Now that you know which breed is for you, we need to discuss what to purchase. There are basically five choices to choose from. 1) hatching eggs, many hatcheries and breeders sell fertilized eggs for you to place in your own incubator to hatch your own. I would not recommend starting here, incubating can be challenging for the experienced breeder, much less the novice. 2) Chicks, This is where most people begin their chicken raising adventures. They are inexpensive, and there are tons of breeds from which to choose from, not to mention they are extremely cute! If you choose to raise your own chicks it will give you the opportunity it watch then grow up and bond with them as they grow. However there are some challenges when raising chicks, but with the right know how everyone can brood baby chicks , yes even you kids with adult supervision. It's a great way to teach them about being responsible, and learning about life and death. There are several places to buy baby chicks, you can choose to buy them at your local farm store, but be forewarned, these birds are sold as "straight run" which means they are not separated by sex, so you might just come home with a whole bunch of roosters, these chicks also sell at a higher price than mail order hatcheries and local breeders, and there is a limited selection. You can decide to buy from a reputable mail order hatchery. They have every breed under the son, and you can order by sex, females sell for a slightly higher price than roosters because females are a little more desirable. This is important if I you can't have roosters in your area, or only want one rooster to avoid fighting, boys will be boys. it's important to shop around, because some hatcheries have large minimum order quantities, while others will let you buy one or two at a time. There is just something nostalgic about going to the post office to pick up your chirping cuties. I once ordered 28 baby chicks from a hatchery in Iowa, they all showed up at my local post office alive and chirping up a storm, when I called to check if they had arrived I could here them chirping over the phone, I bet the mailman was happy to see me take these chicks home. Another place to purchase chicks is at the local sale barn or flea market. If you do decide to go hat route do your homework, there are some reputable breeders with good stock at these places, but they are outnumbered by lesser breeders that are there to make a buck and offload some sick animals. Just remember the old adage is true "you get what you pay for". If you go to these places make sure to wash your shoes before caring for your own animals, because you can carry some bad bugs and diseases on your shoes. Many chicken raisers refuse to visit these places because of all the diseased animals you find there. I learned this lesson the hard way when I purchased several chickens for a "unbelievable deal" by the next weekend all the birds had died and even infected some of my other chickens. Buyer beware. Probably the best way to purchase chicks is from local reputable farmer/breeders, they have the best quality stock, and they really love the animals in their care. Besides, we need to support our local farmers as much as we can.
3) the third way to buy chickens is as "ready to lay pullets" these are juvenile hens that are just about ready to start laying eggs. This is also one of the more expensive ways to get into chickens, they usually range between 10 and 25 dollars each, but at this age you will be able to see exactly what you are buying, where as with chicks you can't tell if it will be a good hen or a cull hen. There are some hatcheries that sell these birds, but the best way to find them is with a local farmer/breeder. 4) you can choose to buy hens, females at least one year old, this is not a very good way to purchase chickens, you will either get a "lazy layer" or birds that have been culled from large layer houses, most of these large egg operations sell their birds after one year since hens usually peak at a year or two.
Hope this helps as you prepare to start your chicken raising adventure.
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
Raising Chickens; chapter 2 continued
There are a few things I left out when considering which breed is for you, and that's my opinion, for what it's worth, on the best breeds in each category. If you are considering raising chickens from the egg layer category, for sheer number of eggs, try the White or Brown Leghorn.You will get better than 300 eggs a year on average. There are some disadvantages to the Leghorn breed, as with every breed. The Leghorns are known to be pretty flighty in other words they are easily alarmed and can be a bit stand-offish of humans, the leghorns that I raised in the past have been the most cantankerous chickens I have ever owned. Some have been able to overcome this flightiness by handling their birds a lot, this never worked for me, it just seems to be a product of their breeding. The best bird for egg laying in my opinion is the Red Sex Link, which is a hybrid breed derived from a Rhode Island Red rooster and a White Leghorn hen. This is my breed of choice, the drawback here is that because they are a hybrid breed they will not breed true. The sex link is called that because they can be easily sexed at hatching due to the distinct colorations of the male and the female. My birds are very friendly and gentle, I would recommend them to anyone starting out raising chickens.
If you are considering raising a meat breed, or as they are commonly called "broiler-fryer's" I would recommend the Freedom Ranger, they are very hardy birds that do well in all climates, and they are not wrought with all the leg and heart abnormalities of the commercial standard Rock Cornish Cross'. These breeds have a very good feed conversion ratio of around 4-1. That means for every four pounds of feed they eat, they will gain one pound. Also they reach maturity between the ages of eight weeks for the Rock Cornish Cross, and eight to twelve weeks for the Freedom Rangers.
