Bird Selection
Selecting your new bird requires careful consideration. Start by deciding your plan for bird ownership. Do you want fresh eggs? Are you raising birds for meat? Or for the show ring?
There are several breed options and it may be a tad overwhelming to choose. Don’t wing it though! To help you make an informed choice, this section covers:
Factors to consider when choosing a breed
Best breeds for eggs
The history of poultry
LATEST BLOG POSTS ON THIS TOPIC:
Getting Goose Bumps about Basic Care of Geese
Backyard poultry-keeping has grown in popularity, with chickens being the most common choice for many enthusiasts. However, an increasing number of individuals are discovering the joys of raising geese in their backyards. Geese are delightful, sociable creatures that offer unique benefits to poultry enthusiasts. This article will delve into the basic care of backyard geese while highlighting the similarities and differences with backyard chickens. Housing and Space Both geese and chickens require housing to protect them from predators and extreme weather conditions. Coops and enclosures should be secure, well-ventilated, and spacious enough to allow the birds to move freely.
Don’t Judge your Chickens…Unless of course you are a Chicken Judge
Judging chickens is a fascinating skill that requires a keen eye, attention to detail, and a deep understanding of poultry standards. Whether you're a backyard chicken enthusiast or aspire to participate in poultry shows, knowing a little about the basic of poultry judging is a good skill to have. In this article, we will delve into the basics of judging chickens, providing a comprehensive guide for beginners to start their journey in the captivating world of poultry evaluation. If you really get interested in poultry judging, get in touch with your local 4-H and FFA chapters to start participating
Common Chicken Breeds for Backyard Owners
When you think about a flock of backyard poultry, what kind of chicken comes to mind? Do you dream of Delawares, plead for a Plymouth Rock or wish for a Wyandotte? Here we will describe the most popular and commonly found chicken breeds for California backyard owners so you can better identify which bird will best suit your needs. What to Look For First, let’s go over a few defining features that will help with identification. Most notably, the “plumage” (feathers) of many breeds will come in a variety of colors, making identification strictly based on color difficult. When
The Basics of Incubating Hatching Eggs
Due to the life changing events of the global pandemic, many people have taken up new hobbies such as baking bread or curling. One less confusing hobby many people have dabbled in is hatching chicken eggs. When I was in elementary school, we incubated and hatched our own set of chicken eggs. We would take turns watching the eggs, checking the incubators temperature and humidity, and turning the eggs. We only had the eggs for about three weeks before they all hatched, and we got to see a bundle of cute chicks running around the class. A good time
Sources of Baby Chicks
From a disease, welfare and husbandry perspective, the best place you can source your fertilized eggs or baby chicks from is a farm or hatchery that is part of the National Poultry Improvement Program (NPIP). To be NPIP certified as a hatchery means that the birds on the farm are tested for various diseases possibly including Salmonella (it depends on which level of NPIP certification the farm/hatchery has) which can cause your eggs to be contaminated with a foodborne pathogen (aka it can get you sick). From a poultry health perspective NPIP requires testing for various other infectious diseases
Raising Backyard Ducks for Eggs
When we think about eggs, we often assume that chicken eggs are the only option! However, waterfowl (birds that spend a lot of time in the water) like geese and ducks are often great egg layers, and their eggs carry significant nutritional benefits for human health. In this article, we will share some of these amazing benefits: Duck egg whites are often richer in albumin, a healthy source of protein that our bodies need to function. There is an added benefit too - cakes and other delicious treats made with duck eggs are often fluffier and richer in flavor.