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

Prepare Your Flock for Winter

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...... FAMILY OWNED AND See How It Works @ OPERATED. KEEPING www.niteguard.com YOU SAFE SINCE 1997...... 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 [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 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 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: 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 “Tour de France” ...... 64 4 Backyard Poultry October/November 2011 www.backyardpoultrymag.com 5 Fr o m Th e Ed i t o r : Poultry Needs in Harsh Weather

El a i n e Be l a n g e r 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 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®. Feeding your fl ock. Feeding your family.

For more information about NatureWise ® visit www.NutrenaNatureWise.com October/November 2011 www.backyardpoultrymag.com©2011 Cargill, Incorporated. All Rights Reserved. 7

Nutrena NatureWise Hen Ad Client: Cargill Animal Nutrition Agency: Boost, Inc. Publication: Backyard Poultry Insertion Date: August/September 2011 Trim Size: 8.25 x 10.875” Color: CMYK with full bleed Le t t e r s : Do you have something to crow about? We want to hear from you. Send questions, comments, opinions, advice, coming events, etc. to: Backyard Poultry Editor, 145 Industrial Dr., Medford, WI 54451 or e-mail: [email protected]

Bucket List Includes Chickens The last thing on our bucket list at retirement was to acquire chickens for their wonderful fresh eggs. The first thing we did was subscribe to Backyard Poultry, which turned out to be the smartest and most entertaining thing we did in this endeavor. With the help and ideas from friends with chickens, we came up with the following housing plan: We started with a 20 x 20 foot steel pipe frame with a metal roof. We used 2" x 4" horse wire, 4 feet tall, wrapped around the frame twice to reach 8 feet in height. With temperatures in Texas soaring over 100° for more than 70 consecutive days this We dug a 6 inch wide x 1 foot deep ditch summer, the hens must really appreciate being able to lay eggs outside. A convenient completely around the pen and filled it collection method, too. Grandson Regan Smith was very fascinated with the flock and with cement to keep the varmints from helping with chores. digging under the pen. After completion of the pen, we built an 8 x 6 foot hen house magazine and your subscriber’s com- with the roosts inside and the nesting ments. Keep up the good work! boxes outside. We then painted the house Carolyn & Laird Moncrief in a blue and white checkered pattern Texas with farm animals, stars, and of course the Texas flag above the back window, so Hearing that owning chickens is on the hens would feel at home. someone’s bucket list is very touching, We bought 10 Buff Orpington hens of but hearing that Backyard Poultry has which two turned into roosters while we helped make it pleasurable is even better! Inexpensive roosts made from tree weren’t looking. We expect to have fresh Without the wonderful tips, stories and branches. eggs in the next week or two. In the mean- photos from all our readers, this maga- time, we enjoy just watching them grow. zine wouldn’t be as useful as it is. Mail them to the address on the top of this They are the best comedy show in town. So, readers, send us your helpful page. We can’t promise every letter will We have learned so much from your hints, fun stories and lots of photos today. be used, but we do promise they will be read and considered carefully. All communications are scanned for future use and returned to the owner, but if the item is especially precious to you, send us a copy and keep your originals. Things can, and do, get lost in the mail. See our many coop ideas beginning on page 32. — Ed.

EGGucation Program for Classroom Becomes School-Wide Lesson I was glad to read the suggestion to offer your poultry knowledge at Carolyn and Laird Moncrief built their chicken coop from a steel pipe frame. Living schools (August/September 2011, page 9, in Texas, open-air housing is a great way to raise birds. Grandsons Regan and Mason “Donate Your Eggs and Poultry Knowl- Smith help collect the eggs. edge to School or Other Organization”). 8 Backyard Poultry I recently graduated with a Bachelors in Elementary Education. During my Certified Organic, Soy-Free internship, I had to teach the life cycle to kindergartners. I had an idea to bring in Poultry Feeds my incubator and incubate eggs for the Please visit our online store at students to watch hatch and grow. We set countrysideorganics.com one turkey egg, one egg, two quail or call Kevin, Steve or Keith eggs, and four chicken eggs. The students at 888-699-7088 were amazed to see all the different eggs

CO and their sizes. At the end of the hatch, we CO Countryside ended up with one turkey poult, no duck, CO two quail, and four chicks. CO Organics I produced an educational Power- 801 2nd Street, Waynesboro, VA 22980 Point presentation with full lesson plans Monthly Delivery to Much of Virginia and named it the EGGucation cycle. Nationwide Shipping The students loved it and really became engaged in the experiment. I not only provided the incubator and the eggs, but a brooder so the students could watch the chicks grow. Well, by the time all the eggs hatched, the experiment was no longer an experi- ment. It had developed into a full-blown EGGucation course. The entire school was involved; the principal would inter- 100% washable cotton Single or double strap rupt the classrooms over the loudspeaker, With or without shoulder protector regardless of time of day, and announced Available in ve sizes the birth of each bird: “ Good morning and eight colors Learn more about our patented triple-layer students, please excuse this interruption, May protect chickens Hen Saver® hen apron at: from chicken hawks www.HenSaver.com but I would like to announce that baby 800-980-4165 chick, Chimmichanga, was just born today. Please schedule your day to visit 64”x 43”x 56” high our new addition.” Teachers K - 5 grade www.Critter-Cages.com would e-mail our class to schedule a time Critter-Cages.Com Ph. 310 832-9981 San Pedro, Ca. 90731 to bring their class and see the babies. Email [email protected] I must tell you that now it has been scheduled as a yearly event during the life cycle curriculum. I hope to continue this

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The chicks that hatched are Chimmichanga, Chick-fil-a, Phineas, and Ferb.

Dan Quail at hatch.

tradition. Just in case you are wondering, I gift the birds to families of students who want to start their own flock or to my friends who want to increase theirs. Enjoying my EGGucation, Leyda Ruiz, Florida

Kudos to Leyda and the school ad- ministration for offering such a creative and fun way for the students to learn. —Ed.

Solar Sippers Prevent Waterers from Freezing I, like John Blehm in the July/Au- gust issue of Backyard Poultry, (page 72) enjoy reading about inventions 10 Backyard Poultry October/November 2011 www.backyardpoultrymag.com 11 poultry keepers develop to earn money ens also liked to roam outdoors in all with their birds. More than that, I also weather so a portable waterer was a developed a product to make life easier must. Keeping water off their combs and for anyone raising poultry, and other wattles to prevent frostbite required a animals. splash proof covered drinker. Of course, At Happy Bird Corporation, we electric wiring of any kind was a problem wanted to heat and cool outdoor animal for busy beaks. drinking water in an environmental way For our part, over the past 25 years using insulation and the sun. Chickens we have developed the Solar Sipper needed water and we wanted to get rid of all season insulated and passive solar the heater electrical wires that seemed to drinkers for wild birds, , pets and stretch everywhere in the barnyard. Not poultry. Our best unit for poultry is the only were they in the way but if a chick Model 10011 Commercial Solar Sipper. Birds at Nevins Farm enjoying the bit into one of them, it could cause a dan- It is portable with no electric wires and commercial Solar Sipper. Photo courtesy gerous shock. Even if we used ground has three parts. First is an inner black of Tom Hollyday/Pam Nixon MSPCA. fault circuit interrupters, our vet told us one quart bowl to absorb heat and hold there could still be a small jolt. drinking water. The second part is an lucent to provide a powerful greenhouse Poultry keepers offered a few ideas outer cup which draws in sunlight and effect on the water heating. to help us. They suggested changing the insulates the inner cup. Third is the top These are made in America and drinking water often. Therefore most which protects the water from drop- you can buy one at eBay, Amazon, times it wouldn’t be able to freeze. An pings, uniquely allows the chicken to ShoptheCoop.com, MyPetchicken.com, electric heater might not be needed even drink from a center hole and serves as squirrelsandmore.com or solarsippers. for very cold temperatures especially if the primary source of passive solar heat- com. Join the water for animals chat at the coop or tractor was insulated. Chick- ing. This cover also prevents splashing Facebook page solar sipper. which can cause frostbite. With this de- Tom Hollyday, President sign the unit keeps the water clean and, Happy Bird Corporation in sunlight, can protect the water from icing to about 20°F. The double bowl Read the article, “Cheap Tricks for Win- air insulation design keeps the water ter’s Challenges” on the Backyard Poultry warmer in winter, cooler in summer. On website’s library for other waterer ideas: this commercial unit the top is also trans- www.backyardpoultrymag.com. — Ed.

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PURINA FLOCK BLOCK® The perfect supplement to your FOR LIFE O UT HERE free range or backyard flock. For more info and to locate a store near you call 1-877-718-6750 or visit us online at TractorSupply.com/Feed. ©2010 Tractor Supply Company. All Rights Reserved. Sandy used painting a mural to deal with the loss of two favorite hens. Poultry Keepers Have Deep will flap. They may lay still for a second, Feelings for Birds but will go right back to flapping. In response to the sensitive article on Now for the second method you “Death of a Hen,” (August/September, mentioned. Laying the chick in your page 39) I empathize. At 60 and having hand on its back can be done shortly never raising anything besides a “human after birth. You are right, the hens will son,” my hens are like kids to me. They draw up their legs and the roosters will have actually kissed me on the cheek stretch their legs right out straight! Don’t and cuddled toward my neck, while I know what success rates you’ve had held them away from me to prevent the with these two methods, but I would occasional accident on my shirt. guess that ours is at least 85% correct! At the maximum, I had 10 hens and Glad we didn’t have to squeeze our C now have five and the way I found to deal chicks through any of this!

M with the loss was the mural I painted. Sob- Thanks again for your interesting bing like a 10-year-old child for an hour, article and research. Y while I buried two of my favorite sweet Ann L. Stapleton, Indiana CM hens, “Courage and Chicken,” surprised MY me as to the depth of my feelings for Thanks for the additional hints on

CY these creatures. sexing chicks. Don Schrider does show Sandy Factor, California that the male will hang calmly, while the CMY females flap around. He replies: K Sexing Chicks Follow-Up Let me please start by telling you how My success rate was below 50% very much I enjoy your magazine! Thank for both methods of handling chicks to you for the information and diversity of determine sex. But glad to hear from topics. The reason I just had to write is someone for whom these methods have because of your article, “Determining Sex worked. The most successful method I in Chicks,” in June/July issue, page 18. have used for my flock is that of noticing Truly vent sexing is the best way to go, the differences in down color of male and but you really must know what you are female day-old chicks – these differences doing to avoid injuring your chicks. For being apparent for the color varieties I those of us who don’t have vent-sexing raise. If anyone else has success sexing knowledge, some of these “old wives their day-old chicks, I would be happy tales” work pretty darn good! to hear about it. I did want to let you know that the test where you hold your chick by its Hen Goes on Strike After legs, shouldn’t be done when they are Story Was Published in first born. Wait a few weeks. Then gently Backyard Poultry lay the chick on its back in the palm of My Buff Orpington Henrietta — fa- your hand, hold its two legs between your miliar to avid readers of Backyard Poul- fingers (just like you would hold a human try from “The Story of Four Chicks that infant’s legs when removing a diaper!) Became Three” (Feb/March 2011) — quit then gently lower the chick into an upside laying eggs in February when her photo down position. Let it relax! Here’s where was published. Except, that is, for one you can determine the sex. I believe you final egg on her second birthday in April, have it reversed in your article—hens will which was large and slightly bulbous at go limp and remain that way and roosters one end. She has never produced since. 14 Backyard Poultry Her Americauna and Black sisters, who were raised with her as chicks, con- tinue to produce almost daily. Is this just part of the randomness of aging? Henrietta continues to be number one in the pecking order, strong, healthy and a voracious eater. Is something else to blame? During the last six months, since a late winter molt, Henrietta has lost her wonderful orange buff color (seen in her Thanksgiving picture in 2009) and become more of a strawberry blonde (seen in picture with my son Julian taken today on the summer solstice). I’d love to know what to look out for as my hens get older. Nicholas Carlisle, California

See the health section on page 44 for information on why hens stop laying. The change in feather color could be normal as she ages, or it could be from some internal change. It’s difficult to know without some invasive testing. As long as she seems healthy, you can prob- ably enjoy her as a pet. — Ron Kean, the Answer Man.

October/November 2011 www.backyardpoultrymag.com 15 the fancy that raise pigeons for our first ever Pigeon Show. Come on out and see how your birds compare Co m i n g Ev e n t s : to other breeders. In addition to the open and junior classes, we Send your poultry-related event to: Coming Events, Backyard Poultry, will also have our second egg show. Last year was 145 Industrial Dr. Medford, WI 54451 or e-mail:byp@tds. net the first year of the egg show and it was a huge success. Eggs will be judged on exterior traits only: For additional show listings, see http://poultrybookstore.com uniformity, color, shape, shell, texture, and condition. It’s a shame we don’t see more egg competitions at poultry shows. After all, you can’t have chickens The Poultry Fanciers presents The Sussex County Poultry Fanciers Fall Show without having eggs! And eggs come in so many 2011 Fall Fowl Fest: “Warm Up for Indy in the October 22, 2011 interesting colors. There will be three classes: white, Cool Blue North!” Sussex County Fairground brown and other. Three eggs are required for each October 8-9, 2011 Augusta, submission. There will also be a new and expanded Birch Run Expo Center It is fall in Sussex County New Jersey. We would poultry sale and swap in the parking lot. Breeders Birch Run, Michigan like to invite “all” to come to our fall show, on Saturday may rent spaces outside in the parking lot for selling Show hours will be from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. October 22, 2011 at the Sussex County Fairground, birds. Don’t forget both your sale birds and show Saturday and 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Sunday. Augusta, New Jersey. We have a beautiful show hall, birds need to be NPIP tested prior to the show. The Michigan Poultry Fanciers is a not for profit with wonderful lighting, as well a great barn next door For more information or a catalog contact Kay St. organization that has been in existence since 1921. for our sale area, as well as some great food also. We Amour at [email protected] or 410-836-3753. Over 1,000 birds are expected to be entered into have a few judges pending so far for the show. We For information on the Poultry Swap and Sale, contact competition. There is no admission fee and families have some meets so far, with others pending. We will Erin Moshier at [email protected]. forms are encouraged to attend. The show is conveniently be having our famous Chinese Auction once again. and vendor application are on the MSPFA website at located right next to I-75 between Flint and Saginaw. We welcome all juniors to come and show with us. http://mdpoultryfanciers.webs.com. The Birch Run Expo Center is a beautiful facility that We will be having pigeons in the open show and as is a former hockey arena with plenty of space and well as in the juniors show. excellent lighting. If you would like to receive a show catalog Weston A. Price Foundation’s Annual We will be hosting District Meets for the Na- or have other questions, contact Arlene,@ chick- Conference tional Call Breeders Association, The International [email protected]; or call (973) 948-6451. November 11 - 13, 2011 Waterfowl Breeders Association, and the Rosecomb Sheraton Dallas Hotel Dallas, Texas Bantam Federation. Crossroads of America National Poultry Show The theme of the Weston A. Price Foundation’s Besides the Open Show competition open to all October 28-30, 2011 annual conference this year will be Wise Traditions exhibitors there will be a Junior Show, for exhibitors Indianapolis, Indiana 2011 - Mythbusters, with dozens of dynamic speak- up to 18 years of age. The Junior Show is always a The Crossroads of America Poultry Club will ers helping to separate fact from fiction in widely great learning opportunity for youth, including 4-H host an APA-ABA Joint National Poultry Show Octo- held beliefs about nutrition and health. Other wide- and FAA members. Other youth activities include ber 28-30, 2011 at the Indiana State Fairgrounds in ranging topics will include guest speaker Harvey Showmanship competition, which allows kids to Indianapolis, Indiana. All profits from the show will be Ussery’s full-day program: “The Small-Scale Poultry test their knowledge of poultry and handling skills. donated to the APA-ABA Youth Program. Flock: An All-Natural Approach to Raising Chickens There will be a sale bird area and Victor Hakes Our goal is to have 10,000 birds at this show and Other Fowl for Home and Market Growers,” of Twin City Poultry Supply is scheduled to be in and we will have plenty of space. The building has attendance. and many more fabulous sessions by more than 30 171,000 sq. ft. speakers. Details at www.westonaprice.org. For more information visit the website: www. This is a three-day show. Judging starts at 9:00 fowlfest.org or contact Assistant Show Superin- a.m. Friday morning and birds will be released at The American Livestock Breeds tendent, Matt Boensch: [email protected] or around 11:00 a.m. Sunday. 989-529-7030. Conservancy’s 29th Annual Conference We are also planning a raffle—we won’t need November 11-12, 2011 the raffle items until you come to the show. We are Sedgwick County Zoo Uniontown Poultry Association 2011 Fall also planning a bird auction. Poultry Show Wichita, Kansas Come join the fun at “America’s National.” For ALBC will present its 29th Annual Conference October 15-16, 2001 information, visit www.crohio. com/crossroads/ or Fayette County Fairgrounds at the Sedgwick County Zoo in Wichita, Kansas, contact Dave Wulff, 943 North My Lane, Conners- Dunbar, Pennsylvania November 11-12, 2011.The two-day conference ville, IN 47331-8217; 765-825-0621; E-mail info@ Join us for our biggest event of the year! Our will explore rare breed conservation, from rare poultrypress.com. Fall Poultry Show is a two-day extravaganza of breed censusing, to and product poultry exhibition and events. We will have one marketing. The conference will begin with half-day, show on Saturday the 15th and one on Sunday Northeast Organic Farming Association’s The pre-conference clinics, followed by a full day of the 16th, each running from 7:00 a.m. to 1:00 Modern Homestead Seminar concurrent workshops, presentations and discus- p.m. Sunday’s show will also feature a “Chinese November 4 - 5, 2011 sions. Auction,” concession stand, prize drawings, and Barre Congregational Church Educational sessions are geared towards a a poultry and small stock buy-sell-trade. Our Barre, Massachusetts variety of audiences including farmers, food afi- buy-sell-trades are one of the largest in the area, Northeast Organic Farming Association will cionados, agricultural educators, historians, chefs, and together with the show, it makes for a great sponsor a two-day seminar, The Modern Homestead, conservationists and others interested in the topics family activity. with guest speaker Harvey Ussery. We will explore a of farming, biodiversity and sustainability. Our shows feature both standard and bantam broad range of topics—from soil care to dealing with Pre-conference clinics on Friday are offered chickens, waterfowl, turkeys, and other poultry. insects to incorporation of livestock—of interest to both morning and afternoon. The conference will Rabbits and pigeons are also exhibited. Exhibitors both ambitious homesteaders and small farmers. The officially begin Friday evening with a rare breed come from all over western Pennsylvania, as well focus at every point will be grounding our practices in dinner from 5:30pm - 8:00pm at the Hilton Wichita as Ohio and West Virginia. At the buy-sell-trade the broader ecological context. Details can be found Airport Executive Conference Center. Saturday’s on the 16th, visitors can purchase poultry, rabbits at www.nofamass.org or call (978) 355-2853. full-day conference is from 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. and other small animals, farm produce and honey, Complete conference details and registration can tools, cages, fencing, pet and poultry supplies, and be found on the ALBC web site: www.albc-usa.org household items. Noncommercial vendors at the Maryland State Poultry Fanciers or contact Jennifer Kendall at 919-542-5704. buy-sell-trade can set up a table without a fee. There Association’s (MSPFA) Annual Fall Show are restrooms and plenty of free parking. Admission November 5-6, 2011 Ohio National Poultry Show to the Poultry Show and the buy-sell-trade is only Frederick Fairgrounds November 12-13, 2011 $2 per vehicle. Frederick, Maryland Ohio State Fairgrounds This is an APA/ABA double sanctioned show. Reserve the dates of November 5 & 6 for the Columbus, Ohio If you are interested in showing your Maryland State Poultry Fanciers Association’s Everyone at the Ohio National is working hard poultry or rabbits, you can get more information (MSPFA) annual fall show in Frederick, Maryland. and looking forward to hosting one of the largest about entries and download the show catalog at our The show is in the poultry building at the Frederick poultry shows in the United Sates on November 12- website: www.uniontownpoultry.com. If you have any Fairgrounds. It’s going to be an exciting show! Last 13, 2011. The Ohio National hosts the largest youth questions, you may also contact our club secretary, year we had over 1100 entries drawing from Ohio, show in North America.There will be seminars that Steve Stanish, at (724) 439-5253. Visit our Facebook Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Virginia, West Virginia, are attended by young and old, and showmanship group page for photos from previous shows and for Delaware, North Carolina and of course, Maryland. for every age from pee-wee to 18. There is a large updates on this and other events. Plus this year we are partnering up with our friends in traders’ area with many birds for sale. 16 Backyard Poultry With a line-up of the top judges in the country, holding their 20th annual open poultry show in through Wednesday, March 7th, they will be sure to give the best look at every College Station Texas on January 7, 2012. It 2012 in Janesville, Wisconsin. exhibitor’s poultry. will be in the Louis Pierce Pavilion on the Texas Save the date! Schedule for the show is: Friday, November 11 A&M campus. This is one of the best show Seminar cost is $450 per open 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. for cooping in, Satur- around offering great lighting, is climate attendee and includes a full farm day, November 12: Hall opens at 7:00 a.m., judging controlled, has stadium seating and ample room tour, many presentations from begins at 9:00 a.m., showhall closes at 6:00 p.m. so all birds are single decked. industry experts, hands-on necropsy Sunday, November 13: Hall opens at 7:00 a.m. Final Our judges will be Steven Beaty, New Mexico, labs, an extensive question and answer judging of champions is at 9:30, Awards Ceremony Jim Cain, Louisiana, Steve Jones, Texas and Robert session, lunches and dinners that allow time is at 10:00 a.m. and dismissal follows. Chapman, Texas. to socialize. On average our seminar receives 75- If you are attending the show as a visitor, This year our Junior show will be organized by 100 attendees from the U.S. to the U.K. Saturday is the day to be there. Sunday is awards the Fancy Feathers 4-H Club. The BVPC is very Sign up at www.pheasant.com/seminar or contact and birds (and owners) are then released, usually excited about this partnership with the FF 4-H club Mary Phalen at 608-314-3448; e-mail: m.phalen@ by 10:30 a.m. and we see great things coming from this. pheasant.com; MacFarlane Pheasants, Inc., 2821 S Visit the Ohio National website at www.ohion- We will also include a Pigeon show and a Back- US Hwy 51, Janesville,WI 53546; Ph: 800-345-8348; ational.org and join our e-mail list to get the most yard show—as you can see we will have something www.pheasant.com. up-to-date information. As always you can e-mail or for everybody. phone us if you have any questions: Eric Markley, As usual we will have our World Class raffle Secretary, e-mail: [email protected]. and Silent Auction, plus a concession stand. Our silent auction always has great breeding stock 2011 Acres U.S.A. Conference from some of the best breeders in Texas. We hope December 8-10, 2011 y’all can make it, admission is free for those who Coop Hyatt Regency just want to visit. Heaters Columbus, Ohio For more information and updates, visit our The annual Acres U.S.A. conference offers cut- website at Bluebonnetclassic.com or contact show ting-edge technology and methods in eco-farming. secretary Claudia Choate at 512-273-2010. Events include a pre-conference study, seminars & workshops from leading authorities and practitioners Chicken Coop Heating Solutions of ecological including Harvey Ussery Pet Chicken Products and many more. Eco-Consultants’ Hall is staffed by Solar Water Bowls dedicated consultants in eco-agriculture and trade Get Ready for Winter now! show exhibits. Learn more at www.acresusa.com/ www.shopthecoop.com events or call 512-892-4400. MacFarlane Pheasants Brazos Valley Poultry Club Bluebonnet Classic 8th Biannual Seminar January 7, 2012 March 4 - 7, 2012 Louis Pierce Pavilion on the Texas A&M Janesville, Wisconsin campus MacFarlane Pheasants, Inc., North America’s College Station, Texas largest pheasant producer, announces it’s 8th The Brazos Valley Poultry Club (BVPC) is Biannual Seminar will be held Sunday, March 4

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October/November 2011 www.backyardpoultrymag.com 17 Sh o w Ne w s : What to Expect at Your First Poultry Show