If you are looking for a breed that is the best of both worlds in the dual purpose category, I would recommend the Rhode Island Red. They lay lots of eggs, and they make an excellent bird for your table. These birds are once again climbing in the popularity polls with fanciers and breeders, as I write this I can think of two breeders that raise and breed only Rhode Island Reds. The Red Sex Link also makes a great choice in this category, they lay more eggs than most other breeds, save the Leghorns, and they dress out a little under a pound less than other dual purpose breeds.
Now I will be up front with you, I have never raised any exotic or fancy breeds so I don't have any expertise in this field, but I do have acquaintances who do. If you want to raise exotics I would recommend Silkies, they are adorable little fuzz balls. Their feathers lack the barbicells that hold the feather hairs together, and so they are covered with a silky fur like feathering. There are lots of clubs and shows that are just for Silky fanciers. If I where to ever raise an exotic, it would probably be the Silky.
I hope this information helps peak some interest as to what breed is for you. Besides, who says you have to pick just one?
If you are considering raising a meat breed, or as they are commonly called "broiler-fryer's" I would recommend the Freedom Ranger, they are very hardy birds that do well in all climates, and they are not wrought with all the leg and heart abnormalities of the commercial standard Rock Cornish Cross'. These breeds have a very good feed conversion ratio of around 4-1. That means for every four pounds of feed they eat, they will gain one pound. Also they reach maturity between the ages of eight weeks for the Rock Cornish Cross, and eight to twelve weeks for the Freedom Rangers.
If you are looking for a breed that is the best of both worlds in the dual purpose category, I would recommend the Rhode Island Red. They lay lots of eggs, and they make an excellent bird for your table. These birds are once again climbing in the popularity polls with fanciers and breeders, as I write this I can think of two breeders that raise and breed only Rhode Island Reds. The Red Sex Link also makes a great choice in this category, they lay more eggs than most other breeds, save the Leghorns, and they dress out a little under a pound less than other dual purpose breeds.
Now I will be up front with you, I have never raised any exotic or fancy breeds so I don't have any expertise in this field, but I do have acquaintances who do. If you want to raise exotics I would recommend Silkies, they are adorable little fuzz balls. Their feathers lack the barbicells that hold the feather hairs together, and so they are covered with a silky fur like feathering. There are lots of clubs and shows that are just for Silky fanciers. If I where to ever raise an exotic, it would probably be the Silky.
I hope this information helps peak some interest as to what breed is for you. Besides, who says you have to pick just one?
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Raising Chickens Part 2; Choosing a breed
As I said in the last chapter up until the 20th century there where only about 13 breeds of domestic chickens, now there are hundreds, and all those choices can leave us a little confused. Basically all chickens can be divided into four self explanatory categories; egg layers, meat producers, dual purpose, and exotics, or as I like to call them; fancies. If you know what you want to do with your chickens you can easily pick a category that suits what you are looking for. Let's break down these categories a little
The second category of chickens are the meat breeds, these breeds are bred to gain weight and do it fairly fast. The most popular meat breed today is the rock cornish cross, they can go from egg to table in as little as eight weeks. Most of the chicken you buy in the store are rock cornish cross'. Other examples are the Australorp, the Cornish, and the Orpington. One problem with the rock cornish cross is that because they grow so fast their little bodies have a hard time keeping up. their hearts can fail, and the breed is rampant with leg problems. There is another up and coming breed I have heard of that seems to do well is the Freedom Ranger, they can forage like other chickens, and they don't have near the problems the rock cornish crosses do but they take just a bit more time to reach maturity.
The next category is the dual purpose breeds, they are breeds that still lay a good amount of eggs while at the same time make a good meat bird too. Examples in this breed include; Rhode Island Reds, Plymouth Rocks, and New Hampshire, and in my opinion the Red Sex Link.
The last breed category is the exotic breeds. examples include; Silkies, and Cochins. If you want to raise some really pretty birds this is the category for you. They won't lay many eggs, but they will wow you with their good looks. Which ever breed you choose I am sure you will get years of enjoyment out of them.
First there are egg layers, these are birds that have been selectively bred to produce lots of eggs. In most instances these birds are a little on the scrawny side and wouldn't make a very good meat bird, they are generally egg producing machines. Some examples in this category are; Leghorns, Minorca's, and Ancona's. My favorite breed is also in this category, the red sex link. Although they defy the rules because they lay a whole lot of eggs, (second only to the Leghorn) but they also make a fairly decent meat bird, so I consider them a dual purpose breed. The Leghorn is the industry standard for egg layers. In fact, just about every white egg you buy in the store was laid by a white leghorn, they will lay more than 300 eggs a year. By the way this would be a good place to dispel an old chicken myth. Most people, including myself at one time, believe that country or fresh eggs are always brown. This simply is not true, the egg color is based on the color of the skin of the hen that lays it. White skinned chickens lay white eggs, brown skinned chickens lay brown eggs, and green skinned chickens lay green eggs.(yes there really are green eggs. Some people will argue with you that brown eggs taste better than white eggs, but they taste the same. This all started years ago when the prolific White leghorn became the egg industry's go-to bird, they raised them en masse in battery style cages on a bare bones diet, the result was lots of uniform white tasteless eggs for the masses. While at the same time in the rural and farm world dual purpose birds like the Rhode Island Red became the bird of choice because they still layed a lot of eggs, but at the same time made a good meat bird. This was important to the farmer because he could butcher his excess pullets (young hens) and cockerels (young roosters) and these chickens got all the fresh air, grass, and bugs they wanted. This resulted in rich delicious eggs, so people began to equate brown eggs to better tasting eggs.
