We aim to provide a complete set of information on everything then need to know about keeping, rearing and managing chickens. This site is open to allow you to add your comments – please make comments or add ideas or as questions for others at the bottom of each page.
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Look before you leap!
If you are thinking of keeping chickens, think about the time you have available before you start, this is the single most important aspect to consider as they will certainly take up more time that you expect if you have never kept chickens before.
Although Chickens are less demanding than other types of domestic creatures, they will need fresh water every day, fresh food every day, a cleaned out hen house once a week, vitamins and mineral health checks, clean scratching areas, a dust bath area, and ideally fresh foliage to peck at for interest.
They also ideally need access to soil so they can dig up worms and insects. Also, just like having a pet such as a dog, they cannot be left for days on end with a big bucket of food. They need daily, regular attention. In fact, the best advice I can give you is this; if you know what it is like to own a dog, treat the husbandry of chickens in the same way – with the exception of not
needing to take them for walks!
Keeping chickens is not an expensive thing, once you have built or purchased a decent hen house and run, the rest is really vitamins, supplements, and feed. The amount of eggs easily pays this back providing you have layers!. Chickens can live up to 15 years and can lay for a large part of this, a healthy happy chicken will lay for a lot longer than one that is poorly kept.
Choose your breeds carefully
I have created a guide to types of standard breeds of chickens that are good to keep – and I strongly recommend that, if you are a new comer to this, keep only standard breeds such as the Rhode Island Red or the Silver Sussex or the Marran.
It is a mistake to see a chicken at a market or local dealer and buy it purely on looks, many more exotic looking birds are cross breeds between several types and while ever this provides a greater variety of bird, it is very hard to predict what their behaviour will turn out like. For example, some types of birds are known for being very very loud and will crow all day. This is not desirable if you live in a residential area.
Other types do not resist diseases very well and require much more attention and a greater level of pampering. Other breeds are not good layers. Some breeds may be susceptible to being attacked by other chickens (as they are lower down the hierarchy in chicken terms, you could in fact correctly say “lower down the pecking order!”) and so forth.
When you cross breeds, the results can be very unknown. When I chose my chickens, I wanted to make sure I had birds that laid well, we easily tamed, were strong and not known for being too noisy – in fact the perfect bird in many ways. The main birds that meet these requirements are the good old faithful Rhode Island Red
It is a mistake to think all chickens will get on well together – just like many animals, there is a natural pecking order amongst
different types of breeds.
Whenever there are more than two chickens and no cockerel, one will always try to be the dominant one, in effect, being the cockerel – this can be a noisy and slight violent period amongst the birds especially if you have mixed breeds numbering more than 4. here are some rules:
Rhode Island Reds This is a great birds, very strong, good layers of large brown eggs, easily tamed and very friendly. they actually make a great pet as well as domestic live stock. As will all birds, always have more than one so they do not feel alone.
They get on well with most birds but are very high up the pecking order and so will attack other birds but very few birds will attack them. However, Rhode Island reds do like to scratch – a lot. They will need to have an area like a compost heap or an old border in your garden where they can really get stuck in.
They do not have feathers down their feet so will not look all bedraggled if they get muddy.
Also – they will need some hard areas to scratch so their talons can be kept down. If they are kept only on soft surfaces, they will get longer and potentially cause problems after a few years.
Marans This is a nice, soft feathered bird who lays smaller, often bluish eggs. The eggs vary a lot but generally have some spots and a blue tinge. The shells are usually very hard on these eggs and I think they are one of my favourite eggs – superb for poaching as the whites are very firm!
The downside with this chicken is that the Maran is not very well liked by other chickens. I have no idea why but if you for example have three Rhodies and want a Maran,you must not buy just one, you have to buy two. The reason is this, for the first two months or so the other birds (especially Rhodies) will constantly attack the Marans, pecking at the base of their tail feathers – I had this happen to mine and for two months their birds were constantly bloody by the root of the feathers, it is not right to separate the birds, they simply have to get through this period and bed in.
What you need to do is keep an eye on the birds and provide separate feed and water containers so that they can feed separately – as far as coops is concerned, they just have to work that one out themselves.
After a few weeks, the birds will settle down and they will become a happy family. Keep some antiseptic powder to hand so you can sprinkle this on the bloodied pecked base of the tail feathers. be aware if your birds start pecking each others tail feathers at any time, treat the pens for Red Mites as this can also be the reason why they are pecking each other. The birds will always speck another bird of the Red Mites have infested a bird. They are not as friendly as other birds and are quite hard to train but the eggs make up for this.
