quail

Farwest Hatchery, LLC P.O. Box 856 Aurora Oregon 97002

Phone: 503-266-2566 Fax: 877-678-1649 [email protected]

Office Hours 8:00 - 5:00 PST Monday through Saturday

√ Small Orders Welcome (3 chick min.) √ Nationwide Shipping √ Sexing Accuracy Guaranteed to 90% √ Color Catalog Available √ 100% Live Delivery Guaranteed √ Gift Certificates √ Marek’s vaccination included at no additional cost www.FarwestHatchery.com

United States Featuring dark brown egg layers: Avian Influenza Pullorum Black Copper Maran, Cuckoo Maran, Barnevelder, Welsummer Typhoid www.backyardpoultrymag.com 79 February/MarchClean 2013 National Poultry Improvement Plan, NPIP Member #OR-312 Yo u r Fl o c k : Amelia’s Flock

By Am e l i a Re y n o l d s Ma r y l a n d

live in Maryland and have a small flock of seven hens and one rooster. I I am eight years old and I love my chickens!

Louis Vuitton is my giant but gentle rooster. He is very generous to his ladies, always letting them eat first. Here is Ziggie enforcing the rules.

Lady Gaga is timid, but is a very good egg producer.

I often give my birds treats, here I am feeding mealworms. When it comes to mealworms, everyone becomes brave. Nancy Drew is one of my two Brown Leghorns. She recently started laying beautiful white eggs and has a habit of flying the coop temporarily to forage. Missie, one of my two Brown Leg- horns, is very friendly and also a wonderful egg producer.

Sushi, a Rhode Island Red, is quite shy Me, holding Ziggie (my only Rub was a “leftover” chick, along and once kept a secret lair of eggs. When Ameraucana) and Taylor Swift (a with Taylor Swift and Sushi, at my local I discovered it, I collected more than 20 Brahma) Taylor is a very tame and feed store that needed a home. eggs! lovable. 80 Backyard Poultry Atty’s 4-H Poultry Flock

By At t y Ba i l e y Io w a

My stunning Partridge Brahma cock Edmund, loves being the center of attention! He is definitely a gentle giant and won’t mind in the least if you pick him up and hold him. He was a big showoff at the Elizabeth is a beautiful and calm Par- county fair where he loved to crow and tridge Brahma hen. She loves to forage wake all the animals up each morning! for bugs out in our yard with our laying flock. Elizabeth also enjoys dust bathing in the bare ground she finds around our farm.

Sweet Little Betty the Barred Rock was out for an evening stroll when I took this photo. She is so docile and it’s very easy to show her. She loves her green veggies and will eat everything that comes out of my garden.

This is my gorgeous Blue Laced Red 8CHICKS/EGGS Wyandotte, Willa. I just love the beauti- MINIMUM ORDER ful blue coloring that laces each feather! Willa is super sweet and docile and it is a lot of fun showing her at the county fair. Ringneck Pheasant I would love to hatch Blue Laced Red and Chukar Partridge Wyandottes next spring. Chicks & Eggs Hatching several thousand chicks each Monday April through July. To share a one-page pictoral of your family’s flock— using lots of photos and a brief OAKWOOD explanation of each photo— GAME FARM

mail your flock page to: FOLLOW US ON FACE BOOK www.facebook.com/oakwoodgamefarm Patrick the Partridge Wyandotte is the Backyard Poultry, most regal of all the chickens that I own. 145 Industrial Dr., www.oakwoodgamefarm.com He loves to show off for the camera and will perform the funniest poses on film. Medford,WI 54451 1.800.328.6647 Patrick enjoys the water and loves to get or email to [email protected]— Ed. PO Box 274 • Princeton MN 55371 a before-the-show bath. February/March 2013 www.backyardpoultrymag.com 81 Ju s t fo r Fu n : Hen Provides Therapy for Seniors

By Gi n a He n s o n , He n s o n Fa m i l y Fa r m , Fl o r i d a

ife can send us in many directions. My road map has brought me to many Ltreasured places and has provided wonderful life long memories for me. I am the proud owner of an 11-month- old, most extraordinary hen that is one of my 53 laying hens that are pasture raised. “Miss Red” rides in a car eagerly and looks out the window and knows that she is on her way to visit with seniors. She Prestige Manor III Nursing Home sits in a cage with fabric attached so she Activities Director Ruth Beauplam, Gina Henson and Miss Red. can get a grip if she needs too. She even banks on familiar corners. One day in September of 2012, I was driving by The Prestige Manor III nursing “Having ‘Miss Red’ visit our residents home. I stopped, gave pause, and then has been a true joy. She sure can rang the doorbell. I was surely going out put smiles on their faces and she has on a limb. Would they want a chicken to gotten some of our residents talking Miss Red gets ready for the ride to the about their past memories.” visit? I knew Miss Red was special, but nursing home where she entertains the would they? resident. Prior to a visit, Gina Henson — Ruth Beauplam, Activities I asked Activities Director Ruth Beau- bathes her, cleans her feet and files her Director, Prestige Manor III plam, “Do you ever have animals visit nails—important so that Miss Red doesn’t your residents?” cut the residents delicate skin. “Do you have a dog?” she replied. She walks on a leash and goes to “No, I have a chicken and she wears for this type of challenge. A chicken can a nursing home wearing her brightly- Raising them right means a diaper.” flap its wings and scare anyone easily at colored homemade diapers that I make. We both laughed, and the fun began! any moment they choose to. Fortunately She sits on laps and snuggles, and even It certainly takes a willingness to be up she has never done that. naps while being patted. With so many FEEDING THEM WELL. fragile seniors, she seemingly senses the ones who need the most attention. Miss Red seems to sense that she comforts them as well, and settles in to be held and even clicks her beak as if to When it comes to good nutrition, you don’t cut corners. That’s why NatureWise® poultry feeds provide the right balance say, “I like you too.” of nutrients in every bag. NatureWise® poultry feed is the natural way to support the immune system and overall health of your I look forward to my weekly visits birds. No added animal byproducts, no need for supplements – just fresh, wholesome ingredients for naturally good eggs. and know I am making someone’s day Learn more at NutrenaNatureWise.com. brighter. Talking to a chicken is fun, but listening to the stories that they share with Miss Red is tremendous. Some even hum songs or whisper in her ear. You would be surprised the things they share with her. I hope some day someone brings a chicken to me for a visit when it’s my time.

Prestige Manor III resident Dorothy kisses A special thank you to my loving Miss Red. Residents obviously enjoy her husband who just shakes his head as I visits, as some folks hug her, hum songs and even whisper in her ear. walk around the yard talking to Miss Red and my other 53 chickens. 82 Backyard Poultry ©2012 Cargill, Incorporated. All Rights Reserved.

