Categories
Poultry

10 Most Expensive Chicken Breeds in the U.S.

Ayamn cemani chicken consider one of the most expensive chicken breeds
Ayam Cemani completely black chicken. Photo by Charlotte B.

Are you looking for one of the most expensive chicken breeds in the United States? If so, we’ve got you covered! Chickens, like many Instagram-worthy farm animals, can be quite expensive and bougie. Old Macdonald’s farm might have been more lucrative if he just focused on raising rare and exotic poultry. The National Chicken Council claims, “The chicken industry in the United States is one of the most successful sectors in agriculture.” But when it comes down to price per bird, the highest profit comes from looks and rarity, rather than their productivity or value in meat and eggs. 

Breeders and hatcheries are selling more per animal because of the rare and exotic qualities buyers are seeking. As with every industry, the more established the breeding program is, the higher the prices will be. The genetics, feedback from customers and pictures of multi-generations the breeder has produced is what determines how established a breeding program is.

The fascinating world of Fancy Chicken breeding is not new. The National Agricultural Library reports, “The goal of successful poultry breeding has shifted through time. The first chickens were bred for their ability to perform activities that had little to do with food production. Skinner’s history of breeds identifies chickens used for cockfighting as being historically the most valuable until the early nineteenth century (1974). Chickens bred for their appearance and performance in poultry exhibits were also more valued than the lowly birds used for meat and eggs”

Top 10 List of Most Expensive Chicken Breeds

Today’s market prizes these 10 breeds as the most expensive, exploring what qualities are driving up the prices for buyers. While value is a sliding scale depending on where you shop and when, these are notoriously ranked as expensive.

1. Ayam Cemani ($2,500)

This all-black bird is prized due to a rare condition called fibromelanosis, which causes an excess of dark pigment resulting in jet-black feathers, skin, flesh, organs and bones. The black color is 10 times the melatonin as other chicken breeds. Unsexed eggs can be purchased for $45 with a minimum of 12. Juveniles (6-12 weeks) $800 and adults are sold for $1,200-$3,000. With a nickname, “The Lamborghini Chicken” you know it’s going to be expensive.

2. Kadaknath ($2,500)

These chickens are often confused with Ayam Cemanis because of the black feathers from head to toe. However, they have a varying pigment of black. They also differ in size, temperament, egg production and meat production. Many are jet black, but the breed also incorporates penciled and golden. 

3. Dong Tao ($2,000)

This breed is rare and hard to find. The demand rarely matches the need. They are prized for their easily recognized large legs and feet, which is easy to see why people call them the “Dragon Chicken.”

4. Deathlayer ($250)

Moving from the thousands price range to the hundreds, Deathlayers are the leaders for being the most expensive chicken breeds. This dramatic name comes from their ability to lay eggs until their dying day. Also sought for their striking appearance they charm with their black babydoll eyes, beautiful feathers and can be silver or gold varieties. 

5. Liege Fighter ($150)

Liege fighters are a large and muscular Belgian gamecock breed of chicken that was originally bred in the 19th century for fighting. They were bred to be powerful enough to overpower other fighting breeds and to fight using natural spurs instead of sharpened metal gaffes. Nowadays they are a great flock protector and generally friendly with their owners.

6. Olandsk Dwarf ($100)

Olandsk Dwarf chickens are true dwarf chickens. This means that they are not a miniature version of a full-size breed as you have with Bantam breeds. They are a landrace breed of chicken which are typically known to be hardy, disease-resistant and adaptable to changes. They are lightweight and display a beautiful combination of red, black, gray, brown and white multicolored feathers.

7. Swedish Black ($100)

The knockoff version of the Ayam Cemani might just be the Swedish Black moving this lower on the list of the most expensive chicken breeds. All physical features of the bird are black, although there can be a purple/greenish tint spotted in the sun. They are smaller and more cold-hardy than the Ayam Cemani. Despite the differences, it is still a fascinating and expensive bird.

8. Orust ($100)

Very hard to find, Orusts are beautifully spotted white and black from their head to feet. This beauty combined with their docile and easy-to-handle nature makes them highly sought after.

9. Pavloskaya ($86)

If crests are a trait you like, these birds will be sure to interest you. They have a beautiful crest and lacelike markings. They are very cold-tolerant (being from Russia). They have a great history where they have been brought back from extinction, which is something many enthusiasts enjoy participating in preserving. They lay very few eggs a year, making them more valuable.

10. Seramas ($77)

Coming in last on the list of most expensive chicken brees, Seramas are the smallest chickens in the world. A full-grown rooster is about the size of a pigeon. They are friendly and can be trained. They handle heat extremely well, as they are tropical birds. Their tiny stature and huge tails make a very intriguing look.

serama chicken breed
Serama chicken in the garden. Photo by Athok Fadhlin

Why the High Price?

Rarity, physical features and access to these birds are among the top reasons they are priced so high. If you are in the market to start investing in these types of chickens, here are a few shopping tips from top breeder, Chrissy Scheulen at Paragon Ridge Ranch:

  • Know your goals. Are you breeding or showing birds? Are you looking for dual purpose or sustainability? What features interest you?
  • Research your breeder. Make sure it is a reputable source who has been working on their program for a while. Breeders should be culling for traits to get to the best of the best. 
  • Shop smaller breeders. Commercial hatcheries and big box farm stores breed for quantity not quality.
  • Check online farm hatcheries, farmers markets and online sell groups.
  • Research the genetics of the parents.
  • Ask for photos of the birds and their environments.
  • Read customer feedback and reviews.

This article about the most expensive chicken breeds in the U.S. was written for Chickens magazine. Click here to subscribe.

Categories
Poultry

What Scraps Can Chickens Eat To Reduce Waste & Your Feed Bill

what-scraps-can-chickens-eat
Photo by Frank Hyman

Knowing what scraps can chickens eat is important since a flock can help reduce food waste and a chicken keeper’s feed budget. It’s never my intention to embarrass my wife when we go out to dinner.  But she sometimes cringes when I approach the waiter for a to-go box and say, “If I don’t eat it, our chickens will.” The staff is always happy to hear that the food isn’t going to waste. But my wife pretends she doesn’t know me when I talk to strangers about feeding chickens food scraps.

Too few restaurants and homeowners compost or give their food waste to farmers. And that contributes to the fact that the average citizen generates 20 pounds of food waste every month, according to the Harvard Food Law and Policy Clinic. That adds up to about half a ton annually for a family of four. 

Citywide, that means food waste from homes, restaurants and institutions composes about 13 percent of municipal trash that goes to the landfill. That probably costs most cities about $40 a ton or more—carried by garbage trucks that get as little as 3 miles per gallon (not a typo). So, every time your customers or a restaurant throws away food, they’re creating upward pressure on their own tax bill. 

There are also environmental advantages to letting chickens eat these food scraps. If these scraps go to a landfill, they slowly decompose in a way that turns them into methane gas. The methane will escape into the atmosphere where it is 25 times worse for promoting climate disruption than is an equivalent amount of CO2 coming from your car exhaust or those garbage trucks.

And if you’re on a city sewer line and dispose of food scraps down the drain, with or without a garbage disposal, things aren’t much better. When those scraps of food waste get to your water treatment plant, the staff has to spend money getting all that organic matter out of the water so it won’t cause fish kills downstream.

Not only is it expensive to landfill food waste or remove food from wastewater, but chicken feed isn’t cheap either. If my two-person household generates almost 500 pounds of food waste per year, I estimate that we’re able to give a third of that to the chickens: about 160 pounds (much of that weight is water, but still). I don’t have hard numbers, but I believe our modest efforts at giving chickens food waste from our kitchen, our restaurant leftovers and scraps from our neighbors might cut our feed bill by as much as 20 percent.

Clearly, feeding food waste to chickens is a great way to fight climate disruption, reduce landfill costs, cut water treatment costs and shave down your chicken feed bill, too. So here are some tips on how you and your customers can reduce your contribution to food waste and climate disruption as well as cut the cost of feeding chickens.

We already have a container for food scraps that go to the compost bins. A few years back, we set up a second one on the kitchen counter for scraps that would please the chickens. The original compost container still gets things that the chickens won’t or shouldn’t eat: coffee grounds, paper towels, banana peels, orange skins, avocado skins (toxic to chickens) and anything moldy or spoiled. 

Here’s a list of what scraps can chickens eat that do go in the chicken food container. (A handy tip: In both containers, I put a folded paper towel—or surplus napkins from buying fast food—in the bottom to absorb moisture and to make it easier for the contents to pop out without having to be scraped out.)

chickens treats

What Scraps Can Chickens Eat?

Produce

Being omnivores, chickens like almost all the scraps of vegetables and fruit that we can give them with the important exception of uncooked potato skins and avocados, which are reportedly toxic. Chickens will attack any leftover corn on the cob, overripe cucumbers, carrot tops and more. 

Occasionally, at our neighborhood grocery, I’m able to divert a box of vegetable scraps from the dumpster, and the chickens plow through those right away.

Bread, Grains & Chips

We sometimes freeze stale bread to add to soups, but we also give bread scraps to the chickens. They’ll devour stale bread, chips and crackers as well as leftover rice, old pasta, cereal crumbs from the bottom of the box: anything flaky or crunchy from grains will suit them.

Meat & Fish

It’s important to remember that chickens are not vegetarians, so go ahead and give them meat. Nor are they egalitarians, feminists or pacifists, but that’s grist for another story. They like meat. I mean they like meat the way a good Southern boy needs his daily dose of pork products. Chickens really like meat, including gristle, tendons and fat. They’ll pick bones clean, leaving nothing to attract vermin—nothing! And because we cover the ground in the pen with wood chips, any bones quickly decompose in place, too.

But knowing what scraps chickens can eat means we don’t feed them chicken scraps. It’s not necessarily a “no-no” but it seems weird. We don’t want to support cannibalism for any species. (We also avoid the potential for disease. Mad cow disease came from feeding cow parts to cows, after all.) 

And we don’t give them fish bones. The smell would stick around too long. Although we do give them scraps of fish skin, lobster shells and shrimp shells, which get gobbled right up. Maybe you already knew this, but those shellfish are related to insects, and you know how chickens love them some bugs!

Fats & Oils

Type “fatbergs” in a search engine. If you or your customers have the bad habit of pouring cooking oils down the sink, you really should see what this stuff looks like when it congeals inside a city sewer pipe. These grotesque “icebergs” of fat cause nearly half of the 36,000 sewer overflows in the United States each year. And even when the fat doesn’t congeal into a fatberg, it still has to be removed from the wastewater, and that costs taxpayer money.

Instead of pouring cooking oils or fats from bacon, burgers, steaks and pork chops down the drain or even putting that stuff in the trash, we pour (and scrape) our waste oils and fats into a bowl and let them set up in the fridge overnight. We feed it to the hens the next morning. They think it’s pudding. It disappears fast. 

That’s not nearly as strange as it sounds. Many cooking oil-recycling operations turn waste oils from restaurants and food processors into feed for livestock or pets anyway. Another tip: If you have dusty bits of pellets or grains too fine for the chickens to eat, these can be mixed with liquid waste oils into a paste that they’ll devour.

The chickens don’t get all the bacon fat at our house though. Not because it would be weird, but because it’d be a waste. It’s the best thing for frying eggs sunny-side up.

Eggshells

We give them their eggshells after we’ve eaten the eggs. We smash the shells flat, so they don’t resemble an egg. We don’t want to give them the wrong idea. But the calcium in the eggs is very valuable.

When they’re laying heavily, they wolf down eggshells. In winter when they’re laying less, they can be laissez-faire about the shells.

Dairy

Cheese rinds and leftover milk from cereal bowls are also popular with the poultry set.

Neighbors Can Help 

No, we don’t feed the neighbors to our chickens, but the neighbors do bring food to our chickens. The neighbors say they bring melon rinds, pumpkin guts and leftover pasta because they like to visit the hens. But I think they’re angling for free eggs, too, which we give them because our birds produce more eggs than our household can eat.

Essentially, we encourage a reverse CSA on our block. You may be familiar with community supported agriculture as a method for consumers to pay farmers in advance for their produce. We ask our neighbors to save their kitchen scraps (with the exceptions noted above) and drop them off in the run. After holidays such as Halloween and Thanksgiving, it’s party time in the coop as neighbors drop off their out-of-date ornamental squashes and pumpkins. 

I toss these in the pen and then use a long handled child’s shovel (or any sharp-enough, long-handled tool will do) to chop the pumpkin into accessible sections. You can imagine how quickly the seeds disappear. And the flesh goes next, leaving a very thin layer of inedible pumpkin skin.

I know some folks who spoil their birds by cooking the pumpkins first, but that’s not necessary.

You may be able to persuade your conscientious customers to freeze their food scraps and bring them to you at the market. Dump them in your empty coolers, and feed these treats to your chickens when you get back. That way your trip home from market is profitable, too.

chickens treats

More Information About What Scraps Can Chickens Eat

Vermin-Proof Treats

Freecycling chicken treats is all well and good, but you’ll want to keep a few things in mind so that you don’t end up providing a feast for vermin that may be able to finagle their way into your chickens’ run, such as mice and rats. 

Timing

Make sharing scraps from the kitchen part of your morning routine. Give your birds enough time to eat your bounty before bedtime. Tossing scraps into the run during late afternoon or evening is just a way to feed the critters that work the night shift. 

Sizes

Chickens don’t have teeth, so sometimes you, your knife and your cutting board will have to play that role. Mid-ribs of collards, kale and chard for example would be edible, but they’re too big. Chop them into finer, bite-size pieces before tossing them into the countertop container of hen treats. 

Right Side Up

Melon and pumpkin scraps are always popular with poultry. But a chunk tossed skin-side up will make it inaccessible for the ladies. I keep a kid-size shovel with a long handle next to the run’s gate (a regular shovel or gravel rake works fine too). If something lands fruit-side down, I can flip it from a standing position with the shovel. I can also chop melons, pumpkins, apples and other fruit into more accessible slices—all without bending over or stepping into the pen.

This article about what scraps chickens can eat originally appeared in Hobby Farms magazine. Click here to subscribe.

Categories
Poultry

How to Keep Chickens Cool With a DIY Swamp Cooler

DIY swamp cooler to keep chickens cool
images by Shelly Wutke

How to keep chickens cool is top of mind for chicken keepers in summer. While we all enjoy the lazy days of summer, your chickens probably find it very stressful. Chickens thrive in moderate temperatures, so they don’t like it when it’s too hot or too cold. Just like snow, ice and endless days of cold weather can cause frostbite, frozen feet and respiratory issues, the heat of summer and soaring temperatures can make chickens lethargic and dehydrated and, in some cases, cause death.

If you live in an area that sees lots of heat and humidity during the summer, you can help your flock beat the heat. It’s easy. You just need to cool down your chickens by building a DIY chicken coop swamp cooler. It can help drop the heat in the coop significantly, and that can mean healthier happier birds. 

Hot Weather Affects a Flock

If you’ve ever watched a flock of chickens lay out on the grass sun tanning, you might be fooled into thinking they’re hardy animals. While some breeds are hardier than others, most chickens are very susceptible to heat stress. Once temperatures rise above 77 degree F or you experience a heat wave, a cycle can begin where the chicken simply can’t cool off. 

The first issue is dehydration. Once dehydrated, the chickens may be lethargic, lose their appetites and stop laying eggs. In some cases, their internal organs may begin shutting down or they pant so excessively that they develop an illness or respiratory issues. 

Signs Of Heat Stress

For the most part, chickens spend warm weather days taking dust baths, pecking the ground for snacks and just lying in the sun. When those behaviors change to include some of the following, you’re almost guaranteed that your flock members are experiencing some form of heat stress. 

Drooping or Lifted Wings

A chicken that is overheating will hold its wings away from its body to keep it cooler. Some chickens will also let their wings drop so they seem to drag on the ground when they walk.  

Heavy Panting

A chicken that is trying to cool off may pant in the same way a dog does. The chicken’s mouth will be open when they pant. 

Fatigue

An overheated chicken is a tired chicken. They may lay down in the shade or in the coop and be much less active. 

Loss of Appetite

Heat stress in chickens may mean they aren’t as hungry. They may eat less than they normally do or you may notice they struggle with swallowing. 

Change in Bowel Habits

Heat stress in chickens can lead to diarrhea.

Egg Quality

In some cases, heat stress can cause eggs to be deformed or stop egg production altogether.

AC/CC

A chicken coop swamp cooler can be part of your summer plan for how to keep chickens cool. Along with shade trees, ice-cold water and a clean coop, a DIY swamp cooler can drop the temperature a few degrees so it’s bearable for your chickens.

A swamp cooler, aka an evaporative cooler, is a cooling device that uses evaporating water to cool the air. You can buy swamp coolers with different features, but making a basic chicken coop swamp cooler is easy, too.

It works by drawing hot air into a bucket. At the bottom of the bucket is a small water pump that pushes cold water through a tube. The tube has holes so the water drips onto a layer of foam that’s wrapped around the inside of the bucket. 

As the hot air passes through the wet foam, it evaporates and is absorbed, so the air inside the bucket is cooler than the air outside. The cooled air is then circulated out of the bucket using a fan.

A chicken coop swamp cooler is inexpensive to make, and in most cases, it should cost you less than $50 for materials. You may already have everything you need to make one at home or in your yard. They are a great option for a chicken coop because they use less energy than an air conditioner, and a swamp cooler is safe to have in the coop because it’s only made up of a small fan and water pump. 

This type of swamp cooler will work best for how to keep chickens cool in coops in dry climates, but you may not find it as effective for how to keep your chickens cool in humid climates as excess moisture in the air can interfere with cooling. 

The Build

Now that you’re ready to DIY a chicken coop swamp cooler, here is a quick guide on how to build one. First, you need to gather your materials. To build a chicken coop swamp cooler you’ll need the following: 

  • 5-gallon pail with a lid from your local feed supply shop 
  • small submersible pump (4 watts, 90 gallons per hour works well)
  • plastic tubing to fit around the rim of the bucket
  • swamp cooler pad, sponge, or large piece of foam
  • piece of window screen
  • small fan to fit in the lid
  • utility knife
  • drill
  • coring drill bits to cut holes
  • push pin or small drill bit to drill holes in tube
  • ruler or measuring tape
  • glue gun
  • power source to plug into

chicken chickens swamp cooler

Step 1: Put Holes in the Bucket 

A swamp cooler needs several holes to draw hot air in, so your first step is to cut holes in the bucket. I cut holes in the middle of the bucket as I wanted the room to keep enough water and ice in the bottom so I wouldn’t have to refill too often. 

You’ll need to cut several holes around the entire bucket. I used a coring bit to cut them out, but you can also use a utility knife.

Step 2: Install Pump & Power

You’ll want to cut small holes right under the rim of the bucket so you can thread your fan and water pump cords through. With small holes, your cords won’t interfere with the bucket lid. 

chicken chickens swamp cooler

Step 3: Cut Foam & Screen To Fit

I didn’t have a swamp pad so I used a large piece of foam for the pad the water will drip onto. I measured the circumference of the bucket and cut the screen material and the foam pad to fit. I glued the screen over the holes and then glued the pad over it. 

I then added the screen as it will prevent the chickens from reaching in to peck at the foam. Both the screen and the foam pad were measured to sit right above the water line.

Step 4: Attach Fan

Choose a small fan that’s the best size for the center of the lid of the water bucket. Cut the hole for the fan with a utility knife and attach it to the lid with duct tape or zip ties. 

Step 5: Add Holes & Place Pump 

Using a push pin or tiny drill bit, create drip holes in the plastic tubing. The tubing will drip water onto the foam to keep it saturated. Attach your plastic tubing to your water pump and place it inside the bucket. 

You’ll need enough tubing to extend from the bottom to the top, circling it around the bucket. You can glue the tubing to the top of the bucket, being careful to avoid the areas where you added drip holes. 

chicken chickens swamp cooler

Step 6: Fill with Water & Ice 

Add enough water so your pump is fully submerged. You can add a combination of water and ice to keep the water inside cold. When it’s running be sure to check the bucket frequently so the pump doesn’t run while dry.  

Step 7: Find a Safe Spot

If your swamp cooler is on the coop floor, your chickens may jump on it or peck at it. Secure it so it can’t be knocked over. Also, don’t place it directly under the roosts or it could become damaged from chicken manure. 

Step 8: Cool the Coop! 

Once your chicken coop swamp cooler is ready, plug it into power. The pump will circulate water from the bottom of the container, push it through the tubing, and it will drip onto the foam. 

Hot air will enter the bucket through the holes and cool air will blow out of the container and into the chicken coop. I also splash water onto the foam so it’s already wet before the water begins dripping. 

Chickens aren’t as affected by the weather as we are, but heat stress is one of the reasons why people lose entire flocks in the summer. By the time you begin to see signs of heat stress, it may already be too late. 

An action plan to beat the heat in your chicken coop helps with how to keep your chickens cool, happy and healthy, and a DIY swamp cooler is an easy way to drop the temperature in the coop while you all ride out the next heat wave. 

More Information on How to Keep Chickens Cool

A chicken coop swamp cooler can drop the temperature in a chicken coop by several degrees. To maximize the usefulness of your swamp cooler, follow these tips. 

Build the right size cooler.

A small swamp cooler won’t be very effective for how to keep chickens cool in a large coop. If you have a very large coop you may want to DIY a few swamp coolers and place them in different areas.

Always add water.

On a very hot day, a swamp cooler will quickly run through its water supply. You’ll want to check the cooler frequently and add water and ice to ensure it stays operational. 

Clean your cooler frequently.

Materials like foam can grow mold if not cleaned frequently. You’ll want to rinse out the cooler at least once a week and make sure you use fresh water that’s free of bacteria and contaminants.  

Add another fan to your coop.

Having a fan placed near the swamp cooler can direct airflow in the coop. If possible, you should also have other types of ventilation including an open window or door so fresh air can enter the coop. 

This article about how to keep chickens cool originally appeared in the July/August 2023 issue of Chickens magazine. Click here to subscribe.

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Podcast

Growing Good Podcast #81: Robert Frew & Juan Carlos Arango, permaculture specialists

Robert and Juan Carlos practice permaculture and a culture of sharing at Sobremesa Farm, just outside Bloomington, Indiana. In this episode, Robert talks about taking the time to observe the land before jumping into farming and waiting one more year before putting any pressure on selling anything from the land. Juan Carlos points out that neither of them knew much about farming but came into this work through their interest in nature and wildlife and, eventually, the relationships they built at a Bioneers Conference. That permaculture mimics nature made it a natural fit for their land-management philosophy. 

Hear about the steps they took to bring municipal water to a property that isn’t suited for a well but didn’t have a municipal-water meter. (Listeners: Most of us would have walked away from this property. You have to hear about their journey!) Robert also talks about how they collect and keep rainwater on the land, plus two springs that have come to the surface since they purchased the property. 

Juan Carlos talks about the concept of “volunteers”–particularly plant volunteers as a means to reduce dependence on off-farm seed resources. He also talks about the various animals they keep and the rolls each fills on the farm, plus some of the more untypical tropical crops they grow in greenhouses and the fields. You won’t find soursop, bananas or pittaya growing too many other places in the Midwest! 

Hear, too, about their fellowship with Midwest Grains, the milpas they’re experimenting with, and their interest in finding and learning from other small-scale grain growers in the region. 

From CSA to an on-farm market, Sobremesa Farm attempts to connect their customers with how their food is grown. Robert talks about getting grant money to expand production via mini production contracts for a local food pantry in 2023. He gets real about the growing pains for farms as small as theirs when engaging with grants. 

Finally, Juan Carlos talks about their approach to educating their customers and school groups, as well as multicultural farming workshops they host on the farm. Hear, too, about the fertility methods they’ve used to supercharge the soil organic matter on their farm.  

If you’re curious about the name Sobremesa Farm, listen to the very end to hear Juan Carlos’s explanation of the Latin American concept of sobremesa. 

Note from the host: 

One thing we did not get to talk about in this episode was Sobremesa Farm’s feature during the 2023 Farm Aid benefit concert. Be sure to watch the video, linked below.  

Links from this episode 

Sobremesa Farm website 

Sobremesa Farm Instagram 

The ABC of Organic Agriculture, Chromatography and Sustainable Livestock Management workshop with Jairo Restrepo, September 3-6, 2024 

Farm Aid video 

Categories
Animals Breeds

Jersey Wooly Rabbit: Breed Profile

dark colored jersey wooly rabbit
Photo by Christine

The Jersey Wooly rabbit is a dwarf breed, weighing between 3 to 3.5 pounds at maturity. The breed can look bigger, due to the “wooly” pelt from which it gets its name. The breed is noted for being even more docile than the average rabbit, leading to one of its many nicknames – the “no kick” rabbit. It may also be called the “mug head” rabbit, for its unusually shaped head

While the blocky head is a prominent feature of the Jersey Wooly rabbit, it is the coat that the breed is truly known for. As one of the few fiber rabbits that is not an angora breed, the Jersey wooly is often considered a poor choice for fiber because of the rabbit’s tiny size. However, for those not concerned with heavy production, or with little space, the Jersey Wooly can make a good dual-purpose, pet/fiber choice.

Standards of Perfection

The body of a Jersey Wooly rabbit is often described as “round.” The width of the body should be equal at the shoulders and at the hips. The body should be short, no longer than the rabbit is wide. The hips should be round, and there should be a gradual curve from the nape of the neck to the loin.

The head is short and blocky, set high and proportionate to the body. The ears should be short, preferably no more than 2.5 inches, with more than three inches being a disqualifying feature. Ears are carried upright but are not necessarily touching as they would be on the Polish rabbit.

The feet must be straight, and while there may be wool on the back legs, if it extends below the ankles on the front legs, the rabbit is disqualified from showing. Eyes and ears must match the rabbit’s coloring pattern as required by the American Rabbit Breeder Association.

 

white jersey wooly rabbit
A fluffy white Jersey Wooly rabbit. Photo by Mary Swift.

The recognized color varieties are agouti (chestnut, chinchilla, opal, squirrel), pointed white (with black or blue), broken (any recognized color plus white), self (black, blue, chocolate, lilac, blue-eyed white, ruby-eyed white), shaded (sable point, seal, Siamese sable, smoked-pearl, tortoiseshell, blue tortoiseshell) and tan pattern (black otter, blue otter, silver marten, sable marten, smoke pearl marten).

Jersey Wooly Rabbit Coat Care

The Jersey Wooly rabbit breed originates from New Jersey in the United States. It was bred for its long, wooly coat in the 1970s. Most healthy rabbits are capable of self-care when it comes to grooming. The Jersey Wooly, however, requires human intervention due to the texture and thickness of its coat. Weekly grooming is suggested to prevent matting. Even with a rabbit who self-grooms well, the heavy coat can result in a buildup of wool in the digestive tract.

Jersey Wooly rabbits also should be kept indoors. Most rabbit breeds do well in outdoor hutches or colony environments, but the special texture that makes fiber rabbits so unique also means they are unable to survive in uncontrolled conditions. They lack the insulation to deal with extreme heat or cold, are unable to repel water and are more prone to matting if they get damp.

Special Needs

The Jersey Wooly lives an average of 7-10 years and is prone to all of the standard issues rabbits can develop. However, the breed can also be prone to certain cancers, and many experts suggest spaying or neutering as this seems to extend their expected life span.

Woolies have some special care needs as well. Not only do they need help to keep their coats clean, but their ears should be cleaned regularly as well. Web MD Pets recommends this to help them regulate their body temperature better. The National Jersey Wooly Club also suggests extra cleaning for white rabbits, since the coloring from cages, bedding or urine can stain their wool.

An important note for breeders new to the Jersey Wooly: while they are – on average – one of the most docile breeds, there are instances of certain lines known for bad tempers and biting behaviors. This is, for some reason, especially true in blue-eyed-whites and in males of the breed. This can sometimes be corrected with extensive behavioral work, but in some cases, the rabbit may require culling.

This article about the Jersey Wooly rabbit was written for Hobby Farms magazine. Click here to subscribe.

Categories
Chickens 101 Poultry

6 Treats for Baby Chicks to Enjoy

treats for baby chicks

Treats for baby chicks help new arrivals grow healthy and robust and can help prevent health problems, but what treats help chicks grow healthy and strong? Let’s go over some healthy chick-safe treats and what treats to avoid.

Monitoring Treats

Even though nothing is more rewarding than feeding chicks a delicious treat, treats should make up at most ten percent of their diet and should never replace their commercial feed. Chicks need a balance of vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients found in their chick feed to grow healthy and strong. Only offer chicks a treat in the afternoon or evening after they have had a chance to eat their formulated feed.

1. Rolled Oats

Rolled oats are more than a treat for baby chicks. They are an essential part of their diet. When choosing treats for baby chicks, oatmeal is always the first treat I offer my new arrivals.

Feeding oats to baby chicks may help to prevent or clear up pasty butt (a life-threatening condition in chicks, where the chick’s poop clogs up their vent, making it impossible for the chick to excrete).

Rolled oats are high in essential vitamins and minerals that chicks need to grow, including the B vitamins thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, and choline, as well as copper, iron, magnesium, and zinc. This beneficial grain contains antioxidants and protein to help chicks grow healthy and strong.

To feed, grind up rolled oats (I use a food processor) into a course meal (similar to cornmeal). Sprinkle a small amount of oatmeal on the chicks feed once or twice daily.

2. Watermelon

Watermelon is another one of my go-to treats for baby chicks. During the hot and humid summer months, chicks may need a boost of hydration and vitamins to prevent heat stroke. Watermelon is an excellent fruit for chicks as it has low sugar content. Watermelon is high in antioxidants and vitamins A, B6, and C.

To avoid choking, feed watermelon on the rind instead of cutting it into pieces. Also, always remove all seeds before feeding your chicks.

3. Dandelions

Dandelions contain vitamins A, B, C, D, E, and K and are a good source of calcium, folate, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, and zinc. High in protein, the entire plant (leaves and flowers) can be safely fed to chicks. The roots can be safely steeped into tea and cooled to room temperature before being added to the chicks’ water.

Dandelions are considered a general health tonic and are one of the healthiest treats for baby chicks. Never use dandelions that have been sprayed or may have come in contact with chemicals or pesticides.

4. Oregano

If there were only one treat to feed baby chicks, it would be oregano. This powerful herb has been proven to be a natural antibiotic and is thought to prevent coccidiosis, E.coli, Salmonella, Avian Influenza, and other deadly diseases.

Oregano can be fed fresh, dried, or steeped in a tea. Feeding oregano isn’t only a healthy option when choosing treats for baby chicks, but feeding this beneficial herb could be a lifesaver as it may protect your flock from contracting fatal diseases.

5. Scrambled Egg

Often called the “perfect food,” eggs contain everything you need to survive (lacking only vitamin C). Eggs not only make an ideal choice for treats for baby chicks, but they can also be the difference between life and death for a chick weakened and dehydrated from shipping.

Always cook eggs thoroughly before feeding them to chicks. Adding fresh or dried herbs to scrambled eggs can help boost nutrient levels if you feed eggs for a nutritious treat. However, when feeding eggs to a dehydrated and weak chick, omit the herbs and feed only the scrambled egg.

When feeding eggs to chicks, stick to chicken eggs versus other poultry eggs.

6. Black Soldier Fly Larvae

Dried black soldier fly larvae are an excellent protein supplement for baby chicks. Black soldier fly larvae have an excellent calcium-to-phosphorus ratio to help build strong bones. The bugs can easily be crushed with your fingers, making them easier for young chicks to digest.

Another plus to feeding dried black soldier fly larvae to baby chicks as treats is that these bugs are grown in the U.S. and are fed a vegetarian diet.

Treats for Baby Chicks to Avoid

Just like there are healthy treats for baby chicks, there are harmful treats, too. Keep reading to learn what treats to avoid when feeding baby chicks.

Mealworms

Mealworms aren’t bad on their own, but they lack much of the nutrition found in black soldier fly larvae. Mealworms are not fed a completely healthy diet and are not approved by the USDA to feed chickens. Therefore, mealworms are not considered a suitable treat for feeding baby chicks.

Bread

Bread is one of the most dangerous treats for baby chicks. Not only does bread contain high amounts of salt, leading to salt poisoning and, in extreme cases, death, but it also contains high amounts of yeast. When fed to baby chicks and adult chickens, the yeast builds up in the crop, resulting in a sour crop (a life-threatening condition common in backyard flocks caused by too much bacteria and yeast in the crop).

Tomatoes

Many poultry experts disagree on whether tomatoes are healthy treats for baby chicks. Tomatoes contain a toxin called solanine, which is found in unripe tomatoes. Many experts suggest that baby chicks can safely consume overripe tomatoes. However, erring on the side of caution and never feeding tomatoes to chicks may help chicks live longer, healthier lives.

Just like adult chickens, chicks love treats. Choosing healthy treats for baby chicks will not only help your new arrivals stay healthy, but it will also help build a life-long bond between you and your chicks.

This article about the best treats for baby chicks was written for Chickens magazine. Click here to subscribe.

Categories
Poultry

Can Chickens Eat Cilantro? Gardening for Your Flock

can-chickens-eat-cilantro
Adobe Stock Photo by Betsy

Can chickens eat cilantro? If you want to expand your flock’s garden to more than tomatoes, squash, and lettuce, here are 10 plants for your chickens to enjoy.

Cilantro

Can chickens eat cilantro? Yes! Not only can chickens eat cilantro, but it benefits their health and vision.

Cilantro is high in vitamin A, helping to keep chickens’ eyes in tip-top condition. With clear vision, chickens can spot a tasty bug in the grass or a hungry hawk in the sky. This essential vitamin also supports a healthy reproductive system.

Can chickens eat cilantro growing in the garden. Yes.

Cilantro contains antioxidants, improves immune system health, and reduces pathogens in the digestive tract, working to keep the intestinal tract healthy. Due to its remarkable ability to remove these pathogens from the digestive tract, cilantro is one of the best herbs to feed laying hens and baby chicks.

Nasturtium

Nasturtiums are among my flock’s favorite flowers despite their slight pepper taste. Both the leaves and flowers are edible for chickens and humans. High in vitamin C and antioxidants, these pretty flowers are also believed to be antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and natural dewormers and are thought to prevent cancer.

naturtium

Nasturtiums are extremely hardy plants and can even hold up to chickens scratching.

French Marigold

While only the flowers are edible, this shouldn’t stop you from growing these for your flock. French marigold flowers are a great immune booster, insect and snake repellent, and they help increase eggshell strength. French Marigolds are also considered to be antiviral and antifungal.

Your chickens will not be the only thing benefiting from French Marigolds. Planting French Marigolds throughout your garden will help deter bugs from destroying your other plants.

french marigold

Feeding French Marigolds to your laying hens helps brighten feet and leg color and produces those bright orange yolks that many backyard chicken keepers love.

French Marigolds should not be confused with African Marigolds, as the two varieties vary greatly. Only feed French Marigolds to chickens.

Peas

Peas are a fun treat to grow and feed your flock. Not only is this vegetable one of my flock’s favorite treats but it is also filled with nutrients.

An excellent source of protein, calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, zinc, and vitamins A, B6, C, E and K. These essential vitamins and minerals keep chickens’ bodies in tip-top condition and help prevent disease.

The peas and pods are edible, and your flock will be tripping over themselves to eat this tasty snack.

When feeding peas to chicks, break them into tiny pieces to avoid choking.

Rose

Now that we have answered the question, can chickens eat cilantro? Can they eat roses? Yes, chickens can eat roses, and they love them, too. If my chickens were to pick a favorite flower, it would be the Virginia Roses growing in my backyard. These fragrant flowers are high in vitamins C and A and are full of antioxidants and flavonoids that support a healthy immune system.

rose

Rose petals are also phytonutrients, a substance believed to prevent cancer cell formation.

Never feed roses that have been sprayed with chemicals, pesticides, or insecticides to chickens. Rose petals are edible for adult chickens and chicks. Adult chickens can also eat the ripened rose hips.

Lovage

Lovage is a vital health tonic for laying hens and roosters. One of the few culinary herbs to promote kidney health, lovage cleanses the kidneys without removing electrolytes from the body. Kidney health is crucial in backyard flocks, as the high calcium levels required for layers may result in kidney damage, especially in roosters.

Lovage is packed with nutrients and contains high amounts of B vitamins and vitamin C.

Never feed lovage to baby chicks. Lovage can cause kidney failure if fed in large quantities. To ere on the side of caution, I only feed a small handful of lovage to my flock once a week.

Yarrow

Safe to feed to baby chicks and chickens, yarrow is one of my flock’s all-time favorites and is a popular choice for many backyard flock raisers.  The leaves and flowers are both edible, although my flock seems to favor the taste of the leaves.

yarrow

Yarrow helps to alleviate digestive issues and improve blood circulation and flow. It is also an anti-inflammatory.

This beneficial plant benefits the garden, as its delicate flowers attract many pollinators and beneficial bugs.

Lavender

The smell of lavender can help soothe and relax your chickens during stressful times, such as when introducing new flock members or when your hen is broody. Even if your chickens aren’t stressed, lavender can help them feel more relaxed and safe.

A natural bug and rodent repellent, hanging lavender above your perch or sprinkling some lavender around the perimeter of your coop and run may help deter mites, lice, and other pests from visiting your henhouse.

lavender

Lavender is also believed to help prevent respiratory problems, keeping airways clean and healthy.

There are so many delicious vegetables, flowers, and herbs to feed chickens, so why stick to the basics? Before feeding new plants to your flock, check with your local extension office to see if they are safe to consume.

This article about can chickens eat cilantro was written for Chickens magazine. Click here to subscribe.

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Farm Management

Farm Animal Pictures: How to Make Money With Each Click

baby animal posing for farm animal pictures

Farm animal pictures can be cute, but hobby farmers often need photos of their animals for selling, breeding, blogging, family photos and overall documenting ages and stages for record keeping. Sale barns are becoming antiquated for farmers looking to sell livestock. It is such a risk to haul and expose farm animals to so many unknown variables for an opportunity to sell a small quantity, usually at the lowest price. Online marketing on websites and posting to farm groups are quickly becoming the new mainstream for hobby farmers to connect with buyers, preserving health and dollars.

snuggling farm puppies

Good quality photos are worth the extra investment of time and intentionality because the difference between a good photo and a poor quality one can result in closing a deal or not. We live in a digital photo world. Learning to produce top-notch images is a great first impression for a sale. A great photo communicates that the sellers are detail-oriented, careful, intentional, transparent and trustworthy. 

Getting that shot can be very difficult, especially when dealing with unpredictable animals. Follow these tips whether you’re shooting with a phone or professional camera.

1. Lighting & Timing – The golden hour (the first hour after sunrise or the last hour before sunset), casts a warmer tint with the softest lighting. Soft lighting wraps around your subject, rather than overloading it with tons of light. Too much hard lighting will create dark shadows, which will be very hard to edit in your pictures.

2. Lighting Angles – When possible, shoot with the sun at your back. This is tricky because it causes the subject to stare into the sun, however, it gives your animal the best exposure to natural light.   

3. Assess the Background – Focus on setting the scene before introducing the subject to the area. It would be very frustrating to get the animal’s attention and take a great shot just to learn you neglected to move unsightly obstacles in the background. Background problems to look out for are trees, branches, wires or any objects that may look as though they could block the shot or stick out at an awkward angle in the back.

4. Adjust your Camera – Whether you are shooting with a phone camera or a professional camera, do not shoot in manual focus mode, the motion from the animal will prove extremely challenging. Instead, use your camera’s autofocus mode to keep up with the action and get a sharp image. Make sure you know which subject you will be focusing on if there are multiple animals involved in the photo shoot. If you have the option to select Continuous Focus Mode, choose that feature.

5. Create a Plan Knowing Your Animal – Be aware of what time of day your animal is most cooperative. If you need to use food to motivate your livestock, consider a time when they are slightly hungry. They shouldn’t be starving or just recently fed.

farm animal picture with baby goats sleeping

6. Consider Animal Posture – Knowing your subject’s breed standard will help you decide what angles you want to take for their posing. Pay attention to their topline, loin, chest, underline and limbs making them all visible and positioned well.

7. Motion – Start furthest away from the animal. Move slowly and take a shot, step in, take a shot, step in, etc. You can always zoom in and edit later. 

8. Be Patient – Stress will wreak havoc in this situation. Allow the animal to explore its surroundings and be comfortable. Don’t force the animals, natural posing is always better. Just keep shooting, you can evaluate pictures later. Don’t risk missing the moment they look at the camera or hit their best stance.

9. Have a Few Tricks In the Bag – Be prepared to bark, moo, oink, grunt, whistle, sing or whatever it takes to alert the animal and get their attention. Treats might also need to be used. Have a few ideas of how you will pull their focus to get that shot. 

10. Edit – Even a crisp well-lit photo can stand to be edited. Editing photos can be as simple as choosing a filter on your phone. That extra push and color sharpness filters can add to the photo and create life in a shot, as opposed to dullness.

Taking farm animal pictures can prove very difficult. Keep your cool and follow these tips for the best possible scenario. As for the outtakes, those can be part of the fun.  

This article about taking farm animal pictures was written for Hobby Farms magazine. Click here to subscribe.

Categories
Animals

Polish Rabbit: Breed Profile

polish rabbit sitting on surry pedestal
Photo By Jne Valokuvaus

The Polish rabbit is believed to have been developed in England, with the first mention of the breed found in their literature in the mid-1800s. The exact development of the breed is uncertain. It is said this breed descended from the white hutch rabbit and was first bred as a ruby-eyed white rabbit. The American Polish Rabbit Club points to their introduction to the United States as being in 1912.  The red-eyed white Polish rabbit was the first accepted by the American Rabbit Breeders Association (ARBA). Other colors followed over the decades and the lilac Polish was accepted as recently as 2020.

Polish Rabbits Over Time

Polish rabbits were originally larger and were popularly used as meat rabbits. The modern-day breed is small – weighing no more than 3.5 pounds – and is known for its unusually short ears. They somewhat resemble the Netherland Dwarf rabbit in this way but with several differentiating characteristics in their body conformation. They also do not carry the “dwarf gene” despite their small size.

Polish rabbits are docile, and their small size and easy care make them popular as pets. They are listed on many rabbit sites as good choice for someone living in an apartment, seniors or someone with a tight budget.

white polish rabbit sitting on baskets
Photo By smilewalli

Polish Rabbit Breed Standard

For those looking to show Polish rabbits, the largest segment of the judging points is in the body. According to the American Polish Rabbit Club, the breed should be compact. The hips should be rounded and wider than the shoulders. The core should taper evenly from the hips to the shoulders. The body being too long is considered a fault, as is the hips flaring out from the body. Unlike many of the larger breeds, a dewlap in the does is considered a flaw and the rabbit will be disqualified.

Head, ears and eyes are all considered separately, but are weighed equally when showing. The skull should sit low on the shoulders and be slightly rounded. Pinched or pointed noses or a longer head are considered faults. The eyes should be large, while the ears will be disqualified if they are over three inches. The ears should be parallel and close-set enough to touch from the base of the skull to the tips.

Polish Rabbit Fur

The coat of a Polish rabbit should be soft, short and “flyback.” This type of coat, when stroked backward, instantly returns itself to its original position.

The first accepted color to the show ring was the red-eyed white Polish, with blue-eyed white following quickly. Currently, the American Rabbit Breeder Association accepts these colors, as well as black, blue, chocolate and lilac. “Broken” – a white rabbit with colored spots – is also accepted.

The fur should be glossy, and rabbits with a “cottony” texture are disqualified from ARBA showing.

Polish Rabbit Care

While Polish rabbits are not prone to anything other than the normal rabbit ailments, the lifespan of breeding Polish is much shorter than the average rabbits. While many breeds live to about ten years of age, the Polish rabbit’s lifespan is often only five to six years. Rabbit care that includes neutering and careful oversight of their diet will help extend this, and a few have even been known to live to around eight years old. Recommended feeding is only 20 to 25 grams a day (.7 to .88 ounces). Breeders will find that the litter size for Polish rabbits is quite small since Polish rabbits only produce half the ova as other tested rabbit breeds. Most does produce only two to four kits per litter. Because their lifespan is so short, they can also only be bred for a narrow window, hitting menopause between three to four years of age.

This article about the Polish rabbit was written for Hobby Farms magazine. Click here to subscribe.

Categories
Poultry

14 Toxic Plants for Chickens To Avoid

apricots are toxic plants for chickens
Apricots are toxic plants for chickens to avoid.

Knowing toxic plants for chickens to avoid is important. Your free-range flock loves roaming into the garden and treating the marigolds, squash blossoms and dandelions like an all-you-can-eat salad bar. An abundant supply of fresh fruits, vegetables and garden greens is part of a balanced diet, but not all the plants in your garden are good for your chickens. In fact, some are toxic.

Below is a list of 14 common farmstead toxic plants for chickens. Don’t feed them these plants or confine them in an area of the garden where these toxic plants are growing, as their appetites might get the better of them. Remember, this is far from a complete list of toxic plants for chickens; there are hundreds of plants that can be harmful to your chickens. Before opening the coop doors to let your flock forage, do your research to keep your chickens out of harm’s way.

1. Apricots

Many fruits are safe for chickens, but the leaves and pits of an apricot contain cyanogenic glycosides that are highly toxic, triggering symptoms such as seizures, breathing problems and low blood pressure. When leaves are stressed from frost, drought or disease, the toxicity levels increase. If you want to grow apricot trees, prevent chickens from foraging near the orchard via fencing or other means.

2. Azalea

These deciduous shrubs are popular in landscapes across the U.S. thanks to their waxy green leaves and colorful flowers. Although azaleas are beautiful, all parts of the plant are on the highly toxic plants for chickens list and can cause digestive upset, weakness, loss of coordination and cardiac damage. To keep flocks safe, house them away from azaleas or dig up the shrubs and relocate them out of the birds’ reach.

Also Read: Avoid Giving These Toxic Foods To Your Chickens

3. Beans

Uncooked beans contain hemagglutinin, which is toxic to chickens. You don’t have to banish beans from the garden—just be sure to keep the flock from foraging in beds where beans are growing, and never feed them raw or undercooked beans.

4. Bulbs

Daffodils, iris, narcissus, tulips and other bulbs are among the first signs of spring in the garden and might tempt chickens with their fresh green leaves and flowers. However, many bulb varieties contain alkaloids that can cause low blood pressure, tremors and diarrhea. Dig up the bulbs and compost them or replant them in areas of the garden the flock can’t access.

5. Ferns

A specific variety of fern called the bracken fern can cause bracken fern poisoning in chickens, which leads to anemia, weight loss and muscle tremors. Although significant amounts of the plant must be consumed to be toxic, the perennial ferns with their large triangular-shaped fronds are native to most U.S. states, growing in pastures, forests and rangelands, giving chickens in rural areas ample access. The best way to identify bracken ferns is to use a wildlife guide. Because they grow aggressively, you’ll need to be vigilant about removing them.

6. Foxglove

This perennial or biennial is common in the Northeast and along the West Coast. The spires can grow to 8 feet and produce bright tubular-shaped flowers with speckled interiors that blossom in the summer. All parts of the plant—seeds, flowers, stems and leaves—are toxic for chickens. Foxgloves reseed prolifically, so getting the population under control can be challenging. It’s best to remove the entire plant, including the roots, from the garden.

7. Holly

The glossy green foliage and red berries make this festive evergreen popular for Christmas decorations. Varieties of holly grow across the U.S., but it’s is especially abundant in the Southeast. While holly has a low toxicity level, the leaves contain saponins, which can cause vomiting, diarrhea and drooling in your chickens. Because holly can grow up to 4 feet per year, keeping chickens away from the bushes is easier than digging them up. To ensure that chickens can’t access the plant, keep it trimmed and house the flock at least 5 feet away.

8. Lobelia

The pretty blue, purple, white or red blooms on this annual make it popular for containers, butterfly gardens and medicinal herb gardens. Some lobelia varieties trail while others can grow up to 3 feet tall. The plant contains toxins called pyridine alkaloids, which can cause tremors, weakness, increased breathing rate and lack of coordination in poultry. Remove annual plants from the garden if you plan to allow your chickens to forage.

9. Lupine

This herbaceous perennial grows 12 to 26 inches tall and produces bonnet-shaped flowers that grow on a spike. The flowers come in a range of colors from deep blue and purple to pink and white. All parts of lupine plants, which are more common in mountainous areas, contain a toxin called quinolizidine alkaloids that cause nervousness, depression,aimless wandering, muscle twitching and convulsions in chickens. Because it’s difficult to control wild lupines, keep chickens from accessing areas of the farm where lupines grow.

10. Nightshades

there are over 70 species of nightshade plants and they are toxic plants for chickens

There are 70 varieties of nightshade plants, including tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, bittersweet and Jerusalem cherry, many of which can be harmful to your flock. Nightshades contain alkaloids, which cause appetite loss, increased salivation, weakened heart rate and trouble breathing. While it’s okay to throw your flock the occasional tomato, be weary of plants in this family. Raw potato peels, for example, should never be considered a chicken treat. You should also take particular care to keep your flock away from deadly nightshade, found across the U.S. and identified by their five-lobed white-and-purple flowers and green fruits or berries that turn yellow or black at maturity. Because nightshade plants often grow wild in pastures, orchards and along roadsides, removal can be a challenge. Prevent chickens from foraging near the plants.

11. Oak Trees

oak leaves and acorns are on the toxic plants for chickens list

Mature oak trees can grow up to 80 feet tall with canopies spanning more than 100 feet wide. Even on saplings, the elliptical-shaped leaves are too high off the ground for chickens to reach, but the both the leaves and the acorns that drop in the fall contain tannic acid, which can cause lack of appetite, frequent urination, excessive thirst and diarrhea. Instead of cutting down trees, confine chickens to acorn-free areas.

12. Periwinkle

periwinkle, or creeping myrtle is a toxic plant for chickens

Also known as creeping myrtle, periwinkle is a groundcover with dark-green foliage, oblong leaves, and blue, purple or white flowers that appear in early spring. The plants contain cardiac glycosides that are highly toxic and can cause tremors, seizures and death. The fast-growing, shade-loving perennial can be hard to control, so your best bet is to keep chickens confined to a periwinkle-free section of the farm or garden.

13. Rhubarb

rhubarb leaves contain acids that are toxic for chickens

It might make the perfect pie, but rhubarb leaves contain oxalic acid or oxalates that are toxic to chickens, causing jaundice, tremors and increased salivation. It’s OK to continue growing rhubarb, just restrict the flock’s access to the garden.

14. Yew

all parts of the yew plant are toxic for chickens

This ornamental evergreen, known as the “Tree of Death,” is highly toxic. There are several varieties of yew, including the Japanese yew, which is the most common ornamental shrub in the U.S. All parts of the plant are toxic and contain cardiotoxic taxine alkaloids that can cause cardiac arrhythmia and death. The toxins are fast-acting, and a small amount can have a lethal impact. To be safe, remove all yews from the landscape if you free-range your flock.

While plenty of vegetation is safe for your chickens, it’s important to understand which plants could pose a danger to their health. Remember, this is not an exhaustive list: To keep your chickens safe, do your research. The payoff is a healthy and productive flock.

This story about toxic plants for chickens to avoid was written for Chickens magazine. Click here to subscribe.