Categories
Animals

Raising Rabbits in a Colony: Pros & Cons

rabbits
If introduced young, colony-raised does usually get along just fine

Raising rabbits in colonies is an alternative to cage-breeding that is rising in popularity, especially for those farming rabbits for meat. However, for some breeds and breeders, colony-raising can cause more complications than it solves. Taking a look at the advantages and disadvantages of raising rabbits in this way is important to determine whether it will fit your individual situation.

Shelter

Rabbits are naturally outdoor animals. Access to sunshine lets them form vitamin D, which helps with the healthy absorption of calcium. They have instincts to dig and to run, which colony living can provide. 

In addition, a large run allows waste to remain separate from other activities. Their urine is full of ammonia, and being outside helps to dispel vapors that can otherwise make rabbits sick. 

However, in areas with heavy predator loads, losses can be high without significant protection. Kits and small breed rabbits are at especially high risk. Other animals may also be attracted to water and feed left in the pen, which can lead to disease exposure. Wild rabbits have also been known to be attracted to domestic rabbit pens.

rabbits
Rabbits love to play in the dirt!

Socialization

Rabbits are social animals.  Allowing young rabbits to form relationships in a colony environment can improve their well-being and quality of life.  Colony-raised rabbits can help each other reduce stress through grooming and physical contact. 

Breeding rabbits in colonies also allows does to share parenting duties. Does will often birth close together, and this means fostering between mothers is easier in case of emergency. A good buck will play with his kits, keep them warm, and sometimes can even be observed assisting with bathing. 

However, those breeding show rabbits, these animals do have disagreements. There are rarely serious injuries in these scuffles, but rabbits will pull fur, and bloody noses and cause minor injuries. This can interfere with the quality of the rabbits.

Caretaking

During most seasons, care of colony rabbits is simple. They often deposit manure in one area of the run, and it breaks down quickly, requiring less cleaning. 

They can be free-fed since the increased exercise and other options for stimulation means they eat only what they need. The added physical activity can result in a higher calorie need, however. Exercise also works muscles, so keeping meat rabbits in colonies can result in less tender rabbit meat.

rabbits
Mother and baby finding some shade on a hot day

Weather

Winter is usually the biggest concern for those considering colonies. However, thick fur and warmth in the winter make rabbits successful in cold weather climates. Heat and rain will actually create more difficulties for the animals. 

Rabbits do not sweat, instead regulating their body temperature primarily through their ears. They will stretch out in shallow trenches on hot days but require a source of shade and plenty of water. 

Torrential rains can cause flooding, driving rabbits from their burrows and exposing them to predators and cold. In extreme conditions, litters can drown if burrows are not secured. In winter, rain and cold temperatures can cause rabbits to freeze, whereas snow will not.

This is especially true for fiber-producing rabbit breeds. These animals have been selectively bred to have finer fur than most rabbits. It does not repel water, or maintain warmth, and is prone to matting. Fiber rabbits are not recommended for colonies. 

Conclusion

When considering colonies, it is important to find a balance that works for you, between meeting realistic production goals and the animals’ quality of life. The type of colony you plan to have, how it will stand up to weather and predator loads, and what breed of rabbits you plan to have, are major factors to consider. 

This article about raising rabbits was written for Hobby Farms online. Click here to subscribe to Hobby Farms print magazine.

Categories
Poultry

Top 12 Brown Egg Laying Chickens

brown-egg-laying-chickens

Brown egg-laying chickens are the most common egg layers in backyard flocks. From Buff Orpingtons to Golden Comets and every breed in between, this article will count down the top 12 best brown egg layers in egg production.

#12 Buff Orpington

Buff Orpingtons are sweet, talkative, and will do just about anything for attention. These hens are both cold and heat-hardy, making them ideal for most weather climates. Buff Orpingtons lay an average of 3 – 5 light brown eggs per week (120 – 150 eggs annually) and will lay for three years.

