RAISE EXOTIC FOWL DEALING WITH INCUBATOR/BROODER

FOR PROFIT “TEENAGE” PULLETS TIPS & ADVICE

FROM

THE ESSENTIAL MAY/JUNE 2023

POULTRY PUBLICATION

Special
Nutrition
issue
• Ferment Feed for a
Probiotic Boost
• Prepare Chicken
Scratch by the Season
• Feed Bugs, Worms &
Veggies for Top Treats

10 BEST BREEDS FOR

COLORED EGGS
Marans, Rhode Island Reds,
Easter Eggers and more

CHICKENS®
US $6.99/CAN $7.99 • Vol. 14, No. 3 • Issue code: 2023-05
May/June 2023 • Display until May 30, 2023.

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Circle No. 120 on the Reader Service Card.
 May/June 2023
Vol. 14 • No. 3

18 Ferment
Your Feed
Provide your flock with an immune-
boosting addition to their daily meal.
by Heather Levin

26 Scratch
This!
Supplementing your chickens
with a little scratch throughout
the year can be beneficial to their
health and state of mind.
by Deb Brandt

32 Brooder
Checklist
Whenever you order chicks, you need
to make sure your brooder is ready
to go when they get home, be it late fall
or early spring.
by Chickens m agazine Editors

34 Exotic
Products
Raise birds of another feather
on the farm for a few extra clucks.
by Jessica Jainchill

40 Dealing
with Teenagers
Chickens start acting like human
teenagers at about 8 weeks of age.
by Bruce Ingram

50 Chickens
& Ducks
You can use a broody chicken
to hatch duck eggs.
by Gail Dam erow

52 Raising
COLUMNS & DEPARTMENTS
OLGAVOLODINA/STOCK.ADOBE.COM

the Bar
Fresh raw eggs add froth and creaminess 04 Mystery Breed 62 One Cool Coop
to cocktails and icy blender drinks. 66 In the Kitchen
by Signe Langford 06 Ag Info Warm Potato Salad
Treats & Nutrition with Soft-Cooked Eggs

70 Eggs of
All Colors
White, brown, green, pink … different
10 Flock Talk
Incubator Advice
68
80
Shutterclucks
Last Squawk
breeds produce different shades of 14 Predator Pages COVER: M.GIERCZYK/STOCK.ADOBE.COM

Rats, Mice & Rodents

colors on their eggshells. ADVERTISING SECTIONS
by Daniel Johnson 48 Chicken Chat 60 Farmers Market
64 Ad Index
58 Storefront 75 Gallery
79 Classifieds
60 Bonus Flock Talk
May/June 2023 • CHICKENS 1
 EditorPUBLISHED BYSipe
in Chief Roger

Publisher Rima Dorsey

Senior Editor Rodney Wilson
Art Director Cindy Kassebaum
MAY/JUNE 2023 • VOL. 14, NO. 3 Marketing Coordinator Ankit Choudhary
Digital Team Praveen Paipuri
Gaurav Mangla
Sanjeev Saini
Prachi Singh
Circulation Director Shailesh Khandelwal
Circulation Coordinator Mohammad Danish
Production Coordinator Vipin Marwaha
Finance Enrique Martinez
Sales Team Stephanie Jones
Jenny Van Wieren-Page
Shoshana Rudski

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2 CHICKENS • ChickensMagazine.com
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 breed
MYSTERY

hickens and other poultry members

C come in all sizes, shapes, colors and

personalities. Nearly 400 recognized
breeds and varieties of poultry exist, includ-
ing large-fowl and bantam chickens, ducks,
geese, turkeys and guinea fowl. Using our
illustration and a few selected hints, can you
guess which breed we have depicted here?
Find out the answer on page 64.

Brought to you by: Murray McMurray Hatchery

(www.mcmurrayhatchery.com), which provides the
highest quality poultry and auxiliary products to its cus-
tomers and has been a trusted, knowledgeable industry
resource for more than 100 years. Whether you are an
experienced or novice enthusiast, Murray McMurray is sure
you’ll enjoy its wide selection of breeds and supplies
to assist you with raising your flock!

HINTS
• This striking hen lays dark-
brown eggs year-round.
• To create them, breeders
crossed Asiatic chicken
breeds, including the
Langshan, Cochin, Brahma
and Maleier.
• The iridescent appearance
of this breed’s plumage
comes from the lacing of
bronze on the greenish-
black feathers of the
neck, head and back and
the lacing of greenish-black
on the bronze feathers of
the saddle and breast.
• The breed isn’t named
after the barn but a region
of the Netherlands, an area
famous for its poultry.

ЕЛЕНА ФАЕНКОВА/STOCK.ADOBE.COM

4 CHICKENS • ChickensMagazine.com
 2023 Chicks
PRE-ORDERS FOR
SPRING CHICKS OPEN
EARLY NOVEMBER

Defining Quality
for Generations
For over a century, Murray McMurray Hatchery has remained a trusted,
family-owned business, working tirelessly to ensure our poultry meets the
highest standards. Whether you are an experienced enthusiast, or just embarking
on the journey, look to McMurray Hatchery for guaranteed quality rare and
Heritage breeds, low minimums, and all the supplies you need to raise your flock.
MCMURRAYHATCHERY.COM | 800.456.3280

SCAN TO REQUEST A FREE CATALOG

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Ag
Info | by Mikayla Baxter, Ph.D.

Food Balance
M ost every animal-keeper knows the alert, with their head and neck stretched, when
value of treats, and chicken-keepers they anticipate receiving a treat.
are not an exception! Treats can pro- In fact, the more desirable the treat (for
vide a great bonding experience between poultry example, if the treat includes mealworms or
and humans and can even be used for training. insects vs whole wheat) the more they showed
For example, researchers wanting to better head movement, as shown in another experie-
understand chicken behavior and cognition ment (“Effects of signalled reward 482 type,
train chickens to peck at a certain object by food status and a µ-opioid receptor antagonist
rewarding them with a treat. Similarly, backyard on cue-induced anticipatory behaviour in 483
chicken owners can train chickens to come laying hens [Gallus domesticus],” Moe et al.,
when called by using treats as a reward. This Applied Animal Behavior Science, 2013).
can be a great way to consistently get backyard
flocks to return to the coop at night. NUTRITION & TREATS
For success in training, positive reinforce- Even though poultry feed is considered a
ment tactics with treats is key. Just like with complete and balanced diet, treats can be a
dogs, punishment-based training methods are very beneficial supplement. Poultry feeds are
counterproductive. This is especially true for formulated based on the protein, fat, carbo-
chickens since they have reactive prey instincts. hydrate, vitamins and minerals of various
Chickens have a behavioral and physiological ingredients. Poultry treats can provide addi-
response when they are anticipating getting tional, more flexible nutrition.
a treat. This anticipation of consuming a treat Supplementing your flock with treats gives
is linked to the reward centers within their you the ability to tailor their diet based on
brain. One experiment (“Effects of haloperidol, what they need most. For example, most
a dopamine D2-like receptor antagonist, on chicken-approved kitchen scraps can be a
reward-related behaviors in laying hens,” Moe et great treat for a flock. However, fresh fruits,
al., Physiology & Behavior, 2011) found that chick- vegetables and herbs have limited nutritional
ens increase their head movement and remain value because of their high-water content.

BILANOL/STOCK.ADOBE.COM

Free-ranging
allows chick-
ens to pick
out their
own treats.
6 CHICKENS • ChickensMagazine.com
 NE
W
!

Go
beyond
feed!

Announcing Poultry Treats With A Purpose™

Five unique treat formulas designed to provide targeted benefits to your flock.
Each one is carefully crafted with superior ingredients to add functionality to your flock’s diet.
Bridge the gap between feed and optimum nutrition and provide the supplemental nutrients
your flock needs to perform their best.
Find FlockLeader FUNctional treats at a store near you!
Visit BACKYARDCHICKEN.COM to learn more.

USA grown
Black Soldier Fly Larvae

Circle No. 116 on the Reader Service Card. MADE IN USA © 2023 PERDUE
 EUROBANKS/STOCK.ADOBE.COM
Salmonella can also be a concern with dried
insects. When salmonella was introduced during
mealworm production, it resulted in contami-
nation and remained within the larvae through
processing, as shown in “Salmonella Typhimurium
Level in Mealworms (Tenebrio molitor) after Expo-
sure to Contaminated Substrate,” Jensen et al.,
Frontiers in Microbiology, 2020). Selecting insects
grown in countries that have strict feed and treat
safety regulations, such as the United States, help
to ensure the insects are safe for our birds to eat.

MORE THAN CORN

Offering treats to poultry isn’t a novel idea;
however, the variety of options for the type of
treat is! Historically, scratch grain was consid-
ered the original poultry treat. In the early 20th
century, poultry were primarily fed by scatter-
ing grain on the ground thus the term scratch
grain. Generally speaking, the term referred to
As omnivores, These types of fresh food scraps can help corn, wheat and other grains.
chickens love keep a flock hydrated, but oftentimes, the Now, because of the progress of nutritional
bugs and water content dilutes most of the nutritional science and poultry nutrition, treats have come a
insects. benefit. Dried fruits and vegetables are more long way. Scratch grain is still available as a treat,
shelf stable than fresh, meaning they’re more but the definition has expanded to include a vari-
nutrient-dense and provide a higher amount of ety of ingredients such as corn, barley, oats, wheat
nutrients, especially vitamins and minerals. and more. These ingredients are high in carbo-
Insects are highly beneficial and a poultry hydrates but may not necessarily be balanced in
favorite, which is why they’re often included in other nutrients, such as protein and minerals.
treats! Birds are omnivores and love snacking on The carbs in scratch grain are a good energy
insects — those they catch in the coop and gar- source for our birds, especially with colder tem-
den and the dried insects found on store shelves. peratures, but the inclusion of other ingredients,
In general, most insects and their larvae are such as insects, can increase the nutrient value
a good source of protein and fat and are highly and take the treat from good to great! A bal-
digestible, although they can have a varying anced blend of ingredients such as black solider
nutrient profile. For example, the macronutri- fly larvae, mealworms, dried fruits and vegeta-
ent (carbohydrates, fat) profile and amino acid bles, and/or herbs can offer the most nutrient
digestibility between black solider fly larvae and dense option and provide the best value.
mealworms are similar. However, black solider

R
fly larvae tends to have a much higher amount esearchers and backyard poultry-keepers
of calcium and a slightly lower level of crude agree that chickens enjoy treats, espe-
protein than mealworms. cially highly palatable ones! They’re an
When it comes to insect treats, safety and effective, positive way to train poultry while also
sustainability should be taken into consideration offering a solution for boredom and fun interac-
as well. For example, black solider fly larvae are tion. However, like most things, moderation is
more sustainable to grow than other insects. key when feeding treats, and treats should not
They have a mechanism in which enzymes are make up more than 10% of a flock’s diet.
secreted to aid in the digestion and absorption of To best support your flock, consider sup-
nutrients, allowing their growth cycle to be rela- plementing their diet with treats that offer
tively shorter and more efficient. functionality and nutritional value. You may even
Another factor that effects the safety and discover that they prefer different treats during
nutrient value of these insects is how they are different times of year or based on what’s happen-
grown and processed. If the feed fed to black ing in their environment. When you find the right
solider fly larvae contains heavy metals, this treats for your flock, everyone — keepers and birds
can lead to heavy metal accumulation in the alike — will be that much happier and healthier.
larvae. Heavy metal poisoning affects the health
of our chickens, and these minerals can also Mikayla Baxter, Ph.D., is the Digestive Health
potentially contaminate their meat and eggs. Products Manager at Perdue Animal Nutrition.
8 CHICKENS • ChickensMagazine.com
Circle No. 110 on the Reader Service Card.
Flock
Talk | by Ana Hotaling

Incubation Issues

H atching eggs seems straightforward, Everything looked great at seven days. At 14 days,
and it’s a simple project — so long however, every egg had long stopped develop-
as you follow a few simple rules to ing. Exasperated, Beth finally reached out to me.
ensure success. “Hens have been doing this for
thousands of years! Why can’t I get it right?” WHEN YOU’RE DOING
Beth, a fitness instructor in North Dakota, EVERYTHING RIGHT
has been following my chicken antics online It seemed to me that Beth was doing every-
for years. She credits my flock for inspiring her thing right to properly incubate her flock’s
to start one of her own and is now mom to a eggs. She guaranteed that her rooster was quite
dozen Easter Eggers and Buff Orpingtons in active with the ladies and that she had thor-
addition to her teenage son. And this spring, oughly read all the instructions that came with
Beth decided to try her hand at hatching eggs. her incubator. She had even contacted the man-
She thought it would be a fun thing to share ufacturer to clarify a couple of things.
with her son as well as a way for her flock She’s set the eggs pointy side down, placed
to sustain itself. Her first attempt, however, the incubator in a low-traffic area of her home,
resulted in not one egg hatching. Beth waited and made sure the machine was set at the
25 days, then 28 days. At 30 days, she threw proper temperature and humidity. The only
away the eggs, sanitized her incubator, double- time the eggs were ever handled was when she
checked the humidity and temperature set- candled them on her fourth attempt and when
tings, and made sure the egg-turning function she had to dispose of them.
was operating correctly. She then started over “They’re not even old eggs,” she said. “I’m
Prepare the with a dozen new eggs. literally taking them from the nest box and put-
incubator At 21 days, one Orpington egg emitted peeping ting them into the incubator. Could that be it?”
about one sounds, but the chick within never breached
week prior the shell. For her third try, Beth stuck to just AGE DOES MATTER
to the arrival Orpington eggs, but the results were the same as Some poultry scientists advise flock own-
of fertilized the first. For her most recent try, Beth invested ers to let fresh eggs rest for three to 10 days
eggs. in a candler, then tried with a mix of eggs. after hatching before incubating them. Others
believe the best success rates come from
ALEX FORD/HTTPS://CREATIVECOMMONS.ORG/LICENSES/BY/2.0

hatching the freshest possible eggs.

Similarly, some experts advise not to use
eggs that are older than 10 days. Others con-
sider two weeks past lay the maximum age for
hatching eggs.
I have had success with eggs fresh from the
hen as well as from properly stored, 2-week-old
eggs. Because Beth’s eggs were coming directly
from her nest boxes, age of the eggs wasn’t the
issue. And the flock was less than 3 years old, so
the age of the laying hens was also not an issue.

