The Goodness of the Egg

I love eggs! I've eaten them since I was a toddler. If you're old
enough, you might remember when doctors were on the
"don't eat eggs" bandwagon. They had bad information and
passed on that not-so-wise wisdom to their patients. Back
when we would do anything our doctors told us to do.

My favorite aunt was sure my whole family would be dead
within a year if we continued our wanton ways of eating
eggs. She allowed my poor uncle one egg yolk a week!

Because her doctor said so. Thankfully, we now know better.
We know the egg's healthful goodness. Loaded with protein,
vitamins and minerals, galore. For such a tiny thing, the egg
gives us a knock-out punch of health.

Whether you're keeping chickens in your backyard or
getting them from a chicken keeper, you know you are
blessed to be able to do so.

The last time I bought eggs from the grocery store, I
stood and read the crates until I thought I'd be banned
from the store. Free-range, free-run. Thought I'd lose
my mind. Had to settle on free-run because that was the
best they had. Don't even want to think about how far
those chickens managed to run before they butted into a
neighbor.

When you've tasted a "farm-fresh" egg, it's very hard to
go back to the eggs produced by those poor, caged
chickens who don't have a life. Or good food to live on.

So if you're ready to keep chickens for their eggs or have
been doing it for quite some time, you know there's
nothing like it!

And if it's not possible for you to build a chicken coop
where you live, for goodness sake, find a local chicken
keeper and buy your eggs from them...

Poisonous Plants To Chickens

Our good friends over at http://www.keeping-chickens.com/
have given us permission to include an article they have on
their informative site about the plants that will do harm to
our flock. Hope you enjoy!

Below is a list of plants poisonous to chickens. If you are free-ranging your flock, you probably won't have to worry. This is because hens aren't stupid. If they happen to come across any of these plants, they are likely to keep on going.

However, if you keep your chickens in a backyard coop, they may think it's okay to eat anything you give them. After all, they trust you! With that in mind...

Poisonous Plants To Poultry

Aconite
Bryony
Horseradish
Hemlock
Henbane
Laburnum
Privet
Rhubarb
Yew
Members of the nightshade family, including leaves of the tomato plant and the potato plant.

Since we're not born knowing what these plants may be, I'm going to give you the meanings as well.

Aconite is poisonous plant of the buttercup family, which bears hooded pink or purple flowers. It is native to temperate regions of the northern hemisphere. An extract of such a plant is used as a poison or in medicinal preparations. (there's a double-edged sword)

Bryony is a climbing plant that has greenish-white flowers, red berries, and springlike tendrils. Native to Eurasia, it is the only British member of the gourd family. A climbing plant with broad glossy leaves, poisonous red berries, and black tubers. Native to Europe, it is the only British member of the yam family.

Horseradish is a European plant of the cabbage family, with long docklike leaves, grown for its pungent root. This root, which is scraped or grated as a condiment and often made into a sauce.

Hemlock is a highly poisonous European plant of the parsley family, with a purple-spotted stem, fernlike leaves, small white flowers, and an unpleasant smell. A sedative or poisonous potion is obtained from this plant. Such a potion was said to have been used to poison Socrates.

Henbane is a coarse and poisonous Eurasian plant of the nightshade family, with sticky hairy leaves and an unpleasant smell. A psychoactive drink is prepared from this plant.

Laburnum is a small European tree that has hanging clusters of yellow flowers succeeded by slender pods containing poisonous seeds. The hard timber is sometimes used as an ebony substitute. Native to Central and Southern Europe, laburnums have been widely planted as ornamentals.

Privet is a shrub of the olive family, with small white, heavily scented flowers and poisonous black berries.

Rhubarb is the thick leaf stalks of a cultivated plant of the dock family, which are reddish or green and eaten as a fruit after cooking. Hey, most people love rhubarb. But don't feed it to your chickens!

Yew is a coniferous tree that has red berrylike fruits, and most parts of which are highly poisonous. Yews are linked with folklore and superstition and can live to a great age; the timber is used in cabinetmaking and (formerly) to make longbows.

Leaves of potato and tomato plants...I'll bet you know those by sight!

Raising Chickens: All The Way From Hatch To Scratch

Raising chickens is rewarding in many ways. So let's start at the beginning, shall we?

If you want healthy and friendly chickens, (who doesn't?), it's recommended you buy day-old chicks or if you prefer, hatch them out yourself. All babies are adorable and you'll fall in love with your chicks with their chirps and cute, tiny features.