What Orpingtons lack in egg quantity, they make up for with their affectionate, people-loving personalities.

Color Varieties: Black, Blue, Buff, Jubilee, Lavender, and White.

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#11 Welsummer

With their lovely mahogany brown eggs, Welsummers’ eggs are among the most pleasing. Averaging 3 – 5 eggs weekly (120 -150 eggs annually), Welsummers will consistently lay eggs for the first three to five years of their lives and are one of the longest-producing brown egg-laying chickens.

Welsummer hens are docile and friendly, although they are known for feather picking if bored. This breed is intelligent and should have mental stimulation to avoid developing destructive behaviors.

Color Variety: Partridge

 #10 Swedish Flower Hens

The rarest of the brown egg-laying chickens featured in this countdown, these delightful chickens have a lot to offer backyard flock owners. Swedish Flower Hens are a landrace breed, meaning they were not carefully selected for their breed characteristics. Therefore, hens of this breed come in a variety of colors.

Swedish Flower Hens are confident and friendly birds, often seeking out their owners for attention.

Hens are excellent layers, averaging 4 – 6 large tan or tinted eggs per week (200 – 220 eggs annually).

Color Varieties: Various colors, none of which breed true.

#9  Dominique

Dominiques may be best known for their calm, sweet, gentle, people-loving nature, but they are also excellent egg producers. Hens average 4 – 6 large brown eggs weekly. (200 – 220 eggs annually)  Dominique hens lay well for two years before production starts to decline. Even so, Domiques are still known for their longevity of production.

Color Variety: Barred.

#8 Wyandotte

Wyandottes are among the most popular brown egg laying chickens, known for their hardy and robust characteristics. They are respectable egg layers, averaging 4 – 6 medium/ large light brown eggs per week. (200 – 220 eggs annually)  Wyandottes have a short production life of about three years

Wyandotte hens are an ideal beginner breed due to their friendly disposition, with the Gold Laced variety being the friendliest.

Color Varieties: Black, Blue, Buff, Black Laced Red, Columbian, Gold Laced, Partridge, Silver Laced, Silver Penciled, and White.

brown-egg-laying-chickens
New Hampshire Red

#7 New Hampshire Red

Excellent egg layers, New Hampshire Red hens average 4 -6 extra large brown eggs per week (200 – 220 eggs annually), laying an average of three to four years before production ceases. New Hampshire hens are known for being good broodies and excellent mothers. These traits, however, can affect the number of eggs each hen produces.

This breed is generally known for being friendly, although they can be food-aggressive and bully other hens away from the feeders.

Color Variety: Red

brown-egg-laying-chickens
Speckled Sussex

#6 Speckled Sussex

Highly intelligent and energetic, the Speckled Sussex is a well-loved breed. The hens’ calm, cheerful, and curious natures make this breed one of the most popular brown egg-laying chickens. Sussex hens love interacting with people and often carry on animated conversations with their favorite humans.

Speckled Sussex hens lay an average of 4-5 medium light brown eggs weekly (150 eggs annually). While they may not put out the same number of eggs per year as other breeds, the number rarely decreases for the first four years of their lives.

Color Varieties: Speckled is the only common variety in the United States.

#5 Delaware

Delaware hens are a fun addition to the flock with their quirky, mischievous dispositions. They are known for being good layers, averaging five large/extra large brown eggs per week (200+ eggs annually). Deleware hens produce eggs for the first three years before production ceases.

Color Variety: White with barred neck feathers and black wing and tail feathers. White feathers turn “brassy” when allowed in the sunshine.

#4 Australorp

Usually described as “shy but sweet,” Australorps are energetic, friendly, and known for their vibrant personalities. Their sweet natures make them the perfect choice for families desiring an egg layer who will quickly become part of the family.

Australorps are egg-laying rockstars, averaging 5 – 6 light brown eggs per week (about 220 – 240 eggs per year), and lay an average of 4 years.

Color Varieties: Black is the primary color available in the U.S.

