Virulent Newcastle Disease (vND), which is highly contagious, has been found in numerous backyard poultry flocks in southern California, prompting reminders for all veterinarians to urge flock owners to be vigilant in preventing its spread.

At least 52 cases of vND have been confirmed in southern California since May 18, according to an alert issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). Most cases have been in San Bernardino County, near the Los Angeles area, and all have involved backyard poultry.

Virulent Newcastle Disease is a viral disease that spreads quickly and can infect and cause death even in vaccinated poultry. The American Association of Avian Pathologists (AAAP) and APHIS advise that all bird owners should be aware of the basics of the disease, how to help prevent it, and what to do if they suspect their birds might have it. 

The disease is spread mainly through direct contact between healthy birds and the bodily discharges of infected birds. Virus-bearing material can be picked up on shoes and clothing and carried from an infected flock to a healthy one.

Signs of Virulent Newcastle Disease

If you see any of the following signs in your birds, they could be sick and should be checked out: 
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• Sudden death and increased death loss in flock; 
• Sneezing, gasping for air, nasal discharge, coughing; 
• Greenish, watery diarrhea; 
  
• Decreased activity, tremors, drooping wings, twisting of head and neck, circling, complete stiffness; and 
  
• Swelling around the eyes and neck.

Report Sick Birds ASAP If your birds are sick or dying, report it right away.

Early detection and testing of possible cases of virulent Newcastle disease is critical to preventing a large-scale outbreak.
 
Contact your agricultural extension office/agent, local veterinarian, local animal health diagnostic laboratory, or the State veterinarian. Or, call USDA toll free at 1-866-5367593. There is no charge for a disease investigation.

How Virulent Newcastle Disease Spreads

Virulent Newcastle disease spreads when healthy birds come in direct contact with bodily fluids from sick birds. The disease affects almost all birds and poultry, even vaccinated poultry. The virus can travel on manure, egg flats, crates, other farming materials or equipment, and people who have picked up the virus on their clothing, shoes, or hands.
 
APHIS and AAAP advise poultry owners to protect their birds by following these measures:

• Restrict traffic onto and off your property.
• Disinfect shoes, clothes, hands, egg trays or flats, crates, vehicles, and tires.
• Avoid visits to other poultry farms or bird owners if possible.
• Wash hands and scrub shoes/boots before and after entering a poultry area.
• Isolate any birds returning from shows for 30 days before placing them with the rest of the flock.
• Stay informed about the location and progression of the outbreak.
• Practice self-quarantine. Stop the movement of birds between locations until the outbreak has been controlled.

Virulent Newcastle Disease has not been found in commercial poultry in the United States since 2003, and no human cases of Newcastle disease have ever occurred from eating poultry products, according to APHIS. Properly cooked poultry products are safe to eat. In very rare instances, people working directly with sick birds can become infected. Symptoms are usually very mild and limited to conjunctivitis. Infection is easily prevented by using standard personal protective equipment.

Once you chicks have grown to a size where they can be carefully integrated into your primary flock, you may be wondering what the best way is to go about feeding the birds of mixed ages. It is highly recommended to feed chicks a chick starter feed until six weeks of age. During this time, it is typically easiest and safest for the chicks to house them separately to ensure they get the proper heat and nutrition. If the hens have raised the chicks from eggs, it may be possible to keep the chicks with the hens, but the fatality rate may be higher due to accidents, nutrition needs that may not be met and other environmental factors.

​Once the chicks reach 6 weeks of age, you can switch them to a high protein grower mash. Once the birds reach 5 to 6 months of age, they are considered to be of laying age. Laying hens should be fed a layer feed in addition to whatever food they forage, as well as any other supplements or appropriate treats you may be providing. 

Often a challenge occurs when the chicks are old enough to be combined with the older hens. In addition to taking the usual precautions when introducing the new birds into the existing flock, it is not uncommon to find the older hens prefer to eat the higher protein grower feed.

The simplest solution is to simply allow the older hens to consume the grower feed along with the younger hens. The older hens enjoy it and the younger hens are guaranteed to still received the health benefits from the high protein levels in the starter feed. On the other hand, layer feed can be harmful to the younger hens because it does not contain all the necessary nutrients.

To compensate for the lower levels of calcium in the layer feed, place some oyster shell or egg shells from hard boiled eggs in with the hens. Once your hens all reach laying age, you can switch them all back to the layer feed. 

​Salmonella is a bacteria that makes people sick. It was discovered by an American scientist named Dr. Salmon, and has been known to cause illness for over 125 years. The illness people get from a Salmonella infection is called salmonellosis.

It's common for chickens, ducks and other poultry to carry Salmonella as it is a germ that naturally lives in the intestines of poultry, as well as many other animals. While it usually doesn't make birds sick, it can cause serious illenss when it is passed to people. 

Most people infected with Salmonella develop diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps between 12 and 72 hours after infection. The illness usually lasts 4 to 7 days, and most individuals recover without treatment. In some cases, diarrhea may be so severe that the patient needs to be hospitalized. In these patients, the Salmonella infection may spread from the intestines to the blood stream, and then to other body sites. In these cases, Salmonella can cause death unless the person is treated promptly with antibiotics. The elderly, infants, and those with impaired immune systems are more likely to have a severe illness.

Tips for avoiding Salmonella infection include:

• Always wash your hands with soap and warm water right after touching live poultry or anything in the area where they live and roam. Use hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available. 
• Do not let children younger than 5 years, adults older than 6, and people with weakened immune systems handle or touch chicks, ducklings, or live poultry.
  
• Thoroughly cook eggs that you collect. 
  

​

Chicken keepers often wonder what the best materials are for litter in a chicken coop. There are a number of good choices and most of them come down to personal preference, poultry safety and cost considerations. 

1. Cedar shavings: Many people like them because they smell lovely. However, sometimes odors can irritate chickens' lungs and cause health problems. If there is no evidence of this in your flock, this is a fine choice. 
2. Pine shavings: Pine shavings are very popular. They are typically readily available, are fairly inexpensive, are absorbent and don't breakdown quickly. 
3. Straw: Straw is very popular in many parts of the world, depending upon its availability and cost. Straw can get kind of sticky and should be replaced on a frequent basis. 
4. Grass clippings: Grass should always be sourced from areas that are known to be chemical and sewage/septic free. Never use clippings from roadsides which are often full of contaminants. 
5. Leaves: Leaves are plentiful in the fall and chickens love to rustle around in them. 
6. Hay: We often use clean hay that has fallen onto the floor from moving it to other places. Old, moldy, dusty and/or contaminated hay should never be used. 
7. Shredded paper: This option is typically not recommended because of the ink, dyes and sometimes metal, such as paper clips and staples that might in in the hay. 

