Ducks paddling the water features

Water features are relaxing and soothing, a treasured place to enjoy peace. Small wetlands can attract wild waterfowl and be an asset to the local wildlife. Your domestic ducks can contribute to the attraction and be beautiful, too.

Mandarin ducks such as these and Wood ducks such as the one below, from Purely Poultry, look as if someone painted them, with distinct brightly colored green, red, brown and white markings. The drakes, at any rate. The hens, like so many waterfowl, have camouflage plumage that is less striking. They happily nest in boxes and will raise a clutch of youngsters for you.

Wood ducks are native to North America, one of the few duck breeds that nest in trees. That first step out of the nest can be a big one for ducklings – jumps as long as 290 feet, without injury, have been documented. They naturally produce two broods in a year. You may attract some wild ones to your pond, or you can acquire domestically raised birds. Trimming the primary flight feathers on one wing will keep them from flying away, although domestic birds may willingly stay in the comfortable surroundings you provide.

Mandarin Ducks are Asian cousins to Wood Ducks. While they are not native to North America, they do well here. Their stunning plumage makes them popular in private collections. While their numbers in China are declining, they are doing well in domestic flocks. Pairs bond for life, making them a symbol of marital love and fidelity, often used to bless Chinese weddings.

Not everyone finds the caruncles of Muscovy ducks attractive, but they are a conversation point. These are Harvey Ussery's. The fleshy growths on their heads are warty and strange. These large ducks, native to the American continents, can be friendly companions. The hens are good mothers and naturally lay quite a few eggs. Crested ducks have feathered knobs on their heads, giving them an eye-catching appearance. Runner ducks are often described as ‘wine bottles with legs.’ With supportive diet, they lay as many eggs as chickens, and come in many colors.

Bantam ducks, weighing less than two pounds, may suit you. Call ducks were originally bred to attract wild ducks by calling them down to the hunter’s blind. They retain their inclination to call, and are vocal and sociable. These belong to Kristine Tanzillo. Ten color varieties of Call Ducks are recognized by the American Bantam Association, but many others are raised by fanciers. East Indies ducks glimmer with greenish iridescence on their black plumage.

 Ducks can be delicately camouflaged or stand out in your landscaping. Some are friendly and make warm companions. What a treat to look out and see such charming living artworks!

Chickens as landscaping decor

Domestic birds have always attracted the eye as well as the palate. Chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys and game birds are naturally pleasant to see, but some breeds are especially beautiful and have been bred specifically as ornamental birds. Eggs and meat are a plus. Poultry can decorate your estate, whether palatial or rustic.

Starting with chickens, consider some of the most decorative breeds to brighten your yard:

Sultan chickens were bred as ornamental birds for Turkish royalty by the 19^th century. These birds are pictured on Cackle Hatchery's site, where they sell them. They are decorative indeed, with full flowing white crests, muffs and beards, long feathers gracing their legs. Their feathery legs, called vulture hocks, are undesirable in other breeds, but in the case of Sultans, they add to the allure. To keep those feathery feet attractive, you won’t want them spending time around the edge of a muddy pond.

They have five toes, like the Dorking and the Silkie. They are a medium sized bird, at 6 lbs. for a rooster and 4 lbs. for a hen. They are good layers of white eggs, your bonus for keeping such distinctive birds.

Bantams are small chickens, generally one-fifth to one-third the size of large fowl, weighed in ounces rather than pounds. Bantams top out at 22-26 ounces.Most are small versions of standard size chickens, but some are True Bantams, such as Nankins and Silkies. They require proportionately less space and feed.

Modern Games, both large fowl and bantams, were bred exclusively for their appearance, to be shown on exhibition. They have an unusual, modern art appearance. This red brown pullet was champion bantam at the 2006 Crossroads of America show. She is owned by Tom Anderson. He wrote about his love for the breed in Backyard Poultry, which includes more photos. 

Japanese bantams hold their black tails high above their white bodies. Silkies have unusual hair-like feathers. Bantams come in every color imaginable. You can surely find some that will coordinate with your flowering beds.