#3 Rhode Island Red

Possibly the most popular brown egg-laying chickens, Rhode Island Reds are well known for their egg-laying abilities. Averaging 5 – 6 extra large brown eggs weekly (200 – 220 eggs annually), Rhode Island Reds are known for frequently laying double-yolked eggs. Hens of this breed lay consistently for about three years before production begins to slow down.

Rhode Island Red hens are calm and friendly and quickly become part of the family.

Color Variety: Red

brown-egg-laying-chickens
Plymouth Rock

#2 Plymouth Rock

One of the most popular brown egg laying chickens in America, the Plymouth Rock has many fans. They are excellent layers, and their calm nature makes them a good choice for a pet.

Plymouth Rocks are reliable layers, averaging 4 – 6 medium/large brown eggs weekly (200 – 220 eggs per year). Plymouth Rock hens’ most productive years start to decline by the age of three, but some hens have been reported to lay a respected ten years, although egg production will decrease to just a couple of eggs.

Color Varieties: Barred, Blue, Buff, Columbian, Partridge, Silver Penciled, and White.

#1 Golden Comet

An ideal chicken for novices and veteran chicken keepers alike, this breed tops the charts for egg production.  Hens are friendly, people-loving birds who sometimes prefer their human companions over the company of other chickens.

Comets are excellent egg layers and will easily outlay all other breeds. They average 5+ extra large brown eggs per week ( about 280 – 300 eggs annually). Golden Comets lay exceptionally well for the first two to three years of their lives. After age three, egg production will significantly drop.

Color Variety: Golden Red with white.

Brown egg-laying chickens have dominated the henhouse for centuries. With so many delightful breeds, it’s easy to see why many chicken keepers today choose brown egg-layers for their backyard flocks.

This article about brown egg laying hens was written for Chickens magazine online. Click here to subscribe to Chickens magazine.

Categories
Poultry

Golden Comet Chicken: Pros and Cons

golden-comet-chicken

The Golden Comet chicken has many pros, but some poultry enthusiasts consider this breed to have cons uncommon to many heritage chicken breeds. Before we discuss the pros and cons of owning these egg layers, let’s discover what makes a Comet.

golden-comet
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What Makes a Comet

The Golden Comet chicken is a cross between a New Hampshire Red or Rhode Island Red rooster and a White Plymouth Rock, White Leghorn, or Delaware hen. Upon hatching, these chicks can be sexed by color instead of the traditional vent sexing. Male chicks are yellow at hatching, and females hatch a reddish brown.

golden-comets

Golden Comets are part of the sex link group of chickens. Sex Link chickens get their name because they can be sexed by color upon hatching. Golden Comets are not the only name these chickens go by: Golden Buff, Golden Sex Link, Red Sex Link, Red Star, and Cinnamon Queen are also common names.

Golden Comet Chicken Pros

Sexing Guarantee

With their sex link characteristics, Golden Comets have a one hundred percent sexing accuracy. Not worrying about unwanted roosters has saved many chicken keepers from headaches and heartaches.

Extremely Hardy

Golden Comets are both heat and cold-hardy. Unlike many heritage breeds, these lively hens tolerate summer heat and winter chills without ill effects and will even lay through the hottest summer months.

Fewer Health Concerns

Golden Comets do not breed true (more on that later). Since they are consistently bred from new parent birds, they are not at a high risk of developing breed-related illnesses. These healthy hens may also be less likely to develop certain other diseases, including Marek’s disease.

A Family Pet

The Golden Comet chicken is a delightful pet. Comets have a calm and relaxing personality and make ideal family companions. While they are known for their quiet nature and affectionate temperaments, Comets have an attitude that sets them apart from other flock members. Hens of this breed love interacting with their owners and will sit on your lap for hours.

When not bonding with their favorite person, Comets can usually be found at the backdoor begging for a treat. These hens are food-motivated and will do anything for a tasty snack.

