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Animals

7 Herding Dog Breeds For Your Farm

border collie herding dog breeds
Border Collies. Adobe Stock/Oszkár Dániel Gáti

Herding dog breeds are some of the most popular dogs kept on farms and ranches for their help in moving livestock. Whether you enjoy caring for backyard chickens as a hobby or raising cattle for profit, this feature will help you choose the herding dog to fit your needs.

#1 Border Collie

The Border Collie is the most intelligent and popular of the herding dog breeds. Highly energetic, talkative, playful and full of stamina, Border Collies must have a job to do. They also require several hours of vigorous exercise and mental stimulation daily.

Bred to herd sheep, this high-energy breed herds anything that moves. Border Collies are workaholics exhibiting a stronger herding style than other herding dog breeds. Because they were bred to herd sheep, Border Collies do not tend to nip at the heels of livestock, making this breed ideal for sheep, cattle, pigs, poultry and even ostriches.

Border Collies are natural headers (meaning they work from the front of the livestock). However, some individuals may also work as heelers (herding the livestock from behind).

Border Collies also use their intense eyes to help herd livestock. To do this, they crouch on the ground, staring down the animal. Next, while crouching, they take a few steps toward the livestock before springing into top speed.

#2 Australian Cattle Dog

Also known as “cattle dogs,” the Australian Cattle dog is another popular choice for herding dog breeds. Cattle Dogs are known for their high intelligence, active mind, and ease of training. These dogs require plenty of exercise (both physical and mental stimulation) and companionship, and they must have a job.

Cattle dogs are also affectionate and playful pets with their human family, but they can be aloof and sometimes aggressive with strangers.

Bred to herd cattle, Australian Cattle Dogs are natural heelers, working from behind the livestock, nipping at the livestock’s heels to move them along in the intended direction. Cattle Dogs work silently and do not feel the need to force bark to move the livestock along.

Cattle Dogs are a sturdy breed that can work long hours driving cattle. However, they thrive on human interaction and should not be left without companionship in the fields or pastures all day.

Cattle Dogs are also famous for their superior ability to move cattle and sheep.

#3 Australian Shepherd

Australian Shepherds, often called Aussies, are the only dog in the herding dog breeds that originated in America. Aussies are intelligent, affectionate, hardworking, loyal, protective, adaptive, and active. Even though many current-day Aussies have been bred more for companions than herding, these dogs still possess a strong herding instinct.

Aussies were bred to work large flocks of sheep without causing the flock to fear. In doing this, the breed has developed its unique herding style. While some Aussies use a strong, keen eye to herd like a Border Collie, many others have a loose-eye approach (they don’t make eye contact with the livestock). Aussies are excellent at herding cows, geese, chickens, and other livestock but excel at herding sheep.

Working Aussies should never nip at the livestock, preferring to bark rather than nip at them. If barking doesn’t get a particular sheep moving, the Aussie will hit the sheep with a front paw or shoulder.

#4 Shetland Sheepdog

One of the best herding breeds for hobby farms, the Shetland Sheepdog has grown in popularity since its origin in the early twentieth century. Shelties are lively, alert, loyal, active, playful, highly trainable, gentle and eager to please.

Shelties are agile, alert and intelligent dogs. What sets this breed apart from other herding dogs is that they are neither headers nor heelers. Instead, Shelties prefer to work in a “gathering” style, working in circles around the livestock, gathering and sending them in the right direction. The breed is known for its gentle herding tendencies.

The breed excels at herding sheep, cows, and ponies and is considered one of the best breeds for herding poultry.

#5 Pembroke Welsh Corgi

Pembroke Welsh Corgis are one of the most popular cattle dogs among herding dog breeds. They are known for their tenacious, friendly personalities and willingness to please their owners.

Corgis were bred to herd cattle, nipping at their heels to make the cows move along. This particular style of herding is called heeling, making Pembrokes a part of the herding group known as heelers. While Corgis can herd anything from cats, chickens, ducks, sheep, or goats, this breed excels best at herding cattle.

From their small stature, robust and stubborn nature, constant barking, and heeler style of herding, Corgis make ideal dogs for cattle ranches and farms.

#6 Rottweiler

Rottweilers are the most overlooked of the herding dog breeds as they are usually considered law enforcement dogs more than herders. But these mighty dogs might surprise you. Good-natured, devoted, obedient and alert, Rottweilers are fearless dogs with a strong desire to protect their home, family, and livestock.

Rottweilers are natural herders and generally do not need to be trained. They have a natural gathering style and a strong desire to control. Rottweilers typically show a loose eye while maintaining a strong force while working with livestock.

One of the most interesting things about Rottweilers’ herding traits is their ability to change their style to suit the livestock they are herding best. Rottweilers excel at herding sheep, goats, and cattle.

#7 Belgian Shepherd

Highly intelligent, alert, sensitive and playful, the Belgian Sheepdog is less prevalent in the U.S. than the other herding dog breeds. However, these dogs are hardworking and versatile herders.

Belgian Shepherds work well with tame livestock, barking at the front of the livestock before going around to herd the livestock from behind. While they excel at herding various livestock species, these dogs tend to nip, so they may not be ideal for herding poultry and sheep.

While not all individuals of these herding dog breeds excel at herding, most herding dogs naturally desire to herd and will become an essential part of your farm or ranch.

This article about herding dog breeds was written for Hobby Farms magazine. Click here to subscribe.