Occasionally, and luckily infrequently, it may occur that your hens will not lay eggs for many days or even weeks at a time. When the entire flock stops laying, you need to dig deeper to understand the underlying issue. Once you have identified the issue, it may take some time for your hens to recover and get back to the business of laying. Here are a few possibilities you may want to check into:

1. Loud sudden sounds. Has construction commenced nearby? Has someone in the area started a landscaping project? Is someone mowing, weed-wacking, using a chainsaw or heavy equipment nearby. 
2. Predators include significant stress even if they do not have access to the coop and nesting boxes. Remember, hens are at their most vulnerable when laying eggs, so they will not jeopardize their survival if they feel uneasy. Predators include the obvious such as foxes, opossums, birds of prey and skunks, but it could also be causes such as a nearby dog behaving erractically, excited barking, chasing other livestock and rushing at fences. What may be innocent enough to you may be causing complete panic in your birds. 
3. Nutrition is another key. Have you recently tried a different feed, a new feed, or maybe your tried-and-true feed has changed formulas. If you are changing feeds, be sure to mix in the new feed with the old feed to help increase acceptance. Monitor the birds carefully to make sure they are eating what they need. Sometimes even just changing the delivery mechanism, such as going from crumble to a pellet formula will upset the birds. 
4. Environmental issues will also impact the birds' behavior. Differences in the amount of daylight, temperatures, significantly changed precipitation, and smoke from fires may be the culprit. 
5. Flock dynamics may have changed. Have new birds been introduced to the flock. Do the birds need more space? Is one bird bullying others? Sometimes more space is all that is needed to solve the problem. Other times, giving the birds something else to do with their time, such has hanging multiple treats around the coop, will distract them enough to get flock relationships normalized. 
6. Molting can also be a trigger. If all of your birds were purchased at the same time, it's very possible all will go through molts at similar times. In this case there is nothing to do but wait it out or purchase other actively laying hens that are not in molt. To avoid this situation in the future, stagger the age of the hens in your flock. 

Good luck and happy laying!

Are you having problems with your chickens eating the eggs that they lay before you are able to collect them? This is not an uncommon problem, but one that needs to be addressed as soon as you see a problem. Sometimes this behavior is not as obvious as it may seem. If you suddenly find yourself going to the coop, only to return with minimal to no eggs for no apparent reason, you may have egg-eaters on your hand. Or you may enter the nesting boxes one day and see the crime in action. Either way, this is a problem that must be addressed quickly. 

This behavior often starts very innocently. Perhaps when a hen lays an egg it breaks, one or more of your chickens may give it a try and they quickly develop a taste for eggs. This will quickly evolve to the hens proactively pecking the eggs open and eating the entire egg. Other chickens will quickly learn to join in and your problem will quickly grow from one egg-eating hen to potentially the entire flock joining in. At this point, it's nearly impossible to stop with few options left other than culling, so early detection is key. 

Here are a few things you can try to address egg-eaters:

1. Make sure your poultry is receiving enough protein and calcium. 
2. Collect eggs as frequently as possible to eliminate the temptation. 
3. Allow chickens to free roam as much as possible. If this is not an option, consider enlarging their yard or extending a run area. 
4. If the chickens have picked the ground of their range area clean, throw in some weeds, tops of freshly pick grass, or in a pinch in winter, even some hay or straw to give them something to scratch around in and consume their time. 
5. Introduce other items of interest such as a flock block. 
6. Hang fruit and vegetables for them to peck at such as apples or cabbages. 
7. Chop up pumpkins and put the coop so the stringy bits and seeds are visible. 
8. Be sure to feed your chickens only crushed egg shells if you are using them as a calcium supplment. Hard boiled egg shells seem to work best for this. 

Good luck and remember, an ounce of proactive prevention and quick action, will save you a dozens of eggs. 

The photo on the right shows two of my favorite chickens. The one on the right is a Red Sex Link. The one on the left is a Java. I typically only use my chickens for egg production, but I was intrigued by the description of the Java as being an excellent dual-purpose chicken for both egg and meat production. Coupled with the friendly reputation of the birds and wanting to keep harmony in the coop, I decided to give Javas a try. 

I have always kept Sex Links in my flock. I love their hardiness, temperament and are consistently the highest egg producing birds in the coop. 

I purchased all the birds as two week old chicks from a local feed store and raised them together. They all lived in the same environment with the same feed and access to water. The birds were cooped at night or when I was unable to watch over them and allowed to free range and forage during the day as weather allowed. 

My findings:

Food consumption was the same and both birds are good foragers. In general found the Javas to be a bit more nervous than the Sex Links, but all the birds were very docile and sweet. As you might be able to see from the photo, the Java grew into a large bird. She matured about a full pound over the Red Sex Link.

Their growth rate was very similar, so as a meat bird, she didn't consume less feed to reach her weight. Ideally meat birds grow very quickly. 

The biggest difference was in egg production. The Red Sex Links started producing at 6 months of age, the Javas began laying about 6 weeks later. However, the real difference was in the number of eggs. Under the same conditions, the Red Sex Links reliably produce about 5 eggs per week, the Javas produced about 2 eggs per week. The eggs were generally the same size. The Javas' were a slightly lighter tan color than the Red Sex Links. The eggs were indistinguishable with respect to quality, flavor and yolk size.

Conclusion:

If you are looking for hens that produce large quantities of eggs, then focus on egg-producing breeds. Good choices include Sex Links, Golden Comets, and Leghorns. Australorps are also good producers.

If you are interested in raising birds for meat, the greatest return will come from selecting those birds selectively bred to maximize their weight per age. Cornish Rock is a good choice for meat production. They grow so quickly that sometimes their hearts and livers can't keep up, which can cause them to drop dead. Raise  them up slowly with no artificial lighting, limiting their feed to two times per day and encourage them to forage. They prefer to belly-up to the feeder and gorge, so use diligence. It takes this breed about 8 to 12 weeks to reach an eating size of 6 to 10 pounds. 

Chickens need fresh, clean water to thrive, but keeping your hens hydrated in winter can be a challenge when temperatures plummet. Chickens don’t drink as much water in the winter, but water is critical to egg production. Lack of access to water for even a few hours can impact egg production, which may already be compromised due to molt or limited hours of sunlight. Without water, they have as much of an appetite and wont’ grow as big. This applies to meat birds as well.
 
Lack of water can also cause problems with digestion and a chicken’s ability to metabolize food. Chickens need water to help soften and dissolve their feed and to keep their food moving smoothly through their crop.
 
Constant access to fresh, liquid water is especially important because chickens don’t drink large amounts of water at one time. Instead they intake small amounts frequently. A water bowl that keeps freezing does not support a chickens drinking habits.
 
There are a few choices available when determining how to best prevent water from freezing.