SUCH A THING AS TOO CLEAN

Beth’s conundrum became clear when I
confirmed how frequently she was handling
the hatching eggs. She reiterated that only she
handled the eggs:
• putting them in the incubator
• candling them
• throwing them away
10 CHICKENS • ChickensMagazine.com
Circle No. 114 on the Reader Service Card.
 The only other time she touched
them was when she collected them
and when she cleaned them for the
incubator.
Aha! It turned out that, in addi-
tion to sanitizing her incubator,
Beth was also carefully scrubbing
CHICKEN every single speck of dirt and dust
off her eggs with a little scrub Prior to incubation, a good rule of

LITTLE WON’T brush she’d bought just for this

purpose. She seemed quite stunned
thumb is that a fertilized egg can be
stored for a maximum of seven days

BE SO LITTLE when I gently informed her that

all that scrubbing was removing
in a cool room kept at a steady 55 to
60 degrees Fahrenheit.

ANYMORE. the all-important bloom — the

protective coating that seals the a couple of dirt or poop spots —
eggshell’s pores to keep moisture in nothing totally an area bigger than
and bacteria out. a dime — can be gently cleaned
Without this layer, the porous with a dry cloth or paper towel.
shell could be and most likely was Never use a wet cloth or towel,
penetrated by harmful bacteria that sandpaper or anything abrasive.
sabotaged her incubation attempts. These will remove both the debris
and the bloom.
THE SCOOP ON SOIL Beth is now on her fifth attempt
It’s easy to understand why to hatch eggs. She now regularly
poultry keepers would assume a changes the bedding in her nest
soiled egg would need to be cleaned boxes, which results in cleaner eggs
prior to being incubated. Dirt, drop- for both eating and hatching.
pings and even egg splatter from This time around, she carefully
neighboring broken eggs become selected the cleanest eggs her hens
breeding grounds for bacteria laid for incubating. Her 14th-day
inside a hot, humid incubator. candling showed all 12 eggs devel-
Starbar Red-Vival TM

These microbes can then pen- oping healthfully, and she and her
supplement, a unique etrate the hatching eggs, killing son are looking forward to finally
blend of vitamins, amino embryos and, occasionally, even having a bunch of baby peeps join-
acids and minerals for all causing the hatching eggs to explode ing them soon.
inside the incubator. Because of this,
classes of poultry.
soiled eggs should never be chosen Ana Hotaling and her husband, Jae, own
for incubation. FMA Farms, a heritage-poultry farm in
However, there is soiled and southeast Michigan. Follow her adven-
then there is soiled. An egg with tures at www.facebook.com/FMAFarms.

Chicks will typically ~PAWSITIVE~CANDIE_N/HTTPS://CREATIVECOMMONS.ORG/LICENSES/BY/2.0

hatch at day 21.

See how Starbar Red-VivalTM

supplement can support poultry
development at starbarproducts.com

L I F E SC I E NC E S

Always read and follow label directions. Starbar with design

and Starbar Red-Vival with design are trademarks of Wellmark
International. ©2022 Wellmark International.

Circle No. 106 on the Reader Service Card.

12 CHICKENS • ChickensMagazine.com
 Set the Bar at Every Level
Effective insect control starts with Starbar. QuikStrike® Fly Bait, Golden
Malrin® Fly Bait, Cyanarox® Insecticidal Bait, and DuraStrike® Fly Scatter
Bait are baits applied on the ground where flies feed. Targeting this specific
behavior, Starbar® fly baits are formulated with different active ingredients
and attractants that flies want to eat. Used in rotation as part of an integrated
pest management (IPM) program, Starbar® fly baits can help control flies, fight
resistance and set the bar at the low levels of your operation. Exhalt™ WDG
LOW Insect Growth Regulator is the latest technology from Starbar® products as
an IGR that provides control by causing a gradual reduction in the population
by interrupting the life cycles of labeled pests, including flies, darkling beetles,
crickets and German cockroach nymphs (indoors).

Visit StarbarProducts.com or call 800-347-8272 to learn more.

Always read and follow label directions. Cyanarox, DuraStrike, Exhalt, Golden Malrin, QuikStrike, Starbar and Starbar with design are
trademarks of Wellmark International. The Red-Yellow color gradation is a registered trademark of Central Garden & Pet Company.
©2023 Wellmark International. L I F E SC I E NC E S

Circle No. 105 on the Reader Service Card.

Predator
Pages | by Chickens magazine Editors

Regarding Rodents

M
ice and rats are more of a nuisance plastic totes, but you will need to inspect these
than a true threat to adult chickens. regularly as rodents can chew through plastic.
While they’re certainly capable of If you give your flock kitchen scraps, clean
killing chicks, only a very large, very hungry anything left uneaten before dark or the
and very motivated rodent will attempt to kill rodents will find it. Do not leave pressed seed
an adult chicken. Rats and mice tend to view or suet cakes or other “boredom busters” in
the coop as a warm, dry shelter in which to any area your chickens frequent, as these will
make a nest, particularly if there is chicken attract the rodents as well.
feed to feast on nearby. To get rid of them, the Similarly, don’t leave pet food or wild bird
first step is to not attract them. feeders outside overnight. The rodent’s keen
sense of smell will quickly locate these.
ELIMINATE SOURCES If you store your household garbage outside,
OF FOOD & WATER keep it inside your garage instead. Regardless
To begin to eradicate rodent, stop provid- of location, keep your trash secure by storing
ing a restaurant service. Remove feeders and it in rodent-proof containers. If you have fruit
waterers from your coops and runs at dusk and trees, pick ripe fruit frequently and do not
clean up any spilled rations. leave fallen fruit on the ground.
Store your feed in tightly lidded metal con- Collect your hens’ eggs daily to remove
tainers. You can also use heavy-duty, lidded that source of food as well. Finally, do not

TOROOK/STOCK.ADOBE.COM

Make sure that any holes in the coop that mice can gain access through are sealed. Note: Mice can squeeze through a hole the size of a
pencil eraser!
14 CHICKENS • ChickensMagazine.com
TOROOK/STOCK.ADOBE.COM

Chickens don’t attract rodents; food sources do. To keep rats and mice at bay, store all
chicken feed in a secure container.

leave sprinklers on at night as Eliminate piles of junk on your

these become a source of water for property. Rodents love the hiding
rodents. Check your garden hoses places clutter creates. Rats also
for any leaks that might create frequently turn piles of firewood
standing water from which rats into dens, so keep your logs neatly
can drink. stacked, at least 18 inches off the
ground and well away from walls
WEED OUT POTENTIAL and fences.
NESTING MATERIALS & If roof rats are a problem, trim any
HIDING PLACES branches that overhang your coops
While rodents may use their own and runs or touch overhead wires
fur to line their nests, they’ll hap- or other trees. And prune back any
pily utilize anything at hand. ivy growing on the walls or branches
Avoid using straw or lawn clip- that drape down to the ground.
pings in your chicken runs. Not only
can rats hide in these, but they’ll EVICTING RESIDENT
carry it down to their nests as lining. RODENTS New
Keep your lawn mowed to elimi- All of these precautions will
nate tall grasses where rodents can make your property less inviting to
coop
hide, and be sure to trim or weed rodents, but you still have to deal
lights!
whack any plant growth taller than with the ones that are already in
12 inches near your coops, your run residence.
fence and other buildings. Snap traps are an effective
Dryer lint blown out of vents is counter measure to a rat infesta-
another favorite, so make certain to tion. If you have identified burrow
regularly check these openings. If entrances or runways, set snap
possible, close them off with quar- traps up near these holes and heav-
ter-inch hardware mesh. ily traveled areas.

Circle No. 115 on the Reader Service Card.

 Peanut butter, oatmeal and pet food can be SET COLONY TRAPS
used as bait, but we have had great success using Colony traps are multicatch traps, meaning
chicken feed. Be certain that you do not set up they can hold more than one mouse at a time.
the traps until your flock is locked up for the The small metal boxes have an entrance hole
night and your pets are inside. A snap trap can on either end that contains a one-way door,
seriously injure or even kill a curious animal. meaning mice enter and can’t get out. The nice
Like other sources of food, remove the traps part about them is they’re on duty 24/7 without
during the daytime, preferably before a chicken maintenance, except removing trapped mice.
decides to investigate it. Again, no bait is needed if placed against the
Electronic traps are also highly effective. wall in the normal travel route. All mice caught
These usually run on batteries, lure a rat in via in a colony trap will be alive if you check them
ultrasonics, then zap it once it is inside. frequently, so you will need a plan for dealing
Somewhat less effective are glue boards, with them. Mice are not at all wary of these
which are similar to fly paper except for devices and will enter them readily.
rodents. These work well for mice, but the larger Colony traps are like small cages. Again,
rat can wrest itself out of this sticky situation. the rats will hesitate entering them at first.

WIHA3/STOCK.ADOBE.COM

Keep the coop

clean to dis-
suade rodents
looking for an
easy meal.
16 CHICKENS • ChickensMagazine.com
 Rodent Disposal
Disposing of a rodent requires extra
precautions, due to the diseases and
parasites it carries on its fur and skin.
Use disposable gloves to pick up the
body, then double bag it in plastic bags
and place it in your garbage bin.
Do not leave a rodent in a trap for
long, as it will draw insects that can
spread any diseases the rat carried. Also,
the carcass can end up a source of food
for other rats and any scavengers you
have in the area.

My experience is once one finally

goes in, they all go, but it might
take days or even weeks.

APPLY RODENTICIDES
Poisons are often a last resort
for the chicken-keeper and should
be used with caution around your
livestock or poultry. Always place
poisons in containment boxes; in
most areas, this is the only legal
way to use them. Make sure the
boxes are locked in some man- Circle No. 109 on the Reader Service Card.
ner. Many of them snap shut and
require a tool to open, while others A rat can produce more than 40 droppings per day
need to be locked with a screw
and a gallon or more of urine per year, while a mouse
or similar fastener. This will keep
can produce more than 80 droppings per day and
them from opening and exposing
the contents to nontarget animals. more than a quart of urine per year.
I prefer poison blocks over
pellets, as the blocks can be fas-
tened to the inside of the box
and are more difficult for rodents Tag us @metzerfarms to be featured
to remove. Pellets can easily be
removed from the boxes, which is
hazardous to your flock. A Family Hatchery.
When using any rodenticide,
don’t continually use the same one
over and over, as rodents will even-
tually build up an immunity to the
chemicals. If a rodent snacks on a Gonzales, CA

poison block and gets a bellyache Memphis, TN

and then recovers, it’s now immune

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May/June 2023 • CHICKENS 17
 Fermenting your flock’s feed
will make it easier to digest.
This in turn will improve the
feed consumption-to-production
ratio, saving you money.

18 CHICKENS • ChickensMagazine.com
Ferment
Your Feed
Provide your flock with an immune-boosting
addition to their daily meal.
ARTICLE & PHOTOS BY HEATHER LEVIN

magine someone comes feed more effectively, they produce

I to your door selling a

brand-new chicken feed
they developed. This
feed, they explain, is
loaded with vitamins, minerals
and immune-boosting probiotics
that leads to vibrant, healthy birds.
fewer and much drier droppings. So,
you save time on coop cleanup every
week. Switching to this new feed,
they claim, will even help your chick-
ens lay more eggs. And, those eggs
are better quality, with thicker shells
and more nutrients.
Because the chickens have access to You’re now ready to close the door
better nutrition, they eat less which, on this snake-oil salesman because
in turn, saves you money. — after all — what kind of feed could
At this point, you might be roll- do all that?
ing your eyes and inching the door But this magical feed is already sit-
closed. But, wait, there’s more! ting out in your barn — no salesman
This salesperson goes on to say that needed. All you have to do to give your
because your chickens digest this new flock all these benefits is to ferment it.

May/June 2023 • CHICKENS 19

The probiotics Fermentation is the same technique used
contained in to make wine, beer and sauerkraut. You can
fermented feed ferment chicken feed the same way your local
promotes good brewery creates your favorite brew and give
gut health. your flock an impressively long list of health
benefits in the meantime.
I do a lot of fermenting on my homestead.
My family makes our own probiotic-rich kom-
bucha, sourdough, kimchi, sauerkraut and jars
of mixed pickles. More importantly, our flock
of chickens gets plenty of probiotics, because
I ferment their feed, as well. Fermenting
chicken feed might sound a bit strange to
some folks. But this is one chicken health
strategy that reaps far more benefits than the
time and work involved to make it happen.

FERMENTATION EXPLAINED
Humans have been using fermentation to
preserve foods for thousands of years. Evidence
suggests Neolithic people practiced fermentation
by making cheese more than 7,500 years ago.
Fermentation occurs when natural yeasts
and cultures in the air are encouraged to grow
and interact with a food source (in this case,
chicken feed) under specific conditions. During
fermentation, beneficial microorganisms such as
the Lactobacillus bulgaricus bacteria break down
sugars and starches and turn them into lactic
acid. This promotes the development of healthy
probiotics, changes the taste of the food, lowers
the pH and aids in preservation by killing off
harmful microorganisms. It also changes the
food’s nutritional profile for the better.

