HTML clipboard What to do when there is trouble with raising chickens.
The egg without a shell – may be the first one or two eggs ever laid by the girl (she may be in shock- what the heck is that thing coming out of me!) She may need extra calcium.
Weak shells – need more calcium
Egg eating – often done out of boredom or lack of calcium or both. Take the eggs out immediately after laying.
Digging in the garden – get a watchdog, put up fencing
Pecking at each other – usually bored, too hot, or too many in too small of a space.
Coccidiose- parasite that causes diarhea, weight loss, contagious through droppings. Feed starter feed with antibiotics.
Egg binding – the hen will start moving strangely, like tucking her tail underneath her. An egg may be stuck! It may be due to lack of calcium.
Flying the coop – Clip their wings. You just clip the ends of the feathers off so they can’t fly. You may have to do it a few times or maybe just once. If they think they can’t fly, they may stop trying.
Roosting in the trees – gently shake the branch like heck until they fly down. You may have to do this more than once until you break the habit. Clip their wings if this gets to be a problem.
Broody hens – they may start sitting on the eggs thinking they are going to hatch especially if there is a rooster around. You can break up the broodiness by taking the eggs out right away and not letting her back in the box or nest.
Air Cell -The empty space between the white and shell at the large end of the egg.
Albumen – Also known as egg white. Albumen accounts for most of an egg’s liquid weight, about 67%. It contains more than half the egg’s total protein, niacin, riboflavin, chlorine, magnesium, potassium, sodium and sulfur.
Alektorophobia- fear of chickens (which you will no longer have after reading this)
Bantam (banty)- small chickens: not a breed
Biddy . Referring to a hen
Blood spots- Also called meat spots. Occasionally found on an egg yolk. Contrary to popular opinion, these tiny spots do not indicate a fertilized egg. Rather, they are caused by the rupture of a blood vessel on the yolk surface during formation of the egg or by a similar accident in the wall of the oviduct. Less than 1% of all eggs produced have blood spots.
Bloom – The moist coating that protects the freshly laid egg, it dries so quickly it is hard to see.
Brooding - when a hen wants to sit on the eggs she is broody
Chalazae. Two white cords on each side of a yolk that keep the yolk properly positioned within the egg white; singular: chalaza.
Cloaca- The chamber just inside the vent where the digestive, reproductive, and excretory tracts come together.
Clutch – a batch of eggs in a nest
Cockerel – male chicken less than 1 year old
Comb -part of the chicken: the fleshy material on the top of their head
Crop- 1. A pouch at the base of a chicken’s neck that bulges after the bird has eaten. 2. To trim a bird’s wattles
Double Yoked Egg -is created when two ova are released from the ovary at the same time. Seem to be most common in earlier ages and in specific breeds (Rhode Island Reds)
Droppings – chicken manure
Flock- bunch of chickens
Freshness- Freshness of an egg depends on temperature and humidity factors. The ideal conditions are temperatures that don’t go above 40°F. (4°C.) and a relative humidity of 70 to 80%.
Gizzard- An organ that contains grit for grinding up the grain and plant fiber a chicken eats.
Grit- grinding agent used in digestion: sometimes needs to be added to their diet if not free range
Hens – adult female chicken
Perch- chickens wrapping their toes around a branch or stick are said to be on perch
Pecking order - social ranking of a flock: they figure it out by size and
temperament. There really is a pecking order! You will be able to tell by watching their actions!
Pullet -female chicken less than 1 year old
Molt (moult) – annual process of feather loss and re-growth
Roost- where chickens return to each night: their home
In general, white eggs are laid by chickens with white ear tufts and brown eggs are laid by chickens with red feathers and ear tufts. There is a particular breed that lays blue eggs although their ears are not blue- so go figure.
Why does the color of the yolk differ?
The yolk color depends on what the chickens eat. When they eat more food that is high in cartenoid pigment such as yellow corn and marigolds, the yolks are more yellow.
If they eat white corn meal, the yolk is a paler yellow. If they eat
slugs…
What nutrients are in eggs?
Phosphorous, manganese, iron, iodine, copper, calcium, vitamin A, B-12, riboflavin, zinc. mmm…good for you. Eggs are a good source of protein- 1 large egg = 6 grams protein. (also about 5 grams of fat if you are on weight watchers)
What is that white strand around the egg yolk?
It is called a chalazae (kah-LAY-zuh). It is like a little guide
wire that holds the egg in place inside the shell. The more of the chalazae you see, the fresher the egg. (I know you all thought it was the umbilical cord!)
What is the green ring that you see in hard boiled eggs
sometimes?
It just means you over cooked the egg. The green is caused by
sulfur and iron in the egg reacting with the egg yolks surface or maybe there is too much iron in the water you used to boil the egg.
What are the signs of a fresh egg?
Fresh eggs have a cloudy egg white. It is also harder to peel
when it is hard boiled. That’s because the air cell in the large end of the egg increases as the egg gets older, making it easier to peel away the shell.
How long will they lay eggs for?
They usually lay eggs for 5-8 years. There have been stories of longer laying life. It really varies per chicken.
How many chickens will I need for a family of 4?
The general rule is 1 chicken per person to have plenty of eggs.
Are fertilized eggs better than unfertilized?
No.
What.s the best way to store eggs?
Store eggs in a carton small end down to preserve the shape of the yolk and freshness.
What’s the best way to clean up after dropping an egg?
Sprinkle salt on the egg and it wipes right up.
How nutritious are eggs?
Very!! Egg yolks contain Vitamin D which is one of the only foods that does contain this vitamin. Eggs are also the best source of protein available. They contain 13 essential vitamins and nutrients.
Will I increase my chance of getting salmonella from my own chickens?
No. Only 1 out of 20,000 eggs might contain the bacteria.
That means there is a very small (.005%) chance that you will get it. If youare an average consumer, you might encounter a contaminatedegg once every 84 years! (www.mercola.com)
Will eating eggs everyday
increase my cholesterol and the chance for heart disease?
No. High cholesterol is usually due to other metabolism issues such as insulin resistance or eating too many simple carbohydrates. Eating eggs may also reduce your chance of getting heart disease. (www.mercola.com)
Building a Chicken Coop can be quite a project for the city dweller. What you need is a solid structure that is really secure to protect the chickens from predators such as weasels, raccoons, possums and other critters. Coyotes are also big predators and will jump over fences to get to a nice plump family chicken.
I used to name my chickens but stopped that because I have lost so many even though the coop seemed to be secure. There are always ways that critters seem to get in. They can burrow underneath fencing so you also have to dig down below the ground level if needed.
Here are some of the best example of building a chicken coop.
There are usually city ordinances or laws about raising chickens in the city in your backyard. They are sometimes considered to be pets by various cities.
Here are a few lists that I have found in various cities:
Ok, do you need a rooster to get a hen to lay eggs?
Nope. You need a rooster to have baby chicks but the hen will lay eggs with no rooster in sight!
How often do hens lay eggs?
Approximately every 25 hours. After they lay the egg, the process starts again about a half hour later.
How many chickens do I need for a family of 4?
You can figure on one chicken for every person.
What is the best environment for laying?
They like about 14 hours of daylight (or artificial light) and 45-80 degrees.
What’s the difference between a store bought egg and a fresh egg?
The fresh egg will have a firm yolk with a cloudy egg white.
What kind of chickens are the best layers?
They all are. Everyone seems to have their own favorite breed thatthey are sure are the best layers. The only way to really find out is to get some chickens and see who lays the most!
How much space do they need? As much room as you want to givethem. Ok, they need some space to play and sleep and eat.
How much time is involved in their care?
As chicks they need a little bit more attention. Feeding, watering,cleaning the coop, playing with them and making sure they are ok. Asan adult they don’t really need much. You can use a large feeddispenser and water container and fill it once a week. You will need tocollect the eggs everyday.
Can I have chickens in the city where I live?
You will have to check with your local government. In Seattle,chickens come under the pet laws. You can only have 3 pets in thefamily. Most often neighbors won’t complain if you have more, butdon’t break the law because of me! Roosters may present a problembecause of their noise. They really start crowing before sunrise andcontinue all day long. The hens will also make some noise whenlaying their eggs. One of the best remedies is to give all of theneighbors fresh eggs!
What do they need in the coop?
The coop can be as basic or as fancy as you want. All they need isprotection from wind, rain, sun and critters like raccoons or coyotes.The need a place to perch and nesting boxes. They need a food andwater container. They need you to watch them!
Chickens will lay about 1 egg every 1-2 days. It makes for a lot of eggs if you have 3-4 girls.
Feed/water: Layer feed, kitchen table scraps- fruits, veggies, grain products (OK so they will eat just about anything – I saw one of our girls eating a dead mouse, slugs and they love the compost pile especially their own egg shells.) They love fish leftovers, soybeans, kelp (off the beach), yard clippings and just about anything really. They are carnivorous. They will also eat their own eggshells, which are a good source of calcium. Some foods to avoid giving to your chickens are chocolate, beans, potato peels, large amounts of salt.
Buy a big self-feeding container that holds about 3 gallons of food. That way you don’t have to feed them every day. They will need to have calcium supplemented in the form of oyster shells, which you should be able to find at the feed store.
Buy a big watering container that has water storage (3-5 gallons) and a regulating system so you will only have to fill the water once a week or so. If the water in the trough area starts looking bad, you can just dump that out and let the water refill the trough without refilling the whole thing.
Housing:
Nesting boxes – approximately 12″x12 “x14″ deep. The boxes may be at ground level or about waist high or whatever is most convenient for egg collection. 1 box is needed per 4 hens. They like to share and will take turns waiting for the box to be free even if there are other boxes available. The boxes may need to be lined with newspaper of some softer material. You need to also put a nesting material like straw or hay. (We use scraps of hay leftover from the horses). Eggs may break if they hit the bottom of the box or nest. The boxes can be made out of anything really. Wood, a crate on its side, a large bowl! Old milk crates work great! You can experiment with what you have around first to see what they will go in. The nesting boxes can be left at ground level for regular size chickens. Bantys usually like their nests higher in the coop. I like to have the nests off the ground just to keep the shavings and manure out of the nests. I did see one coop on the Seattle City Chickens Tour that just had a large bowl placed on the floor.
Care:
Feed and water as needed. They become stressed out if the food or water runs out and may stop laying as a result. Keeping the coop clean keeps down the chance of disease and illness.
They need a cool breeze in the summer. If it snows in your area in the winter, they may need additional heat. Water may freeze in winter. If it doesn’t thaw out during the day, they may not be happy. You can buy a water heater unit. I just made sure to break up the ice the few days that it was that cold.
Behaviors:
The first egg: They will most likely be shocked when they lay their first egg. It is often not laid in the nest. I found the first egg in the garden bed outside my door. This must be where the idea of an Easter egg hunt came from! One had been laid previously on the hard cement floor of the barn and the shell was not intact. This sometimes is the case for the first eggs as their bodies get used to the idea. Don’t worry. This usually clears up within an egg or two. If it doesn’t it may mean they need extra calcium, which is the main component in eggs. Some recommend supplementing with oyster shell calcium, but I think it may be too contaminated with hazardous wastes. Another source of calcium is vegetable matter – kale, broccoli bits and grass clippings. (Just think about how much grass a cow eats to get that calcium in the milk). I just recently had to add the oyster shell calcium to their diet as they were eating the eggs in the coop and the shells were really thin.
To encourage them to lay their eggs in the nest, you may have to place an egg in the nest or another egg like object like a golf ball. They actually have fake eggs for this purpose, but I don’t think they are necessary.
Laying hens may also need sunlight or artificial light. They need about 16-18 hours a day, which means in the winter you will have to leave the lights on or have fewer eggs. I like to give them a break and it seems more natural. If they aren’t supposed to be laying as much in the winter, they may need the rest for some reason. I still got plenty of eggs with my 4 hens during this past winter – 1-2 a day.
Hens in general will lay one egg every 24-48 hours or so. How they do it is actually amazing when you think about it. All that they eat is turned into the process of egg laying. That is why they need so much calcium too!
I give extra treats of corn in the winter only because they seemed to be getting bored. I also regularly give my chickens golden flaxseeds to get more of those omega-3’s that we are supposed to be getting.
Molting – chickens will lose their feathers once or twice a year depending on where you live. Molting time is usually in the fall, which really doesn’t make any sense since it is getting cold by them. My girls molted their second fall. They didn’t loose all their feathers, but they did loose most of them. They usually stop laying eggs during the molt. They do look really funny, but the feathers all grow back really soon.
If you add new chicks to your flock, be sure to wait until they are a few months old before putting them together. They need to be big enough to hold their own with the larger chickens so they can figure out the pecking order. They really do have a pecking order. You can usually watch them as they figure it all out. You can put a fence between them to keep them separate. This will give them a chance to get to know each other before putting them together.
When I added 2 new 6-month-old chickens to our already mature flock, they made the 2 new girls sleep separately for a few days. They were easily assimilated without much pecking.
Set up- Make the feeding system the simplest as possible. The chickens don’t really care what they eat from. I suggest a big tube type feeder with a removable top for easy filling and automatically dispensing the food. You don’t have to fill it and change it as often. The small metal feeder containers with the holes in it get dirty easy as the chickens like to walk on top of them.
Baby Chickens birth to 4-6 weeks- The feed store recommends buying a starter feed with antibiotics in it as chicks are prone to some diseases.
Young Adults (yes chickens go through a teenager phase) 5 months to adult – left over table scraps (vegetable and grain matter only), flax seed meal, bugs, insects.
Adults – The Egg Layer. What you have been waiting for so patiently.
Water: Have fresh, clean water readily available. I suggest buying a automatic water dispenser with a removable top so it can be easily changed. You can add a little apple cider vinegar and mashed garlic for healthier chickens.