As said above, once the birds have bedded in and become friends, all will be well and they will live happily together. The reason why you need two is so that the Marans can support each other and not become too stressed during this bedding in period. Like Rhodies, they do not have feathered feet and so keep clean looking.
This bird is a medium to heavy weight bird. It is what I call a big blousy bird! We had one and called it Marjorie – if she was human she would have baked cakes and knitted! A very nice bird but a little emotional and prone to doing a lot of shouting. Like Rhodies, they do not have feathered feet and so keep clean looking. They can be prone to Bumble Foot if they get stressed.
All in all, this bird is easy enough to look after and gets on well with the other birds, it seems to reasonably high up and does not get attacked.
One word of warning, She will try to become the “cockerel” and therefore make a lot of noise in the morning.
The eggs are smaller than the Rhodies, generally brown and pretty standard. A nice bird that is easily tamed and will willingly be picked up. They do have a habit of getting broody, this makes them great mothers but they can sit on the eggs which will stop others laying. The best thing is to make sure there is more than one egg laying area and to remove eggs every day.
Orpington This bird is big! they can grow to nearly 10lbs (4kgs) and is very fluffy. a flock of these chickens will look like Turkeys they are so large. A very nice bird that comes in several varieties, you can get the Orpington Black, the Porcelain Orpington, the Buff Black Laced Orpington, Buff Orpington and the Multi Penciled Partridge Orpington. (see images below) This type of bird has many fans all around the world and people specialise in breeding and keeping the various strains. They are super friendly, they tend not to fly (due to their weight) so a low level fence is fine. Unlike Rhodies, these birds have lots of fluffy feathers in the abdominal areas and need dry runs or they can get muddy and clogged. This will cause no end of problems for the bird and make life miserable, you need to clean them if they get muddy. They can suffer with broodiness so the advice given above also applies.
One of the best things about Orpington chickens, is that they have a low, soft voice and are ideal if you want a quiet bird.
If you are looking for small chickens, please see the page on Bantams
The best chickens to keep are those that best suit your personal purposes. It really does depend whether you want the chicken to produce meat, eggs or be a good show bird. Some types of chickens are also easier to keep cooped up in a back yard than others. Yet other types make better pets for children or can tolerate more handling by humans.
In terms of being high producers of eggs there are quite a few chickens that can be a good backyard pet. If you like dark brown or light brown eggs then try raising Rhode Island Reds. The Barnevelder chicken or Bantam is also a high producer that usually lays between 180 and 200 eggs a year.
If you like white eggs or legs that have light tinge to them then you might want to consider raising Dorklings. However Dorklings only produce medium sized eggs.
If you are looking for the producer of those exotic dark chocolate brown shelled eggs then it is the eggs of the Maran that you are after.
If you are looking for a chicken that is a good pet then try the Barnevelder. This is also a prized bird on hobby farms because it produces perfect little yellow chicks that stay looking like chicks for weeks. It The fact that they make such cute chicks that grow quite large and strong make them good pets for children as babies like this are not likely to be damaged by handling.
Yet another friendly little chicken that makes a good pet is the Anacona “Italian” breed of chicken which is rounder, lighter and less aggressive than most. The Australian Austrolope was also specifically bred to be a good well mannered pet and in fact Austrolopes are a common backyard pet down under. The absolutely worst chickens you could raise for a pet are the Old English Game Hens which were known as the original cockfighters.
If you are raising a chicken for eating then the Sussex is a good choice as it is a heavier bird with lots of breast meat. It is one of the better of the dual purpose birds to raise is you are looking at animals that can both be used as a good egg layers and as roasters and broilers. Another bird that is a good dual-purpose bird to raise is the Wyandotte which lays a healthy layer of big brown eggs and is also known for its juicy meat.
Another concern might be whether or not the chicken is a hardy breed that can stand cold weather. If this is a consideration fro your then you might want to stick with the more durable breeds like the Rhode Island Red. The Dorking is also one of the most hardy and durable birds in existence. It can live in a colder coop and can bear being penned up in a darker space with a roof. They are good setters and easily become broody (good mothers.)
If you are looking for birds to show off at exhbitions any Bantam style of chicken is a good choice. These miniature versions of larger chickens are really making a splash especially at exhibitions in Canada and the United Kingdom. Another trendy chicken to show are any of the Black or White Orpingtons that hail from Australia.
There is also a retro passion lately for showing off the latest in game chickens including the famous Old English cock fighters and to groom them in the fashion for fighting which included culling the cock’s combs.