CAN120038_NW_PG4C_Aug_BackyardPoultry 1 6/13/12 5:18 PM

When it comes to good nutrition, you don’t cut corners. That’s why NatureWise® poultry feeds provide the right balance of nutrients in every bag. NatureWise® poultry feed is the natural way to support the immune system and overall health of your birds. No added animal byproducts, no need for supplements – just fresh, wholesome ingredients for naturally good eggs. Learn more at NutrenaNatureWise.com.

CAN120038_NW_PG4C_Aug_BackyardPoultry 1 6/13/12 5:18 PM

NATUREWISE BACK- JOB # CAN120038 DATE 6.13.12 INITIALS DATE CLIENT CARGILL YARD POULTRY AD CD Mark H. HEADLINE Raising them right .... AD/DS Anthony L. LIVE 7" x 10" CW Steve K. TRIM 8.25" x 10.875" 3 BLEED 8.75" x 11.25 AM Caitie P. MEDIA MAGAZINE PM Dianne Y. COLOR CMYK STAGE: KEYLINE REVIEW C MYK yOuth: I called after her, “You need your dose of rocks or you’ll have indigestion!” “I don’t care,” called the prissy Florrissa, “I might chip my beak. I don’t want to be mistaken for an Isa Brown. Remove yourself, hen of a peasant!” she sneered. The next day, Florrissa could be seen shuffling into the coop. Florrissa hunched herself up under the roost. A few minutes later, she tried to stand, but groaned and fell back. Florrissa’s feathers were rumpled and her waddles anemic. Suddenly, I heard a shrill scream. “Gertrude McCluck, please help!” I scampered over, “What’s wrong, Florrissa?” “My stomach has been in knots since the fair,” she grimaced. “Remember our conversation about Hello, Poultry Pals! grit,” I sympathized. It’s been rather quiet in the coop since the New Year’s Fowl Ball. The “Yes,” she admitted shamefully. biggest excitement occurs when the heat lamp lights up. Those old biddies “You need grit.” move quickly when a prime spot on the roosting bar is at stake! Once every- “But Annabelle told me…” one settles into a spot the clucking turns to talk of incubating and new chicks, “I know Annabelle’s mother,” I counting egg money or hatching plans to remodel the coop. (I think a balcony interrupted. “She was born in a hatch- would be nice.) Wherever your poultry dreams take you this winter, ery in Ohio, not in a German castle.” enjoy the ride. Florrissa was stunned. Keep your wattles warm, Gertrude McCluck, C.I.C. “There’s a place in every hen’s body called a gizzard.” I explained, “It requires grit to grind seeds small enough 2nd Place—Age 7-10: for digestion.” “Well, Gertrude McCluck, if all Prudent, Not Pompous chickens have gizzards, I’d rather be prudent than pompous! I’m off to the By: Ivy Stoller, Michigan pebble pile.”

t was a balmy day in late August. I Annabelle’s been giving Florrissa beauty watched the family minivan pull in from tips and regaling her with stories that Mil- theI county fair. Out hurried the ten-year-old lie Fleurs are Belgium nobility.” of the family with a huge grin on her face “I see,” I replied quietly. Because of and a second place rosette ribbon on her Annabelle, Florrissa has been deceived belt. A cage was popped out of the trunk into thinking the rest of us are flea rid- and Florrissa, the Millie Fleur, and Lily, den paupers. the Cochin bantam, were gently lifted out. Two days later, Florrissa was still I ambled over to Florrissa and gave her a keeping to herself. I watched her preen friendly pat on the back. “Welcome home. herself in the shade. She seemed to How was the fair?” I asked. be holding her stomach as if in pain. Florrissa flounced up her feathers A few hens cautiously ventured up to and declared, “Why are you so casual to Florrissa. I joined them and stated, such a great Millie Fleur as I?” Then she “You’re welcome to attend our daily visit delicately pranced away with her head to the mound of pebbles.” held high. Throwing her head in the air she glared Bewildered, I strolled over to Lily and at us. Then, pronouncing her words with asked, “What’s wrong with Florrissa?” a fake European accent, she articulated, Lily sighed, “Gertrude, she’s been “Royal Millie Fleurs don’t grind grit, conversing with a Millie Fleur called An- Gertrude McCluck! I’ll never again eat nabelle in the cage next to her. Annabelle grit! I’m genteel!” Then she tipped her won first place. For the last two days beak in the air and strutted away. 84 Backyard Poultry highly developed brain working at full 2nd Place— capacity. Age 11-14: “I see. Well, this is quite a development. If you would kindly show me the crime scene, Ms? Excuse me, but I didn’t The Case of catch your name.” “Ivy Pennyfeather, ma’am.” the Mystery “Alright Ms. Pennyfeather, show me the place where this attack occurred.” Marauder She led me down the dark lane. By the time we reached Ms. Pennyfeather’s By: Alexandra Stenseng, coop I was quite damp. We ascended the Minnesota ladder leading up to the coop and were met by a great squawking. A handsome t was a cold and misty night as I set- The visitor was a Brahma pullet of Barnevelder cock came wading through tled down on my cozy roost, glad for the dark color variety. She appeared quite the crowd. theI heat lamp over my head. petrified, and stood frozen in the light “Captain Cleanshank at your service Suddenly there was a furious knock- of the lamp for nearly a minute before I ma’am. So glad you could come. I have ing on the coop door. could get any sense out of her. some footprints you may want to see.” I flapped down to answer it, wonder- “I’m from the farm down the road! I followed the Captain with Ms. Pen- ing who could be out in weather such as Oh it’s terrible! There’s been an attack, nyfeather trailing nervously behind. this. My feathers tingled. I could feel a don’t know who did it, it ran off before The footprints were two sets of scruffy mystery already. anyone could see it’s face. It was terrible prints with five small fingers. I examined “Gertrude McCluck,” I said as I opened I say, terrible!” them closely with my trusty magnifying the door. “How may I help you?” I took this in for a moment, my glass. There was a moments silence. “Definitely a raccoon,” I declared. “Pretty bad, but at least it’s not a weasel. That would be very bad.” “Oh my!” Captain Cleanshank ex- WhaWhatt i do Baack Talk YOU thinks this claimed. Ms. Pennyfeather looked ter- duck rified. thisthinki chicken is saying?ng? “Would you please tell me the exact circumstances of this attack?” I asked. “It had been a very nice day,” Captain Cleanshank began his story. “The hens and I had just settled down for bed. Sud- denly, this big shadow came into the coop through the open window. It was about to attack when someone noticed it and set up the alarm. The shadow fled as soon as it heard the commotion. No one saw its face,” the Captain finished. I thought about this. “I’m afraid there’s not much I can do,” I shook my head. “There’s a law MAIL your caption idea by February 15 along with your name, town and state to against harm to wildlife in this part of the Baack Talk, 15154 W 231st St., Spring Hill, KS 66083 OR EMAIL to Cyndi@ county and raccoons are hard to catch. Do GertrudeMcCluck.net. Selection for publication in a future issue will be at the dis- replace the screen for one with heavier cretion of Backyard Poultry. Name, town and state will be printed with response mesh. That should keep it out. I’m glad unless otherwise requested. I could be of assistance.” A scratching noise came from outside. A few favorites from Oct./Nov. Issue: “Do you mind if I stay the night?” • “…and, if elected, I promise double yolks in every egg!”—Tomas DeMoss, Arizona Gertrude McCluck, Chicken in Charge is assisted by • “The humans are coming! Look busy!”—Les- chicken wrangler Cyndi Gern- lie Kudner, Maryland hart. Find out more about • “Nice wagon! Which one of you hens want to Gertrude and her book series for children and other fun activities at: pullet?”—Brandi Herrell, Virginia www.GertrudeMcCluck.net