With the big fall show season ramping do. The first is to determine the date and up, this is a great time to consider show- location of the show you want to attend. ing your birds. See the Coming Events An easy way to find out info about poultry pages 16-17 to find poultry shows in shows is to search online, ask a 4-H leader, your area. — Ed. or you might want to consider a subscrip- tion to The Poultry Press, a publication La u r a Ha g g a r t y that focuses on the poultry show world, and has dates and places of shows. Ke n t u c k y Allie (left) and Colleen Haggarty, dressed Once you figure out which show you for Showmanship at the Delmarva oing to your first poultry show want to go to, you need to obtain an entry Poultry show. Photos courtesy of Laura can be exciting, but somewhat form and/or show catalog. The entry Haggarty. nerve-wracking. What am I sup- form is key, you need to fill it out fully posedG to do? How do I “show” a chick- and have it back before the deadline so testing program (which varies from state en anyway? Where do I go, and when? that the show secretary can determine to state), which will fall under the State What do I do when I get there? What how many birds will be at the show, and Veterinarian’s Office. You will need to will the judge do/say/think about my make cage cards for them all. call your State Vet several weeks before birds? So let’s say you’ve filled in your entry the show date to find out what you have Believe me, it seems complicated at form, sent it off, and it’s the day before the to do to have your birds blood tested first, but it’s really easy once you know show. Some shows are one-day shows, before the show. Once you’ve had that the routine, and it is a lot of fun! Chicken others are two-day shows. For a two-day done the paperwork is usually good for people are great to show with, and chick- show I recommend making a hotel reser- between 30 to 90 days, so should serve en shows are much easier than almost vation. (For larger shows it’s important you for the upcoming shows. any other kind of animal show. All you to do this well in advance, as hotels can Ok, you’ve got your paperwork done have to do is get your bird in the cage, the get filled up!) For a one-day show you (entries, health forms), got your birds judges and clerks do the rest! But there’s might want to drive there early on the prepped and packed up, and are off to the a lot of preparation to do beforehand, and day of, but be sure to leave yourself plenty show. Once you arrive, what then? First in this article I’ll try to walk you through of time to “coop in” your birds. (Coop in thing to do is check in with the show what you need to do. simply means to put them in their cages secretary. They will have a list of ex- A lot of what you have to do before and ensure they are ready to show.) hibitors, each with their own number. This a show is prep work, and it has to start Before you leave, be sure to grab your number will tell you where to put your long before the show itself (and it would health forms. Most poultry shows re- birds. Get your number, and then locate take a whole separate article to cover the quire entrants to be tested for Pullorum/ your cages. Cages are set up according to things you need to do.) But even before Typhoid, and some require testing for Classes (American, Continental, English you’ve gotten your birds conditioned and Avian Influenza as well. That info will be etc. for Large Fowl; Single Comb Clean prepped, there are some things you need to in the show catalog. Most states have a Legged, Feather Legged and so on for Bantams.) Once you find the Class in which your bird belongs, you’ll see the Breeds (, Silkie, Buckeye, and so on.) Breeds are broken down further by gender: Cock, Hen, Cockerel, Pullet. So look for the cages that have your number on them, in the genders and breeds and classes for each of your birds. Note that some shows require leg bands on each bird, and they list the leg band number on the specific cage, others just designate exhibi- tor numbers and let you decide in which cage to put your specific bird. Once you’ve figured out which cages to put your birds into, there are a couple Poultry shows can be very small, with less than 100 birds entered, or huge, such as the of things to do before you pop them in 2006 Crossroads of America show, with bird entries of more than 10,000. there. Make sure there are enough shav- 18 Backyard Poultry Learn More About Showing Poultry Youth can get involved in poultry shows by contacting your local 4-H group, the county fair office or by visiting the APA/ABA Youth Program website at www.apa-abayouthpro- gramsite.org. You can also write to the program’ National Director/Coordina- tor: Doris Robinson, APA-ABA Youth Poultry Club, 810 Sweetwater Rd., Philadelphia, TN 37846. A complete article on preparing birds for showing can be found on the Backyard Poultry Website Library at www.backyardpoultrymag.com.

ings in each cage, most shows are very A group of 4-H youth at the Grant County Fair poultry show. Showing takes generous with shavings, but it isn’t a work and preparation, but offers plenty of fun as well. bad idea to bring a bale of your own just in case you’d like to put some more in. (This is especially important for feather- legged breeds.) You will see water cups in each cage, and again, it’s a good idea to bring some extras, as you may wish to put feed in one cup (rather than scatter it on the floor) and water in another. This is more important for two-day shows than one-day shows. (It’s best not to give birds too much food to eat before show- ing, having a full crop ruins the look of a sleek, show-ready bird. So hold off on food before judging at a one day show, and give small amounts the night before a two-day show.) Bringing your own food and water is always a good idea. Some caveats about cooping in: it is considered bad form (and against ABA/APA rules) to enhance the cages your birds are in so as to distinguish your A Dutch Bantam in a show cage. Birds don’t naturally look this spectacular… birds from other people’s birds. So don’t write your name on any cage cups, don’ t put up opaque barriers between your birds and those next to them . Clear plas- tic can be used, but it’s important that the judge can look down the aisle and see all the birds. It is never ok to bring birds that are sick or have parasites to a show, it’s not fair to other exhibitors, and you may wind up having to remove your birds and go home if the show superintendent or judges discover it. Once your cages are set up, take each bird out and look it over before putting it …To look this good, they are cleaned in the cage. Check its feet for dirt, give and fluffed as part of the preparation its feathers a going over with a clean for showing. Learn more about cloth (some folks use silk to shine their preparing birds for showing at the birds up well), inspect its eyes and nose APA/ABA Youth Program website: and beak and toenails and vent to be sure www.apa-abayouthprogramsite.org. October/November 2011 www.backyardpoultrymag.com 19 everything is perfect before judging. Then As s o c i a t i o n Ne w s : when you’re sure the bird is ready to go, pop it in the cage, and go onto the next. When all the birds are cooped in and wa- News from the tered, your work for now is done! Go find a American Bantam Association cup of coffee or a cold drink amd introduce yourself to some other exhibitors. Most applies to ABA Newsletters. Thanks to Ka r e n Un r a t h , Se c r e t a r y poultry show people are very nice and wel- all who have joined this group. Every coming to new exhibitors. For now until Am e r i c a n Ba n t a m As s o c i a t i o n little bit that we do to help adds up in judging is done, there’s nothing else for PO Bo x 127, Au g u s t a , NJ 07822 a big way. you to do. Most judges prefer that exhibi- w w w .b a n t a m c l u b .c o m The Summer 2011 Quarterly has lots tors stay clear of the aisles in which they of news and information in it. It was are judging, so as not to distract them. he 2011 yearbook is in the hopper. mailed with the yearbook. Please do The mailing was in August and not forget to take a look at it. It contains Laura Haggarty has been working you should have already received information on legbands, our upcom- Tyours. Many thanks goes to the member- with poultry since 2000. She and her ing National Meet at the Crossroads of family live on a farm in the Bluegrass ship for their support of this year’s book. America show, upcoming 2012 National region of Kentucky, along with their Laura Haggarty and I worked a better Meet bid information, and other new of- horses, goats, and chickens. She is a Life part of our summer on this project. Let’s ferings for you. Member of the ABA and the APA. Laura use this wonderful resource to promote What is happening at the National blogs at farmwifesdiary.blogspot.com/. our hobby in a productive way. Meet? Lots. We are planning to host three Visit their website at www.pathfinders- We (the ABA — which means you) Qualifying meets at this show for: (1) farm.com. are still working on the 3,000 member Splash Modern Game; (2) Blue Tailed To learn more about the American goal. Today the number is holding at White Japanese; (3) Blue Fawn Call Duck. Bantam Association, visit: www.bantam- 2,444, not bad, but certainly not 3,000. In The proposed descriptions are printed in club.com; write: P.O. Box 127, Augusta, a tough economy, it is a stretch, but based the Summer 2011 Quarterly. NJ 07822; call 973- 383-8633 or see their on the support of the yearbook, I think We also hope to have available at ad on page 37. we can do it. So please help us make this the Crossroads the 2011 Edition of our happen because we have lots of ideas for Bantam Standard. This is the first revi- the ABA, but without a healthy base, it sion since 2006 and has lots of new va- is difficult to bring them to reality. Let’s rieties added as well as some additional all do our part by inviting a new fancier portraits. A vital breeder and showroom into the club. You will be amazed at the tool , this will be available in both regular results if everyone does this. and mini versions. Postage is a major expense to the Our Breeders Auction will once again ABA and every other club. Another be a main event at the Crossroads show. The way you can help save on expenses is offerings have been posted in the quarterly by using the “Go Green” approach. By as well as the premium list of the meet. sending an e-mail to the ABA at Fancy- Please check our website for updates on [email protected] telling me this event. We anticipate some outstanding to add you to the Green List, you will birds for auction. Thank you to the devoted help the ABA save postage and print- ABA members who give for this cause. We ing. We will send all newsletters to you appreciate you very much! electronically in a pdf file. This only The ABA has a new item available: Euro decals. Here is an example:

They sell for $4.00 postpaid. To order yours, send $4.00 per decal to ABA, PO Box 127, Augusta, NJ 07822 or order online at www.bantamclub.com. For now I must go and prepare for the big event. I hope to see you all at the Crossroads show in October. 20 Backyard Poultry Foy's Nesting Box - Foy's nesting box is as simple as it gets and Chicken Nesting Box - Fully assembled, simple, Wood Poultry Nest - Many people choose to make their own chick- economical nesting box. Sit on the floor or may en nest, but there are folks like me who do not have the time, tools wall. We offer Foy's Nesting Box in theree sizes, but we will be glad to be attached to the wall using the pre-drilled holes. quote you a cost for a size to meet any need. These are shipped fully 11 3/4" x 12 3/4" x 12 3/4" high. Custom sizes quality pine and exterior grade plywood construction. You may assembled. All side walls are 1/2" top, bottom and front are available. choose to paint, but most use in the plain wood. A removable bottom for cleaning and a fold up perch to close off the nest when you want 3/16" and the rear piece is 1/4". The exterior is sanded smooth and #2031 Chicken Nesting Box $5.95 #2032 Chicken Nesting Box 3 for 15.95 should you decide to paint it, you need no prep work. The board in Available in one, two, four and six hole units. All four sizes are 11 the front is 3 1/2" high. Custom sizes available. 1/4" front to back and the entrance holes are 11 1/4" wide. Special Chicken Nesting Box sizes available, call for quote. #3104 Foy's Nest Box Single $14.95 (12" x 12" x 12") #3083 Wood Poultry Nest - One hole $32.95 #3105 Foy's Nest Box Double 25.95 #3084 Wood Poultry Nest - Two hole 49.95 (24" x 12" x 12") #3085 Wood Poultry Nest - Four hole 74.95 #3106 Foy's Nest Box Triple 36.95 #3090 Wood Poultry Nest - Six hole 99.95 (36" x 12" x 12") Wood Poultry Nest Foy’s Nesting Box

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October/November 2011 www.backyardpoultrymag.com 21 SPPA Annual Meeting at Crossroads Poultry Show October 28-30, 2011

to migrate to a local restaurant for food show, the SPPA National Meet is spread Dr. Ch a r l e s R.H. Ev e r e t t and fellowship. out over the entire show hall. A list of SPPA Se c r e t a r y /Tr e a s u r e r Awards will be given by the Soci- your birds or copy of your entry form i c k a t t s d 1057 N W R . ety to members showing Old and Rare is essential for judging the birds. Only Lu g off , SC 29078 Breeds in the following classes: Goose, birds listed as both “old” and “rare” on w w w .f e a t h e r s i t e .c o m /Po u l t r y / Duck, Turkey, Large Fowl Classes in: the 2008 Critical List will qualify for SPPA/SPPA.h t m l American, English, Mediterranean, Asi- judging. The 2008 Critical List is located atic, Continental, AOSB, and Bantams. at http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/ he Society for the Preservation The coveted Breeders Award for Excel- SPPA/SPPA08Crit.html. of Poultry Antiquities (SPPA) lence will also be given to the member The sales area at the Crossroads Twill hold their Annual Meeting with the best Display or Trio. Monetary Show is an excellent place to find quality and National Meet at the Crossroads and other types of wards are arriving on old and rare breeds for purchase. If you Poultry Show in Indianapolis, Indiana a weekly basis. The Society expects to have been looking for that extremely on October 28-30, 2011. This looks to award hundreds of dollars to exhibiting rare bird, there is a good chance it will be shaping up to be quite a weekend. members. be available for purchase at this his- There will be officers and members at Upon arrival at the Crossroads Show, toric show. For more information on the the SPPA table during the entire show. all members are requested to come by the Crossroads Show go to: http://web.mac. These folks will be available to help an- SPPA table and check in for this National com/rbennett57/Crossroads_of_Ameri- swer your questions concerning all type Meet. Each member will be expected to ca/Crossroads_of_America.html. For in- of fowl. Every evening, just before the provide a list of the birds they are show- formation concerning the SPPA National closing of the building, members are ing and will be shown how to compete Meet or membership please contact me encouraged to gather at the SPPA table for the awards. Unlike other meets at the at [email protected].

22 Backyard Poultry October/November 2011 www.backyardpoultrymag.com 23 Fl o c k Ca r e : Preparing the Flock for Winter

Ha r v e y Us s e r y elsewhere on the landscape that creates “When Life Gives You Lemons…” at w w w .t h e m o d e r n h o m e s t e a d .u s a lot of residual humus. http://themodernhomestead.us/article/ Note that, contra advice to thoroughly Deep-Litter-1.html. ere in the mid-Atlantic, Zone clean out old litter in the coop, I never 6b, winter means that water clean out all the litter. A major value of Ventilation Hroutinely freezes, plants are an established deep litter is that it is a I am often asked “How do you heat dormant, and days are considerably biological circus—trillions of microor- the henhouse in winter?” or “Do you shorter—and nights commensurately ganisms breaking down carbon, using insulate the coop?” Emphatically, I do longer—than in summer. Winter storms nitrogen in the poops as fuel. Why inhibit neither. In earlier winters I shut up the bring driving snow or high winds com- all that action? When I remove well bro- henhouse as tightly as I could at night, bined with brutally cold temperatures. ken down litter, I leave at least half of it but changed that practice after reading Such conditions pose challenges to in place to inoculate new litter. Fresh-Air Poultry Houses: The Classic keeping the flock happy, healthy, and I monitor the litter closely and fre- Guide to Open-Front Chicken Coops naturally fed. Fortunately, domestic quently add fresh leaves from my stock- for Healthier Poultry (a republication by fowl are pretty tough critters and can pile to prevent the nitrogen from getting Norton Creek Press of Prince T. Woods’s sail through winter with a little help out of balance with the carbon in the Modern Fresh-Air Poultry Houses, origi- from us. Let me share with you what I mix. Should that happen, generation of nally published in 1924, available from do to prepare the flock for a season that ammonia would not only waste nitrogen www.nortoncreekpress.com). Remember can be lean, mean, and cold. in the final compost (ammonia is a gas of that our poultry’s marvelous plumage

nitrogen, NH3), but would harm the birds’ makes them supremely resistant to low Housing delicate respiratory tissues. Working with temperatures, so long as they stay dry, I like to allow my birds outside as deep litter has taught me to “read” its especially when harsh winds kick up. much as I can, even in winter. However, condition and to add fresh leaves before Consider as well that both the increased they inevitably spend more time inside getting that first whiff of ammonia. manure dropped in the winter house, and during winter, if only because the nights For more on using deep litter, see the exhalations of the birds, generate a lot are so much longer, though drifted snow as well may keep them inside full-time for a week or two. Housing choices must ensure that, despite the greatest confinement they experience all year, they remain healthy, comfortable, and free from stress.

Deep Litter Since chickens do much of their pooping at night, long nights mean a heavier deposition of droppings. The best way to deal with manure in the coop is deep high-carbon litter over an earth floor. Not only is a deep litter house more wholesome for the birds, it is more pleas- ant for me—and best of all, the busily scratching chickens do most of the work of manure management. When preparing for winter, I stock- pile great mounds of oak leaves, my favorite litter material because I get them The Chicken Hilton, Harvey’s 13 x 24 foot main poultry house. In winter he blocks all free from a neighbor; they are tough windows with plywood (as shown at the extreme right), but the solid front doors remain and high in carbon, so they break down open except in the nastiest weather. Inner wire-on-frame doors can be latched closed slowly while absorbing the nitrogen from (as in the far left doorway) to confine the birds while allowing maximum airflow and large quantities of droppings; and they sunlight, or latched open to give the flock access to winter yards protected by electronet produce a compost for the garden and fencing. Photos by Harvey Ussery 24 Backyard Poultry of humidity. Trapping that moisture in- litter to scratch in provides “occupational do get low enough to freeze it, I keep one side a tight coop creates damp conditions therapy” to prevent the stress of boredom. waterer in the basement and switch it with that increase the likelihood of molds and In winter I also hang up special treats— another in the henhouse as needed. such respiratory diseases as coryza, New- mangels (fodder beets), nets of alfalfa Since anaerobic wet litter is more castle disease, and infectious bronchitis. , cabbages, and ripened seed heads of likely to support the growth of pathogens, Winter Abundant, constant air exchange keeps small grains, sunflowers, or sorghum—to the waterer I use inside the poultry house the flock much healthier than heating offer rewards for staying busy. is a five-gallon vacuum-seal waterer over the henhouse or trying to seal out cold a base with a narrow lip to minimize temperatures. Flexibility in the splashing. I monitor daily for wet spots My solution for maximum Winter Housing and scatter wet litter with a pitchfork airflow and minimum wind and wet has a Note how the division of the Hilton when necessary. lot to do with the design of the “Chicken using interior partitions, each with its My waterfowl present special chal- Hilton,” our 13 x 24 foot henhouse. It is own access to the outside, allows maxi- lenges for winter watering. When sharing divided by wire partitions into three main mum flexibility for management. It’s water with the chickens from the narrow- sections, each with a doorway in front fit- a simple matter to hang wire-on-frame lipped waterers, they do not wet the litter ted with a solid door that can be latched doors between the sections to separate excessively. However, I like my geese open and an inner door, wire mesh on subflocks, or to take the doors off their and ducks to be able to bathe, even in light wooden framing, that can either be hinges and hang them on a wall. For winter. But waterfowl are so exuberantly latched open, giving the birds access to example, management of the waterfowl messy with their water, it is almost im- the outside, or latched shut, confining is different enough from management of possible to provide even a small container them inside while protecting from preda- the chickens that it makes sense to keep for bathing without soaking the litter for tors and allowing air and sunlight into the them in separate sections, with access to yards around. Thus, just as in the warm interior. Each section has a small window separate electronetted outside. months, I restrict watering and bathing in the rear, and the ends have an addi- In late winter, it is easy to set up a sepa- of waterfowl to the outdoors. Though I tional two large windows. All windows rate section as a brooder for chicks that set up waterfowl baths of various sizes have wire mesh permanently installed to arrive in the mail. in summer, when preparing for winter deter predators. A ridge vent runs along I use the biggest stock watering tank I the entire peak of the roof. That’s my Watering have—about 125 gallons. Because of its version of lots of ventilation. The flock must never be without size, on even the coldest nights it takes When cold winds start to bite— fresh, clean water. But if the waterer a long time for ice to form, and it accu- around the end of November—I block all freezes, my birds will be as deprived of mulates to only an inch or so by morn- five windows with tightly fitted plywood. their needed drink as if I had forgotten ing. The molded black rubber absorbs The solid front doors, however, I leave to set it out. As overnight temperatures radiant heat as soon as it catches the latched open all winter, except when dip below freezing, I move the waterer morning sun, and it is easy to break the there is driving snow or temperatures in to the basement at night. In my climate, ice loose and throw it out of the tank in the teens that coincide with heavy winds. it is rare that the waterer freezes during sheets. Unlike in summer, there is little (During the entire last winter, I shut the the day, but when daytime temperatures algal growth in the cold temperatures outer doors only half a dozen nights.) The result is a pocket of still air in the roosting area which protects the sleeping birds from the direct blast of cold winds and from getting wet—combined with maximum ventilation that keeps the air fresh and the litter dry. See Don Schrider’s “Want Healthy Birds? Give Them Fresh Air!” on page 32 for a real-world example of an even more radical approach to fresh-air winter housing.

Keeping Them Happy The key to health and productivity is keeping the birds happy. First and fore- most that requires giving them plenty of space. Even before my fall , the five dozen birds in my current flock enjoy an average of five square feet each when Harvey’s ducks and geese bathe year-round in stock watering tubs and tanks of various confined to the henhouse. After culling, sizes, fitted with hoses approved for drinking water and float-operated shutoff valves. that will increase to nine square feet. In winter he uses this one—at 125 gallons or so—the largest he owns—to minimize ice Busy birds are happy birds. A deep accumulation. He removes the valve to prevent damage from freezing. October/November 2011 www.backyardpoultrymag.com 25 tied to reduced day length, a common composition is a balancing act—it can practice is to fool the hens into thinking be especially tricky minimizing flock that longer days have returned by using size for the lean season while ensuring supplemental lighting. Though I do not sufficient egg supply—so let me review manipulate apparent day length in this the coming fall culling to illustrate how way, I think it’s okay to do so in a well I think through its complexities. managed, well fed, and healthy flock. I slaughter all my waterfowl except Supplemental lighting—a 25-watt bulb is for the few I’ve selected as breeders, sufficient—should be on a timer, set for usually in the week before Thanksgiv- a minimum of 14 hours of total apparent ing. I currently have 15 Silver Appleyard daylight, and set to come on in the wee ducks, and will slaughter all of them hours of the morning rather than to turn except five breeders for next spring, two off after dark (which would catch the drakes and three ducks. hens unaware and prevent their finding Fall is the time to cull both cocks not their way to the roosts). needed for the next breeding season and My preferred means for dealing with less productive hens, as this year’s pullets the decline in production is first of all start taking over the job of providing our to plan ahead on breed choice—breeds egg supply. I presently have 17 old hens such as Rhode Island Red, Delaware, and one Old English Game cock, most of Faverolle, Plymouth Rock, and Sussex whom I will dedicate to Ellen’s stockpot. A frost-free hydrant is convenient for have a reputation for maintaining their (See “Ellen’s Fabulous Chicken Broth” watering in winter. When the handle is in egg production better in winter. A major at http://themodernhomestead.us/article/ the off position, linkage through the supply pipe opens a bleed valve at its bottom, well reason I chose New Hampshires early Chicken+Broth.html.) Note, however, below frost level. Water drains through this year to become my foundation layer that four of those 17 hens have distin- the valve into the subsoil, leaving the pipe flock is that New Hampshires were bred guished themselves as broodies, and I empty and in no danger of bursting in to be good winter layers. I also do all I can will retain them for mothering duties next freezing temperatures. to ensure adequate protein in the winter spring. (For more on using natural moth- diet. Feathers are almost pure protein, so ers, see “Working with Broody Hens” at and it is necessary to clean the tank only replacing them all requires a lot of dietary http://themodernhomestead.us/article/ infrequently. Though in summer I keep protein. Planning ahead to ensure sources Broody-Hens-1.html.) the duck bath filled automatically, using of extra live animal foods (as discussed In early spring I started a group of 75 a float-operated shutoff valve, I take the below) is my way of helping the birds New Hampshires. Selection of “keepers” valve off in winter to prevent damage reduce molting time. so far has brought that number down to 18 from freezing. Occasionally I replace Fat hens do not lay well. Though they pullets and 10 cockerels. I will retain all the water lost in the discarded ice, draw- need plenty of dietary energy to meet the 18 of the pullets, both as the foundation of ing from a frost-free hydrant outside the challenges of winter, too much energy, the laying flock and to ensure sufficient poultry house. especially in the form of excessive feed- genetic diversity for spring breeding. I ing of corn, will result in putting on too will cull four more of the cockerels, to Managing Winter Laying much fat. Lots of exercise and access to end with six for use in an improvement There are a couple of things I do not natural foods will help keep fat deposi- breeding project. do in preparation for winter. I know there tion at healthy levels. I’ll retain as well a couple of guineas, will be a natural decline in egg produc- for squash bug control next summer. In tion, brought on in part by the annual Dollars and Cents all, I’ll reduce my current mixed flock of molt in fall or early winter, and in part As much as possible, I feed my flocks 63 to a mission-capable minimum of 34 by decreasing day length. In the poultry natural foods which I either grow for to carry through the winter. industry, cruel and inhumane measures them or they forage for themselves. But (complete witholding of food or feeding in winter green plants are dormant and Winter Feeding of nutritionally deficient feeds for periods there’s not an insect in sight. Conse- I avoid free-choice feeding in the ranging from 5 - 21 days, briefer periods quently my strategies for keeping costs winter coop—that’s an open invitation to of witholding water, light manipulation, down revolve around the questions: my rodent friends to “be fruitful and mul- feeding of drugs, hormones, and metals What natural foods are available to feed tiply” while gobbling up expensive feed. such as dietary aluminum and zinc) are in winter? How many birds am I going If I feed inside, I feed only in amounts used to force laying chickens to molt in a to feed? the birds will thoroughly clean up before hurry and get back to the business of egg nightfall. I prefer to feed outside, in the laying. Though somewhat less extreme Culling for Winter winter yard described below. methods of force-molting are sometimes My final fall culling is the most criti- Giving the flock maximum access proposed for home flocks, there will cal of the year—it doesn’t make sense to to green plants of all sorts, wild seeds, never be any such “shock and awe” in carry birds through winter who are not insects, slugs, and earthworms is just my winter layer house. essential for immediate production needs good sense, both for the savings on feed Since the decline in production is and plans for next year. As always, flock costs and because live natural foods are 26 Backyard Poultry nutritionally superior to anything we can offer from a bag. Though such foods are more abundant and more readily avail- able in the growing season than in the iron grip of winter, by planning ahead I ensure that my flock continues to enjoy live foods. Dandelion and yellow dock make especially useful green forage, since in my climate they stay green deeper into winter than any other wild plant. I dig them by the roots and throw them to the flock by the bucketful. I reserve space in my two gardens for crops for the flock: amaranth, sunflowers, field corn, and sorghum. As they ripen, I feed them as a partial substitute for the feed grains I buy, and tie some of the seed heads from the rafters of the henhouse for feeding deeper into the winter. I grow more cover crops every year, and those that mature seeds at the end of the growing season—cowpeas, buckwheat, various millets—I also cut and feed. I don’t bother sprouting for the flock during the green season, but with the coming of cold weather I set up my sprouting buckets (see “Sprouting to Enhance Poultry Feeds” at http://themod- ernhomestead.us/article/Sprouting.html) and sprouting trays to generate fresh fare Subscribe or Renew Today! that is high in enzymes and vitamins. As soon as I harvest crops in the late Backyard Poultry summer and early fall, I immediately plant cover crops to feed and protect my The only magazine in America that celebrates the whole soil over winter. The result is an abun- chicken (and other fowl)—for its beauty, its interest, its dance of standing green forage in almost service to humanity as well as gastronomically. Backyard all my garden beds which I can cut to feed Poultry salutes the whole chicken in all its wondrous forms and colors. Yes, it covers breeds, housing and the flock—winter peas, small grains such management—everything you’d expect to find in a as rye, wheat, and oats, and crucifers such professionally-produced magazine dedicated to poultry, as mustards, rape, kale, and forage radish. and more! All of these are cold hardy enough to last deep into late fall and winter. When the Every aspect of poultry-keeping you can think of ground freezes into the root zone, the (and some that will surprise and delight you!) oats and most of the crucifers die. Rye Chickens, water- fowl, turkeys, guineas… if you now have a small flock, intend to purchase and wheat go dormant, but my fall cover one, or ever dreamed of having some of these birds grace your backyard, start or renew cropping ends with so much of them “in your subscription today! the bank,” I can continue making daily cuttings from them through the winter. 3 Start my subscription to Backyard Poultry. m 1 full year $21 (6 issues) In late summer I sow the same sort Yes! m of mix in an area beside the henhouse to 2 years, $35 (Save $7.00!) become winter grazing for my waterfowl. Name______Though this cover will be dormant in the heart of winter, it will be alive and Address______green. Given the plot’s size, close to City, State, Zip______3,000 square feet, and the low numbers of waterfowl I graze on it, I can give them Mail to: Backyard Poultry, 145 Industrial Dr., Medford, WI 54451 continuous access without destroying the planting. I even release the chickens on or call toll-free: 800-551-5691 • www.backyardpoultrymag.com it once a week or so, but only in the late October/November 2011 www.backyardpoultrymag.com 27 All poultry, including Harvey’s chickens and Freedom Ranger Appleyard ducks, enjoy the benefits of fresh sprouts in Color Chicks cold weather, when other greens aren’t as abundant. ~ Freedom Rangers~ are specially suited for full pasturing, free range, organic certified, backyard, etc. To order Freedom Rangers, call Kendall at 717-336-4878 or visit www.freedomrangerhatchery.com Guineas are fast grow- ing, suitable for backyard growers who afternoon, to limit the time in which they homesteading effort into a single inte- want to control ticks could wear the sod. grated whole, and there could be no better and for those who Flocksters interested in experiment- example than the exercise yard I provide would want to use them ing with cover cropping strategies should my flock in winter. as a meat bird. see “The Joys of Cover Cropping” at With the end of the pasture season, http://themodernhomestead.us/article/ I set up an electric net fence around an Cover+Cropping+Part+One.html. area to which the flock has access through During the growing season I cultivate the winter. (I am especially careful to earthworms and soldier grubs for live protect the flock during the lean months, feed. When the fly season ends, soldier remembering that predators are looking grubs are no longer available, but I feed more avidly for something to eat.) If I’m earthworms from my greenhouse ver- keeping the winter flock in the main poul- micomposting bins through the winter. try house, the yard is between its rear and The worms, together with the fresh our bit of woodlot. If they’re in the far end The muscovy is fast growing and a green foods referred to above, reduce of my 20 x 48 foot greenhouse, the yard great range duck with a lean meat that is our feed costs to half what they used to is actually one of my two garden plots. desired by many resturants. be in winter. And both egg production (See “Chooks in the Winter Greenhouse” To order Muscovy ducklings call and quality remain higher than in earlier at http://themodernhomestead.us/article/ Stephen at 717-669-0245 winters. (For more on cultivating soldier Chickens+in+Greenhouse.html.) grubs and earthworms as poultry feed, In either case, preparation of the Call or visit us online. see “Black Soldier Fly, White Magic” winter yard essentially means bring- at http://themodernhomestead.us/ar- ing the deep litter concept outside, and ticle/Black+Soldier+Fly.html and “The involves assembling as thick a layer as J.M. Hatchery Boxwood Vermicomposting System” at I can manage of organic residues—corn 178 Lowry Road http://themodernhomestead.us/article/ stalks, sweet potato vines, and other spent New Holland, PA 17557 Boxwood+Vermicomposting.html.) crop plants; autumn leaves; a final cutting of grass off the pasture; and any other 717-354-5950 A Winter Yard compostable plant debris I get my hands www.jmhatchery.com Furnishing the flock access to the on. I give the flock full-time access to outdoors is my most important prepa- this giant compost heap. Even if daytime ration for winter. I’m always trying to temperatures are quite low, as long as the pull poultry husbandry and the whole sun is shining and the wind is not sharp, 28 Backyard Poultry the deep litter inside, microbial activity produces metabolites such as vitamins

