Overweight Chickens
Chickens are the most likely candidates to become overweight. Birds that are caged, kept in a small run or are fed the incorrect diet are the most at risk of becoming overweight. Fat hens don’t lay eggs, are prone to heat stroke, fatty liver syndrome and can have reproduction problems.
Red Mite Treatment: My Top 8 Products
I have battled with red mite treatment on many occasions and have formed some views with other fanciers on the best red mite killer. Here are my top 8 red mite products.
Fowl Pox
Fowl pox is a very painful condition and one that is hard to get rid of from a holding although the disease itself is not necessarily life threatening. Fowl pox is caused by a pox virus and mostly affects chickens. There is a pigeon pox virus and a turkey pox virus. There are three possible […]
Avian Influenza and Backyard Chickens
The very mention of the words Avian Influenza (AI) or Bird Flu strikes fear into the hearts of poultry keepers and the general public alike. Avian Influenza is caused by an Influenza virus of which there are several strains. Some of these strains infect only people, others only birds and some only pigs. However some […]
Table Poultry
Here is a list of traditional meat breed/table poultry crosses that can be used to create your own hybrid chickens for the table. These birds are called table birds, fryers, broilers, meat birds or roasters. Generally speaking, the faster a bird grows, the more tender the meat is but there are extremes. Typical supermarket chicken […]
Black Rock Chickens
Cross: Unique strain of Rhode Island Red Cock / Barred Plymouth Rock Hen. Eggs: Around 280 Brown Eggs. Useful to Know: The parent strains are unique and have undergone careful selection over many years in order to maintain their essential qualities. Crossing other strains of Rhode Island Red with Plymouth Barred Rock will not yield […]
Predator Mites for Red Mite Control
Predator mites can be introduced into a chicken coop to eat red mite for breakfast… lunch… and dinner! They sounded like the perfect solution to my red mite problems, so I thought it was well worth checking these little fellas out!
Art of the Chicken Coop Book Review
One of the biggest expenses when you decide to start keeping chickens is that of the housing. Your chickens may be relatively cheap, but if you’re looking to buy a coop you can expect to pay anything from a hundred to several hundred pounds. It can be eye watering, and makes a lie of the ‘cheap supply of eggs’ waffle spouted by enthusiasts like me. So if you’re in any way handy, building your own hen accommodation can be a much more viable alternative. Chris Gleason’s ‘Art Of The Chicken Coop’ attempts to offer some inspiration.
Coccidiosis in Chickens
Coccidiosis in chickens is fairly common, so when we find our birds with loose droppings and a depressed appearance, the first disease that springs to mind is coccidiosis, but what exactly is coccidiosis and how does it affect our birds?
BEC Feeders Review
I took delivery of a large box of feeders from the manufacturer BEC and have been testing them for the last 4 months in a variety of ways. These feeders are sturdy, robust plastic feeders that are manufactured in the UK and are certainly built to last.
Ex-Battery Hens For Sale
Where to find ex-commercial or ex-battery hens for sale, usually for very modest donations from several rehoming organisations across the UK.
Mink Trapping Tips for Poultry Keepers
Predators can be a constant worry for many small holders and poultry keepers. A single fox can ruin years of careful husbandry and breeding in a few minutes, and stoats think little of killing a broody hen as she sits on eggs. We all know the dangers posed by these two hunters, and with a […]
Salmonella in Backyard Chickens
We frequently get owners asking questions about the risks of getting Salmonella from their chickens and eggs. So what exactly is Salmonella? Salmonella is a bacteria which can infect both animals and man. There are several species of Salmonella, each species has it’s own type of animal that it prefers to infect e.g. Salmonella Dublin […]
Selling Eggs Off the Gate
Our chickens are productive pets and will lay a good number of eggs for us, so you may want to sell your surplus eggs at the gate. There are a few rules and regulations to be aware of when selling eggs from backyard hens, and in this article, Andy provides us with some tips to […]
The Plight of the Battery Hen
For those of us that raise and nurture our own hens, the world of intensive chicken farming is a million miles away. But for the egg-buying public, many are blissfully unaware of the conditions the eggs they purchase were produced in. Skilful marketing and lack of proper labelling hide the horrible truth.
Tips on Rehoming Ex-Battery Hens
In this article, Jo shares her tips on rehoming ex-battery hens so you can learn more about this rewarding and life-enhancing experience.
RCOM Suro Incubator Review
My review of the RCOM King Suro 20 Incubator, which compares features for the price with other incubators in this category.
The Illustrated Guide to Chickens Book Review
The Illustrated Guide To Chickens is a beautifully presented book that covers 100 of the most familiar breeds of chickens found across Europe and North America. Every breed has been painted by the author and artist Celia Lewis (who has co-written two other books on hen care) and accompanies a comprehensive breed profile, covering the breed history, pertinent breed characteristics and some tips about special breed requirements.
Respiratory Disease in Chickens
One of the most common veterinary complaints of backyard chickens is snicking, sneezing and coughing. In this article, Poultry Vet Richard Jackson runs through the different respiratory diseases we might encounter in our flock.
Poultry Fencing
Poultry fencing isn’t often covered in poultry books, and yet it is a fundamental requirement to keep birds safe from predators. In this guide, I will cover fencing a fixed area off to use as a poultry run, rather than building or buying a small run that attaches to chicken coops. All poultry need protection […]