BENEFITS OF FERMENTED FEED

Money Savers You can encourage these good bacteria to
Use these tips to save money on feed costs. grow by soaking chicken feed in water for sev-
FREE-RANGE: While everyone can’t do this, allowing your eral days. But you’ve got roughly three dozen
flock to free-range means they’ll supplement their diet with other chores to do. Why on earth would you
bugs and grass instead of commercial feed. want to take the time to do this? There are sev-
PROVIDE FORAGE: If you can’t free-range your flock, eral good reasons why fermentation is worth the
provide forage in the run. Grass clippings, vegetable and fruit few extra minutes it will add to your chore list.
scraps, and pasture weeds will be a tasty addition for your birds BETTER NUTRIENT ABSORPTION: When
and help reduce their feed intake. you soak grains, you soften them up and make
ASK AROUND: Another option is to feed your flock less it much easier for the chicken’s body to digest
than perfect produce. Contact local farmers, or even talk to the all the available nutrients. That’s common
produce manager at your grocery store, and ask if you can pick sense, right? But, if we peek under the surface
up damaged produce once a week. Just make sure the pro- we see there’s more to the story.
duce isn’t moldy or rotten. All grains, beans, seeds and legumes contain
GROW YOUR OWN: Start a garden to supplement your phytic acid, which impairs the absorption of
chickens’ diet. Your flock will love feasting on fresh tomatoes some nutrients. In “Reduction of phytic acid and
and zucchini all summer long. enhancement of bioavailable micronutrients in
CONTROL RODENTS: Feeding your flock free-choice can lead food grains” (Gupta RK et. al, Journal of Food Science
to a major rodent infestation. Limit feed only to what your flock will and Technology, 2015), researchers called phytic
eat in a day, and employ a barn cat to control mice and rats. acid a “food inhibitor” because it limits the bio-
availability of nutrients.
20 CHICKENS • ChickensMagazine.com
Humans have been
using fermentation
to preserve foods
for thousands of
years. Evidence
suggests Neolithic
people practiced fer-
mentation by making
cheese more than
7,500 years ago.
If we remove the phytic acid
in foods, we’re free to absorb all
the wonderful nutrients found in
whole grains and seeds. And, the
fermentation process removes
phytic acid. This means when your
chickens eat fermented feed, their
bodies can utilize the full range of
protein, vitamins and minerals that
chickens on dry feed can’t.
Moreover, the fermentation pro-
cess actually enhances the nutrition
of the feed. It adds B vitamins that
weren’t in the feed before.
STRONGER IMMUNE SYSTEM:
In “Fermented feed for laying hens:
Effects on egg production, egg quality,
plumage condition and composition
and activity of the intestinal micro-
flora” (Engberg et. al, British Poultry
Science, 2009), researchers found
that hens on fermented feed had
a stronger immune system than
the control group. The fermented
feed increased acidification in the
upper digestive tract, which helped
Circle No. 119 on the Reader Service Card.
form a natural barrier against
acid-sensitive pathogens like E. coli,
salmonella and campylobacter.
The process of fermentation also
produces lactic acid, which helps pro-
mote the growth of healthy microbes
called probiotics. A robust immune
system can help your chickens fend
off a variety of illnesses and diseases.
LESS WASTE IN THE COOP:
Chickens that eat fermented feed
produce less waste than chickens
on dry feed. And, the waste is drier
than birds on a regular feed diet.
For you, this could mean fewer coop
cleanings throughout the year.
May/June 2023 • CHICKENS 21
 Fermentation is the same technique used to make
wine, beer and sauerkraut. You can ferment
chicken feed the same way your local brewery creates
your favorite brew and give your flock an impressively
long list of health benefits in the meantime.
HIGHER OUTPUT & BETTER QUALITY EGGS: Keep in mind that you can choose a vari-
Fermenting feed for your flock may also result ety of grains to ferment, or you can ferment
in better quality eggs and improved health out- just one grain at a time. You can also ferment
comes longterm. crumble or pellet feed; however, it will get
That aforementioned study in British Poultry quite mushy after a 3-day ferment. Your chick-
Science found that hens on fermented feed had ens will still love it, though!
heavier eggs with thicker shells. While this
makes for a better breakfast, it also reduces STEP 2: ADD WATER & SOAK
losses from laying soft-shelled eggs. Fill the jar or bucket with enough water to
Additionally, “The Foothills Farm Fermented completely cover the feed, along with a few
Feed Study” in 2019 conducted by Western extra inches so the feed has room in the water
Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education to expand. You don’t want to add too much
found that hens on a fermented feed diet laid water, though. While this won’t hurt the fer-
9% more eggs than hens on a regular feed diet. mentation process, too much water can make
it harder to spot the bubbles that show healthy
HOW TO FERMENT YOUR fermentation is taking place.
CHICKEN FEED If you have chlorinated tap water let it sit
Fermenting chicken feed is simple, and it out, uncovered, for 24 hours so the chlorine
will only take a few minutes out of your day. can evaporate. Chlorinated water can inhibit
the growth of beneficial bacteria, so you don’t
MATERIALS NEEDED want to use it. You can also use filtered or dis-
• large mason jar or bucket tilled water.
• mix of crumble, pellets, scratch, or whole
grains and seeds like rye, quinoa, whole STEP 3: COVER & LET FERMENT
oats, sunflower seeds, barley, spelt, buck- Cover the jar or bucket with the loose cover
wheat, amaranth or sorghum. of cheesecloth, or the loose-fitting lid. The
• dechlorinated water cover helps prevent unwanted bacteria or
• cheesecloth or other loose covering for jar mold spores from getting into the ferment yet
or bucket allows the fermentation gasses to escape.
Store the fermentation at room tempera-
STEP 1: MEASURE ture, out of direct sunlight, and away from
Your first step is to figure out how much cold drafts. The optimal temperature range for
your flock eats daily. Most full-sized adult fermentation is 75 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit. So
birds eat around ½ cup of dry feed per day. For if your house is cool, keep the ferment in the
example, a flock of 10 chickens will eat around warmest room.
5 cups of dry feed per day. You’ll cut this in Let the ferment sit for three days, stirring
half when calculating how much feed to fer- from the bottom up at least three times per
ment for your flock. day. If the feed soaks up too much water, add
Measure out ¼ cup of feed or grain mixture enough back in so that the grains stay covered
per bird, and place the seed in the jar or bucket by at least one inch. Make sure the grain mix-
you’re using. Using our example, if you have ture is always submerged in water.
10 chickens, you’ll need 2½ cups of dry feed or By the second day, you should start to see
grains to ferment. tiny bubbles in the jar. This is good news! It’s
Only measure out enough grain to feed a sign that active fermentation is occurring.
your chickens for one or two days. Fermented The ferment should smell tangy and clean, like
feed spoils quickly once it’s taken out of the sourdough bread or yogurt. The liquid will also
soaking water. start to get a bit milky looking.

22 CHICKENS • ChickensMagazine.com
 Feed and treat
your hens
properly, and
they’ll supply
you with tastier
and more
nutritious
eggs.
BONGIOZZO/STOCK.ADOBE.COM

Circle No. 108 on the Reader Service Card. May/June 2023 • CHICKENS 23
Only measure
out enough
grain to feed
your chickens
for one or two
days. Here is
day 1 of the
fermentation
process (right).

By the second
day (far right),
tiny bubbles
should appear
in the jar.

On the third TROUBLESHOOTING

day (right), you Although it’s easy to get started with fer-
can feed the mentation, things don’t always go as planned.
fermented Sometimes, due to temperature fluctuations
grains to your or bacterial contamination, your ferment
flock and will fail and be unsuitable to feed to your
refrigerate chickens.
any unused SNIFF CHECK DAILY: Healthy ferments
feed for the should smell tangy and clean, like sourdough
following day. bread or plain yogurt. If the ferment starts to
smell sulfurous, like rotten eggs, or acidic, like
vomit, throw it out. An off odor is a sign that
your ferment was exposed to too much oxy-
gen, too much heat, or bacteria was introduced
during the beginning of the ferment.
CHECK FOR MOLD: You also need to check
for mold daily. Any signs of pink, black or
fuzzy mold on the surface means the entire
batch needs to be thrown out.
If your ferment develops mold, it could be
because the temperature was too cold (which
slows the bacteria and prevents the fermenta-
tion from happening fast enough to stop mold
STEP 4: DRAIN & FEED from developing,) there was not enough liquid
On the third day (72 hours after starting in the jar or bucket, or the brewing container
your ferment), pour off the excess water. If was contaminated.
you’re about to start a new batch of ferment,
however, save the water and use it to cover the Heather Levin is a homesteader, chicken wrangler of
fresh grains. It will speed up the fermentation 30-plus chickens, and the founder of The Greenest
of the next batch. Acre and Chicken Health Academy, a pioneering online
Feed the fermented grains to your flock learning academy that teaches natural and emergency
immediately and refrigerate any unused feed chicken care strategies. Get weekly chicken care tips
for the next day. via her website, www.thegreenestacre.com.

24 CHICKENS • ChickensMagazine.com
 While most commercial chicken
feed is nutritionally balanced,
your birds will certainly benefit
from a little fermentation.

ZHIKUN SUN/STOCK.ADOBE.COM

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Take the hassle out of backyard chicken
processing. Plucking a chicken by hand
can take as long as 30 minutes.
Yardbird has revolutionized this painstaking
and messy process. With the Yardbird,
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Simple Debris Collection

Visit www.yardbirdpluckers.com
1730 Industrial Avenue | Cumberland, WI 54829 | 800-345-6007 Circle No. 102 on the Reader Service Card.
 HANKSSTUDIOS /STOCK.ADOBE.COM

Scratch shouldn’t
make up more than
about 10% of your
birds’ total daily
food consumption.

26 CHICKENS • ChickensMagazine.com
SCRATCH
THIS!
Supplementing your chickens with a little scratch
throughout the year can be beneficial to their health
and state of mind.

S
BY DEB BRANDT

tanding at the “snack bar” in a local urban feed-supply store looking

at an assortment of specialty grains might leave you scratching your
head. Which are best for your hens? How much should you offer to
your flock on any given day? And what mixture is nutritionally sound?
Chickens scratch the ground every day searching for seeds, insects
and other tasty treats. Offering them scratch grains, such as cracked, rolled or
whole grains (corn, barley, oats or wheat), stimulates that behavior while pro-
viding them with added food resources. Scratches are a source of mental and
physical stimulation — particularly during the winter months when weather
conditions reduce the presence of natural treats such as insects, grass and seeds.
Understanding the content of scratch mixes can help you determine what to
choose from the buffet at your local feed-supply store.

May/June 2023 • CHICKENS 27

 JACKF /STOCK.ADOBE.COM
The main ingre-
dients in chick-
en scratch are
usually whole
grains (cracked
corn, wheat
and barley)
with secondary
ingredients
such as sun-
flower seeds,
dried meal-
worms, flax-
seeds and even
dried fruit such
as cranberries
and raisins.

A word of caution: Scratch grains are not a day. Scratch should make up only about 10%
meant to be the primary source of nutrition of that. Any more than that will affect their
for your flock. Think of scratch as a limited nutrient balance.
treat — something hens enjoy but should not “Scratch is so low in protein that it doesn’t
consume in large quantities. Feed mixes are support hen health,” Harper says.
nutritionally balanced resources your hens As with humans, too much of a good thing
need for healthy living. They contain nutri- isn’t necessarily a good thing.
tional elements including calcium and protein Robert Litt, former owner of the Urban Farm
that support growth and egg production. Store in Portland, Oregon, says chickens eat
Chickens need those resources much more for energy, and if you provide cracked corn
than tasty scratch offerings that they will inev- with unfettered access alongside layer feed,
itably enthusiastically eat. they will eat all their calories in corn. And corn
offers only 7% protein while prepared chicken
DIET MATTERS feeds offer 16% protein with corn in the mix.
According to Laura Harper, owner of The Chickens that are consuming too much
Urban Chicken store in Raleigh, North Carolina, scratch can experience extended molts
the average hen eats about a 1⁄4 pound of food because of the low amount of necessary pro-
tein. A lack of nutritional balance can also
affect egg production and cause birds to
Scratch Advice become unhealthily overweight. When hens
Here is what Jacquie Jacob, poultry extension project man- choose between their regular feed and scratch,
ager at the University of Kentucky, says about chicken scratch, the feed lingers untouched in feeders, attract-
in “Feeding Chickens for Egg Production.” ing mice and rats to your run.
“Scratch grains are like drench fries; chickens that eat With nutritional needs in mind, Litt and
too many scratch grains have less of an appetite for more Harper educate people about the use and
nutritious feed. If you are using scratch grains, feed them to offering of scratches. Scratches should not be
chickens in the afternoon after birds have eaten complete the only source of food a small flock receives.
feed, and then provide only as much scratch grains as chick- Scratches are always treats, and understand-
ens can finish in 15 to 20 minutes.” ing their content can improve the health of
your birds.
28 CHICKENS • ChickensMagazine.com
KALYPSO /STOCK.ADOBE.COM

COLD-SEASON SCRATCH Toys that require the hens to work harder to

During winter months, cracked corn is a obtain the treats promote activity, fight bore-
good addition to any scratch recipe. Cracked dom and keep hens busy. Rather than picking
corn is a high-energy carbohydrate made of on one another, hens will puzzle out how to get
starch and sugars. Chickens love it. Fed before their favorite treats.
dusk on cold days, the corn provides a thermic
effect creating heat as it’s digested. This helps SUMMER SCRATCH
hens stay warm on long winter nights. During the hot days of summer, eliminate
Scratches can also help bored hens during corn from scratch. Because corn stimulates
the wintertime. Cold months often limit hen metabolism, it can cause heat-related stress
activity levels, keeping them inside the coop for birds. The summer is a time to add alter-
and more sedentary than during other seasons. natives that provide nutrition, such as calcium
During these times, flocks become more dis- and protein.
ruptive, pecking at one another when boredom “Summer scratch can contain whole oats to
sets in. Scratch provides mental and physical help with heat stress,” Harper says.
stimulation for a small flock. It, along with dried soldier fly larva, which
“During the winter, I suggest that people adds calcium, is an excellent resource during
offer scratch in the form of a flock block or in the peak egg production days of summer.
a toy that makes the girls work harder for the Harper sees people mixing their own summer
food,” Harper says. scratch blends by including flax seed and
May/June 2023 • CHICKENS 29
 NORRIE39/STOCK.ADOBE.COM
Scratch in win-
ter can provide
some enter-
tainment for
your cooped-
up birds, while
summer might
be better
served with
garden
leftovers.

RETBOOL /STOCK.ADOBE.COM

MICHAEL FRITZEN /STOCK.ADOBE.COM

It’s not neces-
sary to feed
scratch grains
to chickens
that receive
a complete
diet. However,
scratch is a
great treat
and can pro-
vide added
energy in
winter (right).

Throw some
scratch in a
compost pile
(far right), and raisins along with the whole oats. Hens that Harper suggests a wide range of ingredients
let the chick- have some free-range time in a backyard each when blending your own. She uses mealworms,
ens mix it up day gain the benefits of nature’s own scratch: dried soldier fly larva, oats, barley, wheat, flax
while looking new grass, insects, seeds, weeds and more. seed — which is high in omega-3 for egg laying
for snacks. These fresh local foods are great for flock health — sunflower seeds, raisins, kelp and a vitamin/
because hens must work hard to find them. mineral supplement. Harper also suggests mak-
ing grit available on a free-feed basis.
MIX & MATCH
Litt and Harper offer their own special SCRATCH CAUTIONS
blends of premixed, seasonally sensitive Chickens can — like humans — become
scratches. Each shop owner also provides addicted to their favorite scratch food items.
scratch bars with resources for customers to Litt says that these hens become pushy,
make their own blends. grumpy and demanding, expecting and
30 CHICKENS • ChickensMagazine.com
choosing available scratch over the
feed they need for a balanced diet.
Employ a tough-love approach;
give hens limited access to scratches,
with their health and well-being in
mind. Too much scratch can cause
health problems including weight
gain, longer molts and summer dol-
drums in egg production.
Litt and his wife, Hannah, work
to find natural resources for hens
that promote better health and egg
production. The pair co-authored A
Chicken in Every Yard (2011) and have
researched the use of natural options
for feed and scratches. For instance,
Hannah Litt discovered that black
cumin (nigella sativa) seeds could sup-
port egg production and size.
The Litts offer it in a mash so
that none of the tiny black seeds
are wasted. Their interest includes
energy for hens. For instance, ama-
ranth is another scratch ingredient
that can add protein energy.
Robert Litt noted that people often
offer hens kitchen scraps, such as
pastas and bread. These too have low
nutritional value because they don’t
contain much protein. Small meat
scraps are a good protein option.
Some people have begun grow-
ing their own scratch. This includes
raising fodder by sprouting seeds
that are fresh and inviting. Litt sug-
gests a windowsill fodder system.
Chickens also like silage, fer-
mented greens left from the summer
season. Silage offers helpful pro-
biotics that are partially digested
and enable chicken keepers to offer
greens throughout the winter. Circle No. 121 on the Reader Service Card.