February/March 2013 www.backyardpoultrymag.com 85 Eggshells: color fades, as hens age, 7/5:49; thin, cause of, 7/5:48; wrinkled, Backyard Poultry 7/1:38 Feed: breeder birds, for, 7/1:25; chick starter, medicated for layers, 7/2:54-55; 2012 Index feeding strategies, 7/4:58-62; grain- (Volume/issue:Page is indicated as 7/1:61) based: alternatives to, 7/4:59; problems with reliance on, 7/4:58; nutrition, American Bantam Association (ABA), Chickens: breed characteristics, clarifi- winter guidelines, 7/6:38; oats, teach happenings, 7/5:18 cation of, 7/4:10; broody hen, signs of, chickens to eat, 7/4:20; probiotics and American Livestock Breeds Conser- 7/1:6; brown-egg layers, 7/1:12; comb, prebiotics, importance of, 7/5:52; water, vancy (ALBC), photo archive, updat- rose trait heritability, 7/3:61; distinc- LS-50 in drinking, 7/4:20 ing, 7/1:30; 7/6:8-10, 12 tions, unique among breeds, 7/3:20-22; Geese, temperament varies, 7/1:8 American Poultry Association (APA), fertility varies, 7/1:25; legalizing, in Health: bumblefoot, cause of limping, annual show, description of, 7/4:82 urban areas: chicken activist, seeks sup- 7/4:53; calcium deficiency, effect on Answer Man (Kean, Ron): 7/1:38-40, port, 7/4:34; marketing tools, five to hens, 7/5:48; chick death, possible causes 7/2:62-63, 64, 7/3:42-44, 7/4:52-55, help you succeed, 7/4:32-33; ordinance of, 7/3:42; chiggers: bug repellent, use of, 7/5:48-49, 7/6:34-36, See also disease decision aids, 7/1:10; selecting, six keys 7/5:11; safe treatment of, 7/4:52; chlo- and health to, 7/1:22; slangs and idioms, common, rides: eating of snow-melting, 7/1:40; Art, poultry-inspired, photography 7/4:78-79 clarification of, 7/2:62; diet: effect on business, from pet chickens, 7/3:34-35 Coops See housing health, 7/3:43; table scraps, feeding of Backyard Poultry magazine, www. Disease: blindness, in chicken, 7/1:39; 7/3:44; dirty bottoms, possible causes backyardpoultrymag.com coccidiosis, in chicks, 7/3:42; coryza, of, 7/3:43, 7/5:49; electrolytes: electro- Bantams: Australian Spotted ducks, infectious, 7/1:40; cross contamina- lyte solution, recipe, 7/3:8; importance care of, 7/2:8; Cochin, Black, compared tion, at events, 7/4:10; eye disorder, as of, 7/3:8; feathers: break off, 7/3:42; to Hamburg, 7/3:62, 64; Hamburg, Sil- symptom of chronic respiratory dis- development of, 7/4:54; loss of, 7/1:44; ver Spangled, compared to Black Co- ease, 7/4:54; fowl pox, vaccination for, molting sequence, diagram of, 7/1:48; chin, 7/3:62, 64; Naked Neck, 7/5:72- 7/1:51; laryngotracheitis, infectious: regrowth of, 7/1:49; saddles, use of on 74; Wyandotte, 7/3:60 vaccination for, 7/1:52; vaccine types, hens, 7/1:46, 7/6:20-21; tracts, diagram Book reviews: Chicken Encyclope- 7/1:54-56; Marek’s disease, vaccination of, 7/1:49; feet, frozen, care of, 7/6:34; dia, The, by Gail Damerow, 7/1:66; for, 7/1:50; respiratory disease, chron- light bulbs, Teflon-coated toxic, 7/4:8; Chicken Whisperer’s Guide to Keeping ic, 7/1:40, 7/3:42, 7/4:54, 7/6:36; vent mites: clean up, presence of, 7/3:42; con- Chickens, The, by Andy G. Schneider gleet, yeast infection, 7/3:43 trol with Permethrin, 7/5:10; pest control, and Brigid McCrea, Ph.D., 7/3:72; Ducks: meat breeds, most common, importance of, 7/5:12; Salmonella,protect Free-Range Chicken Gardens, by Jessi 7/6:42-43; raising, in suburbia, 7/6:58- against, 7/5:10-11; sneezing, as a sign of Bloom, 7/4:68; Illustrated Guide to 64 See also breeds, duck disease, 7/6:36; spurs, on hens, 7/4:52; Ducks and Geese and Other Domes- Egg production: day length, effect staggering, as a sign of disease, 7/4:55; tic Fowl, The, by Celia Lewis, 7/6:68; on, 7/5:6; decrease in, many causes of, Teflon, toxic to birds, 7/5:10, 7/5:16-17; In Praise of Chickens: A Compendium 7/5:48; egg-bound hen, cause and reme- vaccinations, for small flocks, 7/1:50-52; of Wisdom Fair and Fowl, by Jane S. dy of, 7/5:48; factors impacting, 7/1:59, washing hands, importance of, 7/5:11; Smith, 7/3:72; Storey’s Guide to Raising 7/6:34-35; temperature, effect of, 7/1:26 winter health, suggestions, 7/6:16 Turkeys, by Don Schrider, 7/6:66-67; See also breeding Healthy Chickens Bulletin, e-newslet- White Pigeons: The Color of Money, by Eggs: anatomy of, diagram, 7/5:40; as ter, 7/4:6 Jerry Gagne, 7/3:72 fresh food, 7/5:36-37, 7/6:84; choles- Housing: brooder, build your own cabi- Breeding: breed, fertility varies, 7/1:25; terol in, 7/5:37; decorating and dyeing, net, 7/6:24-27; chicken tractor, creation cycle, nature’s, 7/1:24; egg fertility, time- 7/2:76; dye, chart of natural, 7/2:77; fa- of, 7/2:56-60; chickens and turkeys, to- line, 7/1:25, 7/1:26; feed, importance of, mous, in history, art and historic refer- gether, 7/4:52; coop: Chick Inn design, 7/1:25; preparations for, 7/1:24 ences, 7/5:76-77; feeding raw, to pets, 7/6:32; doghouse, converted, 7/4:28- Breeds, chicken: Ardenner, 7/1:32; Chan- 7/5:37; glass, found inside, 7/2:62; 30; General Store design, 7/3:24-25; tecler, 7/6:48-52; La Gournay, 7/6:44-45; grading system, explained, 7/5:38; moving a coop, experience, 7/5:28-30; Lamona, 7/2:68-70; Polish, 7/5:72-74; myths concerning, dispelled, 7/3:41; Old West design, 7/4:24-27; playhouse Rhode Island White, 7/5:58-59; Silkies, nutritional quality, to increase, 7/3:40- design, adapted, 7/6:28-31; tree house 7/4:69; Wyandotte, 7/3:58-62 41; preserving, methods of, 7/5:44-46; plan, adapted, 7/5:32-34; litter, prevent- Breeds, duck: Aylesbury, 7/6:42; Aus- protein, quality in, 7/5:39; quality of, ing wet, 7/6:22; ventilation: in winter, tralian Spotted, care of, 7/2:8; Dutch determining, 7/5:38-41; refrigeration/ 7/1:39; using stove pipe, 7/1:14; winter, Hookbill, 7/5:56-57; Mallard, 7/6:42; freezing, chart of egg products, 7/5:44; considerations in, 7/5:6 Moulard, 7/6:42; Muscovy, 7/6:42; safety of fresh, importance of, 7/5:36; Incubation: candling, 7/1:26, illustra- Pekin, (also known as Long