B12 and K, which the birds ingest as they pick through it. If the mulch is deep enough to prevent freezing at the soil line, they scratch through and find such high-potency live feeds as earthworms and slugs, which help make up the winter deficit of other natural foods. In contrast to the too-typical bare win- ter yard with its frozen slick of chicken poops ready to run for the sea in the next rain, the deep organic duff absorbs the droppings, preventing runoff pollution. In the process, the manure’s fertility remains in the duff, which by spring is something like a cross between mulch and finished compost—great stuff for kicking off a champion gardening season.

Harvey Ussery is the author of The In the late summer and fall, Harvey plants cover crops on every garden bed, usually the Small-Scale Poultry Flock (Chelsea same day he takes off the harvest crop. Cold hardy covers such as these mixed crucifers, Green, 2011), which contains a chapter small grains, and peas provide fresh cut greens for his flock daily, some of them through on “Managing the Winter Flock” and lots the entire winter. more information on other topics touched on in this article—watering, breeding for the birds prefer being outside. If it turns sunshine support their naturally robust breed improvement, and providing more nasty, they retreat inside. good health. natural home feeds for the flock. These are some of the many ways a As the birds work the debris field and See page 68 for a review of Harvey’s mulched yard provides for the special incorporate their droppings, it becomes new book, The Small-Scale Poultry needs of the winter flock, boosts garden more and more biologically active. As in Flock. — Ed. fertility, and protects water systems: The birds are not tightly confined and stressed by boredom, but instead spend the day exercising, exploring, and engaging in natural social behaviors— there is no better antidote to going stir- crazy in the winter. The fresh air and

A well managed vermicomposting project is great fun—and generates some of the highest quality fare we can offer our birds. Cultivated earthworms are especially valuable in winter, when fewer natural foods are available. October/November 2011 www.backyardpoultrymag.com 29 Backyard Poultry Bookstore For a complete listing of all books available from the Backyard Poultry Bookstore, visit our website at www.backyardpoultrymag.com. If you do not have Internet access, write to Bookstore Catalog Request, 145 Industrial Dr., Medford, WI 54451 or call 800-551-5691.

New Book! The Small-Scale Poultry Flock An all-natural approach to raising chickens and other fowl for home and market growers harvey ussery A comprehensive guide to whole-systems, mixed-flock poultry husbandry. Lively, thoughtful, and engaging, it is filled with essential information on basic care, housing, pasturing the flock and putting it to work, holistic health, poultry in the kitchen, and creative strategies for more home-produced feeds, including cultivated earthworms and soldier grubs. Contains detailed butchering instructions with dozens of photographs and the best guide to working with broody hens available anywhere. Author Harvey Ussery is a frequent contributor to Backyard Poultry and Countryside magazines. See page 68 for a review of this book. 416 pages, $39.95

The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Storey’s Illustrated Guide Raising Chickens to Poultry Breeds

JerOme d. Belanger carOl eKarius You’re no idiot, of course. You know there’s Gorgeous, full-color photographs of nothing like the taste of fresh, free-range eggs more than 128 birds. This definitive guide from chickens you’ve raised yourself, but includes a brief history of the breed, detailed you’re wondering if owning your own flock descriptions of identifying characteristics and of birds would be all it’s cracked up to be. In colorful photographs that celebrate the birds’ this Complete Idiot’s Guide you’ll find advice quirky personalities and charming good on locating and buying your first chickens; tips looks. If it’s fowl facts and photos you want, for buying or building the right coop; learn you’ll find them all here!278 pages, $24.95 all about eggs from conception to cooking; learn to identify normal behavior in healthy chickens and what to do when something goes wrong, and decide for yourself if raising chickens organically is right How to Raise Poultry for you. As a first-time flock owner, you have questions, this book has Everything You Need to Know the answers. 160 pages, $14.95 christine heinrichs How to Raise Chickens If you want to raise poultry—for feathers or Everything You Need to Know eggs, beauty or meat, pleasure or profit—this book is the perfect place to begin. Poultry christine heinrichs expert Christine Heinrichs lays out the dis- This book is thoroughly modern and com- tinctions between waterfowl (ducks, geese prehensive. It delivers everything the subtitle and swans), turkeys, gamebirds (peafowl, promises: “Everything you need to know— pheasants, quail and others), ratites (ostrich- Breed guide and selection—Proper care and es, emus, and rheas), and pigeons. She then healthy feeding—Building facilities and clearly details the very different requirements fencing—Showing advice.” And it’s all pre- for raising each species, from feeding and sented in the context of today’s small, back- housing to husbandry and health, to showing yard flock. How to Raise Chickens might and marketing and legal concerns. Whether you’re thinking of starting sound like a simple premise for a poultry a flock or acquiring a few feathered friends, this handy guide tells you book but this one goes way beyond the how-tos. 191 pages, $19.95 everything you need to know. 192 pages, $19.95

For the Love of Poultry For the Love of Poultry If you missed the first year of Backyard Poultry—here's your second chance. The complete collection of articles and photos from 2006 is now a book! This large 8-1/2 x 11 full-color anthology contains 320 pages featuring more than 30 writers, including renowned poultry expert and author Gail Damerow, homesteading guru Harvey Ussery, and University of Wisconsin’s top poultry specialist, Ron Kean. Enjoy reading as they share their knowledge, and be entertained by stories like Chickens in the city; Pampered poultry; Champion- ing rare and historic breeds; The world's smallest chicken; The trained chicken “Eggzibit” and much, much

A Backyard Poultry Anthology more! 320 pages, $19.95 The First Year

BY THE EDITORS OF BACKYARD POULTRY Chicken and Egg A Memoir of Suburban Homesteading with 125 Recipes

Ja n i c e Co l e Ph o t o g r a p h s By Al e x Fa r n u m

Chicken and Egg tells the story of veteran food writer Janice Cole, who, like so many other urbanites, took up the revolutionary hobby of raising chickens at home. From picking out the perfect coop to producing the mir- acle of the first egg, Cole shares her now-expert insights into the trials, triumphs, and bonds that result when human and hen live in close quarters. With 125 recipes for delicious chicken and egg dishes, poultry lovers, backyard farmers, and those contemplating taking the leap will adore this captivating illustrated memoir 256 pages, $24.95 Storey’s Guide to Storey’s Guide to Raising Ducks

Raising Chickens Da v e Ho l d e r r e a d Ga i l Da m e r o w Dave Holderread provides the information This informative book for both beginning you need to raise ducks successfully, cover- and experienced chicken owners is now ing everything from choosing the right breeds completely updated. It covers breed selec- (including rare breeds and ducks) tion, building feeders and shelters, how to breeding and rearing practices, feeding, to collect and store your eggs to maintain housing, health care, butchering, and much freshness (or hatching), maintaining good more. This thoroughly revised and updated flock health, raising broilers for meat, and edition includes coverage of more breeds showing your birds. 341 pages, $19.95 plus expanded information on facilities for ducklings, health and disease treatment, mar- keting, record keeping, color genetics, and Storey’s Guide to Raising Poultry rare breed conservation. 356 pages, $19.95 Le o n a r d S. Me r c i a The best advice on raising chickens, Storey’s Guide to turkeys, waterfowl, and game birds. Raising Turkeys Storey’s Guide to Raising Poultry is an invaluable resource for everyone Le o n a r d S. Me r c i a who raises poultry. It contains the most comprehensive and current information An invaluable resource for everyone who available on: Selecting birds for meat or raises turkeys. It contains the most cur- egg production, housing and equipment, rent information available on: Selecting home processing of eggs and poultry, the right turkey, breeding and manage- flock health, and brooding and rearing. ment, processing, and feeding and housing. 343 pages, $18.95 200 pages, $18.95

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m Check Enclosed m Charge my credit card: Shipping 3.50 ($13.50 FGN) Phone: ______& Handling $______­ Visa/MC/AmEx/Disc No.______Exp.______Subtotal $______Signature______WI Residents Add 2.50 Backyard Poultry Bookstore 5.5% sales tax $______145 Industrial Dr., Medford, WI 54451 Total Enclosed $______Call Toll-Free 800-551-5691 or Fax 715-785-7414 www.backyardpoultrymag.com October/November 2011 www.backyardpoultrymag.com 31 hOusing: Want Healthy Birds? Give Them Fresh Air! the ammonia evaporates and you can smell it in the air. Lung tissue is damaged at five parts-per-million of ammonia — our human sense of smell picks ammonia up at about 25 parts- per-million. In other words, when your chicken pen smells the fumes are already damaging the lung tissue of your chickens! To compound this issue, a tight building also tends to trap dust. Dusty air further challenges the lungs of the chickens, and the building limits the amount of exploring and moving the chickens will do. Cultivating good lung health in our chickens is a cornerstone of having a healthy flock. Paying attention to the lungs is perhaps more critical for poultry than for mammals. Keep in mind that chickens have small, relatively weak lungs. They also have nine air-sacks — hollow sections of bone that circulate air. Their bod- ies do not sweat, but rather heat is regulated by expelling moisture when they exhale. When the lungs of a chicken are challenged, the bird is much more prone to disease agents; it is no coincidence that most poultry diseases are respiratory in nature. When I designed these pens, what I was looking to do was Fresh air and exercise help chickens stay healthy and withstand to create a simple shelter that would protect the chickens from winter better than most people realize. Photos by Don Schrider harsh weather, yet give them lots of fresh air and a reason to exercise. Old research into open fronted chicken houses (pre- dOn schrider 1900, conducted in Iowa, Minnesota, and Massachusetts) influenced my thinking greatly — if birds could thrive in those virginia winters, why couldn’t Leghorns thrive in Virginia winters? I hen he first visited, my friend Harvey Ussery also was looking for a system that would allow the chicken was fascinated by the way I house my Leghorn litter to break down as if the floor was a compost heap of sorts. chickens. Since then he has encouraged me to Thus the half roof/half open format. Wwrite an article sharing my thoughts and experiences on using When you view my pens, you should think of how they Open Air pens. operate. First, the basic pen is 10 x 10 foot. Across this I have My chickens do not have a tightly closed building to protect a 5 x 10 foot roof. The purpose of a roof is to protect the birds them in winter, but rather pens with half a roof and a tarp on from rain, snow, and sleet, give the chickens a sense of security, two sides to block the wind. Most people would expect my as well as to keep out predators. Since I wanted to keep the dust Leghorns, with their large combs, to suffer frost-bite and to do levels down, I only covered half the roof to allow snow and poorly. But, in fact, they thrive in my pen system. How? rain to mix with the bedding. Next, I wanted to have plenty of First we have to understand that our animals are healthiest airflow, but wanted to break the prevailing winds and winter when we give them conditions that allow them to express their storms. So I placed a tarp to cover two of the sides of the pen. natural instincts and which imitate their natural environment as Using a tarp allows me to roll up the bottom or roll it back so much as possible. Chickens need to scratch — moving around as to cover less in the summer when more airflow is helpful. all day in search of food, kicking with their legs and exploring with their beaks. They like to get up off the ground and perch, especially at night. On hot days they seek a shady spot; on cold days they seek a spot warmed by the sun. They need to dust bathe to keep insects off their bodies and to remove dry skin. They like to have some cover. Next we have to understand what good health is for chickens and how it affects them. I actually came to understand this first with my flock of sheep. We had a friend that had no buildings for her sheep — only groves of trees and windbreaks. She had almost no health problems with her flock while some of our ewes always had runny noses in winter (pneumonia). We ran our sheep out of the barn and never had runny noses again! What made the difference? Clean air and exercise. When animals defecate in a building, ammonia is released. When there is enough carbon matter in the litter, the ammonia This simple pen was made from six sheep panels and a tarp, yet is trapped. When there is not enough carbon matter, some of chickens winter very well under its protection. 32 Backyard Poultry The tarp also provides some protection from sun. Roosts, feed- Ideal pens are not tight and heated, but rather are designed ers, and nesting boxes are placed to take best advantage of the to protect from harsh winds, excessive sun, rain, and provide combination of tarp and half-roof. some sight barriers and cover for the home flock. These pens The pens are also best oriented so that they face east. I have function beautifully in summer or winter. Notice even a always preferred south facing pens, but with only half a roof propped sheet of plywood can be used to block snow or sun. there is too little shade in the summertime. The placement al- lows me to block the winter prevailing winds (north, and west) and the evening sun (west), which in summer can be a killer. To provide more shade in summer, I also attach some shade cloth, draped a tarp from the pen in “tent-like” fashion, and even use a plywood board propped against the pen to give a hidden recess and shade. (Chickens love little hidden areas, it makes them feel safe and it helps keep pecking and fights down when the chickens can get out of another bird’s line of sight.) For bedding I use straw. At first I tried using a deep litter of straw, but found this compacts too quickly and it was too slip- pery under the chickens’ feet. Leaves worked well, but I had no place to store them once fall was over. I tried hay once, but I found hay molds too quickly for this pen style. Finally I settled on a light layer of straw mainly by happenstance. That is, I ran out of straw and could not make it out to buy more for a week. Observing the litter, I decided to wait and see what happened. Much to my joy, the remaining litter began to turn into dark, rich compost quickly. I then tried adding only a light layer of straw and found that my young birds no longer formed a hard pan of manure, and my adult birds would stir the litter beautifully every time I tossed a handful of corn into the pen. My nose also told me that there was no ammonia fumes to damage lungs. Some of you might now be wondering if these pens can protect the birds from winter – and a few might be thinking it would be kinder to provide my birds with heat. Well, the truth of the matter is that providing a heat source actually weakens the birds’ bodies, and the necessity of keeping the building closed causes a buildup of moist air, dust, and ammonia — which work together to weaken lungs. A better approach is to provide fresh air in conjunction with exercise. Please keep in mind that frostbite on the combs of chickens has more to do with moist air and poor circulation of blood than cold weather. Did you ever play in the snow? (I’d say “as a kid” but some of us still enjoy sledding, etc.) Ever notice how once you get moving you get warm? This is because your heart rate increases as you exert yourself. Thus the old adage, “Firewood warms you twice: once when your split it, and once when you burn it!” The circulatory system of the chicken is of great importance. Give them fresh air, loaded with oxygen, and a place to scratch and their bodies will become warm. In cold weather you will notice your chickens’ habits change a little. They will seek cover less often, preferring to take advan- tage of sunny spots to warm themselves — their habit being to follow the sun as the day progresses. You will see few avoiding each other – almost as if their “personal space” is now smaller. They will also hold their body feathers up a little more, trapping more warm air. When provided a small pen, chickens in winter will be very sedate. But when you add a daily scratching op- portunity and a larger pen, the chickens become more active. I would never go so far as to say that chickens are more active in winter, but healthy chickens will be more active in winter when given more space to explore. It has been a wisdom to feed chickens scratch feed toward the end of a winter day. This practice is eminently valuable for October/November 2011 www.backyardpoultrymag.com 33 three reasons: First, scratch feed is usually places to get away from each other; composed of corn, which gives fat to burn places to sun and to dust bathe. to stay warm, and often of wheat, which Try spending time in your chicken causes more heat when it is digested. pens and see if you are comfortable — if Second, tossing the scratch down in the you find them smelly, dusty, or cold, then bedding not only employs the birds in maybe you need to make a few changes. turning and freshening the bedding, but Enjoy your chickens and the compost the exercise warms them and fulfills their they produce! natural instinct and desire to scratch. Two great articles on ammonia can Lastly, a chicken that has just eaten mash be found at: http://www.aces.edu/poul- will always find more room for scratch tryventilation/documents/Nwsltr-19- feed — thus your birds will go to roost Ammonia.pdf and http://www.ziggity. with more food in them to help them com/pdf/cont/cont_article_pdf_229.pdf/ stay warm all the long winter night. This Making_chicken_paws_profitable.pdf is especially important. Consider that in winter, when more calories are needed Don Schrider is a nationally recog- to stay warm, the birds have fewer hours nized poultry breeder and expert. He has to find food and a longer dormant period written for publications such as Backyard (night). But one should still monitor the Poultry, Countryside and Small Stock body condition of the birds so as not to Journal, Mother Earth News, Poultry get them too fat. [See my article “How to Press, and the newsletter and poultry re- Get More Eggs” in April/May 2010 issue sources of the American Livestock Breeds of Backyard Poultry.] Conservancy. My pens work for me and my chick- He is currently writing a revised edi- ens because they provide the chickens tion of Storey’s Guide to Raising Turkeys with what they need: fresh air without (and welcomes all turkey comments and moisture and dust; wind breaks; shade; contacts). He can be reached at brown- protection from rain; protection from [email protected]. driving winter winds; protection from Text © Don Schrider, 2011. All rights predators; exercise; sight barriers and reserved.

O M EST ILL

D IN

G O G

M

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34 Backyard Poultry October/November 2011 www.backyardpoultrymag.com 35 windows for added security. I had read in many articles that security for the hens is so important due to wildlife preying on them. Urban Chicken So now the coop was selected and ordered. Next was lining up help for construction of the attached pen. I learned in the process Raising that there appears to be a stigma with chicken raising. Since I live on lakefront property I wanted to add a little flair to it, making it appealing yet functional. The pen is 4' x 8' with an extended roof. Being limited on space I opted to utilize the space under the coop to allow for more room for the hens. Still worried about wildlife, dirt was dug out and cage wire was laid down and rolled up and at- tached to the treated lumber sides. I chose to bring in construction grade sand for a 6" sand bed floor. Installation

On the Lake

June giBBs can visit their website at http://www.leon- nOrth carOlina ardusa.com/index.htm to view the coops The Leonard Buildings coop when it was and the various options you can get. delivered. Features June liked on this brand n December 2010, I confronted my I purchased a 4' x 6' coop to include were the slide out cleaning tray under the husband, Ben, with the idea of having options of a coated slide out tray for floor and extra wire over windows for Ilaying hens on our half-acre lakefront easier cleaning and additional wire over the added security against predation. property at Lake Gaston, North Caro- lina. With the condition of the economy I wanted to be more sustainable and yet eat healthier. Ben first frowned on the idea but I was it was something I really wanted to do so I started reading about raising chickens. For Christmas, a friend in Wisconsin sent me a subscription to Backyard Poultry, which fueled my de- termination to move forward and start on the coop project. As Ben was scheduled for surgery in February, building a coop was not an option. Nor was it an option to order in a coop that needed assembly. I needed an assembled coop that could be delivered yet allow for options that could be added. More or less it would be a custom coop. Thanks to the computer age, I found my dream chicken coop at Leonard Buildings. The back side of the coop shows the window/air vent and the slide out tray that makes They have 51 locations in five states. You cleaning a breeze. 36 Backyard Poultry With completion of the coop, and after much reading about various breeds of hens, I was off to find Rhode Island Reds. Luckily there was a source close by at the Lake Gaston Bird Farm in Henrico. I spent a wonderful day looking at all the peafowl, pheasants, quail, turkeys and a variety of chickens. I decided to start with four Rhode Island Red hens. They have been laying since coming to their new home. Happy hens with a view of Lake Gaston—life doesn‘t get much better— for the birds or for me! I wish I would have done this sooner, for it has been rewarding.

The finished coop and pen with leaf lettuce bed grown for the flock.

of a light was added along with insulation of the ceiling for the winter months. As with any construction project, there were some surprises. As the prop- erty is quite sloped I needed to add steps to access the coop. As I was now having way too much fun, I opted to stain the wood of the pen along with adding a little flower bed in front by using pre-existing landscape timbers. I then incorporated the coop/pen into the existing rose bed.

The chicken’s pop out door leads to the run, with a 6" layer of sand for additional ease in cleaning.