Peaceful Harmony

Golden Comets are peaceful chickens who dwell with other flock members without a hitch. These hens prefer to stay out of flock squabbles and will move to the opposite side of the run to avoid conflicts.

Their calm and peaceful nature may make them vulnerable to bullying when housed with more aggressive breeds.

Egg Laying Champions

If there is one thing everyone agrees on about the Golden Comet chicken, it is that you can’t beat its egg production. Golden Comets are egg-laying champions and will easily outperform all your other brown egg layers.

Golden Comets were bred to lay, with each hen laying as many as three hundred extra-large eggs annually. Eggs come in various browns, ranging from tan to deep reddish brown. Some eggs even have speckles similar to those of a Welsummer’s egg.

Quiet Disposition

Comets are naturally quiet chickens, which gives them an advantage for backyard flocks with close neighbors.  While they do sing the egg song and make other noises, they don’t feel the need to make a fuss all day long.

Good Feed-to-Egg Ratio

The Golden Comet chicken is the brown egg-layer answer to the Leghorn. These hens were bred to produce eggs without costing the farmer too much money.  With their small bodies, Golden Comets do not need to consume as much feed to lay an egg as heritage breeds. This attribute has made Comets the most popular brown egg layer in backyard flocks and factory farms worldwide.

golden-comets

Golden Comet Chicken Cons

Doesn’t Breed True

Did you know? The Golden Comet chicken is not considered to be a breed. If you breed a Golden Comet Rooster to a Golden Comet hen, they will not produce offspring that can be sexed by color.  Therefore, all sex-link chickens are not recognized as a breed because they do not breed true.

High Risk of Cancer

Due to the large number of eggs they produce, Golden Comets are at a higher risk of developing oviduct/ovarian cancer than other breeds. While this is a disadvantage for pet chicken owners, there are ways to help reduce the chances of ovarian cancer in your flock, including diet and avoiding artificial lighting in the coop.

Shorter Lifespans

Golden Comets may have a shorter lifespan than heritage breeds or bantams. These hens live an average of four to five years, although some individuals can live up to eight years.

Strong Fliers

Anyone who has owned a Comet can attest to them being strong fliers. These hens can clear six-foot fences to access a growing garden, visit the neighbors, or whenever they want to escape the run. While this isn’t a huge con, owners must ensure runs are covered so no Comets can escape.

The Golden Comet chicken may not be for everyone, but these delightful hens make an excellent addition to the backyard flock for those looking for a friendly pet or an excellent brown egg producer.

This article about Golden Comet chickens was written for Chickens magazine online. Click here to subscribe to Chickens magazine.

Categories
Recipes

How to Make Cooked Egg Mayonnaise

cooked-egg-mayonnaise-recipe
Adobe Stock Photo by NewAfrica

Cooked egg mayonnaise can be a safer and longer-lasting option than a traditional mayonnaise recipe and is perfect when you’re raising chickens for eggs and you’ve got some extras. I’m sure you’ve seen recipes for making homemade mayo using fresh eggs and lemon juice with a hand blender. Despite being a completely safe way of making mayo, people often shy away from the process due to the method of using raw eggs.

While paging through an old edition of the cookbook, Julia and Jacques Cooking at Home, by Julia Child and Jacques Pépin, I came across a recipe for a cooked egg mayonnaise recipe. I had never heard of a cooked egg mayo recipe and had to give it a try. It turned out so delicious that I wanted to share my adapted version of the recipe here for those who would also enjoy a cooked egg mayonnaise alternative.

Cooked Egg Mayonnaise Recipe

Julia Child notes in her recipe that using cooked egg mayonnaise is a safer option when serving food in hot weather and it also has a longer refrigerator storage life than when using raw eggs.

