White Patches on Ducks with Extended Black Genes
Black, Chocolate and Blue ducks – with white patches? White Patches on Ducks with Extended Black Genes are commonly seen as they age. Pure Black, Chocolate or Blue coloured ducks will start off as the correct colour during their first year of life however, they will normally get white patches of down appearing that gradually get worse […]
The Domestic Duck Book Review
I was a little nervous when this book arrived. After all, I have been a big fan of Storey’s Guide to Raising Ducks for the last few years. It seemed to cover everything I needed to know about ducks (although it is aimed at the American market) and I didn’t think this book would beat it, but how wrong I was!
How Do You Know if a Goose is Ready to Incubate Her Eggs?
A goose will build a nest and start laying eggs. The question is, should you remove them? Or wait for her to lay more? And how do you know when a goose is ready to incubate her eggs?
What Do Geese Eat? A Guide to Feeding Geese
What do geese eat? What they eat in the wild, tips on what to feed geese on your local pond, and what to feed domestic goose breeds kept at home. Everything you need to know about feeding geese!
The Orpington Fowl Book Review
The Orpington Fowl has to be THE book to have on your bookshelf if you are interested in the Orpington breed. The book starts by telling the story of how William Cook created and then sold the Orpington to all corners of the World. He created a dual purpose utility bird that also became popular at poultry shows.
How to Get Rid of Rats
This guide will help you to learn about rats and how to reduce the rodent carrying capacity of the environment around your chickens.
Egg Binding
Sometimes poultry can become egg bound when a large egg ‘gets stuck’ in the oviduct. The bird will usually keep visiting the nest box without being able to lay the egg and will keep straining. If the abdomen of the bird is examined, the egg can often be felt. A particularly large egg is often the […]
Mini Eggs
Mini eggs are about quarter of the size of a normal egg. They usually don’t have a yolk inside, just the ‘white’ or albumen as it is technically called. A mini egg is caused when a small foreign object enters the oviduct and triggers the normal formation of an egg, so just the same as […]
Mushy Chick Disease / Yolk Sack Infection
Mushy Chick Disease, also known as a yolk sack infection, can kill newborn chicks. Mushy chick disease develops inside the egg as the chick develops. Chicks once born stagger about and look sleepy. They will be reluctant to move and stay under the heat source. Mortality follows, with the worst of it occurring within the […]
Egg Peritonitis
Egg peritonitis in chickens & ducks is when the lining of the abdomen becomes inflamed due to infection from bacteria. Common after prolapse.
Are Ducks Noisy?
Before getting some ducks for the back garden, many people ask the question “are ducks noisy?” Many of us have neighbours to consider, and just like a crowing cockerel can be a problem, some ducks can make quite a bit of noise.
What Drake To Duck Ratio?
What duck to drake ratio can you have in a flock of ducks so that there aren’t too many squabbles amongst drakes or too much ‘attention’ given to the ducks during the breeding season?
Colour Genetics Of Blue Birds
If blue birds (genetic code Bb) are mated together, they throw a percentage of ‘off’ colours in their progeny (youngsters), the probability being 25% blacks (BB), 25% blue splashed whites (bb) as well as 50% blues (Bb). You need to breed a sufficiently large number to achieve this percentage – since this is a probability. […]
Why Have my Chickens Stopped Laying?
The question that’s asked the most is, why have my chickens stopped laying eggs? There can be several reasons, and this article goes through each of these.
Breeding Chickens
If you are considering breeding chickens for sale or expanding your flock’s size, then one of the most rewarding ways to do this is by using a cockerel to provide you with fertile eggs from your hens so that you can incubate and hatch your own. However, there are some considerations, apart from whether a […]
British Waterfowl Standards Book Review
At first I thought there would be little need to describe the content of this book to you as the title is so self-explanatory… but I was wrong and it far outweighed my expectations. The book includes superb colour photographs of nearly all breeds of Waterfowl, (many of which are show winners) and includes the new colours of Call and Runner ducks that are so popular at the moment (there are in fact 27 pages devoted to Indian Runners!).
Inspecting a Chicken for Good Health
It is important to learn how to inspect a chicken properly to assess it for good health. Not only is a chicken’s health check important when buying hens but good husbandry involves checking your birds regularly for the first signs of problems so that they can be nipped in the bud.
List of Chicken Friendly Plants
I often get asked by new chicken keepers which plants in the garden are chicken friendly. I have been working on this list for over 10 years and think I’m getting fairly close to saying the list is accurate!
Tips to Stop Chickens Laying Eggs on the Floor
Are your chickens getting into bad habits, laying eggs on the floor instead of in their nest boxes? As well as the waste, when discarding heavily soiled eggs, this can also be a stepping stone to hens eating eggs.
Chickens Eating Eggs
Poor nutrition, badly designed nest boxes, a weak egg-shell or just a clumsy hen treading on eggs can lead to chickens eating eggs. Eggs are of course very nutritious and the whole flock will soon pick up the bad habit. Egg eating can be quite a difficult vice to cure once it becomes established so […]