October/November 2011 www.backyardpoultrymag.com 37 Getting Back To Our Roots

Ch a r l e s “Ch i p ” Le w i s Vi r g i n i a

or quite a few years my wife and I had, at times, discussed getting Fchickens. We both grew up around poultry, either directly or indirectly. My grandparents had chickens on their farm Top: Chip’s daughter, Brittany, feeds when I was little, but I do not remember the current flock and reminisces about it. Like many other old farming practices, the life her ancestors lived when they they fell by the wayside when techno- too farmed with poultry. logical advances made accomplishing Chip Lewis decorated his coop with the same goal easier, cheaper, and faster. many personal items, including photos Most people get their eggs, meat, and veg- of his ancestors feeding a flock of birds etables from the grocery store. One stop on the very same farm. shopping; this way their precious time has not been hindered by any “do it yourself” projects. This is where we have decided to separate ourselves from those people. The construction of the chicken coop When we decided to finally plunge My wife and I grew up two counties unknowingly started in 2003 when we into the poultry world, we figured that apart and never knew each other until had our home built. I purchased a 10 x 16 we would use the existing space, and im- 11 years ago. Her family has owned and foot Dutch barn kit, and had a 12 x 12 foot provise this as our coop. It really worked operated a hardware and building supply concrete pad poured off of the back. On out well; not only did it cut costs, but also store for generations. My family owns a this, I placed a metal dog kennel for my took up less space than adding an entire garden center and I come from a long line Bloodhound dog, Banjo. Less than two new building to the property. of farmers and contractors. We are both years later I had to put him down due to All of the building materials came interested in the history of our families, an unknown infection, so I removed the from my in-laws‘ business, this way and we have decided to be more self suf- kennel and my buddy Ricky and I built a we could get a nice discount. I did hire ficient and do some things the way that gable roof over this pad, but left it open out the enclosing of the sides over this our ancestors did. on all sides for our 4-wheelers. concrete pad, plus my contractor added a partition inside so my wife has her own storage space as well as feed storage. Once the building was closed in I started on the run, which turned out to be 30 feet long and 23 feet wide. I constructed the run out of 8-foot landscape timbers (salt treated), 2 x 4s (salt treated), 6-foot turkey wire, 3-foot poultry wire, and a 25 x 50-foot piece of aviary netting. Before starting on the fence, I tilled an area with the tractor 5' wide x 25' long. In this I planted kale, collard greens and Ha- nover salad. My family’s garden center is conveniently located a few hundred feet from our home, and last year’s leftover The Lewis Family coop might not be fancy on the outside, but it is practical, and filled seeds came up perfectly fine. It took with meaningful touches inside. about a week of working two hours or so 38 Backyard Poultry at a time, and a Saturday or two, but the at the proper age, and the hens would all I have also added a personal touch to construction ended around the time that be used for eggs. the inside of the coop. My mother’s side we had to pick up the chicks from the post After living three weeks in the of the family has taken generations of office. We did not know anything at all brooder box, the weather was decent photographs, some of them are from the about these birds, the raising of them or enough to let them outside. Since then late 1800s of my ancestors on this very even what breeds we were getting. We the garden inside has been stripped farm. I took a few of them to the local of- thought it would be a good idea to order clean; these animals are eating ma- fice supply store where they enlarged the a straight run of whatever they decided chines. Almost daily, my wife or father images and made copies. I found a few to put together and watch them grow. brings home a treat for the chickens cheap frames in my wife’s yard sale items The decision had been made to keep one from the garden center; lettuce, cabbage, and framed these copies. These were rooster and the others could be harvested Swiss chard, etc. then secured to the walls of the chicken

Storage space is carved out of the coop and run area. The run is 23' wide x 30' long, built from 8' landscape timbers, 2 x 4s and covered with three layers of wiring for predator protection. Chip also planted some vegetables inside the coop for the flock, but they wiped them out pretty quickly, now they grow vegies on the outside of the run.

Along with a spacious coop and run for the birds, Chip decorated the inside of the coop with reprints of family photos.

Left: Photo of the plantation house that burned down in the 1930s.

Below: Photos of Chip’s Close up views of secure used great-grandmother and around run and doors—keeps birds in, and great-grandfather working predators out (and favorite dog, too). the garden.

October/November 2011 www.backyardpoultrymag.com 39 $20 membership - Benefits include:

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Chip Lewis decorated the inside of his coop with enlarged photos of his ancestors, including one of his great- great-grandfather, and dog, Bill. Other antiques finish off the design.

coop with screws so flapping wings would not knock them down. I have two photos of my great-grandmother feed- ing her chickens a hundred years ago almost in the same spot where my coop is located. I also have a picture of her working her garden and a picture of my great-grandfather doing the same thing. Her father, my great-great-grandfather, also graces my coop posed in a photo with his dog Bill. To complete the photo set, a picture of the plantation house that burned in the 1930s. Pictures are not the only decorations that were used. I also hung a couple of 1502 Incubator Incubator W/ Turner Brooder Lamp 6 Hole Laying Nest graniteware pieces, put some mason jars $725.00 $134.75 $9.95 $175.00 on a shelf, and hung an antique banjo $10 Off Orders Over $95 coupon Code: BP on the wall. To top it off, two old bushel baskets from my grandmother’s basement were placed upside down to give the chickens a place to sit. My wife says that I am crazy. I do not deny that at all, but having these chickens gives me a feeling of being connected to my roots; raising them in the same place as Wooden Nest Boxes my great-grandparents did a long time ago. Single: $38.50 1 Qt. Chick Feeder 16 lbs. Feeder Egg Cartons or Trays To me, the artifacts and pictures are more 4 Hole: $137.50 $4.99 $14.75 $3.65 Per 10/pk for honoring them than anything. Maybe Visit Us Online at www.Flemingoutdoors.com they will be looking down on us to make sure that we raise these birds properly. 40 Backyard Poultry Featured Retailers Happy Hen Treats Premium Treats for Chickens

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Emperor Feeder, 110 lb Cage Cups Mini Cup Drinker Classic Drinkers Combination Drinkers Fencing Poultry Bulk feeding solution for These cups are suited for Unique, self-fi lling, multi-use To be used where no piped Can be adapted to stand with or gamekeepers and breeders. feeding and watering caged drinker. Enables container to be water is available. A basic without the supplied legs. To avoid Design ensures that feed loaded birds. Available in fi ve colors. re-used as a fl exible drinker. waterer design with no bells or contamination, use the carry handle Chick Tray to hang the drinker. Indoor and into the top will always fully green, 0.1 lb ...... #540001 $1.05 Can be used with any plastic whistles. Indoor & outdoor use. Provides a clean and hygienic area outdoor use. cycle through the feeder. blue, 0.1 lb ...... #540002 $1.05 holding device. Allow 5 min. 0.25 gal, 0.31 lb ...... #540007 $3.75 for feeding and watering day old 19 lb ...... #540042 $94.00* red, 0.1 lb ...... #540003 $1.05 to fi ll. Not more than 18" down 0.40 gal, 0.60 lb ...... #540008 $4.00 0.8 gal drinker, 0.7 lb ...... #540012 $9.25 chicks. Textured surface minimizes *Dimensional rules apply if shipped UPS white, 0.1 lb ...... #540004 $1.05 pressure is advised. 0.80 gal, 0.90 lb ...... #540009 $4.80 1.6 gal drinker, 1.9 lb ...... #540013 $12.00 feed wastage. yellow, 0.1 lb ...... #540005 $1.05 1.3 gal, 0.70 lb ...... #540010 $6.00 3.2 gal drinker, 2.3 lb ...... #540014 $26.00 0.3 lb ...... #540006 $11.00 0.8 lb ...... #540044 $4.90 www.premier1supplies.com 800-282-6631 • Washington, IA Electric Netting for poultry—see Premier's fence ad on the inside back cover of this magazine. Free Shipping—on qualifi ed internet orders. See our website. Prices are subject to change without notice.

42 Backyard Poultry

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Perch Classic Feeders Ascot Feeders, 5.5 lb Grit Station, 6 lb Handy Feeders, 26.5 lb Eco Feeders, 26.5 lb King Feeder, 55 lb Push fi t and fi xed feed fl ow Suitable for producers who Heavy duty Grit Station Suitable for all types of birds To be used for ground feeding. Is ideal for any poultry producer Roll Out Tray feeder. Simple to clean and cone have a smaller fl ock of birds provides easy access to grit and including chickens, pheasants Has a wide lipped bottom feed tray. with a large fl ock. Can be used on the shaped top. or just require a lower volume feed for a wide range of chickens, and waterfowl. Cannot be hung. ground or can be hung. Works with all ChickBox™ 2.2 lb feeder, 0.4 lb ...#540022 $6.50 feeder for individual pens. game birds and waterfowl. w/o grill, 3.3 lb .....#540036 $25.00 without grill, 3 lb...... #540034 $19.00 chickens, turkeys and waterfowl. Innovative injection molded nest box is draft free, 3.3 lb feeder, 0.6 lb ...#540023 $8.50 without grill, 1.1 lb .... #540026 $18.00 1.1 lb ...... #540045 $11.00 with grill, 3.7 lb ....#540037 $28.00 with grill, 3.2 lb ...... #540035 $20.00 without grill, 4.5 lb ...... #540039 $39.00* but ventilated to keep the hens warm in winter and 6.6 lb feeder, 0.9 lb ...#540024 $9.75 with grill, 1.3 lb ...... #540028 $19.00 Rain Hat, 2.4 lb ....#540038 $29.00* Rain Hat, 2.4 lb ...... #540038 $29.00* Rain Hat, 3.2 lb ...... #540041 $30.00* cool in summer. The perch assembly easily slides 11 lb feeder, 0.7 lb .....#540025 $15.50 Rain Hat, 0.6 lb ...... #540030 $4.75 *Dimensional rules apply if shipped UPS *Dimensional rules apply if shipped UPS *Dimensional rules apply if shipped UPS out, providing full access for cleaning. ChickBox with perch, brown, 6.5 lb ...... #540046 $47.00 ChickBox with perch, yellow, 6.5 lb ...... #540047 $47.00 ChickBox™ Complete Same as ChickBox but comes with Roll Out Tray. ChickBox Complete, brown, 7.5 lb ...... #540050 $58.00 ChickBox Complete, yellow, 7.5 lb ...... #540051 $58.00 Roll Out Tray w/ fl ap for ChickBox Chick Stand Tray improves hygiene and speeds up egg Designed to lift all drinkers and collection. Flap prevents egg pecking and soiling. feeders up out of litter to provide a Roll Out Tray with fl ap, 1 lb ...... #540048 $11.00 cleaner location around high traffi c feeding areas. 1.1 lb ...... #540043 $13.25 Ask for our free booklets!

Emperor Feeder, 110 lb Cage Cups Mini Cup Drinker Classic Drinkers Combination Drinkers Fencing Poultry Bulk feeding solution for These cups are suited for Unique, self-fi lling, multi-use To be used where no piped Can be adapted to stand with or gamekeepers and breeders. feeding and watering caged drinker. Enables container to be water is available. A basic without the supplied legs. To avoid Design ensures that feed loaded birds. Available in fi ve colors. re-used as a fl exible drinker. waterer design with no bells or contamination, use the carry handle Chick Tray to hang the drinker. Indoor and into the top will always fully green, 0.1 lb ...... #540001 $1.05 Can be used with any plastic whistles. Indoor & outdoor use. Provides a clean and hygienic area outdoor use. cycle through the feeder. blue, 0.1 lb ...... #540002 $1.05 holding device. Allow 5 min. 0.25 gal, 0.31 lb ...... #540007 $3.75 for feeding and watering day old 19 lb ...... #540042 $94.00* red, 0.1 lb ...... #540003 $1.05 to fi ll. Not more than 18" down 0.40 gal, 0.60 lb ...... #540008 $4.00 0.8 gal drinker, 0.7 lb ...... #540012 $9.25 chicks. Textured surface minimizes *Dimensional rules apply if shipped UPS white, 0.1 lb ...... #540004 $1.05 pressure is advised. 0.80 gal, 0.90 lb ...... #540009 $4.80 1.6 gal drinker, 1.9 lb ...... #540013 $12.00 feed wastage. yellow, 0.1 lb ...... #540005 $1.05 1.3 gal, 0.70 lb ...... #540010 $6.00 3.2 gal drinker, 2.3 lb ...... #540014 $26.00 0.3 lb ...... #540006 $11.00 0.8 lb ...... #540044 $4.90 www.premier1supplies.com 800-282-6631 • Washington, IA Electric Netting for poultry—see Premier's fence ad on the inside back cover of this magazine. Free Shipping—on qualifi ed internet orders. See our website. Prices are subject to change without notice.

October/November 2011 www.backyardpoultrymag.com 43

Premiers BYP Oct center.indd 2 8/12/11 10:02 AM 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

On average pullets beging laying at 20- as bright red. Her vent will often look dry. 24 weeks of age. Of course, there are a few Her pubic bones will feel very sharp and factors affecting this. Size and maturity of be tight around the vent area. the bird is one part of it. Some breeds mature A common problem is that a lot of the sooner than others. A large part, however, is hens may be laying sporadically, so they the lighting program. Increasing day length will have the appearance of a layer, using will cause a hen to start laying (if all other these characteristics. If you have health related poultry conditions are acceptable). The pigmentation then becomes a questions you’d like answered, send If a chick is hatched in late winter or good clue. A non-laying hen (or one that your questions to us at Backyard Poul- very early spring, and raised with natural is laying poorly) will have more pigmenta- try, Attn: Answer Man, 145 Industrial light, they can often come into production tion in her legs, on her beak, and around Dr., Medford, WI 54451 or e-mail to at a very young age. There is a concern her eyes and vent. The more eggs a hen [email protected]. We will try to include with this, however. If the pullet is not lays, the more and more bleached these your question in an upcoming issue. mature enough physically when she starts areas become. This is why it’s easier with laying, you can encounter problems later. a yellow-skinned hen. Age Pullets Begin Laying They are more likely to prolapse. They will You can also get some idea from the I am just getting ready to raise chick- also likely lay smaller eggs throughout molt. You can look at the primary wing ens and have a few questions: What is their life. There can be other health is- feathers (the first 10 large feathers on the the egg laying process and how many sues, too. end of the wing). Hens usually lose these eggs per day will a hen lay? At what age Regarding bantams and larger breeds, in pairs during the molt. In years past, it should pullets begin laying? Do bantams there is a lot of variation in age of matu- was common to cull the hens that came lay earlier than heavy breeds? rity in the bantam breeds, as well as in into molt earlier in the fall. You can get Penny L, Michigan the large breeds. In general, the smaller an idea of this by looking at these feathers (egg-type) breeds will lay earlier, both and determining which hens are molting, A hen normally takes 24 - 26 hours in bantam and standard. Heavier, more and how quickly. The new feathers will to form an egg, from the time the yolk is dual-purpose or meat-type breeds will be be shorter at first, and will be cleaner released from the ovary to the time that she a little older when they start. and nicer-looking, so you’ll know if they lays it. Occasionally, a hen will lay two are molting. eggs in a day, but they usually skip the day Determining Which Hens I wouldn’t say there is a hard and fast before or the day after (or both). I’ve never are Laying rule about two years being the limit for egg seen one that would consistently lay more I have a lot of chickens and really en- laying. Generally, a hen will lay fewer and than one egg a day. (It would be an incred- joy them. How do I know which hens are fewer eggs each successive year of age. If ible load on the hen’s body to do this, too. laying and which aren’t? When is a chicken you need to thin down the flock, it may be Mobilizing the amount of calcium to form too old to lay eggs? Is the general rule that your choice to get rid of any bird that is a complete egg shell is quite a process, and hens lay eggs for two years true? more than two years old. This can be an it would be awfully difficult for a hen to John J., North Dakota effective rotation plan. produce two shells each day.) There are ways to tell if a hen is lay- Defined Number of Ova ing. It is easiest if the hen has yellow skin I have heard that a pullet is born with a (and feet). certain number of ova, which determines A hen that is laying will have a nice how many eggs that hen will lay in a life- red, somewhat waxy-looking comb. Her time. Is this true? feathers may be rough, since she is putting D. A. Smith, Montana lots of nutrients into eggs, and not into new feathers. Yes and no. It is true that a pullet is If you look at her vent, it should be born with a certain number of egg cells. moist and the skin should be pliable. You Some studies have shown that an 18-week can feel her pubic bones, and they should old hen (ready to lay) has less than 1,000 be “smooth-feeling” and have some ova (egg cells) available in her ovary. As spread to them. far as we know, there is no mechanism for A hen that is not laying will often have her to produce any more. a more-shriveled comb and it may not be Of course, the number of eggs she will

44 Backyard Poultry actually lay can be much less than this, depending on health, nutrition, lighting EZ-fit Chicken Coops factors, etc. It cannot be more than that Featuring the original EZ-Skid runners! number, however. PORTABLE ELECTRIC NETTING

Why Hens Stop Laying Great predator protection • Fast and easy set up My eight hens were laying fairly well—about two to five a day—but now they have not layed any eggs for almost a week. They have plenty of room in the coop and run. They get fresh water and food. They are fed laying pellets. Stephanie, via e-mail

A number of things could be the cause. In the fall, there are two that come ezfitsheds.com to mind. Power your electric netting Hens require 14 hours of daylight to with the NEW Innovative EZ-SKID RUNNERS allow maintain egg production. Once day length these coops to be moved around easily. drops below 12 hours, production will Simply hitch up your garden frequently stop. You can provide artificial Transport a solar panel, tractor and you’re ready to go ! lighting to achieve a constant daylight energizer, and battery foror portable electric fencing.g. length of 14 hours per day. Wholesale (Components sold separately) If the hens have been laying for quite Dealerships a while, they could be molting, though it Available. is a little odd for them all to molt together. Can be used with all Kencoveovep portableortablee energizersnergizers You can usually check if they are molting FREE Fence Guide/Catalog by looking at the 10 primary feathers on 800-536-2683 their wings. If these are somewhat old and www.kencove.com 1.800.359.7522 ragged looking, they are not molting. If they are molting, they should come back into production in about a month or two. Additionally, stress can cause a molt. If they happened to be out of water for a day AmericAn Poultry AssociAtion or so, are being frightened by something (predators, noise, moving to new housing, DEDICATED TO PROMOTING AND etc.) are all stress-related causes. PROTECTING STANDARD-BRED POULTRY If the hens are free-ranging (or have a pen with some cover), I’d suspect that they are laying somewhere else. It is very Benefits include: common for hens to find a secluded spot Quarterly Newsletter-Annual Yearbook to hide their nest. Look in dark corners, Officially Sanctioned Shows and Judges behind things, in tall weeds, etc. Another possibility is that a chicken (or something else) is eating the eggs. JOIN TODAY-Dues: $20 per year or $50 for 3 years Disease can be the problem. One of the first signs of disease is a drop in egg Junior members $15 per year or $40 for 3 years production. Other symptoms include a dull, ragged appearance, discharge from American Poultry Association eyes and/or nostrils or coughing. PO Box 306, Burgettstown, Pa. 15021 Phone: 724-729-3459 - Email: [email protected] Learn more about laying hens from articles in past issues of Backyard Poul- Website: amerpoultryassn.com try including “The Laying of an Egg, an Amazing Process,” Feb/March 2010; “What’s Wrong with My Layers?” Au- gust/September, 2008, ”How to Get More Eggs,“ April/May, 2010 (also at the web- site’s library, www.backyardpoultrymag. com/library.html. —Ed.

October/November 2011 www.backyardpoultrymag.com 45 keel, Dr. Lintner says that’s actually one of the last places a chicken will put on fat. What an Avian Vet Wants The best place to look is near the pelvic bones along the keel bone down around You to Know About the vent. Part the feathers, if you see what looks like cellulite under the skin, your Backyard Chickens chicken is too heavy. There’s no magic formula to calculate the correct amount to feed your chickens, Su e Ca m pb e l l for a day or two and then the next day they they have different caloric needs based Or e g o n look back to normal,” she explains. But a on the time of year and their age. “If my big enough bump can cause a hemorrhage hens are fat, then I figure out how much r. Marli Lintner’s first chicken bad enough to kill your chicken within a food they’re eating everyday and I cut that was a little Barred Plymouth matter of minutes. “We open them up and down by about 10%,” says Lintner. It’s also DRock hen who greeted each sometimes find blood clots bigger than my a good idea to choose whatever food they visitor in the lobby of her veterinary fist,” says Linter. like the least, whether its layer or scratch, clinic. “She was a handful, she was hys- The second danger for an overweight and offer that as their main source of food, terical,” chuckles Dr. Lintner, who owns chicken is heat stroke. “They overheat very, so they aren’t as tempted to over-eat. the Avian Medical Center in Lake Os- very quickly when they’re overweight,” wego, a suburb of Portland, Oregon. cautions Dr. Lintner. “Let’s say something Consider the Source Portland is backyard chicken para- scares them, the dog runs them across the Commercial egg producers use a con- dise. Walk through almost any neigh- field and say it’s a hot day and they’re in cept called “all in, all out.” A batch of hens borhood with a sharp eye and it doesn’t the sun. They don’t have sweat glands, they will be brought into a sterilized laying take long to spot a coop tucked next to a have to pant to cool themselves. If their house, used for a period of two years, then garage or behind a swing set. whole abdomen is filled with fat they have processed. Then the facility is sterilized In addition to being an avian vet very little reserves to take air in and out to again and a new batch of hens is brought since 1986, Dr. Lintner has been keeping cool themselves and they will actually heat in. This is a great method of controlling chickens of her own for about 15 years. stroke within five to 10 minutes and just contagious diseases, but difficult to repli- In the decade since urban chickens collapse and be gone.” cate for the backyard chicken enthusiast have become so popular, Dr. Lintner While many people believe you can looking to replace part of a small flock. has noticed big changes in the health tell if a chicken is overweight by feeling Now that chicken keeping is so popular of small flocks. Here’s what she wants the breast bone along either side of the there are many places to get a hen, some of you to know. which can be questionable. “We’re seeing a lot more contagious dis- Dangers of Obesity ease than we ever did,” says Linter. “People love to feed their “Really, be careful what you bring chickens. It’s fun to watch your in. Start with day old chicks if you chickens eat,” says Lintner. can. Or, if you have to get them “These girls will put on a lot of from somewhere else at least have weight very quickly. They’re a veterinarian do a fecal exam on designed genetically to be very, them.” A fecal exam will check very good at converting food to for coccidia and various types of fat or eggs.” There are two big worms. You should also check for problems obese chickens face, external parasites, both lice and both of them deadly. The first mites. is fatty liver syndrome. “Chickens are surprisingly Urban (Chicken) difficult to gauge when they’re Myths overweight. One of the first “There’s a lot of interesting places they put their fat down is myths about chickens,” says in their liver,” Lintner explains. Linter. The first one she’d like The liver can become enlarged to dispel is that an egg-bound and spill out below the protective chicken will benefit from either keel bone, making it susceptible a warm bath or a slathering of to hemorrhage from an external olive oil on her bottom. Lintner bump. “It will tear, it will start to Dr. Marli Lintner casts the injured leg of a Barred Plymouth says a hen will rarely get egg- bleed. They’ll get big blood clots Rock at the Avian Medical Center in Lake Oswego, Oregon. bound, if she does “it’s what we in their abdomen around their Dr. Lintner has been treating avian patients since 1986, and call a high egg binding and she liver. One or two small ones they has kept her own flock of chickens for over 15 years. Photo actually has an infection in that can absorb, they may look tired courtesy of Kelly Ballance. uterus and you’ve got rotting egg 46 Backyard Poultry yolks and egg white backed up for inches and inches and nothing you do externally is going to have any effect on that.” A All your poultry supplies, hen in that situation needs medical care, including antibiotics. If you can actually in one convenient place! see an egg that is stuck in the vent, turn to a water soluble lubricant, such as KY jelly. Oil based products will get stuck in the feathers and turn rancid. Another misconception is that chick- ens are stupid. “Chickens are so smart, but they have very few ways they can show that,” says Lintner, “They peck at things, so if you use that behavior they Our pre-printed Egg Cartons • Egg Trays can do all sorts of things.” The Avian egg cartons are Incubators • Waterers Medical Center offers clicker training a great way classes for pet chickens. “They learn very to help your Feeders • Laying Nests quickly that if I go up and peck at this eggs stand Egg Baskets • Labels thing I get a reward.” This behavior can out in the flock! egg Scales & More! be channeled into tricks such as walking up ramps, knocking objects over or even free Shipping on all egg cartons & trays! turning the lights on and off. Visit www.eggcartons.com or call Dr. Lintner often hears people say that hens stop laying after two years. “My girls are all at least six years of age. I’ve got sev- 1-888-852-5340 en girls and I get just about five eggs every morning.” Chickens can produce eggs and be delightful pets for many years, provided we do our best to keep them healthy.