Many bantams retain good mothering characteristics and will happily set on eggs and raise chicks for you. What could be more inspiring than a hen leading her chicks across your lawn?

Their eggs, though small, are tasty. A friend finds one regular chicken egg too small for breakfast and two too large, but two bantam eggs just right.

Hens are good mothers

Happy Mother's Day! Chickens get broody when they start thinking about becoming mothers.When one of my five hens took it into her head to become broody a few weeks ago,I assumed she'd simply have to get over it.

I removed her from the nest and the golf ball she was setting on a couple of times, to loud squawking. And she promptly returned. In some sense, it was a good test. I knew she was serious about setting.

As it happened, I was chatting with a friend who has a hen who is often, even permanently broody. She's at the bottom of the pecking order and has had a rough time fitting  in. Apparently she found her niche in being broody. She's a pretty Blue Cochin, but not very assertive.

As we talked, we got the idea of putting some eggs under them. He located a farmer who had fertile hatching eggs for sale, and soon both our hens were setting on real eggs. She's got six eggs under her, three Coronation Sussex and three Welsummer. No problem telling them apart -- the Welsummer eggs are dark brown, with speckles. Beautiful.

Coronation Sussex are an unrecognized very rare variety. I've never seen one. The plumage pattern is similar to a Delaware, but instead of black the contrasting feathers are silver or lilac. The friend who picked up the eggs, told me the birds he saw were beautiful.

Welsummers are a modern composite egg breed. They were admitted to the APA Standard in 1991 in the Continental class.

This hen is a Speckled Sussex. Other good broody breeds include Ameraucana, Asil, Barnevelder, Brahma, Buckeye, Chantecler, Cochin, Cornish, Cubalaya, Delaware, Dominique, Dorking, Dutch, Faverolle, Holland, Japanese, Java, Jersey Giant, Kraienkoppe, Marans, Nankins, New Hampshire, Old English Games, Orloff, Orpington, Polish, Plymouth Rock, Rhode Island Red, Silkies, Sussex, Welsummer, Wyandotte.

All games are usually good brooders. Madagascar Games, Malgache, are reported to be willing to adopt chicks from other broods and of different ages. Males sometimes brood chicks.

They vary by individuals and some lines are better brooders than others. Ask the breeder how broody his birds are.

Crocheted chicken lace

I'm more of a knitter and stitcher than a crocheter, but this chicken lace is so delightful, I plan to try it. Instructions included in the blog, in English and Spanish.

I cross-stitched the ALBC's Dominique and Light Brahma patterns onto a denim jacket. I used waste canvas. You stitch over it and then moisten it and it pulls away, leaving your design behind. It makes it possible to stitch any design on almost any surface.

I couldn't figure out how to stitch designs on certain places on the jacket, such as the sleeves. You'd stitch them together! But I put them on the front panels, a rooster on one side and a hen on the other, and the back.

Five poultry breeds that inspire me

When I got involved with chickens, I didn’t know a Cochin from a Leghorn. As my chickens grew and I learned, different breeds resonated with me. That’s usually the way it works with chicken people. As they develop as fanciers, certain breeds emerge as their favorites.

Dorkings lead my list. Roman mosaics show chickens that are distinctly Dorkings, with their five toes and large tails. Dorkings came to England with the Roman invasion, acquiring their name from an English market town. Their ample bodies speak to me of strength and confidence. Their presence through the centuries assures their place in history.

 

Araucanas are known for their blue eggs, but their historical significance suggests chickens in the American continents long before Columbus brought them from Spain. They are rumpless, with fewer vertebrae in the spine and no tail, as shown in this flock. Definitely different from other chickens. Their differences indicate that they are distinct from European chickens, descending from chickens that arrived in South America on canoes from Polynesia centuries earlier.They have feathery muffs on their faces.

 

Dominiques are the first American chicken breed, beautiful barred feathers on chickens that established themselves in our nation’s early days. They are good mothers and reliable brown egg layers. I like to think of them scratching for bugs in early settlement barnyards.

Fayoumis are Egyptian chickens harking back to the days when pharaohs ruled and gods arose from the Nile. Their history includes infusions of Junglefowl from India, a gift from traders seeking to find favor with the powers of the day. Beautiful and hardy, they may have natural immunity to avian influenza.

