Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Living With Chickens
Living With Chickens
Acknowledgments
..
.......ix
Introduction
........xi
.......1 Chapter tThecharmof chicLzens Chapter z \XlhereYourChicl<ens'willtiue ......zr Chapter t cettingEggstoHatch .......49 Chapter { kaisingchicks. .....6e ......8s Chapter g BuyingAdultchichens Chapter 6 EeedingYourchiclzens .......9s ChaptetT HensandEggs .....r2r ChaptetS ButcheringYourMeatBirds.. ......ri1' Chapter g TheHeatth ofYour Chickens .. . . .. ... .. .. .r+9 Chapter ro chich.ensandchildren ..........r6i
Appendixes
. .......L7r Hatcheries .....L75 Equipmentandsupplies .......Lyg. CooperatiueExtensionOffices. .........r8r Websites .......r87 Glossary ..........r91 Bibliography ......:r95
Chi(.kenBreeds
lr-rdex.
.....L97
-Iil
'1
vii
l.
ACKNOSTLESGKfENTS
Fon vaNy RnAsoNS THIS BooK o\rES ITs
EXISTENCE to the patience,
persisrence, and good humor of AnnTreistman ofThe lyons Press. Many thanks
also
to Geoff Hansen for his photographs and friendship, and The Mountain
School of Milton Academy in Vershire, Vermont, for the use of their space.
with me and helped in other ways, but I had particularly valuable assistance
from Gerry Coleman, Alex Keats, Bob Machin, and Mary Hays.
Iinally, many thanks to MaryAnn Dub6 for her design, and to Kevin lynch
and Chris Mongillo at Lyons for their hard work on the production of this book.
-Jev
Rossrrn
'Iil
TlfeNfS
AR_E
'$&
-Grorr
HeNsrr.r, PUoTOGRApHxR
-trl
,rh
rI
'l ix I'
INT'RODUCTION
il
";",
l
iiiiittur
riti
\Welcome to the wonderful world of poultry in general, and chickens in particular. Jay Rossier is right on target when he says, "Chickens have a charm
that will affect even those with no bird experience." That was me-as
husband and father in the r97os, I had absolutely no bird experience.
a
young
How I wish we had had a book like this when we first started with poultry. Our involvement with chickens as a family began with our four-year-old daughter's prayer, "Thank you, God, for the milk we get at the store, and the
eggs we get at
the store. . . " Determined to help Shara and her little brother
a
learn where eggs came from, I purchased six day-old chicks from
flock
owner who had placed an ad in our local paper. \(ouldn't you know it, four of
the six turned out to be roosters, but Mandy and Mindy, two Ameraucana pullets, became important members of our first flock. At about the same time,
homemade incuba-
tor-a
fl!
'|,1"Xr,r;rrq'r 'i';rltrrtrlrrrr'trt
"
lrsq{i
,
.(,.r,
threeoftwelveeggstohatch. "Daddy,one of
thccl-ricl<sjusthasoneeye!"ourdaughter
"':
irrlr IiirrrrLrl
\''
;;,,,1''l"',,::,":'I.;':l::::'ll,,;,
lxil'
-,1xii
Lrvrrqc
!rrrg
Crrrc r(ENs
Ir.rrnoDrIcrroN
i xiii
K.
the Charlie who provided the eggs. Much to our daughter's chagrin, Charlie
One-Eye turned out to be
a
twenty-five day-old pullets from the Murray McMurray hatchery. \7e were off
and running in the chicken business.
At that time we lived in upscale suburbia, but I could and did meet all city
health codes. I was determined to be
a
and I made sure that there were no rodents or nasty odors to offend our neighbors on three sides. Fascinated by all the different breeds we saw in the hatchery catalogues, we kept saying, "Oh, we justmust have some of those." By now, our flock was providing far more eggs than our family could consume in healthy way. \(hat to do?
a
At first we gave away our excess eggs to friends, who clamored for more. quickly saw the potential for our daughter's first exposure to capitalism. Her mother purchased
a
I
Poultry Show, and she won
again. Now we were hooked,
shelf at
k
I i,,
the farm), and Shara set about to weigh each egg, selling them by weight, just
like the grocery store. Her trademark was one colored egg from Mandy or Mindy (Ameraucanas usually lay green or sometimes blue) in each dozen.
Some folks bought a dozen just to get that colored egg to show their neigh-
not only on backyard poultry for meat and eggs, but on standard-bred poultry for exhibi-
rilZe
I shall
tion
as
well.
i r.
never forget the day our daughter said to me thoughtfully, "Daddy, we need to take in a little more money than we have to pay out for feed."
our six-year-old
had learned through life experience what I had paid big bucks to learn in
as
many
as
strburbia.
rr
of Perfection.-Ihe
()n
1..r,,',1
(
whirn wtrr
o[tlrosc McMurray
pr-rllets, a Bearded
Buff
srln,l,rrd dcscribcs eacir bird of every breed and color variety in minute
tlr.trril,:rntl [r,rrrltly jurlgcs rrsc thrrt s(rur(lill-d, wl-rich c]ct:rils the perFect bird, rvlr,'tr jr.lliirrli hir,ls in ( ()r))p('titi()n. Wt' ;rlso l,',tt n,',1 lh:tl, in :ttltliliotr ltr
l'trlish, in
tlrt'lroIlry
llr,' ,1r,'rv I lt.rr l.rll \\'{'('rrtr'r,,1 Ir,'r rtr onr li'\,r., Sl.rlr'lr,rir
';lrolrll l)oulll1,r lttl':; tlr 1,,'llt lrrtl \\/trttlt,rr,,l I),rll,r:;, llt,'t,'rr,,'t,'1,,'trllty, ltrlts
.l
xiv
F:
LrvrNG
\rrru
CrrrcKENS
INrnoDUcrroN
i
in Abiiene,
tVaco,
xvF
Wichita Falls that sponsored one or two poulffy shows each year, and all
moved south of town to an acre in the country. The first order ofbusiness had been to build
a
it
few months
\fhite
Silkies, \7hite
Ieghorns
as
my breeds of
l,r,,,l,t,,ll,,il,
l,rrrrrlrir,,r
Iuro or.
(rr
vatiety
l'll(, 1)()l)l('nlir(lc irrr rrlr;rlor j,,;rv('\viry l();r ()n(' lrtrn,lr',',1 ('ll1l slill ;rir', whit'h J,,rvr'\\'.r\,lr,,r llrt,',' lttttr,ltt'rl r'liJl lot1,',1 .,,,,,lltlrllllillit lttttrittt'. ittr ttlrtlot.
,,1,,
lxviK
KE Ns
INrnoDUcrroN
i xvii K
the oldest continuous livestock organization in North America, founded in 1873 at Buffalo, New York.
Our family has great memories of our time together with the birds, whether breeding and rais-
My wife
says
|(-J ta-r
. 6
.l . d----\t
If you
are interested
\[hat
we have that might be of interest and help to you, I invite you to visit our website at wr.vw.ampL+a.eem. My involvement with the APA has led me from backyard flock owner to breeder and exhibitor of standard bred chickens, to general licensed poultry judge, to being elected the 4orH president ofthe APA in
i,l,l'
.,
Mulch, r998.
I
'l'lrt'lilst lr,rtrltt'y slrotv lirr lltt' M:tl,,tt,'s w;ls l)r(rl1'th:rlr thirty yt'rtts rt11t', ittrtl rlrr r;lill lt,,,,lir'rl ott t ltir [,'t,,t, t,,'tt'r illrllrlItitrl' l)l\/ r]t'( ollrl l\\'il \'("ll l('l lll 'ls
finlncirl
i xviii
l.+
IrvrlrG
.lrrrrr
CutcKENs
IurnoDUcrroN
;ixix
bility just
as
APA/ABA Joint
It
is a privilege to be
this volume to novice poultrymen and -women. I predict your chickens will bring
you as much meaning and
joy
as
l'nr Altt
MAt.oNt,
CHAPTER
ONE
ou are
nlt
t0 save monql. You are not keeping fem as pets. You are keeping themJor the simple pleasure oJ
theiy'
o;f
their
eggs nnc[n
because
yu *itfu
gf
o, ,orfr. 22
DaNrBr,
for
the liberation
rhings
-CHlnr,ss
to
start raising chickens. I was living thirty miles from a nearby university town in an old farmhouse
lot of land and a couple of unused outbuildings. A medical student
friend of mine who lived in cramped student housing not only needed an
excuse to get out, but thought that a livestock project might make him feel
more in touch with what to him seemed like the real world: the country. He
-fit
oppositc:
wlritr.Lt,ghorrr
lrctr sl rrrls ar ross
r'r,yrrrrl
Chickels
:1
rh
4''V+
I-rvrl.rG \rrrrt
CHTcKENS
Tnr
CHARM
oF CHTcKENs
;{rFr
full of sharp
jerking their
than
a
heads more
like a reptile
will
affect even those with no bird erperience. In short order I began to appreciate
vari
They are stately, dignified, and industrious creatures that take their work
of
genuine, if somewhat detached, curiosity about us) and are happy to work alongside us in whatever we busy ourselves
with outside.
nt f"6;
"i
Of course, the eggs and meat they provide is superior to what you can get
Ir
wrnl
is
lr,rtrs,', li'r'tl, lr,'r',1, ,tr,,l Ir':llrsl)()l l th;ttr sht't'p, ll()ills, l)ilis, t'ows, oslrichcls, or what lt,t\/(.Vr)il.
')
4V
LrvrNG
\rrrrr
CrlTcKENs
Tsr
CHARM or CHrcr(ENs
Br.cnr
PorNrs
j
"5r:
B.tsr
..,
Before you get started, make sure that there are no local zoning laws that
1.
Xe.n
Cor.rn
might end your career irr chicken husbandry before it even begins. Make
call
1 TAR I-OBES
,.- Br.qr
to your town clerk or city council to find out the regulations in your town. In addition, it's always before diving in.
a
CA
\7.A.rrrls
-,- H.q.cr<r,r
\7rNc-BAR
Lrssrn
Srcxr.ns '"
S^conrr Fnnrrrnns -
..-,-.-.-* Bnsesr
\frNc-BAY (Srcoxoerrrs)
whether you want meat or eggs, or if you are simply buying them for yard ornamentation. Some are fnore appropriate for meat, some are better for eggs,
and some were bred to do both tolerably well. once you know what you want
Frurr
--"
SHeNr
----
"""
",
or
A
from your chicken, you can begin to imagine some of its characteristics: size,
Pe.nrs
CHrcKrN
temperament, and looks. There are chickens bred to be attractive for showing
(some of those get to be pretty silly looking, although this is, of course, a mat-
ter of taste). There are breeds suited for cold weather, others which prefer warm; some with relaxed dispositions, and others that can be nasty but delicious. You should take these factors into account when deciding which
parts of a chicken used when people are talking about what makes one breed
chicken is right for you. \Zhen choosing your breed, don't be surprised to hear fellow poultrymen talk about "the Standard." They are referring to the American Poultry Association's publication, Standayd of Pert'ection, which
describes each breed in detail. The Standard is used in judging at poultry shows
rilr,
Ee
cs, oR Borrr?
Some breeds have been selectively bred over the years to emphasize meat-pro-
and to help chicken breeders improve their flocks over time by breeding for
prolific egg layers. The females of the meat breeds will certainly lay
p<'rhrps as rrany rs
eggs,
but
breed.
ar-rd
L;rying chit'l<t'r'rs ('iur bc brrtchcrecl lor tneat, bLrt they lnay colrsLrme twice as
rrrrr, lr li',',1
o1,1'1.'1 11,111,1'1'lrt'r'it,tl
rs
l cor--
')
6l'
lrvr
NG \)7rrrr
CHrcKENs
It
is wise therefore to raise laying breeds for eggs and meat birds for meat.
A third option, however, exists in dual-purpose breeds that were popular roo
years ago when the economics of small-scale agriculture required breeds in
which the hens would lay many eggs but their male ottpring would flesh out quickly and efficiently
as
as
possible.
Mnar Einr;s
Jersey Giant, Brahma, Cochin, and Corr-rish are a few examples of meat breeds.
Cornish father. The Corr-rish-Rock Crosses are large birds with huge appetites
and little interest in getting any exercise. A ciricken drat walks around scratch-
ing and exploring very much is using feed energy for those activities instead of for making meat. These birds grow to a good size (about 4 pounds) in time (from
6 a
short
to
about z pounds offeed for every pound ofmeat.They are therefore the cheapest means of producing frying or roasting chickens for your freezer. A1so, because their feathers are exclusively and entirely white, their skin is cleaner
looking than colored birds that may appear to have black dots all over them
after they are plucked.
$
d{'l
h'
are
EIS:
&,{
t.'l'lrt.y
lrt'r1i
n l;ryi nq :r I i t t lt'
I'r,,,l.
t8F
LrvrNG
\rlrrrr
CurcKENs
Trrr
CHARM or CrrrcKENs
{gF
instead of 6. \fhite leghorn is the most comlnon and most productive mod-
anized poultry production, many are considered endangered species and need to be used productively
ern laying hen. A leghorn will consume less grain per dozen eggs and will produce more eggs over the course of ayear than the dual-purpose or meat
breeds. \7hen they are about r8 months old, chickens begin to shed their feathers, or molt, in order for new ones to grow in. During this time they stop laying for
a
in order to be
saved
from extinction.
SrzE will
This is the greatest distinction that separates one breed of chicken from another. A breed is either
a
few weeks to
in
been bred for shorter molting periods and thus produce more eggs in a year.
which case it is a "large" breed. The large breeds, simply because they are large
and therefore produce greater quantities ofmeat and eggs, have historically
Duar-PuRposn BREEos
The dual-purpose breeds are what we now think of as the old-time such as New Hampshire and Rlode Island
breeds-
because they are miniature and therefore cute, bantams are thought of as show
birds first, although pound for pound they can produce as well as many of the
large breeds.
England and America in the rSth and rgth centuryr At that time (and right on
Bo
Occasionally large breeds are referred to as "srandard" breeds. This can lead to confusion on the part of beginners who will more often hear the phrase "the
Standard" used as shorthand for the American Poultry Association's Standard
chickens to supplement their diet and their annual cash income, as it was easy to sell extra eggs locally Before mass-production methods came to agriculture the goal was a hen that laid well for as long as possible and that produced off-
of
spring that would flesh out well for the stew pot or roasting oven. The hens of the dual-purpose breeds-such as New Hampshire, Rhode Island Red, Orpington, \Tyandotte, Dominique, and Plymouth
Large Brecds
Large breeds produce more meat and eggs than bantams both because they are
eggs
purpose egg-laying breeds. The cockerels, or male chicks, don't gain weight
as as
bigger and because they have been bred to produce more meat and more and
larger eggs. The reasons to keep a large breed over
a
meat breeds. But the dual-purpose breeds are attractive to many backyard
ter of taste. People who keep large chickens instead of bantams are the types
that would choose a retriever or German shepherd over a springer spaniel.
are more
willirrg to f intl lirocl lirl tht'rrrsclvt.s il'tlrcy Iravc room to rolrrl otrtcloors.
'l lrt'y:tls,' Ir:tvc lltt'troslrtlriii ;rp1rr':rl ol;r litnt'lrt.li,rt'rrrotlt'r'rr intlLrstrirrl:rgli, rtllttt,' ll('(,rlr',('11,,'1' .tt{'lrl lrl(,,1il, ltt,'r'!rrrltt,li lrr lrr'rr';r.rl ltt ntilrl('t t' trr,.,
lr
llrllllrltll\
'l'ltt'tt lrtvt'l.nrllrl.ly
Sillirr l'rcr',1 ol
rrlrv:rys bt't'rr
srnirll,'rchickt'ns,:rrrtl
:r [rir-tl
rcscrnbling thc
lr;1111,11;1,
lri, [,'tr tur]s trl) irr llr,'1,,1' r,l Nlrrrr,, I'olo irr llrr. r ttlr
troB:
LrvrNG
\rrrrr
CrrTcKENS
century. The name bantam is from Bantam Island in the Dutch East Indies,
which was
meeting point for the trade routes between Asia and the west in the
as a source
rzth cenrury. The native fowl of the region were used by the sailors
of
mear and eggs during their voyages, perhaps because smaller bitds were easier to keep in the smaller living spaces aboard ship.
It
Although there are a number of "true" bantam breeds without full-sized counterparts, in many cases bantams are miniaturized versions of large breeds developed
during the rgth and zoth centuries in America and Europe. Bantams eat less
are both else
ar-rd
willing and
able to forage
for
grass, bugs,
in their line of sight. The eggs of bantams are quite noticeably smallet, but
at-rd
there is nothing wrong with small eggs if you are eating them yourself
dont
need to sel1 them tirrough a distributor in order to make a living (as yout counter-
part in the r94os and r95os did). About three bantam eggs will make omelet
as
as
big an
two regular-sized eggs. On the flip side, bantams fly throughout their
lifetime, unlike the larger breeds, which lose much of their abllity and interest in flying when they mature. It is therefore harder to get bantams to go just where
you want them to go. They are also
a
tt,,
of
I'
1*
,,rii;lryq
l-t:ox"c
Part of the charm of chickens is certainly the vivid coloring and patterning
t12h-
LrvrNG
wrrH
CrrrcKENs
Trlr
CHARM or CHrcKnNs
il
tl
Fi
feathers that make the birds look like animated powder puffs or feather dusters, or as if they have hair like cats, as Marco Polo wrote.