The Wyandotte is an interesting breed of chicken that find it origins in the United States. Nobody is quite sure of their lineage and they are an example of a random miracle when it comes to an eating bird. sighted. The first variety of this poultry was reported in the 1860s was of a silver laced variant. They are known for looking very large, luscious and fluffy and appear to have evolved this way on their own.
These chickens are famous for having a deep chest and backside that gives them a particularly rounded and pleasant appearance. However it is exactly such anatomy that makes them such an excellent producer of medium brown eggs as well as juicy, tender and moist to eat.
The Wyandotte is also well known for having waxy looking, thick fleshed bright yellow legs. The bird also boasts a single bright red comb, bright red ear lobes and reddish eyes. They are a good double purpose breed and because they are large they supply plenty of meat especially around the breast.
The Wyandottes are docile and sweet birds that make good mothers. They are a hardy breed and the chicks tend to grow quickly. The Wyandotte is a breed that suits both free range style raising and confinement in a run. The more free range they are the more they will thrive.
This type of chicken will also occasionally go broody. They tend to be quite friendly so make good pets for people. They are also very vocal, uttering soft pleasing sounding clucks that people like.
The hens (females) will lay around 200 eggs a year with an exceptionally productive hen laying around 240 eggs a year. The eggs are usually brown or tinted.
The hens weigh around 6 pounds and the cocks weigh around 8 1/2 pounds. The hens also make great setters. It is sometimes difficult for natural insemination to occur, due to the number and thickness of feathers in the tail area of some of these birds. Another drawback of their particular anatomy due to these feathers is the build up of feces on the rear ends of these birds. The vent area where eggs are dropped from the chicken’s body can be clogged with feces and as a chicken farmer it may be your duty to regularly wash this area so that the vent does not become clogged.
Hobbyists love Wyandottes because they can be such pretty birds as well. They come in a variety of great colors that make them a good choice for fanciers as well as seriousl farmer. Varieties of these types of chickens include White, Blue, Buff, Red, Black, Barred, Partridge and Silver Penciled, Silver, Gold, Blue and Buff Laced.
Treasured Wyandotte varieties include both the Golden laced Wyandotte which is gold with black tipped feathers and the Silver laced Wyandotte which has black tipped feathers laced with gold.
There is also a variety of Wyandotte called the Columbian which often has similar markings to the Light Sussex which is another totally different type of chicken that is very much prized by hobbyists. Another interesting variety is mille fleur Wyandotte is a dark brown color with black crescents with white spots on the tips.
The two most rare colors of Wyandotte’s are the black Wyandotte and the white Wyandotte. The red Wyandotte is not really a red chicken like the Rhode Island Red but is instead a tawny chocolate brown.
The Partridge variety is also worth mentioning here. The partridge variety is a red color that boasts three black stripes, that meeting at the middle of the feather and then going outwards at an angle. However this type of feather is only typical of a female Partridge variety of Wyandottes. The looks like a typical farmyard cock.
See this fantastic book on keeping chickens - a must have for anyone thinking of keeping chickens or already has chickens – Click Here
The best Bantams to keep are probably the ones that are “low maintenance” as Bantams were originally bred to be miniature versions of larger chickens. This means that you want a chicken that can stand the cold, not fly over the fence and also be friendly to people.
In terms of being a people-friendly bird you can’t beat an Astrolope. This Bantam from Down Under is found in many back yards and is known for its pleasant cooing and scratching sounds. It is very good with children and easily picked up.
However although the Astrolope is people friendly it is a little higher maintenance when it comes to being penned. For one thing it can be quite a restless bird and it does better if it is free range. Yet to compensate for that it also has a shorter wingspan that makes it harder to escape a yard so in that sense it is lower maintenance. They are also very hardy and can weather colder conditions well.
The Ancona may be a smallish and very pet friendly bird but it is one of those chickens that can fly. They are not happy kept in confined spaces and make a better free-range animal. One of their main strengths as a farm animal is that they were always able to produce a large number of white eggs in even very cold wintry conditions so in that sense they are very low maintenance.
If handled from a very young age the Ancon can make a good pet for a child. It is also a chicken that makes pleasant noises and is just a cuddly charming bird to have around. In terms of being a calm, well-behaved bird the Ancona is a good choice.
One of the highest maintenance of the Bantams to keep is the Ardenner. The Bantam version of the Ardenner is almost identical to the larger original bird. They are not a very calm bird and like to strut and peck noisily around the cage. It is a very strong breed with long wings and they can fly easily so if you are going to raise them in your backyard make sure you have a tall fence. Just making sure they don’t fly away on you can be a daily challenge.