| White Leghorn |
| Rock Cornish Cross |
| Freedom Ranger |
| Rhode Island Red rooster |
The last breed category is the exotic breeds. examples include; Silkies, and Cochins. If you want to raise some really pretty birds this is the category for you. They won't lay many eggs, but they will wow you with their good looks. Which ever breed you choose I am sure you will get years of enjoyment out of them.
| Silky |
Monday, February 4, 2013
Raising Chickens Part One; Introduction
Let me begin this topic by saying I am not a poultry expert, what I do know about them I have learned by getting my hands dirty, making more than my share of mistakes, listening to people who raise chickens, and reading books from people who really are experts. Every chicken farmer and every backyard fancier has their own opinion about how to raise chickens. If you get ten of us together, and ask a question, you will probably get ten different answers. That being said, you may disagree with me on several things, but that's alright, the main thing is that we share a common passion for raising them, and that is what's important.
Before we can learn how to raise chickens we need to learn a little about Gallus domesticus, That's science mumbo-jumbo for chicken. All chicken breeds originally came from one breed; the wild jungle fowl. These birds looked a little like a brown leghorn only scrawnier and with less eggs. In 1868 there where only 13 breeds of domestic chickens, fast forward to today we have a whole lot more, and the number is still climbing.
Chickens are Omnivores like pigs and humans. They eat meat; including insects, and worms. Chickens have even been known to eat small animals like lizards and salamanders.Chickens also eat grass and other vegetables, as well as grains. In fact it would probably be easier to tell you what chickens don't eat, but come to think of it I can't think of anything at the moment. When you go to the store to buy your feed if you look at the label you will see it contains everything a omnivorous chicken needs; protein, fiber, and grains, hence the name complete feed.
Chickens are gregarious creatures, meaning they like company. A chicken should never be raised alone because everybody needs a buddy. Your birds will form a flock, and in that flock they will establish a pecking order, in other words its the hierarchy of the flock. If you have a rooster that is lower in the pecking order than a hen, that rooster is said to be hen-pecked, he don't wear the pants no more if you know what I mean. Sometimes this process can seem violent to you, but its neccesary to keep the peace and its not as bad as it may seem. Every time you add a new bird to the flock, the process will start over. Oh, and one more thing about the flock hierarchy, make sure you are at the top, your the head honcho, not some jack leg rooster.
The important thing I want you to know is that raising chickens is fun, it's very enjoyable for the whole family, they are very gentle, content creatures. The great thing about raising chickens is that it does not have to cost a lot of money, chickens are very inexpensive and easy to care for, we will talk more about this in a later chapter. I get a great deal of satisfaction from taking care of my flock; watching them interact with me and each other, listening to the happy hen sounds, and the roosters crowing in the morning, feeding them, collecting the fresh eggs for my family, and yes, even stocking my freezer with fresh poultry.
If you are considering buying a few chickens for you back yard, then go for it. If you wait untill you know everything there is to know about chickens you will never make it. Go ahead, dive in and get your hands dirty... Just make sure you wash them when you are done, hehe.
Before we can learn how to raise chickens we need to learn a little about Gallus domesticus, That's science mumbo-jumbo for chicken. All chicken breeds originally came from one breed; the wild jungle fowl. These birds looked a little like a brown leghorn only scrawnier and with less eggs. In 1868 there where only 13 breeds of domestic chickens, fast forward to today we have a whole lot more, and the number is still climbing.
Chickens are Omnivores like pigs and humans. They eat meat; including insects, and worms. Chickens have even been known to eat small animals like lizards and salamanders.Chickens also eat grass and other vegetables, as well as grains. In fact it would probably be easier to tell you what chickens don't eat, but come to think of it I can't think of anything at the moment. When you go to the store to buy your feed if you look at the label you will see it contains everything a omnivorous chicken needs; protein, fiber, and grains, hence the name complete feed.