Some chickens have various styles offeather headdresses and top-
\(hen it
comes
ar
r }d E s
Ai.J
In cold climates, the heavier and more heavily feathered breedssuch as the Rocks, Reds, Orpingtons, and Brahmas-may produce
a
little better and further into the winter than smaller breeds.
Raise
your meat birds in the summer so you dont have to worry about the
cold. Construct your coop carefully to keep out drafts. In these ways you can make cold hardiness
please successfully.
a
Hardiness, on the other hand, is also a function of attitude on the part ofa chicken, and the birds bred in recent decades specifically for
industrial egg and particularly meat production have had some of the
Protestant virtues of independence, thrift, and self-sufficiency bred
out of them. They are less interested and able to find food in the
ii+1
ir
}l.
li i
*i,
1r, i-
rr;ri !i1r,*r
i-,i:!rrj11
woods, orchard, or lawn to supplement the ration you serve them. Some
of
ii!:r
,i,r;r:llr
going
tO be
liVing With
a
these birds can be said to be more anxious than the Cornish-Rock Cross, but in
i:r'!;!*rl iiri:ir
irrii:.
a
my experience that means they get out from under the car when you are backing out of the driveway. Temperament differs more decidedly from one individual chicken 16 2n61hg1-up and down the pecking order, for instance-than
does
are rich and pleasing on any healthy bird, whether a solid-colored Rhode
it
Island Red or
a raste
ro "l<cc1-r l{ocl<s iFyou are n lrervous man, Reds if you are a quiet one," but
it
li t,,rv,rr,l tltt.lrirtl's
Irt,lrtl
;rtctr'l
{r+f*
Trrr
CHARM or CrrrcKENs
{rsF
A \T/O}LN AB
You noN't
get chicks.
W OUT
ro
R.OOSYERS
You want to have more than just one chicken because they are social creatures
NEED RoosrERs
Ifyou decide you want your layers to raise chicks (or lust want this option, as letilized eggs are perfectly fine to eat-more on this in Chapter 7), you ll need one rooster for every ten to twenty hens. If you have more than one, they will fight until they establish a pecking order and then will generally stop doing damage to one another. You dont need to be afraid of them-they are not usually given to attacking people-but you can certainly choose the ones to
keep based on their temperament. Roosters add to the interest and complexity of your barnyard whether you
bar), but two laying hens with or without a rooster, or two meat birds, is the
minimum. The number you choose beyond two will depend mostly on how much product you want in the end.
\(hen it
have?
comes to meat, the questions are: How much freezer space do you
How many chickens do you wish to roast, fry, stew, cordon bleu, or fricasa
want fertile eggs or not. Colorful and dramatic, they hens against predators. They do, however, make
a
will
see
family eat chicken? Every other week? This means that twenty-five chickens is
good round number for the average family to attempt, if you have freezer space
is seen as a positive or negative attribute is another matter of taste. Contrary to the message conveyed by Saturday morning cartoons, roosters crow at any and
long day at the end with two or three helpers to butcher all
all hours of the day, not just in the morning, and it will be worth consulting
with any close neighbors before subjecting them to what for many is a pleasant ringing in the air that epitomizes country life. This ringing is now one of lhe legends sutrounding mywedding. one of my earliest get-rich-quick-with,chid.qs scher-nes had to do with growing cockl for their hackle fe athers which, I had heard, if sold to a fly fisherniaq fot - y.1)'r1g, were worth several times what a roasting chicken was worth. $flith youthful
anticipation I filled the wood shedlchicken coop withfifiy3qckerels Li\g,every, chicken, they started ou1:very cutq and.{u7zy,'4nd w-e.thoug$t no more about it than that. A week before I'was 1o be married in the,!4c.kyat{l,' immediately
adjacent to the coop-theyallfou,nd theirvoiceq at'once arrd'began crotving.
The combined decibels of
your chickens (see Chapter 8), or find someone locally who will do it for you.
If you
omelets and how much refrigerator space you have. Because you keep layers longer than meat birds, and because their production is not consistent yearround, that figuring is more complicated. At the height of the summer laying
season, each hen
will lay
ifyou
ofused egg cartons to package them in and cart them offto work to give or sell
to your enthusiastic coworkers, the eggs will displace much of the contents of
an average-sized refrigerator before fall. \Xrhen the chickens begin to molt and
fifty crowing
cocks made
it impossible to carry on
conversation inside the coop, and it wasnt much better outside. In desperation, the day before the wedding r killed the five loudest cocks, and they all fell
48 hours
strrnc and rnay fall below that during winter, when the less hardy breeds may st()p luyinr ultogct hcr-.
rvctlrlirrg wcnt off pcr:fi'ctly---cxccpt firt the rain, lrut thaf is arrothcr story.
lrrsrrrrrrrr,r llrlt',.lrr.trsrvillplt,vi,lt'rrl:rnrilyo1'lirrrlrvithrrbottl,tr.loz.'tr
,u,,1 ,r
l,.tll ('lill,;
('.r(
Tur
CTTARM op CsrcKENs
n17?
consumption in the United States. To carry this family through the winter and provide
a
couple
more hens, and because marauders can strike without warning, you should
add another as a spare. For a normal family, then, half a dozer-r layers is an appropriate and very manageable number. These figures are for adult
chicks into account ifyou decide to acquire your chickens at an earlier stage of life. A hatchery won't send fewer than twenty-five chicks because they
need to keep each other warm during the journey to your post office.
Ifyou
lot
ask them to send half laying hens and half meat birds, you can plan on put-
of eggs in about 6 months. Decide ahead of time what you will do with the surplus eggs (see Chapter Z on storage options)' and start keeping your used
egg cartons now. Consider asking friends to hoard theirs for you as well.
CAN
once you decide what kind of chickens you want and how many you need, you'll need to figure out at what stage of your chickens' lives youd like to get
involved.
\(ill
you start with eggs for incubating, day-old chicks, pullets (female
a
year old) that are about to start to lay eggs, or hens ayeat or
fl
which
|11
sclcctirrg adtrlt birds rre found in later chapters. tnt tthrrlirrg Ii'r't ilizt'tl t'ggs is stittrt'wh:tl
{$
lil( l(y
:tr18F
LrvrNG
,lrrrrl
CHTcKENS
Trrn CHARM ol
CrrrcKENS
l{ 19 Fr
hungry-not to mention
the most equipment. You will spend more than $r 5o.oo for
a
birds, the larger and more profound your experience of chickendom-and life on earth in
general-will
be.
hatchery via
find
the spring from your local feed store. This method is cheaper per bird than buying growrl
chickens, and it eliminates the big question of
', '* f*
.n-W tce
'
k
t.lrit lit,rr
*i' tj*fl
hazardous busi-
;:i;:;'i"'l'
ness-only
70
to
to adultirood.
will allow
yor-r
ilSAiqglg'trK
KW#
e
he sncestors aJ the domestic white
-eg varietiel
Lttl
in
rhe
seffision
of
t"fie
{tavc
to 1,ay-for breeding
-f{x
though tfir.;, shaw the raciel rype tu the highex degree , are aJtat fie lettstfir .terms of botlifu vigor andvitalitT.artifrcial protection is necessaryrc
rh'is
inn
gfsrgi
gencral
,rrfrrhlr*rrt.
P?
You will want to provide a home for your chickens for two primary reasons: (r) to keep
animals that would eat your chickens (before you do)
away
from your birds, and (z) to moderate the climate for them, t,,,
,l
as
extremes of
fl
r,r,
"
r r.,.
:{
l*
rt
;'
::'11.t
\7HrnE
Youn
CrrrcKxNs
\(/rrr
Lrvr
{ zl
!:'
l
rirliii
lrii:,iir
irlili:
i.ii.,i.li
,itiiii
,i:l.111l
out. Another chicken farmer friend decided that what he wanted to look at every day out his kitchen window was an octagon-shaped hen house- a gazebo with a
rdli
f;llril i,,iirl
',t11 ,ri'l,il
,",
lll
.''rrij
t,t
soon regretted this plan when he realized how much time and
stone structure about waist high, with a hole in the front and large stone rolled to the side. At night when the chickens were
inside, the free stone was rolled in front of the hole to seal out
predators.
way
roofto pro-
ciples ofpoultry housing. Ihadaneighbor who let his birds have the run ofan abandor-recl car
feed, water, collect eggs, and, occasionally, clean. Ideally, you'Il be able to
in r pastlrte.
iu
uncl
incltrcling oppottur.rities to house chicker-rs of different ages apart, give broodrrrg Irt'ns:r 1-rlivllt'sp()t l() sit on tl-rcir cggs, rnd allow the statt of a batch
rrr,.rrl
yr
'l'hc clrr l-rlt] rro glrrss ir-r ils witrt]ows iur(l n() lrrrt-list'rrts. Ilrt. lrilrls
r,,",t'ul
of
lrirtls rr,lrt'rt'll',' l,ry,''s ( in)'t st('lr ()n llr('r)r. I1'yotr split yolrr ('o()p itr lwtt,
{
'rrrrrli
t,,ll('t lll{.('}ili:t
rl Jl
r+k
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Before you begin breaking ground for your new chicken coop, take
The diagram below shows how to take slope and orientation into accounl to get airflow, water drainage, and the warming and drying effect of the sun'
Partway up a south-facing slope is ideal.
molnent to think about what makes the most sense for your climate, land, and
chosen chickens.
If you live
about keeping the house warm in winter, although you may need to make sure
there's enough airflow that it won't get too hot.
If you
the chickens will roam, you'll need less space inside your chicken house. Are you planning to raise layers in
even when it's dark outside?
a
northern climate, where they will require light you'll probably need to install electricity \(i11
If
so,
will
cupola.
..,{;gf.{,{u?,{$rz)'
Tsn LlNn
loc,q.rroN
\flhere should your chicken coop be? Not so far that you wont enjoy walking
there, but not so close that you feel
self.
as
TI{E DRAINAGE
AND AIRFIONT ARE
INSUIIICIENT
pass by often,
it will be
easy to notice
if
Ionlr, Crrorcn:
A sourH-EActNc
SIOPN PROVIDES
t[ings look
If it
snows much where you are, think about how much shov-
5;;a
rt==ta
eling out you will have to do to get access to it in February. It should be oriented
so
iL),4
cooD LIGFIT,
I) IIA I NAC E, AN D
At Ir.trt.()w.
:l swtll)lp)
i:; r('ir:;()tlirl)ly
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eing proud af a
-f*rwing enferprise
is easy if
and.
the
Jarwt
r1,'
tw
jor
the
to
shaw yritlc tn
hirJor,,,.
"
SpRc,e
Recommendations vary-depending on whom you talk with or what you
space
you need
,rllow,rlr,'..s Irr;rtlt' lirt llrt' t-r'l:rlivt' sizt't,l tlr,' l,ir',1s.'l'h;rl nr('rrns tltrtl :t r'lticl<ct-r ('(|ol) l()l :l tl|7r'rr brt,ls slr,'rrl,l lrr'lrr'lrvr'r'r l){'l\\,('('rr.1 lr'r'l 1,1' 1 lr'r'l,rtrrl r,, l,','t I't l
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so
that more
energy is converted to meat or eggs and less to running around pecking and scratching.
My own
better than too little. I started with two dozen layers in about an
B-by-B
human
entered to gather eggs. A,fter Mr. Raccoon carried off half the chickens, I discovered that the remaining hens, their eggs, and
relatively
litter stayed dry and comfortable for the hens, and the coop
both pleasant to be around and easy to clean out for me.
was
time outside need less floor space inside. Keeping chickens on range, which is
to say in
a
field ofgrass, can benefit both the chickens and the grass ifthey dont
stay in one patch too long. You can create a shelter on wheels so you can move it
:,,., ',,,1,
:.i:,:
every day or so to
new patch. You can either fence them in with portable elec-
tric fencing or let them go, knowing that chickens dont tend to wander too far from the coop. Grass farmers make a low flat pen that keeps the birds confined
in an area limited to a few square feet per bird in ordet to precisely control
whcr<'tht.y gr':rzt'rrrrtl tlroir thcil nrur(n'('to lht'tnrtxinrttrr, l',ctrt'f il tlf tht'gr':rss.
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to an inside wall comes when it is time to shovel out the manure. I still have
vertical z-by-4 studs exposed on the inside walls of my coop, and so have to work my shovel around them. An inside wall-say of p\'wood,
even
if only
few feet high all the way around-would make it easier to scrape the floor
clean.
r-_'l
r-1
llr----rr---rll
IILJTJI
TrlI Froon
There are basically three choices for the floor: dirt, wood, and concrete. You
will
find many experienced chicken people that will swear by each of these options,
passionately preferring one over the other. One will most likely appeal to you more than the others.
t*-* '.'-"-*{
Dirt
A dirt floor is cheap and easy to do, and has worked for many chicken farmers
grass there,
it will
It
it
VrEv FRoM
TIII
srDE
well. You can get a sense of this by digging a small hole on your chosen site and adding water.
-x-"
I
Wood
Any old boards r or z inches thick, in widths
as
10'
narrow or wide
as
I
I
I
at a lumber yard or scrounge from the dump, will make an acceptable floor for
your coop. Underneath your planks you will need supporting joists, usually
about z-by-6,which thernselves rest on something at tire corners, whether cincler blocl<s, stoltcs, clr ht',rvy 1-rosts surrk it cottirlc
- _Y*
--**-***
20'
11otlr'[t.cps yr,rrl
cvc
tr t r rir
bitls oll'(hc
g,r',,rrtrtl ,ru.'l is
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Contrete
{{fu
long-term commitment to
chicken farming). Concrete, however, is the most expensive choice and requires
the most effort to construct.
Doons
You want separate doors that allow both you and your birds to get in and out of
pulled him, one bite at a time, through the r-inch holes. Now I use galvanizedhalf-inch screen (or hardware cloth, as it is called at the hardware store), which not only has smaller holes than chicken wire but is stiffer and won't bend as easily. The same raccoon pulled so hard on the wire while pulling on that dead chicken that he pulled out two of thes/s-inchArrowT-5o staples I had used to attach the wire to the post.
Now I use /"-inch real wood staples that
the coop. If you build separate compartments into the coop) you will want
separate door for the chickens to come and go from each compartment. Your
should build a ramp for your chickens to walk up and down. Make the ramp
wide
as
insteadof
Even
m an
ahouseholds14p!9gun,
inches to give the birds plenty of traction. All the doors to your coop-and the
with these precautions, raccoons might get in. Any poultryiacqq.ons are' the.'srhartest ;nirnalsl oii g arth
ing fhey ditnk fi4d t!t.e- fiisl yqar,thelr rnay firid'the iieCond.or, thiid'.ry. one.raccoon:to'find an,eniiliiiice in'rnillrOkeghifl,t..:. '.',..i,,eoepin ihe'i<irnir of the woodsb'ed. r had,,iiaplqd ch!!kii,.irtt";.:111,' '' ,.r., ovbf the wall of the woodiihed;t1111u1, aii'opening wher.e,thbre,ifas a
;.,,
can be secured at night against raccoons and other predators. Raccoons in par-
toddler wouldnt
lqok:.J,.)t,eafs f,iJr
it
it didnjt.mzirter when the raccoon went up into thd loft above, found a space between the
want to have an additional door just for that purpose. one coop I had was
floorboards and the wall, crawled down inside the stud wall, and arrived in the chicken coop through the opening in the wire inside
built on a slope so that the back end was about z feet off the ground. I put
wide door at floor level that was hinged at the top. It was fully
as
wide
as
the
a
thlt
closed window.
coop wrs: rbout 6 Feet. rVhen it was time to clean, I couid prop it open with
slit'k rrtrtl
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prrrslr
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It's important to keep your birds cool in summer. Chickens dont sweat, and
not equipped to
cool themselves as easily as other domestic animals. They will begin to suffer
when the air temperature gets to about 95 degrees. You can tell they are too
warm when they begin to pant like a dog.
In short, it's better to err on the side of too much air than too little. The first coop I had was nothing more than some standard r-inch chicken wire
sta-
pled to a couple ofupright z-by-4sin the northeast corner ofan old woodshed. The doors and windows of the shed had long since been removed, so ventiladon
was not a problem. The wind and even a fair bit of snow blew in, depending on
the season. Make windows that can open completely for warmer seasons, although be careful
as
wel|. If windows
tilt
open, make
\Wlr.roo!{/s
\(indows and other ventilation holes
essary are nec-
windows that were hinged on the bottom and had a chain attached to the ceilir:rg on top. The chain was
chickens. After all, you both have to be able to see and breathe when you are in the coop.