Yield: About 2 cups

Ingredients
2 tbsp. flour
½ cup water
1 large egg
2 hard-boiled egg yolks
1 tbsp. Dijon prepared mustard
½ tsp. salt
2 ½ tsp. wine vinegar
2 ½ tsp fresh lemon juice
1 cup olive oil
1/8 tsp. white pepper
Optional: additional seasonings – salt, vinegar, lemon juice

Make the Cooked Egg Mayonnaise Base

In a medium-sized saucepan, make a slurry by mixing flour and water and whisking together until it’s free of lumps.

Turn heat and bring the slurry to a boil for about thirty seconds, add more water if needed, and continue to whisk. You want a thick, not stiff, slurry.

Remove the slurry from the heat and add in one egg and rapidly whisk it. Return the egg and slurry mixture to the heat and bring it to a boil for just 15 seconds while whisking slowly.

Use a spatula to transfer the egg mayo base into a small food processor or blender.

cooked-egg-mayonnaise
Adobe Stock Photo by zoryanchik

Finish the Cooked Egg Mayonnaise

Add the cooked egg yolks to the base, as well as the Dijon mustard, salt, vinegar and lemon juice. Process until all ingredients are well blended and the mayo begins to thicken, about 15-20 seconds.

With the processor running, slowly add in the olive oil, beginning with droplets to start, until the mayo begins to emulsify, then increase to a small stream of oil until blended.

Taste test and determine if you’d like to stir in additional salt, pepper, vinegar, lemon juice or other seasonings.

Store the cooked egg mayonnaise in a covered container and refrigerate for up to one week.

Notes:

If you’d like to use less than one cup of oil, you can. Once the oil in the mayonnaise has emulsified and the mayo blend is thick and glossy, you can stop adding in oil.

To jazz up your mayo even more, consider adding chopped garlic, parsley, chives, or even dill.

Ideas for using cooked egg mayonnaise: Make homemade salad dressings, aioli or level up that lunchtime sandwich. Make potato or egg salad, or deviled eggs!

How to Hard Boil Eggs

  1. Place the eggs in a single layer in a saucepan. Add enough water to cover the eggs by at least one inch.
  2. Bring eggs to a boil and turn off heat. Cover the pot and remove from the burner. Allow the eggs to stand in the hot water for 15 minutes. 12 minutes for medium eggs.
  3. Drain the hot water from the eggs and run cold water over eggs. Soak in an ice bath for 15 minutes, or until the eggs are completely cooled.
  4. Peel eggs by cracking the shell and peeling from the large end. Hold egg under running cold water or dip in a bowl of water to ease off shell.

This cooked egg mayonnaise recipe was written for Hobby Farms magazine online. Click here to subscribe.

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Uncategorized

Growing Good Podcast #76: Florentina Rodriguez, urban farmer and seed advocate

flora seeds

PREMIER SPONSOR: Home Fresh® Poultry Feeds (Kent Nutrition Group)

Hear about how Florentina started her Flora Seeds, all thanks to seeing the need for a community seed library in her village of Yellow Springs, Ohio. Her interest in seed education and in helping people save, share and grow seeds grew from there. As more people started becoming more aware of the vulnerabilities of our global food system, they also started paying attention to where their food comes from, which invariably leads back to seeds, seed keeping and seed sovereignty. Florentina explores the multiple pathways that bring people into having an interest in seeds, ranging from food security to political resistance and cultural interests.

Learn how the Yellow Springs Community Seed Library works and how people can “check out” and donate seeds. Florentina explains how she checks in with seed library users to be sure they are getting along with their seeds and to improve the system for everyone. She tells us, too, about some of her favorite seeds that have been contributed to the seed library. (Have you ever heard of elephant dill?)

With sights set on having an even larger impact than what a seed library offers, Florentina is also working with seed commons—communal resources of seed collections, seed keepers and seed protectors on a regional level. She talks about farmers, gardeners and community people who are building these networks to exchange seeds, share skills and continue specific seeds’ stories. Florentina also discusses how university and government interests are impacting the spirit behind seed commons and why it’s important to have both regionally based community seed commons and university/government programs but not necessarily the two combined. She also makes the case for when and why you might want to work with folks in your region to start your own seed commons.