When hatched, chicks can live for 3 days on their yolk. Then they need water and "chick start" which can be medicated or non-medicated. Place water in a shallow dish with shiny stones or marbles. This is so your chicks will peck at the stones and drink water. But if they fall into the dish, they won't drown.

You'll keep your chicks in brooder boxes. Either purchased or made yourself. Heat is so important for the baby chicks. If they are indoors, a light bulb will be enough. Most choose a 250-watt "red" heat lamp. This keeps the chicks from pecking at each other.

Make sure the brooder is tall enough so the little ones cannot fly out easily. Because in their third week, they'll have the means to fly a remarkable distance. This is why brooders should have wire lids. And you don't want any drafts to give the chicks a chill.

Set the heat at 90 degrees the first week. You can lower the temps by 5 degrees each week for four weeks. This helps them get used to the temperatures in the great outdoors.

Just like you and me, a chick who is comfortable and well-rested is one happy camper. So pay attention to chicken bedding. Caution: Do not use cedar or redwood shavings because these are toxic to them and will cause damage to their respiratory systems. Bad!

Instead, you can use shredded newsprint, straw, pine shavings, walnut shells or specially made chicken bedding materials. Your chicks can be moved to outside chicken coops once they are fully feathered. Keep a heat lamp in a corner of the coop so they can stay warm in cooler weather.

Until your chicks are 4 months old, you will continue feeding them chick feed. Then you can change to layer mash or pellets. Oyster shell and hen scratch can be added to their diet because this will improve the quality of your chickens' egg shell. And more importantly, will help them to have strong bones.

Giving your chicks hen scratch keeps your chickens occupied if they are in a confined run rather than out free ranging. If circumstances require your chickens to be in enclosed chicken runs, be sure to add some hen grit. This is necessary for their gizzard in their digestion process.

Again, just like us, chickens love treats. Garden and table scraps will be appreciated. They also love looking for bugs, ants and worms. Children get a kick out of tossing treats into the hen house and watch the chickens racing for the prize.

By 6 months of age, most breeds will begin laying eggs. Your backyard chicken coop should be enclosed with a door, and chicken nesting boxes should be large enough for a couple of hens. It seems no matter how many chicken nesting boxes are available, those choosy hens always seem to want the same one.

Ventilation is important; make sure the airflow is good through the coop. Again, the bedding in the backyard chicken coop will be your personal choice. Fresh water and food are necessary daily.

By the time you've reached this stage in your "raising chickens" adventure, you've probably named them and delighted in their unique personalities. Now you can look forward to their blessings of quality, fresh eggs!

Keeping Chickens? What Makes A Good Chicken Coop?

Thinking about keeping chickens?

Chickens are easy to care for but they do need a place to live which protects them from the weather and predators. Their overall well-being is important and you'll want them to be safe and happy. Hens also need a safe place to lay their eggs.

The size of your flock will determine how big the coop will be and how much lumber is needed to build the coop. If planning to use recycled materials, do not use wood that's been chemically treated. Since the birds peck at everything, this could harm them.

The coop must have sound structure...

Have 3 to 4 square feet of space per chicken. After taking zoning laws into consideration, find a place on your property that gets enough sunlight and has good drainage. Your coop needs to stay dry. You've heard the saying, "Mad as a wet hen!" Riiight.

Protect your flock by making sure the housing has a solid roof to protect them from the elements. And predators. Racoons are very creative in getting to what they want! Check every angle of the coop to make sure it's secure.

Chicken runs...

This is an enclosed area that gives an area where chickens can move and roam around. Ideally, the run should have 10 square feet of space per chicken. Of course, the bigger the run, the better it is for the chickens. Make sure to cover the run with wire mesh to keep out the nasty predators.

Bedding...

Now for the chicken coop floor. This can be concrete, wood, linoleum or vinyl. For ease of cleaning, choose vinyl or linoleum. The floor should be covered with wood shavings, hay or wood pellets. For a nice smell, use pine wood shavings. DO NOT use cedar because it can be toxic. DO NOT use sawdust because it can cause respiratory problems. You may think hay and straw would be good options, but this material can attract rodents, mites and lice. You don't want this!

The Deep Litter Method is a popular choice of bedding because it also provides compost. To do this, layer 4-8 inches of wood shavings on the floor, which you'll rake everyday to spread evenly. If you throw corn on the floor, your chickens will scratch through the shavings. This helps keep the bedding aerated and even.

After mixing with the chicken manure for six months, the shavings will become compost which you can spread on your lawn or garden for fertilizer. You will only need to clean the hen house once or twice a year with this method. You'll know when it's time by the smell.