Proper ventilation is critical for the
floor. They opened into the coop like an old ironing board might have dropped down from the pantry wall or the way a changing table opens in
a
public bath-
room. They provided a series of tabletops for the birds to sit on all summer, and they were a real mess.
health of
as
they breathe, and more moisture and ammonia rises from their manure as it mixes witir the litter. These chemicals, dust, and various airborne pathogens can harm the birds if they reach high concentratiolls-which occurs when there is trot adequrfe air excl-range.'l'he best way to assurc prop('r vcntila(ion is to ptrt
sct it's o{'holcs
a
facing air holes open. Dont be afraid to rely on common sense. If it smells
nasty in there, your cirickens probably leed more air, and perhaps more litter
as
(, inr'lti's in ,li'rt,r,'t,'t'ot (, ilrcltt's rvitlt'rrctoss lhc 'tbottt lolr ol lltt' trot llr ;ttrrl :;r,ullt tt,'tll:;,,l yorr ( ()ol) l lrr':;r'rvill l,t,,r,i,l,' tlirllr;rl ( llrss
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Some people place a pan covered with wire mesh underneath the roost so
that droppings fall through the mesh and accumulate in the pan. This method
allows you to take
a
before it fouls the litter or your chickens. You can keep your birds clean with
less
significant
buildup ofdroppings there. You can also arrange chicken wire on either side of
the ladder/roost holder to keep the chickens from getting underneath, where the droppirrgs are heaviest. The pan and grate need to be cleaned every week or
at least every
mind that any system that doesn't allow the birds to mix the manure in with
their bedding is a system that requires you to handle unadulterated manufe on
regular basis. It also might create more smell and attract more flies' chopped sffaw or whatever it is that you put between the floor and your birds,
a
LrrrEn M,q.NaclMENT
I think it is more effective to allow mofe rather than
lay
less
suggest you
floor
space per
bird,
box,
little bigger than a chicken, open on the front, that gives the hen a com-
fortable place to lay, with the added bonus that you both know where to find the eggs. And you may find more than you expect, as the hens will share these
boxes. You need
will stir their own manure into the litter with their
scratching, particularly ifyou throw them some ctacked corn or other grain
occasionally. Add more litter as it seems necessary.
ens
iust one box for every four to five birds. They only use them
\(ith
once a day to lay an egg, and they are not territodal about them. The general requirements are that a box be about
a
to litter, the manure will virtually disappear and over time even begin to
their feet and legs suffer less strain, and the slowly composting litter will even
produce
a
little
birds don't sit on top of it and mess it up. Some people hang down over
tl-re
piece of burlap
as
if the nesting
Nrs'r'rNc Boxus
I
box wcrc r chatrgiug toom in a clothing outlet store.To keep the eggs clean
:r
,rn,l llr,'birrls cornlirrt:r[rlt', yorr wilnl to kcep littcr itr the boxes, whic]r is elsier
t'ool
il.tlr,'r't.is
,,1
rr
rrt
tttss
1r'olrt
,llollllll lltr'll,'r,t ';,',tt, llilrl', l,,t tlr,','1i1i, llr rl'llllll (|l \\i(rt"'') \\""'tl "lt'rVtttlir ilt
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more open
kind ofden
3:
ffr
old butter churn and dividing it down the center with another board. This conttaption did provide roughly a square foot offloor
space
as
will
do.
I'rrtling
1,1;rr
rr
llkt'c{e itrlo
t'to
I'rv. I lrrrv,,rr It.rv l,lrrstit-h,,ll,rrv t'g[s {-t-onr otrc Ultslt'r lhrtl sct'tr to worl<
rt
lt'rtl
t'1i11.
;\,, l,'r ,,llr,'r rr,'.lrtrJ, I'r)\ ,rtr!('trrlr,"', I llr',"r' r\lrltlt,ttrrlr,,l l,rlrrr)ll" l{r'lt,tt';'l,ttrr
r'
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CllTcKENS
\7srnr
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here is no electricity af
lur
barn, na
to
',, (m. th
-Glus
Jix
naturalist and chicken expert, wrote that some people in his day put
a
kind
...
if
it
snowed.
you have
full-time job. For significant portions of the year, by the time you get
ar.rcl whet.r
It
home from work you will be visiting your cl-rickens in tire dlrk,
you
it
bur y
rre carryir-rg watcr ()r porrling grlrin, thclc is rro( rlrolltct'h,tlt,l lt'll ovt't to lrolcl
11:rsh
grotrrrded outlet
ligh
t.
l'lr,.tr';rrr.rr lt.rr, \\,.t\r.l l(r rl,, tlri:; ( )lt('( irolr I lr,t,l tr"tt r lrr';r'r'tltrtll'lt lrr lltt'
1,,'rr,,,.1,,
a44r:
lrvrr.rc wrrg
CrrrcKENs
boon, for
will
keep the birds'water from freezing (more on that in Chapter 6). Another is
hght it is exlposed to. In winter, there are fewer than 14 hours of daylight, and a
hen may stop laying altogether. By putting
a
cially to the hours of light your laying hens are exposed to, you can keep them producing eggs in the winter when the dayhght hours are short. (See Chapter
7 for more on light requirements).
f'gE
CFI
1cr{Eu Rriu
Chickens are healthier and happier outside, but you may want to take some
precautions before allowing them to roam free, particularly if you are a gatdener. The
btds will
will
make large holes in which to cover themselves with dust. (Don't discourage
dis-
courage external parasites.) Consider creating a coop that opens onto two separate runs that can be alternatively closed off. This way the birds can have
access
from a month to a summer-from the abuse of a dozen scratching and dusting chickens. Make your fenced-in run out of chicken wire, which the feed or
hardware store might call r-inch poultry netting. It has holes that are octagon
shaped and measure about
r inch
it
net-
iF
which
tiring but
\Vurnr
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CrrrcKxNs
\(/trr
I-rvr
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This is because it is
a
well to put
chicken-
(if
wont swoop in for dinner. At the bottom of the fence, consider burying the wire 6 inches deep and
rnaking a 9o-degree angle underground so that the fence bends toward the outside ofthe run.
Ifyou
do this, a burrow-
T'l
ir-rg
')f, 'rfl*.,Id.l
i.dii*',1'
rj:;;t
llrr" l,r'tlrl
CF{APTKK
T'ffi&KH
GettingEggs to Hatch
,tlfcthc facts maJe knawn {fl-rough patient attd perse vering researcit,, i' and the penetrating ruiutls u,hich have pondered them, compararivelA
flifie
o-f
rh,' how
atr{-
*qrrrry. 'tf
*- Ir:srr.E
-E.
',:,1
'i]t;
ilti lrri
Once you have chosen what kind of chickens to keep and prepared a place to keep them, you are ready for the birds themselves. If you have decided
to start your flock from fertilized eggs for the first time, be easy on yourself'
The process is somewhat painstaking, and you must define success broadly
because at least half the fertilized eggs you incubate
-ili
ing a chick kick away the last pieces of shell and lay in the ir-rcubator exhausted after its struggle to arrive in this worlcl, is olre of ti-re big
reasor-rs
to have chick-
t'ns in lht'f ilst plrrcc, rtutl nr,tkt's:trry sttcccss worth v,,ttt tvlrilt'.
'1't
,50[:
Irvrrqc
i5IF
Wxlnnn
ro Gar
from
a
Eces
them, the hatchery will probably make good on any eggs that arrive broken, but no one can guarantee how many
rooster.
Although hens will lay eggs for out ever laying eyes on
a
lifetime with-
will
first couple of years, he will slow down and may only be able to handle five
hens.
run
into
tl-re
evening hours.
this trstr:rlly
5
fIlunrrNC
A
,t
F'trR:l r LtzED
nc(;s
,'l tlrr'
l,ryirrli:r(',r'rrrn in :.ltr inl', irrr(l :rlrrrrrr('r ,,rlls li'r'
,1,t1',
11r(.iurs
o11
thc seasoll
ty1ti1;11
lrt'tt'sl nt't.iotl
lt,'tt
1,,
l,'t',,t,,'t,t,,llr(rttl r'\'r't1' ", ltrrrtt", t)l ,rlr lrlttl l.tlrt ,,,, l'
rrtrttl
tl,,
l ry
lr,'t
,'1',1i..
{szF.
IrvrNG
rirrrn
CsrcKENs
Grrrrwc
Eccs ro HercH
isrF
every z+, or some other round number, it has been speculated that nature
invented this system so the hen would accumulate just the right number of eggs
for her clutch before breaking her laying rhythm. During that week or two that
the eggs are not kept warm, development of the embryo inside stops or slows to almost zero. As soon
as
Woon Su.wrNcs
... -
Sorr
Son
If you incubate them yoursel{ (and even i-f you put them in a nest for one of
your hens to sit on), your roie laying box
safe
as as
soon as possible after they are laid in order to keep them clean and
until you have enough to fill your incubator. You should store fertile eggs at
SrtrrNG HEN
between 4o and 6o degrees in the open air, dry, for at least rz hours but no more
time, effort, and constant worry it takes to reproduce the atmospheric conditions that prevail underneath a setting hen. Many breeds have had the inclina-
in the incubator.
a
tion to brood bred out of them, however, because egg production stops while
the hen sets. You may or may not have
a
porous. A living, breathing chlck will grow inside, so the shell is made to allow oxygen in and carbon dioxide our. Even the natural oils on your skin may plug up the holes in the eggshell and inhibit the movement of these gases. For this
reason, you should wash your hands with soap and water any time you get ready
eggs
Ifyou
choose to let a hen hatch the eggs for you, assemble a dozen or so
see
in a nest and
if any of your hens seems interested in setting. If one try to take an egg out
sets-if
from underneath her instead of running away-you've found your broody hen.
Set her and her eggs up
If there
it off as well
as
you can
where the other hens cant get to it. X7hile she is setting, she could be abused by her coop-mates or have her nest taken over by another. Also, when the chicks
are eventually hatched, they might be eaten or trampled by the rest of the adult
without using any water or soap. An egg has built-in defenses against bacteria,
but if you scrub with water, you can easily push dny organisms into the egg through its minute pores.
flock if they are allowed to mix during the first few days.
llccatrsc parasites can rnultiply and cause havoc with a setting hen, you may
llttoonrtrr;
Y()tl ( rtlr
lJv llrN
lt'l
;t
tl-re
llr ,t ll]('( ll;tlIi ,ll ilrr ttl,,tl,,t ( )tl(, tr.,l,,rr'l lil lct llr|
ll
r'lr.r,tlron or
1,
,'rl
?54F
T.rvrtrrc \(/rrrr
CHTcKENS
GsrrrNc
Eccs
ro HercH
{ssF
incubator-
fluctuates more than 5 degrees in either direction over the course of the day
also tends to
It
them to the letter. Particular recommendations vary from one model to the
next, but the following basic principles apply to all incubators.
Porf s of a* Tncubnf or
CH
E
1-ABrrroP lucur.q.ron
A common tabletop incubator often has a see-through plastic lid that allows
you to watch what is irappening. It has a rack to place the eggs on, a heatir-rg
can get to feed and water easily, and have the same ready for the chicks when
element,
thermal switch that turns the heating element on and off in order to
a
they arrive.
maintain the correct humidity, and holes that you can plug or unplug for venti-
Anrrrrcrdr
Ir.rcusATroN
moist-mim-
Iation. An automatic egg turner is a labor-saving extra you will want to seriously consider. Either you or the machine will have to turn the eggs at least three times a day, and the more times you turn, the better chance your chick
has
Incubators are essentially boxes that help keep the eggs warm and
icking the environment under a brooding hen. They come in a wide variety of
shapes and sizes,
but for the backyard keeper there are two general approaches,
a
another extra.
table, and the other is a chest-type incubator that sits on the floor. The smallest tabletop incubator made for school projects might hold just two eggs' whereas the chest type holds perl'raps 3oo.
l'Lttct:mtrtt
'l'ht'r.c
ur.c' u
of the TncubataY
Irvoitl r.t,r.lrrilr tlis,rstcr. l'lrt' l'ilst is that it shotrlcl nevcr get ditect stlnlight.
(
Still lril irrr'rrh,ttors h;rvr.r,,.trlil:rliotr lrnlr':; ilr lltt'lrollottt itlr(l lrll,,ttr,l,ts lltt'
r
lnlr't
ll,r,,,r1,l'
llr'l,,,lllttr
s6p
Irvruc
!rrrrr
CrrrcKENS
Grrrrrqc
Eccs ro Harcn
4sz*
incubated chick to develop inside its shell to the point of hatching. During that time. the temperature and humidity must be just right, the egg must have fresh air, and
it
tr $i
,'k
:':1..
\, I \l
.,1
:l
.,
they would on
tal<r'crrrc
llr,'t'111i is lrilr,lrt'r.
tr;,rtr,ttl'il,.trctltll,,'l,tt','r'lttlolr"trlr,r'l'lll;rlllrr'
lr,rl, lrrtrr, , 1,,, l. t,, , ,1, t,'l,tl,' tt t, lt.tl, lrttrt' .r",1, ,, r rl,, ,l I rr, r ,t, tl,' , l,,l'|,'t
-'1
S8 ti
LrvrNG
\(/rrrr
CHTcKENS
GrrrrNc
Iccs
ro Hercu
sg
F:"
a1l.
ar-rd
turning
with her beak herself to get more comfortable or by reaching under herself r-reed to turn to ro11 them. If you are turning your eggs by hand' you only at the very them three times a day' as long as the first and last times are
beginning and very end of your
day.
.j:l,irti
at
short
as
you can
'\,
r:l
l!lli,.r$
eacheggwithanXononesideandanoontheother.?ickupthefrontrowof Xs or os are at the top, eggs, roll the rest gently in one direction until all the
gentle and then put the removed fow at the back. Be particulafly
as
with the
eggs,
rough handling.
can break with the tiny, fragile blood vessels of the developing embryo If you can turn them more than three times per day' up to
An automatic eight or ten, it might improve the chances of some of the eggs'
for about $ 5o.oo egg turner can be added to a typical home tabletop incubator
and
will
frinurxc
Turning the eggs several times
a day,
I'rmlsRATl..lRE
up to day
it is imporDifferent types of incubatofs require different tempefatures, but that these temperatufe differences are quite sma11. A fluctant to understand
embryo grows on top of the yolk, with surroundir-rg layers of egg white serving both
as
whatever is \vhich is why the sun sl-rining on youf incubator can quickly kill more easily irr llrost'cggs. Also, thi: clrbtyo cau tolerate lower temperatures
nutrition
:rr-rti
ttll'11ed,
tlt,'*,Iilt'ill)(l (.r)]('ill
()lllll( l wilh
Ilr,,,,l,, ll lri tnl,l.rlr( lI ll'r',1,,1'1','1'',, rt ," lrli''lv Ilr'rl ll \\'rll l'( l'ilrli li llr''t''
throtrg[ a tlr,rp lriClr,,r..rrt's. l(t.t.p:l lllcl'l)t()ll.l('tcr itlsitlc that y6tt Clt-r rcacl ()v('f tilllc, ,;(r (;tlt l)l(rnil()t tl)(. ;tiI l('lrl]('lilllll(' ill ll)(' ilr( tllllll()l'.
rvrr,,l,,rv
,111,1."
Volt
rr"t l'r'lttttrcrl
tl
l','1'rlr l{r }',('ll('l'tlr llrcll ('\\'ll lrr"ll' ll!(l \'oll ttt'ty lt tt"'1";tiljtt:;t
llrr'
{6oF.