Overall, scratches offer benefits in

moderation; just like us, hens need
care and attention when it comes to
choosing a diet. Seasonal offerings can
help your hens have successful molts
in the fall and winter and begin the
spring and summer season with good
egg production. Experiment with cre-
ating your own scratches by observing
what your hens do and don’t prefer.

Deb Brandt grew up on a hobby farm with

dogs, horses, goats and a rooster named
Clarence. Today, she lives in Indianapolis,
Indiana.

May/June 2023 • CHICKENS 31

Whenever you order your
chicks — be it late fall or early
spring — make sure your
brooder is ready to go when
they arrive home.
BY CHICKENS MAGAZINE EDITORS

oohoo! New chicks are in the

mail or you’re about to make
a run to the farm-supply store
to pick some up. Either way,
make sure to set up your
brooder about 48 hours before they arrive. This
will allow time for bedding and equipment to
dry and the temperature to set. Also, check the
following off your list.

■ Check for drafts.

.
■ Ensure proper ventilation
or broken windows.
■ Repair or replace loose
ring or walls.
■ Check for damaged floo
ting boxes or roosts.
■ Check for damaged nes
r.
■ Put down fresh, clean litte
feeder s and waterers.
■ Clean and repair
t.)
(Check metal waterers for rus
oth er ele ctrical items
■ Check any lighting or
in the coop.
your heaters.
■ If coop is heated, check
or damage that
■ Examine the run for holes
could let predators in.
in a tarp.
■ Consider wrapping the run
objects inside
■ Check for debris or sharp
and outside.
your chicks for the
■ Provide a small roost for
first week or two. FOTOPROFF/STOCK.ADOBE.COM
May/June 2023 • CHICKENS 33
 COURTESY WHITE HOUSE ON THE HILL

Mandarin ducks
line up in a row.

34 CHICKENS • ChickensMagazine.com
Exotic
Products
Raise birds of another feather on the farm
for a few extra clucks.
BY JESSICA JAINCHILL

W
hen it comes to the list of expanded their homesteading efforts
homestead animals to raise, into self-sustainability. “When we
exotic birds usually aren’t started to look up how to take care of
at the top. In fact, for many chickens, it just kind of opened our
homesteaders, exotic birds eyes to a whole other world,” he says.
may not even be on the list. As far as “There’s growing your own food and
usefulness goes, these bird breeds give raising your family out in the country
more in good looks than meat or eggs. where you’re doing it all together.”
However, Jake, a Missouri home- Working with his landlords, Jake
steader who runs an exotic bird expanded his homestead into gar-
menagerie and the YouTube channel dening, but since he was on a rental
“White House on the Hill,” has found property, he had to keep his main
that colorful birds such as Mandarin focus on birds. Unabashed, he turned
Ducks or White Peacocks actually have an old shed into a chicken coop, built
real profitability that you might want mobile chicken tractors to house his
to start considering. growing chicken flock and started
Though Jake now lives and home- hatching his own birds.
steads on his own land, he originally “That’s where we got into some
started his homesteading career on other types of exotic birds,” he says.
a rental farm in Missouri. As a farm “We got some Red Golden Pheasants
renter, he realized he had the chance and Mandarin Ducks and peacocks.”
to raise chickens, so he and his family Once he mastered hatching birds,
started with a dozen chicks — 10 of Jake was ready to set off and explore
which turned out to be roosters. Though the vast world of exotic birds, ranging
the batch of chicks didn’t pan out as from White Peacocks and emus to
he’d hoped, these chicks were the first midnight black Ayam Cemani chick-
step in Jake’s homesteading career. ens. And much to his benefit, the
Soon he became aware of other exotic bird world held a promising
homesteading families who had niche market.

May/June 2023 • CHICKENS 35

 P;HOTOS COURTESY WHITE HOUSE ON THE HILL
The White THE EXOTIC BIRD MARKET Facebook, or preferably, meet up with or have
House on An exotic bird may not top everyone’s someone vouch for the seller.
the Hill fam- Christmas list, but Jake has found the market Still scammers online aren’t exactly a new
ily lives on a surprisingly vigorous. “There’s a good market phenomenon, and it shouldn’t be too difficult
40-acre farm for a lot of the birds,” he says. “Emus can get for homesteaders to pick up the difference
that they’re pretty expensive the more mature they get. An and do well in the exotic bird market. Jake has
building from egg can be about $50, and a hatched emu chick already noticed more exotic bird breeders enter-
scratch can be a $150 and then a 6-month-old can ing the market, causing the market to blossom
with chickens be $300.” Jake’s rainbow-sheened Mandarin with demand. This demand is leading breeders
and other Ducks also do well on the market, and their to import and breed more rare fowl, like Jake’s
exotic fowl. sales offset many expenses on his homestead, White Peacocks, Red Golden Pheasants and the
making it easier for him to expand or start vast array of other rare birds he raises.
other homesteading projects. Jake has also noted that postal deliveries
However, though the exotic bird industry is have made raising and selling exotic birds
a promising and growing industry, you need much simpler and even provide guarantees
to be aware that the market has scammers for the safety of shipped livestock. The exotic
lurking in it. Facebook is one of the places bird market demand and new delivery conve-
Jake recommends beginners look for exotic niences make it less of a risk for homesteaders
bird breeds, but he warns that exotic bird to try exotic birds as an investment, at least
scammers also consider this platform prime enough to get their feet a bit wet before taking
hunting grounds. the full plunge into raising exotic birds.
“You have to be kind of cautious when
you’re on Facebook,” he says, “because there HOUSING & FEEDING
are a lot of foreign scammers who are scam- For those ready and set to bring exotic birds
ming people in the U.S. who will pay $200 for onto the homestead, the first step is con-
a bird. You might try to buy ducks, pay $200 structing an enclosure. Jake houses his birds
and you never get the ducks.” Jake advises in stress-free chicken tractors or 6-by-11-foot
that people buy their exotic birds locally off of coops that are 5½ feet high. Concerning how
36 CHICKENS • ChickensMagazine.com
 Peafowl
(peachick far
left; adult male
left) represent
the more well-
known birds
found on the
exotic bird
market.

many birds you can keep in an enclosure like any other home-based project, which is why
this, he keeps two peafowl in one, six pheasants Jake emphasizes: Have. A. Plan.
in another and six ducks in another. Exotic birds aren’t like the regular barn-
“I also recommend a hallway pen (15-by- yard chickens and often have different needs
15 feet) situation or larger for several birds that should be well-researched before they
to breed together,” he says. “For 10-plus are brought onto a homestead. For instance,
birds together, I would go a little larger and while chickens might be happy behind chicken
build a run and shelter that would be at least wire, a 6-foot emu will kick right through such
30-by-30-feet with a netted top to give them flimsy fencing. Jake recommends doing plenty
space to roam, space to get out of the elements of research to ensure the proper enclosure for
and protection from predators.” an exotic bird.
And as with any living animal you raise,
you’ll have to consider feed for your birds. The
feed Jake likes to use includes layer pellets
and game-bird feed which is a combination of
corn, milo, whole oat groats, sunflower seeds,
Canadian peas, maple peas and oyster shells.
However, he does occasionally use pigeon or
chicken feed, and in order to add some natural
feed to his birds’ diets, he uses movable fencing
and chicken coops to rotate his birds on pasture.

TRICKS OF THE TRADE

You may have already discovered the
hazards of jumping into a new project with
blinders on. Somehow that picture in your
mind’s eye just doesn’t pan out like it should
have. Raising exotic birds is no different than Jake’s son, Eli, with emus, Bamboo and Cashew.

May/June 2023 • CHICKENS 37

 PHOTOS COURTESY WHITE HOUSE ON THE HILL
Exotic bird
eggs (above)
can be
sold online.

Since covid-19,
post offices
have made
shipping adult
and juvenile
exotic birds
such as man-
darin ducks (far
right) easier for
the exotic bird
seller (right).

When he started keeping Red Golden Jake’s emus, arrive in big trailers and have to
Pheasants, a breed known for flightiness, be carefully transported to well-prepared pens.
one of his male pheasants taught him that Also, since bird diseases aren’t anyone’s cup
researching an exotic bird’s needs, like an of tea, Jake aways makes plans to ensure that
enclosure, can save a lot of effort later. The new birds don’t accidentally contaminate his
bird lived in a structure not built for flighty other birds while they are on their way to their
birds and could easily fly out when someone quarantine pens.
was entering the coop’s door — which it did. So far he hasn’t had any problems, but
“We chased him around the property, and when it comes to expensive birds, he doesn’t
he could have very easily flown away,” Jake want to take any chances and always
says. Thankfully, Jake and his family were able prepares when new arrivals come to his
to get the bird back where he belonged but not homestead. “There’s always that first time
everyone can be so fortunate. In the long run, that wipes out other birds, and that’s why we
well-researching an exotic bird’s needs will spend a few days observing them just to be
keep both the bird and you happy. sure,” he says.
The big step, and maybe the most exciting, Like most livestock introduced on a home-
is the exotic bird’s big arrival on the home- stead for the first time, the preparation for
stead. At this point, Jake always considers raising exotic birds is the expensive part, so
what sort of container his birds will arrive you’ll need some sort of plan to make back
in and how he can safely and securely move the money you put into the project; otherwise,
them to a quarantined area before adding you’re going to end up with a very pretty,
them to his main flock. but expensive and time-consuming, pet. Jake
Though many birds come in boxes or are recommended that, in order to make back
delivered to doorsteps, some birds, such as the finances put into raising exotic birds,
38 CHICKENS • ChickensMagazine.com
JAY/STOCK.ADOBE.COM

you should make a business plan for selling Homesteaders are supposed to raise things Guineas can
chicks, adult birds or eggs. that give back in some way, right? And Jake be difficult
“When you’re on a homestead, everything would 100% agree. to raise:
costs money,” he says. “You’re growing your “While exotic birds can’t provide food for us, They’re very
own food and raising your own animals. we can sell them to make money and offset fast, can soar
Wherever you can offset expenses or make feed costs,” he says. “Having something to pro- great distances
money is a good thing.” vide a product of value is a good thing on your and go wher-
Of course, as with other livestock, home- homestead.” ever the heck
steaders interested in exotic birds must keep Jake added that homesteading, in addition they want.
in mind that predators can still be a problem. to creating income and food for the family,
Jake must contend with the usual suspects: should be enjoyable. Though Jake always seeks
owls, foxes, hawks, raccoons, etc. Fortunately, to make back his money, he picks many of the
trial and error have helped him deal with his breeds he raises just because they strike him
predator issues. as interesting or beautiful. And he enjoys his
“Most of our birds are kept in coops and fowls’ beauty each day as he and his family
closed up,” he says. “We put fencing in the work to care for the birds that help supple-
ground and electric outside the fence so a rac- ment their income.
coon can’t climb up the fence. We’re trying to “We want to have beauty everywhere we
make it as protected as possible. Normally, we look, so we really enjoy having birds that are
use chicken tractors, and those are cheap.” both fun and for profit,” Jake says.

WHY SHOULD I DO THIS? Jessica Jainchill is a freelance writer and editor from
Naturally, you may wonder why you Missouri. She and her family live on a 1-acre farm and
would raise exotic birds in the first place? enjoy planting gardens and raising small livestock.

May/June 2023 • CHICKENS 39

DEALING
with
TEENAGERS
40 CHICKENS • ChickensMagazine.com
 Chickens start acting like
human teenagers at about 8 weeks.
ARTICLE & PHOTOS BY BRUCE INGRAM

VIDADY/STOCK.ADOBE.COM

May/June 2023 • CHICKENS 41

 D
o you remember how adorable “Basically around 6 to 8 weeks after hatch-
those cute chicks were when they ing, the mother hen senses it’s time to stop
first hatched, seemingly just a protecting her chicks,” he says. “If the mother
few days ago? Do you recall how and her young are in a run with other hens
dependent those little puffballs and their young flocks, the hen may not even
were on their mother hen, and how they ran to know or care which chicks were once hers.
her every time she gave the food cluck? “On the other hand, the former chicks are
Now, some eight weeks later, these once no longer looking for their mother to provide
fetching little creatures are gangly little cock- protection or food. Besides, the mother is likely
erels and pullets with scruffy feathers and big no longer giving the food cluck to her young.
feet (especially the males). Worst of all, they If she’s found some kind of bug, for example,
often flaunt a little bit of an attitude — con- she’s likely eating it herself.”
stantly bopping each other with their wings or
using their tiny beaks as weapons. CHARLOTTE’S LOT
Welcome to the world of teenage chick- Ironically, when I was assigned this story,
ens, that in-between stage when our chooks my heritage Rhode Island Red hen, Charlotte,
are no longer chicks but they certainly aren’t had recently stopped caring for her five chicks,
full-fledged (pun intended) roosters and hens, which consist of four females and one male.
These 2-month- either. This time period is also when the mother Three-year-old Charlotte had nurtured her
old Rhode hen and her offspring basically seem to mutu- flock for 10 weeks, which is the longest she
Island Reds ally agree that the time of mama shepherding has ever done so during the three summers
have entered them through their day is kaput. Tom Watkins, she has gone broody. I attribute the longer
the “teenage” president of McMurray Hatchery, gives insight mothering period to the fact that I gave her a
stage. on this trying time for chicken raisers. chick, named Lucky, which had hatched inside

42 CHICKENS • ChickensMagazine.com
 The cockerel
(left) and the
pullet (right)
are both show-
ing clear signs
of their sexes.
The cocker-
el’s wattles
and comb are
clearly more
pronounced.

an incubator. The other chicks were 10 days

older than Lucky, who had become exception-
ally dependent on Charlotte because of the
former’s small size and having older, larger
chicks nearby.
Interestingly, during weeks eight through
10 of the “mothering period,” Tom, Charlotte’s
sole cockerel, was extremely combative toward
her and the rest of the flock. One morning
when I opened the henhouse door, Tom
rushed out, chest bumped his fellow flock
mates, then headed for Charlotte and pulled
the same maneuver on her.
She suffered the initial blow but retaliated
with four hard pecks to his head and torso,
which sent Tom squalling to the remote
regions of the run. The next three mornings, it
was Charlotte that initiated the assaults, using
her beak to hammer her teenage male into
submission. At this writing, Tom has never
challenged his mother again. I asked Watkins
about this behavior.
“After the mother hen is through raising her
chicks, she is still going to want to be on top of
the pecking order; it’s instinctive,” he says. “But
I also believe the cockerel’s behavior you described
had little to do with his sex nor is it a breed-
specific behavior. The behavior had little to do
with an individual chicken’s personality, either.
“Although the drive to become the alpha
The author’s heritage Rhode Island Red cockerel, Tom is more likely to come from a young rooster,
(pictured), was regarded as a keeper at 13 weeks. I would also add that if the cockerel hadn’t
May/June 2023 • CHICKENS 43
It’s time to cull
some cockerels
at 2 months
of age (if not
before).

