Volume 12, Number 4 Backyard August/September 2017 PoultryAmerica's Favorite Poultry Magazine COOL COOPS THERAPY CHICKENS MOLTING 101 PIGEON BREEDS AND MORE... $5.99 US www.countrysidenetwork.com Backyard Poultry FP 6-16 THINK:Mother Earth 4.5 x7 6/30/16 3:51 PM Page 1 SATISFACTION $ 95 19 EACH –––––––––––––– FREE SHIPPING GUARANTEED When you buy 4lights or more oryourmoney –––––––––––––– back! PROMO CODE 4FREE To ProtectYourProperty From Night PredatorAnimals Nite•Guard Solar® has been proven effective in repelling predator animals for the past 19 years. #1 Nite•Guard Solar attacks the deepest most primal The World’s fear of night animals, that of being discovered. TopSelling Solar Powered Nite•Guard When the sun goes down, Nite•Guard begins to Security System Repellent Tape DON’T BE FOOLED BY Keepspredators flash and continues until sunrise. 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Healthy Flock happiness www.DBCAgProducts.com DBC_BackYard_ZyfendA_BackyardPoultryMag_v1r3.indd 1 6/5/2017 5:17:29 PM contents // 12.4 08 Editor’s Letter 10 Celebrating the Coolest Coops Meet our Coolest Coops winners and get inspiration for your flock. 16 Coming Events 20 Something to Crow About 26 Poultry Talk Ron Kean and Pam Freeman answer reader questions about their flocks. 30 Flock Photos The best of the best submissions via snail mail and our social sites. 34 My Journey with Chickens Starting young, and with inspiration from Grandpa, a passion for chicken keeping is born. 34 36 Therapy Chickens Gaining Popularity A look at the growing use for chickens in therapy in the United States and abroad. 42 Bethel Home Helping Hens A project to help a sick grandmother helps an entire community. 46 From Rollers to Racers: Explore Pigeon Types and Breeds Meet the colorful and unique pigeon breeds available for fanciers. 36 4 Backyard Poultry contents // 12.4 54 Frittatas 101 - Start Basic Then Make it Fancy A quick and easy weeknight dinner that’s delicious and nutritious. 58 Keeping Show Chickens Healthy Tips to make sure your flock stays healthy at home and away. 64 Tall & Proud - Meet the Malay Chicken A unique addition to a backyard flock. 58 86 70 Six Basics for Chicken Coop Design The coolest coops offer the basics! 78 Breeding to Establish Traits You Want in a Backyard Flock You don’t have to rely on a commercial breeder to meet your needs. 84 Chickens in a Minute Molting 101: Know why chickens lose and replace feathers. 86 Protein-Packed Smoothies for Molting Chickens Extra nutrition for a healthy molt. 93 Breeders Directory 95 Classifieds 96 Just for Fun 6 Backyard Poultry largest Many Supplier of Breeds to Choose Backyard From! Poultry in the USA!ideal poultry RARE LEGHORNS •BROILERS DUCKS •CRESTED •ROCKS •GEESE ORIENTALS•LAKENVELDERS •LONGTAILS GUINEAS •HAMBURGS•BANTAMS call or visit us online for more information and your free price list! ideal poultry breeding farms, inc. www.idealpoultry.com 800-243-3257 |254-697-6677 |fax 254-697-2393 from the editor BACKYARD POULTRY www.countrysidenetwork.com EDITORIAL Steph Merkle, Content Director Coop Inspiration [email protected] Pam Freeman, Editor [email protected] ur backyard coops are intensely personal. Each fam- ily has its own idea of how they’d like to house their Editorial Assistants chickens. Yes, we all follow the basic rules for size Samantha Ingersoll, Ann Tom O and nest boxes. But we each take a different path from there. CIRCULATION & MARKETING Ellen Grunseth, Marketing Director Some purchase a pre-made coop, others purchase a kit to [email protected] put together, some repurpose existing outbuildings and still, Pam Freeman others choose to build a coop from scratch. I can tell you the Publication Designers Editor Malisa Samsel & Madelyn LyBarger coop in my backyard was built by my husband. While it’s pretty, it seems to be an ongoing project. Adding decorations ADVERTISING here and there. Changing the nest boxes or the roost bars. Adding more ventilation Alicia Soper, Advertising Director because our shade tree died. The list seems endless. But it’s ours and our chickens [email protected] seem happy with it. 715-748-1388 Kelly Weiler No matter your stage of chicken keeping or the stage of your coop, it seems like [email protected] coops are always of interest. Looking at coops is like HGTV for poultry buffs. We 715-748-1389 love to see what others have done and we get