Chicken Power

The treatment of laying hens is gaining public attention. Laws are being proposed in state legislatures to improve their living conditions by law, CHICKENS NEED ROOM TO STRETCH Hartford Courant, Michael Markarian, March 7, 2007 http://ent.groundspring.org/EmailNow/pub.php?module=URLTracker&cmd=track&j=129436498&u=1242182. The consciences of the people running the companies that sell the eggs are apparently inadequate to guide them.

The best solution is to keep your own hens for your own fresh eggs. Few things are more satisfying than bringing in eggs and cooking them up for breakfast. A friend remarked last week that while one standard egg seems too little and two too much, two of her little bantam eggs are Just Right.

Fresh local eggs are available everywhere. If you can't find them, contact me and I'll locate a source in your area. This tray of Welsummer eggs was awarded a prize in a United Kingdom show and comes from www.rupert-fish.co.uk.

Mindful eating

I've been enjoying Jane Goodall's book, Harvest for Hope: A Guide to Mindful Eating. She champions small farmers and producers, for the excellence of the food, their stewardship of the land and the nutritious diet they offer us.

The small flock owners who raise chickens and other kinds of poultry are an important part of the food system. Local farmers and flock owners also offer us the safest food. The recent reports of contamination of produce highlight the dangers of industrial agriculture. One of the people who contributed to my book had been involved with processing chickens for small flock owners for more than ten years, had even gotten a grant to build a mobile processing unit. He had not had a single report of food-borne illness from any chicken processed for a small flock owner, not a single one.

The threat of agri-terrorism is more dire to a centralized food system. A single large operation could be contaminated or disrupted, causing illness and chaos over a large area. Small operations are less attractive as targets precisely because their small size and local influence don't present as much influence.

Dr. Goodall reminisces about her World War II childhood, when rationing and shortages resulted in people growing their own food in Victory Gardens and managing meals around the food that was available. I was struck by the comparison with food restrictions in our lives, such as limited budgets for school lunches. Rather than being creative with local foods, school districts often seek supplementary income by entering contracts with soft drink and candy companies.

There are answers here, and we are fortunate to have leaders such as Dr. Goodall to guide us.

Greater California Poultry Show

The Greater California Poultry Show certainly lived up to its name! The one-day show at the Fresno Fair Grounds attracted lots of excellent quality birds, many rare and historic breeds. The Red Shouldered Yokohama drew a lot of comments, and one young enthusiast proudly showed me the young bird he bought. He was very proud of that beautiful bird.

My books arrived in time to go to the show, where people were excited to see them. We sold all we had with us, but can supply more through the web site.

The pictures attracted lots of attention. Everyone wanted to see a picture of their favorite breeds. I am always eager to acquire more photographs, so please contact me if you have photos of your birds that you would like to share.

Backyard Poultry magazine and Poultry Enthusiast magazine have been generous with SPPA, donating magazines that we can give away in return for a donation to SPPA. It’s a great way to get people acquainted with both the organization and these new publications.

Several people joined SPPA, including one who signed on as a Life Member! This is the best. Life Members are the continuing core of SPPA membership. My personal Welcome to all who joined at the show. We look forward to a great future.

Fresno show

This Saturday, February 24, is the Greater California Show at the Fresno County Fair Grounds in Fresno, California. We will be there, with at least one copy of the book. Word from the publisher is that the first shipment of books has arrived in the warehouse, so I hope to have a sufficient supply to sell soon.

We plan to invite someone who has birds in the Sale area to display the birds on our table. At the Pacific Poultry Breeders Club show in Stockton last month, one of the women at the table next to ours bought some birds and had them caged behind the table. The Buff Orpington rooster she bought was too large for any of her cages, so she set him in a large cardboard box.

He was quite content there, and so attractive that we asked if she would be willing to let him set on the table in his box. His star quality immediately attracted the attention of every passerby.

His color reminded her of the television advertising star, Morris the Cat, so she named him Morris.

Even at a poultry show with birds on display less than 20 feet away, having a live bird at the table was irresistible.

We also plan to attend the meeting of the Central Coast Feather Fanciers on Wednesday, February 21 in Templeton. Jay Horn, also known as the Songbird of Central California, is a member of CCFF as well as SPPA. I understood why he is called the Songbird when he sang Happy Birthday to one of the young participants in Stockton. His voice triumphed far beyond all of us ordinary well-wishers!

Cold Weather Chickens

Cold weather breeds

With the blast of Arctic air that covered the Midwest last week, several people have inquired about what chicken breeds do best in cold weather. Generally, the comb is the most sensitive part of the chicken and most likely to suffer cold damage. Frozen combs do not regenerate – it’s like dubbing. The experience is stressful for the chicken, too, so it’s best avoided. If your chickens have large single combs and they are coping with temperatures below freezing, a coat of petroleum jelly on the comb can provide some protection.

A heat lamp in the coop, even a regular light bulb, can provide sufficient additional warmth to protect birds from damage. Chickens generate warmth with their own bodies, so more birds means more warmth.

Sometimes the biggest challenge is keeping the water from freezing. Electric water dishes are available. Make sure your chickens have fresh water available.

Overall, chickens are heavily feathered and insulated against the cold. Breeds with more feathers do better. Naked Necks, with about half the feathers of other breeds, nevertheless seem to fare fine in cold weather.

Silkies, with their hair-like feathers, are subject to chill if their feathers get wet. Keep an extra eye on them.

If you are looking for breeds adapted to cold climates, here are a few suggestions:

Chanteclers were developed as a Canadian breed. Their small combs are well suited to cold weather and they are good winter layers. They are big birds, cocks weighing more then 8 lbs and hens more than 6. When the last rooster being kept at the University of Saskatchewan died in 1979, the breed was declared gone, but small flock owners across Canada had maintained them. They are a modern composite breed, so they can also be re-created. As a result, there is some discussion about purity and whether birds come from original or re-created lines. You may determine for yourself to what extent you wish to be involved in that discussion.

Wyandottes were developed in New York State in the 1870s, another location known for cold winter weather. They feather out well and come in several colors. The Columbian color pattern comes from Wyandottes that were exhibited at the 1893 Columbian Exhibition at the Chicago World’s Fair. They are a good dual purpose breed.

Dominiques, with their rose combs, are reliable and sturdy. They have a long American history going back to Colonial times, so they have survived many cold winters.

Buckeyes are the only American breed credited to a woman, Mrs. Nettie Metcalf of Warren, Ohio. They are named for the Buckeye state and the Buckeye whose color they have. They are well-suited to those cold Ohio winters and a good all-around breed.

Javas are considered an American foundation breed, although they take their name from the Asian island of their origin. They have a small single comb and adapt to any climate well.

Norwegian Jaerhons are a 20th century breed of Scandinavia. They are smaller, 5 lbs. for cocks and 3 ½ for hens, with attractive patterns. A good choice for a hardy dual purpose breed.

I can put you in touch with breeders who have these breeds and others. Stay warm.

Pacific Poultry Breeders Show

Poultry lovers, unite! Our birds bring us together.

I have looked forward to having a blog for a long time. So I am excited to be making my first post today. I intend to add new posts a couple of times a week, as events unfold and good poultry stories come my way.

Please share your stories with me and other poultry lovers. Poultry people have delightful stories to tell. Show announcements are welcome, too. We try to attend shows when ever we can.

We had a great time at the Pacific Poultry Breeders annual show at the San Joaquin County Fairgrounds in Stockton, California. People flocked to SPPA’s table to join up. A dozen signed up at the show, with more following up afterward.

More than 2,200 birds were entered in the show, which crowned a Light Brahma rooster Champion and a Bantam Rhode Island Red pullet Reserve Champion. Many rare breeds were on display, including two Dominiques.

We made friends with the clothing and accessories vendors at the next table, and when one of them bought a Buff Orpington rooster, we borrowed him as a Good Will Ambassador. People, especially poultry people, can’t resist a beautiful bird.

His color inspired his new owner to name him Morris, after the cat of commercial advertising fame. His disposition was calm and his demeanor superior. Morris allowed his worshippers to stroke his feathers and admire him.

His former owner made several visits to say good-bye and wish him well. When she saw the attention he was getting, she remarked that she should have brought along more roosters to sell!

We plan on making live birds a regular feature at the SPPA table by visiting the Sale area and inviting a participant to loan us birds for the duration. With the interest and traffic our table generates, we will probably have to replace birds frequently as they sell off!

Welcome!

Welcome to my PoultryBookstore blog! I'm very excited about my new book that's being published in February 2007, How to Raise Chickens: Everything You Need to Know.

This book tells you everything you need to know to raise chickens in your backyard--from laying out the yard and designing a coop to choosing breeds, caring for chicks, egging, sexing, and butchering. Whether you're interested in rare breeds or the garden variety; whether you want to show your chickens or serve them, this brightly illustrated, clearly written guide will prove an indispensable resource. For more information, see http://www.poultrybookstore.com.

I would love to hear about any interests that you have in Chickens, and would be more than happy to discuss any questions or topics that you have about the wonderful world of poultry.