Respect the Rooster
Respect the Rooster - what does this mean ? When keeping chickens....Roosters are the protectors of the flock, Animal husbandry is a dance...to educate first...and support natural behavior.
Where it all began......Eggs and Ideas......This is mid-February...lowest season...most supplies are just low and slow...so many benefits to this....but this article is more about....Since I am going back to my beginning years....as mostly an egg producer...and this new platform website is being published....perfect timing - I haven't had a blog in several years now.....
The very first post I wrote was Eggs and Ideas....and this coincides with the low season...the rise in popularity of backyard chickens...homesteading....Here are my roots....commercial houses and bird flu scares.....egg prices are sky-high!! So let's all get some chickens - oh we'll save SO much money. ( I am going to tell you a little secret...bird flu happens every year) Short-sightedness is like a disease..of sorts..
If you know me at all....one of my soap box topics is the Humane Care of livestock...keeping poultry is a mess...start with understanding ecoil and water/waste systems. Read everything on your county's extension page.
Buying chicks absolutely must come from a NPIP hatchery... disease tested..clean.
Chickens are very social, very entertaining, and need several kept to be happy.
Hens start lying around 16 weeks of age...and really only produce well for 2 years..this being said...under ideal, clean, conditions with adaqute space. Young birds need to be kept warm, 80-90 degrees..and safe...Jim over the years has built many brooders out of the smallest hardware cloth, solid plywood panels. I have seen the use of old stock tanks...you see those in stores...this is really a temporary solution...birds grow fast... and will peck at everything. Including each other -
I can't speak for every state - here in Arkansas, eggs are to be collected often ...please do so..washed in 90 degrees and kept cold - nothing beats farm fresh eggs...get to know your farmer. Ask questions..
I am happy to share my favorite book - The Chicken Heatlh Handbook by Gail Demerwo - you'll think you're reading a medical journal...goes to show...there is a lot. more to it.....I just cringe at how much work they are...if you are in an area low on predators...that certainly helps...those eggs become VERY expensive....Next topic...The value in Predator and Prey...
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