Island), shapes, cause of strange, 7/1:38, 7/2:62, tions of, 7/2:49-53; egg storage, prior 7/6:42; Rouen, 7/6:42; Swedish, 7/2:73, 7/6:35-36; size determination, 7/5:41; to, 7/1:28; embryo, chart of daily weight Blue Swedish, breeding of, 7/2:73 unusual, report of, 7/6:34 and form changes, 7/1:28; incubator, 86 Backyard Poultry use of, 7/1:28; problems encountered, Public Service: AgrAbility Georgia, Show, 7/1:20; membership, benefits of, 7/1:29; techniques, for artificial incuba- offers hope and assistance for disabled, 7/2:20; Grow Out Tips Result in Healthy tion and hatching, 7/2:48-53 7/1:68-69; American Livestock Breeds Adult Birds, 7/3:16; clarification, fol- Index, 2011 Backyard Poultry, 7/1:78- Conservancy and Farmer Veterans Co- low-up to, 7/4:20; Showing Birds Helps 79 alition, trains military veterans, 7/4:16- Preserve Rare Breeds, 7/5:18; SPPA International Poultry Exposition, re- 17; chickens, as goodwill ambassadors, website, new, 7/1:20; Winter Health for port of, 7/2:64 7/1:64; coop tours, tips for organizing, Chickens, 7/6:16 Kean, Ron, See also Answer Man, dis- 7/4:36-39; poultry event, make it suc- Swans, special care of, 7/4:74-77 ease and health cessful and profitable, 7/3:6, 12; poultry Turkeys: Auburn, 7/4:71; Chocolate, Management: bio-security measures, science, as a career, 7/5:10; Sustainable 7/4:71; commercial types, 7/4:70; egg, 7/4:12-14; birds, considerations before Poultry Network, provides training and production in, 7/5:60-62; growth, on obtaining, 7/2:6, 7/2:24-26; brooder, mentoring, 7/5:14; vintage poultry mag- head, 7/4:52; herding, 7/6:66; heritage make from cardboard box, 7/3:12; azines, view online, 7/5:12 types, 7/4:70-72; housing, with chick- brooding chicks, successful methods of, Reader Stories/Just for Fun: Broody ens, 7/4:52; Jersey Buff, 7/4:71; rare 7/2:34-40; crippled foot, protection of, Hen, A, 7/2:42; Chicken Geek, Birth of types, 7/4:70-72; Regal Red, 7/4:72, 7/4:14; disinfectant, natural citrus as, a, 7/28-32; Diary of the Muscovy Duck Dr. Tom Walker comment on, 7/5:9- 7/5:50; egg productivity, determination Drain Pipe Community Nest, 7/6:80-83; 10; Sweetgrass, 7/4:72; winter care of, of, 7/4:40-44; feed, keep dry with chim- Free Pheasants, There is no Such Thing, 7/6:54-56 ney cap, 7/5:8; feeder and waterer: grav- 7/3:78-82; Fresh Eggs: Like the Hob- USDA (U.S. Department of Agricul- ity fed, 7/5:26-27; raise as birds grow, bit’s Riddle, 7/6:84; Gimpin’ Gertie, ture), Bio-security For Birds, 7/1:15, 7/3:12; financial opportunity: pho- 7/1:70-71; Golden Egg, Local Egg Pro- 7/4:12-14, 7/6:8 tography business, from pet chickens, ducer Finds, 7/1:72; Goldie, The Christ- Waterers, PVC gravity fed, instruc- 7/3:34-35; poultry production for local mas Miracle, 7/1:74; Heritage Breed tions, 7/5:26 markets, 7/1:60-63; small-scale poultry Cooking, 7/3:66; Healing Tank, a Black Website, Backyard Poultry: www. farm, starting a, 7/3:36-39, 7/4:64-67; Silkie, 7/3:48; International Chicken backyardpoultrymag.com small-scale poultry farm, financial con- Story, 7/5:72-74; Keeping Chickens Youth: egg cleaner, building contest, siderations in starting a, 7/5:68-70; sus- is All in the Family, 7/3:74-76; Love 7/2:80-84; most memorable moment, in tainable farm, sells healthy fresh foods, of the Hobby, 7/4:80-82, correction to poultry, 7/4:84; writers, winning 2012, 7/3:32-33; first aid kit, for poultry, 7/5:69; photo caption, 7/5:8; Oddities of Chick- 7/6:86-87 See also McCluck, Gertrude flock-sitter, duties of, 7/2:9-10; groups ens, 7/3:84; Poultry Gardens, 7/3:28-30; of species, what to call, 7/6:68; heating Poultry Gets Top Billing, 7/6:72-74; pad, for chicks, 7/3:8; insecticides, con- Three Little Chicks That Could, 7/6:76- siderations of, 7/3:10; integrating flocks, 79; ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas, 7/4:20; leaves mixed with grain, create Chicken Edition, 7/6:12 compost, 7/3:11; light bulbs, Teflon- Recipes: Angel Food Cake, 7/2:74; Asian coated toxic to chickens, 7/4:8; lighting, Honey-Glazed Chicken, 7/3:70; Bacon, for egg production, 7/1:58; nests, keep Tomato and Egg Sandwich with Home- clean, 7/5:36-37; personal information, made Lemon Mayo, 7/4:38; Bangkok- USDA requests, 7/2:12, 14; pest control, Style Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce, importance of, 7/5:12; predation, pro- 7/3:71; Braised Duck with Tomatoes and tection from, 7/4:21; saddles, for hens, Olives, 7/6:40; Buckeye Confit, 7/3:68; 7/1:46, 7/6:20-21; tips, to raise healthy Dessert Crepes, 7/1:65; duck, cutting into birds, 7/3:16; Teflon: experience with, eight pieces, photos, 7/6:41; Eggshells 7/5:16-17, toxic to birds, 7/5:10; winter, Stuffed with Raspberry Mousse, 7/2:78; considerations in, 7/6:38 Fire and Smoke Chicken, 7/3:71; Green- McCluck, Gertrude: 7/1:76-77, market Egg Sandwiches, 7/4:38; Grill- 7/2:86-87, 7/3:86-87, 7/4:86-87, 7/5:78- ing Chicken, skewer style hints, 7/3:70; 79, 7/6:86-87 Heritage Breed Cooking, 7/3:66; Honey- Photo Contest, winners 7/1:16, 7/2:44, Blueberry Corn Muffins (using frozen 7/3:26, 7/4:50, 7/5:54, 7/6:14 eggs), 7/5:44; Red Wine Vinegar and Sage Poultry: heritage preservation work, Pickled Eggs, 7/5:46; Rotisserie Buckeye, awarded, 7/4:18-19; Poultry Show Cen- 7/3:69; Spinach and Herb Eggs on the tral, new website, 7/5:22; show events Half-Shell, 7/2:78; Sponge Cake, Golden, information, 7/1:14 7/2:74, correction: use baking powder, Predators: aids, to defense, 7/3:54; aer- 7/3:8; Tarragon-Dill Pickled Eggs, 7/5:46 ial, 7/3:53; fencing, bear-proof, 7/3:56; Society for Preservation of Poultry getting along with, 7/3:50-56; housing, Antiquities (SPPA) See SPPA News protecting from, 7/3:51; pets as, 7/3:54; SPPA (Society for Preservation of range poultry, protecting, 7/3:51; usual Poultry Antiquities) See SPPA News suspects, 7/3:52 SPPA News: Crossroads of America February/March 2013 www.backyardpoultrymag.com 87