Chickens are gregarious creatures, meaning they like company. A chicken should never be raised alone because everybody needs a buddy. Your birds will form a flock, and in that flock they will establish a pecking order, in other words its the hierarchy of the flock. If you have a rooster that is lower in the pecking order than a hen, that rooster is said to be hen-pecked, he don't wear the pants no more if you know what I mean. Sometimes this process can seem violent to you, but its neccesary to keep the peace and its not as bad as it may seem. Every time you add a new bird to the flock, the process will start over. Oh, and one more thing about the flock hierarchy, make sure you are at the top, your the head honcho, not some jack leg rooster.
The important thing I want you to know is that raising chickens is fun, it's very enjoyable for the whole family, they are very gentle, content creatures. The great thing about raising chickens is that it does not have to cost a lot of money, chickens are very inexpensive and easy to care for, we will talk more about this in a later chapter. I get a great deal of satisfaction from taking care of my flock; watching them interact with me and each other, listening to the happy hen sounds, and the roosters crowing in the morning, feeding them, collecting the fresh eggs for my family, and yes, even stocking my freezer with fresh poultry.
If you are considering buying a few chickens for you back yard, then go for it. If you wait untill you know everything there is to know about chickens you will never make it. Go ahead, dive in and get your hands dirty... Just make sure you wash them when you are done, hehe.
It's Been A Loooong Time
I must first start with an apology, it has been so long since my last post and many of you probably thought we dropped off the face of the earth, but we are still here. A lot has gone on since my last blog; the hogs are just about ready to go to the proccesors, out of the ten chicks we hatched back in October, we put three hens in with the other birds, and the rest we sent of to freezer camp, and the hens are still laying like gangbusters.
For years I raised chickens and did not really want to fool with actually killing and eating them. The reason being all the plucking we would have to do, it just sounded to me like too much work, that combined with lack of any experience processing chickens just kept me away from it. That is untill my neighbor showed me how to skin a chicken (yes, I said skin, like skinning a rabbit) there is no plucking whatsoever and a bird can be processed from coop to freezer in less than five minutes! So, when the day came the boss and I set up a little processing station which consisted of a homemade killing cone made out of chicken wire, a sturdy table, a water hose, and a cooler filled with ice water. Now I know some of you are wondering "what in the world is a killing cone??" Most of us have heard about ringing a chickens neck, or going queen of hearts with em' (Off with their heads). A killing cone is a funnel shaped device where you put the chicken in the big end and his head stick out the small end, it holds them securely so you can dispatch the animal humanely.
While the chicken's head is hanging out the bottom of the cone, you take a knife and cut the carotid arteries on both sides of the neck, the chicken will expire in seconds. We found most of them took about 90 seconds to expire. Many people ask me; "why don't you just wring their necks, that's what grandma did", that's fine there is nothing wrong with doing it that way. The reason we decided to use the killing cone method is that it removes all the blood from the animal, and reduces undo stress on the birds.
The skinning operation is very straight forward, and simple you just place the chicken on its back, pull up the skin about mid way on the breast and make a cut being careful not to cut the meat, place your fingers in the slit and pull, its just like taking off a pair of coveralls, once you get down to the wing tips and feet just cut through the joint, remove the neck, and behold you have a "neked" bird as we say it here in the south. From there we eviscerate the birds, I won't elaborate on that right now, give a good wash down and place it in ice water. Very easy and very tasty, we cut the breasts off the bone and voila boneless skinless chicken breast. The rest we ground up to use in dishes you would use ground beef for. You can even roast em' naked like that, the only downside to that is the exterior of the bird will get a little dry. Well I guess I have shocked your system enough for today, I originally wanted to post a blog telling you about our upcomimg series of blogs on how to raise chickens, so now that you know that I guess I can sign off. Thanks for reading and God Bless.
For years I raised chickens and did not really want to fool with actually killing and eating them. The reason being all the plucking we would have to do, it just sounded to me like too much work, that combined with lack of any experience processing chickens just kept me away from it. That is untill my neighbor showed me how to skin a chicken (yes, I said skin, like skinning a rabbit) there is no plucking whatsoever and a bird can be processed from coop to freezer in less than five minutes! So, when the day came the boss and I set up a little processing station which consisted of a homemade killing cone made out of chicken wire, a sturdy table, a water hose, and a cooler filled with ice water. Now I know some of you are wondering "what in the world is a killing cone??" Most of us have heard about ringing a chickens neck, or going queen of hearts with em' (Off with their heads). A killing cone is a funnel shaped device where you put the chicken in the big end and his head stick out the small end, it holds them securely so you can dispatch the animal humanely.
While the chicken's head is hanging out the bottom of the cone, you take a knife and cut the carotid arteries on both sides of the neck, the chicken will expire in seconds. We found most of them took about 90 seconds to expire. Many people ask me; "why don't you just wring their necks, that's what grandma did", that's fine there is nothing wrong with doing it that way. The reason we decided to use the killing cone method is that it removes all the blood from the animal, and reduces undo stress on the birds.
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