Silkies, the only chicken with feathers like hair. They were one of the wonders Marco Polo reported when he returned to Europe from China. They still attract star attention: here's Tori Spelling with her per Silkie. They’re bantams, small in size, but popular in many colors. This rooster's plumage is called is partridge. They have black skin and bones, giving them additional curative powers in traditional Chinese culture. Talk about chicken Soup for the Soul!

Chicken: The Movie

Kermit Blackwood is seeking funding for his chicken documentary on Kickstarter. I serve on the film's advisory committee.  He's got a great script and the film will contribute to public knowledge of chickens. Support this through Kickstarter!

Chicken the Movie will be the first feature length, educational documentary on the surprising and critical relationship between humans and chickens. Our film will explore the evolution and ecology of the chicken’s wild ancestors, such as this Green Junglefowl; the history of agriculture, civilization, human migration; the surprising diversity of non-edible products that include chicken; developments in cooking and food production, poultry genetics, immunology and the chicken’s role in pop culture.

Chicken the Movie asks: How did this iconic animal become the most populous and recognizable bird species on the planet and what is the future of the chicken? This documentary will survey the surprising and multi-faceted origins of domestic chickens and will investigate new developments in agricultural stewardship, which promise to ensure the health and well being of this critical species. By educating people through this documentary we hope to contribute to this effort, recognizing that this sacred animal and those who work with it are largely responsible for nourishing our burgeoning human population.
Please join us on our epic journey around the globe with this misunderstood livestock species and beloved backyard companion: the chicken.
The “Fine Print”
Chicken the Movie began the development phase in the spring of 2011 operating through a registered LLC by the same name registered in the State of Colorado. Executive Producer and Co-Director, Kermit Blackwood, has assembled an outstanding team of professionals to ensure the project's success, including the co-directorship of critically acclaimed documentary filmmaker and producer, Nick De Pencier. Other collaborators include leading biologists and paleobiologists, cultural historians, poultry industry leaders, humanitarians and a star studded line-up of chicken enthusiasts.

Project development reached all milestones in December 2011: project framework is completed including timelines, production schedule, travel annex, team recruitment and budgets; scientific research has begun; an advisory committee is in place and includes poultry experts, scientists, conservationists, indigenous counsel and business advisors. A seat is available for each sponsor who makes a significant contribution to the fiscal health of the project. Sponsors will be kept informed via email news flashes and conference calls.  You too, are invited to table.

Bridge funding ($35,000) is sought to ensure the project team can move forward with the required science, research and team development over the next eight weeks to pre-production scheduled for July 15, 2012 and into full production by August 15, 2012. We thank you in advance for your support. Without you, the story of the past, present and future of the chicken and its wild ancestors could not be told. Likewise, our efforts to educate people about conservation and innovation regarding the most important livestock species on earth depend upon your support. Thank you!

Banished to the chicken tractor

Fanny, my Speckled Sussex hen, has decided to become broody. She sat on the nest all day yesterday. We were out of town and when we got home, found five eggs under her and one laid outside the nest box. Apparently she wasn't even willing to share the box with her sister, the Partridge Plymouth Rock.

In this picture, taken several months ago, she tolerated the White Dorking hen in the nest box with her.

When I roused her out of the nest this morning, she set up clucking so loud, the wild turkeys came over to see what was going on. They gobbled eagerly to her, but perhaps they don't speak the same dialect.

My husband and I discussed the possibility of getting her some hatching eggs and letting her be a mother, but that would hatch males as well as females and we'd have that Surplus Rooster problem again.

My husband built a chicken tractor for the girls, so putting her in there is one way to persuade her to give up on broodiness. They are all out in the tractor now, happily distracted by fresh grass.

My husband doesn't have experience with chickens, so he was surprised at how dedicated they are to their work and how effective they are at working the soil. He's now eager to get them working all around our yard.

The tractor is a work in progress, but it's adequate to get the girls out and working. The lattice was a former part of a neighbor's fence. It's perfect for protecting the chickens while providing shade and sun.