Nesting boxes...

In order to lay eggs, your hens need nesting boxes. These should be 15 inches long, 15 inches wide and 12 inches deep. For fillers, use hay or straw. The boxes should be changed once a month to prevent health problems. One box for 4 to 5 hens will be enough. Keep the boxes at a slant. This keeps the birds from roosting on top of each other.

Lighting...

Good lighting is critical. It promotes maximum egg production and in the months when the days are shorter, this becomes very important. Even artificial light helps in laying eggs. Use two 65-watt bulbs for an 8 foot by 10 foot coop.

Guidelines for light:

* 24 hours a day of light for chicks up to seven days old.

* 8-12 hours of light a day for chicks one to six weeks old.

* 12 hours of light a day for chicks 6 to 19 weeks old.

* 12 -16 hours of light a day for chicks 20 weeks and older.

Light also provides warmth for the birds. Use timers to regulate how much light they receive each day.

Insulation and ventilation...

For fresh air and oxygen, your coop requires good ventilation. This also releases the carbon dioxide which if allowed to build up can harm the flock. Drill several holes in the top of the walls to create air passageways. Cover them with mesh. Or you can install windows in the coop. These will keep the birds cool in the summer. In the winter, you must have a good vapor barrier and insulation. The insulation has to be covered so the birds don't peck at it. These two things provide a comfortable environment for your birds to live in.

Feeders and waterers...

Waterers can be placed inside and outside the coop. However, food should be kept strictly inside. This keeps other critters away. Deep feeders are best because there won't be as much waste of the food. If you use a trough feeder, only fill it one-third of the way. Automatic feeders are also available.

If you want to bond with your flock, you can toss feed to them. It takes more time but some people wouldn't have it any other way.

There are many type of waterers. You can also purchase a a heater to prevent freezing so your birds will have available water even when it's frigid.

Roosts...

Chickens have a natural instinct to perch up off the ground, especially at night. They'll sleep shoulder to shoulder on a roosting perch. If they are free-range, they will sleep in a tree. The number of roosts will depend on the size of the flock. Don't arrange roosts on top of each other. Not pleasant for the birds below when the ones above them are going to the bathroom!

Perches or roosts can be ladder style and sloping toward the back of the wall. If perches are across from the nesting boxes, you won't have to walk through the droppings to gather the eggs. As well, don't have perches above waterers or feeders for the same reason. You don't want them contaminated from the droppings.

Perches should be 2 inches in diameter for chickens. One inch for bantams. Wood is more comfortable for the birds than metal and you'll want the edges rounded smooth so they can grip and get a good hold. Have the space between the bars be about one foot apart to give them enough room.

Under the roosts is where the greatest amount of poop will accumulate. A good idea is to have a manure box placed under the perches. They are filled with bedding and covered with moveable screen lids. These can be cleaned once a week or every day if you wish. Again, compost!

With these things in mind, you'll be happy and you'll have happy and healthy feathered friends!

Keeping Chickens: How To Make Sure They Live Stress-Free

One of the most important things in keeping chickens is to look after them properly and help them avoid stress. Why is that?

Stress is a killer. For us and for our feathered friends. Chicken health depends on living as stress-free as possible. Chickens are very sensitive to everything around them. Excess stress can cause serious illness because it lowers the pH in their system. This makes them more prone to disease. Stress hormones also pass to the eggs.

Causes of stress in chickens are much the same as what causes stress in ourselves. Noise is a biggie. Climate change affects them. They don't like to be separated from their own kind. They don't like to be overcrowded. Other animals will upset them. Loud children will have them running for cover.

Steps to take to reduce stress in chicks:

** Make sure their coop is secure and has adequate lighting.

** Make sure they have enough space. No overcrowding!

** Cleanliness of the chicken coop is so important.

** Temperature control. Cool in summer. Warm in winter.

** Have the hens familiar with people. Interact with them everyday. Speak in soothing tones.

** Keep other pets away from the chickens if they are aggressive toward them.

** Make sure the birds have enough food and fresh water available at all times.

** Handle them gently. Never hold them upside down as it frightens them.

** In order to produce fresh eggs, make sure you gather the eggs on a daily basis.

** Provide enough grass for foraging.

** Be sure to provide a roost.

** The most important as far as I'm concerned...Teach children to respect these birds. Nothing makes me angrier than to see kids being cruel and indifferent to any creature. These lessons will go a long way in their lives.

**  Equally crucial is TLC. Give your flock love and attention.

Doing these things will help in keeping chickens stress-free, healthy and happy!