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\7rrs
CrrrcKENs
Glrrrsc
Eccs ro HercH
;16r
on your incutemperature down. In any case' you should turn the temperbator a day before you put eggs in it to make sure
In
the air at the level and you need to measure the temperature of embryo tends to where the embryo is developing' Because the
float near to the top of the egg, the bulb of your thermometer about a quarter inch below the top of the shell when
should be the shell is laying on its side'
"^&rR SPACE"
unable to rect throughout incubation or your chicks will be hatch from their shells' the large Soon after an egg is laid, an airspace forms in
. j/ !.:!:{srii'"-!i " j.,r, ',. I'' .,r 'i4i -t}s-s }r' ",'
:Sl}i{$
end-if
over the period yodve ever peeled a hard-boiled egg' you've seen this' the shell, this airspace of incubation, as fluid in the egg evaporates through it grows. rX/hen it comes time for the cirick to hatch'
"pip" or break through the shell in the fluids under the airspace. If this happens, the chick can drown before it gets the shell oPen.
will poke
from the airspace' through the membrane that seParates his own compartment
rls u R iNc
Huto,.l ID
rrY
a
arrdthenpokeitsbeakthroughtheshellinacircletobreakoffthecapofshell
over the airspace.
has evaporated
hygrometer, which is
timc it lus to brcrl< otrt of its is too dry, the cl.rick cotrld be dehydrated by the
slrt,ll, wlrrtt,s
111()f(.,
;rtrtl
t,ttt', httl y,trr'll 1'r','ltrrltly \vlllll l() tlsc thc"c'rtltllitlg"nrcthotl (disctrssctl lrltet
lr(rltlllr"ttll ,rtl .l,,l( r"tl rlr, l.rt1" ' rll t"t1ll'l rr"t l" l rrr'r't
llri:;,
lr,rl'1,.r )
'tr62k
lrvrNG
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CrlTcKENS
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60 \X/Arr
BurB
hygrometerasthewatelarounditsbulbevaporates'Youcanalsotalkaboutrelativehumidityintermsofapercentage,astheweatherreportdoes.Bythismeas-
1%"
Dreurrtn
ure,thehumidityinyourincubatorneedstobeat6opercentuntilthechicks
percent. The equivalent wet-bulb begin hatching, when it should increase to 70
measufementis84to86degreesforincubationandgodegreeswhenthechicks
start to hatch.
lastfewdaysofincubation,theneedformoisturecompeteswiththeneedfor
oxygen unless
1'e11
-.:'
more oxygen
Holrlu.q"or C.lNorln
andneedstogetridofmorecarbondioxideasitdevelops.Anincubatorwithoutenoughairflowwillfillwithtoomuchcarbondioxideandtheunhatched
chicks
living embryo and the relative position of the airspace, which may indicate
will suffocate.
candle, but a
onewaytosolvethisdilemmaistoputahumidifierintheroomwhere
the incubator is already more the incubator is. This way the fresh air going into humidity in way is to put a soaked sponge in the incubator. The
's-watt
as made for the purpose, but a homemade candling box is not difficult to build,
humid. Another
you can see from the diagram, above. Both the gadgets and the box allow the
theincubatordependsontheamountofsurfaceareaofthewaterthat,sinit.
air moist' The sponge has lots of surface area and will keep the
Iight through
the egg and less blinds the candler. In either case, you can see better if you canclle eggs
in
darkened room.
cg11s
C,rruIllltrtC
(
Orrntlling thc
lilll(llillli
s()
1()
tlrrlrPi';:
llr''
l)!(':i('tr( t'()l
tA6+'*
IrvrltG
\x/rru
CrrrcKENs
Crrrrr.rc
Eccs ro H,q.rcH
i6sF
Sonething . . . is known about the chemicsl events gssociate d with esch stage, and how these are regulnted b1 a constnntly shifting pattern
o,f
gene activity. This knowledge is only a dttrkness, however, and the most
a;f
"
5
-(s6slas
ond week (to remove any eggs that have died since the first candling). As hatching approaches at the end of the third week, it is best to leave the eggs alone and
Iet them prepare to hatch, especially after day 18.
Clrtr:cxrrqc FrRTrrtrY
If the
ratl-rer
egg is not fertile, or if the embryo has died, you want to know sooner
i\htw": i!,t,li
11r,lrl
than later so you can remove the egg from the incubator. This is because
r()llcrr (,ggs givc ofTgrrscs llr:ll y()u dotr'l wriltt youl'other cg8,s to brcathe. Rotter-r
('!ll',s ( ir lLr
,,"1,,1,,, .,.,.,t,t,t,
ls,,,t,,
rtsi,,tr;t
ly,'xltl,,.l,',
a66k
IrvrlrG
\rrrs
CurcKENs
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ro H,qrcu
d6zP
adding
sponge or
water.
If the
airspaces
seem too smal1, consider opening mofe vent holes to allow more air
circulation.
f{*.rcxrxe.
LlvtNc l\asnyo
ar hvrNc Elrsnyo A.r llvrNc Erlrsnvo ,A.t DrAn ENrsnvo .A.r Asour Z Devs ABour 14 DAYS Asour 7 DA.vs ABour 14 DAYS
SFIo'irrNG THE
DIAD EMBRYO AT
From day ry
to
day
zr, when the chick comes out of the shell, it takes the yolk
ABour
14 DAYS
of the egg into its stomach through the navel. It hatches fully fed and has time
"Bloor
RrNc"
to dry off and get its bearings before it has to find food in the outside world. On hatching day, the temperatufe can be reduce d to 95 degrees, but the humidity
\7hen you candle an egg, you're looking for one ofthree basic
configurations.
legs-the
embryos blood vessels-branching out from the center. This is a living embryo. A uniformly opaque egg with a shadow cast by the yolk was never fertile and an
egg with a darker shadow in the middle surrounded by a discernable blood ring
has died (the
through incubator top, it should be fogged up. Put a double layer ofcheesecloth
on top of the rack to make
a
to spi1l onto and dry out. It is important to leave chicks in the incubator for z4
hours after they hatch, until they are completely dry and fluffy. Chicks taken out before they are dry will chill quickly and die soon after. Have your brooder the setup ready to go with water, feed, and the heat lamp turned on, and remove
day
much smaller than the average, try to increase the humidity in your incubator by
Z DAYS
14 DAYS
18 DAYS
iiir'
-ti
tit*.I*[
,
"
(.
CHAPTER'
..,
...,s.
, f 4
FOUP"
RaisingChicks
h1,
to ga inta the
ffiffin
business?
wlr
Grail? ls
it
,Jirett-of
not having enough mo,e) to buyfood and shelter-fot fiieirseems haloed w.ith permanency? boss
yfers
rel(f
6for
rhc cmploltcr-employee problems which harrlt so man) people? ' ' '
Again
oJ
fiifin'' ll
MecDoNAr-D,
-Ssa1v
'..1.
Cute and fuzzy as they ate they are' newborn chicks are also at their most vulnerable during the first few days and weeks of their li-fe and need
aA ,!..,1,,r,, ., , ,i,, ,r',i , ,, r, ,r ! ' l' rr I ' ' ' '
I
particularcareandattentionforthemto
have the best chance at survival'
Ifthey
are
(r.) I'
770{:
LrvrNG
\ia/rrg CrrrcKENs
RersrNc
CHrcKs
azrk
Tse Hc.rr
SoURCE
as
should be about 95 degrees Fahrenheit for the ftust week ofits life and should
decrease by 5 degrees per week after that
as
if it
is
chicks are able to keep themselves warm, unless it is particularly cold outside' The easiest way to provide warmth is with
a
spring and the trend is toward warmer weather, it is simplest to brood the chicks in the space where they will live when they are adults. This saves you having to move them
as
lighrbulb will do. start with the bulb about r8 inches offthe floor, and raise
it
about 3 inches per week in order to steadily lower the air temperature around
eat,
will trample,
ing even
day. You
a 6o-wart
will
over the front of it to reduce the chances of an accident that could break the
so,
cool or cold, helps you to worry less about drafts, and it allows you to watch
starting, a zso-wattinfrared heat lamp from the feed or hardware store will be
necessary.
them easily and often, both for entertainment and to monitor their wellbeing. Chicks grow very rapidly, however, especially meat birds, which go
[) r].4tsT
PnorECTroN
8 weeks. You
boxes, or adding on
in
Draft protection for the first few days often takes the form of a corrugated cardboard box with sides approximately afoothigh. for added protection, you
sl.rould partially cover the top
vcr.y srr.rall 1,or the
will start looking too big for the kitchen. The smell may
Twenty-five
'l'ht. b0x will provide adequate Ir.ovt' ttro sr.)llll pretty clUicl(ly, however.To !l)ir( (' lllill y()1 ( :rr t'x1,rrn.l ,rs rr,.,',1,.',1, rt <'it-<'rtl:tt- r'irrt rtltctrrtlboarcl or othct'mate-
Itr'f irlltrl''lllt'tlrrvillrlt
ht'ltl
1,,rrrrr.l
lt slr,,rrltl
l'rt'rtl"rotll
lt
N..l.t1rrlyrv,lltlr,,,lri,l,1irr,rr,llicr'lrrlt,tll';lttl;tttrllr'tlrll,'ll"l'lirrtllt'
4 -7) l-
Irvrr.rc
wrrrr
CgrcK-ENS
RersrNG
CHr.cKs
dzlK
will
from wander.ing to
Dn-arr Gu.tno
\ ,\
far corners of the coop and forgetting where the feed, water, and warmth are'
1'rrrrMor,rsrER.
rX/ATERER
The chick guard has rio corners, so the chicks will not pile up and smother each other in a corner, as they might do if frightened or cold. Make sure tire circle is
always big enough for them to get out from under the heat if they want to.
.","1
After
ir-r
about 4 to 6 selves
ing one of my first attempts at chicken rearing, I put my chicks in a kid's plastic swimming pool in the basement. The sides were almost
a
round, and it kept them offthe dirt floor. I put some litter in it and figured
it
B,q.src
BnoorEr Aprlnarus
would work lust fine. The medical student friend I have mentioned before took
a disused
long-necked, lead-
footed piece of equipment made to keep infant humans warm in the maternity ward.
Iight
believe this was because the house was r5o years old and the stone foundation let in
a
lot of brutally cold air that washed invisibly over the sides and into the
pool. The moral ofthe story: Pay attention to the chicks' surroundings. You may suspend a thermometer from above the brooder apparatus so that
ffi
J
)csrJl\
I
it
\I
y-h v Y2
!4
irx' vfr
.-1t/t
r1 (:) t
\
\\
Visual observatiotr, however, rather thatt a thertnolreter) is rhe better way Io lt'hit'vt'lht'r'orn't'1 l('lrrp('litlttl('. Slrrll witlr tll.'l,rtrl1r;tbortl Ill irlt'ht's ttll'the
Irtt lt t usiliArr()N At tttl lrl'l'lll{ Llilrl sll(t\\/s A ll^sl(: lll(il0ltlNt:Sllllrl' I I t rrr tr,\\/Ail t{t lr,lurr lttt r{\t(rN| | r{ slrlll((rlrNlrl,D llY llllr l)ttlt't (jttltttt tNr tl|{l\|, \\'I lr !lrl lll Al l,\All",ll:.1'l lllrl lr I lllrNt Allr)\rl
llot,t,;ttrtl lrt.;ttt,;ttt.ll rvlt;tl tlr,', lri, li,;,1,,,,t','l llr,' ttt'xl llolll il:l lll('l('l)lll('l;lltll('
dz+9
LrvrNc
\rrrrr
CtlTcKENS
R,trstIrtt;
(l tt ttl trs
,1751
ture comfortable to them. Not all of them are comfortable at exactly the same temperatllre
at the same time, which is wiry yon know you
have it right when they spread tiremselves out' You also know you have it right
ifthey
are eat-
or hungry. Tiris is not to say that a quiet brood of chicks is necessarily a bad thing. Chicks need
a
if they
have a visitor,
A conTo keep your chicks healthy, you need to provide air, litter, and light.
If they crowd the wall or affange themselves outside what has close. Move it become a circular hot spot directly underneath the 1amp, it is too
is too far away.
living stant supply of fresh air is the most important way to keep the chicks'
water space dry because the chicks'breath and manure constantly release
all over up or down a couple of inches at a time until the chicks mill around out more the floor, comfortably eating and drinking or spreading themselves
t,r- lcss cvcr-rly rtcross
into the air. Keep in mind that chicks' production of manure by volume
ir.r(.r('irs(,s as
irsf rs
tl-re
ol-tlr.:rl'ls. llorv lrtt'lh('y l() lr,'witrt.I',, clraft ltrcc, aucl have ertougir lresir air? It's
,r
ll('l\\,{'('ll.tlrrrttl
'\,,1',1 '1'' rlt'1',rr'r"' 'tl lll"l,';(r llr'rt tlrIy t 'lll ( llo(!5(';l l{'llll)('l:l
this tlt.lit lrlt' l,,rl'rtr, ,', ,rtt,l il's t'rtsit't wllt'tl lllt' ltil t'tt(sitlt' is w:tt ltt' Ilvclr if \'('lllr; ()ll ll)('li(t(l{lr :itlt'r'l lltt'r ooI ill('()l)('l) il lirr'l llri',.,.,', ltt ll,,"'ttt,'lll''
d76v
LrvrNG
wrrrr
CrrrcKENs
R.crsrNc CHrcKs
dzzK
the birds are ourside, or that the windows are ajar if the chicks are in a small,
tightly
\"/
sealed
room.
For
litter, for the first z days-and only the first z days in order to avoid leg
a
t\4
problem5-put
draft guard and spread their feed on it. This way they can find it easily using the
peck-and-scratch method that all chickens are born knowing. After this intro-
duction to pecking, you can spread pine shavings on the floor. The reason to
wait
are
twofold: If you had spread crumbles in the litter initially, they would
have disappeared quickly to the floor underneath it. And if you leave the newspaper there after the second day, the chicks begin to lose their footing, and those t1s51 susceptible to 1eg problems may begin to drag themselves rather Cnrcx \(reTEnrn
than walk from here to there. Natural light, of course, is a must, and whatever housing you have cobbled together should have it, at least after the kitchen stage is over. Direct sun on the
screw onto the top (which becomes the bottom when you turn it upside'down)
mayonnaise jar'
Youll
also want
a
floor
vitamin and electrolyte mix that you mix with the water in
tant to newly hatched chicks is extra artficial hght. Chlcks grow better if they
eat during the night for the first z days' and a light helps them to find the feeder and gives them encouragement to go find it in the first place.
tiny amounts. Use it. Unlike antibiotics and hormones' it is not dangerous to you, and it makes growing fast easier on the constitution of your tiny chicks.
At the very beginning, put the water jar within z feet of your lightbulb or
Ifyour
brooder is
it
other heat source so the birds dont have to go too far to find it,
\(ithin
couple
haH hour a day though' or your chickens may panic and pile up goes oirt.
of weeks you will need to move up to one or more r-gallon plastic poultry metal waterers from the same feed store; you'll soon trade this in for one of the
or plastic waterers that comes
ifthe electricity
in
5- and
ro-gallon sizes'
There are various sorts offeeders and waterers available for starting chicks, and you will need to fiave two or three sizes on harrd to accommodate yotrl fast-
heat source. Replace the water every day and never let it run
dry-they cant
drink much at once, but they need to drink often in order to grow and prosper.
Nevcr
rrscr a
.t
rv.','l<s,ttrcl
watefer that the cl-ricks can walk in or sit on top of, because allow<listtirse tlrrlL
,l,,rrl,l,,il
,,1,,.rr,1
rrl,,rtilr .,
rr,,,,'li,;;rl1t'r
llr,rl lirt tlrt'l,t,tt,,l t,,'tt', lri, li:;, \,,,rt tvill ttt't'rl ltr
1,.,',1
will
,,1,,r,'Irr
,r
lz8Fi
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CrrrcKENs
standing on top and defecating into the feed, the trough feeders either have
rolling bar across that top or holes in the top for the chicks to poke their heads
in. The rules for its placement are the same as for the water: no more than 2 feet
so,
that. As the chicks grow, keep the lip ofthe feeder at about the height ofthe
chick's back so they
are
will spill
likely to be heallr and aggressive enough to knock over any of these feeders.
As soon as their necks are long enough to reach over a hanging tube feeder's
Clrrcr< 5l,tnrrR
AN r.l
Coccr Dlos ts
Most commercially produced chick starters include medication to help prevent coccidiosis, the most common ailment afflicting young chickens. It's up to
you whether you want to use this type of feed or find one without medication.
It
depends, in part, on the conditions in your coop, the number of birds you
Coccidia, the protozoa that cause coccidiosis, live in the gut ofevery
chicken from the time they are very small. If they multiply at
the chicks, they dont pose any threat to the birds, which gradually develop
14 weeks'
chickt'tr IiIl,'r',
rrtrtl
r',
-l8oF
RArsrNc
Clrrcxs
*{8r
t+
Seal,
for instance,
se1ls a zz
Cnrr
Chicks need to ingest grit, or sand, in order to digest their feed. Il they were
outside, they would be swallowing sand themselves, but chicken grit is available
at the feed store too
for
few cents
way your kid puts sugar on his cereal and your chicks will get what they need.
6.