• One is to replace the water on a regular basis. This may be a viable option if your cold weather is only for a day or two and the temperatures drop just below freezing for short periods of time. For longer cold spells, this is an exhausting solution that is not necessarily viable.
• Another is to use an electrically heated chicken or pet waterer. These are thermostatically controlled  to keep ice from forming.
• Thirdly, if you have a safe place to install a heated lamp near the water, this combined with the body heat of the chickens will frequently prevent the water from freezing. You may be able to use the same lamp set-up as you used for your chick brooder, but be sure to mount and secure the light so the chickens cannot gain access to the light and injure themselves. Even if you already have a heat lamp in the coop, keep in mind that the warmth may not be evenly distributed and you need to ensure the light is close enough to the water to effectively keep the water thawed. 
• Another option is food grade Glycerine, also known as Glycerol or Glycerin (simply different names for the same thing) as found in the home baking section of your supermarket or on-line can be added to water to stop the water from freezing. Experiment with the quantity – A few drops usually protects a large sized wateringcontainer below freezing but if the temperature falls further, you may need to add an extra drop or two.

In the solutions that utilize electricity, be sure to secure your waterer or light electrical source so curious chickens are unable to unplug the devices. In all of the above scenarios, in really cold locations, it may be necessary to have multiple waterers and switch them out every few hours – or as freezing occurs. Bring the frozen waterer indoors to thaw. If you have extremely chilly temperatures, always check the water bowl to make sure it really does contain liquid water and is not covered in an icy layer. While some chickens will peck at ice, they cannot effectively peck through ice. They may also peck at snow, but will not ingest enough for adequate hydration and their bodies cannot efficiently process the snow for hydration.
 
Pecking Order Determines a Chickens Access to Water
 
New chicken owners may not realize that basic flock psychology can hinder water access. The Pecking Order in a flock dictates that there is an alpha on top, an omega on the bottom and everyone else is in between.
 
This pecking order is initially seen with baby chicks. If there is a weak chick, the rest of the flock will eliminate it from the gene pool. This is also done with adult birds, even a healthy, egg-producing hen. One way they do this is by disallowing the hen access to water. They will do the same with access to food. You can avoid this by providing more than one watering station and feeding locations. This simple step will help keep the entire flock healthy. Additionally, make sure your coop is large enough to accommodate your flock. Crowding the flock into too small of a space, as can sometimes happen when birds are forced to spend more time indoors in colder weather, can result in abnormal and aggressive behaviors.
 
Keep the Coop Dry

While keeping water bowls filled with non-frozen water is critical, so is keeping the coop dry. Wet living conditions for chickens can foster cold and disease. Unfortunately, the disadvantage of some electric water dishes is that birds may be able to easily tip them over. Be sure to place the waterers on a solid surface and make a cradle of scrap wood to keep the bowl in place. Another trick to quick clean-up is to line the waterers with aluminum foil. If the birds do make a mess in the water, save time and effort scrubbing the waterer by simply removing the water and then the foil. Replace with new foil and fresh water.
 
Your specific winter conditions will dictate which solutions work best to help keep your chickens hydrated. As always, stay diligent about flock care and you’ll keep them happy and healthy until warmer weather arrives. 

Fungal infections can be fatal to poultry. Symptoms often include affected breathing, rapid weight loss, eating more and fatigue. Birds can be tested for fungal infections via a veterinarian performing a nose-swab test.

Fungal infections have become more widespread with the use of antibiotics and tend to prey on birds with lower immunity. The use of antibiotics also kills the naturally occurring body flora residing in their system, which leads to a weakened immune system. 

​Although the testing can be costly, it is sometimes worth learning if fungal infections are impacting the health of your flock. Fungal infections will not respond to antibiotic treatments, and often make the infection worse. 

Fungi come in molds, mildews, yeasts, mushrooms and toadstools, but only two kinds cause infections - yeast-like and mold-like. 

• Moldy feed (especially processed feeds or corn)
• Wet bedding material, even after it has dried. *ALWAYS remove bedding after it has been moistoned.*
• Spores in the air or own surfaces
• Wet weather, often combine with heat and humidity.
• Poor sanitation
• Contact with another infected bird
• A bird's weak immune system

• Weakness from intenstinal fungi that can cause damage to the digestive track organs.
• Overall uncoordination of the bird.
• Difficulty breathing, gurgling noises and respiratory symptoms. Air passages may be restricted by fungi adn teh bird isn't able to use panting to cool down as well as normal. 
• Fatigue
• Bird losses interet in eating and may lose weight
• Some bright green, watery droppings, also known as vent gleet. The droppings may stick to the vent area.
• Anemia
• Reduction in laying and infertility
• Death can occur from a prolonged and/or severe infection

• Do not feed your chickens anything moldy, including kitchen scraps. Feed needs to be fresh and be sure to always check the dates of your feed to ensure freshness. Less than one month old is a good rule of thumb.
• Keep birds in a well-ventilated area.
• Keep litter as clean as possible. Sand makes a good floor in coops. If you have a hard surface floor in your coop, such as concrete, it is imperative to frequently clean and disinfect it. PDZ and Red Lake Earth DE may also be beneficial.
• Raw, fresh garlic is a great antifungal. Mix it into their feed. 
• Raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar mixed into their water can also help prevent infections. 
• Probiotcs can be a good way to introduce more bacteria to kill fungi, but be sure to follow the directions on the package. Do not use probiotcs and medications simultaneously.
• Veterinarian testing can narrow down the type of fungal infection your bird has an prescribe an appropriate medication. 

Mycosis are superficial, cutaneous, subcutaneous, or systemic (deep) infections depending on the type and degree of tissue involvement and the host response to the pathogen. The superficial affect the skin or mucous membranes. the deep affects internal organs, usually the lungs or crop.

Moniliasis (sour crop, thrush): 

Symptoms: This is a disease that primarily affects the upper digestive tract of all birds and is charaterized by whitish, thickened areas of the crop and proventriculous, erosions in the gizzard, and inflammation of the vent area. 

It is caused by a yeast-like fungus (Candida albicans) and poultry of all ages are susceptible to its effects. Chickens, turkeys, pigeons, pheasants, quail and grouse are most commonly affected, as well as domestic animals and humans. The Candida organism is widely spread and is found throughout the world. Moniliasis is transmitted by ingestion of the causative organism in infected feed, water or environment. Unsanitary, unclean water can be a nesting ground. It grows especially well on corn and so infection can be introduced by moldy feed. This infection has no specific symptoms. It does not spread directly from bird to bird. 

Mycotoxicosis:

​Symptoms: frequently death.
This is a very lethal disease caused by ingesting the toxins. It is known that certain strains of fungi (molds) growing in feed or feed ingredients can produce the toxins that cause this disease. These toxins may also occur on litter. These toxins are very toxic and rival the botulism toxin for toxicity. 