October/November 2011 www.backyardpoultrymag.com 47 healthier peers. Alan, who had felt the bulge on her underside and suspected a tumor – albeit one that didn’t appear to be af- Plucky Peggy Survives fecting her organs – warned me that she probably had a 5 - 10 percent chance of survival. Even if her condition was treatable, Impacted Oviduct she might not make it through surgery, he said. On Sunday, the day before her trip to the clinic, I carried our hen to the garden so she could have a few hours outdoors, safe in an enclosed space, for what might be her last afternoon. I fed her pieces of a bun and sat down to stroke her. Her eyes Surgery Saves Her Life closed and she began a soft vocalization I can only describe as chicken purring. Tr i c i a Jo n e s The next day, Alan loaded her into a crate and took her to Or e g o n the clinic. He and his staff had researched what kind of anes- thesia to use, and how much of it. Upon opening her abdomen, ntil recently, the only standout in our 19-member mixed he discovered not a tumor, but an impacted oviduct. A mass flock was Rufus the rooster. We’ve noticed the Barred of egg yolks had clogged the oviduct. The yolks lacked egg UPlymouth Rocks are the friendliest, the Buff Orpingtons white or shells and rested in layers. The contents of the oviduct are the most bouffant and the New Hampshires have the most resembled a giant platter of scrambled eggs. color variation. But none of the 18 hens attracted individual This wasn’t the same problem as internal laying, in which attention until the day we noticed one of the Barred Plymouth the yolk inexplicably bypasses the oviduct and drops into the Rocks had a droopy undercarriage. abdomen. The cause of our hen’s malfunction remains a mys- We’d seen this with another hen that lived with a similar tery, and it meant Alan needed to make a quick decision as he condition for months before dying of what appeared to be a burst prepared to complete the operation. hernia. In this second chicken, however, the swelling became Given that removing the hen’s ovary could be a difficult more pronounced over several days. She exhibited no signs of and potentially dangerous procedure, and leaving the oviduct distress. Her appetite was unchanged, and she waddled forth could lead to more blockage, Alan opted to remove the latter eagerly to claim her daily share of scratch or to enjoy the several organ and hope that the hen’s system would retire, so to speak, hours of free-range time we give our birds on weekends. Our from egg production. Sutured up and removed from the table, concern grew along with her bulge. Eventually, the swelling the hen came safely through her ordeal. By afternoon, she was was so large she dragged her belly when she walked and the ready to come back home. feathers below rubbed off. Unable to fly onto the communal When Alan filled me in on the details that evening, we dubbed perch at night, she tucked herself underneath the nest boxes. I the patient “Peggy”— a reference to her previous eggy condition. expected each evening to find her carcass in the chicken house Her fate remained questionable. She still had significant healing or fenced yard beyond it. Yet on she lived, more than ready to time ahead. We also weren’t sure how the rest of the flock would eat out of my hand when I saw her difficulty in foraging. react when she returned to the chicken house. Actually this afflicted hen had better fortune than she could Taking one step at a time, we launched Peggy’s new regime realize. Alan, my husband, is a small-animal veterinarian with on her first night in the garage. Alan set up her crate in the his own practice in Roseburg, Oregon. Though most of his pa- tients are pets, and he treats virtually no livestock, he does have experience tending birds. When it became clear that our Barred Plymouth Rock wasn’t going to be carried off quickly by what- ever was ailing her, Alan pledged to set aside time on a Monday morning to operate on the hen in hopes of saving her. She nearly didn’t get that chance. On Saturday as we rounded up the chickens for their evening meal and to secure them in their pen, Alan counted just 18 chickens eating grain in the yard. The missing chicken was none other than the swollen Rock. We searched the acre or so nearest the house (the chickens rarely stray far from their own house) as dusk fell, becoming increasingly concerned that she’d been snatched by a predator or had simply crawled to a secluded spot to die. We were on the verge of giving up when Alan had a last- minute idea: What if she’d ventured under a tarp covering hay bales by the side of the chicken house? Sure enough, she’d managed to wedge herself between a bale and a wall and was The two circular areas in the middle and lower right of the clucking feebly. I was appalled to think how close she’d come to abdomen in this radiograph show evidence of the impacted missing her surgery date and perhaps dying of thirst or exposure oviduct. Peggy, a Barred Plymouth Rock hen, about 2 -1/2 years just feet away from water, food and shelter. old, underwent surgery in which her oviduct was emptied and By now I was very attached to this doughty little hen and subsequently removed. Veterinarian Alan Ross decided to leave tried to watch to ensure she didn’t come under attack by her her ovaries intact. Her egg-laying days, however, are over. 48 Backyard Poultry Peggy is seen plucked and prepped for surgery before her oviduct was removed. The staff at Companion Animal Clinic in Peggy recovers from her surgery. The procedure lasted about 30 Roseburg, Oregon, having never operated on a chicken before, minutes. She was back on her feet within two hours. researched what kind of anesthesia and how much to give the young hen. and on during the day. No other chicken appeared to challenge Peggy’s presence. In the days that followed, I would set up a low folding chair in the chicken house after the nightly feeding and then gesture to Peggy. She initially hopped onto my legs. But as time went on, she seemed more interested in hanging out with her gang. I was disappointed to see our bond becoming less important to her. Still, I didn’t want her to appear different from the oth- ers in a way that might create grief for her. She continues to enjoy being hand-fed, but then so do many of our chickens. Alan feels her abdomen now and then, and so far, there’s no telltale swelling. We’re fully aware that Peggy is one lucky hen. Few chickens When Dr. Alan Ross opened Peggy’s abdomen, he found the have such readily available veterinary options, and her condi- oviduct impacted with masses of egg yolk. Although he could have cleaned out the egg matter and left the oviduct intact, he tion turned out to be treatable. In addition, few owners would decided the best way to prevent a similar problem was to remove be able to afford surgery, even if they were inclined to take the the organ. risk. We just happen to be able to offer her a free health care plan. Yet Peggy is plucky as well as lucky, and her hardy spirit garage; we added a heating pad and straw for her comfort. We gave her a one-in-a-thousand chance to thrive and preen another offered her food and water, both of which she accepted with day. Many more days, we hope. alacrity. I held her while Alan forced open her beak with a syringe to administer liquid antibiotics and, for the first night Tricia Jones and Alan Ross have kept a small flock of or two, pain medication. After a little time outside the crate, chickens since September 2008. They live in Roseburg, Oregon, it was back into her chamber and lights out for a quiet night where he is the owner of Companion Animal Clinic and she is an in the garage. editor and writer for The News-Review. They can be reached As the week wore on, Peggy catapulted out of the crate for at [email protected]. dinner and company each night. She was clearly sociable and it seemed to me the days had to be long and boring for her. So after hand-feeding her in the evening, I sat beside her on the garage steps while she gingerly walked to and fro, curious about her surroundings. Eventually she’d perch on my lap and start her purring sounds while I stroked her chest. I confess that I took to singing to her near the end of the week. She never objected. Usually I’d end our sessions some 20 minutes or so after she fell asleep (so did my legs, but I hated putting her back in the crate at night for another long siege alone). When the weekend came, Alan judged Peggy sufficiently recovered to be returned to the flock. I was unable to participate due to a long-planned trip out of town. Alan reported by phone that Peggy’s reintroduction to her peers appeared to be going Tricia Jones holds Peggy aloft shortly after the Barred well. He had distracted the others by throwing scratch in the Rock had her nightly antibiotics treatment. For about a week, yard, then slipping Peggy into the chicken house by herself. the garage doubled as Peggy’s recovery room. Her surgery was She ate a handful of grain from Alan’s palm and indicated she on a Monday; Peggy was successfully returned to her flock the was ready to jump into his lap. He kept an eye on the flock off following Saturday. October/November 2011 www.backyardpoultrymag.com 49 The October/November 2011 cov- er photo winner is a Serama cock by Ondra Craw, Washington. Backyard Poultry Fa m i l y Al b u m October/November 2011

My dog Beretta seems “happy” to help collect eggs. He appears to be smiling! — Julia Daigneau, Washington

These are my biggest girls and they stick together! — Heidi Stalsberg, Wisconsin

Cocka-Doddle-Doooo! — Christie This is Tom. He is the boss of our little barnyard. — Roberta D. Hart, West Higgins, Maine Virginia 50 Backyard Poultry Tom, the rooster, foraging for “Busted!” Red, the rooster, and breakfast on a Sunday morning. Tom Goldie finally found the good, moist, is a 6-month-old Speckled Sussex dark soil of my flower beds! They living in Texas with four hens and his cultivated the area for me quite nicely. proud owner, Sarah Marquesen. — — Christine Mize, This is Napoleon, one of the roost- T. Lynn Wolf, Texas ers we hatched last year. We are very fond of him and he’s a wonderful protector!—Cari J. Wensley, Vermont

This is my lovely Polish, Daffy, strut- This is Mother Hen. She acts like the ting around the yard showing off for A younger generation plays rooster of the bunch. We always say, the camera. — Symantha Zeimet, peek-a-boo with a feeding hen. — “Mother Hen is watching you.” — Virginia Boone Savoca, Colorado Thomas Walker, Photo Contest Guidelines • Send Your Photos Today! 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 domesticated poultry or their products. No limit on number of entries. Attach your name, address, phone number or e-mail and photo caption or description to each photo (not on the front, please). Backyard Poultry retains the right to publish and/or reproduce any and all photos submitted, in future issues or publicity, with or without mention of source. If you would like your photos returned you must include a self-addressed envelope with appropriate postage. Each issue’s winning entry will be placed in a gallery of finalists, to be announced annually in the February/March issue. First prize—$50; 2nd prize—$30; 3rd prize—$20. Send your entry to: Backyard Poultry Photo Contest, 145 Industrial Dr., Medford, WI 54451; or e-mail photos in jpg format to [email protected].

October/November 2011 www.backyardpoultrymag.com 51 Feed:

Choosing the Right Poultry Feed Type for Your Flock

tim ericKsOn carbohydrates, fats, protein, vitamins cargill animal nutritiOn and minerals. Mash may be the most economical here are three primary feed feed choice for those who have their own options for providing your poultry grain source and nutritional knowledge. Tflock the nutrition they need. You If a mash is not properly manufactured, Poultry feed options include mash, pellets may know that the three primary feed however, there may be segregation of and crumbles. Each type has specific types are mash, pellets and crumbles. the different particles, which may lead benefits that make it right for your flock. But it isn’t always easy to learn about to an unbalanced diet. Raisers who make the advantages of each and whether their own mash often have nutritional pear higher, the true cost may be the best flock life stages determine which option expertise and use careful measuring value relative to the balanced nutrition is best. and constant monitoring to ensure their for the entire flock and the increased flock is getting balanced nutrition. In ability for birds to capture the nutrition Mash many flocks, the dominant bird or birds content. The pelleting process also leads Mash is a broad definition that refers will get a better meal than the rest of the to a higher digestibility of some of the to a blend of small-size feed ingredients. flock. There are also many cases where nutrients, leading to a more efficient If blended properly, a good mash will grains will be consumed, leaving behind digestion and utilization of these nutri- include all the nutritional requirements: the trace mineral source. In addition to ents. Finally, when pellets are made, the an unbalanced diet, remaining feed in- heating process helps to reduce microbial gredients can lead to feeders that need contamination. more frequent cleaning to avoid moldy or contaminated feed that could harm Crumbles your flock. Crumbles are crushed or broken pellet feed and have many of the same Pellets advantages. They are a complete, bal- Pellets are a complete feed that of- anced nutrition feed option. Like pellets, fers balanced nutrition. Every pellet crumbles prevent birds from selecting and contains all the necessary nutrients in sorting ingredients. Designed for smaller, well-balanced proportions, and the risk younger birds, crumbles are more prone of component segregation is minimal. to disintegration if fed outside because Also, because pellets are compacted, of the small size. the nutrient density is typically higher For those who seek the complete for a pelleted feed than for a mash feed, and balanced nutrition advantages of a and poultry will typically consume more pellet for chicks, it is best to feed them nutrients per bite in a pelleted vs. a mash crumbles. Many poultry raisers feed feed. crumbles to hens up to about 16-20 Usually, there is less feed wasted weeks of age, and then switch to a pel- with pellet users because there is less leted layer feed. feed scatter when birds are eating. This When it comes to poultry feeding, also reduces the risk that individual you can choose a variety of methods nutrients or ingredients are left behind and some people use a combination. as may occur in the case of a scratch or There are a number of factors to con- mash feed. Also, many flock owners feed sider when selecting the right feed for pellets strewn on the ground, letting the your flock. Just choose a method that birds forage for the meal. This is possible provides balanced nutrition for optimum because pellet feed is, in most circum- bird health. stances, more durable when exposed to the elements. More information about Nutrena can Though the cost of pellets may ap- be found in their ad on page 7.—Ed. 52 Backyard Poultry October/November 2011 www.backyardpoultrymag.com 53 Br e e d Fo c u s : such as emeralds, amethyst and malachite to trade for the required incense, spices, essential oils and resins from Asia and East Africa. Everything worth anything The eventually ended up in Egypt and it ar- rived through trade carried from every corner of the ancient world. Punt, on the Horn of Eastern Africa, had coffee, myrrh Egyptian and frankincense; India had cumin, tur- meric, black pepper and citrus. Sri Lanka had cinnamon, ginger and cardamom. Fayoumi Indonesia had cloves. Trading ships came from India to the shores of Punt, in what is now northern Somalia, where trading partners made From the Pearl of the the deal and subsequently carried goods Indian Ocean to the north to Egypt as well as to Yemen and Isis, an Egyptian Fayoumi hen, photo Oman. The ancestors of the Bigawi fowl Erythrean Sea: Fayoumis courtesy of Amy Barnes, Indiana. were part of the goods. emerge from the Ancient The first Indo-Aryan chickens that Egyptian Labyrinth to The Glittering Goods of Trade came with the earliest traders from the Egypt’s early tribal people, before Indus Valley in northwestern India were st arrive in the 21 century. pharaohs ruled, worshiped their ances- valued as ceremonial birds, rather than tors, burying their dead in caves. Later, for their economic value as food. Those their descendants , the ancient Egyptians birds developed from Burmese Red By Ch r i s t i n e He i n r i c h s a n d of 5,000 years ago, were even more ob- Junglefowl, Gallus gallus, with substan- Ke r m i t Bl a c k w oo d sessed with immortality than their prede- tial Gray Junglefowl, Gallus sonnerati, cessors. Religiously, their motivation for influence from northeast India. Each hickens were domesticated mummifying dead bodies and securing species of wild Junglefowl is adapted more than 10,000 years ago. A them in sealed tombs was to insure life to its own respective environmental Cfew thousand years later, a rapid in an Afterworld governed by justice and conditions, and passes unique traits on expansion of Indo-Aryan culture carried harmony. Many of the most important to its offspring. Today’s genetic testing ancestors of the Egyptian Fayoumi fowl ingredients they needed for mummifica- reveals the influence of male DNA in from India to the Near East. There, the tion, as well as for medical purposes and many ancient breeds. That scientific in- birds were selectively bred for centuries cosmetics, came from India, Sri Lanka formation helps fill the gaps in historical to become the world’s first egg produc- and other parts of Asia. Egyptian traders documentation. tion breed. These birds, with an infusion sailed forth loaded with uniquely North Progenitors of the Asil that came from of blood of wild Sri Lanka Junglefowl, African goods such as garlic, onions, India to Canaan, present day Israel, were adapted to the Ancient Egyptian envi- millet and sesame, precious metals such Gray Junglefowl hybrids. The Canaanites ronment. Breeding as feral chickens in as gold, copper and electrum, a naturally- bred it selectively into an egg-laying isolation for centuries, their unusual hy- occurring gold and silver alloy, and gems wonder. The Fayoumi is descended from brid ancestry responded through to the harsh ecological realities of the Fayoum Basin’s arid thorn forests. When Romans conquered Egypt 2,000 years ago, the refinement of the Fay- oumi fowl as a purely domestic species began. The Fayoumi, known in Egypt as the Bigawi, is a unique living treasure. It emerged at the crossroads of the flourishing civilizations of South Asia, Africa and the Near East and reflects the cultural exchange between the ancient Super Powers. Its progenitors sailed on trade ships and were carried overland with armies and caravans. On its journey through history, it developed its distinc- tive identity in consecutive stages, from The spice trade routes connected the super powers of the ancient world: Egypt, Punt one significant point in history and loca- on the Horn of Africa, India, Ceylon and Arabia. Used with permission: Wikipedia, tion in geography to the next. User: PHGCOM 54 Backyard Poultry this domesticated chicken and a third wheat were developed. It is also the point from city-states in the neighboring Sinai Junglefowl species, the Sri Lankan. of dispersal of a unique breed of sheep Peninsula. Canaanite cultures had gen- known as the Barki and the original erated, maintained and refined an egg- Religion, Politics and the Landscape source of the earliest domestic geese. producing breed unique to the Levant In 1990 BC, King Amenemhat came Compared with other city-states for more than 1,000 years. The Canaanite to power, founding the 12th Dynasty, 1991 within Egypt, the Fayoum only had a fowl was already a thoroughly domes- BC-1802 BC. His regency is marked by a moderate population. After the fall of ticated breed, active and independent. period of significant Egyptian territorial the Middle Kingdom, 1802 BC, until They would have been living treasures expansion south along the Nile River into the Late Period, around 700 BC, most of to the Canaanites, used in ceremonial what is now middle Sudan. Amenemhat’s the population left the Fayoum. Thorn rituals and egg production. As in other ethnic background, from a tribal back- scrub forested wild lands bordering hu- early cultures that kept chickens, roost- water in the Red Sea hills, made him an man settlements there proved to be ideal ers were especially prized because of unexpected ruler. He moved the Egyptian habitat for hybrid Junglefowl that would their announcement of dawn and the capital city and government from south- become naturalized in the region. protection they afforded their hens and ern Egypt to Middle Egypt. Amenemhat’s chicks. Hebrews were among the first new city-state “Amenemhat-itj-tawy” Chickens and Other cultures to leaven their dough with eggs. was located in a spectacular geologic Egyptian Poultry The Hebrews introduced egg-leavened basin known as the Fayoum Depression. Domesticated hens are first docu- baking to the Romans. The chicken, the He seized his generation’s imagination mented in Egypt in the mid-18th Dynasty rooster and the egg are prominent in He- and inspired an Egyptian renaissance that prior to 1550 BC, some 3,600 years ago, brew religious scripture. The Levantine would continue for more than a century. Canaanite hen was the primary maternal Middle Egypt is one of the most arid ancestor of the Fayoumi. and harsh environments in the country. In 1479 BC, Queen Hatshepsut’s The Fayoum Depression is an average of younger brother and co-regent, Thutmose 141 feet below sea level and a maximum III, returned to Egypt from Palestine after depth of 210 feet below sea level. the battle of Tel Megiddo. The cataclys- By channeling water from the Nile mic siege of this ancient city-state by the River into the Fayoum Depression and Egyptians gave “Armageddon” its mean- reclaiming land from Lake Moeris, King ing, the Battle to End All Battles. Along Amenemhat created an ecosystem that with herds of livestock and prisoners of had not existed before. During the 12th war, domesticated Canaanite hens were Dynasty, the Fayoum was fairly verdant. part of the booty. As was the custom of Water lilies filled the shallows, where the day, the Egyptian army delivered they were harvested as food and medi- their livestock and other seized treasure cine. One hundred and fifty thousand to the powerful Amen cult centered in acres of arable land were dedicated to Fayoum (Al Fayyum on this map) is Fayoum. agriculture. The Fayoum basin is where central to Egypt and the Red Sea, which In 1450 B.C., a mural in the tomb of coriander, artichokes, Egyptian garlic, shares shores with Sudan, the Sinai and a powerful vizier, Rekhmara, was painted Egyptian tree onion, leeks, radishes, let- the Arabian Peninsula. Photo courtesy of with an exquisite rooster’s head bearing tuce, watermelon, tree roses and kamut U.S. State Department. a leaf comb reminiscent of the Sicilian Buttercup. These birds were probably established in temple gardens of the Great Labyrinth of Amenemhat-itj-tawy during this time. Egyptians had no need of more do- mestic fowl. They kept flocks of tame geese, cranes and ostriches and captured wild birds such as coturnix quail, migra- tory ducks and a now-extinct race of helmeted guinea fowl for food. Chickens may have been little more than exotic curiosities that survived because they were highly adaptable, self-sufficient and trusting of humankind. Fayoum farmers would also have noted how efficiently these foreign fowl controlled insect pests on their crops. While these wild Lake Moeris still covers 78 square miles today. Filling a depression below sea level, chickens could not survive in the harsh its waters created a landscape to which feral chickens adapted, leading to today’s Sahara Desert, small flocks apparently Fayoumi. flourished in marshes alongside the Nile October/November 2011 www.backyardpoultrymag.com 55 River and throughout arable regions name by which the area was known then, Local Livestock Breeds within the Fayoum Basin’s hundreds of was already largely in ruin. Consequently, Taking the geographic name Fay- square miles. Though they were certainly after Thutmose III’s death, many of the oumi is analogous with domesticated present in small localized populations, temples within Fayoum fell into further animals of other cultures: the Akita such as free ranging within high walled disrepair, as the center of Egyptian gov- dog, Nubian goat; Watusi cattle, Mis- temple garden complexes in the ancient ernment, religion and politics had been kito (“Muscovy”) duck and Narragan- city of Fayoum itself, there is no evidence returned to Karnak and the Delta. set turkey. Ancient breeds are often that the chicken was raised as domestic While Thutmose III’s grandchil- named after the region and/or people at livestock until much later in Egyptian his- dren brought in Egypt’s Golden Age in the epicenter of their origination. They tory. Artificial incubation and selective southern Egypt, the Canaanite chickens develop as a result of periods of isola- breeding of Egyptian chickens began in were left to fend for themselves within tion and refinement, both in response Egypt around 1,800 years ago. the ruins of Itjtawy. But they were not to geographic conditions and through The Egyptian priests of Amen kept completely alone. Religious orders maintained by the these birds as exotic curiosities in sprawl- still maintained temples in the basin. cultures that keep them. ing sacred gardens and arboretums within Permanent settlements of the religious the Great Labyrinth, a vast complex caste responsible for giving tribute to the of religious buildings reported to have Nile River remained around the banks and tribute from allied kingdoms was exceeded the pyramids in grandeur. By of Lake Moeris. Adjacent to the Nile, a means of diplomacy as well as meta- Roman times its stones were being quar- its low elevation allowed it to remain physical healing. In Ancient Egypt, ried for other buildings and nothing is moist enough to support verdant oases. failure of the river to rise was seen as now left but records of its splendor. The As anyone who has visited an oasis can a failure of the God-Kings themselves. ancient Egyptians must have been fond of attest, there is no better place for the The Sri Lanka Junglefowls’ arrival was the Canaanite fowl to allow them to free proliferation of flies, which may have a blessing, because their multi-syllabic range in such an important monument of become one of the birds’ primary sources crow sounded to the Egyptians like the Egyptian culture. of year-round nutrition. mantra river priests chanted, pleading for Hundreds of generations of chickens the river rise: Drought Stalks the Fayoum would have hatched among this very Haaypi Haaypi! Herhut! Heqet! Steadily encroaching desertification limited founder population of Canaanite Herhut! Heqet! that had begun five centuries earlier hens, probably never more than a few Hail to thee, O Nile! Who manifests continued to dry out the Fayoum basin. thousand. About 70 years after the Battle thyself over this land, and comes to The water table dropped, leaving stagnant of Tel Megiddo, scores of dazzling male give life to Egypt! pools of water that allowed insect-borne Sri Lanka Junglefowl arrived along with Herhut! Heqet! Herhut! Heqet! diseases such as malaria, bilharzia and a major tribute of cinnamon sent by the Come and prosper! river blindness to add to the region’s mis- monarchy of Sri Lanka during the reign Come and prosper! ery. Surface water became more saline. of King Amenhotep III, Thutmose’s Herhut! Heqet! Herhut! Heqet! Even the religious temples would have great-grandson and King Tutankhamen’s O Nile, come and prosper! had a rough time of it. By Thutmose III’s grandfather. King Amenhotep suffered O you who make human beings to time during the 18th Dynasty, Itjtawy, the from many ailments in his later years live through His flocks and His flocks through His orchards! Herhut! Heqet! Herhut! Heqet! Come and prosper, come, O Nile, come and prosper! Haaypi! Haaypi Hotep! Haaypi Hotep! Even this tribute failed to restore the Fayoum Basin’s water table. As the desert steadily encroached, most of the people left Fayoum. The hardy fowl held on, meeting ecological challenges by adaptation. Eventually, feral popula- tions flourished in the marshes among the reeds. They foraged in the thorn forest and took shelter in the dense palm forests surrounding evaporating lake beds. For the next thousand years, this population bred on its own in isolation from other This modern Fayoumi’s Canaanite fowl ancestors were allowed free range in the Great influences. Labyrinth, a complex of religious buildings that Roman historian Herodotus described The Sri Lanka Junglefowl roosters as “a wonder to me.” Other modern breeds descended from the Canaanite hens include added integral genetic diversity to what Lakenvelders and, by extension, other Mediterranean breeds such as the Leghorn and Minorca. Photo courtesy of Cyndy Carroll, Syrinx Farm, Georgia. must have been a rather inbred population. 56 Backyard Poultry villages for thousands of years after the death of King Tutankhamen. Farmers continued to cultivate the area, but Fayoum’s population was a fraction of what it was during its ascendance. The Fayoumi chickens naturalized in their en- vironment. They were as isolated as they would have been if they were marooned on an island. They took their Junglefowl heritage and returned to the wild. Sri Lanka Junglefowl prefer semi- arid coastal mountain habitat to wet Fayoumis today retain a unique crow. rain forest. That adaptation served the This Fayoumi hen shows the plumage that camouflaged her forebears and enabled Although they aren’t able to influence feral Fayoumi breed well, helping them water tables, scientists are investigating them to survive fierce predators in the succeed at foraging for insects and other whether they have natural immunities desert landscape. to courtesy of Cyndy to diseases. Photo courtesy of Cyndy invertebrates in the marshes along the Carroll, Syrinx Farm, Georgia. Carroll, Syrinx Farm, Georgia. lake and river while avoiding native predators. It may be that the considerable so bright as to make the light-reflective The result was a uniquely skewed founder influence of Sri Lanka Junglefowl in the desert as clear as day. base. The addition of so many roosters genetic pedigree of the Egyptian Fayoumi Survive they did, through a thousand would have unbalanced the equilibrium is what rescued its ancient progenitors years, until the Greco-Roman period, between the sexes for a few generations. from extinction. Their saving grace may when Herodotus visited Egypt and noted Survivability and capacity to fight were have been their ability to capture insects in passing that wild fowl lived in the probably significant for the first few years in mid-air and to nest among the crowns marshes. By that time, they were com- but ultimately the flock would have found of old palm trees. One still sees them pletely feral and served no practical pur- its balance again. Male Sri Lanka Jungle- in the more remote reaches of the Fay- pose to humankind. Greek and Roman fowl defend their nests and enjoy extended oum wading along canals and irrigation invaders brought with them their own relationships with offspring. Females ditches, apparently living almost entirely domestic chickens, recent descendants often have up to three suitor/providers, on flies. of the Canaanite hens so deep in the who hold guard over the nest site and Fayoumi’s ancestry. These tame domestic take over the chores of nurturing eight- to Fayuomis Find Ways to Survive birds came to live among newly bustling twelve-week old chicks while she hatches The Fayoumi had a long walk along settlements along the banks of the lakes another clutch. Under this social organiza- the road of survival before it came into its of Fayoum as the Greeks once again tion, called facultative polyandry or serial own. Predation must have been a defin- transformed the basin into a lush region monogamy, hens can raise three to five ing factor in its endurance. Every move- of vast natural resource wealth. clutches a year. They are documented nest- ment of these noisy foreign intruders This may well have invited the at- ing during most months of the year. This was watched by native predators. Birds, tentions of a few wild fowl, which came capacity to produce clutches year-round both adults and chicks, whose plumage to frequent towns and villages, inter- has been observed in captivity in bantam camouflaged them in the Fayoumi land- breeding freely as Junglefowl cockerels chickens, many old breeds of which are scape, a background of bright white sand do with their domestic cousins. The also derived of Sri Lanka Junglefowl sires and burned grey shore, ochre and red modern day Fayoumi chicken available in their deepest antiquity. hillock, would have had a survival ad- from hatcheries is a descendant of this Males of this unique hybrid race of vantage as they made their way across the ancient composite. It has been refined Fayoum Junglefowl may have responded ever-growing banks of lakes and canals. by successive generations of poultry by forming cooperative guilds rather They would have needed camouflage scientists in modern day Egypt, Turkey than competing aggressively. It could especially at night, when the moon shines and Italy. also lead to the marked precocity, early sexual maturity, of Fayoumis. Fayoumi Where Did They Get Their Name? roosters start to crow as early as five While we know this ancient breed as the Fayoumi, in Egypt and the rest of Africa, it weeks old and pullets begin to lay at is known as Bigawi. The poplulace that shared an ethnic origin with King Amenhemat around 4-1/2 months. Today, when Fay- lived in the Fayoum basin when it was the center of Egyptian civilization. They came oumi flocks have a surplus of roosters, to be known as the Ta-Itjtawy, the People of Itjtawy. Thousands of years later during two or more per hen, the entire group Greek times, the term began to be pronounced Ta-emDje =Baedja= Beja/ plural = gets along amicably. Of course teenage Bejawi or Bigawi. The modern word used to describe the many collective tribes of roosters don’t learn to cooperate until this ancient people is Bejawi, a term that has lent itself to our Fayoumi Fowl. later in their life. The fowl were associated with the Bejawi both in the ports where the Beja people were influential trade leaders and on their remote agricultural settlements along the Nature Reclaims the Fayoum Nile. Until very recent times, it was the only chicken raised by Bejawi agriculturists The Fayoum remained basically wherever they lived. deserted, save for a few temples and October/November 2011 www.backyardpoultrymag.com 57 Fayoumis Today A pair of Egyptian Fayoumi chickens. Art by Diane Jacky (www.dianejacky. Fayoumis are not recognized for com; www.cafepress.com/jackynet). exhibition by American poultry asso- ciations. They are small birds, roosters weighing around 4.5 pounds and hens around 3.5 pounds. Their plumage is similar to Campines and Friesans, which are both descendants of the original Fayoumi. Fayoumis usually exhibit silver-white heads on black and white barred bodies. A golden russet variation is common in southern Egypt. They have fairly diminutive single combs, dark fa- cial skin and lay smallish off-white eggs with a grey or lavender tint. They are reputed to have some natural resistance to diseases such as Avian Influenza, West Nile, Malaria and Choryza. Modern Egyptian Fayoumi chickens separate into five breeds worth describ- ing: The Bigawi is differentiated from Fayoumi Facts the modern hatchery Fayoumi by size, color and temperament. The Bigawi is a Size: Standard Cock: 4.5 lb. (2 kg), Hen: 3.5 lb. (1.6 kg) bit smaller and battier than the Fayoumi. Comb, Wattles & Earlobes: Moderately large single comb with six upright Females are a rich chestnut brown or dark points; medium-size wattles and earlobes. All are bright red, though earlobes sepia with bold black transverse barring or have a white spot. faint marks obscured by the dark plumage. Color: Dark horn to slate blue beak; dark brown eyes; slate shanks and toes. Male Bigawi are difficult to discern from Male: head, neck, back, and saddle silvery white. Breast, body, and legs barred in black and silvery white. Tail and wings black with white highlights. Modern Fayoumi, though they tend to be Female: Head and neck silvery white. Rest of plumage barred in black and sil- darker in the wings with darker, longer, and very white. larger tails. Both Bigawi and Modern Fay- Place of Origin: Egypt oumi should have dark facial skin and an Conservation Status: Study unusual crow that is easily distinguishable Special Qualities: Good disease resistance and egg production. from any other breed of rooster. In Kassala From Storey’s Illustrated Guide to Poultry Breeds by Carol Ekarius, courtesy of and Port Sudan in Eastern Sudan, Bigawi Storey Publishing fowl have pewter plumage, which cam-