inspired. Maybe even taking that inspiration back and pouring it into our own coops. Sue Lapcewich [email protected] 970-392-4436 In this issue, we’re celebrating our Coolest Coops contest winners. You’ll see our winner featured on the cover and inside. We love the rustic look and functionality of this Tennessee coop! You’ll also see our readers’ favorite picks inside. Our readers General Manager certainly picked well! We hope that you enjoy touring our Coolest Coops spread Mike Campbell [email protected] and find some things to add to your own coop. I know I have! Also in this issue, you’ll find some fantastic stories that cover everything from Backyard Poultry’s Main Coop keeping your show chickens healthy (good advice for anyone adding to their flock), Backyard Poultry making frittatas with your backyard eggs to a breed spotlight on the Malay chicken. 145 Industrial Dr., Medford, WI 54451 www.countrysidenetwork.com You’ll also find some heartwarming stories on chickens being used as therapy birds. You’ll discover the diverse and beautiful world of pigeon breeds. Plus, learn all about molting and grab a recipe to make for a smooth molt. Subscriptions (U.S. funds): $24.99 per year Backyard Poultry Subscriptions PO Box 1848, Carson City, NV 89702 Happy reading! 970-392-4419 Printed in the U.S.A. Backyard Poultry (ISSN 1559-2251, USPS 023-374) is published bi-monthly by Countryside Publications, at 145 Industrial Dr., Medford, WI 54451. Periodicals postage paid at Medford, WI and additional mailing offices. ©2017 Countryside Publications. Countryside Publications is owned and operated by Fence Post Co. The views presented here do not necessarily ON THE COVER represent those of the editor or publisher. All contents of this issue of Backyard Poultry are copyrighted by Countryside Publications, 2017. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole Winners of the Coolest Coops photo contest. or in part is prohibited except by permission of the publisher. See pages 10-15 for a list of winners POSTMASTER: and photographers. Send all UAA to CFS. (See DMM 707.4.12.5); NON-POSTAL AND MILITARY FACILITIES: Send address corrections to Backyard Poultry Subscriptions, PO Box 1848, Carson City, NV 89702 8 Backyard Poultry worthcrossingroads for PREMIUMTREATSFOR CHICKENS We know howmuchyou love your flock, so reward themwithsome tasty HappyHen Treats®. Made from quality ingredients, ourtreatsare specially formulatedfor chickens andother poultry. We know you’ll love ourproducts, becausetheyare all testedand approvedbyour ownbackyardflock. AVAILABLEONLINEAT WWW.HAPPYHENTREATS.COM COOLEST COOPS WINNER: Editors’ Choice Winner: April and John Andrews Coop: Best Little Henhouse in Tennessee Location: Elizabethton, Tennessee Photographer: Brandon Hicks In March, my husband asked for someone wanting to build what I wanted for my birthday. their own coop is to plan first I jokingly told him chickens, and try to use as many recycled which I’ve really wanted for a materials as possible. Not only while now. A couple days and is it less expensive, it gives it an extensive Pinterest board a unique look that is hard to later, we decided to dive in! make with all new materials. We have eight Silver-Laced The most important thing I Wyandotte hens. We chose that have learned along the way is breed for their easy-going na- that it takes time to establish a Winners received ture and gorgeous lacing. Our flock. I thought we would just prizes from Brinsea, daughter, Lillian, and our son, jump into it and have laying Backyard Poultry Fields, just have so much fun hens within weeks. I’m terri- goodies, and of course, spoiling them with treats. The bly impatient but soon realized first one we named was Birdie, that the time spent with our bragging rights! after my mamaw, because she family as we created the coop had such a take charge and and run was well worth it. We bossy attitude. all enjoyed the experience and My handy husband, John, love watching the chickens had the coop framed up the play and explore. day after we decided to get - chickens. He can build any- April thing from scratch (no pun intended). The siding is built from an old fence that had fallen down. The old door was donated by a friend. Most of the wood was sawmilled by my husband as well. My fa- Top to Bottom: The Andrews' coop was vorite thing has to be the little built from old fence porch.