Several types of fungi produce toxins that may cause problems in poultry, but of primary concern are substances produced by the Aspergillus flavus fungi (aflatoxins). This is a common mold that grows on many substances and grows especially well on grains and nuts. Keep litter and feed as clean as possible. 

Prevention: Mycotoxicoses may be prevented by careful choice of feed raw materials, reduction in water content of the raw materials and hygienic storage. ​​Feeds with high levels of fishmeals are particularly susceptible and should not be stored for more than 3 weeks. Pelletising feed may reduce fungal counts but does not affect toxins. Certain minerals additives have been shown to bind mycotoxins and reduce their effects. Good stock control, management of feeders and bins, and avoidance of feed spillage are all important.

Aspergillosis:

Symptoms: Most healthy birds can withstand repeated exposure. Inhalation of large amounts of teh mmold or reduced resistance of teh brids results infection. The chronic form in older birds usually results in loss of appetite, gasping or coughing and a rapid loss of body weight. Mortality is usually low and only a few birds are affected at one time. 

Aspergillosis has been observed in almost all birds and animals, including humans. The organisms are present in the environment of all poultry. they grow easily on many materials such as litter, feed, and rotten wood through with which the bird The disease is observed as either:

1. An acute form in young birds with a high mortiality
2. A chronic condition in adult birds 

This infection is highly contagioius and birds diagnosed with the infection must be kept in isolation. 

Prevention: Dry, good quality feed and litter and good hygiene. 

Occasionally you may have a hen who lays eggs that do not have a hard shell. There are a number of reasons this could happen, but all of these causes are easily cured. 

1. The hen could be needing more calcium in her diet. Consider adding oyster shell or egg shells to her diet. 
2. The hen may need more protein. Be sure to include a well-balanced layer crumble in her diet. 
3. The hen may be suffering from warm weather. Observe if the hen is panting and heat stressed. If so, consider adding misters into your coop. 
4. The hen may be young, old or molting. Age issues will typically resolve themselves over time. 
5. If none of the above reasons are applicable, it could simply be the hen is stressed due to other issues. Lack of a hard shell often occurs when a hen is rushed in laying. The cause of the stress could be related to something as simple as checking in on the chickens when she is in the nesting box laying and possibly startled or could be related to noise in her environment such as barking dogs that may startle her or the sound of lawn or farming equipment. Try to remove the stressors from her environment or isolate the hen during times of stress - such as if you know equipment will be working in the area. 

A wet chicken coop is the worst. Not only is it disgusting for humans, it's bad for the birds. Thoughtful chicken coop design for you climate is an important step in ensuring your birds stay clean and healthy, but if you are already experiencing problems and need guidance until you have time to make repairs, here are some thoughts. ​

If your coop is wet on the inside, remove the birds from the area to avoid possible respiratory complications, wear gloves and a mask and clean out the soiled litter. Let everything dry out as best as possible. Hopefully things will dry by evening and then you can add new bedding. If you have leaks from a roof or compromised seal, try to address the issue at the same time to avoid having to clean out the bedding again in short order. 

In wet climate areas, we like to build coops with ample indoor space, a well sloped metal roof (wind can shove rain and water back under shingles in low sloped roofs), and well secured and sealed doors and windows. The floor of the "cabin" area is water proofed for easy cleaning and durability.

With this particular coop, part of the run is under the cabin, allowing protection from both the sun and rain, and the other part of the run is the full height of the cabin, but covered by a roof with exposure to the south. This allows the birds to still receive sufficient light, have good height to move around, but minimizes the exposure of the run to rain and snow.

This set-up also works well in that it allows the birds to take dust baths almost year round, while providing ample protection against predators and pests.  

The key to keeping mud out of runs is to keep them dry. If it's a matter of rain, adding a seasonal or permanent roof over the run will help keep the moisture out. Even a dense shade cloth can be a temporary solution until you are able to implement something more permanent. If you are having problems with run-off entering the run area, bank the soil around the coop to divert it. Adding gutters to roofs will also help move the water and can be captured for rain water collection. 

If you are in an area with lots of mosquitos, be aware of fowl pox. Fowl pox is transmitted by mosquitoes and cannot be transferred to humans, but is very serious to chickens. Try to minimize any areas of standing water and dampness. Also be sure to frequently dump and scrubbed waters and keep water fresh. 

World Egg Day offers a unique opportunity to help raise awareness of the benefits of eggs and their important role in life, and is celebrated all around the world.

Organized by World Egg Organisation (WEO), this annual foodie date provides the perfect platform for communicating the numerous benefits of eggs to a worldwide audience.

For centuries, eggs have played a major role in feeding families around the globe. They are an unbeatable package when it comes to versatility and top-quality protein at a very affordable price. And they are also an excellent source of choline, essential in memory and brain development. 

Eggs are nature's premium protein
It is all too easy to take eggs for granted but they really are nature’s ultimate source of high quality protein. With an estimated one billion undernourished people across the globe – eggs have the power to help feed the world. A source of high quality protein is essential for:

• Foetal development
• Healthy brain and mucle development
• Improving concentration levels
• Supporting the body’s immune system
• Essential to support the effectiveness of vaccinations and antiretroviral drugs

In addition, eggs are rich in amino acids, calcium, sodium, iodine, selenium, choline and vitamins A, B, D and E.

Eggs offer minimal sustenance with minimal environmental impact:

• Come in their own biodegradable packaging
• Chickens offer a lower carbon footprint and their manure can be composted and used as high-quality fertilizer

As well as the health advantages, eggs also taste great! They’re one of the most versatile and adaptable store cupboard essentials. Healthy eating has never tasted so good! 

Learn more about World Egg Day here and find some delicious egg recipes on our Egg Recipes page here.

Chicken owners across the world argue that eggs are left out at room temperature all over the world, and I know my egggs are fresh, I haven't compromised the shell with cleaning it and my chickens are clean. Therefore, I feel safe leaving them out.

While a basket of colored eggs on the counter looks beautiful, use those only for display. The United States Food and Drug Administration estimates that over 142,000 illnesses each year are caused by eggs containing salmonella. When eggs are left at room temperature, salmonella can quickly multiply to dangerous levels. While many of these cases arise from agribusiness eggs, all eggs are susceptible. 

Salmonella, is the name of a group of bacteria and is a common cause of food poisoning in the United States. Most people infected with Salmonella develop diarrhea, fever, abdominal cramps and/or vomiting 12-72 hours after infection. The symptoms usually last 4-7 days and most people get better without treatment. However, for some people, the diarrhea may be so severe that they need to be hospitalized. In these patients, the Salmonella infection may be spread from the intestines to the blood stream and then to other sites within the body. In these cases, Salmonella can cause death unless the person is treated quickly with antibiotics. 