Predators of the Fayoum he feral Canaanite hens and their Sri Lankan rooster suitors would have needed considerable wit as well as masterful camouflage to protect themselves against a host of formidable predators. The Pharaoh’s Eagle Owl hunted the birds by nightT as they roosted in thorn palm forest. Night brought out packs of Ichneumon or Pharaoh’s Mouse, the Egyptian mongoose, prowling for waterfowl nests. Although its main prey is the eggs and young of crocodiles, birds are a natural prey of this mainly carnivorous omnivore. This fowl’s wild ancestors survived by avoiding these nest predators that were relatives of the ichneumon. The Junglefowl’s natural predators include several species of mongoose and civet as well as giant predatory monitor lizard closely related to those of the Nile. To quench their thirst in the soaring heat of the Egyptian desert, the Fayoumi fowl were obliged to leave the shady security of their dense palm forests to eat and drink along the wet verdant fingers of old Lake Moeris and other sources of fresh water. Beneath thickets of buffalo thorn, carob, tamarind and acacia stands, they would forage for the nutritious seeds and fruit of these leguminous trees. Crossing wide-open spaces in daylight left them vulnerable to the Egyptian Hawk, the Sokar Falcon and a host of other birds of prey specially adapted to hunt for birds along the Nile Valley. Grassland tussocks surrounding the Fayoumi fowl’s beloved marshes camouflage the Egyptian Lynx, which can jump many yards into the air to capture as many as three pigeons in a single assault. Another constant menace, the Golden Jackal, is known to snatch prey from the mouths of lions and like its cousin the fox is an adept predator of fowl. The wild Reed Cat is a serious predator of Fayoumi fowl, preying on young birds. Unlike most breeds of chickens, the Fayoumi is largely a product of natural selection. Its chicks are patterned like those of the plover, perfectly camouflaged amongst the rocks and sand. And like their cousins the Francolins, the Fayoumi chicks are markedly precocious. They look after themselves and mature in months.

58 Backyard Poultry ouflages them against the dark soil there. a challenging backyard bird. Plan to gentle conserve a few flocks before the chickens Their leaf combs are very like those of them with handling from the start. are mongrelized with the commercial the Sicilian Buttercup, another breed with utility breeds that have become common North African roots. Many Bigawi roosters City of the Dead and Mokkatum in Cairo, so that we may continue to fol- will be nearly white with the grey barring In Mokkatum, high in the hills above low these birds into the future. appearing only on the breast or undertail. Cairo, live the Zabbaleen, a minority re- They are a and as such remain ligious community of Coptic Christians Kermit is an authority on gallina- diverse. who have served as Cairo’s informal ceous birds, biogeography, behavioral The Shakshuk Fayoumi is the com- garbage collectors for the past 70 to 80 ecology and evolutionary biology. He is mon strain of unimproved Fayoumi that years. A Bigawi Shashuk, Modern Fay- a lifelong aviculturist and conservator one sees in villages throughout the Fay- oumi and Dandarawi composite known of Old and New Heritage Fowl. Kermit oum and in the cemetery of Old Cairo. as the Mokkatum fowl scavenges with has worked for decades to create, test They are brightly colored with vivid yel- them in the mountains of refuse. This and prove the best available nutrition low legs and ginger-hued feathers. is an important livestock species to the products for sustainable The Dandarawi is a recent dual pur- Zabbaleen, as eggs are a significant part and aviculture. He currently consults pose utility composite created in an agri- of their daily nutrition. exclusively with Farmers' Helper brand, cultural university in Assiut. It was bred In the City of the Dead, a four-mile manufactured by C&S Products. by crossing Fayoumis with old African cemetery running the length of Cairo, breeds like the Malagasy and European people make their homes with their Christine Heinrichs is the author of breeds such as the Braekel. ancestors. Established during the first How to Raise Chickens and How to Raise The Rekhmara and Baraka sub- Arab conquest of 642 AD, the cemetery Poultry, Voyageur Press, both of which breeds are winter-hardy versions of the is the site for monuments and shrines to focus on raising traditional breeds in old Egyptian that closely resemble the the dead. The poor, fleeing rural poverty, small flocks. See the Backyard Poultry earliest representations of domestic fowl settle there. They share it with flocks of bookstore on page 30. from Egypt’s 18th Dynasty. local Mokkatum fowl. She also maintains the Society for Fayoumis aren’t recognized for exhi- They are unique in appearance, and Preservation of Poultry Antiquities’ bition but they are available from several the locals respect them. They may take (SPPA) collection of antique books and hatcheries. Their unusual disease resistance eggs that they find, but otherwise leave magazines at her home on California’s and exceptional hardiness recommend the birds unmolested. One hopes that Central Coast. Learn more about the them, but their wild nature can make them Cairene backyard poultry lovers will SPPA on page 62.

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October/November 2011 www.backyardpoultrymag.com 59 The Cornish Alternative

Ga i l Da m e r o w

or a small family that gets tired of eating turkey leftovers long after Thanksgiving or Christmas isF over, a Cornish-cross roaster makes a great alternative. Compared to the smallest turkey — the Midget White — a Cornish-cross roaster reaches nearly the same dressed weight in less than one third the time on half the feed. A Cornish-cross roaster is simply a Cornish-cross broiler that’s raised an extra couple of weeks. By comparison to most other chicken breeds raised for meat, the Cornish cross grows much quicker and Dressing at nearly six pounds, a Cornish-cross roaster is a good alternative to turkey. more uniformly, so all birds of the same age are ready to harvest at the same time. Cornish crosses should be raised in the Weather permitting, Cornish crosses In spring we brood a few Cornish crosses cooler days of spring or fall. may be moved to pasture at only two weeks along with our other chicks, on exactly the When mine aren’t chowing down, of age. Since they were developed for same type of ration, and in only eight weeks they’re hunkered in the cool bedding. climate-controlled confinement, they won’t we put 6-pounders into the freezer, ready to Because they spend so much time resting do well on pasture if the weather is much stuff and roast come the holidays. on their breasts, these big Cornish crosses cooler than 65°F or much warmer than Raising Cornish-cross meat birds is are susceptible to breast blister. Our stall 85°F, while other breeds have a wider range quite a bit different from raising other bedding must be plenty deep enough, of temperature tolerance. But for them to chickens. One huge difference is their because our roasters show no signs of do well on grass, they must be allowed to rapid growth. At hatch my Cornish-cross breast blisters. forage no later than about three weeks of cockerels weigh only slightly more than Their rapid growth makes them also age. Foraging reduces feed costs and results my Rhode Island Red cockerels. By three susceptible to lameness. Their bodies are in meat that contains less fat, as well as weeks of age they weigh twice as much. wider than other chickens and their legs more omega-3s and other good nutrients, At six weeks of age the Cornish crosses are farther apart. When they walk, they compared to meat birds raised indoors. are more than four times the size of the waddle like ducks. But when they want to, Small-flock owners who don’t have Rhode Island Reds. they can move pretty fast. The first time I much space for keeping meat birds And it’s no wonder — Cornish cross brought mine outdoors this spring and set prefer to raise them indoors. Confine- eat almost constantly and rarely move far them down on some nice green grass, they ment requires not only less land, but from the feeder; they also drink a lot of made a beeline back to the barn — no doubt also less management water to wash down all that feed. Their in a panic over being so far away from the time. Feeding, water- extra body mass keeps them warmer feed trough. ing, and checking on than other chickens of the same age. When mine are only two weeks old they start to pant, so I move them out of the heated brooder into an open stall in the barn. Because they suffer more than most other chickens in hot summer weather,

At hatch, Rock-Cornish chicks are just a fraction of an ounce heavier than By two weeks their weight has At three weeks their feather growth has other chicks. Photos by Gail Damerow nearly doubled. trouble keeping up with body size.

60 Backyard Poultry them takes only a few minutes each day. Naturally you don’t want to spend a lot Midget White of time making friends with them, or you might be too reluctant to put them into the Turkeys freezer when the time comes. Some backyard growers feed their For anyone who wants meat birds several times a day to stimu- to roast a traditional turkey late their appetite. Others withhold feed that isn’t as big as a tradi- overnight to limit growth in an attempt to tional turkey, the Midget prevent lameness. I check all my chickens White is the answer. It twice a day, morning and evening, and looks like one of those fill the feeders to ensure none ever goes big broad-breasted turkeys hungry, and have experienced no lame- sold in grocery stores, only ness issues. much smaller. Dressed hens Raised in confinement, each Cornish average about six pounds, cross will eat approximately two pounds while dressed toms weigh about 10 pounds. of feed for every pound of weight gained. A Midget White turkey flock at the Miller Farm in If you raise your birds to 7-1/2 pounds live Sequim, Washington. Photo courtesy of Jeannette Midget Whites take weight, each one will consume at least 15 Beranger/ALBC. about 28 weeks to reach pounds of feed during its lifetime. The harvest size, and have a older the chicken, the less efficient it be- feed conversion rate of comes at converting feed into meat and the about 4 to 1, meaning on average they eat four pounds of feed per pound of costlier it becomes to raise. The point of weight gained. An 8-pound hen, live weight, therefore eats approximately 32 diminishing returns occurs when Cornish pounds of feed to reach harvest weight, while a 13-pound tom, live weight, eats crosses reach about eight weeks of age. about 52 pounds of feed. At harvest weight Cornish crosses The Midget White was developed as a small turkey that’s ideal for backyard have fewer feathers than other chickens. production. Because of its light weight it can fly really well — an important In fact, their breasts are nearly bare. consideration in designing facilities for raising your next holiday turkey. They spend a lot of time resting on their breasts, because the heavier they get, the Cornish crosses continue to be differ- They have far fewer feathers to less inclined they are to walk. Since they ent from other chickens. For one thing, pluck than other don’t pay much attention to where they their wings are more inclined to break, breeds have, and squat, their breasts get mighty grimy. so either a killing cone is needed or their they have no I’ve seen the news videos of store-bought body may be loosely wrapped (such as chickens being rinsed in fecal soup and with baling twine) to keep don’t want any part of that, so after our them from flapping. Cornish-cross roasters are killed but before I scald them for plucking, I scrub each one with soap and water and a brush. Even in death

At four weeks they weigh more At six weeks they are ready to than two pounds. harvest as fryers.

October/November 2011 www.backyardpoultrymag.com 61 Hands free chicken plucker gets em’ clean in 20 seconds!

By eight weeks of age the Cornish-cross roasters spend more time sitting than standing.

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Gail Damerow has raised chickens for meat, eggs, and entertainment for more than 40 years. She shares her poultry-raising expertise in these books available from our bookstore on page 30: The Chicken Health Handbook, Your Chickens, Barnyard in Your Backyard, The Backyard Homestead Guide to Rais- ing Farm Animals, Fences for Pasture & Garden, and the recently updated and revised classic — Storey’s Guide to Rais- ing Chickens, 3rd edition. 62 Backyard Poultry To find a distributor, dealer or online retailer please visit our website: www.foragecakes.com

October/November 2011 www.backyardpoultrymag.com 63 A Rare Breed “Tour de France”

Jeannette Beranger alBc research & technical PrOgrams manager

his past July, I had the pleasure of spending time in France, and of course wanted to have the opportunity to learn a little bit more about rare French farm breeds andT the efforts to conserve them in that country. The organi- zation I work for, American Livestock Breeds Conservancy, currently works with several French breeds here in the U.S. including Poitou donkeys, Favorolle, Houdan, La Fleche and The dual-purpose Coucou de Rennes breed (front) was created Crevecoeur chickens, Rouen ducks, and Toulouse geese, so it for hardiness and slow growth. They were reputed to have a was interesting for me to try to understand a bit more about unique taste similar to hazelnut. rare breed conservation in France and the culture that created the many unique breeds there. for his table. The fat of La Fleche chickens is evenly distributed A unique rare breeds facility came to my attention through on their carcasses making for a tender product throughout the French friends who told me of a historic farm in the region body. These birds are slower growing than most breeds and that was dedicated to the conservation of traditional crops and French tradition has the birds processed at 8-10 months of age animal breeds created in Brittany and Normandy. The facility, in order for the flavor and flesh to fully develop in the birds known as the Écomusée du Pays de Rennes (in English it’s the for an optimal culinary experience. “Eco-museum of the Countryside of Rennes”), is located on the More ancient than the La Fleche is the Gauloise dorée outskirts of the regional capital city of Rennes. Officially opened chicken, in English the “Gilded chicken of Gaul”, which is in 1994, the facility is based on a historic farm property that considered one of the oldest breeds of farm poultry in France, still has many of the original farm buildings, some dating back dating back to the medieval era with the ancient Gauls. The to the 14th century. The Écomusée utilizes many of the historic Gualoise dorée reflects the typical farm chickens of that era structures as a museum dedicated to educating the public about before any improvements or refinements were made with chick- historic crop and animal production in the region and the land is ens. The Gualoise dorée is an excellent forager and is used for used to propagate endangered breeds of farm animals and crops both meat and eggs. It’s interesting to point out that the roosters including an impressive collection of heirloom apples. of this breed are noted for being the national emblem of France There were a variety of animal breeds, many of which I did and their likeness is often found adorning steeples throughout not recognize, that were intriguing and unique to this region the country. Today the Écomusée estimates the population to of France. One of the few breeds that I did recognize at the consist of approximately 300 birds. facility was the La Fleche chicken which is a breed that ALBC The last historic breed of chicken we came across on works with here in the states. The words “la flèche” translates our visit is a relative newcomer (by way of the 19th century) from French as “the arrow.” It has been said that the La Fleche known as the Coucou de Rennes or in English the “Cukoo chicken gets its name from the arrow-like shape of its v-shaped of Rennes.” This rustic breed got its name from their striped comb, but the name actually was derived from its geographic plumage resembling the stripes on the chest of the Common origination. The name of the village was given to it by the Cukoo birds found in Europe during the summer months. Church of St. Thomas in reference to the arrow that martyred This dual purpose bird was created by the successful French their patron saint. La Flèche is a town in the Pays de la Loire poultry producer, Dr. Edmond Ramé who focused on what he region of France, east of Paris, near the famous racing city of thought were the most important characteristics — hardiness Le Mans. This breed was valued by the French for producing for the country life and slow growth. The birds were reputed fabulous capon (fattened castrated cockerels) and poulardes to have a unique tasting flesh, similar to hazelnut, that enabled (fattened pullets) for the table. The famous French king, Henri the breed to enjoy popularity into the early 20th century. An IV (1553-1610) favored these birds and others from this region official was developed in 1914. The Coucou 64 Backyard Poultry de Rennes was widespread in Brittany, Brittany. All growers participating in the in particular around the city of Rennes, program agree to adhere to strict manage- but as with many slow growing breeds, ment, breeding, dietary, and grow out these birds saw decline later that century criteria to produce a consistent and high and was thought to perhaps be extinct. In quality product for the French market. 1988 an investigation was undertaken by As our visit ended we encountered the Écomusée to locate any remaining two breeds of Breton waterfowl, L’Oie flocks of this breed. Museum staff were Normande (Norman goose) and Le Ca- able to find the last remaining purebred nard Nantais de Challans (Nantes duck flock that year. With the cooperation of of Challans). The Normande goose is the flock’s owner, eggs were acquired a centuries old breed that was found and a conservation was throughout Brittany and Normandy for The Galoise chicken is one of the oldest undertaken to recover this breed at the centuries. They were valued for pro- French breeds, dating back to medieval museum. Following breeding success, the ducing fine carcasses for roasting and times, and is typical of the farm chicken, museum has been able to share breeding served as a source for down to stuff pil- before improvements and refinements stock with local farmers interested in pre- lows and quilts that protected residents were made to domestic chickens. serving the breed. A breed association has from the long, cold, and wet winters of formed, the Association des Producteurs the region. The breed is sexually dimor- was used as the traditional Christmas de Poulets Coucou de Rennes, and the phic with the ganders being all white goose of the region. members work together to conserve and and the geese being white and grey. The Canard Nantais (de Challans) market the birds to ensure their future in Both have blue eyes. The Normande dates back to the 17th century in Brittany The La Flèche Chicken By ALBC St a ff

he words “la fleche” translates in French as “the arrow.” It has been said that the La Flèche chicken gets its name from the arrow-like shape of its v-shaped comb, but the nameT actually was derived from its geographic origin. La Flèche is a town in the department of Sarthe within the Pays de la Loire region of France. The village lies east of Paris, near famous rac- ing city of Le Mans. The name of the village was given to it by the Church of St. Thomas in reference to the arrow that martyred their patron saint. This breed of chicken is said to have first been produced in Le Mans during the fifth century, and then Mizeray and finally at La Flèche. The La Flèche chicken is a medium-sized bird with black plumage, white earlobes, and a distinct v-shaped comb. The breed is deceptive in size; having tight fitting feathers, it is much heavier than it appears. They resemble Spanish chickens, with the excep- tion of their comb. La Flèche hens lay very large white eggs and lay well from March through October. La Flèche chicks grow fairly slowly. However, the breed was famous for producing magnificent capons (castrated cockerels) and poulardes (fattened pullets) that were much celebrated in the Paris and Anjou markets. Today in the farmers market of La Fleche, these birds are sometimes sold as the “Fowl of Le Mans.” Of all the French breeds of chicken, it is said that the La Flèche stands at the head for table qualities. They have thin white skin with tender, juicy, delicate, short-grained flesh. Their breasts are meaty and full in shape. The breed fattens well, with the fat distributed across the breasts, legs, thighs, and even the back. La Flèche chickens have a small propor- tion of offal (edible internal organs) to meat. They were also used to “gaver” or stuff – an old traditional practice of making birds eat more by inserting a tube into their mouths that introduces a specially blended wet mash and supplements their normal diet in order to fatten the birds. A large population of La Flèche chickens made their way to America in the 1850s. They The La Fleche breed of chicken gets were found by producers to be delicate in constitution, especially so in the eastern and middle its name from a town in the Pays de states, and were soon abandoned for hardier newly arriving breeds. Poultry author W.B. la Loire region of France. Similar Tegetmeier purchased some La Flèche chickens and imported them into England in 1882. to Spanish chickens, they have tight La Flèche chickens were recognized by the American Poultry Association as a stan- black feathering and white earlobes. dard breed in 1874. The breed comes in only one variety – Black. Males weigh 8 lbs. and Inset: A La Fleche rooster shows the females weigh 6.5 lbs. distinctive v-shaped comb. ALBC Conservation Priority List Status: Watch

October/November 2011 www.backyardpoultrymag.com 65 Left: The Canard Nantais (de Challans) ducks were once popular on fine dining tables due to their diet of marsh grasses and plants. It is now estimated that there are less than 100 breeding animals remaining.

Right: Normande geese are centuries old. They were valued as holiday roasters, and for the down used for bedding in the cold wet regions of Brittany and Normandy.

and was developed from local breeds of museum estimates that there are less than their collections visit their website at duck crossed with wild Mallards. The 100 breeding animals that remain. www.ecomusee-rennes-metropole.fr/. birds were found in the Breton marshes The visit to the Écomusée du Pays of the Vendée in the Loire river estuary. de Rennes proved to be a fascinating For more information on endan- These ducks were expected to forage look into the historic breeds of the gered poultry visit American Livestock much of their own food and survive region and is a must see for anyone Breeds Conservancy (ALBC) at www. on the grasses and plants found in the interested in rare breed conservation. albc-usa.org or see their ad on page 10. marshes. This diet lent itself to distinc- Included with their poultry collection are The ALBC is a nonprofit membership tive flavor making the birds popular on an interesting array of regional breeds organization working to protect over the “great tables” of Europe. In modern of horses, cattle, sheep, goats, and pigs. 150 breeds of livestock and poultry times the breed has seen decline and the For more information on the facility and from extinction.