At 24 weeks of
age, this pullet
(right) is laying
her second egg
while her flock-
mate waits
her turn to do
the same.

44 CHICKENS • ChickensMagazine.com
 When a teenage chook has a chance to escape its
tormenting flock members, skirmishes are less likely as
each pullet and cockerel is off doing its proverbial own
thing. Indeed, at this contentious stage of chicken development,
letting your birds range about for a few hours every day is one of
the best ways to defuse issues among flock members.
challenged the mother hen, sooner or later one more confident about predicting their sex
of the pullets would have. Again, it’s instinc- when the chicks are about 6 weeks of age. The
tive in a chicken to be the dominant one.” waddles and combs of the cockerels are well
developed by that age.
KIDS WANT FREEDOM “But, on the other hand, some roosters and
Watkins relates that conflicts among teenage hens are much slower to develop, and it’s
chickens become fewer if our birds can be put very easy to make a mistake when that is the
out to pasture. When a teenage chook has a case. A lot of people will get fooled when they
chance to escape its tormenting flock members, see the first little stub of a comb appear, and
skirmishes are less likely as each pullet and they think that has to belong to a rooster. But
cockerel is off doing its proverbial own thing. that little comb could turn out to belong to a
Indeed, at this contentious stage of chicken fast-developing hen.”
development, letting your birds range about for I agree with Watkins’ assessment. For exam-
a few hours every day is one of the best ways to ple, last spring my wife, Elaine, and I had two
defuse issues among flock members. different sets of chicks, six in one flock and
“I don’t care whether you have six birds or five in the other. At week four for the former
200, letting your chickens free-range for at congregation, I told Elaine that the ratio was
least a short time every day is good for them four females to two males, whereas in another
and heads off problems that result from being two weeks, it was clear that we possessed
cooped up,” Watkins says. “Being outside equal numbers of pullets and cockerels. At
on pasture also helps chicks and teenagers week four for the second gang, I guessed the
develop earlier. The birds seem to feather-out tally was three males and two females. A
sooner, as well, and their foraging skills fortnight later, Elaine and I were clearly the
develop quicker. I believe that chicks raised caretakers of four pullets and one cockerel. In
under a heat lamp are the slowest ones to short, by the time the mother hen is finished
develop. Being outside and on pasture helps taking care of her offspring, chicken raisers
chickens develop in a survival of the fittest- should be able to easily identify their genders.
type way. Before that period, guesses are only guesses.
“Being outside also helps develop your chick- During the teenage period, both sexes’
en’s curiosity. There is so more to do outside: growth rates continue to be quite rapid. By
searching for bugs and seeds, for example. week 16, the general advice is that we should
I also think being outside at a younger age stop giving our young flocks chick feed and
enables birds to leave their mother hen earlier replace it with layer rations. Elaine feels that
in their lives. But that’s just an opinion.” our flocks of this age do better with a mixture
of the two until the chick feed, which is such a
CHANGES high-protein diet, disappears. This time period
Certainly two of the more interesting aspects also brings forth another behavior.
during the time when a chick transitions “At 16 weeks, cockerels can become more
into the teenage period is the development sexually aggressive toward the hens and more
of sex-related anatomy and the change in combative with each other as their hormones
behavior. rise,” Watkins says. “A lot of young roosters
“People send pictures all the time to like to fight with each other.”
McMurray Hatchery wanting us to identify By weeks 20 to 22, if not before, breeding
whether a chick is a male or female,” Watkins attempts will be common among teenage
says. “Some people claim that they can sex males. The cockerels will frequently try
chicks when they’re 2 weeks old, but I’m much to mount the hens and pullets. From my
May/June 2023 • CHICKENS 45
Two pullet observations, older hens will often respond HARVESTING
eggs, laid with aggressive moves, especially pecking, Elaine and I don’t wait until week 16 to begin
when the toward the unwanted advances while pullets culling. At week seven (when we are absolutely
young hens will attempt to escape a cockerel’s advances. sure of every bird’s sex), we position different
were 24 weeks If a cockerel does succeed in cornering a pul- colored leg bands on every cockerel so that we
old, flank let, his initial mounting attempts at this time can begin to recognize different behavior char-
the egg of a often fail because the male loses his balance. acteristics in each young male. For example, in
mature hen. Eventually, of course, the cockerels display our flock that featured three each of cockerels
competence in this area. and pullets, one of the former tried to bite me
Another of the most fascinating aspects of every time I picked him up. He was the first to
this time period is a cockerel trying to crow be culled, in week nine.
for the first time. The poor creature can’t His two cockerel flock mates also met a
seem to progress much beyond the first sylla- similar fate because of the presence of an out-
ble of the “cock-a-doodle-do,” and even that standing young male in the adjoining run, the
opening volley of future rooster-hood being aforementioned Tom. He was submissive when
announced is more comical than majestic. I picked him up and, despite his earlier scuffles
But gradually over the next four weeks or with his mother, sported a stately, aloof nature
so, the budding roos do become more adept and a calm disposition. With our 3-year-old
at crowing. And the feistiness between all rooster Friday ruling the adjoining run, Tom
these hormonal males can become even more was the only additional roo we needed.
intense. It’s at this time that chicken raisers,
if they haven’t already, should strongly con- THE EPIC DAY
sider culling their cockerels or try to find a The teenage weeks and months even-
new home for them. tually end, of course, and the best sign of
Watkins says one cockerel for every eight that is when pullets produce their first eggs.
to 10 hens is sufficient, and there is really no From Elaine’s and my experience, that’s
biological reason to keep more. around weeks 20 to 22 for industrial birds and
46 CHICKENS • ChickensMagazine.com
 Another of the most fascinating aspects of this time
period is a cockerel trying to crow for the first time.
The poor creature can’t seem to progress much beyond
the first syllable of the “cock-a-doodle-do,” and even that
opening volley of future rooster-hood being announced
is more comical than majestic. But gradually over the
next four weeks or so, the budding roos do become
more adept at crowing.

H
approximately 24 weeks for the heritage Rhode uman parents aren’t the only creatures
Island Reds we now raise. For example, this that experience trying times with teen-
past October when Elaine came out at midday agers. The teenage weeks and months
to check on our two flocks, she found a tiny, can obviously stress us chicken enthusiasts,
round, brown egg near the waterer in the run but when our cockerels give their first full-
where the pullets live. throated crows and our pullets lay their initial
Again, from our experience, pullets seem eggs, we forget the previous troubling times.
to be taken by surprise when that initial egg
develops within them. That’s why, at this Bruce Ingram has written more than 2,600 magazine
time, we search for random eggs in random articles and is the author of five books on river fishing and
places around the run. Nevertheless, by week floating, four young-adult fiction novels, a healthy living
25 last October, as is typical, all three of our and recipe book, and an upcoming children’s book. For
pullets were laying eggs in the henhouse’s more information, email [email protected]
nesting box. or visit his Facebook page at https://bit.ly/3sfbTVM.

Two teenage
pullets flank
the author’s
mother hen,
Charlotte. At
some point,
adults and
teenagerslose
interest in
the other
and go their
own ways.

May/June 2023 • CHICKENS 47

Chicken
Chat | column & photos by Malia F.

Poultry Lessons

I
n early 2021, my family was thinking about
getting some pet chickens for eggs. Every
weekend, we would go to farm-supply
stores for supplies. We even had a custom coop
built by a local builder. In April, we got our first
Rhode Island Red hens: Phoenix, Joe, Eater,
Daisy, Big Bird, Karen, Popcorn, Angela, Suni
and Jeffrey. The breeder said they were roughly
2 years old, but we believed they were older.
These hens were the sweetest birds I had
ever met. They would hear me coming outside
and immediately start “talking.” I spent hours
hanging out with them, taking care of them in
the morning and night and daydreaming about
them during school (especially during math!).
However, most passed away within a year or
two; we currently only have two left: Big Bird
(more on her later) and Daisy.
Malia and Chika wait to show at the 2022 county fair.
CHICKEN MATH
My brother, Carson, and I kept researching Every time I buy chickens, I get more creative
new chicken breeds and really wanted a rooster with breeds. This round of birds was one of the
and some more hens. We found a lady selling sweetest but sassiest. This was my first time
two Black Australorp hens, one Rhode Island with chicks, and I really discovered my love for
Red hen, one Easter Egger hen and an Easter these tiny little creatures. I just loved checking
Egger rooster because she was moving and on them, hanging out with them and hearing
didn’t want to transport them. their little peeps.
By that fall, it was time for more chickens!
I purchased some chicks at a farm-supply store SUBSTITUTE TEACHERS
with my own money: two Speckled Sussex, which Ever since 2018, Carson and I have been
is one of my favorite breeds; four Sapphire involved in 4-H, and we’re just starting to show
Gems; and two brown Easter Eggers. The chicks chickens. One of our club leaders asked us if
lived in the back of our horse trailer with a heat we would like to add a few baby chicks to their
lamp in a plastic pool lined with bedding. order. I excitedly started researching the best

Tell Us Your Story!

E mail the story of your chickens in ~750 words to [email protected] (subject line: Chicken
Chat). Be sure to include high-resolution images of yourself, your chickens and/or your coop. The author of
each issue’s published essay will receive five bags of naturally-grown hemp bedding from Eaton Pet & Pasture
(646-759-9247; www.eatonhemp.com), which will be your new favorite find for brooders and nesting boxes!
It’s virtually dust-free, soft and cozy, super absorbent and odor-eliminating, making it the perfect replacement
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District of Columbia, age 21 or older. Entries must be received between 12:00:01 a.m. PT on 04/25/2023
and 11:59:59 p.m. PT on 06/25/2023. See Official Rules on page 64. Void where prohibited by law.
Sponsor: EG Media Investments LLC

48 CHICKENS • ChickensMagazine.com
 ADDING DUCKS Malia and
In early June, we decided to add some ducks Greta face
to our flock and settled for four Muscovies. the judges
Muscovy ducks are the closest ducks to a at the
chicken and get along great. county fair
They are very odd because they don’t quack; (above left).
instead, they hiss and growl, and red bumps grow
all over their head. They sometimes frighten the Big Bird and
chickens. but they just really want to be friends. Daisy (Rhode
Island Reds,
SOCIAL STUDIES above) are
One of my original chickens, Big Bird, kept best friends.
getting bullied. Her coop mates would even
rip her feathers out. I knew I would eventually These are
have to do something. two of Malia’s
One day when I got home from school, Big Muscovy
Bird was sitting in the nesting box with her ducks,
head gushing blood and her flesh showing. My Skipper and
mom and I took her into our basement and put Lucy, as
breeds to show and decided on a Golden Laced her in a cat carrier. I visited her every day and babies (left).
Wyandotte. (To anybody who wants sweet birds came to realize there was something special
to start your flock, choose these! They’re the about this small, hopeless, old hen.
nicest birds and my favorites!) and a Plymouth We soon moved her into our shed into a dog
Rock. Carson chose a White Leghorn and a Buff kennel, where she loves spending time. Her
Orpington. (These two breeds are also super head healed perfectly, which I am very thank-
sweet, and I totally recommend them as well!) ful for. She also sometimes hangs out with her
Well, the hatchery messed up the order and bestie, Daisy. Big Bird is the first chicken that
didn’t send a Plymouth Rock but instead sent I really bonded with. I hope she has a smooth
two Black Stars. Although I was sad and disap- future and an easy rest of her life.
pointed, I am now thankful that they messed

I
up the order because my two Black Stars are love my chickens more and more every day.
such outgoing birds. Every time I walk into the This spring, I plan on getting more chicks:
coop, they run up and greet me. a Buff Cochin (this will be my first Cochin
In early August, Carson and I took our and I’m thrilled!), a red laced Blue Wyandotte
birds to the fair. I showed my Golden Laced and a Silver Spangled Hamburg. For any new
Wyandotte, Greta, in the showmanship class chicken owners, my advice is to start with
and the pullet class. She behaved very well and older chickens. They are way less maintenance
placed third. I also showed my Speckled Sussex than chicks, they produce eggs right away, and
hen, Chika, placing fourth. they’re extremely sweet.
My birds stayed the week at the fair. They loved
the extra attention, but by the end, they were Malia F. lives in Prescott, Wisconsin. She prefers
ready to get back home and see their friends. cold-hardy breeds with sweet dispositions.
May/June 2023 • CHICKENS 49
 Use a broody chicken to hatch duck eggs.
BY GAIL DAMEROW

50 CHICKENS • ChickensMagazine.com
 lthough duck eggs take a week lon-

A ger to hatch than chicken eggs, a

chicken hen can successfully hatch
duck eggs. A chicken can cover
about 12 eggs of the same size she
produces. To hatch duck eggs that are larger
than her own, don’t expect her to handle more
than about 10. If the duck eggs are smaller than
her own (such as those of a bantam duck), she
might be able to cover as many as 18.
All the eggs must fit handily beneath her.
If any stick out around the edge, chances are
she’ll eventually rotate them back under her
and let some other eggs take a turn getting
chilled, until they all fail to hatch. Because
duck eggs take longer to hatch than the 21 days
required for chicken eggs, use a proven broody
hen to hatch them. A hen that’s brooding
for the first time may not stick around long
enough to finish the job.
All the eggs in a nest must hatch at approxi-
mately the same time so the ducklings can leave
the nest together, under the protection of the
mother hen. Therefore, once you are assured
that the chicken is indeed broody, remove what-
ever eggs are in her nest and replace them with
the number of duck eggs you wish to hatch.
Chickens typically mother ducklings as if they
were their own. Some chickens become upset
if their newly hatched babies waddle into water
for a swim. Others, however, take it in stride,
jumping right in and
happily paddling
around right along
with the ducklings.