The Appalachian Seed Growers Collective, co-organized by Utopia Seeds’ Chris Smith, is similar but different than a seed commons. It follows a lot of the same principles but is a collective for seed growers and farmers growing seeds to democratically work together. They also give the opportunity for folks to buy surplus seeds as a means of supporting more ethically and communally produced seeds.

Listen to the end to hear about Eden’s Harvest urban farm in Dayton, Ohio, which is a certified native wildlife habitat and center for growing food and educating neighbors and local students about food and farming.

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Email Florentina

The Utopian Seed Project

Categories
Food Recipes

Smoked Trout: Recipe & Instructions

smoked-trout
Stephanie Thurow

Smoked trout is a delicious way to celebrate your lake catches from a fun day of fishing or fish farming yields. Here’s how…

Ingredients & Supplies

  • 2 lake trout fillets
  • 2 cups kosher salt, more as needed
  • 2 tablespoons garlic powder
  • 9-by-13 glass tray
  • plastic wrap
  • plate to fit fillets

Smoked Trout Preparation

Freeze trout for a minimum of seven days to kill off parasites.

Thaw the fish fillets. Rinse them off, and pat them dry.

Layer a large glass container with salt. Lay the fillets skin down. Season the fillets with garlic powder and other seasonings if you desire. (I only seasoned them with garlic powder because I don’t like to overpower the flavor.) Liberally cover the fish with the remaining salt until completely covered. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for six hours.

After six hours, remove the fillets from the salt and rinse thoroughly. Pat the fillets dry and place them on a glass plate, uncovered, overnight. This process creates a dry layer over the surface of the fish’s flesh. It’s a protective barrier for the meat and enhances the flavor and color of the smoked trout.

Ideally, you want to smoke the fish at the lowest temperature for your smoker — about 140°F or so. (Unfortunately, my aunt’s smoker wouldn’t get below 160 degrees. The good news is that it doesn’t really need to. It will cook a little quicker, but it’ll still smoke up a nice fish.)

smoked-trout
Stephanie Thurow

Smoke for two hours at the closest temperature you can get to 140 degrees and increase the heat by about 20 degrees every hour. We ended up around 200 degrees for the last two hours, because the smoker was running a bit hot.

It took me a total of six hours to get the fish to an internal temperature of 160°F and this temperature needs to be held for at least 30 minutes to be considered safe for consumption.

You can enjoy the fish warm off the smoker or you can refrigerate it and serve it cold. The choice is yours. Eat within five days or freeze for up to six months.

For more information on how to properly smoke fish at home, please check out Smoking Fish at Home – Safely by the Pacific Northwest Extension Publication.

This smoked trout recipe was written for Hobby Farms magazine online. Click here to subscribe.

Categories
Poultry Waterfowl

Drake Ducks: 10 Reasons to Keep Them

drake-ducks
By Erin Snyder

Drake ducks are an essential part of every duck flock. From factory farms to small backyard flocks with bantam ducks, duck owners everywhere are adding a few drakes to their flock for their vital role in a healthy, well-balanced flock. So, without further adieu, let’s begin the countdown to why every flock needs a drake duck.

#10 Fertile Eggs

It might go without saying, but fertile duck eggs are why many duck owners keep a drake. Hatching and raising ducklings from your backyard flock has many perks, as there is no need to worry about spreading infection or disease from newly acquired ducks to an existing flock.

Preserving a rare breed is another benefit to keeping a drake. Whether you are selling fertile eggs for a side business or raising ducklings from your backyard flock, Drake Ducks will help make your dreams a reality.

How Many Ducks Per Drake?