66 Backyard Poultry October/November 2011 www.backyardpoultrymag.com 67 BOOK review: handled: Instead of the usual litany of op- tions regarding chicken coops and feeds, the six chapters included in the section on basic care cover such topics as “Manure The Small-Scale management in the poultry house: The joys of deep litter;” and using Electronet. Poultry Flock The next section deals with putting the chickens to work making compost and controlling insects, and most tellingly, For those who haven’t yet been tracking soil changes. introduced to this prolific and original Feeding the small-scale flock is one writer — “The Chicken Man” of North- of Ussery’s pet topics, and in this five- ern Virginia — we might add that there’s chapter section he is not to be outdone. something oddly satisfying about ideas His ideas, opinions, experiences and that combine scientific observation with practical advice on feeding chickens set creativity and common sense, and all in this book apart from the rest of the flock, the context of chickens. and provide reason enough to buy, read, Well, not chickens exclusively. As and use it. one of the back-cover blurbs notes, He carefully points out that the chap- “Ussery raises the larger question: What ter on health is titled “Helping the flock kind of world do we want to live in?” stay healthy,” not “Dealing with health And the author himself notes in his in- problems.” That subtle distinction also troduction that there is no other poultry speaks volumes. book that takes quite as seriously as he The chapters on breeding the small- does “the coming enormous changes in scale flock cover conservation of en- the national and global economies, with dangered breeds, breed improvement their threats to basic food security and (including the possibility of developing The Small-Scale Poultry Flock, by the consequent need to find new ways your own uniquely American, region- Harvey Ussery; Chelsea Green Publish- to produce the food we eat.” In the fore- specific breeds and strains), as well as ing; 8 x 10 paperback, 416 pages, illus.; word, Joel Salatin concentrates on the fertilization and incubation. $39.95 same general theme. “Part Seven: Poultry for the Table” In other words, this is not just an- includes not only what is arguably the other book on “how to raise chickens:” most helpful and complete illustrated reviewed By Jd Belanger It’s an informal treatise on the inter- butchering how-to you’ll find anywhere, editOr emeritus connectedness of humans with the entire but also some ideas for using eggs and biosphere. meat, and perhaps somewhat incongru- f you like his articles in Backyard Chickens are the stars, of course, ously, serving small local markets. Poultry, you’ll love his book. and working with them (as opposed to The appendices could constitute a For Harvey Ussery’s many fans, caring for them — note the difference) book on their own: Make a trap nest, that’sI the simplest way to describe his is the central focus. If this distinction dustbox, mobile A-frame shelter, or duck new book, The Small-Scale Poultry isn’t enough to separate this book from confit; use spreadsheets to track egg and Flock, subtitled “An all-natural approach the others in the voluminous and growing broiler costs and profits, or for feed formu- to raising chickens and other fowl for genre of chicken literature, consider how lation; and of course the usual resources, home and market growers.” even the components of basic care are glossary and index. Also of interest are the dozen pages of endnotes, which add even more depth to many of the author’s personal observations and convictions. Hatch your own chicks That master of pithy back-to-the-land writing, Gene Logsdon, summed it up in Easy to use. Affordable. his one-sentence back-cover blurb: “Here’s Quality incubators since 1978 the ultimate book for those who want to Full line of incubators and brooders know everything there is to know about with a two-year warranty raising poultry.” We heartily agree. Toll free 888-667-7009 or Jd Belanger founded the original 321-267-7009 for FREE color catalog Backyard Poultry in 1979 and is the author of The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Raising Chickens. It and The Small-Scale Poultry Se habla The Incubation Specialists www.brinsea.com español Flock are available from the Backyard Poultry bookstore on page 30. 68 Backyard Poultry small-flock poultry Backyard Poultry’s Dedicated to more and better

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Pg.30 Get the Facts on Different Breeds April/May, 2006 Vol. 1/2 August/September, 2007 Vol. 2/4 Pg.16 • Chick Success: Start Those Birds Right! • The Java Experience • Working With the Cock(s) in the • Designing Your Pasture Shelter Flock • Poultry Predator Identification • Serama: World’s Smallest Chicken • Rats in Your Poultry June/July, 2008 Vol. 3/3 • Gardening with Guineas • The Laying of an Egg An Amazing Aug/Sept, 2006 Vol. 1/4 • Integrating Poultry Flocks Process • Make Your Own Feed • Make it Yourself: The Whizbang: • How to Bathe That Bird An Affordable Homemade Poultry Plucker June/July, 2010 Vol. 5/3 • Chicks in the City: Hens Help Build a • Summer Challenges That Chick is Hot! Community October/November, 2008 Vol. 3/5 • Why Does a Hen Cackle? • One Dozen Tips & Tricks to Simplify Poul- • More Homegrown Feed Ideas Oct/Nov, 2006 Vol. 1/5 try Keeping • Portable Chicken Run • Turkeys: History, Culture & Varieties February/March 2011 Vol. 6/1 • Turkey History & Varieties • Plymouth Rocks: The Heirloom Breed • Essential Housing Tips for the Ideal • Feeding the Flock From Homestead’s Coop Resources April/May, 2009 Vol. 4/2 • Which is the Right Bird for You? • Integrating Chickens of Different Ages • Heritage Breed Options Provide Beauty & • Turn Those Empty Feed Bags Into a Utility Reusable Carryall Dec, 2006/Jan, 2007 Vol. 1/6 • Alternatives to the Cornish Cross • Winter Care for Your Poultry • Understand and Prevent Pecking & Picking June/July 2011 Vol. 6/3 • The Neglected Goose • Chick Know-How: Sex Chicks, Cure • Make a Poultry Saddle February/March, 2010 Vol. 5/1 Spraddle Leg, Make a Feed Block • Bring Peace to Your Flock • There’s Nothing Quite Like a Muscovy! • Opportunities to Profit with Poultry • Hobby Pigeons • How to Photograph Your Flock • Manage Pests Naturally

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For more information on back issues, visit our website: www.backyardpoultrymag.com Re c i p e s : Roast Chicken and Other Comfort Foods Ja n i c e Co l e use top-quality firm bread, pasture-raised Mi n n e s o t a eggs, and crisp vegetables. Another one of my favorite dishes old weather sends me into the for fall is classic roast chicken: a simple kitchen. It’s not that I don’t cook concept that requires only a few tech- in the summer, but I’m more likely niques for perfection. It is often said Cto make quick meals of colorful produce that the best way to evaluate the ability and seared meat on the grill than spend of a chef or cook is to taste their roast any time standing over a hot stove. chicken. Filling the cavity of a roast bird When the air turns crisp however, I with good bread, herbs, fruit and season- yearn for slow-cooked food such as roast ings can transform this simple dish into a chicken, stuffing, soups, stews and egg special meal worthy of a holiday dinner. bakes. There’s something amazing about The stuffing adds taste and moisture to This Holiday Roast Chicken with warming the house with an oven full of the bird and keeps the breast meat from Cranberry Fig Stuffing dish offers a comfort food. It makes everyone happy. drying out, while the chicken juices smaller meal option than the traditional My hens like the thought of a warm flavor the stuffing, blending the two holiday turkey. Photo by Alex Farnum kitchen on cold cloudy days as well and dishes into one. they often huddle by the back door tap- Books, 2011). She is a food editor and ping on the glass with their beaks hoping Secrets to Perfect Roast Chicken food writer. For recipes and more infor- to be let in. The fact that they won’t be • Do not wash or soak chicken before mation about her birds visit her blog at allowed into the house doesn’t deter them cooking. Washing raw chicken does not ThreeSwinginChicks.com. as they continue their vigil, peering long- remove bacteria and makes the cross- The Chicken and Egg: A Memoir ingly through the window. Even though contamination of bacteria on sinks, cut- of Suburban Homesteading with 125 they don’t get into the kitchen, their ting boards, utensils, and other foods Recipes is available from the Backyard sad-eye routine works as I guiltily rush more likely. Bacteria is destroyed only Poultry bookstore, see page 30.—Ed. out with a warm treat urging them back by cooking. to the relative warmth of their own little • For crisp, golden skin, dry the chicken coop. Those of you who can withstand completely before roasting. your chickens’ superb acting skills and • Roasting the chicken on a rack allows Holiday Roast keep them on their regimented diet are the heat to circulate around the chicken better and stronger than I am. and keeps the chicken above the fat and Once the weather cools, I love serving juices that drip down. Chicken with breakfast to a crowd and do-ahead baked • For a golden brown chicken, use a egg dishes are my go-to recipes. These sa- shallow low-sided roasting pan no more vory bread puddings, also known as egg than about 4-inches deep. A deep pan, Cranberry-Fig stratas, are layers of bread, vegetables such as a turkey roaster, will keep the and meat baked in a rich egg custard. chicken shielded from the heat and in- The creamy texture and cheesy custard terfere with proper browning. Stuffing appeals to everyone, making them a • Leave the chicken legs untied to allow perennial favorite. For the best flavor, the heat to penetrate into the center of or small holiday celebrations, a the bird, crisping all areas and cooking roast chicken is as celebratory as the bird faster. turkey, but much easier to handle • Buttering the outside of the chicken andF quicker to prepare. The traditional aids in browning and crisping without bread stuffing is accented with fruits of extra basting. If you do baste during the season, for a colorful side dish. roasting, stop during the last 15 to 20 minutes as the skin will stay crisper with 4 cups cubed baguette (3/4-inch cubes) dry heat. 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened • Let the chicken stand 10 minutes be- 1/2 cup minced shallots fore carving to allow the juices to dis- 1/2 cup dried cranberries 1/2 cup chopped dried figs, preferably tribute evenly throughout the meat. Calimyrna, or dried apricots 1/2 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth Janice Cole is the author of Chicken 1 egg, beaten and Egg: A Memoir of Suburban Home- 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley steading with 125 Recipes (Chronicle 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme 70 Backyard Poultry 3/4 teaspoons kosher salt Cover with foil (see Notes). About 15 minutes before the chicken 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper Place a roasting rack in a shallow is ready to come out of the oven, bake 1 (4-1/2- to 5-pound) chicken roasting pan. Oil the roasting rack or the dish of stuffing alongside until the Preheat the oven to 400°F. Butter an coat with nonstick cooking spray. Tuck stuffing is hot and the internal tem- 8-inch square glass or ceramic baking the chicken wing tips behind the chicken. perature registers at least 165°F, 20 to dish or coat with nonstick cooking spray. Spread the remaining 1 tablespoon of 25 minutes. Spread out the bread cubes in a single layer butter over the chicken. Sprinkle with Remove chicken from the oven and on a large, rimmed baking sheet and bake the remaining 1 tablespoon of thyme, 1/2 loosely cover with foil for 10 minutes for 5 minutes or until slightly dry. Cool and teaspoon of salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of pep- before serving. Spoon out the stuffing, transfer to a large bowl (see Notes). per. Spoon the reserved stuffing into the carve. Meanwhile, melt 2 tablespoons of the chicken cavity so that it’s filled loosely. Notes: The bread for the stuffing can butter in a small skillet and cook the shallots If the chicken cavity will not hold all of be prepared up to three days in advance for 1 minute, stirring frequently. Pour over the reserved stuffing, add any remaining and kept in an airtight bag. the bread. Toss in the cranberries and figs. to the baking dish. The stuffing can be prepared up to Moisten the bread with the broth. Stir in the Bake the chicken for 60 to 70 minutes eight hours ahead of time, covered, and egg, sprinkle with the parsley, 1 tablespoon or until the internal temperature of the stored in the refrigerator. Do not spoon of the thyme, and 1/4 teaspoon each of the chicken at the thickest point of the thigh the stuffing into the chicken until right salt and pepper, and toss until well blended. (without touching a bone) registers 175°F before baking. An additional 5 - 10 min- Reserve 11/2 cups of the stuffing for the and the temperature of the stuffing inside utes of baking time may be necessary. chicken and place the rest in the baking dish. the chicken registers at least 165°F. Serves 6 Golden Spinach Strata

he secret ingredient in this breakfast casserole is butternut squash.T The shredded squash blends into this egg puff and looks almost like cheese. It lends a slightly sweet, nutty flavor to this fall dish. I like to use a challah loaf here because the rich egg bread is firm enough to hold its shape during baking, but is light The Golden Spinach Strata dish uses butternut squash enough to complement the other in- Ingredients: for a sweet and nutty flavor. Photo by Alex Farnum gredients. Look for an aged Gouda 2 tablespoons unsalted butter cheese such as Mona Lisa. It lends 1 medium onion, sliced a buttery, caramel note to the dish. 5 cups lightly packed cubed challah or another egg bread (3/4- to 1-inch cubes) If you can’t find it, Gruyère is also 2 cups lightly packed shredded butternut squash (from about 3/4 pound squash) 1 (9- to 10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry good. You’ll need to assemble this 9 eggs dish the night before. 3-1/2 cups half-and-half 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper 2 cups lightly packed shredded aged Gouda cheese (6 ounces) Directions: Lightly butter a 13-by-9-inch glass baking dish or coat with nonstick cooking spray. Melt the butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 8 - 10 minutes or until the onion is golden brown, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, toss the challah and squash together in a large bowl and arrange in the baking dish. Scatter the browned onion and the spinach over the bread mixture. Whisk the eggs in a large bowl until blended and smooth. Whisk in the half-and-half, salt, and pepper until combined. Pour the egg mixture over the bread and vegetables. Make sure all of the bread mixture is moistened, pressing on the bread cubes if necessary to coat with the egg mixture. Sprinkle the cheese over the top. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F. Remove the plastic and let the strata sit at room temperature while heating the oven. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until the strata is puffed, the top is golden brown, the center is set, and a knife inserted in the center comes out moist but with no milky reside. Let sit for 5 minutes before serving. Serves 12

October/November 2011 www.backyardpoultrymag.com 71 Ju s t fo r Fu n : must have had a good spot for spending the night — somewhere safe from predators. But a safe place to roost wouldn’t the keep him alive for long. Short days and Richard Rooster cold nights were coming. Soon there would be no insects to eat or food on the La r r y Oa k l e y crowing. A rooster is loyal to his flock, ground to forage. Even if there were we On t a r i o , Ca n a d a which may be what he thought we were. knew he would freeze to death by Christ- Roosters can also be aggressive and will mas unless a fox or owl got him. hen he crowed every morning attack anything that they think will harm We could have spared him from suf- before dawn, someone sleep- their hens. fering a long, slow death. Someone from ing inside our camp always Richard seemed happy in his new the camp could have volunteered to take said,W “I’m going to kill that rooster.” surroundings. Besides crowing and cluck- him home to a nice warm place for the But no one did. ing, he made a cooing dove-like sound winter. Some people would even call At first there were two roosters liv- whenever we fed him. While we worked that merciful. ing in the woods behind our camp. But outside he hung around scratching himself Richard’s problem was that he was not a predator like a fox or owl killed one or digging a hole so he could sit and rest a wild animal. Maybe his ancestors once a few days after they were released to in the cool, dark earth. He always seemed were. But he became domesticated. That live on their own. We found its feathers to know where everyone was, especially means he couldn’t survive on his own. and a dark stain on the ground near the when you got around behind him. Maybe It appeared that there was only one back door. that’s why he lasted so long. right thing to do. After all, he was just one The person who initially owned One day he suddenly and unexpect- chicken, and if we decided to kill him we both roosters said they were waking him edly pecked a cigarette out of someone’s would eat him. In the end, he would be no up too early every morning and that he hand. I never turned my back on him different than any other chicken. wanted to get rid of them. since then, especially in the morning After reading the column that I Someone suggested that the owner when he followed me back and forth wrote about Richard in The Kingston take them to our camp where we to the outhouse located about 50 yards Whig-Standard, a lot of people asked would eat them. But he thought the owner behind the camp. Those spurs located me, “Whatever happened to the rooster would kill them first. Instead the owner at the back of his legs can cause a very that was living in the woods around your just let them go behind our camp around painful puncture wound. hunting camp?” Mitten Lake near Kaladar, . It No one knew where he went at night. People wanted to know if we had was mid-June. We thought he might be staying in the found a new home for Richard, or if some From that day on, whenever someone doghouse or roosting on top of the kennel. wild animal had killed him like our other went to the camp to fish or work or relax, Four of us went out one night with flash- rooster, or if we had decided to shoot that rooster came strutting out of the lights but couldn’t find him roosting. He him because he started crowing at three woods within minutes. We began feed- ing him right away. He ate everything from corn on the cob to fish guts along with insects and acorns that he found on his own. He would even peck a piece of popcorn from your hand but never let you get close enough to touch him. It wasn’t long before someone gave him a name. We called him Richard. Nam- ing him was a big step towards having him as a pet and would make killing him difficult, if not impossible — although he didn’t do himself any favours whenever he crapped all over our gas barbecue. Richard fended for himself for weeks at a time until someone showed up at the camp for a visit. There’s plenty of natural food around during most of the year. When a camp member bought a bag of rice for Richard, I knew we were becoming attached to him. Richard was a survivor. Like all roost- ers, he seemed outwardly confident. He Jake Lake, a member of the hunting crew feeds Richard at the camp near Kaladar, crowed all day long and liked flapping his Ontario, Canada. Photo by Larry Oakley, originally printed in The Kingston Whig wings, which looks like another form of Standard, Kingston, Ontario. 72 Backyard Poultry came back one night for another meal. Richard’s short time with us at the hunting camp probably were the best days he ever knew. We will certainly miss him. At least he could say that he lived free. Not many chickens can say that. A lot of people can’t even make that claim, and many of them have lived a lot longer than that rooster. Many people will be sad that he missed his chance to live with all those chickens. But to me that sounds like quite a chore — just one rooster, a confirmed bachelor too, trying to keep 30 hens happy all the time. Maybe he is better off dead. The hunting crew at the Mitten Lake Hunting Camp near Kaladar, Ontario. Larry Oakley is on right side of table, holding the feather.

o’clock in the morning. — hand fed, watered, and living with a One weekend when a few of us went roof over his head. He’ll never be the to the camp, Richard didn’t come strut- same. I wouldn’t be surprised if he wants ting out of the woods to greet us like he to come back. He liked being alone.” always had in the past. We immediately Various times during our weekend at thought he was dead. the camp I heard different people say that But one of the members arrived a they kind of missed our rooster and they little later with some good news. He wondered how Richard was doing in his told us that a man named Calvin Parks new home with all those chickens. approached him in the Kaladar general Later in the week after I got home, I store and said, “I read that story in the decided to phone Calvin Parks and ask Kingston paper about your rooster and him about how he managed to catch I’ve seen him wandering around the camp Richard and how he was making out in near the road while driving by.” his new surroundings. Then he asked, “Is he a Barred Rock I received a big surprise when I made rooster?” that phone call. “Yes, he is,” was the reply. Calvin’s wife answered. When I iden- Then he said, “I’ll take him if you tified myself and asked about Richard want. I have 30 Barred Rock hens and she said, “We haven’t gone over to pick no rooster.” him up yet.” “If you can catch him, he’s yours,” “What?” I asked, thinking the was the response. worst. Everyone at the camp was elated to “We thought there was no rush. He’s hear the news about Richard. been on his own out there for months,” “He probably thinks he’s gone to she said. heaven,” someone said. “Thirty hens and We then had a nice chat about chick- one rooster — he won’t have much time ens and roosters and I thanked her for the for crowing now.” information about Richard and said that “Hell, he’s probably dead already,” he probably won’t be there if you go to someone else said laughing. try and pick him up later. We had quite a discussion about It seemed obvious that Richard the whether Richard was better off all cooped rooster was dead. He hadn’t been seen up in a henhouse with 30 chickens or liv- for over a week. ing a life of solitude alone in the woods. I shouldn’t have been surprised. The “After all, isn’t that why we like com- big surprise was that he lasted so long out ing back to the camp — to get away from there in the woods by himself. The wilder- it all?” I asked. ness is always watching and listening. Contact: Gary Davis Someone else added, “That’s why we Richard really didn’t have a chance against Undergraduate Recruiter Center of Excellence liked him so much — because he was a the hunger and cunning of wild animals for Poultry Science solitary creature and a lone survivor liv- like foxes, fishers, and owls. 1260 W. Maple, Fayetteville, AR 72701 ing out here in the wilderness on his own. Whatever killed that other rooster dur- (479) 575-7526 or [email protected] You have to respect him for that. Now ing the first few days that Richard and he he’s become just like any other chicken were left to fend for themselves probably October/November 2011 www.backyardpoultrymag.com 73 alert me to their whereabouts, some were silently frozen to the spot, some came The King is Dead running, some stayed hidden, some were too high to reach. Many were missing. Not surprisingly among the missing was Carusoroo, the great rooster of the flock. Not great in size, just being a little bantam. But great in heart, as he had shown time after time since assuming his duties and obligations as King of the Flock over the past three years. Carusoroo was a cultured cock, meaning that he had learned proper chicken etiquette and behavior, indeed he had helped to educate the rest of the flock. His crowing throughout the day announced his location to the others to keep them safe. His low churbling growl alerted them to aerial danger from hawks and crows. His chortling promised special treats for his girls. His soft clucking ex- pressed his desire for romance. He waited until all the others were safely inside at the end of the day, before entering the coop himself. Unlike other crude and ruthless roosters, Carusoroo would court his lady, dropping a wing and flicking it with his claws to rustle it loudly as he danced in- tently around her. Ever the gentle rooster, he would desist if she declined. But, if she curtsied her acceptance he would mount her and ruffle her feathers obligingly. Carusoroo as King of the Flock would dole out discipline, and mediate disputes. He was fearless and would confront any unfamiliar being of any size that ap- proached the flock. A human stranger would have to be formally introduced to Carusoroo is King of the Flock him to avoid being kicked by his razor sharp spurs. The introduction would go like this: as the human stranger ap- proached and Carusoroo began to sidle leslie watKins right in front of me. I quickly took a forward, pecking the ground intermit- cOnnecticut picture. When the fox saw me, it turned tently along the way as he sized up the and ran, the chicken flying to safety. I intruder, I would sweep him up into my s I put the finishing touches on was able to get two more shoots of the arms. Holding him gently yet firmly I a note to send to a special friend fox before it vanished, and then I began would bring him up to eye level with Aabout gardening yesterday, I hunting for my scattered flock. the stranger and ask the stranger to look thought I would slip some tiny fresh I remembered the crows I had heard Carusoroo right in the eye. This was spring flowers into the card. I grabbed earlier as I was engrossed with my letter very important. Once eye contact was the scissors and went out the back door writing, wondering what all the cawing established, the stranger would verbally en route to the garden. Immediately was about. And I remembered the ruckus acknowledge to Carusoroo that he was I saw my little house chicken, Banto, that the chickens had made, and my King, and that the stranger would not stricken on the ground just a few feet thinking it was just an ordinary ruckus. harm his girls, Carusoroo could then be from my steps. There was no question As I searched I found heaps of feathers let down, and he would calmly return to he was dead. I saw the puncture wounds here and there, and little feather trails into his regular rooster routine. If this proce- on his back and returned to the house the woods, but no other bodies besides dure was not followed, he would punish for my camera, expecting that the hawk Banto’s. I collected terrified chickens the stranger by bruising the stranger’s would return for it’s kill. from the woods, the fences, and the legs with surprisingly hard kicks. As soon as I stepped back outside I trees. They had scattered throughout the While I was not witness to the mas- saw a fox bounding after another chicken full acre of my property. Some called to sacre, there is no question in my mind 74 Backyard Poultry that Carusoro would not have hesitated for his presence every Saturday morning mighty crowing, and accompanied many in confronting the fox or foxes as soon for the past three years at the local farm- musical guests as they played their tunes. as they arrived. He was brave and fear- ers market. He was a great hit with the Photographs of him have appeared in lo- less and no doubt defended the others as crowd, posed for a lot of pictures, and cal papers and on websites. fiercely as he was able to do. And sadly, gently accepted many treats of blueber- I always treated Carusoroo with af- I have no doubt that he was the first to ries, cakes, breads and leaves from even fection, gentleness and respect and he be killed. the littlest of children. He heralded the accorded me the same in return. I miss Carusoroo was a celebrity in Norfolk opening of the market each day with his his cheerful presence. Awesome Chicken Art

uthor Leslie Watkins lives on a small farm in Norfolk, AConnecticut, where she raises a flock of bantams. She tells us her chickens are among the hap- piest and most pampered chick- ens you will find anywhere. They free range throughout the property from the garden to the orchard, and into the woods. She has various breeds, but her favorites are the Old English and Bearded Belgian d’Anvers. Every week she takes a selection of five of her tamest, in- cluding Carusoroo, (my PR agent) birds to the farmers market to sell eggs and flowers. She is an artist and illustrator. Her paintings have been exhibited throughout New England, New York City and Japan. Her illustrations have appeared in Fine Gardening, Horticulture, The New York Times and even on postage stamps. Recently, she has started painting chickens that are being offered as fine prints to Back- yard Poultry readers. Leslie will paint your birds from a photo. For more informa- tion, please visit Leslie’s website www.lesliewatkins.com or e-mail her at lesliewatkins@lesliewatkins. com. You can also write to her at 281 Litchfield Road, Norfolk, CT 06058.

Two examples of Leslie Watkin’s art.