VHlr ro Do \VunN
not kept clean and free of manure, the chicks will swallow additional populations of coccidia, overwhelm their infant immune systems) and get sick. Runny manure
post office know you are looking for them. Although at first you may feel odd discussing chickens with your postmaster or -mistress, they have likely had chickens come through the mail before, and they know the drill. If you wait, the post office
ii,'',r,ril,,,r'r,:,;:,::
and general lack of thrift are some of the earlier symptoms. Bloody manure is one of the later symptoms'
If
will call you on the day that they arrive, but I like to be at the
ca11.
you see these signs and havent been using the medicated feed, you should remove the affected birds, introduce medicated feed or water) and try to clean the place up. After about 14 weeks, the birds are old enough to have adapted to
Itisnt
an every-
day occurrence, so treat it with the pomp and circumstance that Chick Arrival
Day deserves.
the local coccidia and are large enough to manage without the drugs'
Chicks are made by nature to live for 48 hours after hatching without food
or water, but it is berter that they drink sooner rather than later. Mter taking thcrn our of tfie box or out of the ir-rcubator, dlp the beak of each chick in tire 11ilt'rirl-l:rr:ccl wurcr.-l'hcy will cht:ep loucily and stnrggle, but most will dtink
a
If you
birds once the weather is already warm, it might be difficult to pfotect them from coccidia without
a
tlr.y irrrtl lIt'ir.wrrtcl iltt(l lilt(.r lrrt. 1<t,pt t lc;rn, ltowt'vt'r, y()tl (:ll) r';rist'chiclts with-
Yott
{rtll l}l('(li(;tlt'tl sl;ttlt't ll ttt;ty l;tltr"irtl)lr lt)r'leitlp' lo litll rrti lr 'r 1't"'lrtt l' lllrtt'
llr,,,;,r1r,.11,;11,,
l8z
lrvrNG
rirrrrr
CrrrcKENS
R.qrsrNc Crrrcxs
i8rF
PrcxrNc
\(hen chicks peck
at one another,
it
it starting than it
is to
than nvice
day-to
stop it once they get going. The most common reasons for it are overcrowding, overheating, and insufficient air replacement. Chicks may begin to pick the toes or feathers of their mates as a result of these stressors, and once there is blood,
it
only gets worse. Chicks can literally peck each other to death. Ifyou have
adjusted for the three big problems above, try throwing them green grass clippings to distract them from the wounds of their neighbors. Clean the wounds o.f the victims, and put bacitracin ointment on them to promote healing. A red
heat lamp
looking at a problem. The first thing to watch for is that each chick drinks
water, and after that, that they are all eating. If your chicks dont eat or drink, they will die-there is no getting around it. Keep an eye out for
a
the toes and other spots that visually attract the pickers. If you have
whit-e
few of the
lightbulb, put some red cellophane in front of melt, stick to the bulb, and burn with
a
it-being
other more common reasons that birds die in addition to coccidiosis: pasting up,
Ruxrs
Prlsrr1"IC UP
Many batches will have
Occasionally the trip across the country in the airplane, or simply the stress of being new in the world, can cause the stool of the chick to be looser than
a
are
that get shoved aside whenever they approach the feeder. They stay small as the rest of the flock grows. As you raise the feeders farther and farther off the floor
it
should be. Instead ofdropping to the floor to be absorbed in the litter, it sticks to the down immediately surrounding the vent. If allowed to persist, the manure on the bird's bum can harden and seal him up so that he will die of an
in order to keep them at the level of the birds' backs, you may make it harder fot
the runts to reach the feed. Farming can be a cruel business at times, and this is one of those times. Take the runts out and give them
a
watching tirem slowly starve to death or die of something else because they
wercrr'f hardy enough to withstand the local pathogens.
If not attributable
to travel, pasting
may be a
sign that the birds are too cold. Pay attention again to
,rr.l.jtrsl
lr,'l,ir,l
11,111,,,1111,1.rrtr
il
i't
llt
lrr',,,tt't,11,,,,,1.
Cr{APTER
FTVE
gf boff
sexes,
a[(
agtt,
aff
cluntrylIt
is usefu[
alike on the;farm and in ffe city back-yard, in the cold Nor{f ond iru
rr
line.lt
ffirdf
tr'
,rff
as a means
gf ,r,.,purr.
tl
-Iours
If you decide
to forgo the complications of incubating eggs or brooding chicks, you can still have a fulfilling relationship with chickens by
buying adults. You'll want laying birds or cocks if you choose this route-there's 1F[l
],
Pullets are sexually mature at r8 to zo weeks whetr they statt to lay eggs. Cockerels are sex{rirlly rn:llurc rtt itbottl 25 w('('l(s.
.)86k
LrvrNG
wrrrr
CHrcr(ENs
BuvrNc
Anurr
CrlTcKENS
i8zF
'"ees
,
,{.-ld
{4"I
lVnnnn ro Loox
You'll need to use your own resources to find grown
a
, s:' iqlt|'
ti 1l.'r'l'
ffi
"
suppliers or warehouses that specialize in adult chickens. Dont despair, howeverl such birds are
surprisingly
easy
fair,
. .,,,if.... $.,1'.1,
part with
free, as it is not unusual for someone with chickens to have some they don't want. A career in
is
too crowded, whether because for now it is too much water to carry or the neck, tail, and wing feathers of the birds show too much sign of pick-
tlt't't'
Ir
()nl ('s
rr.l-lt-lt
tr
[-year-olds in
t88r:
lrvrNG
\rrrrr
CrtTcKENS
There are some risks to finding birds this way, of course. I was told
story
once that undoubtedly has been repeated ovef the millennia in places where rural and urban cultures meet. This particular man got
a
chickens when
hens for a few dollars apiece, assuring him that the birds would pay for themselves by laying eggs for many years to come. Two of them were evidently older
than the buyer realized, however, and died soon after. Although the survivors entertained their keeper for another season or two, only one of them supplied any
eggs
say
flocks and little interest in recovering all oftheir exlernal costs. But in choosing
chicker-rs, as
is
il
ri
,ffi
few things to look for in both hens and roosters. Bright eyes;
smooth, shiny feathers; smooth' clean shanks (legs); and full, bright, waxy-
looking combs. In particular, the legs ofan older bird are rough and hold the
dirt
and manure) whereas the legs of younger birds are smooth, and dirt does
not prevent you from telling that the legs are either yellow or white, depending on the breed. ri l c K1l'i{:: Ir|) R
Fil^ RAS 1]'. L5
L,
Ifyou
are
buying
't'
1'r'l \
(llll
''Ilrlr"llrrr"lrlr(
'r"l
l""l
n:l'
igot:
IrvrNG
\(/rrH
ClrTcKxNS
BuvrNc
Aourr
CsICKENS
ilrF:
under the wings for external parasites-little bugs crawling on their skin. These
are mites, lice, and fleas, and you also
ffi
ii.jli
lookout
ffi
,|:
for loose stools that obviously stick to the feathers of the rump, which
not. First look at the vent of the bird again to see if it is moist
oval-
shaped, which suggests she might have passed an egg recently. The illustra-
hen that is
Next, feel the chickens underbelly where the fluffy feathers are above the vent. If this area is soft and doughy, it is a good sign. On
a
ing
eggs,
tire skin across that area is tight, or feels thick and coarse. Next look
rrt the
rrntl plirrblc on
f
rr
ar-rd
y(){r (;rr)
il two ol lr()l('l-i
tlrr.rrr.
btrnt's, sht'plob:rbly is
( lll lll(
lszk
i---'-"'--*-*-"---"
LrvrNG
wrrH
CrrrcKENs
BuvrNc Aourr
CsrcKENs
igrK
...*---Y*"
PART oF
Wrrnx rrrrs
TrlE
BoDY
,.
r*rra MANy
10
T5
ECCS
TIAVN SEEN
"* I,A[D
HALF
rrs cotoR
oNE-THTRD
rrs cotoR
25 35 75 95
FnoNr or Rren or
sHANKS
SHANKS
160
L75
i *.1-
Tops op r ors
180
Crr.Lnr
Blucrrrxc SrqurNcr
non-layer;
Sr"nacllruc SnQUENcn
Although some breeds of chicken have white skin, most have yellow skin. \7hen
a
hen begins laying, the minerals that produce the yellow pigment on
her legs and in her beak and other areas is diverted to the yolks ofthe eggs, and the color slowly drains from the pigmented parts of her body. This happens in a prescribed order, both when the pigment disappears during the heavy
lrtt,tr,
Arrvrc;E
As you Iot'rl< ovcr urr adult bird someone wants Io sl.ll
y1t11,
dtrr-
irrg the molt or iu the wintcr.Thc trble lbove givcs it rottgh itlcrr of how tt-r:ttry
cggs ir
Ililv('it ( liti(
\,,,1t lr,,rr is
if
lrlrr'ls
t.,r,
1l
hr.c':rt
ilst rrightirr
yorrrt(,11,
rrrlr
ll l1 Jf.1 rrr r
$l
C}gAPTER
SXX
EeedingYout, Chickens
i!
.i'tature, to
,uff
on\ beside
kirdt
T
animals.
ligr
an{ joison,:us
creafures of
tfi, klntl
tt
-Urrsst
ATDRovAN Dt, Concerning Domestic Eow| -Ihat Balhe in the Dust-The Chicken, Male and Eemale, 7598
their
zge
a{
to eat
lot, and
'l,r\
'1g6 k
lrvrNG
\(/rrrr
Crrrc KE Ns
FrrorNc
Youn
CHrcKrNs
-.tr92 V
W'un.l
ro
FnnD
iW
W,t'r'l
swallowing feed
ar-rd
r-rot
tu
( ()Nr Nttti(
(
t.\t
Itttr
l()nlnl('r( i,rll1,
1,1,,,111,,'rl
lt't',lr
lqsF
FrlorNG
Youn
CHTcKENs
:1gg F
mins and trace minerals to avoid developing serious health problems. The
rnost common formulas available are a combination chick starter/grower
ration in medicated and nonmedicated varieties (the pros and cons of medicated starter are discussed in Chapter
In rural
well
as
"grower" and "developer" rations for pullets. The big differences in these formulations is their protein content, because a chicken's protein requirements
decrease after the first few weeks. The starter rations contain the most protein
(from zr percent to 24 percent), and the finisher (r8-zo percent), grower (16-18
percent), and developer (14-16 percent) rations contain progressively less protein.
Commercial feed comes in three forms: mash, crumbles, and pellets. Mash
is simply ground feed. It is not ground to
a
it contains
I
N'v".qL
di{ferent ingredients ofvarying sizes). Crumbles are ground feed that has been
{ '*, , .**et
r, -$
further processed
so
are easier for brand-new chicks to pick up and harder for any bird to spread all
organs.
:'r
over the floor. Pellets are the same ground feed compressed into cylindrical
pieces that only bigger birds can handle. Crumbles work best for the youngest
will
,,
enough to handle pellets, this is the best choice. The birds will waste less
because the pellets dont spill as easily from the feeder.
DlIrlERuNcEs
A*loNc
RA't toNs
ir':rins trroslly t orrr, o;rls, rrrtl '"vht'rtl s:rtisly thc crrrbohydrltc rcquite[,,ttllly li't'tl.'l'ht'lrtrrlt'itr
Pot'
nrt'rrl ;rrrtl rrr;rlit,rrlr tlr, l'ulli ol irry ( llr)nl('r'( rlrl lrorr ol r lrr, li,'t, l,
lrro(r'il
,,l
llr,'l;ttt',t':;l l,,tt l ol
FrrnrNG
;tr
Youn
CHTcKENs
-X
ror
F:
roo
[i-
LrvrNG
!rtrrr
CHTcKENs
the ratior-r, protein is the most expensive part, and the various rations are usually discussed
well.
ration has much more calcium than feeds for other chickens.
Krlprr.rc l.'lln
Feed does not keep indefinitely. I would suggest that you buy supplies for a couple
of
weeks or a couple of
months-no longer, or
*s.
$r
will
used to
a
keep feed in
so
lid
l
A
access to all the protein,
g
carbo.: .. :;::,
galvanized metal can wlth a lid and a bungee cord (or other mechanism to keep the 1id on) will both keep the feed fresh and keep unwanted creatures out
ofit.
hcy rrcecl.
-l'hat
rlt' vlrious
wilys lo supltlr.'urcut ol l.ljust their diet in order to cut your feed cost, r)l()r'('(.irsily ;rv:rilrrhlt' lhrrn r't,nrtncrt-i:tl rtliotrs, or sin-rply givi'
111,'111
rrs,, l,'t.,ls
llrrl lrrt
tt',,tr'
'ut,l,'111.1s
r,rliorr ,rr,.rrl,rl,l,'10 r'r,ttt l,ttrl',.t1 ,tll ltttr,'; lr{'( lll l(' il lllr,rt,rlil('('', llr,rl llt,'1, lt:rl'r'
;t roz
F:
Lrvrlrc
\vrrrr
CgrcKENs
FrrorNG
Youn
CHTcKxNS
irolF
,t,
"t' .,
n
c o
nf'i
d ch i ck
en s
-fi
the
ir own lood,-for
the
be
be-free.
in
cages. eggs
Ir
does
filt)
lal
n'tlre f'
I
thdt they cryoy las,ing them rnuch mlre , thqt thcl better
eggs,
tasicr'kctPi,,S'Pf
::,.,.,.
,i,,.
:1,
,,, :.
...:..
FC:A.f"Cg
kitcl-ren: vegetable peels and ends, meat scraps, stale bread, the milk at the botrorn o[ the cereal bowl, wilted lettuce, overripe fruit, anything your child
.,..:
t.
and
iv,rs r.cgtrlurly fed to chickens in the days when their keepers usually also had
trrill<. r'ows ()r llolrls.
At
lrit'It'n
lrrlrnirrrg
i-ris
clropped fnrit, flowers, rrn,l ulnrtrst rrnylhitre tht'y f-irrtl irr {ltt'ti,tttpost pilt'rvill
r;\':rl('nl. All 1,,,,,1 rvrrstt. irr tll(' llolrs('rr,()('s l() lht't'hit-lit'tt c()()p ott lr citrily basis.The
s('l\/('ir t ltit lit'tt. Il llrt'V,rrt'i otllittr'tl lll(l (,lll'l ,t,ll,1,, rr', ll rl 1','tl (,llr l,llvl,l, llr, trr rvrtlr trl'1,
1r,{
l,tr,l,',l,rrr'l (.,tt r'\'r'tyllrrtrl, ltlrr'\,\\,()tr't r',tl r iltrt:; lrrrit, li,r iltsl;tllr't'), lltlt r.vhtrl tht'y tl,)trl
r.,rt
!,rlr" L'll"
I', 1,.,, Lrt, l,,.,l.rrr,l Ir.rrrr1,l,,l rttrlrl rl t, l,,rrl ol llrt llll('l ttlt{l{'llorrl tlt,tl
+l
ro4 [i
Crrrc
K-E NS
i
.
..,,r{ ...\
lr,
n ""\*
.hl
"$'
i:.
,]
*,:.'.
llllNi
,\,iliJ
.tlt':l\'
r,,l
will be next
year's garden
i{i}iml
i'w
\t.r
"\*i '\.1
'
spoiled, which could make them sick, as well as the onior-rs and garlic, which can
pass
allowed to forage for themselves, but I would venture to say that it makes for happier chickens. It is also true that judging the relative happiness of
a
chicken is not
as
scientific an endeavor
as
it
makes the chickens happier or not, you may well be happier watching your
hens scratch in the lawn, under the hedge, in the leaves, or wherever they can get to (short of the garden) than you would be if you only see them when you
go out to the coop to dump a little more feed ir-r their trough or break the ice
nlr
In chicken terms, grit is
sma1l sharp-edged stones or pieces of
sar-rd
stone-ranging
a
chicken swal-
lows to aid its digestion. The grit stays in the gizzard, which is
large muscular
pouch just above the intestine that grinds the grit together with the chicken's food. "scarce as hen's teeth" is how the saying goes, because chickens don't have teeth at all. they rely instead on the gizzard and grit. Chickens that only eat com mercially prepared rations do not absolutely need grit because the feed has
already been ground. Chickens that are fed any whole or cracked grains have to have grit available to them to do the grinding. \7hen left to their own devices
ti..
;.'
,..,
''.
,.t
i'
,.1:{\l1r''. -.
' '.. {ri. .i. ; ''
,,
|.
,* ln - , r'\i
l
.)i'..i.,'.:..1
*-$'
i.,.., i\
',
If kept in
cot-rlt
(l
mw*
1t" {l
ottl ol tcrti
. r ,.1
,t
I,
1}.,
l tL
'.t
,l
t\
l'
aa
"f.
;J
ro6 f:
Lrvrsc
wrru CrrrcKENs
IrrnrNG
Youn
CHrcKrNs
lrozF
"W
ilL.:
.tq-cill.r
's 5e{ir.rlu
Pearson's square is a method you can use to make simple adjustments to the pro-
tein cor-rtent of your main ration. In the example below, for instance, the aim is
qu.
.Sh'
'....'
i,.r
:'l ]1]
'e
.s *.
i$&f
,M .'w'
protein should be combined with how many oats) which are r2 percent protein,
iFyotr want to end up with r "developer" rrlion containing r5 percent protein
of the square.