Another peculiarity of this breed is that they prefer to sleep outside in trees throughout the year. They also fly and peck at humans and like to hide their eggs after they lay them instead of laying them in layers. If you don’t fancy going on an Easter Egg Hunt every day to search for buried eggs then the Ardenner is probably the worst type of bird you could get!
The Barnevelder Bantam is of course the miniature version of the original much flappier and larger Dutch Barnevelder. As attractive as this chicken is because it is really round and fluffy with a broad breast it also has a tendency to become fat and lazy. They are probably the worst type of chickens to keep in a coop. They need to be kept free range so they can be well exercised. If you feed them well and prevent them from getting fat they will produce eggs well right throughout the winter. If you do not want a chicken that requires a lot of observation then you will probably not do that great with these Bantams as their hygienic and active habits need to be constantly and carefully observed or they will not stay healthy.
You can of course breed Bantams for many other reasons as well including for show, for egg production and for eating. Many people breed them for pets. This is why it is a good idea to look carefully at the considerations for care and personality of each breed so that you make a good choice.
Very often, when a chicken is moved to a new location it will develop a cough which is often followed with sneezing. Like us, they suffer from colds and chest problems and the stress of moving can make the susceptible to these
You should make sure that on a regular basis (especially after moving) you add some liquid vitamin supplements to their drinking water. Also your birds will need treatment in their water for Newcastle Disease and Infectious Bronchitis at least once a year – at best twice a year. The following supplier can provide you with this:
A quick note about your chicken’s water supply, you should be changing this very couple of days or every day if you can. They do not like freezing water so in winter, take them some at room temperature, they also cannot handle drinking hot water. Never put any old water with treatment into new water – always start from a fresh batch of water. Also your birds need a lot of water to make eggs, never let them run dry or you will have very unhappy chickens on your hands. The treatment costs about £17 for a double mix covering both ailments.
Over the last few years we have had largely mild winters, this causes Red Mites to survive and thrive. Thus making chickens very susceptible to Red Mite infestations. When it does get cold, Red Mites curl up into a ball, if it stays cold (freezing) then they die, if not then they spring back into live as soon as the temperature rises to spring like conditions, they come back to life and breed. It is the young (5-7 year olds) that cause the most problems with Chickens b but did you know that they also spread to most domestic pets and caged birds? If you have chickens, you MUST do regular treatments to eradicate Red Mites.
So how do you know if your chickens have Red Mite problems? It is actually very easy to tell as you will notice two things, firstly your egg production will start to go down as the chickens need to replace the lost blood taken by the Red Mites (which means less energy to produce eggs) and secondly, the chickens will start to peck each other where they see the infestation on the chickens, usually just at the base of the birds tail feathers. At this point the problem is likely to be causing stress and is getting serious. Keep a close eye out for any pecking behavior and also any bald, bloody patches appearing on your birds.
Red Mite Cure
The most effective cure I have used are Diatoms, they are the calcium shells from millions of tiny crustaceans. Diatoms come in a powder like form (white) – the ones I have had smell slightly of licorice. The way to use them is to sprinkle them all over the floor of your coop. It is important to make sure the coop is cleaned out – and dry. The diatoms don’t work well if damp as the treatment relies on the tiny fragments of shell to pierce the skins of the Red Mites – and thus kill them.
They will continue to work as long as they are in the coop so don’t clean them out once they are in their. Also – sprinkle the perches every week for total treatment.
Where to buy Diatoms. You can get diatoms from many good poultry suppliers – I can recommend Ron who runs WorldWidePoultry, he will send you in the post, the powder and instructions. He does not have a website so below is his contact details
Question by GeeCee: Chickens roosting? I bought 3 today and they have decided to roost in the ditch .?
This is one side of their enclosure. They have not attempted the ramp up to the roost. It is wet and windy now so my question is: Are they safe here.? I am in the middle of a town and access to my garden is practically nil.
Best answer:
Answer by fritya56 a fox will enter into an urban area , put them in , ex battery ? if so then they dont know the rudiments of living .
What do you think? Answer below!
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Salient features, advantages and management of kairali breed of poultry which integrates characteristics of both indigenous and exotic poultry breed in kerala.
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Ami cakaa, amii cakaa… CHIFRONELAAA…. eh glu, eh glu, eglu, eglu, EGLUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU… LOKOS P CARALHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
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Question by HUNNYMONSTA: A farmer puts a new rooster into his chicken coop…?
The new rooster struts over to the old rooster and says, “Okay old timer, you’re outta here.”
The old rooster replies, “I may be old but can’t you just let me have the two old hens over in the corner?”
The young rooster says, “Beat it! You’re washed up and I’m taking over.”
