Poultrydedicated to More and Better Small-Flock Poultry
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Volume 6, Number 5 Backyard October/November 2011 PoultryDedicated to more and better small-flock poultry Want Healthy Birds? Give Them Fresh Air! Avian Vet Shares Advice for Backyard Chickens Prepare Your Flock for Winter Plus: • Why Hens Stop Laying • Cornish Cross Meat Birds • France’s Rare Breeds • Egyptian Fayoumi Chickens ...and much more inside! The “EYE” FLASH of danger to all night animals Stop Deer Damage...GUARANTEED! Believe or not, this little black box with a red flash of light, could be the best security system you could ever buy. It's a simple concept and a proven fact that night animals are deathly 95 afraid of flashing lights. Their natural instincts tell them that danger is near and they stay $ away. Simply place several Nite•Guard Solar® units on your property to provide efficient ––––––––––––––19 & cost effective security. 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CHICKEN BACKYARD POULTRY Backyard 145 Industrial Dr. Medford, WI 54451 www.backyardpoultrymag.com 800-551-5691 Poultry Publisher: Dave Belanger Editor: Elaine Belanger Managing Editor: Anne-marie Ida Volume 6, Number 5 Editorial Assistant: Samantha Ingersoll October/November 2011 Circulation and Fulfillment: Laura Ching, Ellen Soper, Kelly Weiler, Christine Barkley From the Editor: Book Review: Bookstore: Ann Tom Poultry Needs in Harsh Weather.....6 The Small-Scale Poultry Flock...............68 Advertising Representatives Readers’ Letters ............................8 Recipes: (Rates on request) Roast Chicken and Other Coming Events ............................16 Alicia Komanec Comfort Foods ............................... 70 Show News: 1-800-551-5691 Holiday Roast Chicken with What to Expect at Your First [email protected] Cranberry-Fig Stuffing ...........................70 Poultry Show.........................................18 Gary Christopherson Golden Spinach Strata.............................71 1-800-551-5691 News from the American Bantam [email protected] Association ..................................... 20 Just for Fun Richard the Rooster ....................... 72 Backyard Poultry SPPA Annual Meeting at (ISSN 1559-2251, USPS 023-374) Crossroads Poultry Show................ 22 The King is Dead: Carusoroo is is published bi-monthly by King of the Flock ............................74 Flock Care: Countryside Publications, Ltd. at 145 Preparing the Flock for Winter .....24 Industrial Dr., Medford, WI 54451. Awesome Chicken Art.................... 75 Periodicals postage paid at Medford, Housing: A Case of Mistaken Identity ..........76 WI and additional mailing offices. Want Healthy Birds? Give Them ©2011 Countryside Publications, Ltd. Fresh Air!........................................... 32 Youth: Gertrude McCluck: Chicken The views presented here do not Urban Chicken Raising On necessarily represent those of the editor in Charge ...........................................78 the Lake............................................36 or publisher. All contents of this issue Breeders Directory ................... 80 of Backyard Poultry are copyrighted by Getting Back to Our Roots............ 38 Countryside Publications, Ltd., 2011. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or Health: ON THE COVER: in part is prohibited except by permission The Answer Man............................ 44 Serama cock by Ondra Craw, of the publisher. Washington. Ondra tells us, “This What an Avian Vet Wants You is my Serama rooster, Brewster. He Editorial and Advertising Office: to Know About Backyard lives in a cage in the house but this Backyard Poultry Chickens.......................................... 46 photo was taken on the edge of our 145 Industrial Dr. pasture.” Medford, WI 54451 Plucky Peggy Survives an See more family album photos on [email protected] Impacted Oviduct: Surgery Saves page 50. Subscriptions (U.S. funds): Her Life .............................................48 $21 per year; 2 years $35. Backyard Poultry Family Backyard Poultry Subscriptions Album .............................................50 145 Industrial Dr. Medford, WI 54451 Feed: 1-800-551-5691 Choosing the Right Poultry Feed Type for Your Flock ........................ 52 POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: Breed Focus: Backyard Poultry Subscriptions The Egyptian Fayoumi....................54 145 Industrial Dr., Medford, WI 54451 The Cornish Alternative................ 60 Printed in the U.S.A. A Rare Breed “Tour de France” ........ 64 4 Backyard Poultry October/November 2011 www.backyardpoultrymag.com 5 FR O M THE EDIT O R : Poultry Needs in Harsh Weather ELAINE BELANGER Many people use heat lamps in the coop, thinking they are protecting the Consider the Climate e are often asked just how warm birds. I believe there are actually more Wa poultry house needs to be for problems for birds when kept overly When choosing a breed to raise, con- the birds to stay warm during the cold warm. When we seal the coop in the sider the climate they will be living winter months. I think most folks are effort to heat the building, it results in a in. The choice of cold-hardy breeds pretty surprised at my answer, because lack of ventilation in the area. Ventila- is actually quite long but here are a I usually tell them no heat is needed. tion is far more important for your flock few popular breeds. Most chickens live in cold climates than warmth. Birds generate a lot of heat Ameraucana Appenzeller quite well, but some considerations and moisture, and need air movement Australorp Brahma should be given to comb type/size on to circulate it out of the building. Poor Chantecler Cochin your breed of choice. Breeds with tight ventilation is the most common cause Dominique Faverolles or small combs do better in cold tem- of respiratory illness in birds. Signs of Hamburg Java peratures. Large combs freeze faster, Jersey Giant Langshan respiratory illness include nasal and/or Naked Neck Orpington and it is especially problematic when eye discharge, wheezing, gasping and Welsummer Wyandotte the combs (and wattles) get wet while labored breathing. Plymouth Rock drinking. Rubbing petroleum jelly on Don Schrider presents an unusual but Rosecomb bantams the comb and wattles can provide some accurate outlook on housing poultry in protection. Heavily feathered birds are his article on page 32. better protected in winter, too, just as Another winter challenge is keeping we are insulated and protected by a the water from freezing. If possible, fresh drinking water. Since we have warm down coat. never, ever let your birds run out of electricity to our coop, we use a water heater base, ensuring water at all times. It offers the added benefit of residual heat for the coop. If electricity is not available, Solar Sippers Corporation offers an option (see their letter on page 10). Carol Bracewell shared an article discussing some tricks for winter’s challenges in the February/ March 2008 issue of Backyard Poultry. You can read them on them online at the Backyard Poultry website’s library, www.back- yardpoultrymag.com, in the “Make it Yourself” section. We also use a light bulb to keep our hens laying through the winter. Naturally, most hens will slow down or completely stop laying when there are less than 14 hours of light per day. To keep the eggs coming, we simply extend the length of time there is light in the coop, using a timer. Ours is set to turn on the light early in the morning, shutting it off during the day’s natural light, to total 15 hours of light. We choose to use the lighting in the morning so it doesn’t confuse our hens when they expect to roost as nightfall comes around. Always use caution when using any electricity in a coop, making sure there is no chance of fire. 6 Backyard Poultry Fee ily. d them like they’re your fam Nutrena® NatureWise®. Because good nutrition matters for them too. You want to provide the best care possible for your poultry. The best choice for natural, optimum nutrition is found in NatureWise® feeds. Backed by 85 years of world-class poultry expertise, you can count on NatureWise® feeds to nourish your ock. NatureWise®.