Chicken owners often feel their own eggs are clean and, therefore, not a contributor to potential salmonella cases. However, it is important to note that not only can salmonella be present on the outside of the egg, but on the inside as well. Refrigerating eggs not only helps keep them safer, it also keeps them fresher as room temperature eggs deteriorate much quicker.

Proper storage of eggs can affect both quality and safety. 

• The best way to store eggs for long-term storage is in a sealed container at a temperature of 35-40 degrees Fahrenheit. Farm fresh eggs can be kept for up to months without deterioration using this method. 

• Use hard-cooked eggs (in the shell or peeled) within 1 week after cooking.
• Use frozen eggs within 1 year. Eggs should not be frozen in their shells. To freeze whole eggs, beat yolks and whites together. Egg whites can also be frozen by themselves.
• Refrigerate leftover cooked egg dishes and use within 3 to 4 days. When refrigerating a large amount of a hot egg-containing leftover, divide it into several shallow containers so it will cool quickly. ​

Bumblefoot, a bacterial infection, is a fairly common problem in chickens, but it does need to be treated. The symptoms are a swollen foot and typically when the chicken walks, it limps on that foot. Bumblefoot does need to be treated as soon as possible to prevent worsening.

Bumblefoot often occurs after some other trauma. Birds may incur damage when jumping down from a perch, or they may get a cut, scrap or splinter of wood in the foot. The infection is often caused from Staphylococcus aureus bacteria which is nearly everywhere. However, it doesn't become a prpoblem until it can gain entry through a cut or injury.  

The infection usually causes a solid core that looks like a cheese-like material. This core needs to be removed for the foot to heal. Cut the core out by opening the bottom of the foot enough to get the core out. once that is done, clean it by using hydrogen peroxide one time only. 

After the core has been removed and the foot cleaned, keep the chicken in a clean environment for a few days. Put the bird in an area with clean shavings. Chickens usually heal very well, so it should get better quickly. Do not try to wrap the foot, because it won't work very well. You can continue to disinfect the foot with a disinfectant such as betadine, but don't continue using the hydrogen peroxide as it will damage new tissue. 

Happy Valentine's Day from our family to yours and peace to everyone!

Our farm family contains a menagerie of animals, but nothing helps make it possible more so than our dogs. For our farm, we currently use two Livestock Guardian Dogs, also known as LGDs, and a herding dog. 

When we first started our farm, we battled little critters eatting our garden produce and rodents trying to get access to our feed. These were nuisances, but managable to some extent with more fencing, netting and other passive preventative measures. However, as our litte flocks and herds began to grow as a result of our successful breeding programs, another problem introduced itself, larger and more persistent predators that were creating losses that more significantly impacted our financial bottom line. 

First Came the Guineafowl
Some of our largest losses came from predatory birds, with hawks and owls presenting the largest problems, but the occasional eagle would also make an appearance looking for an easy meal. Our free ranging chickens took the first few hits, so we introduced guineafowl to help keep a watch on the skies. The guineas are excellent watchdogs, but they had one problem - the hawks would learn to attack them from in the trees and shadows where the birds didn't see them in time. The first couple of times, my position was, "This is nature and everything needs to eat." However, it soon became apparent that the predatory birds didn't always kill because they needed a meal, but often seemed to be killing for fun or sport. Unfortunately it became somwhat common at times to see the predatory birds attack, snapping off the heads of guineas and then leaving the remainder of the body behind. In addition, it all happens so fast, that even if you are in the field with the birds, there is little you can do. 

Return the Birds to the Coops and Reinforced Fencing
Our short term remedy for this was to keep all the birds inside their coops for a couple of weeks to train the predatory birds that the easy meal plan had been terminated, but this made our birds extremely unhappy, so we needed another solution. In addition, it was also nearing the time for our goat does to begin kidding and a newborn baby goat can easily be carried away by a large predatory bird. In addition, coyotes, feral hogs, skunks, foxes and other hungry, larger non-flying predators were also looking to feed themselves and their families. We employed goat panels with two more sets of wire fences with electric wire at the top surronding the kid pens, but if you've ever seen coyotes climb fences,  you know this is far from a fool proof solution.


Electric tensil wire does work well with predators in the cat family as they are more sensitive to the shock and will respect it. Sitting up all night watching for predatories is not really a viable option for most people and using poisons should be avoided at all costs - not only is it a risk to animals you do want, it's a horrible death and can also negatively impact other wildlife. So, what to do? This is when we decided to give LGDs a try. 

However, I always prefer to rescue dogs if at all possible, so our first find was an Anatolian Shepard/Pyrenees cross. When we first got her, she was covered in fleas, flea bites and mange. She was courageous, but almost too aggressive for my comfort level, so we began to socialize her. The "experts" will often say with a LGD that  you want to work in the field, leave them in the field at all times with the once a year exception of going to the vet. This is so the dogs will bond solely with the flock instead of attacking the livestock. For LGDs that  you want to keep as pets, take them with you everywhere and socialize them intensely. After working with the first LGD, I'm a little confused on this point. Perhaps our dogs are unique, but they are superb as pets and with protecting the livestock  - typically barking and chasing the predator is enough to prevent any problems, but they will attack if required. I believe that this is likey because centuries of breeding for that purpose are going to instill behaviors that run very deep. 

One note though is that with working LGDs, it is best to have at least two, if not more. There are many instances where a single LGD has been killed and eatten by a mountain lion and an aggresive pack of coyotes intent on getting to their target can be quite a bit to handle for a single dog. Therefore we started seeking a second rescue. It took a little while to find a fit, but eventually I received an email notifiying me of a rescue needing a home that sounded like it would be a good match for our family. 

One day when selling some of our kids, a lady came to our house and enthusiastically exclaimed, "Oh my goodness, you have a Maremma! Where in the world did you get her?" We had no clue what she was talking about, so we asked a few questions and did some research on the internet and then verified that we did indeed have a Maremma Sheepdog, a breed hailing from central Italy and used for centuries to guard sheep from wolves. She's an incredibly wonderful dog and we feel very lucky that she found her way to us. She's superb with livestock job, loyal and benevolent. She watches over all the animals including the smaller herding dogs as well as cattle and horses. She's fine with heat, snow, wind and rain. Whatever the world hands to her, she's fine with the situation and just grateful to have a home - which she never leaves unless you've asked her to go with you. We couldn't have asked for a better fit. 

Our Conclusion
The benefits offered by the LGDs were amazing. No more birds or larger livestock were lost again to predators. Even poisonous snakes were addressed, but somehow the benign ones are left alone - I have no clue how they understand the difference. They aren't herders and they aren't extremely active dogs. Mostly they nap or doze, but having an amazing hearing capability that allows them to hear things that other dogs never seem to notice. With the predatory birds, they also watch the skies as well as the ground and are amazing at making sure the birds move on the next easier target. 