The old rooster says, “I tell you what. I’ll race you around
the farmhouse. Whoever wins gets the exclusive domain over the entire coop.”
The young rooster laughs, “You know you don’t stand a chance, so just to be fair I’ll give you a head start.”
The old rooster takes off running. About 15 seconds later the young rooster takes off running after him. They round the front porch of the farmhouse and the young rooster has closed the gap and is gaining fast. The farmer grabs up his shotgun and blows the young rooster to bits. “Dangit, third gay rooster I bought this month!” he cries.
Moral of the story: Old age and cunning will always overcome youth and stamina.
Best answer:
Answer by SmartA$$ laugh laugh, chuckle, looks like another chicken dinner for that farmer.
Know better? Leave your own answer in the comments!
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There are cats, which are universally characterized as finicky eaters, who orally obsess upon objects such as fabric, string and plastic. They can proceed to suck, chew or ingest these materials as well.
Some animal behaviorists believe kittens that are orphaned or weaned too early were never taught by their mother to stop nursing. Consequently, later in life the cat may pick up where it left off using a synthetic mother-substitute. A little chewing or sucking is absolutely normal for inquisitive kittens, however, it can be a problem when the behavior is repeated over and over again or damaging to the cat and/or household that has been thought to be an obsessive-compulsive disorder. The disorder can occur with any cat breed of any age, but wait; animal researchers now believe there appears to be some genetic components to these behaviors.
Some veterinary behaviorists believe that when it comes to chewing disorders, wool sucking and chewing in Oriental breeds (the Siamese and Burmese Cats) are the number one problem seen for diagnosis and treatment on the behaviorist’s couch.
Kittens are much like human toddlers, therefore, many of their weird chewing or ingestive behaviors can be related to their natural desire to play and put things in their mouths for exploration purposes.
It is the adult cats that suck, chew, or eat strange things who are more likely afflicted with a compulsive disorder. Some veterinary behaviorists theorize these cats may be simply following the saying of, “if it feels good….do it!” Others theorize that the act of chewing releases endorphins in the brain that gives cats a “meow high.” When these cats suck or chew, the happy-hormones are released, and consequently these cats become happy-hormone addicts.
If you are experiencing a cat with a chewing disorder, the experience is certainly a challenge. You may find yourself trying to cat-proof your entire house very much like you would do for young human toddlers. And it may seem, regardless of how good you cat-proof things, the cat still finds something “unusual or abnormal” to chew on or eat.
The most favorite kind of materials for cats seems to be “wool fabric,” especially in the winter season. Fabric chewing cats like the crunch of the fabric. This is especially true of cats fed only soft foods. Behaviorists theorize that cats start this bad habit because they are bored, anxious, stressed or inadvertently rewarded for the behavior.
Tips for owners of cat chewing disorders:
The best preventive for chewing disorders and strange appetites is to provide kittens with proper chew toys and interactive forms of exercise You can teach kittens good habits by praising him or her for good chewing and healthy, desirable behaviors. Nutritional deficiencies are seldom the reason behind chewing and strange appetites
Cat chewing disorders can be a serious health and medical problem. For example, imagine if your cat chewed and swallowed something such as your daughter’s hair crunchy. The cat would probably require a major surgery to remove the foreign object. Eating substances that can cause intestinal blockage are the most dangerous, and can carry a high fatality rate.
Experts recommend:
Stopping the nasty chewing habits before the cat gains a substantial appetite for them and stops being a cat with regular routines of playing, resting and grooming itself
Treatment might include:
Keeping household changes to a minimum Switching “good chew” objects for bad ones Using repellents or other deterrents around taboo areas As a last resort, drug therapy Remove wool or plastic or any other foreign objects for the cat and give them dry food, lettuce or whole baby carrots Provide alternative oral stimulation in the form of rawhide soaked in chicken broth or other dog chew treats Create a cat-tractive window box filled with catnip, grass and other items designed to lure your cat away from the offending items Bored cats can become destructive cats. Provide plenty of places to climb, crept, leap and race, use cat activity centers and the newer interactive toys to engage kittens mind and body Consult with a veterinarian at the earliest signs of a problem as treatment is always easiest in the early stages of any kind of problem
Disclaimer: The information in this article is not meant to diagnose or treat any kind of health problem in your cat. You should always consult with a trusted veterinarian for all health problems.
Source: The Winn Feline Foundation Online
Written by: Connie Limon. I raise the beautiful, emerald green-eyed shaded and chinchilla silver Persian cat from champion and grand champion lines. For more information about us and to be added to our contact list, please visit http://www.fairydewsilverpersian.vpweb.com or http://www.fairydewpersiancats.com