How many ducks should you have per drake? The answer depends on the breed of drake and ducks you are raising and their weight category. Before choosing a drake for your flock, consider the breed(s) of hens in your flock. This is a crucial decision, as housing a heavyweight drake with lightweight females may result in accidental injuries or the death of the hens. At the same time, a vigorous lightweight drake may exhaust placid heavyweight hens.

two drake ducks are walking in the backyard
Two Drake Ducks

Drake Ducks Per Hens Guidelines

Heavyweight- 3-4 hens per drake

Mediumweight- 3-5 hens per drake

Lightweight- 4-6 hens per drake

Bantam-1-2 hens per drake

#9 Increased Egg Production

Housing a drake with your flock may help to increase egg production. While no one knows why, female ducks tend to lay more eggs when a drake duck is present in the flock.

When housing drakes with ducks to increase egg production, follow the ducks to drake guidelines (above) to ensure a well-balanced flock, as too many drakes per hen ratio will decrease egg production.

#8 Guard Ducks

Male ducks are excellent at spotting danger. Our Welsh Harlequin drake is the first one to notice a bird of prey and will sound the alarm to warn our duck and chicken flocks of the danger.

Drakes are always on the lookout while the females feed, looking for potential danger. From cats, hawks, neighborhood dogs, or trash blowing across the yard, drakes will sound the alarm to warn the flock of any threat.

While drakes are excellent at spotting predators, they can not defend themselves or their flock from an attack. Instead of free-ranging ducks, house them in a safe predator-proof pen and lock them in a secure coop at night.

Two white drake ducks in the coop
White Drake Ducks

#7 Noise Levels

Unlike roosters, drake ducks are very quiet. While their soft noises carry surprisingly far distances, their noise levels are minimal. This trait puts them at an advantage for individuals who like ducks but do not enjoy the loud quacking of the females.

#6 Drake Ducks: A Show-Stopping Display

Anyone who has stopped to watch a drake perform courtship displays can testify to how amazing these shows can be. Drake ducks twist their bodies in various movements, make a whistle, and spray water with their bills to impress their hens.

Some drakes display throughout the year, but most occur during fall and winter when duck courtship takes place.

#5 Garden Helpers

All ducks make excellent gardening companions, but drakes are less destructive than females. While females go through the garden ripping up plants and looking for grubs and other larvae, drakes are content to chase flying insects or snack on beetles hiding among the garden plants.

Drake ducks are usually less destructive on lawns, too. Although some male ducks will rip up large clumps of grass looking for grubs, most are content to let the females do the ripping.

#4 Natural Lifestyle

As backyard flock owners, we want to provide our ducks with as much natural life as possible. Adding a drake to your flock of females will allow everyone to experience a more natural way of life.

Although courting and breeding may seem insignificant to the flock owner, ducks instinctively engage in these behaviors. While some flock owners believe female ducks will be happier without males, most females enjoy hanging out with a drake.

A white drake duck is walking near some pumpkins in the backyard
A White Drake Duck

#3 Making a Difference for Drake Ducks

Did you know? Many backyard duck flock keepers do not keep their drakes. Because they don’t lay eggs, many drake ducks find themselves homeless. Whether sitting in a cage in an animal shelter or trying to survive alone on a public pond, many drakes need a home. Adding even one drake to your flock helps reduce the number of homeless and abandoned drakes.

#2 Peaceful Pecking Order

One of the best ways to ensure harmony among ducks is to keep a drake in the flock. Drakes help to solve disputes among female flock members and prevent fighting. This behavior helps to avoid injuries from other flock members.

Bear in mind that while drakes help to prevent fighting among female flock members, they can be very aggressive towards each other. In most situations, it is best to house each drake separately with his flock of hens.

#1 Friendly Pets

Drake ducks make delightful, friendly pets, especially when imprinted on humans. They love interacting with people. Male ducks bond differently with humans than female ducks and are described as being more affectionate.

Unlike roosters, drakes have gentle personalities and pose no threat to small children. Their tame disposition makes them excellent pets for families with children.

With their soft quack, beautiful plumage, and curly tail feather, what isn’t there to like about a drake? Drake ducks improve the overall quality of the duck flock and complete our backyard flock. So, if you are considering adding ducks to your backyard flock, consider adding a drake, too.