Categories
Poultry

Gardening With Chickens: How Free-Ranging Benefits Soil

free-range chickens soil benefits
hardworkinghippy/Flickr

Gardening with chickens means you’ll be able to park the rototiller in the shed forever if you can employ a small flock of chickens to care for your garden soil. Not only do chickens provide a tremendous nitrogen source to the area, they are champions of turning the soil, eliminating weeds and creating compost in place.

“I would keep chickens even if they didn’t lay eggs because of their working power,” says Justin Rhodes, who shares his homesteading experiences on AbundantPermaculture.com. “I don’t weed I don’t use synthetic fertilizer. I don’t till.” Chickens handle these tasks for him while providing a valuable fertilizer resource, and here’s how you can, too.

Gardening with Chickens Gives Your Crops a Nitrogen Boost

Joseph Heckman, a soil specialist for Rutgers University, became interested in the soil impact of chickens when he started keeping them in 2005. He uses chickens on his lawn, as well as keeps a chicken tractor with 30 birds in his hay fields after the hay is cut for the season.

“One thing to consider when you’re buying chicken feed is you’re buying fertilizer, too,” Heckman says. “You’re actually fertilizing the land when you keep the chickens there.”

Heckman knows this firsthand. As the flock of chickens in his hay field is moved down the field, their path is obvious because you can see a green streak of fertile forage appear in their wake.

“When I made hay this year, I could tell where the chickens were last year,” he notes.

When you think about it, it makes perfect sense to allow the chickens to do what they do best: scratch, dig, peck, eat greens and poop. It’s all a matter of directing this energy. Even though chickens are fantastic little nitrogen-producing factories, if the manure isn’t where you need it, it doesn’t do much good.

Developing a pasture-based system is the best way to build the organic matter content in your soil, Heckman says, and this can be done with a few birds in a suburban backyard or with full-fledged chicken tractors on a small farm. Pasturing chickens in a garden that’s been put to bed for the season allows the birds to clean up any garden debris, turn over the soil and fertilize the area in the process. This in itself is a terrific way to turn the green waste into delicious, and as Heckman points out, far more nutritious eggs.

As with using any fresh manure, which can carry listeria, salmonella or E. coli and potentially contaminate edible crops and cause serious health concerns, allow four months (120 days) between moving the chickens out of the garden area and harvesting. This time frame also minimizes the possibility of burning your plants because of too much nitrogen.

They Till in Organic Matter

free-range chickens soil benefits
Joan/Flickr

Rhodes takes his feathered fertilizer machines to another level by allowing them to till organic matter into the soil. In some areas of his garden, he adds 8 inches of wood chips as mulch and a carbon source, which the chickens turn into the soil as they’re scratching around.

“It’s decomposing on the bottom, and that’s creating compost in place,” Rhodes explains. “In the spring, you could move the chickens out and plant.”

He uses wood chips because that is what is available to him locally, but he says other gardeners use straw or even leaves.

Gardening with Chickens Provides Organic Pest Patrol

By giving the chickens the opportunity to scratch through the soil, they can also ferret out overwintering pests, thereby reducing the number of insect problems you’ll have next year. Squash bugs are a particular treat, but they’ll often find other delicacies bedded down just below the soil level, as well.

After harvesting all of the squash he wants from the patch, Rhodes will turn the chickens loose in the area to bring down the vegetation. The chickens also eat any squash that is left in the garden as the fruits soften throughout the season, and bugs don’t stand a chance.

“That’s my thank you for them,” he says. And in the end, the chickens leave a few seeds that grow into new squash plants the next spring.

They Turn in Cover Crops

If using chickens to clean up the garden or turn in a deep layer of carbon-rich materials wasn’t genius enough, Rhodes incorporates the chickens in the rotation of cover crops. After planting a cover crop, such as buckwheat, clover or rye, let the chickens into the area to turn the cover crops into the ground instead of firing up the rototiller. The birds follow the cover crop, adding nitrogen to the organic matter. Once the vegetation is consumed and the area is tilled, they can be moved elsewhere.

The Deep-Litter Option

For chicken keepers who can’t rotate their chickens’ pasture and need to keep the flock in one place, Rhodes recommends the deep-litter coop method. This way, farmers or gardeners can harvest the compost at the bottom of the litter pile to add to the garden while the chickens stay put.

Whether you’re using chickens as a large mobile unit to fertilize and improve the soil structure of fields and pasture or keeping them in place for as long as you need to prepare your garden bed, chickens are an invaluable resource in any small homestead. From fertilizing, tilling and especially pest patrol, they are happy to do the work.

This post about gardening with chickens was written for Chickens magazine. Click here to subscribe.

Categories
Equipment Sponsored

Be Prepared: Having a Plan Before a Fence Project Can Spare You Headaches Later

A horned goat and fence with six-inch spacing.

It sounds like the beginning of a joke, but it’s a serious recipe for disaster. Installing the proper fence for your animals is vital not only for keeping them contained, but also for keeping them safe as well.

So it stands to reason that a quality fence is one of the most important investments animal caretakers can make. But, there is more to fencing than simply driving posts in the ground and fastening wire. There are several considerations to think about before a single posthole is dug. What are your plans for that area in the future? Are you corralling goats or horses? Will you institute rotational grazing?

Priority One

“Animal safety is priority one,” says fencing expert Keith Taylor. That means choosing the right type of wire for your animals. “You can’t keep horned sheep or horned goats in a fence with six-inch spacing. They’ll push their heads through it and get their horns caught. They can’t get back out,” Taylor says. “Then they’re stuck.” The fence also has to be tough enough to endure animals running into it without injuring themselves.

With a multitude of options, choosing the right fence for your project can be daunting. Taylor recommends reaching out to Bekaert’s Fence Pro team. “People can actually email questions that they have about each product to meet their animal needs. We answer those questions daily.”

It’s also important not only to consider the animals you’re keeping but to also think about those you don’t want in. For instance, to keep deer out, Taylor says, “You definitely need a high fence to do that. That should be part of your planning: What am I trying to keep in and what am I trying to keep out?”

Look Ahead

“Look at the long term,” Taylor says. “Will you need to cut the pasture in half at some point? Decide where you might want to put gates, but also where you might want future gates. Will you have cattle grazing in one season and horses in another, or will you have them all together?

“Really study the layout of upcoming projects. Not only the project that you’re working on now but upcoming projects that you’re going to look at in the future.”

Map It Out

Once you’ve decided what type of wire you need for your project, it’s time to map it out. You can start with a sketch, or use helpful planning tools like aerial maps of your property which you can get from the US Soil Conservation Service, the US Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service, your local agricultural Extension service or private aerial survey firms. When laying out your plan, mark assignments for pastures, hay, crops, buildings, water accessibility and obstacles.

Taylor recommends using Bekaert’s online fencing calculator to map your area, which uses Google Earth and the user’s inputs to develop a list of materials needed. “You can actually go in and drop points around the pasture that you want to fence. It’ll tell you the length of your fencing project, how much wire you need and how many posts you need based on recommendations or personal preferences. You can set all these specifications, and it’ll actually print you out a shopping list.”

That way you can get exactly the right materials in just the right amount.

Know the Rules

When fencing near a highway, it’s important to know the rules for how close fences can be to the road. “It shocks me how different things are from region to region,” Taylor says. “Every county can be different.” Contact your county officials for proper guidelines for your area.

Gear Up

Once your plan is in place, it’s important to make sure you have the right gear for the job. Taylor is adamant about safety, “Always safety first. Be sure to have a good pair of safety glasses and leather or cut-resistant gloves. Even smooth wire can be sharp.”

A good pair of work boots will also be beneficial. “Rolls are heavy. To drop one on your foot will make for a bad day,” Taylor laments.

As for tools, Taylor says, “A good set of cutters or pliers is a must when working with high tensile wire. A stretcher bar and a good set of stretcher bar pullers make life easier when stretching fence and working with woven wire. Gripple accessory products make building fence much easier and faster.”

To learn more about planning in order to get the most out of your fence, head to fencing.bekaert.com.

Categories
Farm & Garden Farm Management

Farm Photoshoots: A Farm Revenue Source

farm photoshoot taking place in sunflower field
Allison Wlcoxson

Farm photoshoots are growing in popularity with photographers and farmers. They are a great way to bring in revenue for a farm and a smart way to utilize agricultural property. Trends with family portraits, proposals and senior pictures outdoors in flower fields and tree farms are skyrocketing and farmers are becoming very creative at using their space for profit. If you are considering offering a section of your land for photoshoots, think through these tips, warnings and examples.

Farmers are finding uncultivated plots of land on their farms and putting in the work to create a natural and charming aesthetic for farm photoshoots. Popular crop options are sunflowers, zinnias, lavender, bluebonnets, brambles and even just tall grasses on open fields or hay bales lined up in a row. Farm-curated props also create a space photographers are seeking. Having an old truck parked in a field, barns, swings tied to trees or a greenhouse that can be decorated for each season are ways to keep photographers coming even when a crop is not in season.

Sunny Acres Farm

farm photoshoot in sunflower field
Sarah Jane Holmes

Sunny Acres Farm in Mounds, Oklahoma has a five-acre property operating year-round bookings. Lacie Leford and her husband cultivated their property in 2020 and stay busy maintaining settings for 90% of photographers in the Tulsa Oklahoma Area. The Ledford’s reputation for upkeep and maintaining their scenic property keep photographers coming back all year. During the summer they have fields of sunflowers, zinnias and cosmos. During the winter they offer truck minis and greenhouse shoots. Photographers also love to shoot their open fields.

Farm Photoshoots & Photographers

Maintaining a good relationship with photographers is the key to successful farm photoshoots on your property. While there are several ways to profit through u-pick bouquets and hosting groups on-site, the Ledfords are committed to keeping the crops at their prime for photographers. “For me, the photographers have grown to respect that we don’t offer those services,” says Lacie. “I don’t want to step on their toes, because they are the ones I want to have a relationship with.” She prioritizes engaging in relationships with the photographers because they will come back several times, whereas u pick farms don’t have nearly the successful client retention. Lacie has also taken feedback from photographers and it informs how she proceeds. This past year she started opening her Greenhouse for Christmas sessions and they were a hit. She also considers where the sun sets when lining up her planting fields, knowing what shots and angles they will want to capture.

Another key to her relationship with photographers is being respectful and timely with communication. Her goal is to always answer within an hour of receiving messages. She communicates with clients and photographers. Being timely to photographers is especially important because as the third party in the conversation, dates and details need to be set for others. “I’m careful not to guarantee anything being in bloom. We say there will be something blooming all of June-September,” says Lacie. Working with nature, she has learned anything can happen.

Most people consider bringing agritourism to their property but immediately feel resistance to hosting people especially when it is the property where they live. The Ledfords were no different. “People don’t think of it as your personal property and that is the hardest part,” explains Lacie. “As we’ve gotten bigger and busier some people just show up without appointments. This can be during our family gatherings. I have to confront people a lot. However, many people don’t get to experience, relax and enjoy being outside in a beautiful space. That is something I keep reminding myself. We are selling an experience and we are here to let people enjoy our space.”

If you are considering preparing your property to host farm photoshoots, create your own terms according to your comfort level. Think through these questions:

  • Where should they park?
  • What are your hours?
  • Do they need gate instructions? Often non agricultural people don’t understand how to close gates behind them.
  • What is off limits? What seems obvious to you, may not to them.
  • Where do you want them to walk?
  • Are they allowed to pick anything?
  • Should they feed animals they see?

red tulips in area for farm photoshoots

Ledford’s best piece of advice for anyone thinking about opening up their property is, “Look at your property and figure out what is unique for you. Don’t copycat others. Do you have rolling hills, creeks or huge trees? Find what is unique to set yourself apart.” Ledford has learned through lots of trial and error staying confident and continuing to learn. She and her husband cultivate five acres of land and do 100% of all upkeep including basic landscape, mowing, weed eating, trimming trees, pulling weeds, direct sowing, etc.

  • Uncluttered Backdrops. Open fields are great. If you have an old barn, declutter items around it. Farm shoots should be simple and not distracting.
  • Good lighting. Know where the sun hits each part of your property so you can guide them on what time of day to shoot where. If trees create too much dappled shade, consider manicuring the branches or cutting it down. Reference this site to better understand the sun timing: https://www.timeanddate.com/sun/
  • Clean and cute setting. The trend for photographers is moving away from props and to more natural lifestyle settings, but a few options like swings, benches, trucks, etc are helpful to offer.
  • Leading lines. Think like a photographer. In order to create depth in a photo, leading lines are necessary. Rows of crops are ideal for dynamic photos.
  • Options this or that. Having a few different scenes or settings will make your space more valuable, especially when nature takes over. If your crop is not thriving like you would expect a more reliable setting on your property will make your farm more valuable.
  • Know your space and be able to communicate it effectively. Is your space woodsy? Natural? Manicured? Elegant? Know the tone and feeling of your property.

As with all aspects of farm businesses, marketing is a must. The better you communicate and educate, the more confident non-agricultural clients will feel working with you. Create social media pages and a website of your offerings and policies. Rather than just saying, “an outdoor field for your needs,” paint a picture of possibilities. “Our farm can capture your clients’ most precious memories. With fields of flowers, rows of natural beauty, a charming old barn, stunning sunset views, and open fields there are so many scenic photography options. Every season brings a new backdrop to your clients.” Once you establish relationships with clients and photographers, their postings and photos will further your marketing efforts.

This article about farm photoshoots was written for Hobby Farms magazine. Click here to subscribe.

Categories
Animals

Tan Rabbits: Breed Characteristics

tan rabbit on wood background with leaves
Adobe Stock/Vera Kuttelvaserova

Tan rabbits, despite their name, are not, in fact, tan in color. They have a two-toned pattern with similar markings to Doberman Pincher dogs, with tan on the chin, chest, belly and tail. The rest of the rabbit may be lilac, blue, chocolate or black, depending on the type. Tans are small rabbits, weighing no more than 5.5 pounds and primarily bred by experienced rabbit breeders for show purposes.

Challenges to Raising Tan Rabbits

Personality

Tans, unlike many domestic rabbits, are a high-strung, active breed. They were developed in 1880 from a colony of wild rabbits in England and a Dutch cross, and while their physical appearance has changed over the generations, their ancestry certainly can be seen in their activity levels. If not properly socialized or handled, they have been known to be aggressive – especially the females. They are not “snuggly” rabbits, and require plenty of exercise.

Breeding

Breeding tan rabbits can be a challenge for a number of reasons. Litters are small, often only averaging about four kits. Because the adults are so active, the death of the young through cannibalization or stomping to death is common, especially since many rabbit cages don’t provide enough space. They also are known for having young outside the nestbox because of their energetic natures. Socializing does can help them become better mothers, and more experienced does are less likely to have issues.

If breeding for show, be aware that Tans have often been line bred for many generations. This means that the rabbits that have good genetics are great, but the breed will also be prone to harmful mutations. Bucks born with missing testicles or a split penis, or rabbits born with misaligned teeth are not uncommon. Body conformation will also be important at shows, and keeping only those that meet the proper standards will reduce available stock even further.

Care of Tan Rabbits

Tans live about eight to ten years, and aside from the previously-mentioned genetic concerns, are not unusually predisposed to any diseases. However, because of their activity level, they can be prone to injury. Broken tails and nails are especially common, and these or other injuries can be a cause for worry.

Especially for those who intend to show or breed their rabbits, the Tan will need lots of socialization and “hands-on” time. Daily handling, exercise and show-ring training are recommended. Despite being a small rabbit, plan on a larger cage to give them plenty of running room. Tans cannot be trusted outside a caged area, so don’t try them with free-ranging. You might never get them back!

The upside to all this activity is that breeders rarely have to worry about obesity with their Tans. Some even struggle to maintain a healthy weight. A balanced diet of pellets, high-quality hay and fresh water will help them maintain good nutrition. Make certain protein levels are as high as possible with pregnant and nursing does to ensure good health and lower stress levels.

Showing the Tan

Tans have a body type unlike almost any other breed and it is worth twenty-five out of the full hundred points at show. It should have a long, fine-boned body that arches from neck to tail. The chest should be wide and the body should taper from shoulders to hips. The hips and legs should be the width of the body and parallel to one another. Balance is important in the Tan, since if the body is too long or too short the rabbit will lose the lovely arch that makes the Tan so distinctive. The bone structure, likewise, should be fine without being too fine.

The Tan should have a short “flyback” coat that quickly returns to position when stroked backward. The line between the colors on the chest should be clearly defined. The coat texture will change as the rabbit gets older, so knowing the show requirements by category is important. The coat will always be medium fine, however, and should have no colors other than Tan and the color allowed by the rabbit’s type.

Broken tails, nails or other signs of injury are a common reason for disqualification, so rabbits should be checked carefully before showing.

Conclusion

The tan rabbit is an active breed, suggested for experienced rabbit breeders only. Their active nature has made them difficult to breed, high-strung and prone to injuries. Generations of line breeding also make it important to be able to recognize and cull poor genetics early on. However, they can be a stimulating project for the experienced breeder and their elegant appearance makes them a stand out in the show ring.

This article about Tan rabbits was written for Hobby Farms magazine. Click here to subscribe.

Categories
Poultry

Egg Yolk Peritonitis: Prevention & Treatment

egg yolk peritonitis is a common health concern for egg laying hens
Canva/Emmanuelle Grimaud

Egg yolk peritonitis is among the most common egg-laying disorders in chickens and other backyard poultry. Learning to prevent, diagnose, and treat this health concern in the beginning stages will help your flock beat the odds against this potentially deadly condition.

What is Egg Yolk Peritonitis?

Egg yolk peritonitis is when an egg yolk misses passing into the infundibulum (the funnel part of a hen’s reproductive tract where the egg-laying process begins), dropping into the abdomen.

Once the egg enters the abdomen, the hen’s body has no way of excreting it, causing inflammation within the stomach and intestinal peritoneal cavity. The inflamed area will also begin to accumulate free fluid and blood.

A secondary bacterial infection often follows egg yolk peritonitis, as egg yolks are an excellent growth feed for bacteria.

Causes

Several different health concerns, including salpingitis, ovarian cancer, egg binding, and impacted oviduct, can cause egg yolk peritonitis. Before treatment begins, the infected layer must visit a qualified veterinarian to diagnose the cause, as treatment options may vary with different diagnoses.

Symptoms

Egg yolk peritonitis can be tricky to diagnose from other health conditions. However, if your hen exhibits any of the following symptoms, taking her to the vet is the only way to get a correct diagnosis.

Reduced Activities:  Hens suffering from egg yolk peritonitis often show reduced activities and may spend more time in the nesting box. For this reason, many poultry owners mistake egg yolk peritonitis for broodiness.

Egg Mishaps: Frequent laying of soft-shelled eggs, ceasing to lay, or yolk-colored droppings.

Reduced Appetite: Hens suffering from egg yolk peritonitis often have a decreased appetite and, in extreme cases, refuse to eat entirely. A vet visit is necessary if your hen ceases to eat for any reason.

Penguin Stance: Chickens suffering from egg yolk peritonitis often adopt a penguin stance, with their shoulders hunched, heads and necks tucked into the shoulders, and tails drooping toward the ground.

Uneven Weight: If you handle your chickens frequently, you may notice a hen suffering from peritonitis may have uneven weight proportions. The cause of this weight problem is that while the hen is eating less food, causing her to lose weight, her abdomen is filling up with eggs and fluid. Care should be taken when dealing with hens with this condition, as their uneven weight may make them unsteady on their feet.

Big Belly: A big belly is the most apparent symptom of egg yolk peritonitis. Run your hand along your chicken’s body, from the crop to the abdomen. If the belly is extended and feels full of fluid, egg yolk peritonitis is likely the culprit.

Diagnosis:

If you suspect a chicken suffers from this condition, take her to a qualified veterinarian for an exam. The vet will thoroughly examine the chicken to rule out other potential health concerns and diseases and perform some tests.

Complete Blood Count: A vet often suggests doing a complete blood count (CBC) to look for infections or other abnormalities in the hen’s blood.

Radiographs/Ultrasound: Radiographs are usually necessary to determine whether an oviduct tumor is causing the eggs to drop into the abdomen or if a blockage has occurred. Before allowing a vet to perform radiographs or an ultrasound on your hen, ask for an estimated cost, as these options can be costly.

Abdominal Fluid Cytology and Culture: To best determine the cause of the peritonitis, a vet may draw fluid out of the abdomen with a needle. The fluid is sent to a lab for further testing.

Treatment

Treatment for egg yolk peritonitis varies, from a round of antibiotics to costly, life-threatening emergency surgery such as spaying the hen, depending on the diagnosis.

Whether you treat the hen with traditional veterinarian care largely depends on whether it is kept for egg laying or a beloved family pet. However, if treatment isn’t an option, care should be taken to dispatch the hen to avoid suffering with humane euthanasia performed by a qualified veterinarian.

If a reproductive tumor causes peritonitis, a vet will likely suggest humane euthanasia. While this may sound extreme, it is the best way to prevent the hen from needless suffering, as reproductive tumors can wreak havoc on a hen’s body.

Dispatched poultry with this condition should not be consumed as the bacteria in their bodies can make you sick.

Prevention

One of the most common causes of egg yolk peritonitis is ovarian/oviduct tumors. Some of the best ways to prevent hens from developing reproductive tumors and peritonitis include:

  • Feed layer ration to ensure laying hens receive adequate amounts of calcium to prevent egg binding
  • Feed anti-inflammatory herbs
  • Avoid using artificial light to promote laying
  • Add flax seeds to your flock’s diet
  • Reduce stress in the flock
  • Routine checkups to ensure the abdomen isn’t filling with fluid performed by poultry owner

If egg binding is the cause, a veterinarian may prescribe hormone implants. (Bear in mind that due to government regulations, not all veterinarians offer hormone implants as part of the treatment options.) After a hen receives a hormone implant, neither she nor her eggs can be consumed for the rest of her life.

Egg Yolk Peritonitis in Other Poultry

Like chickens, other poultry can develop this condition. Treatment options, diagnosis, symptoms, and preventative care are similar in all poultry species. As with chickens, treatment should begin immediately to help your poultry friend beat this potentially deadly health condition.

Egg yolk peritonitis can be a deadly health condition, but with preventive care and proper treatment from a veterinarian, it may not have to be.

This article was written for Chickens magazine. Click here to subscribe.

Categories
Equipment

Benefits of Electronic Fuel Injection on Farm Machines

fuel injection tractor cultivating farm land
Adobe Stock/Oleksandr

The benefits of electronic fuel injection for farm machines are numerous. Whether your farm chores require an ATV, a UTV, a garden tractor, a compact utility tractor, or some combination of these, opting for machines with this option can make a big difference in performance.

A fuel injection system replaces the carburetor in a gasoline engine. While designs can vary, the basic idea is always the same: an electric system is used to precisely spray fuel under pressure into the cylinders of the engine, as opposed to a carburetor using suction to pull fuel into the cylinders.

Benefits of Electronic Fuel Injection

These systems come with many advantages, including the following:

Easier engine starting

These engines are easier to start, even in cold weather, thanks to the sophisticated sensors throughout the system that control the fuel/air mixture. There isn’t a choke control, so starting—in many cases—is as easy as turning the key and letting the engine roar to life.

Decreased fuel consumption

Electronic fuel injection is superior to a carburetor at mixing the ideal amount of air and fuel in each cylinder, and it can adjust that ratio depending on temperature, elevation above sea level, and the requirements of the engine at any given moment. This leads to a decrease in fuel consumption, which adds up to cost savings.

More power

These engines can also maximize power and torque. Generally speaking, an engine with electronic fuel injection will be more powerful than a similarly sized engine with a carburetor.

Lower emissions

These engines produce fewer emissions than a carburetor engine.

Less maintenance

Although electronic fuel injection systems are more complex than carburetors, they can actually go longer between regular maintenance cycles. And whereas carburetors require fine-tuning for best performance, these systems perform their own fine-tuning electronically.

Downsides of Electronic Fuel Injection

It should be noted that there are some disadvantages to these systems. One is complexity—they have a lot of high-precision parts, so there’s more that can go wrong compared to a carburetor. While this complexity generates the benefits outlined above, it also means these systems aren’t readily user-serviceable. Diagnosing and fixing problems—like malfunctioning sensors or clogged injectors that starve the engine of fuel—are tasks best left to professionals.

Electronic fuel injection systems are also more expensive than carburetors. If you’re shopping on a tight budget, you may opt to purchase a machine without electronic fuel injection to save on upfront costs, though you’ll be giving up a lot of benefits (like reduced fuel consumption and less frequent maintenance needs) that can generate cost savings in the long run, depending on how heavily you use the machine.

Takeaways

If you can afford an ATV, UTV, or tractor with electronic fuel injection, you’ll appreciate the many benefits the technology offers. The downsides are minimal and the upsides can save you money.

This article was written for Hobby Farms magazine. Click here to subscribe.

Categories
Food Recipes

Egg Pie Recipe: Asiago Cheese & Garlic

egg pie recipe with asiago cheese and garlic
Lori Rice

This simple egg pie recipe is loaded with asiago cheese and fresh garlic for a bold flavor. Bake in a muffin tin to create individual servings for a welcomed savory addition to any weekend brunch gathering.

Yield: 8 miniature pies

Ingredients

crust

  • 1 cup (120 grams) all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) cold, unsalted butter, cubed
  • 1 1/2 ounces cold water

filling

  • 1 1/2 ounces asiago cheese, grated
  • 2 cloves garlic, grated
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 8 large eggs
  • fresh parsley for garnish

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Spray eight slots in a 12-muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray. 

To make the crust, stir together the flour and salt in a medium bowl. Add the butter and using two knives, or a pastry blender, work the butter into the flour until it is evenly distributed into pea-size pieces. Add the water and stir until a dough forms, work the dough into a ball. 

Roll the crust on a well-floured surface to a rectangle about 12-by-10 inches. Turn the crust so that the 10-inch side faces you. Cut it down the middle from top to bottom. Then cut across to make 8 similar-size pieces. They don’t have to be perfect. 

Transfer each crust to a sprayed muffin tin. Fold and tuck it so that it fits almost all the slots with some corners hanging over. Sprinkle an equal amount of cheese over each crust. Then add an equal amount of grated garlic. Stir together the salt and pepper in a small dish, and divide it evenly over each crust. Break 1 egg into each crust, careful to keep the yolk intact. 

Bake for 23 to 25 minutes, until the eggs have reached your desired doneness and the edges of the crust are golden brown. Let cool for 5 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of each pie to loosen it from the pan. Remove, sprinkle with fresh parsley, and serve warm. 

Makin’ Bacon

Egg’s best friend is bacon, and for these egg pies, a side of bacon turns a snack into a meal. Author and food commentator Sara Perry makes her bacon in a cold cast-iron skillet and provides tips in her book, Everything Tastes Better with Bacon: 

“For whole slices, let the bacon reach room temperature,” she writes. “In a cold, heavy skillet large enough to hold the slices in a single layer, arrange the slices and cook over low to medium-low heat.” Cooking bacon at a low temperature prevents shrinking, curling and uneven cooking.

When the bacon is cooked the way you like it, transfer the slices to paper towels to drain. Perry says that a thick, 1-ounce bacon slice cooked over medium-low heat will take 10 to 12 minutes, while one regular slice will be ready in about 5 minutes. 

This egg pie recipe article originally appeared in the July/August 2023 issue of Chickens magazine. Click here to subscribe.

Categories
Podcast

Growing Good Podcast #85: Lewis Hughes, land steward and local-food distribution pro

Lewis Hughes’s vast experience in the farming world set him up to be able to work with small-scale farmers in distributing their products to wider markets.

Learn about the What Chefs Want (formerly called Creation Gardens) food distributor and its local-foods procurement arm, Local Food Connection. Lewis explains how a small-scale grower in Northeast Ohio might typically only be able to distribute their food to a farmers market or local food hub and how What Chefs Want can now help them sell throughout the Midwest and beyond. He talks about the grant funding (USDA Local Food Purchase Assistance, USDA Local Food for Schools and others) that has helped rapidly build capacity and infrastructure in the local food system and positively impact farmers and consumers.

Take Lewis’s best advice for how you, as a small-scale farmer, can make the step from selling at a farmers market to selling to a food hub, with the potential to bring your full-time-farming dream into reality.

Finally, Lewis talks about his new 13-acre property in Michigan and his plans to develop a “micro-farm” that relies on season extension and a focused crop plan.

Links from this episode:

Local Food Connection website

Hobby Farms Presents: Growing Good episode # 67 with Ben Hartman

Categories
Poultry

Abnormal Chicken Eggs: Why & What They Mean

double yolker abnormal chicken eggs
Nattaro Ohe/Shutterstock

Abnormal chicken eggs are a fact of life if you’re keeping backyard chickens. One day you find something that looks like an egg, but it’s not the same as all the others. 

Maybe your unusual egg is unusually big, maybe it’s very small or maybe it doesn’t have a shell at all. You’ve discovered an abnormal egg, and you aren’t sure whether you can eat it, throw it away, or take a pic and post it to your Instagram account with your other photos of eggs.  

For the most part, it’s normal for hens to lay abnormal chicken eggs. But sometimes it’s also an indicator of something you need to watch out for or a signal that your flock needs a change in their diet. 

Abnormal chicken eggs come in all shapes and sizes. But you’ll see the following types most often. 

Double Yolk 

When you find an egg in the nesting box that’s quite a bit larger than your other eggs, you’ve probably found a double-yolk egg. You won’t be able to confirm until you crack it. When you do, though, you’ll find two normal-sized yolks inside. 

A double-yolk egg happens when your hen releases two eggs in her oviduct and both eggs are included in the shell. While eggs like this are considered abnormal, it’s only a cause of concern if your hen becomes egg-bound because she can’t pass it.

Most hens, though, usually don’t struggle to lay the occasional larger-than-average egg. 

Eating double-yolk eggs is like cracking two eggs at the same time. They’re such a popular treat that some shops in the United Kingdom offer a dozen guaranteed double-yolk eggs. If you decide not to eat it and you’d rather try incubating your double-yolk egg, your odds of succeeding are slim.

One embryo will almost always die before the hatch. Yet some people have successfully welcomed two chicks from a double-yolk egg. 

No Yolk 

When you crack an egg over a bowl or into a pan, you expect a yolk to come out. With a yolkless egg, the only thing you’ll see when you crack it is egg white. Abnormal chicken eggs with no yolk tend to be smaller in size, too.

If you raised chickens 100 or more years ago, you might have called this type of egg a witch’s egg or a fairy egg. It was common back then to think a rooster laid the egg. There were various superstitions attached to finding an egg of this type.

But the real reason it happens is that the pullet wasn’t quite ready to lay yet or some reproductive tissue broke away. The egg-producing glands think it’s a yolk, and that fragment gets wrapped up in the egg-laying process so yolk isn’t produced. 

You can still eat a yolkless egg. It’ll be just like you’re eating an egg white after you’ve separated it from the yolk. 

Inside Another Eggshell 

These abnormal chicken eggs might make you do a double take. You crack an egg over a bowl and instead of a yolk and egg white dropping out, you see another shell. These types of abnormal chicken eggs are technically called a counter-peristalsis contraction. More commonly, though, we call it an egg within an egg. 

Finding this abnormal egg is definitely strange, but it’s not a cause for concern. It happens because the egg stops going through the normal laying process and reverses direction within the oviduct. The egg in reverse is added to another egg, giving you a normal egg within an eggshell. It’s pretty rare, but it can be caused by stress in the henhouse or just happen for no reason at all.

Once you crack the second eggshell, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t eat this type of egg.  

Dirty Egg 

Mud, chicken manure or some other type of debris covers these types of eggs. Eggs commonly get dirty when it’s raining outside and a hen walks into the nesting box with muddy feet. This type of egg is streaked with debris or has large spots of dirty manure on the egg. Dirty eggs can also happen if your hens roost in their nesting box, using them as a place to sleep, go to the bathroom and lay their eggs. 

clutch of dirty chicken eggs with caked mud and dirt
David Salcedo/Shutterstock

If your eggs are dirty because of the weather, you’ll want to ensure your hens have a clean nesting box and you check for eggs more frequently. If your hens are sleeping in their nesting box, redirect them to the roost, if possible. 

Do you regularly get dirty eggs? It could also be a sign of a problem in your flock. Your hen could have watery droppings they can’t control, resulting in a mess in the nesting box. Watery droppings can be caused by a virus, something in their food that doesn’t agree with them or something in the water source, such as an electrolyte imbalance. 

You can wash dirty eggs and eat them if you’d like. Some people, though, opt to toss them. Eggs are porous, and although you can’t see the tiny holes in the shell of the egg, the concern is that some of the debris will have made its way into the egg.

That’s usually not the case. You’ll know as soon as you crack it whether the egg is spoiled or if it’s safe to eat. 

No Shell 

As far as abnormal chicken eggs go, an egg with no shell is quite a find. You’ll look into the nesting box and see a rubbery-looking egg shape with a clearly visible yolk. If you pick it up and hold it, you’ll find it’s fairly durable, but there is no eggshell at all. 

An egg with no shell, also known as a shell-less egg, is rare. But almost all chicken keepers will find one at one time or another.

This occurs because the pullet is just starting to lay and its body is sorting out the kinks along the way. It can also be an indicator of a disease or infection. It may be a dietary issue or an indicator that your flock needs more vitamin D or calcium in their feed. 

There is no problem with eating a shell-less egg. But you’ll have to cut it open with a knife to access the white and yolk. 

Soft Shell 

When your egg has a shell that feels paper-thin and you can easily pull it open without cracking it, you have a soft-shell egg. These types of abnormal chicken eggs show up in nesting boxes looking like they have an incomplete shell or a shell that’s missing a spot. They might even feel powdery and look as though you could keep wiping until the shell disappears entirely. 

soft shelled abnormal chicken eggs
Denise Cogliando/Shutterstock

A soft-shell egg isn’t as rare as other types of abnormal chicken eggs. It can happen to a hen that’s at the end of her laying cycle. It can also happen due to heat or stress. But more often than not farmers who find soft shell eggs in their nesting boxes keep flocks that need an added dose of calcium or minerals.

The first thing you can try? Add oyster shell or ground-up eggshells to their diet. 

Eggs with soft shells are generally safe to eat, although you may want to make that decision once you crack it. On occasion, the eggshell could be so thin you have an open spot in the egg. You’ll want to take a good look at it before eating. 

Blood Spots

Finding blood spots in your eggs is rare, but it does happen. It can occur when blood or tissue releases during the laying process after a blood vessel breaks. This will leave a spot or a streak of blood on the yolk or in the egg white. 

Blood spots can happen because of a lack of vitamins in your hen’s food. It can also be a genetic issue. If a hen consistently lays eggs with blood spots, her pullets may also lay blood-spotted eggs as well. 

It’s up to you whether or not you’d like to eat an egg with blood spots. Most people will find them a bit off-putting and toss them if there is a lot of blood or the blood looks bright red. 

Internally Cracked 

If you find an egg with a line or seam in the shell but it looks like it’s just below the surface, you may have an internally cracked egg. There may be a ridge on the egg that looks like it’s been patched or repaired. That’s almost exactly what’s happened.

wrinkled abnormal chicken eggs
kai foret/Shutterstock

During the egg-laying process, the egg cracked. But when calcification occurred, the eggshell was repaired. 

An internally cracked egg can happen if the hen sustains an injury of some kind while her body is creating the egg. Sometimes it’s because of an aggressive rooster. Other times it’s because of a fall. 

Internally cracked eggs are usually safe to eat, but you’ll want to crack it before you make that decision. If the egg is off-color or has an odor to it, you’ll want to toss it. 

Two-Tone 

Two-tone eggs look like your hen has decided it’s Easter and they’re going to decorate a few eggs for you. One half of the egg will be one color, the other half will be another. 

Also called white-banded eggs, it can happen when two eggs touch during the egg development process. The first egg will have all of the calcium required to make a shell. The second egg will look like a shrunken balloon. 

Two-tone eggs are usually caused by stress in the flock. The best course of action is to evaluate what could be causing stress and work to make your henhouse happy again. They are generally safe to eat. Some farmers, though, will toss them just in case the white and yolk have been affected during the laying process. 

It’s always an adventure raising chickens, so you shouldn’t be surprised if your hens lay a few surprises for you once in a while. Abnormal eggs are all part of the process and adventure of keeping poultry. 

More Information

Lash Eggs

Out of all the types of abnormal eggs, a lash egg is probably the most concerning. Lash eggs are also called salpingitis eggs. If you find one, your hen is already quite ill.

Eggs like these will look very abnormal. It may have a bumpy, uneven surface, be an odd shape, or have a very thick interior with multiple layers inside. It may look so strange you aren’t even sure it’s an egg at all. Often you’ll see pus or some other indicator of infection on the surface. 

Salpingitis or egg lash disease is a bacterial disease where your chicken’s oviduct is inflamed. Your hen has an infection, and that infection is ejected in egg form.

Depending on what type of salpingitis your hen has, it could be contagious to other birds in your flock. It’s almost always terminal unless you immediately take your chicken to a vet for evaluation or you treat with an antibiotic such as tetracycline. 

You shouldn’t eat a lash egg. And you should be very careful with how you handle it as well. Bacteria can transfer from chickens to humans, so you’ll want to wear gloves when disposing of the egg. 

This article about abnormal chicken eggs originally appeared in the July/August 2022 issue of Chickens magazine. Click here to subscribe.