I have some great photos somewhere of the dogs work with the livestock. Once I find them, I'll post a follow-up. 

Winter means different things to different people depending upon their geography. However, even in the deep south, cold fronts - sometimes earlier or more intense than anticipated - can unexpectedly freeze unprotected pipes or cause a deluge of rainfall to be lost when trying to collect rainwater because of gutters full of leaves.

So, be sure to take a few minutes and walk through your property to see what might need attention. Items to take a look at include:

 With the onset of June many areas begin to experience the stress of summer heat. The heat stresses gardens and animals, so a few preparations now will save panicking later in the summer.

1. Ensure animals have an abundant and consistent supply of water.
Allowing your animals to go for even short periods of time without access to water not only causes them to stress as a least worst case scenario, it will impact egg production, milk productions and growth rates. 

Automatic waterers/drinkers are a huge help, but be sure to check them frequently. Small ones, such as those used for poultry, can be easily bumped and accidentally turned off. In addition, malfunctions do occur. Be sure to dump out and clean the drinking fountains frequently, as the heat of summer promotes algae growth as well as minimize mosquito larvae. A scrub brush kept at various water stations will help ease the task. Check pipes, hoses, connections and floats to ensure proper operation. 

Larger waterers such as those for goats should be dumped and scrubbed frequently. Toilet bowl brushes work great for this. 

The use of barley straw in burlap bags works well to control algae. Commercially known as Stock Tank Secret, they are safe for livestock and fish and you can either make your own or they can be purchased at local feed stores for about $5. It lasts about 2 months. If you start with a dirty trough, it looks worse before it starts to clear, but eventually the algae is gone. One bag can process up to a 200 gal trough.  However, other problems such as mosquito larva and tadpoles will still need to be addressed, so it's almost impossible to eliminate changing the water altogether. 

2. Electrolytes and minerals are always important, but even more so during hotter months. 
As the temperatures rise, so does an animal's susceptibility to heat exhaustion. Livestock that is trembling, breathing rapidly and shallowly and has a rising body temperature, it is likely the victim of heat exhaustion. Provide plenty of clean, cool, clear water; shade, minerals and electrolytes. 

3. Chickens are particularly susceptible to heat stress.
Make sure in addition to water, birds have plenty of covered areas out of the soon with good air ventilation. Birds standing with their wings raised and panting are trying to dissipate heat. This is the first sign of heat stress. Humidity is also a large contributing factor to heat stress. Mounting fans outside the cage and using water misters will help to keep birds cool. 

4. Use shade cloths to shield the garden during peak summer months.
If your garden is in a sunny area with no shade during multiple hours of the day with direct sun, a UV filter shade cloth hung over the garden will help alleviate plants' heat stress as well as prevent soil moisture from evaporating as rapidly. Be sure to check irrigation systems frequently along the lines and at drip and sprinkler locations. One fault in the line can result in multiple plants being damaged. 

Happy springtime!

This time of year many chicken owners, both seasoned and new ,are enjoying their springtime chickens. While adorable, they do need some care. In addition, your chicks aren't the only babies in the area. Predators also have babies to feed and will be particularly aggressive about trying to score a meal. Take special precautions for all your poultry. 

To help make the best use of your time, we've recorded our topic priorities on the May Chicken Checklist.

1. Buying poultry: If you want to supplement your flock by purchasing chicks, be sure to investigate which chicken breeds work best for your climate. Mixing various breeds of chickens is not typically recommended because of the different temperaments of the breeds. More aggressive breeds will pick on more docile chickens - potentially to the point of killing them.  

2. Baby birds: Ensure plenty of supplies are on hand for the arrival of babies. Extra drinking fountains for baby birds and extra feed dishes are helpful and always make sure there are plenty of extra heat lamps on hand. It seems there must be a rule that heat lamps will only fail when you are experiencing the cooler evenings of the season. Chicks consume a lot of feed for their size, so always be sure to have plenty of chick starter on hand. 

If you are incubating or allowing broody hens to hatch eggs, you may find the babies come in batches and they can't all go into the same baby housing together because older birds can trample younger ones. Baby birds must diligently be house according to size to prevent injuries, stress and loss.

3. Be diligent about checking drinking water. As the temperatures climb, birds will be drinking much more water. Also, any drinking fountains placed in direct sunlight will quickly grow algae. 

4. It may be time to temporarily contain free ranging birds: Owls and hawks are very aggressive in spring. Poultry allowed to roost at night faces a highly increased risk of becoming an owls dinner. Keeping a close eye on your flock and monitoring your environment is critical. Once a predatory bird finds an easy meal, they will return repeatedly, so don't layout the welcome mat. Put your coop to good use. Inspect your coop fencing to make sure it is secure from top to bottom. 

5. Inspect feed storage containers: Not only are your domesticated animals having babies, so are your undomesticated one. Rodents such as squirrels, rats and possums all have babies to feed and are now particularly aggressive about finding whatever food they can. Be sure your storage containers are in good condition and securely sealed when not being undesirably accessed. 

Over the years of raising chickens, we've found a few staples that have made the care of chickens significantly easier for when things don't go as perfectly as you would like. One of these is what we call the "Chicken Hospital" which can also double as a "Chick Nursery" depending upon the requirements at the time. 

Birds are rather fragile creatures and are susceptible to a number of ailments ranging from pests to disease to bullying by other birds. For most backyard bird keepers, an ailing or injured bird can turn your life upside down because of the intense amount of care often required by the bird. We've heard stories from some of our fellow chicken keepers where they literally took a sick chicken on vacation with them so they could administer its medicine two times a day. The chicken traveled around in a crate in the back of the car which of course caused complications relative to where the car could be parked and prompted precise instructions to the valet for when they needed to park their car at the high end restaurant where they would be dining. 

For this reason, it is important to always keep a careful eye on your birds' behaviors to look for any deviations that could indicate a problem, so you don't get too far down the illness path to being with. In general, anytime you see a bird behaving differently from the norm, you can be highly confident there is something not right with the bird. Catching the situation early not only improves the bird's chance of survival, but also potentially prevents the spread of the issue to other birds. If a flock is kept in a clean area with quality food and water and plenty of space, you should not have many problems with your birds. 

High quality food, fresh water and a clean environment  with good air circulation and plenty of space for each bird are the bare minimum requirements to keep birds healthy. A secure place to roost with plenty of roosting space per bird will help minimize stress and help prevent bullying from birds who want "prime" roosting locations. 

Always be very careful about introducing new birds to your flock. If you acquire new birds, it's best to keep them separated from the flock for two weeks and carefully watch for any signs of illness. Once you are confident your birds are disease free, you can introduce them to your flock by placing them in the coop at night after the other birds have gone to roost. 

However, there will be times when you notice a bird is injured or is showing signs of stress resulting from being picked on by other birds. What we have found as a good solution for this is what we refer to generically as a "chicken hospital". 