October/November 2011 www.backyardpoultrymag.com 75 A Case of Mistaken Identity

suzanne n. russell created even more of a stir leading to maine Nate’s egg enterprise with local elemen- tary teachers. Eggs and receipt book in y son, Nate, has chickens. He hand he would be off to school to peddle always wanted chickens so we his wares. Mbought six from the local mill At first I was ambivalent about these the spring of 2007. All but one survived chickens, but then, like children, they early life. She was given a good Catho- begin to grow on you. I actually enjoyed Lou, one of the matriarchs of the Russell’s lic burial by my son’s friend since he watching them around the garden, picking flock, is healthy and still laying eggs at was Catholic. As the chicks grew they them up and lifting them down from the age four. moved into a traditional “slapped to- rafters of the horse barn to tuck them into gether” Aroostook county hen house the straw at night. They all have personali- got run over. We all chased, cornered designed and built by my parents ties, really, and I was soon attached. and crawled under cars until, finally, “Nanny and Bump.” There the chick- It was a school day. My oldest two cornered, we caught her. Trying not to ens, a Rhode Island Red, a Sex Link, children had caught the early morning notice the amused looks from customers two Leghorns and an Araucana roamed bus to avoid chores and my 7-year-old, and hysterical laughing from my friend, free, pecking away at day and tucked in Sam, rolled down stairs and into the I scooped Lou up, tucked her under my at night. Soon they were joined by an- car at the last minute to catch a ride to arm and climbed in the truck with the gas other Araucana and became a six pack school.- Distracted by the day’s upcom- can. Now, laughing until tears flowed, we once again. The first egg created quite ing work, I ran out of gas at the end of a drove back to the car. a stir—at least they were pulling their large potato farmer’s driveway. Ignoring As we arrived up to the car, my friend weight now, I guess. The first blue egg the lecture from the back seat, I called my drove past my car to the potato buildings. best friend who giggling came to save When I asked why, she retorted that she “Dress” your the day. Not wanting to dirty her van she was not putting gas in my car in her birds! showed up in the company truck with gas good clothes and she was not holding the Whether they can in hand. We climbed in and scooted chicken. We needed help. She found an are chickens, up the road to a busy gas station which employee/friend from the potato house ducks, geese happens to have a busy Dunkin Donuts who put gas in my car and then told me or turkeys. drive through. While I was pumping gas to start it up. I told him he’d have to hold Sam noticed a man chasing a chicken the chicken. We transferred the chicken Plucks in just 30 seconds! around the parking lot. “That’s Lou!,” and I started my car. Easy Cleanup - No messy drums with he screamed. Sure enough, I looked and sticky feathers to clean out. By this time we’d drawn a small the chicken, who looked like Lou and Visit us online at: crowd from the potato house including had a cut on her leg just like Lou,was www.schweisswelding.com the farmer and they were laughing about racing around. How she managed to get the chicken. I took back the chicken from PO Box 477 • Fairfax, MN 55332 two miles from our home was beyond the employee, threatened all with their 507-426-7828 • 507-828-0261 me but we had to catch her before she lives if they told anyone, looked down at the chicken—who was dead. I’d killed the chicken… or she died… or… well, she was dead. What to tell Nate! We put the chicken in the farmer’s truck so he could dispose of her. Sam and I got into the car and went back to the gas station. Everyone there was laughing about my chicken… I told them she was dead. The laughter exploded. I was now a chicken killer. I loaded Sam up and decided to go home. It wasn’t our chicken. Our chicken was in the yard. Well, I still like chickens, but if I find them anywhere but home they’re free to roam. 76 Backyard Poultry We will MEET or BEAT our competitor’s price on all coops! DIY Garden Shed Kits

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Barnard Crested-Duck was officiating Hello, Poultry Pals! as he did every year. “May I have your The coop has been cackling in anticipation of reading this year’s stories from attention. We’ve chosen our four finalists. the writing contest. I would swear on a stack of eggs that we have the smartest Would you gentlemen please come and most clever young poultry fanciers writing adventures about me. Every forward?” year they hatch fresh ideas and I get a chuckle at how well they pick up on My beak dropped open as a BB Red my poultry behaviors. Perhaps they get that from watching their own flock, Game bird, , Golden or could there be a little Gertrude in all of us? Whatever inspires you, be sure Duckwing Phoenix and Black Cornish strutted forward, chests puffed out. A to get your eggs-citing story (500 words or less) to me by midnight on Oct. 10. chorus of cheeps, quacks and honks rang Keep your wings waving, out. Barnard raised his wings and the Gertrude McCluck, C.I.C. crowd fell silent (except for a Call duck who couldn’t keep quiet). “Ms. Gertrude McCluck is here to render a final verdict Duck, Duck, Goose…Turkey? as to who has the longest feather at the You may not be able to judge a book by its cover, but you sure can tell a bird by its festival.” shape! Study the silhouettes of the ducks, geese and turkey below. Notice the distinct Generally reserved for official C.I.C. business, I made an exception and pulled shape of each breed and variety. Match the silhouettes to their correct name then check out my trusty spy glass to aid my duties. your answers in the answer box. (Answers are on the next page) “May I?” I said to the BB Red, who turned 1. ____ 2. ____ 3. ____ 4. ____ to the side so I could measure his longest black sickle feather. I laid the spy glass handle along the stretched out feather, turned it end over end two more times then announced to the crowd, “Three handles long.” As the crowd cheered, the Japanese stepped forward and I measured, “Four and a half handles long.” The Phoenix came in at six handles in length which left 5. ____ 6. ____ 7. ____ 8. ____ me with the Cornish, who perched on the edge of the stage as I flipped my spy glass end over end. On the edge of their roosts, the crowd counted with me, “Four, five, six…and a half handles long!” Barnard announced, “The Cornish is the winner!” Rattle-rattle-buzz-ding! My birdbrain computer googled in my head –something wasn’t quite right with this situation. “Foul! Fowl! Not so fast there, Barnard.” I declared the Phoenix the (Silhouettes reprinted courtesy of the APA-ABA Youth Program) winner of the contest and asked the A. Sebastopol Goose E. Call Duck Cornish to come back stage with me. How B. African Goose F. Crested Duck did Gertrude know the Cornish did not C. Chinese Goose G. Runner Duck have the longest feather? D. Muscovy Duck H. Turkey Tom Answer on next page 78 Backyard Poultry 3rd Annual Gertrude McCluck Jokes…Get the Yolk? Chicken In Charge Q. Why did the dinosaur cross the road? Writing Contest! A. Because there weren’t any chickens back then! Two age groups (7-10 & 11-14) with even more prizes! • To enter: Write an original story that includes Gertrude McCluck. Type the story Q. How many chickens can you using 500 words or less. Send story in e-mail or postal mail by October 10th. In- put into an empty coop? clude your name, age, address, phone number and e-mail (if you have one) with the A. Just one. After that it isn’t story (not just on the envelope or in the e-mail). Optional: send photo of author and empty! a poultry pet (labeled with names) for possible inclusion with story if published. • Prizes awarded in each age group! Winners will be announced in the Dec./Jan. issue. Q. Why did the chicken run away? • Winning entries published in an issue of Backyard Poultry and all stories can be A. She felt cooped up! read on the BYP website. • See full details in the Aug./Sept. issue of Backyard Poultry. Fun Facts: Stomach E-mail or send entry (postmarked by October 10th, 2011) to: A chicken has a single stomach that has Gertrude McCluck Adventure two compartments. The proventriculus 15154 W 231st St. is an acidic compartment, and the Spring Hill, KS 66083 gizzard is a muscular grinding Or e-mail: [email protected] compartment. Since a chicken doesn’t have teeth, the compartments work together to help the chicken digest food. Minute Mystery Answer: While BB Red Game, Japanese and Phoenix have beautiful tail feathers, a pure bred Cornish has tight feathers and no impressive, showy tail. Gertrude accused the Cornish of faking it and after some further investigation, discovered a feathered extension woven into his existing tail feathers. She promptly gave him her ‘Be proud of who you are’ lecture and disqualified him from the contest.

Duck, Duck, Goose...Turkey? Answers: 1. E 2. B 3. A 4. G 5. C 6. H 7. F 8. D

Gertrude McCluck, Chicken Baack Talk in Charge is assisted by 1. WRITE your caption idea on a piece of paper. chicken wrangler Cyndi Gern- 2. MAIL your caption idea by October 10 along with your name and address to Baack Talk, 15154 W 231st St., Spring Hill, KS 66083 OR E-MAIL to hart. Find out more about [email protected]. Selection for publication in a future issue Gertrude and her book series for will be at the discretion of Backyard Poultry. Name, town and state will be children and other fun activities at: printed with response unless otherwise requested. www.GertrudeMcCluck.net A few favorites from August/September Issue: • “I told you not to cross the road!”—Hattie Franklin, Missouri • “What’s a key?”—Kary Harris, California • “I told you fowl play would get you life in the pen.”—Carole Fontaine, Connecticut • “What do you mean, they thought you were a threat to homeland security?”—Angel Lynch, Georgia • “Heard you got your free range privileges revoked for fencing double yolks on the black market.”—J Brian Long, Tennessee October/November 2011 www.backyardpoultrymag.com 79 Backyard Poultry Breeders Directory Have birds for sale? Advertise in the Backyard Poultry Breeders Directory for less than $4.50 a month. Your ad will be seen by more than 75,000 poultry enthusiasts who read every issue. Fill out the order form and return it today!

South Carolina 1120 State Rt. 603, Greenwhich, OH 44837. Associations RAMEY FARM, Gary L Ramey, 440 Surrey 419-565-3197. Race Rd., Salley, SC 29137. 408-205-8150. Dominique & Rosecomb Rhode Island Red Large AMERAUCANA BREEDERS CLUB. New members Fowl. SOLD OUT until spring 2012. receive a Handbook & quarterly Bulletins and are Quality true Ameraucana chicks. Hatching and eligible for club awards. Yearly dues are $10/junior, $12/individual and $18/family. shipping weekly. Game Birds Michael Muenks, Secretary/Treasurer, 1222 Coldspring Rd. Elgin, IL 60120-5103. American Game Bantams Indiana AMERICAN BRAHMA CLUB, Kim Aldrich, WOODSIDE AVIARY, James Kotterman, Peru, In- Sec./Treas., 12948 Ring Rd., St. Charles, MI Colorado diana. 765-985-2805. Pheasant enthusiasts check 48655. 989-865-6702. ROSEN AMERICAN GAME BANTAMS, Mark this out! Displaying full color the Golden Pheasant, . Rosen, 59221 E. U.S. Hwy. 50, Boone, CO Ghigi Golden, Lady Amherst, Silvers, Swinhoe. Also Promoting the Majestic Ones! USA & Canada 81025. 719-947-3006. [email protected]; http:// Temminck Tragopan & Brown Eared. Give me a call Membership dues: Adults/Partnership/Farm $15/yr., rosenagb.webs.com. AGB’s in Brassyback, BB and we’ll talk about the birds! US Juniors $10/yr., all other memberships $30/yr. Red, Golden Duckwing and White. Blue Laced Red Minnesota Wyandottes. Koklass Pheasants, Erckel’s AMERICAN SUMATRA ASSOCIATION, Francolins and Pied Peafowl. We ship nationwide OAKWOOD GAME FARM, INC., PO Box 274, Princ- Membership Dues: by USPS Express Mail. These are show eton, MN 55371. 800-328-6647. We sell day-old pheasant and chukar partridge per year. Club awards for show participants. Breeders chicks and eggs. Ask about our new smaller quanti- list. Doug Akers, 300 S. 400 W., Lebanon, IN 46052. ties on eggs. Araucana ARAUCANA CLUB OF AMERICA. Promoting the Wisconsin tufted, rumpless, blue egg laying Araucana. $20.00 South Carolina PURELY POULTRY, Tyler Danke, PO Box 466, annual dues includes quarterly newsletter, RAMEY FARM, Gary L Ramey, 440 Surrey Fremont, WI 54940. 800-216-9917, 920-472-4068. breeders guide, and Araucana Handbook. Mail Wild Turkeys: Eastern, Rio Grande, Merriams, Drive, Pendleton, South Carolina 29670-9727. Visit Osceola, Pheasants: Chinese Ringneck, Kansas Ring- True rumpless Araucana chicks. Hatching and our website and forum: . neck, Jumbo Ringneck, Manchurian Cross Ringneck, shipping weekly. CHANTECLER FANCIERS INTERNATIONAL, Melanistic Mutant. Mallard Ducks. Chukar Redleg Mike Gilbert, Secretary, W5171 Baker Rd., Partridge. Quail: Bobwhite, Coturnix, Guineas. Holmen, WI 54636. 608-857-3386 (Call Aseel before 9 PM CST.) Geese Pennsylvania GREEN VALLEY STABLES, Joe Ambrose, PO Box COCHIN’S INTERNATIONAL CLUB, Jamie Matts Michigan 511, Vanderbilt, PA 15486. 100% NY 13787. 607-725-7390. Beers Rd., Saint Joseph, MI 49085. 269-408-0282. Pure Aseel and Red Jungle Fowl hatching eggs. Three newsletters a year and a breeder’s directory Adult exhibition promoting Cochin’s, both Bantam & Large Fowl. Adult & breeding pairs. Rare Blue Steinbacher “Kampf” membership $15 a year, Youth $7.50. Buckeye geese. DOMINIQUE CLUB OF AMERICA. Boosting America’s Oldest Breed Since 1973. Large fowl and Kentucky Guinea bantam. $10.00 annual dues. Contact: Daniel Handley, PATHFINDERS FARM, P.O. Box 35, Williamstown, Treasurer, 965 Ralph McGill Blvd. N.E., Atlanta, GA KY 41097. 859-801-6081. gmail.com> WINTERS GUINEA FARM, Ralph Winter, 21363 Exhibition Quality Buckeyes in large fowl. Chicks and White Pine Ln., New Vienna, IA 52065. 563-853-4195. started birds. SOLD OUT until spring 2012. GUINEA FOWL BREEDERS ASSOCIATION. GFBA will encourage, support, and educate people as to the Guinea fowl, Peafowl. benefits in raising guinea fowl and provide information Cochins and support to those who own or plan to own them. Jersey Giants New York PALM BEACH COUNTY POULTRY FANCIERS AS- JAMIE’S COCHIN COLLECTION, Jamie Indiana SOCIATION, Marie Reddy, Newsletter/Website, 2191 Matts, 283 State Hwy. 235, Harpursville, NY MARIA’S JERSEY GIANTS, since 1976, Pepper Rd., West Palm Beach, FL 33415. Maria Hall, 7030 S. Bloomington Trail, Underwood, IN tryfanciers.com> A dedicated group of poultry breeders 47177. 812-752-7825. and enthusiasts that believe in the advancement of Quality Gentle Giant poultry breeding and exhibition. Dues are $20/yr. Dominique Blues, Splash & Blacks eggs, chicks, started birds & adults. Guineas. Shipping. WYANDOTTE BREEDERS OF AMERICA, Karolyn Sutton, Sec./Treas., 1901 N. 181st Hwy., Sylvan Georgia Ohio Grove,KS 67481. 785-526-7449. Weaver Dr., Ray City, GA 31645. 229-455-6437. W. Poe Rd., Weston, OH 43569. 419-353-0424. Black Baby Chicks–Rhode Island Reds, Dominique, Bantams. Buff Orpington, Delaware, Dena’s Special. Sexed Michigan and shipped year round. Other breeds February- Chick Hatchery, ChickHatchery.com John W. September. NPIP Certified. Disabled owned/operated Peafowl Blehm, Birch Run, Michigan. Bantam chickens: business. buff, lavender & silver Ameraucana. Large fowl Iowa chickens: buff, lavender, silver, black & wheaten Ohio THE PEACOCK INFORMATION CENTER, Dennis Ameraucana and partridge & buff Chantecler. STICHLER'S POULTRY FARM, Mike Stichler, Fett, 24783 330 St., Minden, IA 51553. 712-483-2473. 80 Backyard Poultry SCHLECHT FARM & HATCHERY, 9749 500th Peahen eggs, Peacock DVDs. Various Ave., Miles, IA 52064. 563-682-7865. Poultry: Cornish Rock, Brown Leghorn, Blue Laced Pigeons California Red Wyandotte, Golden Lace Wyandotte, Sex-Link, CHICKEN RIDDLE, Bridget, 3030 Orestimba Rhode Island Red, Barred Rock, Buff Orpington, New Mexico Rd., Newman, CA 95360. 209-485-1413. Americauna, White Laced Red Cornish; Bantams: INDIAN FANTAIL CLUB OF AMERICA (IFCA), I do not have a catalog! Gold Sebright, Silver Spangled Hamburg. Ducks: Paul Tapia, Secretary/Treasurer, 1908 Utah St. Large Fowl: Shamo, Buttercup, Salmon Faverolle, Mallard, White Mallard, Rouen, Khaki-Cambell, Pekin, NE, Albuquerque, NM 87110. 505-235-1151. Minorca, Brazilians, Sumatras, Barnvelders, White Fawn & White Indian Runners. Join the IFCA today and Ameracanas, Light Sussex. Bantam: Tuzo, Dark Cornish. start raising and showing these beautiful pigeons! Will sell show quality and non-show quality teens and WELP HATCHERY, Box 77, Bancroft, IA 50517. Contact Paul Tapia for more information. Indian adults. Eggs from show quality stock can be shipped. 800-458-4473. Specializ- Fantail pigeons. ing in Cornish Rock broilers. Also offering baby chicks, Idaho ducklings, goslings, bantams, exotics, turkeys, Guin- FEATHERHILLS FARM HERITAGE HATCHERY, eas, pheasants. Free catalog. MC/Visa/Discover. Quail Tony Albritton, 16405 Orchard Ave., Caldwell, ID 83607. 509-995-7284. Maryland Iowa NEW HATCHERY- All bred to the Standard of WHITMORE FARM, Emmitsburg, Maryland. Shipping SAND PRAIRIE QUAIL FARM, Dale, Becky or Joel Perfection. Large Fowl: Barred Plymouth Rock, Partridge day old chicks March thru June. Show quality lines, ex- Davidson, 2264 200th Ave., Maquoketa, IA 52060. Chantecler, Speckled Sussex, White Wyandotte, Silver cellent egg color, selected for performance. Black and 563-652-5407. Quail chicks & Bantam: Barred Plymouth Rock. Narragansett Turkey, and Blue Copper Marans, Welsummer. Photographs, eggs: Bobwhite, Tennessee Reds. Chicks Only: Chukar, Pilgrim Geese. NPIP#91-121. pricing and online ordering at . E-mail: Illinois Maine ANDY ANDERSON, 17496 E. 1000 Rd., Mt. Carmel, Michigan SHADY HOLLOW FARM, PO Box 101, Morrill, ME IL 62863. 618-262-8389. Call after 6 PM. Hatching TOWNLINE POULTRY FARM, INC., Box 108, eggs–$17 per dozen freight paid. Wyandotte bantams: 04952. 207-323-2590. Eggs: Heritage turkey, guinea fowl, Coturnix Columbian. Buff Orpington. Old English: Brown Red, quail. Also breeding registered Dwarf Nigerian Poultry: Isa-Brown, Spangled, Wheaten, Mille Fleur. goats. Over 15 varieties of Cotumix quail. These Rhode Island Reds, California Grey Leghorn, are the most Productive Pets you could find!. CHICKEN SCRATCH POULTRY, Larry & An- Barred Rock, Araucana, Buff Orpingtons, Black gela McEwen, RR3 Box 44, McLeansboro, IL Sex-Link, Black Australorps, Cornish-Rock cross, 62859. 618-643-5602. Wyandotte & Light Brahmas. Ducks, geese, turkeys GEORGE PARKER, 768 Moores Ln., Lumberton, Coronation Sussex, Light Sussex, Lavender Orpington, & pheasants. NC 28358. 910-738-7432, Cell:910-374-8176. Quail Black Copper Marans, Blue Copper Marans, Blue Laced Minnesota Eggs: Bobwhite, Texas A & M White, Jumbo Brown Red Wyandotte, Welsummers, Blue Ameraucana, Black Coturnix. Shipped postage paid for $55/100. Ameraucana, Rumpless Araucana, Olive Egger. JOHNSON’S WATERFOWL, 36882 160th Ave. NE, Middle River, MN 56737. 218-222-3556. Grey, Sebrights Iowa Buff & White Africans, Grey & Buff Pomeranians, COUNTY LINE HATCHERY, 2977 Linn Buchanan Rd., Sebastopol & Buff geese, Rouen, Silver Appleyard, Coggon, IA 52218. 319-350-9130. Rare and fancy peafowl, guineas, Black, Blue Swedish, Black & Blue Magpies, Campbells, BLACKBURN’S QUALITY BANTAMS, Wayne Black- chickens, ducks, turkeys, geese, bantams and more. Penciled, White, Blue, Black, Grey (Mallard), and burn, PO Box 736, Anthony, FL 32617. 352-236-0359. Featuring Showgirls & . Most economical and Emory Penciled Runners, White, Grey, Snowy & Sebrights, Wyandottes and Self Blue Old English. diverse poultry assortment available. Pastel Call ducklings. Free brochure. Seramas Breeders Directory Order Form Louisiana JERRY’S SERAMAS, LLC., Jerry Schexnayder, Classification/Breed:______PO Box 159, Vacherie, LA 70090. 225-265-2238. Your Farm Name:______Serama. Your Name:______Silkies Address:______California City, State, Zip:______AMBER WAVES, as featured on The Tori & Dean Show on Oxygen. Jim cell: 951-233-4231. Visit: A leading information resource for all poultry. Bearded bantam Silkies & Blue Slate turkeys. NPIP. Ship E-mail/Website:______nationwide and internationally. Credit cards accepted. Visitors welcome by appointment. Additional Words:______

Massachusetts Mail this One Year Directory Listing (6 issues) $ 50.00 GOLDEN EGG FARM, 413-477-8872. form along Additional Words $1.50 each: $ _____ Hatching eggs–Champion Silkies–Master Total amount enclosed: $ _____ Exhibitor, Breeder, NPIP#1299. payment to: Turkeys Backyard Poultry

Minnesota 145 Industrial Drive, Medford, WI 54451 HAWK’S VALLEY FARM, Joanne Griffin, 18005 Truman Dr., Spring Grove, MN 55974. 507-498-5108. Phone: 800-551-5691 • Fax: 715-785-7414 Bourbon Red turkeys. E-mail: [email protected] Selective breeding for color and maximum size.

October/November 2011 www.backyardpoultrymag.com 81 URCH/TURNLUND POULTRY, 2142 NW 47 Ave., Owatonna, MN 55060-1071. 507-451-6782. Large fowl: Wyandottes, Rhode Island Reds, Rhode Island Front: A Great Whites, Java, Giants, Buckeye, Dominique, Brahma, Have You Langshan, Cochins, Dark Brown & Black Leghorn, R.C. Light Brown Leghorn, Spanish, R.C. Black Gift Idea! Leghorn, Australorp, Polish, Hamburg, Faverolle, Hugged Welsummer, Campine, Sumatra, Ameraucauna. La Fleche, Crevecoeur, Sultan. Bantam: Modern Game, Rhode Island Red, Leghorn, Naked Neck, Polish, Ameraucana, Cochin, Brahma, Faverolle, Langshan, Frizzle, Silkie, Mille Fleur, Buckeye, Ancona. Geese: Your CHICKEN Canada, Egyptian, China, African, Pomeranian Ducks: Muscovy. Turkeys: Black, Slate, Bronze, Red, Palm, Today? Beltsville, Eastern Wild, exhibition fowl. Missouri HOMETOWN HATCHERY, Timothy Downen, 21450 S. BB Hwy., Nevada, MO 64772. 417-448-4378. Baby chicks Tell the world how you really feel... available for many standard & bantam breeds. Also with a High-Quality, ducklings, turkeys, geese & guineas. Great prices! Backyard Poultry Ohio T-shirt. OAK GROVE FARM, Tom Stricker , 9660 Hemple Rd., Germantown, OH 45327. 937-855-4874. Polish, Phoenix, Yokohama. Available in two colors, and two styles. Oklahoma COUNTRY HATCHERY, Dr. Dennis P., Joseph & Matthew Smith, PO Box 747, Wewoka, OK 74884. 405-257-1236. Muscovy Ducks, Pilgrim Geese, ORDER OURS ODAY! Standard Bronze Turkeys, Black Australorps, Barred Rocks, Reds, Buff Orpingtons, Ameraucanas, Buff Minorcas & Black Minorcas. Free Color Brochure.

Wisconsin BUTCH’S BIRDS POULTRY FARM, Airling Gunder- son, N6465 Schwantz Rd., Pardeeville, WI 53954. Backyard Poultry T-Shirt Order Form 608-429-9960. Geese, ducks, chickens, NPIP. Please specify size(s) and color(s). PURELY POULTRY, Tyler Danke, PO Box 466, Fremont, WI 54940. 800-216-9917, 920- Youth size 14-16 Color______Quantity _____ $ 472-4068. Adult size medium Color______Quantity _____ $ 300 varieties: chickens, Adult size large Color______Quantity _____ bantams, ducks, geese, turkeys, guineas, peafowl, $ swans, pheasants, ornamental pheasants, chukars Adult size XL Color______Quantity _____ $ and quail. Adult size 2XL Color______Quantity _____ $ SUNNYSIDE HATCHERY, Beaver Dam, Wisconsin. Adult size 3XL Color______Quantity _____ $ 920-887-2122. Shipping to North Central U.S. only. Women’s cut size medium Color______Quantity _____ $ Jumbo broilers, Leghorns, Blacks, Browns, turkeys & ducklings. Women’s cut size large Color______Quantity _____ $ Women’s cut size XL Color______Quantity _____ $ Waterfowl Women’s cut size 2XL Color______Quantity _____ $ Order total $______Michigan WEBBED FOOT PINES WATERFOWL FARM, Lucas Shipping & handling $______3.50 Dickerson, 3985 Packard Rd., Sand Creek, MI 49279. 517-436-3849. Exhibi- Only $14 each Subtotal $______tion Gray & Buff Toulouse, Black & Chocolate Muscovys, Snowy & Gray Calls, White Wyandotte bantams. WI residents add 5.5% sales tax $______Oregon Total enclosed $______BOONDOCKERS FARM, Evan & Rachel Name: ______Gregoire, 28055 Briggs Hill Rd., Eugene, OR 97405. 541-689-0881. Cell: 775-544-7722. Ancona ducks. City:______State:______Zip:______Wyandottes m Check Enclosed m Charge my credit card: South Carolina Visa/MC/AmEx/Disc No.:______Exp.:______RAMEY FARM, Gary L Ramey, 440 Surrey Race Rd., Sal- ley, SC 29137. 408-205-8150. Signature:______Phone:______Blue Laced Red Wyandottes.

Mail to: Backyard Poultry Yokohama

145 Industrial Drive, Medford, WI 54451 South Carolina RAMEY FARM, Gary L Ramey, 440 Surrey Race Rd., or call Toll-Free: 800-551-5691 or Fax: 715-785-7414 Salley, SC 29137. 408-205-8150. Red Shoulder Yokohamas. 82 Backyard Poultry Customer Review… The PRS 50 solar charger is a great deal. It works great and very easy setup right out of the box. I am using the charger to charge two of the 164’ rolls of poultry netting. We were having a problem with foxes getting into our portable chicken pens. We set up the poultry net, hooked up the charger and have had no more fox problem. The charger delivers a good zap to keep out things you want to keep out and keep in things you want to keep in.

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

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

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Premiers BYP Oct IBC.indd 1 8/12/11 10:26 AM 84 Backyard Poultry