Gail Damerow lives on a

farm in Tennessee where
she and her husband keep
poultry and dairy goats,
tend a sizable garden, and
maintain a small orchard.
She has authored more Excerpted from
than a dozen books, An Absolute Beginner’s
including Storey’s Guide Guide to Raising
to Raising Chickens; Backyard Ducks
several Chickens magazine © by Gail Damerow.
articles; and blogs at Used with permission
www.gaildamerow.com. from Storey Publishing.

© COBIE MARTIN/ALAMY STOCK PHOTO

May/June 2023 • CHICKENS 51
 COURTESY TRISTAN PEIRCE

52 CHICKENS • ChickensMagazine.com
 Raising the
BAR Fresh raw eggs add froth and creaminess
to cocktails and icy blender drinks.
BY SIGNE LANGFORD

ou probably already know this, but there’s no reason to shy away

Y from drinking — or eating — your own backyard-fresh eggs raw.

They’re good, healthy food; when hens are kept right, in a clean
environment, with plenty of fresh air, sunshine and grass, the
chances of an overgrowth of bad bacteria are slim.
Folks have been adding raw egg — whites, yolks or both — to drinks and foods
for centuries. Yolks and whole eggs add an unmistakable rich, silky, creaminess
without adding dairy, and adding whites to a cocktail shaker gives drinks a pro-
fessional foamy top and velvety texture. Seven heavenly eggcellent concoctions
perfect for summer sipping appear on the following pages. Enjoy!
Tip: When using raw eggs in recipes, always break the egg into a bowl first,
before adding it to the rest of the ingredients. That way you can discard any with
unappealing blood spots or ones that don’t pass the sniff test, without contami-
nating the other ingredients and ruining the whole recipe.
Disclaimer: Consuming raw or undercooked meats, poultry, seafood, shellfish or eggs
may increase your risk of food-borne illness, especially if you have a certain medical con-
dition; are pregnant, elderly, very young; or have a compromised immune system. Before
beginning a recipe, it’s recommended to do the necessary research and make appropriate
food-handling decisions. You assume full responsibility for any food handling and cooking
doneness decisions made regarding your own health and safety, and the health and safety
of those consuming the recipes.

Signe Langford is a chicken-keeper, a gardener and a chef. She is the author of Happy Hens &
Fresh Eggs: Keeping chickens in the kitchen garden, with 100 recipes (Douglas & McIntyre, 2015).

May/June 2023 • CHICKENS 53

 Liquid Lemon Meringue
Limoncello is a sweet- YIELD: 2 drinks PREPARATION
tart Italian lemon liqueur Add all ingredients to a
that’s great to have on INGREDIENTS cocktail shaker half-filled
hand for making cocktails • 1 ounce plain or vanilla with ice. Shake well for at
and baking; it’s lovely and vodka least 30 seconds – really
refreshing on its own over • ¼ cup freshly squeezed develop a thick, meringue-
ice after a meal or simply lemon juice like foam; hold the ice
added to chilled fizzy water. • ¼ cup limoncello back and pour into two
This pretty cocktail delivers • 1 free-range egg white generous martini glasses.
the flavor of the classic pie • lemon peel to garnish Garnish with a bit of lemon
without the baking! (optional) peel, if desired.

COURTESY TRISTAN PEIRCE

54 CHICKENS • ChickensMagazine.com
 Cool & Calm
This healthy, rich but refreshing blender mock-
tail is just what the doctor ordered for any time of
day. Brew the green tea the day before and refrig-
erate, but don’t leave the tea leaves — or bags
— in the pot, or the brew will become bitter.
YIELD: 2 drinks

INGREDIENTS
• 1 cup brewed and chilled jasmine or
plain green tea
• 1 whole free-range egg
• 2 tablespoons maple or agave syrup
• 1 cup whole dairy or chilled plain almond milk
• 4 ice cubes

PREPARATION
Add everything to a blender and blend on high
into a smoothie; pour into two glasses. Serve
immediately as this drink may separate if left to sit
for too long.
To take this from mocktail to cocktail, add ¼ cup
of green tea liqueur and eliminate the syrup.
COURTESY TRISTAN PEIRCE

Blueberry Maple Sour

This is so pretty and so delicious! We’ve used a specialty liqueur
from Quebec called Sortilège, but any whiskey or bourbon-based
maple liqueur will do.
YIELD: 2 drinks

INGREDIENTS
• ½ cup frozen blueberries
• ¼ cup whiskey or bourbon
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1 free-range egg white
• ¼ cup Sortilège or other maple liqueur
• 2 to 4 dashes Angostura bitters; depending on how tart you like
things
• thin lime slices to garnish

PREPARATION
Into a blender, add frozen blueberries, lime juice and whiskey;
blend on high until puréed. Let stand for at least 20 minutes or longer;
COURTESY TRISTAN PEIRCE

the berries will infuse flavor and color into the whiskey. Strain through
a fine sieve or cheesecloth; discard the blueberry pulp. You should
end up with about 2⁄3 cup of infused blueberry whiskey.
Into a cocktail shaker, add the strained blueberry-whiskey mixture,
egg white, maple liqueur, and bitters; shake well for at least 30 sec-
onds. Strain into two tumblers with ice and garnish with a lime slice.
May/June 2023 • CHICKENS 55
 TIP:
When using raw egg Creamy Vanilla-Orange Nog
white in a cocktail, Christmas isn’t the only time for nog! Made with
it’s a good idea to pick out fresh, raw, whole eggs and cream or milk, nogs are rich,
the chalazae — that solid creamy and frothy, and perfect for brunch. Combining
white squiggly thing con- vanilla and orange gives this velvety treat its delightful
necting the yolk to the white; creamsicle flavor. Don’t substitute the freshly squeezed
it’s never fun to find it OJ for anything less; store-bought is just too acidic.
in your drink! YIELD: 2 drinks

INGREDIENTS
• 1 small tin mandarin orange slices in syrup;
drained, syrup reserved
• 1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
• ¼ cup vanilla vodka
• 1 whole free-range egg
• 1 tablespoon reserved syrup from tinned manda-
rin orange slices
• 2 tablespoons 35% or whipping cream
• 8 ice cubes

PREPARATION
Make the garnish in advance (optional): Thread
several mandarin slices onto two skewers and set
aside in the freezer on a bit of wax paper several
COURTESY DONNA GRIFFITH

hours or the day before. You could also just simply

garnish with a couple of orange slices.
Into a blender, add the orange juice, vodka, egg,
mandarin syrup and two ice cubes; blend until smooth.
Pour into tumblers with the remaining ice; gar-
nish with frozen mandarin slices.

Mango Flip
Like nogs, flips are silky and frothy and call for
fresh, raw, whole eggs. Unlike nogs, they don’t call
for cream or milk. This rum-spiked smoothie is ultra-
thick without being overly rich. Serve in a tall glass
with a garnish of frozen mango.
YIELD: 2 drinks

INGREDIENTS
• 1 cup frozen mango chunks, plus extra for
garnishing
• ¾ cup mango nectar
• ¼ cup white rum. (Darker rums test fine, but
muddy the lovely orange color.)
• 1 whole, free-range egg
• 4 ice cubes
COURTESY TRISTAN PEIRCE

PREPARATION
Into a blender, add the mango, mango nec-
tar, rum, egg and ice cubes; blend on high until
smooth.
Pour into 2 glasses and garnish with some
skewered fresh or frozen mango chunks.
56 CHICKENS • ChickensMagazine.com
 Chocolate-Brandy Cream
If you enjoy that classic 1980s cocktail, the
Brandy Alexander, you’ll love this chocolaty ver-
sion. Rich, sweet, creamy and decadent, serve this
after dinner instead of dessert. And speaking of
dessert, drizzle a splash of this cocktail over dishes
of vanilla ice cream for a grownup sundae.
YIELD: 2 to 4 drinks depending on size and type
of glass

INGREDIENTS
• ¼ cup brandy
• ¼ cup dark crème de cacao liqueur or
coffee liqueur such as Kahlua
• ¼ cup white crème de cacao liqueur
• 1 whole free-range egg
• ¼ cup 18% or table cream
• Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg or cocoa or
shaved chocolate to garnish (optional)
COURTESY DONNA GRIFFITH

PREPARATION
Add all ingredients except the nutmeg/cocoa
to a blender with about 4 ice cubes and blend on
high until smooth; pour into glasses and garnish
with a tiny sprinkle of nutmeg or cocoa or shaved
chocolate, if desired.

Raspberry-Rose Ginny
The essence of rose is perfect with gin. Add raspberry and you’ve
got an ode to springtime and summer; adding egg white to this elegant
cocktail makes it frothy and smooth. Gin runs the gamut of flavor pro-
files from juniper-forward to herbal to floral and melon. Look for a gin
with notes of rose petal, such as Hendrick’s from Scotland. Rose syrup
is easy to make but can also be found in specialty food shops or online.
YIELD: 2 drinks

INGREDIENTS
• ¼ cup gin
• 2 tablespoons rose syrup
• 1 tablespoon homemade seedless raspberry jelly or excellent qual-
ity store-bought
• 1 free-range egg white

PREPARATION
First make the rose syrup. Add 1⁄3 cup rosewater and 3 tablespoons
of vanilla sugar to a small saucepan over medium-high heat and bring
up to a simmer. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring often, until sugar is
dissolved. Set aside to cool; transfer to a bottle or jar and refrigerate
until ready to start bartending. Do this up to a couple of weeks before
COURTESY TRISTAN PEIRCE

and store, covered, in the fridge. It needs to be cold when used in the
cocktail.
For the cocktail: Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker with
ice. Shake vigorously and strain into 2 pretty martini or champagne
glasses. Garnish with rose petals if you can find some organic ones!

May/June 2023 • CHICKENS 57

 General Store
Bring the chickens inside with rooster, hen and chic(k) décor.
compiled by Sarah E. Coleman

DORAZETT/STOCK.ADOBE.COM

58 CHICKENS • ChickensMagazine.com
 1

6 8

1. The CHICKEN WHEELCHAIR is specifically designed for birds weighing less that 17 pounds and suitable for birds with deformed or missing legs; this
custom support system has one or two holes for the legs and an opening at the back for elimination. www.K9carts.com 2. The wooden TENDER LEAF
CHICKEN COOP is made for ages 3 and up and includes a rooster, two hens, eggs, nests and feeder. www.whyandwhale.com 3. This DECORATIVE
STEAMER, made of cast iron with an enamel finish, adds humidity to a room and can be used on any wood, coal, pellet or corn-burning stove.
www.usstove.com 4. The BABY CHICK CARE KIT includes First Peep feed supplement, Chick E-lixir growth aid, Coop Recuperate coop care and
a Baby Chick Success Guide. www.getstronganimals.com 5. Author and former chicken-keeper Jane Finch, a member of the International Thriller
Writers Inc., takes a break from crime fiction to write poems about our favorite animals for purchase on http://getbook.at/chickens or find out more about
her at https://finchlark.webs.com. 6. Ideal for stashing change and other small items, this CHICKEN CHANGE PURSE is an easy way to try crocheting.
Download the free pattern, and buy all the items you need at www.yarnspirations.com. 7. A PERSONALIZED CUTTING BOARD is a unique housewarm-
ing, birthday or wedding gift. With multiple options for material, size and engraving, you can customize this cutting board to their favorite flock.
www.etsy.com/shop/EngrainedMemories 8. Welcome warmer weather with these CHICKEN-INSPIRED EARRINGS featuring a hen with a flower
crown. Made of hardboard that is laser cut and printed, they’re lightweight and nickel-free. www.etsy.com/shop/ByMissSally

May/June 2023 • CHICKENS 59

THE FARMERS MARKET
Bonus
Flock Talk | by Ana Hotaling

Fungus Among Us
F ungi are unicellular and
multicellular organisms that
thrive throughout the world.
They don’t rely on photosynthesis
for energy but rather derive their
ASPERGILLOSIS is most
commonly caused by the fungus
Aspergillus fumigatus. It can affect all
domestic and captivity-raised birds
— your chickens, of course, but even
nutrition directly from absorption. zoo penguins are at risk. Younger
They secrete enzymes onto the sur- birds are more at risk to this dis-
faces they grow on, absorbing the ease, which causes lesions in the
nutrients those enzymes digest. lungs, air sacs and trachea, causing
Taxonomists have identified afflicted animals to gasp for air.
approximately 100,000 varieties Chickens and pigeons may occa-
• Easily stackable of fungus and believe as many as sionally develop painful, itchy skin
• Made from 100% recycled materials 11⁄2 million exsist in the world. While lesions as well as inflamed eyes.
• Reusable and recyclable most of these are harmless to other Aspergillosis will affect an entire
living organisms, several aren’t. In flock versus a handful of birds, with
• Customizable labels
specific conditions — darkness, tem- a high mortality rate.
• Cradles multiple chicken egg sizes perature, and humidity are all crucial CANDIDIASIS, also known
• Thicker tri-fold design provides more factors — these fungi can produce as thrush, is caused by Candida
durability and security toxins called mycotoxins that can albicans, a saccharomycete fungus
• Easily cleaned cause disease and, in extreme cases, more commonly called yeast. C.
death amongst our chickens. albicans typically resides within
Unfortunately, it isn’t easy to the gastrointestinal tract of
Made in USA
tell when a fungal disease affects animals (including humans), par-
Chicks dig us our flock. Unlike viral or bacterial ticipating in the digestive process
infections, fungal diseases for the and kept in check by the presence
FOUND IN STORES AND ONLINE most part do not cause such visible of beneficial bacteria.
symptoms as sneezing, mucous Candidiasis typically occurs when
ro-brands.com discharge or lethargy. Diagnosis is
usually done by microscope, often
long-term antibiotics have been
used. These antibiotics not only kill
Circle No. 112 on the Reader Service Card. at the necropsy table. off harmful bacteria but the helpful
If you sense a general unwell- flora as well. This allows C. albicans
ness amongst your flock, trust your to flourish unchecked.
instincts. Fungus may very well Candidiasis can be identified
cause one of these five fungal con- by the thick, bright-white mucus
ditions in your chickens. that coats a chicken’s tongue,
AFLATOXICOSIS results mouth and esophagus. Oral mucus
from highly toxic mycotoxins produces a characteristic strong,
produced by the fungi Aspergillus fruit-like odor. Fortunately, can-
flavus and Penicillium puberlum. didiasis can be treated with an
These toxins are collectively called antifungal, Nystatin, available via
aflatoxins. They can establish a prescription from a veterinarian.
tenacious, extremely stable exis- TRICHOTHECENE MYCO-
tence in poultry feed. TOXINS is a group of toxins
Afflicted birds display a lack results from many different types
of appetite, an unsteady gait and of fungus, including Trichothecium,
a tendency to lie down. Anemia Trichoderma, Stachybotrys and
and black or bloody diarrhea may Fusarium. Trichothecenes can
develop. Aflatoxicosis has a high adversely affect any animal, from
mortality rate. chickens to humans.
Circle No. 111 on the Reader Service Card.
60 CHICKENS • ChickensMagazine.com
 THE FARMERS MARKET
These toxins are most com-
monly associated with spoiled
grains such as oats, corn, barley,
wheat and sorghum. When con-
tinually ingested by chickens, the
mycotoxins cause weight loss,
ChickSafe Eco and Advance
decreased appetite and a drop in automatic coop door openers…
egg production. Trichothecenes can protect your birds when you can’t
cause cysts on birds’ feet and legs,
µ Brinsea have re-designed the coop door opener from scratch.
as well as ulcers in their mouths. The NEW ChickSafe Eco and Advance patented designs have Prices from $99.99
ZEARALENONE MYCO- only one moving part and no mechanical switches for
the ultimate rugged reliability and ease of use.
TOXINS are produced by such fungi
as Gibberella zeae, Fusarium cerealis µ A tough two-piece alloy door is also available. NEW
and Fusarium crookwellense. They
are commonly found in improperly Visit www.brinsea.com
or call 1 888 667 7009 for details
stored animal feeds and cereals.
Zearalenone exposure is per-
Brinsea Products – bringing innovation
nicious. It is an estrogenic toxin, to chicken keepers for over 40 years!
meaning it attacks the reproductive
Circle No.104 on the Reader Service Card.
systems of the afflicted animals.
Zearalenone’s mechanisms aren’t
yet fully understood beyond the fact If a hen could choose…
that it severely affects reproduc- Brinsea the world leading incubator manufacturer has
tion. Afflicted hens will experience a full line of incubators, brooders, egg candlers,
a decrease in egg production and starter kits and much more!
develop peritoneal and oviductal
All with 3 year warranty.
cysts, detected at necropsy.
Hatching your
own chicks is fun,