Chicken hospitals are simple structures that you can either make yourself or use a structure such as a modified dog crate or carrier to provide a safe and secure place for your injured or ill bird to recuperate. If you have an ill bird, it is recommended to remove the hospital from the area where any other poultry are kept in an attempt to prevent the spread of the disease or pests. If you have an injured bird, it is generally less stressful to keep the structure in the coop where the birds can stay in sight of the rest of the flock. 

The structures can either have an open bottom that allows access to an earthen floor or you can put shavings in the bottom of an open or enclosed structure. The structures should be large enough to allow the bird enough room to move around, scratch and take a dust bath.

Food and water sometimes presents a bit more of a problem. Shavings are easier to clean up, but for hens that like to scratch a lot,  you will often find you have to refresh their food and water at least twice per day. The earthen floor solution is a bit easier to keep clean, but if you need to move your hospital into an area such as your house, the enclosed floor is obviously preferred What we found works the best for waterers and food is small ceramic raised dog bowls. You can use a small bowl that's left on the ground, but it's typical the birds will dump it over and then may, or may not, eat the feed from the ground. 

Water can be even trickier. Small plastic drinking fountains work, but large birds drink a lot of water, so going with a mid-sized or larger fountain typically works better. However, large drinking fountains also take up a lot of space in the hospital, impacting the space available for the bird. Here we found a bucket or bowl that's mid-height, or one that comes up to about mid-height on the bird's chest, seems to work best. Anything lower will quickly get dirty. Higher waterers might be difficult for less than healthy birds to access. 

The key to recuperating any bird is to keep a careful eye on the flock, inspect and address any physical or behavioral changes in the bird immediately and keep the bird clean, dry and well fed while administering medications and/or allowing the bird to rest. 

The hope is you will never need to use any of these measures, but chances are you will. Therefore, it's good to be prepared and have some sort of plan and structure available for when you need it. Time will be a critical factor when the situation does arise. 

Here in central Texas the weather is already in the 90's and the April Check List already reflects this increased in temperatures. However, the entire North American continent experienced an unusually mild winter and spring is on its way - if not already firmly in place - in most areas. Here our April Checklist:

The Garden
 - Make sure irrigation systems are installed and working properly. Young plants do not have well-developed root systems yet and need consistent and through watering with good drainage. 
 - Review your plants to determine which ones are still thriving relative to your local temperature and which ones are getting stressed as temperatures rise. Some plants such as lettuces will begin to turn bitter as temperatures increase. If you have non-hybrid plants, and especially heirloom plants, be sure to allow a few of the plants to seed out and collect their seed or allow them to disburse naturally on the wind for the next cool season cycle. 
 - It's time to get warm weather plants into the ground. In warmer areas, it's best to get tomatoes into the ground by mid-month. For other plants such as eggplant, beans, peppers, summer squash and tomatillos have a few more weeks before they need to be in the ground. As a rule, most warm season plants require a minimum of 50 degree soil temperatures for best germination. You can find a companion planting guide here. 
-  Okra should be planted by seed when the ground temperatures at or above 60 degrees.
 - The opportunity to plant fruit trees has just about expired. If you need to plant or replace fruit trees, do so ASAP. 
 - Fertilize established trees with an organic fertilizer.
 - This is an excellent time of the year to plant herbs that enjoy warm weather. Herbs to plant include anise, basil, bay, catnip, chives, comfrey, coneflower (echinacea),  costmary,  fennel, fenugreek, scented geranium, germander, horehound, horseradish, lamb's ear, lavender, lemon grass, lemon verbena, Mexican mint marigold, oregano, perilla, rosemary, sage, santolina, summer savory, winter savory, sesame, sorrel, southernwood, tansy, tarragon, thyme, wormwood. Both basil and lemon grass do not care for temperatures of less than 50 degrees F, so you may need to initially plant them in pots in a warm location and transplant them when night time temperatures stay above 50 degrees. On the other hand, cilantro and dill prefer cooler temperatures and as the days climb into the upper 70 degree temperature ranges you are likely to see them bolt. 

Chickens:
 - As the weather warms, chickens tolerate fewer carbohydrates in their diet. Be sure to make sure birds are getting enough protein and avoid with offering nutrient poor snacks, such as corn in the summer months. 
 - Baby chicks are hatching with good success. However, not all chicks make it to maturity. If you are allowing chicks to hatch under hens, check under the hens at least twice a day for broken egg shells. The chicks won't always be obvious because sometimes the hens tuck them way up into their feathers. Removing the shells will also inhibit the adult birds for getting a taste for eggs.
 - Do not try to help a hatching chick out of its shell or touch it while it is still wet. Allow nature to take its course. Seldom does a distressed chick having difficulty hatching survive, whether assisted or not. 
 - Sometimes a hen will abandon a chick for no apparent reason. You can try to move it to a heat lamp. Sometimes you will find another broody hen that will accept the chick, but this isn't typical. 
- Make sure the remaining unoccupied nesting boxes have good liners and cushion in them as the remaining hens will make them high-use areas. 
 - Older hens may already be getting stressed by the heat to which they have not become accustomed. It's important to make sure waterers are in good repair and offering an abundance of fresh, clean water and there is good air circulation in the coop.
 - If you are hatching and raising your own birds, keep a close eye on your poultry headcount to ensure overcrowding isn't occurring. Overcrowding leads to stress which can result in bullying, disease, decreased egg production and a myriad of other problems. 
 - With the increasing heat, it's a good idea to do a thorough cleaning of the chicken coop now. Chick poop becomes more fragrant as heat increases. Add in some humidity and it exponentially increases further. Add chicken excrement to the compost pile. 
 - Make repairs, enhancement and repairs to the coop while the weather is pleasant. Working in the coop in extreme temperatures - whether cold or hot - is stressful for both you and the birds. 

Goats:
 - It's a good time of the year to spring clean everything and the milk room, feed rooms and barns are no exception. Scrub down all the floors, walls and other surfaces with a green cleanser and hot water. Be sure to rinse well. 
 - This is an excellent time of year to make any expansions or improvements to your barns. 
 - Observe your rainwater collection systems and evaluate if there are any ways to improve your systems to further maximize capture. 
 - If the goats are moving onto green pasture, be sure to watch for signs of bloat. Bloat is an excessive accumulation of gas in the rumen and reticulum that results in distension. It is caused by gas trapped in numerous tiny bubbles, making it impossible to burp. Treatment for bloat can be found here. 
 - Check your supplies for organic dewormers, fly control supplies, minerals, baking soda and other needs that may have spoiled or expired over the winter months.
- Check goats' hooves to see if they need trimming. The increased number of daylight hours and spring rains often cause hooves to grow fastest at this time of year and you will need to trim them more frequently. 
 - Clean areas around mangers to eliminate any rotting feed sources which helps keep the ground fresh and rodents and pests at bay. Contribute trampled feed to the compost pile.