;W,w')-,
:1,
will mix,
cl-rick
starter on the top and oats on the bottom. You can find the
PEARSON S SQUART
protein content ofoats and other feeds can be irad from the closest extensior-r
L-ls r
"'-c ll't
l !u lt]5
\X/ith some experience and practiced observation, you can eventually begin to
adjust the protein level in the ration yourselfin order to cut costs and use grrins
()r'rce the numbers are in place, you can forget the percentage signs and
and other animal feeds that are available to you. I have buys
fec'ds
a
friend r'vith
a cor'v r'r'hc,
sirrrlrly c:rlculrr(c thc tlilfcrences between each of the numbers on the left with
petcent fbf
is
l'r
lir'llirlr
,,,,,,,1 ',r,
I,.rl,i rlr(li;l,lt(.t
llr,.,lillr.rr.rr,r'lrr.lrvcclt
r\lrrtl
.,l,,,,, lrrl rl , \\('r llr rl l,, lrttrr ! lr'r', 1 lr, tt c rllt.tl 1,, 1,., "rr lr.rrr'l
lro8F
Lrvruc
\7rru
ClrTcKENS
Fr.nnrNG
Youn
CHrcKnNs
irogK
Fo s r,l {t{.A
lr
a
1ab-
*..t q
L!rS"
{i .j
#r,;;-r"tr:;'
i:'n kt
,i
see
r$rlp.{.i]tlLl{:hif-l|el}s.h1 Ll l.
g
Irrlrrl, \l r1q
]l
111
1,r
ivill food in their feeder at all times and take it when they want it. The birds lht' mofe feed than they should, however, if yoLr clon't let thctll t'rrl rtll
waste
lteecl z
pounds
food in thc fccdcr bclirrc rrrltling nr()r(', itl l('ilsl ()lr( (' ilr
rr
P;rr
,',' 111;ll,lc
r;'
l"'"ttt';t
llr( \/;ll('1r'l()\\r
1ro11t1115,',t,
ttctliltlrotltooil,'l
$ 1,,.,,,,
FlrorNG
Your- Cr{rcKENS
*l
rrr
F."
Start chicks
only
few days old it will take him what seems like forever to go through
pound offeed. Your first 5o-pound sack will last for the first couple ofweeks.
Rest assured, their appetites grow as fast as they do.
Ifit
you can give them access to the outside, open the door for them when they are
about z weeks old during the warmest part of the day. Meat birds are not as
interested as other chickens are in eating grass and bugs, but they will relish
If a finishing ration
are used to
finisher over the course of a week. A finishing ration contains more carbohydrate than the starter ration. This allows the bird to put on
as
a
If finisher
mix in cracked corn or other "scratch" feed, which is easier to find than finisher.
This has the similar effect of cutting the protein content and increasing the carbohydrate content ofthe feed. Add the corn until it is one-quarter or one-third of the total feed ration.
I't,t,ntNc
LavEiLs
once they are full grown and laying eggs, the amount an adult laying hen eats
varies witi-r its age and size, the air temperature, and the number of eggs it is lay-
fll
[);uI lir;r!rtrr:r lllrt 11i,t:, ,,,lrlrl,,,l rr,rllt ir,l .lrttr' \l;rvtr;rrrl.r l,.rnl.rrrl \l,ryrr,rr,l ,.r,rl lr, r 1l lrrrrl', ,l' r,,1. .rl',',rt tl,r,, r'.rll,", ,rl rr rlr r ,1,\ '" l',' l, 1,,1' rl,,,r, l'1'l'.rr,,l ,,',1 rl',', ir'r",'r i
cltrrXrro';iir:r r\
r
ing, but
rough average is
quarter pound
t'l l;ryr'r'pt'llt'ts
t 5.,,,,.
;\ l'tt
:)
ttzk
LrvrNG
\rrrrl
CrrrcKENs
FrrorNG
Youn
CHTcKENS
{rrtF
for your pullets by mixing oats-which are much more commonly available
than the various pullet ration5-fn1e the chick starter. This is the example
we used to illustrate the workings of Pearson's square. Don't add the oats
to ten parts starter ration, and increase the proportion one part at
every day until the feed is about one-third oats.
time
Carcrul.r
Eggshells are made from calcium, which comes from the hens diet. Although
has
depending on their age, the weather, and the season. You will therefore want to provide a source of additional calcium for your laying flock. I suggest using pulverized oyster shell, available in most feed stores, for this purpose. Ifyou prefer
not to buy the small feeder that can dispense the ground shells, put some in
small bowl or in
a
pile on one side of the feeder for the birds to take if they want
as
Ifyou
lrjljll:'{lrj ! i!
nition. Feeding eggshells that look and taste too much like eggshells might
encourage the hens to eat their own eggs.
i i,, r,-,
r.ir,rr'
If you can
I r,r,uruc
Boln
LavERS ANo
lv{tal Brnos
" i'',:,lr-.,;'-
it after 6
Here is a typical scenario for the backyard operation starting twenty-five chicks that will be half layer hens and half meat birds. Feed them all chick starter Iogr:thcr. Irrtroclucc sonre cracl<ed corn or oats after 5 or 6 weeks, and
kill the
nrt.lt biltls wht'n llrt'y ln'l'l to ro wccl<s olcl. Over the next couple of weeks,
rrtltl r,;rts lo llrt'lrrrllcts'1,...,1 trrrtil
l['tlilrt
il
is
ort' lhiltl
rrr,l l,ry,.t t;tlion, rlotr't \vol t y Y('lr ( iltl llllrvi(l(' l)('l lt'(
lly
i r14F
Gnnss Frrnruc
Lrvrlrc
wrrrr
CrlrcKENs
FrrnrNG
Youn
CHTcKENs
$rrsh
a fenced-in Although many people let their chickens run in the yard or in
it by keepchicken fun, you can use pasture more efficiently and even improve every day ing your chickens in a confined space on the grass and moving them
but your or every few days. You will still need to feed a balanced feed ration,
v-
-"$
2'
yir
a\"
birdswilleatlessofitifthegrassisyoungandtender'thewaytheylikeit.As
their manure you move them from one patch to the next on a regular basis,
be distributed evenly over ti-re ground in amounts that
will
\.dis:
grass
be enough to aerMovresrE pnN FoR rNTENsrvr poulrRy cRAZrNc ProNrERrD ev Iorr SararrN.
but not enough to dig the plants up and kil1 them off'
ex?anses where herding types of animals traveled in closely bunched groups for
safety. Crowded together, they ate all the
It
inside
enclosed paddock made with portable electric fencing to keep the birds
then moved on to another area, leaving the eaten plants to grow back. By'mobstocking" one small patch at
a
elecin a large area surrounding the coop. The portable fencing is lightweight posts that are easily troplastic strands or webblng. The wire is hung on fiberglass (see ti-re Appendix for pulled up or pushed into the ground with your hands
gets the competitive advantage over the weeds, and the pasture only gets better and better.
from predators at soufces of fencing). The coop provides shade by day and safety
night.Ifyouhavelayers,theycanhavetheirnestingboxesinthere'too'Move
to look weary and the fence and coop every few days when the paddock begins
bare spots begin to show.
FnBnrNe neurpMnNT
Cirickens are well equipped to feed themselves, but chicken farmers like to
l-rave a
place to put the feed so it is not spilled and lost. Feed represents the
birds confined in
limited
method is
brrlk of the cost of keeping the birds: about 6o to Zo percent. Most of us rely
orr sirnplc trougl.rs, cither on the gr:ound or hangir-rg from the ceiling by
grass down generally used for meat birds, In the space of z4 hours, they eat the
with insects they close to ti-re groUr-rd, and they supplemer-rt their protein ir.rtake
is
yoLt can
pto-
wly to flrrtl ilr tht'gtrtss. Yott llrtlsl lrl()v(' lhis lrsst'rnbly c'rt li tl'ty' btrt this is thc
( sl)('( i('s ('\/()l\/('(l itr lltr'1it'lllrl t,t,l llrr,lt).,1 {rltl 1l llri'l:rt:;ltttr'ot l;trvtt ll;l:l:l;t:l il
lrrli,', r'r't't'li,
FprnrNG
Youn
CtlTcKENS
drrzk
d 116F
LrvrNc
!rrrll
CrrrcKENs
Tusl
Tr-oucu Fslonr'
FErorR.
Taorrcn Fnr:olas
Thetroughfeederisthemostcommontype,andtherearevariousstylesavail. or roosting to prevent the chickens from stepping in
able. Each is designed
chicks as soon as the chick is Both trough and tube feeders can be used with
as
tallasthelipofthefeeder.Keepthetopoftheliproughlyattheheightofthe
birds,backs.Thechickenswillspilllessiftheyarenotreachingdownlowto
scoop up each mouthful of feed'
overthefeedandsoilingitwiththeirmanure.Eachismadetoadiusthigheras
thebirdsgfoqsomesuspendedwithchains,otherswithadjustablelegs.Some fill them into them to allow the birds to sit and eat' Dont
have roosts
built
spill as much much more than half full' or the birds will
as
they eat'
ofthekeeperaswellastheclimatethatkeeperlivesin.Carryingwateris
Tust FrlPtns
Asfarasl,mconcerned,noneofthetroughfeedersareasusefulasthehanging tube'styiefeeders.First'tubefeedersareeasytoadjustinheightastlrebirds glowastheyaresusper-rdedbyasinglechainandanS-irook.Becausethey
notdifficultifyourflockissmallandyoursourceisnotfar.Keepinmind
twice daily to once that you need to sctub the waterer anywhere from it and how hot the weekly, depending on how many birds are dirtying
wcafhelis.ll-lrereareanttmberofdifferer-rttypesofwatercontainers,or
l,{/it
l('r{'rJ, lo c hotlst' {i'tlltr' s(or(' ilrc tnlrclc of n-retlrl lorrvt.rrliorr;rl t lticl<,.tr will('11'ls ;1v;1il;1[rlt' :rt f hc Ii't'tl ;tlttl to 1i:rll"tl sizt's"l'ltt' tttt'lltl otlt's l,l;ltlir ,lll(l ( olll(' itr rltt;tt l, 1i;rllolt, ;tllrl \
(
opcrateoll(.h0first-ilr,firsl-otttit.rventorymethod.-wlriclrirrthiscascnreans 1'r'r'lrr tht'lop arrd hir'ltt'trs li't'tl {ittlrr lll('b{)llt)lrr rlt'w li't'tl is iltltlt'tl
thrrl tlrt't
Icr.rI rrIt ||tr lrrrttrrttr i\ gl)l)(.' r'vill.,rrly l)r (.itlilt,lltt.t .rll. (|t ll!(t!l'.,1 lltc.,l.let
d{e"
rr
r18
!*
Lrvruc
Nrrrrr
CllTcKENS
FrsorNG
Youn
CHTcKENS
i rrg [:
from directly. This is a luxury item-automatic waterers will save the chickens
the discomfort of
a
waterer gone dry on a hot day and prevent them from going
thirsty on mornings when their water is frozen solid and you are sleeping in. In addition to all ofthis, it will save you from having to ask
a
neighbor to carry
water and break ice out of the waterer if you go out of town.
with
new container of fresh water and swap it out with the frozen one,
a
in a corner of the basement. Before I replaced rubber and plastic bowls with
regular poultry waterer, I had a certain amount of success carrying two gallon
\fi/arr
plastic milk jugs full of hot tap water to the coop. I poured one gallon on the back of the bowl, warming it enough to pop the ice out, and the other gallon to
will probably
last longer, as the plastic ones tend to get brittle and develop
refi11.
care. Choose
your size
one of my neighbors, after years of breaking out ice, decided that his bantams could get all their water in the winter from eating snow. A more conven-
drink
at once, no matter
tional method is to keep an electrical warming device (made expressly for the
pufpose and available at the feed store) under the chickens'waterer. I have also
seen a similar device made at home from a ceramic light socket attached to the
mesh stapled to the top of it; the chickens can hop up onto the mesh to drink.
at a
chickens
inside of the lid of an empty glass peanut butter jar such that
was
4o-watt lightbulb
lit inside
the jar. The jar was put in the space inside a cinder block laid on
a day,
automatic water-
its side. The warerer was ser on the cinder block, and the ligirtbulb underneath
l<cpr rhe
the Internet. If you live in a cold climate, bury a pipe below the frost litre
have
tl-re
way in.
cttp with
l vrlve
irr it lltlrl lcls pt6rt.wlrlt,r'i1q,1,,'r, llt,. l,'r,,'l irr lltt.r'1p ll('ls l()() lou,. Altolltt't is.t
rrilrIlr'11,,11,,1,,t, rVlti, lr
CX{Ag}'FHR
Hens and Eggs dd
$K\TK,
r,Llr ri
,x
trs
.l
l,.'.1
.
he
qwe
stian ( af whiifr'
''.!
ittiin
x*:.
:tif
.rf
aftlre
wt{i
"i:
tri,
stages
in a, c;,;le
"".
,,,
L'i,:t:q '1r,1;|$
.1:
1,reftres
.'l{;c
tht
gtrn'tlinc,
is ftte
ttt sotnL'-firttt st
t{l^
-tf,*:c-e. I
(
arr
f$tn
; r a s ra p i
al $, s *t
tf" h
-Ctlaxrss
Deul i.L Ar{D liacl Stvll'r'n, 'l lrc chirhcr Booh, 1 975
Young pullets begin laying at r 8 to zo weeks of age an d after a somewhat slow start
sirould lay continually until they molt (lose their feathers)
lirr thc [irst time about a year later. No chicken will lay as many
st,t orrtl
eggs
in her
y('llr
irs
in [c'r first, and although solxe may continue to lay slowly and
\ '\
slcldily lor 5 to ro
r'j'
ye
will probably
ai
("rt rlr()r'(' ll,,rt, ll,cy ill-(' worth in eqgs alter the first
r
lrrl,lc ll
1,1';11';
11,t
h
11
I 1r, ,.1,,,1..
$-
11.,r
rzzk
lrvrNG
\(/rrrr
Culcr{ENs
{ rzr
!+
the chicken soup known across cultures and generations to cure colds and
other ailments.
Btlst olrsc
lerlnne
Lllssnn
Cr-rAlAZA
.....,
condition, what she has been eating, and the season (light plays
critical role).
YOIK IAYERS
As explained in Chapter 3, a typical cycle calls for a hen to lay an egg about an
hour later each day, until the laying time starts to run into the evening hours.
The hen wont lay in the dark, so at this point she will rest overnight. Unless you
are
AN EGG
in something
less than
the "darker" months of fall and winter. Every female chicken is born with two ovaries, but because of the room an
egg requires, the right ovary stops developing when the hen is yourlg. The left ovary, made up of a cluster of follicles, contains the primordial germ cells that
thick part of the albumirr is twisted at each end like the wrapper on a piece of
candy. This process takes about 3 hours. The next section is called the isthmus,
where the shell membranes (two of them) are added. These are the tough rubbery membranes rhar keep the shell stuck rogerher when you peel
a
produce eggs.
These cells appear as a cluster ofspheres each independently attached to slerrder stalk. Imagine them like grapes or berries on a stalk, most very small, some growing slowly, and perhaps a half dozen of different sizes all ballooning
at great
boiled egg
or crack
fresh one into the frying pan. rilzhen the airspace forms at the large
a
end of the egg, it will form between these two layers. It takes
an hour for these membranes to be added and for the egg to move on to rhe Llterus' or shell gland. As rhe name implies, this is where the shell is applied
clip before they pop out oftheir follicle casing and head down the
oviduct in what is called ovulation. That ballooning happens as the yolk material is accumulated in layers, almost all of it in the week before ovulation.
The oviduct is a long passageway coiled in the body of the hen that includes several distinct sections, each with its own role in the formrtior-r of the
around the shell membranes over the course ofthe next 20 hours or
so.
There
the egg waits, once completed, until the hormone secretion and muscle conrractiorrs cornllrcrrcc that push it oLlt iltto the nest.
l-ren also
helps pro-
lr:rp1-rcns
ilrti'r-til-
tlr,'slr,'ll,rn,l
iz:tliottisl()o((lrl.'l'ltr','1,q1111isirrllrrirrlirrr,lilrulrrtrrlorrrrrll,rrlrorrl r\t)rinltl('s
I'r'l.tl rl tnl\'(", ln
1,,
i.llt'l:ti'llr,ltl,,,'l)t,l)t'lllr';,ttr(,ll)('rrlt'lt'rrr'trllolr:rrllti:tllr:tlrvtrtrlrlt'trlcr. lll,'rl,lr
t1,, 1,,'r,', lr tlrr.,,l,, ll,,tr,,l rt
1,,.11,,,1,,.,.1,111,,1,,1111,.,,,
HrNs
eNo Eccs
rz'k
There is no reaAs a hen gets older, the shells on her eggs can be wrinkled.
son not to eat
often happens Sometimes you will find eggs with bloody shells' This most
in pullets laying their first few eggs before they are quite
is not a problem.
In most
cases,
it
It
well
sur-
'\'\;
"t\
\\$,0
just no shell' This is prisingly complete with yolk, white, and shell membrane' nothing to worry about if it doesnt happen often'
:t tt;
\rl
THn Roosrnn
is occasionally You dont need to have a rooster in order to have eggs. This
a
(and the matter of confusion to those unfamiliar with the ways of chickens
li i*L..,,',;r
r'
'
those eggs. world). You need a roosrer ifyou hope to have chicks hatch from
eggs are more There are those who prefer to eat fertile eggs, feeling that these
$,
that'Othersbelieveaneggwithalivingembryoinit'barelyifatallvisibleto of taste-not the human eye, detracts from its appeal as food. This is a matter
of the
Coxrnor,rrNc LrcllT
Hens need light to produce eggs. Light stimulates the
ln the height of
rz6 [i
LrvrlrG
wrrrr
CrrrcKENs
Hrxs
.qr.rn Eccs
-)
rz7
drops to 14 in a day-as
does in most parts of the
it
United
States
from
September or october
through April or
May-a
hen
Commercial egg producers often use artificial light to support egg production and
tion,
pended about
feet offthe
small
rr
'
lr,rr','11,,', lt,,ir
,r,lilr'r 0lrlrllr,rllirtr),
r',tl ttt, tr
tl t',
lrr
;rsitr1,, I11,'
-N
rz8
drzgk
sunrise in order to extend the chicken's productive day at the beginning rather
than at the end. tf the lights go out all of a sudden in the evening while they are
busy eating or pecking, they may panic, and they
will
at the right
day,
go into a molt (more on this later in the chapter) and stop laying altogether.
It
will probably
come on as darkness comes progressively sooner, until the winter solstice on December zr and progressively later after.
SronrNc Eccs
If
eggs are collected
a
if they
are
kept in
cool moist place at about 7 5 percent humidity, they can last for up to 4
'll
months. Your refrigerator is much drier than this, which is the reason eggs
will
rrn Mor,r
The feathers on
a
5 weeks
chicken, like
from losing moisture. Keeping the eggs clean is the main reason to collect them
often. \(ashing eggs reduces their shelf life to perhaps a month because
removes the bloom, which keeps them from drying out.
it
in what is
cnlled the molt. You may notice your birds looking pretty ragged
rrr
neighbors and coworkers. You can also freeze them to use later. To do this, break the eggs into freezable containers and mix hghtly; add a dash ofsugar or
salt to help maintain the texture when they thaw. Yotr crttr rtlso sepill'iltc the
s()rlr(' point iu the fall, ar-rd although you should make sure they are not being
l,c,'l<c,l or losir.rg tlrcir {clthcrs for othet reasons (see Chapter 9), this is perfectly
rr()l
ol1('s.
rvhi(cs
florl lhc
'llr, trr,,lti:;ol1r.r1litttlrttitttlrotlittl(('1()l:tyilrglt,'rts.llcoillt'itlcswitlrthc
lilrrr'rrl
1,r'.rt
llll!t, |lur))nly.
l'1y1111'
{'1'}l';
illl(l
tt':,1
-'l
r3o
LrvrNG
\x/rrrr CHrcKrNs
Hr.us
avn Eccs
*{
13r
the hens.
can
be extended.
Iike adding artificial light, the forced molt is a way for larger
do in the summer.
The timing and duratiorr of the molt also says something about how pro-
ductive the hen is. Birds that begin to molt earlier without being forced tend to
have longer periods when tl-rey are not laying and therefore lay fewer eggs over
the course of the year. The poorest layers may begin molting in July or August and stop laying for 4 or 5 months. These are the birds to stew when the time
comes for stewing. The best layers tend to begin the molt later and molt more
quickly. Some
period of
few weeks
ir-r
A molting chicken sheds its old feathers and acquires its new ones in
prescribed order: head, neck, body (including the breast, back, ar-td abdomen),
wing, and finally the tail. The ten primary flight feathers that every chicker-r
has at the end
keeper to gauge the length of time of the molt and predict how quickly
it
might be finished. A slow molter loses just one primary at a time. Each of these
feathers takes 5 weeks to grow back, and they are usually shed at z-week intervals. A quick-molting bird
will
every 2 weeks instead of one at a time, and so reduce the total amount of time
:rrtl,:rtir';
-j r:,r,i,ii:'iliL:r
, i.l.:r'.1rr i:
little
as a
as
much
as several
wing, she is
rrr-c
nvo or tlrrcc
tht'srrtre lengtl-r,
is a faster molter.
her-rs at tl-ris
poirrt, hrving
1,,.',',tttst'
CHAPTER
q: * : S:. "li-{ i ]r,
ETGF{T
ha does not know thst the $i'icken is used-fof
,l
i'
,
,S,
Joodl
ffief
it{
ffi
T,:
'{i,1
.l
't.
),"
stf|lled or b2 ffiar
lodrrg.
tf
{
,l
l
-Urrssl
There is dirt and physical labor associated with some aspects of raising chickens. For the
backyard smallholder, the relative unpleasantness is
very limited and should not intimidate anyone with an inclination toward keeping
as
ff
the eggs and meat they provide will more than outweigh most of what might be the less attractive requirements of chicken husbandry.
il
,1
r r r l,
;l rr+
Lrvrwc
wrrrr
CrrrcKENS
BuTcHERTNG
Youn
Mte.r
Btnns
! tl5
f,
should be.
&urcmsnlNc ar tr{ouE
You can process small numbers of birds at home
to r5o, depend-
ing on how much practice you have had and how much help yoll can find. If you have never butchered
birds before, start witl-r five or less. The basic steps are to
kill
the feathers off, pull the guts out, and then put the
carcass
PnnpaI{ATroN
The first step is to withdraw feed, but not water)
from your birds for rz hours before slaughtertypically, that means the night before you butcher.
regular practice in our families, and both the knowledge of the mechanics and the
llrt,t lr,p rrn.l bowels rvill empty out, and there willbe
lr;rvc to rlilt.r-t rrwrry fr-om tire meat during processing.
I
lrr'
rrxl
if
a
try it yoLrrselL
lrt'titrrl,tttsitlt'
rr''ll ,lr
1,
will
need
rt
livitrll
t.rl,l,',,1 ,,r,rrr'liitr,l ,rl u',rr',t lr, rt,lrt tlr,rt ,,ltt 1,,', l,',ttr,',1 rv,'ll. Ilillrt'r t lt'lrlr llorrlrls
rIll
\\'r,rl)l)r'(l
;l r36 ii
C rr r c K-E NS
BurcHERrNc
YouR
Mr^' Brno.
!I37*
x
.,,,iirli
.,ilirr{i}.
leel-n
d$i
thermoureter to
lt
car-r
take
and
!,
.
:ri.$r,
.
rrillli
l \.
.',,lrit'ill
"
"*,ffd . ,t
..\
,
'il:r!i.l
".i\-".
i
li" 'l ' "''"r"]'i
, ri
I rlilf:r''
*4#"
,1.. 'itiriilrl;ii
.,
1s9
'iir
r,
r.r C
way that allows the carcass to bleed out completely. A poorly bled chicken is less appetiz-
rrr, ;rrr(l
,.,r,:r1.r;t
r)r()r'(' srrl)i(.ct
musthangthebirdby
lirllrtrt,r onr',
L",1,'l r",
l','l,l
{rl8K
LrvrNG
\7rrIt
CrrrcKENS
BuTcHERTNG
Youn
Mr,qr
Blnos
{rlgF
LETTIN
nLs
G SO AflEONE E DO IT
Ir vou DoN'T THrNK You cAN HANDLE killing your own birds-or don't want to spend the time learning howyou can often find someone else to help you out, at a cost of g3.oo to $4.oo a bird. ln some places, a local butcher will kill chickens, or there may be a chicken farmet in the area who
In other areas' who will do your processors poultry there are commercial birds while they are doing theirs. In my area, thete is a man who will bring his poultry-processing apparatus' mounted in a trailer, to your door and perform the entite operation on site. You find out about these kinds of people by talking to
dresses neighbors'birds as well as his own.
Krrrrxc CoNr
allows just its head and neck to stick out of the small end' The helps prevent the bruising that can occur when the
others like you who have a few chickens. If there is someone you can take them to, be sure to transport your chickens in wooden crates or cages, five or ten to a crate. If you close them up in a cardboard box without putting a lot of holes in it, or crowd too many into too small': a space, they rnay well suffocate. In large groups in the b.4ck
r'
killing
cone
while it bleeds out. Most methods of killing chickens, including wringing the neck or choppirrg the head off with an axe, sevel the spinal cord and stop the heart immedito pump the iltcly. lr is more effective to cut the jugular vein and allow the heart
one hand, and hloocl ogt of the ci-ricken. To do this, hold the chickens head with
truck they can panic, pile on top of each othet in a corner, and asphyxiate the ones on the bottotn of tliep-ilt!.' ' '
of
a
the wir lr a swilrt firm srroke of the knife, cut into the neck immediately behind
jrrw,
witlr0ur curr
If you
are
rl
[rir',1's hcrrtl
rrrlr, il rvill
Irttr
[,.,.1,1,1,,,,,1
111r111
{r4oF
Sc.q.rornc
LrvrNG
\rrrs
CHrcKxNs
The reason for scalding the chicken is to make it easier to pluck the feathers. You
will
and you
will
range from r25 to r5o degrees F, but in practice, maintaining the correct tempefature is a delicate and critical balance.
skin ripping
as
will
be more difficult to pull, and the amounr of time and effort needed to pluck the
feathers-will
increase dramatically. A
good rule of thumb is to scald at r4o degrees for r minute. Holding onto the bird
by its shanks, dunk it upside down in the water, and whoosh it up and down
bit
to make sure ir gets soaked through to the skin. Pull the bird out and see how
easily a tail feather comes out.
know whether to
put the blrd back in the scald for a few more seconds or not'
Depending on how cold it is in the room or shed or yard where you are
working, the water can cool enough to do you no good after just
dunked. you could purchase or build plete with
a a
but unless you are doing hundreds ofbirds, this is too expensive to be practical.
I keep an extra pot of hot water on a camp stove to heat up the scalding vat. You
can also keep extra water on the kitchen range to carry out
if
necessary.
Prucxrxc
Particularly for the beginning home poultryperson, plucking is the most
time -cot-rsutnir-rg ancl pailrstrl<ir-rg part of
lh,'lrto, !,)r)r'
t'ss. Mosl o{
{r4zF
IrvrNc
\rrrs
CurcKENs
BuTcHERTNG
Youn
Mter
Brnos
{r+ls
m1P'-:*.e;*;*r$-*i\:::*t t
f;"- "-rt-taw----*\ -- -t" --* v J*-rl:'. . ty s\ --*-r r-. li",J ,"'."r-: -*V:r--.
but the final cleaning ofthe pinfeathers, which are the tips ofnew feathers, can
take a few minutes more. Tweezers or needle-nose pliers can help, or you can
to the other. The hock will separate, and you can cut or pull it apart easily. Similarly, if you cut around the neck, you should be able to twist the head
off
machines with rubber ffngers can pick four chickens clean in 15 seconds, but they are not economical for the small home producer-unless you can convince
several of your neighbors to raise their own chickens and go in with you on the
cropbe
wlrich
neck-should
equipment.
it olTat the
Ncxl, tll<r' the oil glarrd out of the back of the tail. You can locate it by its
EvrscERA'rrNc
The first step in preparing to eviscerate the bird is to takc off thc fict rrnd hc:r.l. Cut the feet off
:;rrr,rll
,,il ril:rrrtl rripplc. (ltrt across the tail about an inch below the nipple toward
ll
linr
is rrot lo r-rrl
i1 1q,11,t.llrt'r'
lo:i(
o(,1)
r,ttl llrc
t',1;ttrrl.
lhrottqh lr,,n,', lrtrt tost'1r:r1:rtc llrt'joint. l'lrt'rl is;r lt'trtlor llr:rt lri'ltls llr.rl
\,(rU
f.lr,\\'lrrr'
11,,
il
rtr1l
,Ir)ilt!ltlr,
l,,t,
,lrrrtrr'.lr,l,'.'.1,,1,,r1,rr;,111, rr',,t
tl,l,rr",ttrllr'lr'.llltlrl'1,.rrr Nl.rlir',1(lllll)lolllll)
:tr
r++k
lrvrNG
tirrrrr
CrrrcKxNS
BurcHERrNc
Youn
MrAT
-BtRDS
dt+sP
lfJ,)f
t"
s::
Brltv IncrsroN
the skin and fat iayers in the soft belly ofthe bird above the vent. The cut should be an inch or z in length; it should be vertical if you are going to cut the
your vent, so be careful not to pull the intestine apart and spill manure in
the chicken. Rather, cut all the way around the vent so that it comes free from
as
it
bird with the intestine. Next locate the unmistakably bright green gallbladder, which is the color
maroon of rrotiring else inside the chicken and shows up obviously against the the Iivcr. pir-rch or cut it off the liver, being even more careful with it than with
this point not to cut deeply enough to nick or cut.open the intestines coiled in
the belly. Once you have an opening into the body cavity and can see those intestines, you can tear or cut the opening further until you can fit your hand inside the bird.
Put your hand inside and reach all the way up inside along the
liver inlcsrine, as the bile in it will ruin the meat if it spills. Now you can set the
,rn,l rhc hcrrr in ice water and
i,,r:rvy ()r. lirr
ir
keel-which
right now is the top of the body cavity-to the top where the
esophagrLs and
sl.c[. (]lcrr' it by cuttirrg it open and peeling the thick, yelloq rubbery
'l lr rrrw tlrc lin irrg ,wrry wil h whrtt.t,er gravel and undigested grain is
windpipe come through from the neck. Hook tl-rem with yor-rr fil.rgcr-rtrrd sirrrrltaneorrsly grab the gir,'r,lrt7,which is thc only r-t'rrlly strlitl otgrrrr itr tlrt' l'totly '''rvity
(Iti1,,1,,,1.t1'rrr,t r,,,,ll-l,,rll,r1,l
rri , rll.
'rtrll irr;i,1,'rt.
I.irr,rllv, \,{,ll l)11,;l t(.it( lt llrto tl,,.l,ir,l ;r:;r.r rrnrl lillt'in
ll,'l llt,'ilrtr.tt,l:r';lt,'tll,l
lo lllr' l,,rll,,,rt ilr,r rn,r',', l\l llrt" 1,,rllrl, rl 1 ' rll',trll,rlt,' l" 'l l'l'll"'l'11"'tttlr'"lttr.
i
lurrl,,rrlt
Ilr,.t,,tr,.l'rrrl,,rrr,l',1,!,rrl'\',ttrrl,tlr"rll,r,lrr',1l"l't'li"lll"'l'irtll;rilt:;'
'{
146
LrvrNG
\rrrrr
CrlTcKENS
BuTcHERTNG
Youn
Mt,q.:r Brnos
At+z v
of the ice water, and let them drain for about 20 minutes before bagging them.
as
long
as a year
in the
months.
g
,;'i.,,r.
l-
as
.., .
Nowrinsetheinsideandsubmergeyour
.
as
quickly
as
you can. You should allow 6 to Io hours for this-less for smaller
Fnnnzxnc
your fryers and roasters willbe better preservecl if they agc in thciI ict'vv;tlt't ot
in tfic refr-igcrl(or lcrr,'vcr.' I fi'rv Irotrrs tntrlt' lh:ttr il l;tlit's lt, t ool
1,,, ,,5 lrrnt',:ts I
lilt'ttt
,ttl,l
{lit\':l
l.r'l,,tt'ltt'r'zitrJ',
ll
1,,,,,,,,1,1,.r*lr,.rr llr,.\,
CHAPTER
NINE
gooL
cthry t-
orruf l2
-U,4
will
depend
light, lots of
fresh air, protection from drafts, access to the outside, proper feed, and clean water, your troubles will be minimal. That said, some of your chickens are bound to get sick, and some will die,
to ro percent of its birds each year. The time to worry comes when three or four
clie
in a period ofhours or
days.
for disease (invisible virus and bacteria that invade your chickens' internal systems), parasites
tl
.)
&-
r5o
K'
Trrr
HnArrH
oF Youn
CgrcKENs
;tr
rSr
No matter what its ailmenr, a sick bird should be quickly isolated from the
rest of the flock, either in a separate part of the coop or in a separate hospital coop. This
keep the others from being exposed to whatever is ailing the one. Rodents have been mentioned elsewhere in this book, but they deserve
a
if
particular mention here as they can carry diseases and external parasites. The
most important protection is to keep your coop and its surrounding areas tidy.
Rats are attracted to waste feed and other gar-bage, and they gain easy access
must not eat the meat or eggs from treated birds while they are being given the drugs, or for a petiod of time after they are no
longer being treated, called the withdrawal period. The withdrawal period is the time it takes for the drug residue to leave the bird's
they can hide in tall grass or accumulated debris near the coop. Iffeed disappears too fast from the feeder, or
ifyou
see
surprise one in the flesh at the feeder at dusk, discuss traps or poison with the people atyolx feed store. Follow instructions and be careful with poison.