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 100,000 poultry enthusiasts who read every issue. Fill out the order form and return it today!

Dr., Ray City, GA 31645. 229-455-6437. Profession- ally raised chicks–Rhode Island Reds, Dominiques, AMERAUCANA BREEDERS CLUB. New members Michigan Buff Orpingtons, Delawares and New Hampshire Reds. receive a Handbook & quarterly Bulletins and are Chick Hatchery, ChickHatchery.com, John W. Blehm, Available late fall 2012-–Dena’s Special and Ameraca- eligible for club awards. Yearly dues are $10/junior, Birch Run, Michigan. Bantam chickens: buff, laven- nas. All natural feed, sexed & shipped all year. NPIP $12/individual and $18/family. der & silver Ameraucana. Large fowl chickens: buff, Certified. Disabled owned/operated business. Michael Muenks, Secretary/Treasurer, 33878 Highway lavender, silver & black Ameraucana and partridge, 87, California, MO 65018-3911. buff & white Chantecler. Freedom Ranger AMERICAN BRAHMA CLUB, Candy Prince, Sec./Treas., 6291 S. 25 Rd., Boon, MI 49618. American Game Bantams Pennsylvania 213-920-7837. FREEDOM RANGER HATCHERY, Kendall & Ginger . Colorado Fox, 190 N. Blainsport Rd., Reinholds, PA 17569. Promoting the Majestic Ones! USA & Canada Mem- 717-336-4878, Fax:717-336-3711. Freedom Ranger chickens. 719-947-3006. [email protected] http://rosenagb. ARAUCANA CLUB OF AMERICA. Promoting the webs.com. AGB’s in BB Red, Golden Duckwing and tufted, rumpless, blue egg laying Araucana. $20 annual Silver Duckwing. Koklass Pheasants and Erckel’s Game Birds

dues includes quarterly newsletter, breeders guide, Francolins. We ship nationwide by USPS Express Indiana and Araucana Handbook. Mail inquiries to: Araucana Mail. THESE ARE SHOW BIRDS–NOT FIGHTING Club of America, 207 Pickens Drive, Pendleton, South CHICKENS! We do not have a catalog. WOODSIDE AVIARY, James Kotterman, Peru, Carolina 29670-9727. Visit our website and forum: Indiana. 765-985-2805. PHEASANT ENTHUSIASTS check this out! Displaying full color the Golden Pheasant, Araucana Ghigi Golden, Lady Amherst, Silvers, Swinehoe, Impeyan, CHANTECLER FANCIERS INTERNATIONAL, Temminck Tragopan, Brown Ear & Blue Ear. No brochure Mike Gilbert, Secretary, W5171 Baker Rd., South Carolina available. Give me a call and we’ll talk about the birds! Holmen, WI 54636. 608-857-3386 (Call be- RAMEY FARM, Gary L. Ramey, 440 Surrey Race Rd., fore 9 PM CST.) Salley, SC 29137. True Minnesota rumpless Araucana chicks. Hatching and shipping OAKWOOD GAME FARM, INC., PO Box 274, Princ- eton, MN 55371. 800-328-6647. We sell day-old pheasant and chukar partridge ca’s Oldest Breed Since 1973. Large fowl and ban- chicks and eggs. Ask about our new smaller quantities tam. $10 annual dues. Contact: Tracey Rodenbach, Barred Plymouth Rock on eggs and chicks. President, 61 Difficult Rd., Pleasant Shade, TN 31745. North Carolina Wisconsin GUINEA FOWL BREEDERS ASSOCIATION. GFBA BILLY PLACE FARM, Cynthia Glasscoe, East Bend, PURELY POULTRY, PO Box 466, Fremont, WI 54940. will encourage, support, and educate people as to the North Carolina. 336-699-2677. Barred Plymouth Rocks, Dominiques, Mottled PurelyPoultry.com> Indian Red Junglefowl, Guineas, and support to those who own or plan to own them. Javas. Chicks–local pickup only. Peacocks. Ducks: Mandarin, Ringed Teal, Whistling Ducks, Wood Ducks, Mallard Ducks. Swans: White Mute, Australian Black, Trumpeter, Whooper, Black INTERNATIONAL WATERFOWL BREEDERS AS- Buckeye Necked. Quail: Northern Bobwhite, Jumbo Bobwhite, SOCIATION, Promoting the breeding, exhibition, Texas A & M, Valley, Gambel, Blue Scale, Mountain, and management of all types of domestic and wild Kentucky Mearns. Partridge: Chukar, Hungarian. Ringneck ducks, geese, and swans. Members receive quar- PATHFINDERS FARM, P.O. Box 35, Williamstown, Pheasants: Chinese, Jumbo, Kansas, Manchurian terly newsletters, and all association perks. U.S KY 41097. 859-801-6081. Red Golden, Yellow Golden, Blue Eared, Brown Eared, Lady Amherst, Silver, Timminicks Tragopans. ily-$25 Life-$300 International members add $5 to Exhibition Quality Buckeyes in large fowl. Chicks Wild Turkeys: Eastern and Merriams. U.S fees. Contact Chris Ervay 4202 Optimist Farm and started birds. Road, Apex, NC 27539. Ph. 919-880-8538 or email: [email protected] Visit our website: iwba.org Missouri Guineas NATIONAL JERSEY GIANT CLUB, Robert L. Vaughn, J SQUARED FARMS, 816-586-2262, We raise Iowa MN 56472. 218-963-6117. Promoting Jersey purpose. Day old chicks ship October–May. Limited White Pine Ln., New Vienna, IA 52065. 563-853-4195. Giants with newsletters including informative articles, supply. Not flock bred. annual Members Directory and awards at club meets. Guinea fowl, Peafowl. U.S. Yearly Dues–Individual $15; Family $20. U.S. 3 North Carolina Years Dues–Individual $40; Family $55. International SONBURST FARM, LLC, Weaver, Salisbury, North Jersey Giants Yearly Dues–Individual $20; Family $25 (U.S. Dollars). Carolina. 704-638-6533. International 3 Years Dues–Individual $55; Family Hatching eggs shipped, chicks for local pickup only. $70 (U.S. Dollars). NPIP# 55-1068. Indiana MARIA’S JERSEY GIANTS, since 1976, Maria Hall, 7030 PALM BEACH COUNTY POULTRY FANCIERS AS- S. Bloomington Trail, Underwood, IN 47177. 812-752- SOCIATION, Marie Reddy, Newsletter/Web Site, 3331 Cochins 7825. Quality Gentle Giant Blues, Splash & Black fanciers.com> A dedicated group of poultry breeders New York colors, chicks, started birds & adults. Shipping. and enthusiasts that believe in the advancement of JAMIE’S COCHIN COLLECTION, Jamie Matts, poultry breeding and exhibition. Dues are $20/yr. 283 State Hwy. 235, Harpursville, NY 13787. 607- Leghorns SERAMA COUNCIL OF NORTH AMERICA, Jerry 725-7390. Schexnayder, 504-621-0596. Michigan DESTINY FARMS HATCHERY, 13078 Windy Hollow WYANDOTTE BREEDERS OF AMERICA, Karolyn Dominique Dr., Milford, MI 48380. 517-285-6558. Georgia com> Specializing in the BEST egg layers around! BOB’S BIDDIES HATCHERY, Bob Berry, 2155 Weaver ISA Browns & White Leghorns. 88 Backyard Poultry 73160. 405-620-2332. Columbian. Buff Orpington. Old English: Brown Red, Marans Silkied Seramas. Spangled, Wheaten, Mille Fleur.