From what we understand from the Texas State Agricultural Commissioner, there is a serious new threat to livestock that is being called a Rasberry Crazy Ant. Originally from Jamaica, the ant was brought into the United States via the Port of Houston. First appearances were cited in 2002 around the Houston, Texas area. This the ant is now being discovered in many other Texas counties including areas around San Antonio. These ants have not yet been identified as a species, but are reportedly more bothersome than the infamous Fire Ants. They are killing many forms of wildlife and causing them to move out of areas, while often making it impossible for many homeowners and their companion pets to spend time outdoors. 

These ants kill songbirds and poultry, small mammals including house pets, squirrels and even larger mammals such as deer, cattle and horses.The ants kill chickens via asphyxia by crawling into their nasal passages.  In addition to the physical danger posed by the ants, they have a large affinity for climbing onto and into electronics and shorting lines causing extensive financial damage. 

Humans are playing a key role in assisting with the migration of these pests. These ants show likelihood of being transported through movement of almost any infested container or material. The movement of garbage, yard debris,bags or loads of compost, potted plants, and bales of hay, can transport these ant colonies by truck, railroad, and airplane. Several very large name home improvement chains that sell plants have reportedly had problems.  

Rasberry crazy ants eat almost anything; they are omnivorous.  They have multiple queens and are outsmarting attempts to eradicate them. There are no effective products readily available to the consumer to manage the ants, so you should identify the ants; and, if rasberry ants, immediately treated by a professional. 

Currently, the ants have been identified in south and central Texas. However, the ant has the potential to spread well beyond the current range in coastal Texas. However, because this is a semi-tropical ant, it is anticipated potential northern distribution will be limited by cooler weather conditions. 

Texas A&M University has more information on their Agriculture Extension site at http://urbanentomology.tamu.edu/ants/rasberry.html  

Most backyard farmers love the idea of letting their birds free range. Typically, free-range eggs taste better because the birds are able to provide more variety in their diet than what their caretaker can replicate. The birds naturally know what their bodies need in terms of nutrients and are happier. Happy birds produce lovely eggs.

Before you decide to allow your birds to free range, check a couple of things.

Are you a candidate to have free ranging birds?
1. Does your city allow for poultry to free range? Many cities that permit keeping poultry in urban and suburban areas require the birds be housed in permanent coop structures. Birds are not permitted out of their housing units.

2. Do you have predators that visit your free range area? You won't necessarily know this if you haven't been allowing your birds to free range previously, so the first couple of weeks you will want to keep a close eye on your birds when they are outside of their coop. During the day, predators can include hawks, raccoons, foxes, coyotes, etc. but can also include things like the friendly, familar faces you are used to seeing around your home such as your own dogs and cats as well as those of your neighbors. 

The Coop is a Safety Zone
If the above criteria are met, you have affirmed your candidacy to raise free-range birds. In every case, free-range birds should be provided with secured housing for nighttime roosting to protect them from the creatures of the night. When allowing your birds to free range, be sure to keep the door of their coop secured open so the birds can return to it in the event danger appears. The coop is the birds' home, where they know they have a water source and supplemental food, and for most it is a comfort zone in times of stress. This is where they will typically return to at night and also run to in the event of danger.  

Before allowing your birds to free range, you must make sure they are imprinted to their coop. Be sure to know how long it takes to imprint your breed of birds. Chickens are typically 14 days, but guinea fowl take a minimum of 6 weeks. Keep them secured inside their coop for the minimum numbers of imprint days before allowing them to free range. If you allow your birds to free range prior to imprinting, there is a good chance you may not see your birds again. Once you have met the required minimum imprint time, it is advisable to clip the birds flight feathers to prevent them from roosting in trees and becoming a potential late night dinner for a nighttime predator like an owl. 

Cutting Flight Feathers
Depending upon the breed of poultry, some are better fliers than others. if you watch your birds go up to their roost in their coop, it's becomes obvious who are the better flies. Ducks and guineas are generally much better at flying than chickens, but some chickens are quite adept. As a standard course of measure, it is advisable to clip all birds' flight feathers.
 

An abnormally mild winter in most of North America has resulted in an early outbreak of summer. In Central Texas, flowers and trees are blooming and insects are out. With only a limited amount of time between the last frost  and summer heat for some areas, it's important to get your garden into the ground as quickly as possible after the last freeze date for your area - which of course should include a check on your 10 day weather forecast before you actually proceed. If you have not already started your vegetable garden from seed, you may want to consider purchasing seedlings and transplanting them into the ground. If you aren't sure what to look for when purchasing seedlings, get more information here.

With all the work that needs to happen in the garden, plus the arrival of baby chicks and baby goats, March is a busy month indeed. Find out what else is on our checklist.

About three years ago we fell in love with the cutest little baby birds you've ever seen called keets. Keets are guinea fowl chicks. Our adoration led to bring six keets coming home with us in a card board box. Guineas are not as domesticated as chickens, and this is true even when they are babies. They are more skittish when you try to handle them and as adults it takes them quite a long time to become accustomed to humans, even when hand raised. However, their generally suspicious nature makes them great watch birds, very similar to the role that geese play on many farms. In addition, they help manage fleas, ticks, grasshopper and other pest populations; their eggs are quite delicious; guinea fowl is a very popular French entree and they are beautiful, funny birds, so it was for these many reasons we decided to raise guinea fowl. 

However, guineas are a smaller bird, even though they are a member of the vulture family, and despite their keen eyesight are a favrorite target of predatory birds such as hawks. We have come across one of our guineas more than once with its head popped off by a predatory bird and the remainder of its carcass lying completely in tact. It iw not a good idea to allow your guineas to stay outside of a shelter at night as they have very poor night vision. If you allow your guineas to stay out at night, owls will sometimes cozy right up to them in the tree where they are roosting, push the guineas out of the tree and then swoop down upon them and kill them. Therefore, although we allow our guinease to free-range during the day, it is important to have a shelter that the birds can run to for safety during the day and where you can close them safely during the night.  

When we first started raising guineas, we had the original 6 birds, so we didn't need much space. However, what we didn't realize is that a single hen is quite capable of hatching clutches of more than a dozen eggs with 20-30 eggs in the clutch typical. We only had 2 hens out of our original 6 birds, but with even just two clutches a year, you can quickly see how the numbers will quickly add up.

Yes, we have had some losses, but the net-net of the situation is we needed to create additional living space for the birds. We also noticed that as the bird population grew, similar to people, the birds segregated themselves into smaller flocks and the various flocks don't get along particularly well. These personality differences resulted in the need for us to get creative in how we needed to expand their housing. Our thought process and solution the solution we used was: