Ascites in chickens and ducks is a life threatening condition exhibiting fluid build up in the abdomen. Both chickens and ducks can suffer from this health issue, although it is not common in backyard flocks. The condition is most prevalent in broiler chickens and meat ducks. There are signs and symptoms all poultry owners should be aware of so that treatment can be started early. Although the treatment will keep the chicken or duck more comfortable, ascites in chickens and ducks is not curable, … [Read more...]
Best Tips For Raising Ducks
Raising Ducks - My Best Tips to Guide You Toward Successfully Raising Ducks Raising ducks is different than raising chickens, although you can be successful raising ducks and chickens together. Some modifications need to be addressed when raising ducks, and they add a new dimension to your barnyard. (Raising as many different animals and Poultry as we do, people often ask what is the best way to get started with a particular species. Many times the questions involve … [Read more...]
10 Signs You Have a Broody Hen
This is broody hen season. What is a broody and how do you know you have one? The spring weather brings on the urge to set on eggs and hatch out a clutch of chicks. If the eggs have been fertilized by a rooster, in approximately 21 days from when the hen finishes collecting her eggs and begins to set on the eggs, you will have cute new chicks! I specifically bought bantam Cochin chicks, because they are often serious broody hens. We ended up with six hens and 5 roosters, although … [Read more...]
Purple Dead Nettle Dye for Wool
When I saw the huge amount of Purple Dead Nettle covering our property last spring, I wondered if I could create a purple dead nettle dye for our wool. Purple Dead Nettle ( Lamium purpureum ) is an invasive plant, commonly called a weed. We had a huge crop of this plant. Would this plant yield a Purple Dead Nettle Dye? I love to forage for natural plant material that can be used for dyeing our wool yarn, I gathered up a large basket full of purple dead nettle. Research showed that stinging … [Read more...]
How Much Food Does a Chicken Need
I had a reader ask me recently," how much food does a chicken need to eat per day ". This is a very valid question and it will differ depending on where you get your information. For instance, if she had asked a meat bird facility manager, he would be able to tell her how much each chicken is fed almost to the exact gram. A commercial egg producer, likewise, will probably be able to tell you a precise amount of feed that is given to each hen per day. Commercial chicken facilities need to … [Read more...]