T
o prevent dangerous fungi
from reaching your flock,
easy and reliable
first and foremost, store
with Brinsea
your chicken feed in an airtight
container in a dry environment.
Humidity can encourage the
Free
growth of fungus. Never feed your Color
flock any feed, scratch, kitchen For more information www.brinsea.com Catalog Incubation Specialists
scraps or other edibles that contain or call 1-888-667-7009
mold or appear clumpy or fuzzy.
Circle No.103 on the Reader Service Card.
Dispose of these well away from
where your flock ranges.
Establish a routine schedule that
involves the thorough cleaning and
AdorStore
sanitizing of all of your feeders,
Automatic Doors for Chickens, Guineas, Ducks, Peacocks and Turkeys
including feed lines and feed-storage
Opens at sunrise, closes at dusk (adjustable)
containers. Buy your feed from a Rugged Galvanized Steel Text or Call 832-444-0192
Auto Locks Shut - Sprocket Drive [email protected]
trusted source and regularly inspect
1 year warranty www.adorstore.com
your feed grains, especially corn. Complete and Ready to screw to wall 3 Sizes
If you live in a region known for Does NOT need electric/solar ADOR Mini (opening 10.5”W x 9”H)
high humidity, consider using feed Runs a full year or more on a $3 battery ADOR1 (opening 10.5”W x 13”H)
Best Product for Best Price ADOR2 (opening 12.5”W x 20”H)
additives such as zeolites, clays Ideal for remote location
and propionic acid to control the Manual over-ride & status indicator
growth of fungus in your feed. Can be mounted inside or outside
Remote operation compatible with
Finally, frequently clean your
wifi and home automation
coop. Replace moist, soiled litter
with fresh, dry bedding to reduce Allogic Inc/AdorStore Made
P.O. Box 217 in USA
the possibility of fungus establishing New Ulm, TX 78950
itself in your flock’s living quarters.
Circle No.101 on the Reader Service Card.
May/June 2023 • CHICKENS 61
 Coop
ONE
COOL n important part of our chicken-raising We regularly scoop out the coop and clean all

A strategy is to reduce environmental impact.

Our chickens live at Double Creek, a small
school in Portland, Oregon. The children
designed and built the coop and do most of the
chicken care. They have come up with great ways to
the old bedding out of the small run every few
months. The waste spends a year decomposing
and then becomes rich fertilizer for our garden
beds. The kids love planning and caring for our
vegetable garden. They even plant chicken friendly
make our backyard flock sustainable. plants just outside the run to offer shade and give
When constructing our coop, we used reclaimed the chickens a tasty treat.
wood, scrap roofing and mis-mixed paint, and reused Keeping chickens has been a great experience.
stepping stones and cinder blocks. If we hadn’t used The kids at our school have come up with many
these things, they would have ended up in the landfill. creative ways to reduce waste while spoiling our
We have taken to dumping our lawn clippings, seven special birds. — Joy Geren, Beaverton, Oregon
leaves and other chicken-safe yard debris in their
large run. It breaks down much faster and keeps the
hens amused. We also supplement commercial bed-
ding with shredded paper in their nesting boxes and
coop. The older kids enjoy using the paper shredder
and watching the paper turn back to soil.
Our chicken feeder is a 5-gallon bucket which
was previously restaurant packaging for human
food. We give our chickens water with a watering
system made of scraps of PVC pipe attached to
another 5-gallon bucket. The chickens enthusiasti-
cally consume our fruit and vegetable scraps. They
also provide a great inspiration to get the kids
weeding; the chickens love dandelions!

SHOOT YOUR COOP!

Email us a short write-up (~250 to 500 words) about your chicken coop along
with a few images to [email protected] with the subject line
One Cool Coop, and include your name and mailing address.
We’ll send one person a prize package of Frenzy Products (total approxi-
mate value $60): 30-ounce Mealworm Frenzy, 30-ounce Double Frenzy
and Free Range Feast Spice Blend from our sponsor, Happy Hen Treats
(www.happyhentreats.com)!

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER. Contest is open to legal residents of the 50 United States or District of Columbia,
age 21 or older. Entries must be received between 12:00:01 a.m. PT on 04/25/2023 and 11:59:59 p.m. PT on 06/25/2023.
See Official Rules on page 64. Void where prohibited by law. Sponsor: EG Media Investments LLC

62 CHICKENS • ChickensMagazine.com
May/June 2023 • CHICKENS 63
FULL SWEEPSTAKES & CONTEST RULES

ONE COOL COOP, CHICKEN CHAT & SHUTTERCLUCKS

OFFICIAL RULES • NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN
Sponsor/Entry Period: Enter between 12:00:01 a.m. PT on 04/25/2023 and 11:59:59 p.m. PT on 06/25/2023. Sponsor: EG Media
Investments LLC, 2220 Sedwick Road, Durham, NC 27713 Eligibility: Open to legal residents of the 50 United States and D.C., 21
years or older. Employees of Sponsor are not eligible to enter. How to Enter Chicken Chat & One Cool Coop: Email your written
essay and up to five photo(s) (“Theme”) to [email protected], with the subject line “Chicken Chat” or “One Cool
Coop” and include your name and mailing address. How to Enter Shutterclucks: Email your photo(s) (“Theme”) to chickens@
chickensmagazine.com, with the subject line “Shutterclucks” and include your name and mailing address. You may enter up to
three images per issue. Requirements of Entry: Entries must meet the following requirements and you represent and warrant
and agree that: Your Entry was created by you or you have the rights or received prior permission from any person involved in its
creation or any person depicted in the materials and you have the right to use the Entry, and all elements of the Entry, and can grant
the license granted herein; The Entry does not contain any prominent use of third party trademarks, trade names, brands or logos;
The Entry does not depict any individual other than the Entrant; The Entry does not defame or otherwise violate the rights of any
third party; and The Entry can’t be offensive or contain any elements such as nudity, graphically violent imagery, sexually suggestive
imagery or be explicitly racial, profane, slanderous or visually depict alcohol or gambling or be contrary to the interests of Contest
or Sponsor, as determined in the sole discretion of the Sponsor. Grant of License: By entering, you grant Sponsor the perpetual,
fully paid, irrevocable, exclusive license to reproduce, distribute, license, display or other-wise use throughout the world your Entry
in any manner for any purpose, including advertising for Sponsor or others without further consent or payment to you or any other
person or entity. The Entry may be published and posted online, but you agree that Sponsor has no obligation to post or publish
your Entry and that such posting or publication has no bearing on whether you are a winner. You will hold Sponsor harmless from
any claim by any third party relating to any rights in your Entry. Winner Selection: One Winner will be selected by Sponsor from all
eligible entries received during the Entry Period. The odds of winning are determined by the number of eligible Entries received.
Judging: Judging consists of two rounds of evaluation. In round one, editors will select two essay entries from among all eligible
entries based on the following criteria (“Judging Criteria”): (1) Readability: 75%; (2) Photographic-Quality: 25%. The entries selected

ЕЛЕНА ФАЕНКОВА/STOCK.ADOBE.COM
in round one will proceed to round two. For photo contest: In round one, editors will select 5 entries from among all eligible entries
based on the following criteria (“Judging Criteria”): (1) Creativity: 50%; (2) Photographic Quality: 50%. The entries selected in round
one will proceed to round two. In round two, editors will collectively select a winner based on Judging Criteria. In the event of a tie,
Mystery Breed Answer
the tied entries will be resubmitted to the Judges for a rejudging between the tied entries alone. In the event that a tie remains after The breed depicted on page 4 is the
rejudging, the entry with the highest score in the readability criteria will be declared the winner. Decisions of the Judges are final
and binding. Winner Notification: Potential winners will be notified via the email address they provide at entry approximately one Barnevelder, which originated in the Barneveld
month after the contest end date. If a winner doesn’t respond within 72 hours, the email is undeliverable (sent three times over five region of the Netherlands. Breeders selected
days), if entrant is ineligible or doesn’t accept the prize, the prize will be forfeited and the next runner-up will be selected. Accep-
tance of prize constitutes permission (except where prohibited by law) to use each winner’s name, city and state where winner is breeds that would lay well year-round, even
located and likeness for promotional purposes without further compensation. Prizes: The prize to be awarded and the approximate during the long, damp Northern European win-
retail value (“ARV”) is five bags of naturally-grown hemp bedding from Eaton Pet & Pasture of ~$100 (Chicken Chat) OR package of
Happy Hen Treats of ~$60 (One Cool Coop) OR Brinsea ChickSafe Eco Coop Opener at ~$100 (Shutterclucks). Winners are responsi- ters. They were also looking to increase produc-
ble for any taxes on prize. No substitution or cash equivalent permitted, except by Sponsor. Prize is nontransferrable. One prize per
person/household. Conditions: Entrants agree to the Official Rules and the decisions of the Sponsor, which are final and binding. tion of coppery, dark brown eggs. The breed was
Entrants release, defend and hold harmless Sponsor and companies providing prizes from any and all liability whatsoever against accepted into the American Poultry Association’s
Sponsor and companies providing prizes arising out of Entrant’s participation or use of a prize. Sponsor is not responsible for any
error in the printing of the offer, administration of the Contest or the announcement of any prize or in the event Sponsor is prevent- Standard of Perfection in 1991.
ed from continuing the Contest by any event beyond its control. Entries that have been tampered with, altered or generated by an Barnevelders have a bright-red single comb
automated device are void. Sponsor is not responsible for lost, late, illegible entries or delay, error or interruption in transmission of
Entries. Sponsor reserves the right to disqualify any Entry or terminate the Contest if it becomes technically corrupted and/or select that stands straight and upright with five well-
winners from among all eligible Entries received prior to termination. If there are not enough qualified Entries to qualify as Finalists,
Sponsor reserves the right to select less than the number of Finalists listed in these Official Rules. In the event of any complaint defined points. Wattles and earlobes are bright
alleging a violation of any third-party right relating to an Entry, Sponsor reserves the right to disqualify the Entry. By participating, red. Males weigh 7 pounds; hens, 6. Learn more
Entrant acknowledges that Sponsor does not waive any rights to use similar or related ideas that might be contained in an Entry.
Any and all claims in connection with the Contest must be brought in a court within the State of Delaware and the all disputes will at Hobbyfarms.com/barnevelder.
be governed by the laws of the State of Delaware and shall be resolved individually, without resort to any form of class action. BY To purchase other brown-egg layers, please
PARTICIPATING, ENTRANT HEREBY WAIVES ANY RIGHTS OR CLAIMS TO ATTORNEY’S FEES, INDIRECT, SPECIAL, PUNITIVE, INCI-
DENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES OF ENTRANT, WHETHER FORESEEABLE OR NOT AND WHETHER BASED ON NEGLIGENCE visit Murray McMurray Hatchery online
OR OTHERWISE. Winner’s List: For the names of the winners, mail a self-addressed, stamped envelope to Chickens magazine,
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be subject to Sponsor’s Privacy Policy. For information, email [email protected].

Advertising Index For more information about the products or services shown in this issue, circle the
corresponding RS Nos. (limit 10) on the blown-in Reader Service card in this issue and mail it.

RS. Advertiser Page RS. Advertiser Page RS. Advertiser Page

No No. No No. No No.