Illinois Oregon CHICKEN SCRATCH POULTRY, Larry & Angela McEwen, RR3 Box 44, McLeansboro, IL 62859. MARANS CROSS LAYERS, Gary Underwood, 2404 OREGON OUTBACK SERAMAS, Sue Apple- 618-643-5602. Coronation 541-433-2112. Sussex, Light Sussex, Lavender Orpington, Black Copper Marans, Blue Copper Marans, Blue Laced Red Ohiki South Carolina Wyandotte, Welsummers, Blue Ameraucana, Black Ameraucana, Rumpless Araucana, Olive Egger. PIXIE CHICK SERAMAS, Juliette Heerlein, 2445 Georgia Rockland Ave., Wadmalaw Island, SC 29487. Iowa ONAGADORI SOUTH FEATHER FARM, Toni-Marie COUNTY LINE HATCHERY, 2977 Linn Buch- 9238, Imported in 2002, 9 years of Rare and fancy pea- selective breeding to introduce the Ohiki into the hobby. Silkies fowl, guineas, chickens, ducks, turkeys, geese, bantams Tiny, short-legged, wobbly, little gnomes. Looks like a and more. Featuring Showgirls & Silkies. Most economi- clean leg Cochin with long dragging saddles & tails. Massachusetts cal and diverse poultry assortment available. GOLDEN EGG FARM, 413-477-8872. SCHLECHT FARM & HATCHERY, 9749 500th Ave., Hatching eggs–Champion Silkies– thatchery.com> Poul- Master Exhibitor, Breeder, NPIP#1299. Iowa try: Cornish Rock, Brown Leghorn, Blue Laced Red THE PEACOCK INFORMATION CENTER, Dennis Wyandotte, Golden Lace Wyandotte, Sex-Link, Rhode Fett, 24783 330 St., Minden, IA 51553. 712-483-2473. Turkeys Island Red, Barred Rock, Buff Orpington, Americauna. Bantams: White Laced Red Cornish. Ducks: Mallard, Peahen eggs, Peacock DVDs. Minnesota White Mallard, Rouen, Khaki-Cambell, Pekin, Fawn & MEADOW RIDGE FARM, Brad Myers, 4893 Tree White Indian Runners. Goslings: White Emblem. Pigeons Farm Rd., Pequot Lakes, MN 56472. 218-568-5680. WELP HATCHERY, Box 77, Bancroft, IA 50517. 800- Heritage Turkeys: Narragansett, Bourbon Red, Royal 458-4473. Specializing in Arkansas Palm, Blue Slate & Black Spanish. Cornish Rock broilers. Also offering baby chicks, ducklings, goslings, bantams, exotics, turkeys, Guineas, CEDAR MIST LOFT, Mike Owen, 601A Acklin Gap Wisconsin pheasants. Free catalog. MC/Visa/Discover. Rd., Conway, AR 72032. 501-329-2377. Rare breeds of pigeons & fowl. Center Rd., Mount Horeb WI 53572. 608-333-1997. Maryland USPS approved live bird shipping boxes. Bourbon Red, Royal WHITMORE FARM, Emmitsburg, Maryland. Shipping Palm, Narragansett poults & breeding stock day-old chicks March thru October. Show quality lines, Polish excellent egg color, selected for performance. Black and Various Blue Ameraucana, Ancona, Delaware, Black Copper Iowa and Blue Copper Marans, Welsummer. Photographs, WESTHOFF POULTRY, Zachary & Jill Westhoff, 102 Arkansas pricing and online ordering at I sell GABBARD FARMS, Arkansas. . Email and raise laying hens/pullets, and around 50 breeds yahoo.com> Hatching eggs & day old chicks. Amer- Michigan of show quality chickens. aucana/Araucana, Ancona, Appenzeller Spitzhauben, Barnevelder, Barnevelder (bantam), Barred Plymouth CEDAR CREEK HATCHERY, 5840 Sweet- Quail Rock, Black Ameraucana, Black Australorp, Black er Rd., Twin Lake, MI 49457. 231-821-0670, Copper Marans, Blue Ameraucana, Blue Andalusian, Chickens: Rhode Island Reds, Golden Comets, Califor- Massachusetts Blue Birchen Marans, Blue Copper Marans, Blue Hamburg, Blue Laced Red Wyandotte, Blue Orpington, nia Gray Leghorns, Pearl White Leghorns, Buckeyes, ANTONIO R. FERREIRA, JR., 49 Chestnut St., Blue Splash Marans, Buff Brahma, Buff Orpington, Silver Laced Wyandotte, Blue Laced Red Wyandotte, Seekonk, MA 02771. 401-465-1662. Northern Golden Cuckoo Marans, Golden Laced Wyandotte, Turkins, Americaunas, Delaware, Light Brahma, Dark Bobwhite Quail. Eggs: $11.75/12, $23.50/24, $49/50. Golden Lakenvelder, Golden Polish, Golden Sebright, Brahma, Buff Brahma, Barred Rocks, White Rocks, Postpaid. Light Brahma, Light Sussex, Mille Fleur D’Uccle, New Black Javas, Mottled Javas, Black Jersey Giants, White Hampshire Red, Partridge Penedesenca, Porcelain Crested Black Polish, Cornish/Rock Cross, Cedar Creek North Carolina D’Uccle, Pumpkin Hulsey Gamefowl, Red Silkie, Rhode Bluebell Superlayers, Lavender Orpingtons, Double- GEORGE PARKER, 768 Moores Ln., Lumberton, NC Island Red, Rose Comb Brown Leghorn, Silver Laced Barred Lemon Cuckoo Orpingtons, Speckled Sussex, 28358. 910-374-8176 or 910-738-7432. Quail Eggs: Wyandotte, Silver Lakenvelder, Silver Sebright, Silver Coronation Sussex, French Black Copper Marans, Bobwhite, Tennesse Red, Mexican Speckled, Georgia Spangled Hamburg, Speckled Sussex, Welsummer, French Blue Copper Marans, French Blue Splash Giant. Will ship small quantities of eggs. Send self Wheaten Ameraucana, Wheaten Marans, Wheaten Marans, French Wheaten Marans, French Golden addressed stamped envelope for price list. Penedesenca, White Marans, White Silkie. Cuckoo Marans, French Silver Cuckoo Marans, French Cuckoo Marans, French Black Tailed Buff Marans. Rare Sebrights California Pheasants, Turkeys, Ducks, Quail, Peacocks. CHICKEN RIDDLE, Bridget, 3030 Orestimba Rd., New- TOWNLINE POULTRY FARM, INC., Box 108, Florida man, CA 95360. 209-485-1413. No catalog! Large Fowl: Shamo, Buttercup, Poultry: Isa-Brown, Rhode Island White Ameracanas, Light Sussex. Will sell show quality Reds, California Grey Leghorn, Barred Rock, Sebrights: Golden, Silver & Buff; Wyandottes: Silver and non-show quality teens and adults. Laced & Golden Laced. Araucana, Buff Orpingtons, Black Sex-Link, Black Idaho Australorps, Cornish-Rock cross, New Hampshire, Golden Lace Wyandottes, Silver Wyandotte & Light Seramas FEATHERHILLS FARM, Tony Albritton, 16405 Orchard Brahmas. Ducks, geese, turkeys & pheasants. Ave., Caldwell, ID 83607. 509-995-7284. All bred to the Standard of Perfection. Minnesota Large Fowl: Barred Plymouth Rock, Speckled Sussex, JERRY’S SERAMAS, LLC., Jerry Schexnayder, PO Box SUNNY CREEK FARMS, Don Schirrick, 15378 160th White Wyandotte, Silver Leghorn, Rhode Island Red. 159, Vacherie, LA 70090. 225-265-2238. Serama. Free catalog. All breeds, White Leghorn. Narragansett Turkey, Pilgrim Geese. waterfowl, chicks, gamebirds, poults, rabbits, hatch- KENNY’S SERAMAS, Kenny Reason, 1612 Redwood NPIP#91-121. ing equipment. Dr., Harvey, LA 70058. 504-919-9817. Illinois URCH/TURNLUND POULTRY, 2142 NW 47 Ave., ANDY ANDERSON, 17496 E. 1000 Rd., Mt. Carmel, Owatonna, MN 55060-1071. 507-451-6782. Large Oklahoma IL 62863. 618-262-8389. Call after 6 PM. Hatching fowl: Wyandottes: White, Golden Laced, Buff, Black, JUNEBUG’S SILKIED SERAMAS, June eggs–$17 per dozen freight paid. Wyandotte bantams: Silver Penciled, Partridge, & Columbian; Mottled Java, Suhm, 214 N. Service Rd., Moore, OK Partridge, Buff, Blue Laced, Black, Golden Laced, Black Java, S.C. Rhode Island Red, R.C. Rhode Island

