Egg color is related to breed. Some people assume that you can tell what color eggs a hen will lay by its ear lobe or feather color. There are a lot of chicken breeds that lay brown eggs, and yes, sometimes the color of the feathers will match. But this isn’t always the case. It all comes down to genetics. Egg color is based upon the genetics in the animal, just like genes in … [Read more...]
Did you know…?
Chickens are omnivores! In many classic TV westerns, chickens are shown eating grain and corn thrown by a ranch-hand or child. Because this is primarily their food source on farms, it has led some people to assume that chickens are vegetarians. Chickens are actually omnivores who enjoy many insects, and in some case, small frogs, mice, snakes, and bugs! They do also enjoy fresh … [Read more...]
Did you know…?
Chickens come in all sizes! When most people think about chickens, the image in their mind is usually of a large, heavy looking bird, which are the standard breed varieties of chickens. But there are also miniature or bantam varieties. Bantam isn’t a specific breed, but rather a smaller variety of poultry. These birds can be as small as 1/5 the size of a standard breed. Some … [Read more...]
Q&A with the author of Pure Poultry
Today we're chatting with Victoria Redhed Miller, the author of Pure Poultry: Living Well with Heritage Chickens, Turkeys and Ducks. And if you think that looks like a banty hen with turkey poults on the book's cover, you are correct. Living off-grid, Victoria sometimes has bantam hens hatch a variety of poultry, rather than using an electric incubator. Thrifty Homesteader: … [Read more...]
It’s chick time!
Chick time? You mean, the time to get chicks? Yep! Although most people get new chicks in the spring, I prefer getting my future layers in September or early October. Why? Most breeds of chickens don't start laying until five or six months of age. If you get chicks hatched in spring, they start laying a few small eggs just as the days start getting shorter. Although they … [Read more...]
5 steps to starting a backyard flock responsibly
In my last post, I talked about the controversy that is brewing over backyard chickens. As with any animal that becomes popular, chickens are starting to fall into the hands of some irresponsible owners, but it is not difficult or complicated to be a responsible chicken keeper. Here are five action steps you can take before starting your own backyard flock. Contact your … [Read more...]
Controversy over backyard hens
A Delaware pullet, which is a rare breed Whenever anything gets popular, there will no doubt be people who don't like it and become rather vocal about their opposition. Sometimes they will voice legitimate concerns, but other times they will have objections that are not grounded in reality. Such is the case with backyard hens. I was sadly shocked to see that NBC fell … [Read more...]
What is natural?
A few months ago I was giving a talk and brought up aquaponics as a good way to grow vegetables during times of drought. Aquaponics is growing fish and plants together. It could be outside or in a greenhouse or even in your basement, but the beauty of the system is that the plants take up the waste products of the fish, and the fish thrive by having the plants clean their … [Read more...]
Livestock and hot weather
With record breaking temperatures hitting many parts of the U.S. this week, anyone with livestock has probably been anxiously watching them to make sure they are surviving the heat. So, here are a few tips: WATER! Keep cool water available at all times! Dehydration is the main killer in hot weather. If you find an animal unable to stand, pinch its skin, and if it is not … [Read more...]
You can’t grow that organically!
It is always a bit of a shock when someone asks me if something -- apples, pigs, turkeys, you-name-it -- can be grown organically. I've heard the questions so many times over the years that it really should not be a surprise to me, but optimist that I am, I always think that I will never hear the question again. Why? Because every type of food can be grown organically. Prior … [Read more...]