101 ALLogic Inc./AdorStore ............................. 61 107 Eaton Hemp...................................... Cover 3 113 Metzer Farms .............................................17

(832) 444-0192; www.adorstore.com www.eatonpetandpasture.com (800) 424-7755; www.metzerfarms.com

102 Ardisam.....................................................25 108 Formex Mfg. Inc. .......................................23 114 Murray McMurray Hatchery ........................5

(800) 345-6007; www.yardbirdpluckers.com (800) 310-3867; www.formex.com (800) 456-3280; www.mcmurrayhatchery.com

103 Brinsea Products Inc.................................. 61 109 Goodwinol Products Corp. .........................17 116 Perdue AgriBusiness ................................... 7

(888) 667-7009; www.brinsea.com (800) 554-1080; www.goodwinol.com (800) 473-7383; www.backyardchicken.com

104 Brinsea Products Inc.................................. 61 110 Ideal Poultry Breeding Farms Inc. ...............9 117 Randall Burkey Co. ........................... Cover 4

(888) 667-7009; www.brinsea.com (800) 243-3257; www.idealpoultry.com (830) 331-2311; www.happyhentreats.com

105 Central Life Sciences................................. 13 111 Kim Duke Writes ........................................60 118 Run – Tiger d.o.o. .......................................3

(800) 347-8272; www.starbarproducts.com www.kimdukewrites.com/scribbly (888) 851-8826; www.run-chicken.com

106 Central Life Sciences................................. 12 121 Lucerne Farms........................................... 31 119 Sweet PDZ Co............................................ 21

(800) 347-8272; www.starbarproducts.com (800)723-4923; www.lucernefarms.com (800) 367-1534; www.sweetpdz.com

115 Chickendoors.com..................................... 15 112 McCarthy Group ........................................60 120 TDL Industry Inc.................................Cover 2

(512) 995-0058; www.chickendoors.com (616) 977 2900; www.ro-brands.com (406) 702-4665; www.roosterboosterproducts.com

64 CHICKENS • ChickensMagazine.com
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 IN THE KITCHEN
recipe & photos by Lori Rice

WARM
POTATO SALAD
with soft-cooked eggs
his picnic salad swaps hardboiled eggs for the Place the potatoes in the warm grease, cut-sides

T jammy yolk of soft-cooked, then combines

them with tender potatoes and crunchy bacon.
It’s dotted with leafy greens and dill and tossed in
down. Return the heat to medium-high. Cook
until all sides are browned and the potatoes are
tender, about 7 minutes. Transfer the potatoes to a
a lemon mayonnaise-mustard dressing. It can be medium bowl. Let cool for 5 minutes.
served warm or at room temperature, and it’s easily Add the bacon, green pepper and dill to the
doubled when you need to serve a crowd. bowl. In a small dish, stir together the mayon-
YIELD: 4 naise, mustard and lemon juice. Pour the dressing
over the potatoes. Add the salt and pepper. Stir
INGREDIENTS well to coat all ingredients with the dressing.
• 2 large eggs Peel the eggs, and halve each. Transfer the
• 3 slices thick-cut bacon, chopped dressed potato salad to a serving dish. Top with
• 1 pound baby potatoes, halved or chopped into watercress leaves. Arrange the egg halves over
similar size pieces the potatoes. Garnish with black pepper and dill.
• ½ cup diced green bell pepper, about half a Serve warm or at room temperature.
medium pepper
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill Lori Rice is a writer, photographer and nutritional
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise scientist. Her love of agriculture led to her past work
• 1 teaspoon spicy brown mustard in cooperative extension and to her current passion
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice for capturing the story of small-scale food production
• ½ teaspoon fine sea salt through her writing and photos. You can find her port-
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper folio at www.loririce.com.
• handful of watercress leaves, about ¼ cup
• ground black pepper and dill sprigs for garnish

PREPARATION POTATO’S PLACE IN HISTORY

Fill a medium saucepan with water, and bring to According to food writer Susan Russo, the earliest written
a boil over medium-high heat. Gently transfer the recipes for American potato salad date to the mid-19th century.
eggs to boiling water and cook at a low boil for “Cooked potatoes were typically dressed with oil, vinegar and
6½ to 7 minutes. Remove the eggs from the cooking herbs, which culinary historians believe were introduced by
water, rinse with cold water and set aside. German immigrants who had a penchant for sour, sweet and
Heat a large nonstick skillet to medium-high, spicy ingredients such as vinegar, sugar and coarse mustard,”
and cook the bacon until the pieces are browned she wrote in a blog post for National Public Radio. “Hot potato
and crisp, about 7 minutes. Turn off the heat, and salad, usually made with bacon, onion and vinegar dressing, was
transfer the bacon to a bowl, leaving behind the so closely associated with German immigrants that it was called
bacon grease. ‘German potato salad.’”

66 CHICKENS • ChickensMagazine.com
 Shutterclucks
SHARE YOUR
PICTURES!
Email an image of your chicken(s)
to [email protected]
with the subject line Shutterclucks,
and include your name and mailing
address. Or you can enter online at
www.hobbyfarms.com/shutterclucks.
We’ll send one winner a
ChickSafe Eco Coop Opener, from
Brinsea (www.brinsea.com), which
automatically opens your coop door
in the morning and closes it at night.
With just a single moving part, no
mechanical switches and no calibra-
tion required, it’s designed for ease
of use, long life and weather resis-
tance, making it the tough, conve-
nient and
low-cost
solution
to keep-
ing your
hens safe
from pred-
ators at night.

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO
ENTER. Contest is open to legal
residents of the 50 United States or
District of Columbia, age 21 or older.
Entries must be received between
12:00:01 a.m. PT on 04/25/2023 and
11:59:59 p.m. PT on 06/25/2023. See
MARIS SCHIESS Official Rules on page 64. Void where
Indianapolis, Indiana prohibited by law. Sponsor: EG Media
Investments LLC

68 CHICKENS • ChickensMagazine.com
 Dana M. Arvidson Lyndsey Rhodes
Whitleyville, Tennessee Altamont, New York

Trina Rookus Missy Zombor Mayra Garcia

Wilmington, North Carolina Milwaukee, Wisconsin Ennis, Texas

Samantha Cooper Karen Brunsting Stacey Myrick

Newbury, New Hampshire Burlington, Michigan Pensacola, Florida

May/June 2023 • CHICKENS 69

70 CHICKENS • ChickensMagazine.com
 Eggs of All
Colors White, brown, green, pink …
different breeds produce different shades
of colors on their eggshells.
ARTICLE & PHOTOS BY DANIEL JOHNSON

LEEKRIS/STOCK.ADOBE.COM

May/June 2023 • CHICKENS 71

 I n some modern supermarkets,
fresh foods tend to be a bit pre-
dictable. Produce may be limited
to a small number of common
hybrid varieties, with many
beloved heirloom fruits and veggies absent.
The same is often true of eggs. While you can
When you’re simply looking to keep your
family and friends stocked with farm-fresh
eggs, the commercial-level egg production
qualities of the leghorn may not be as import-
ant as other breed factors. This frees you up to
focus on other qualities such as climate hardi-
ness, meat production in dual-purpose breeds
probably find brown eggs, it’s usually the stan- and, if you want, egg colors.
dard white eggs that prevail on the shelves. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with white
In both instances, the reason is the same: eggs, and while you might not want to choose
Grocery shelves are usually stocked with a a chicken breed solely for a specific egg color,
particular variety that is favored by the masses there’s also nothing wrong with adding a bit of joy
and easy to mass produce. For chicken eggs, and atheistic charm to your farmhouse kitchen
this often means that the White Leghorns with a rainbow of shell colors. But to get colors,
supply the majority. But on your hobby farm, you need the right chicken breeds, so here are
options don’t need to be so limited. 11 that will deliver eggs in colors other than white.

RHODE ISLAND RED: BROWN

If you like brown eggs, and you like a lot of
eggs, you can’t skip over the Rhode Island Red.
With some hens producing well into the range
of 200 to 300 eggs per year, you can count this
attractive and very friendly chicken to keep
you well supplied.
Keep in mind that there are two subvarieties
of this breed — the more commercially viable
industry variety and the hobby farm-friendly
heritage variety, which functions nicely as a
dual-purpose bird for meat.

PLYMOUTH ROCK: BROWN

Another prolific egg producer with brown
eggs is the Plymouth Rock. It’s such a good
layer that it was one of America’s biggest egg
producers prior to the general industrial move
toward the leghorn.
It’s an easy bird to have around the farm, lays
about 200 eggs per year, and what’s not to like
about those amazing black-and-white feathers?

AMERAUCANA: BLUE
Technically, the eggs of Ameraucana chick-
ens are considered blue, but it’s a delightful
sea blue with a dose of pastel green mixed in.
This breed was developed in the United States
from the South American Araucana chicken
No other heavy breed lays more brown eggs than the Rhode Island Red. (which also lays blue eggs).
Araucanas possess interesting ear tufts.
However, the genetics for this trait sometimes
Taster’s Choice results in a lethal allele (an alternative form of
It somehow seems logical that if different colored eggs look a gene that arises by mutation) that can greatly
different from each other, they might also taste different. But reduce hatch rates, so the Ameraucana was
it just so happens that this idea doesn’t pan out. While a hen’s developed to keep the blue eggs but eliminate
age, environment and diet can conceivably affect the nutri- the lethal allele. Ameraucanas even have blue
tional value or even subtly affect the taste of an egg, the color legs! They’re docile birds but not very com-
of the shell itself really doesn’t have an impact on the taste. mon, so you might have to do some searching
to find a breeder.
72 CHICKENS • ChickensMagazine.com
 Hens that lay
colored eggs,
secrete pig-
ments, called
porphyrins,
from cells with-
in the uterus
to add color to
their eggshells
during the last
five hours of
shell formation.

May/June 2023 • CHICKENS 73

 More Birds, More Choices
If you’re a true fan of colored eggs, explore
other poultry species as well. You’ll find more
colors, fun patterns, textures and sizes. Look
for boutique eggs at a local farmers market, or
consider raising these birds yourself. At any rate,
there’s plenty to like about:
QUAIL EGGS. Small, charming and abso-
lutely speckled with brown spots from small
to large, quail eggs are a fun choice. They’re
sometimes considered a delicacy.
DUCK EGGS. For cooking purposes, a sin-
gle duck eggs equals about two chicken eggs,
and they’re simply loaded with nutrients and
deep creamy flavor. Plus they come in several
colors including white, brown, black and some
pleasant pale shades of blues and greens.
TURKEY EGGS. Always a light color, with
wonderful brown speckling, turkey eggs are
just as edible as these others and are pretty
large, too!
EMU EGGS. Surprisingly large, with a
unique texture and a rich, deep bluish-green
color, emu eggs are sure to amaze! Emus are
also hilariously entertaining to watch.

Ameraucanas MARANS: DARK BROWN

(above) are The Marans, named after the town of
known for Marans, France, is notable for laying dark
their beautiful brown eggs. There are plenty of subvarieties
blue eggs. in the Marans chicken breed, but the Black
Copper Marans produces really dark brown
Easter Eggers eggs. The coloring is very striking.
(right) lay a This can be a lot of fun, especially if you
wide range of have other chicken breeds in your coop and
colored eggs, can create an assortment of color shades in
from blues, your egg basket. Marans are cold hardy and an
greens and excellent choice for regions with chilly winters.
even pink.
WELSUMMER: BROWN
WITH SPECKLES
Turkey eggs have brown speckles, but you
can also get a similar effect from Welsummer
chickens. It’s a fun way to enjoy an additional
pattern on your eggshells.
Plus, there’s plenty to love about Welsummer
chickens in general: hardiness, docility and excel-
lent meat qualities in addition to the cool eggs.

EASTER EGGER: BLUE,

GREEN, YELLOW & MORE
You wanted unique shell colors, and this is
your chance! Depending on the specific hen,
an Easter Egger chicken can provide you with
light blues, fun greens, browns, yellows and
74 CHICKENS • ChickensMagazine.com
GALLERY May/June 2023 • CHICKENS 75
Marans hens
(Black, right)
are well-known
for laying dark
brown, almost
chocolate-
colored eggs.

occasionally even pink eggs, although the col- when it comes to the rest of the offspring’s traits;
ors are very pastel. you don’t know exactly what you’re going to get
Just be aware ahead of time that Easter and any resulting chicks won’t breed true. But
Eggers are a “designer” chicken, or more it’s nevertheless a method for obtaining green
simply, a mixed-breed, in the same vein as a eggs. (Now you just need some ham, right?).
Goldendoodle or Yorkipoo in the dog world.
This means that you might see a wider variety ORPINGTON: BROWN
of breed traits from chicken to chicken, and Developed in England during the late 1800s
you also wouldn’t be able to show them at fairs as a solid dual-purpose breed, the Orpington is
or poultry breed events. a fast-maturing chicken that’s a great layer or
can be used as a meat bird. The attractive Buff
OLIVE EGGER: GREEN coloring results in a striking bird with a won-
If you’re looking for green eggs specifically, you derful golden color.
can usually do it with your own breeding experi- Egg colors can range from light to dark brown.
ments. You just have to cross a blue-layer like an
Ameraucana with a brown-layer such as a Marans. PENEDESENCA: RED/BROWN
As with the Easter Eggers, the downside here This is a Spanish-bred chicken with a high
is that you’re moving into unknown territory heat tolerance, so it might be a good choice for

Shell Game
Wondering just what causes a white egg, a brown egg or
other colors? The quickest answer is: simple genetics. For
purebred birds, this is entirely predictable and consistent; for
the Easter Eggers, things are a bit of surprise but the egg color
is still based on the genes the individual bird inherited.
In addition to breed genetics, you can sometimes get a clue
to what color eggs a hen will produce by examining her ear-
lobes — red earlobes for brown eggs, white earlobes for white.
Finally, a couple of pigments are produced by the hen to actually
“paint” the eggs while they’re in the formation process; the oocy-
anin pigment creates blue and green eggs and permeates the
eggshell, making eggs blue/green inside and out. Protoporphyrin
is a brown pigment applied late in the egg-formation process and
simply coats the shell without affecting the yolk or egg white. A mixed-breed flock — Marans (Cuckoo, left) and Amerau-
cana (right) — will produce a rainbow of colored eggs.

76 CHICKENS • ChickensMagazine.com
 CHICKENS • BANTAMS • DUCKS • GEESE • TURKEYS • & MORE!
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GALLERY May/June 2023 • CHICKENS 77

Buff Orpington homesteaders in southern regions. They also layers even in the winter, so you can invest in
hens (above) lay eggs with a unique reddish tint mixed with them to help extend your laying season even
produce a very dark brown base. when other hens have stopped.
around 200
to 280 large BRAHMA: BROWN CREAM LEGBAR: BLUE
brown eggs If you’d like to try a large chicken, check Developed just over 100 years ago and
per year. out the brown-egg-laying Brahma, which tops derived at least in part by the blue-egg-laying
out at a healthy 10 to 12 pounds! They’re good Araucana, Cream Legbars also produce eggs
with that lovely blue color that is so unique.
PAULETTE JOHNSON

Cream Legbars are also pretty useful for poultry

producers as male and female chicks are easily
distinguished after hatching. They’re excellent
foragers and good in a free-range situation.

A
nd there you have it: eleven beautiful
chicken breeds that can add a dash of
color to your morning egg collecting
routine. Have fun!

Daniel Johnson is a freelance writer and professional

You can expect photographer whose photos have appeared thousands
Plymouth Rock of times in books, calendars, and magazines. He’s the
hens (right) to author of several books, including How to Raise Horses:
produce about Everything You Need to Know and The Beginner’s
four light- Guide to Beekeeping: Everything You Need to Know.
brown eggs When not working, he enjoys spending time with his
each week. four horses.

78 CHICKENS • ChickensMagazine.com
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May/June 2023 • CHICKENS 79

LAST
Squawk

“Greatness lies, not in being

strong, but in the right use
of strength; and strength
is not used rightly when it
serves only to carry a man
above his fellows for his own
solitary glory. He is the great-
est whose strength carries
up the most hearts by the
attraction of his own.”

— HENRY WARD BEECHER

(1813 – 1887) AMERICAN
CONGREGATIONALIST
CLERGYMAN

DORAZETT/STOCK.ADOBE.COM

80 CHICKENS
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