February/March 2013 www.backyardpoultrymag.com 89 Red, Black Giant, White Giant. Dominiques, Buckeyes Montana PURELY POULTRY, PO Box 466, Fremont, WI 54940. and Rhode Island White, Dark Brahma, Cochins: ZERO MONTANA HATCHERY, Barry Da- 800-216-9917. 300 varieties: chickens, bantams, White Langshan. S.C. Leghorns: Buff, Black, Dark 406-852-4282. Chickens, ducks, geese, guineas. ducks, geese, turkeys, guineas, peafowl, swans, pheas- Brown, Silver & White; R.C. Leghorns: Light Brown, ants, ornamental pheasants, chukars and quail. Black & White; White Faced Black Spanish, R.C. North Carolima SUNNYSIDE HATCHERY, Beaver Dam, Wisconsin. Mottled Ancona. Black Astralop. White Crested Black SUMNER-BYRD FARM, INC., Roy Sumner & David 920-887-2122. Shipping to North Central U.S. only. Polish, Bearded and Non-Bearded Silver, Golden and Byrd, 4241 Moonrise Dr., Holly Springs, NC 27540. Jumbo broilers, Leghorns, Blacks, Browns, turkeys & Buff Laced Polish, Crevecoeur, La Fleche, Salmon 919-372-9529. Faverolle, Welsummers, Silver Campine, Golden sumner-byrdfarm.com> Chickens, ducks, geese, Campine, Lakenvelder, Silver Penciled Hamburg, turkeys, guineas and quail. Golden Penciled Hamburg, Bearded White Polish, Waterfowl Golden Spangled Hamburg. Black Sumatra, Black Oklahoma Breasted Red Cubalaya, White Frizzle, Red Naked California COUNTRY HATCHERY, Matthew Smith, PO Box 747, Neck, Sultan, Black Ameraucana, Silver Duckwing METZER FARMS, 26000K Old Stage Rd., Gonzales, Wewoka, OK 74884. 405-257-1236. Black & Free catalog now, 800-424-7755. Ducklings: Pekin, Rouen, Khaki Campbell, Red Naked Neck, White Naked Neck, S.C. Rhode Muscovy Ducklings; Standard (Heritage) Bronze Tur- Golden 300 Egg Layer, Blue Swedish, Buff, Cayuga, Island Red, S.C. Leghorns: White, Dark Brown, Light keys; Rhode Island Reds, Buff Orpingtons, Light Brah- Mallard, Welsh Harlequin, White Crested & Runners Brown; S.C. Mottled Ancona. R.C. Rhode Island Red, mas, Barred Rocks, Ameraucanas, White Leghorns, (Black, Chocolate, Blue, Fawn & White) Goslings: Quail Belgium, R.C. White Leghorn. White Crested Black Australorps and Old English Games. Embden, White Chinese, Brown Chinese, Toulouse, Black Polish, Bearded White, Bearded Golden Polish, Dewlap Toulouse, African, Canada, Buff, Tufted Buff, Bearded Buff Laced Polish, Wheaton Ameraucana, Pennsylvania Sebastopol, Pilgrim, Crested Roman. Ringneck pheas- White Crested Blue Polish, Buckeye. Cochins: HORSTMAN’S POULTRY, Dick Horstman, 5 S Kings ants, French Pearl guineas, Wild turkeys. Birchen, Partridge, Buff, Golden Laced, and White; Creek Rd., Burgettstown, Pa 15021. 724-729-3701. Dark Brahma, Buff Brahma, Salmon Faverolle, Black Eggs – chicks –adults. Large Fowl: Par- WEBBED FOOT PINES WATERFOWL FARM, Lucas White Silkie, Bearded Mille Fleur. Geese: Canadian, tridge & Silver Penciled Rocks; Blue Orpington; SC & Dickerson, 3985 Packard Rd., Sand Creek , MI 49279. Egyptian. Ducks: Muscovy: Black, Blue, White and RC Rhode Island Red; WC Black Polish; Red Dorking; 517-436-3849, 517-442-9686. Exhibition Gray & Buff Toulouse, Black Red, Slate, Wild Turkeys, Royal Palm, Beltsville White Rock; Buff & Dark Brahma; Goldlaced & Columbian & Chocolate Muscovys, Silver Appleyard. Turkeys, Standard Bronze Turkeys. Cochin; White Araucana; Bearded Silver Polish. Minnesota Missouri South Carolina JOHNSON’S WATERFOWL, 36882 160th Ave. NE, ANDERS POULTRY FARM, Travis Anders, 23312 E. Middle River, MN 56737. 218-222-3556. Grey, Buff & White Africans, 29018. 