DrsnA,sns
Most diseases your chickens will get are of the respiratory variety Their symptoms are uncannily like those of the common cold: nasal discharge, sneezing, coughing, and general malaise. Like the spread of a cold, spread of disease is almost always introduced into
a
find out how long that is. There is much concern about drug residues in chicken, but a greater risk to humans is the development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. In large commercial operations, antibiotics are routinely included in chickens' rations not just to fight infection but to enhance their growth. Routine use of antibiotics causes bacteria
system. Read the label to
to develop resistance much more quickly than they would if antibiotic use were more limited. In some cases, the antibiotics used in commercial poultry ptoduction are also used to treat humans or are related to antibiotics used to treat humans. The worry then is that we are creating bacteria in our poultry industry that can cause illness in humans that can't be treated with existing antibiotics. Your intermittent use of antibiotics won't make a big difference in the global situation, but it pays to use them carefully, if at all, even in your own backyard.
some risk from wild birds coming to feed (and defecate) at your chicken's feeder, but more often the risk comes from chickens you bring in from some-
bring
new bird in, it's hard to tell how healthy it really is. You should quarana
are
thcr iIyotr wrlrl l() l',r'tlr,ubly srli'. Sonrt'linrt's tlist.;rscs llrlrl tlolr'l ( ints(.syn)l)
l()l)ls ()l l))tt( l) llilltlilli( 'tr
Ir5zK
Irvrr.rG
\rrrtt
CrrrcKENs
Trrr
HEAITH
oF Youn
CrrtcKENS
irsrF
by sneezing, sniffling, and nasal discharge and can be treated with antibiotics. h{"qRe
x's iJrsuASl-
This causes paralysis, usually in young birds. Hatcheries vaccinate for this
disease' before they ship day-old chicks to you. There is no treatment for this
NrrvcAs:f L ll
IJ
ls l.qs I
bird has it, although
This common and dangerous vital respiratory infection causes sneezing, coughing, and often paralysis. There is no treatment for this once
a a
vaccine does exist. It can also appear as a mild case that is not life-threatening
l rvr
rr
r'1tl
ils Bao
c l{ 1'r rs
This is also a respiratory infection causing sneezing and coughing. It can affect
I
if
a
the reproductive organs ofyoung birds and lowers egg production in layers' There is no treatment' although
a
lNFtc'ttous
Cotr.YZA
This results in watery eyes, foul-smelling nasal discharge, and swollen face and wattles. It can be treated with antibiotics.
Ifyou dont
segregate groups within your coop, you'll have to rely on your own observation,
I rr11r1. Pgv
lrowl pox is a viral disease that causes wart-like efuptions on the chickens skin
rr
Ifyou
do suspect disease, you'll probably want to call call the closest exten-
rrd in its lnouth. It is spread by mosquitoes as well as direct and indirect contact
sion poultry specialist or get advice from the local feed store, where you can als,,
get the necessary medication. Still, there are
a
1';
t'1',1'
I'rorlrrr ttllr,ltll
{ rs+ F"
IrvrNG
\Y/rrrr CnrcKENs
Trrr
HEAlTH
oF Youn
CHTcKENS
irssF
oxide, applying bacitracin ointment, and then wrapping the foot with
a
bandage.
Fa,xEsrrss
Parasites,
F$e",",;:
which can be either internal or external, sound
are.
.F'
I
f
.$d
J
i
l,l
\.
f";
Ir"rrleNer Pan.ruslle
ft:
"l.is .i.
discussed in Chapter 4 because it almost exclusively affects young chicks. Vorms are a dilTerent kind
of
ing in the grass in the yard. Chickens that have roo many
tapeworms or other kinds of worms in their gut may eat
less, lay less, and begin to
closer look if
bird
w
1{
l i-
problem with
::"..
:.-i.. :lr::'}*i;
:
:
r
iat
;: i
-.
;;;'r;
il;t:t
l irilr
lt
:-.
,:ji
Extealrat Fatastrls
Ixternal parasites means mites and lice.
Tl-rese
i ii rii:;,i
{ l{r1!11
il:: ;:'
were mentioned
ir-r
Chapter
because your birds are most likely to acquire tht:m or.r thc botlit's ol rrtlrrlr birtls
,rrr,l s,',r1,s
1,,
ol'yotrt'chickcrrs irr'td lly cggs rt the base of the feathers that hatch in
;rt
brotrght itr
Il
is rrlso possiblt.
{)(
lirl
r';rts rrrrtl
rviltl birrls
t'
1r()11'
:t
li
Y,,tt
slr,'rtl,l
Trrr
HEALTH oF Youn
CrrrcKriNS
{rszK
Mites do not sefile for feathers and dead skin-they literally suck the
blood from the birds and can cause weight loss and a drop
ir-r egg
production.
Some live in the cracks and crevices of the coop and only climb onto the birds
at
chicken to feed there, and a buildup of detritus pushes the scales up and makes painful eventually for the chicken to walk. The general ffeatment is to smother
the mites by covering the legs with petroleum jelly or dipping them (daily or weekly to get rid of
seed oil. Ofterr the
a
it
problem
ar-rd
crawl on the roost to get to the chicken, painting the roost with the oil-kerosene
mixture can help. The dust bath is the best way the chicken has to control mites
,i
and lice herself. Cedar shavings can help keep them away as well, particularly in
the nest of on
a
setting hen, who must spend many hours sitting more or less still
(lnmnrnnr,rslx
Picking is central to what makes
a
chicken
hatched, chicks know how to use their beaks to grab food and ingest it. Perhaps
\lN\: ,\.,di
bccausc their own toes and those of their broodermates look something like
tl
problem at a
rvlr,'tr t lrc bi r-rls rrtr' :rtltrlls, :rlt hotrgh (o('s .ll e no tlrt'
l(rrll'r'l r)l itrl('ri,rl Ilr,'lr,';r,1, \r('tll,iltl(l llr,'lilr',t:ilrtrtntl l'.,',, ,'l rlr, t.rrl,rt, tlr, lrr',1',1'{'t', tlr.ll t,rl\\,lr
(
lri, li,
rr:; rvrll
{rs8F
LrvrlrG
Nrrrrr
Crrrc KENS
Tgl
HEAtTrr
oF Youn
CgrcKENs
'j rsg F
peck on tireir coopmates under certain circumstances, and the results can become bloodily disastrous in a very short time.
patches
of
feathers missing from one or more birds, it may be the molt, or it maY be
ofthings.
The reason for cannibalism can be related to nutrition, particularly insuffi-
as unnecesa
little
weird. And yet, chickens by nature are curious, exceedingly active, and indus-
light hours
pt'r'l<irrg, cxploring, scratcl-ring, digging, dusting, laying, turning eggs, chasing rrrt,tlrs, prrlliug w()rnrs) rr ncl cl-rasing the rototiller, with only a short break now
,rrrrl :r11rrirr t.
1irl
ri 1,liit
rl
1t
111:'ir
i1li,1!i
',
,lrrr,t i,
l..l<
ro by
&!
*) 16o
lrvrNG
tli/rrs
CgrcKENS
THI
HEATTH oF Youn
CrrrcKrNs
d16rF
If this doesnt
a
resolve the problem, you have some othet options. There are
number of devices that attach to a bird's beak. One such device is made to
shield the beak so one bird carit strike another bird with the sharp point.
Another amounts to rose-colored glasses that make any spots of blood harder for the chicken to
see.
chickens skin, and only serves to attract further picking. A simple way of coun-
You can also try one of the many ointments and preparations available in
the feed stores and supply catalogues that (reportedly) taste terrible to chickens.
If
further picking. A drastic measure, but one sure to work, is beak trimming Personally,
think that beak trimming is mutilation by any starrdard; if nothing with trimmed beaks look ridiculous. That
seid,
else, birds
If
you remove tire lower beak, the bird will have nothing to scoop grain up with
To help resolve this, 1et the birds outside as much as possible. This gives them and
will
starve.
prevent cannibalism. It will grow back in about 6 weeks, and you can trim
again if you think it's necessary.
it
particular
hcr
li,ili
tu
CF{APTER
TEN
kee 7'
chi;furt -1n,nLr'
yoursef and notfor your children-bccausc tttc lufgrlws the pledsure afJtnding qil g
4n tlre nesting bax, sti{f warrr.r.
'f
-Trrs.Aurr-ron
For the daily gift of the eggs, fot a fteezet full of unadulterated homegrown roasting
chicken, and for the companionship of these independent
and yet companionable creatures, you are
But as the rewards of right living ripple outwatd, your children are the next
in line to benefit. Small children love to join in with work projects led by a par-
TtI
ent. My kids put almost as many nails into our present coop as I did. They are particu-
it
t,rrtst', is lhc
lt,ts il
highlight. One
li,,'1,,'t I lil,,'rv
Lll
1r
t'
1'
4r64P
Lrvrr.rc
\rrrrr
CtlTcKENs
CrrTTDREN
eNo
CHTcKENs
165 fi
that has learned to listen for the particular cackle, the "song," he
calls it, that the hens sing when
they hy an egg. When visiting, he makes trips every ro minules to the coop to listen and look
it
week.
ducing children to chickensand vice versa. Althougir hardy and self-sufficient, chickens
(particularly your-rg chicks) can suffer stress ifchildren handle them too roughly or make too
rnuch lor-rd noise or move too
,1rrr, (
l,ly i'r , lr;rst' tlrt'trr ot otlrcrrvist' ll('rt( lh('l)r ;ts:rtrythitrg tttht'r (han
fellow
1,.,.,1,,1
ll,,lrlrrlrrr,'l,,r,lltr',,r',r',ln,rl\,1,r1','t'.,r',(olltltrlt,rlrlylititlllt'troo|,
166*
Lrvrxc
\rrrH
CsrcKxNS
CsTTDREN
.4.No CHrcK
ENs
4167ft
and the overcrowding caused a general nervousness ofthe birds that her children picked up on. The coop wasn't
a
it
fortable involving them with butchering, but children will let you know how
killing
and
enough from the killing cone not to get blood spattered on him. The chicken feet in particular fascinated the younger
one, and when he tried to enter the
kitchen with one in each hand to show them ofl his mother made
l',1
a
point of
ushering him back outside again. A frier:rd with two sons felt stl,n11ly cnrrtrqh thrrt thcy shotrlcl l<now where their food comes from that
r.vlr,,rr slrt, lrr';rrtl
.,Ah*p'e;
rrllrgt- l*;11
l{i1xiif5 ilrr.tr;r1r.'tl
;r
si rrlirlrrrt {rr
,r'
, ,.,.. . f
,.
Srrtrrrrlrrl,, slr,.trr,r,l,..r(tl(.1()
:rt
liVily,
I
l,rrt I ilrrrtl, I l,trorl n'l'.rt tlr,,ll,rlt \\'.t',,rllr.t l\tr,,tlt,,r, lrr, lilrr r,rr,,rrry, rrrotlrr.r
i168F
LrvrNc
Nrrrg
CrrrcKENS
CrrrrDREN
eNo CHTcKENS
:tr
169 k
whether one morning we find one on its back in the litter with its legs sticking up, dead for no apparent reason.
She says that these things don't
;r
lrlu.
'
/isnl}.\r"'{ir'$rlii'li.-;.:
li
",1$$i.:;
ff
frotl
., ...dh\
''r,r;r)q
$;r.
the post office and got them watered and fcd in thc'ir crrrclbo:rrtl box in tht'
kitchctr,
lly
r lrcr'1rcrl on(
tt1,1,,,1
lt,tt,,l,,,t,;
il
lrc rvct,'
':1..
..1
,tl{
r*$ir
rw'f:
liSr:"r:'
APPE NDIXES
{$nnrcrnn CllrcKnN SRan$$ SY f;r,lss {wmnnn r}rn sr&x}$ onr6r}rarsr}}
Anrrnrcaru
\Tyandotte Plymouth Rock
I{hode Island Red New Hampshire
i r,tl
"ii
..
MsDTTELTnANEAN
Ar-rcona
Eucrrsrt
Orpington
Cornisl-r
CoxrrNrr{TAl
Houdan
Faverolle
Leghorn
Andalusian
Australorp
Hamburg
Mlal Brnos
Brahma
Cochin Cornish
Orpir-rgtor-r
l'lymouth Rock
Sussex
Orpington
Dominique Holland
Java
s
W
wyandotte
Australorp I(lrotle Island Red
\X/yandotte
Nt'w IJrnrpshire
Ll tresh:r n
langshan
Au
stlalorp
I)olkinu
I r ,'r
x r72
Y:
lrvrNG
\rrru
CHTcKENs
Crrrcrlx
BREEDs
rzlk
Snrscrrn BnnEns
Wru:r-ln FJ.,tanr (nroaE Lti LLY rEalucnrr)
Brahmas
BY IIaRDTNEss
Lr:ss So
Andalusian
Orpingtons
Cochins New Hampshire
Reds
Ieghorn
Minorca Hamburg Buttercup
Naked Neck
Rocks
irc
t'J
rnvous
.t't,a
Cochin
Sllkles
Hamburg
Sebright
Cornish
Dor.kine
(
Buttercup
[,:tl<t'nvt'ltlt'r' l(1r,,,1,
l.
)ll)il)1il(
)lr
1';1,11,,1 1i,',1
l'llrrr,'rrtlr li,',
Itl, rr ILrtrl',lrrr,'
GLCISSA. ITY
i i
i : I
il
B;*il;
B
-'
;;;;ii;.;nk";,;1";;;;;;;;',r'r,h;i;i;
chicken. .
i i
reecHrNc roov
i -, ".- j -.-:... tl , The fading ofyellow coloring from the beak, shanks, i I . rlcir. ,rlaying r hen. : ano yellow-skinned rayttrB of a yeltow-SKlnneu and venl vent oI i I
;
i 'i
i B*ortun i B*uao
i i!t
i Agrorrpofchickensthatsharevariouscharacteristicsl
comb i i including
j n
I Bnooo
i I) I( (J L' U
iri i I I ti Co*otu
I I
hatch.
i i ;*'
tr
it.
i C,q,r'rwrBALrsM TC H Cr,urcH
CI D IOSIS CoccrDrosrs
i i i
I ir,.,rbrt".
*-*--
causing i i A disease caused by a parasitic protozoa causing j dlatrh"r and death in young chicks. *.1
I
-..-.*.""..-..,...."',-.*,
;;;;;,.;; ;; ; IOSTAT
K Coc x
'L.* {
I
l
,-'---*---.-. -.'---. ..j
old.
I ;
Cocx EREr
()l!{!rxriil{
, 1", , 1,,,
{
lAm"lechjcken
ilr
r,
less
thanayearold.
1,, .r,,r1,,'r ,
r?r1
lr,,trr lrir
1,,,r,, rl,,
L,,,,,','1r.rit, Lrl,.ri.,rr,,,,I
r, 1,,,lilr" r,.,,I',
1,,r,!,",r
\r l, lrr.,l,l
'\1,,',',
.1
rrl
11;
4 rgzY:
lrqlF
E\,renvo
fertile egg.
Fexn rcc
An object with the shape, size ar-rd weight of an egg left to encourage hens to lay in
a a
particular place.
Fnvl n
broiler.
Ctzztxn
Cnrr
HpN
in its gizzard.
A female chicken
The
a
Hocx
HvsR.ro
rhe shank.
Knnr
Lrrrr
Biodegradable material sucl-r as pine shavings used on the floor and in nesting boxes to absorb moisture and keep housing clean.
Cotvrs
The fleshy
1ed
MrrE
A type oFexternal crawling parasite. The annual dropping out and regrowing ofa chicken's Feathers.
Cnop
rt the
base
of
Morr
Ovroucr
I),ts lrruc I)ti<;titNr;
() ll. l) lr
I)
I{
its neck, that bulges with feed after the bird has
eaten.
Curr
troublesome bird from the tlock; also, rhe removed chicken itself.
young chick.
'llrt'st,t
hir'lit'rts
Dr snex I)not't'r
r'rrnnibrrIisrl.
Nl,rtrrrr,'
tt r; t
,,
1l :1,
'r ,
;t
) rg+K
lrvrNG
wrru
CgrcKENs
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Prurr.recr
The feathering of the chicken as a whole. The two bones sticking out from either side of the vent.
Aldrovandi on chichens:The omithology of tJlisse Aldrovandi Q6oo) Yolume lr, Booh
Punrc BoNns
XIV, translated from the Latin with introduction, contents, and note by
a
Purrrr
RerroN
year old.
Press, 1963.
Roesrln
Roosr
Damerow, r995.
broiler.
A pole a chicken sleeps on at night, also called
a
perch.
Daniel, Charles and Page Smith, The Chick'en Boolr. Athens, Georgia: The
a
Roosrrn
Scnercrr Snrrr Nc
Snxno
S
A male chicken
cock.
\(illiamson
Publishing, r985.
rr.q,r'r
Company, r95r.
rooster's shanks.
Spun
Srer.roeno
Iee, Andy and Pat Foreman, ChichenTractor:The Permaculture Guide to Happy Hens
andHealthy Soil. Columbus, Pennsylvania: Good Earth Publications, r998.
Srnercsr nuN
Tnr o
Vrmr
The opening at the rear of the chicken where the digestive, urinary, and reproductive tracts errd.
'White River Logsdotr, Gene, The Con.trary Earmer. Jct., Vermont: Chelsea Green
Publisi'ring, r 9ol.
firg5F