803-308-1203. Large Fowl: Buckeye; Buff Appleyard, Pekin, White & Black Crested, Saxony, selected from 8 breeds. Available March - June, $65. Cochin; Silver Phoenix; White Yokohama;White Black Cayuga, Black & Blue Magpies, Campbells, Pen- Call Duck egg assortment: Gray, Blue Fawn, Snowy, Crested Black Polish; Rhode Island Red; Delaware; ciled, White, Blue, Black, Grey (Mallard), and Emory $58. Bantam egg assortments: Sebrights–Golden, Barred Rock. Bantams: Ohiki; Silver Phoenix; White Penciled Runners, White, Grey, Snowy, Black, Blue Silver, Buff; Polish–Black, Blue, Buff, Golden; Silkies– Phoenix; Black Wyandotte; White Old English. Bibbed & Pastel Call ducklings. Free brochure. Lavender, Buff, Gray, Barred, Red, $38. Shipping day old chicks year round. NANCY ELLISON, 15775 Hwy. 60 Blvd., Zumbrota, MN 55992. 507-732-5281. Shetland ducks. 65536. 417-532-4581. 75 years son, N6465 Schwantz Rd., Pardeeville, WI 53954. Oregon of hatching and shipping baby chicks. Free Color 608-429-9960. Geese, ducks, chickens, NPIP. Holderread, PO Box 492, Corvallis, OR 97339. 541- 929-5338. Silver Appleyard; Saxony; Cayuga; Welsh Harlequin; Khaki Campbell; White, Penciled, Fawn Breeders Directory Order Form & White, Black, Blue, Emery Penciled, Blue Fawn Pen- ciled, Dusky, Cinnamon, Saxony, Silver Runners; Dutch Classification/Breed:______Hook Bills; Australian Spotted; Mini Appleyard; East Indie; White, Gray, Pastel, Blue Fawn, Butterscotch Calls; Silkie Your Farm Name:______Ducks. Embden; Brown, Buff Africans; Dewlap Toulouse; American Blue; American Lavender; Tufted Roman; Your Name:______Brown Chinese; Shetland; Oregon Mini-Geese. Address:______Tennessee GOOSE & FIG, 1107 Fern Hill, Pikeville, TN 37367. City, State, Zip:______423-554-4562. Ancona ducks, Sebastopol Phone Number:______geese, Ameraucana & Orpington chickens. E-mail/Website:______Welsummer Additional Words:______Indiana HICKORY HILL FARM, Highest quality Welsum- One Year Directory Listing (6 issues) $ 50.00 mer Bantams descended from imported Holland Mail this Dutch Champion purebred stock. Josiah McGuire, form along 6762 S. Bloomington Trail, Underwood, IN 47177. Additional Words $1.50 each: $ _____ 812-752-8040. with your payment to: Total amount enclosed: $ _____ Wyandottes Backyard Poultry Ohio MICHAEL KRAFT, 5508 Sulphur Springs, Brookville, 145 Industrial Drive, Medford, WI 54451 OH 45309. 937-833-5817, 937-776-1420. Bantam Wyandottes: Blue Laced & Silver, Phone: 800-551-5691 • Fax: 715-785-7414 • E-mail: [email protected] Seramas, Red Gold pheasants, Pigeons: Holle, Voorburg, Brunner Pouters & Modenas. 90 Backyard Poultry Get Ready for Chicks! New! Chick Brooders • Small and compact • Disposable and reusable options Very easy to assemble. Completed size varies according to the number of panels used. Each panel is 16" x 25" and has connector slots that interlock. Panels are either 3/16" thick cardboard or 1/4" thick reusable double-walled plastic. Six panels make a 37" diameter brooder. Seven panels make a 50" brooder.

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Premier Heat Lamp • Versatile and eﬀ ective • Durable The “Premier” heat lamp is superior to all others we’ve tested in strength, safety, protective guard and hanging system. Rated for standard or infrared (heat) bulbs up to 250 watts. *Heat lamp bulbs are sold separately. Heat Lamp, 3.35 lb ...... #557000 $30.00

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Heat Lamp Stand • Easy to assemble • 2' x 2' footprint Eliminates need to develop or ﬁ nd a secure spot from which to hang a heat lamp. Unique yellow heat lamp holder allows users to easily adjust the height of the lamp. Some assembly is required. Heat Lamp Stand, 3.60 lb ...... #540070 $29.00

Ask for our unique booklet —Free! Includes our full line of poultry products, feeders and waterers. An easy-to-assemble reuseable brooder setup that keeps chicks safe and reduces their exposure to cold drafts. If using a single brooder concentrate shavings in one area (inset above.) For multiple brooders, spread shavings Free Shipping! over the whole brooding area. on qualiﬁ ed internet orders over $100. See our website for details.

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February/March 2013 www.backyardpoultrymag.com 91 92 Backyard Poultry