This article about drake ducks was written for Hobby Farms online. Click here to subscribe.

Categories
Crops & Gardening

Apple Tree Varieties: Why DNA Testing Can Make Sense

A apple tree in the garden with white flowers
Old apple tree on a farm. Courtesy Daniel Johnson

Apple tree varieties are abundant throughout North America. Not only named varieties, but wild varieties that arise from chance seedlings.

When you plant a young apple tree from a nursery, you know what variety you’re growing. That’s not the case with wild apple trees, or mature apple trees growing on an old farm. In these instances, DNA tests can help reveal what apple tree varieties you have.

Benefits of DNA Testing Apple Tree Varieties

Conducting DNA testing on apple trees is a relatively new avenue for identifying specimens and their ancestry. DNA tests can provide several benefits. While much work can be done to identify old trees based on their fruit appearance, ripening time, and more, it’s an inexact science with margin for error. DNA testing isn’t foolproof, but it may be able to determine with a high degree of confidence the apple tree varieties growing on your farm.

Also Read: How to Protect Apple Tree Branches From Breaking

 

 

Wild apple trees won’t be identifiable as specific varieties, since they aren’t propagated by grafting and thus don’t retain the cloned genetics of a specific desirable tree. Apple trees generally aren’t self-fertile, so a wild tree grown from an apple seed contains a mix of DNA from the tree that produced the apple and the tree that pollinated the original blossom. However, DNA testing may be able to pin down the probable parentage of a wild tree.

Should I DNA test my apple trees?

If you’re curious and have old or wild apple trees on your farm, you may want to DNA test your trees simply for enjoyment. But tests can be expensive—sometimes more than $100 apiece—so it’s a meaningful investment if you have many trees to sample. Is it worth it?

There are some practical reasons to DNA test apple trees. If you sell apples from one of your old farm trees, being able to say “I DNA tested this tree and it came back as Duchess of Oldenburg” is a more compelling sales pitch than “I don’t know what variety these are.”

Here’s another example—suppose a wild tree that grew from seed on your farm produces huge, sweet, juicy apples. Maybe you’ve discovered an awesome new apple tree variety worth reproducing. A DNA test can give you an idea of the tree’s parents, which are probably two of the other apple trees on your farm, or a close neighbor’s farm if they have apple trees too.

Shortcomings of Apple Tree DNA Testing

Before you invest in a bunch of apple tree DNA tests, it’s worth reiterating that research is ongoing and you may not receive the results you desire. You may find that the ancestry of a wild tree is too murky to definitively determine. Or an old tree you assumed was a particular named variety (like Duchess of Oldenburg) might turn out to be a different variety or no particular variety at all. What if it’s actually a wild tree?

Also Read: History of Apples

However, if the idea of learning about apple tree ancestry fascinates you, DNA testing may be worthwhile even with the shortcomings in mind. When coupled with visual clues (such as fruit and leaf appearance) and some research into the history of your farm and region, DNA testing can tell you a lot about your favorite old and wild trees.

This article about apple tree varieties and DNA testing was written for Hobby Farms online. Click here to subscribe.

Categories
Animals Poultry

Rooster Spurs: How to Protect Hens from Damage

rooster-spurs
pesenka77/Adobe Stock

Rooster spurs look intimidating and can do damage not only to people but also to hens. This can look unsightly if you’re trying to take pictures of your flock and it can result in scrapes and cuts that require attention. Here’s why this happens and how to protect your hens.

Rooster Spurs: How Damage Is Caused

It’s not that roosters intend to injure their hens’ backs. It is a result of mating. To mate, a rooster has to climb onto the hen’s back and then line up his reproductive parts with hers — all without opposable thumbs.

To not continually slip off while mating, the rooster has to hold on to his partner’s neck with his beak. However, that’s only enough to keep his head and torso steady. His lower half is in peril of falling off to the side, thus preventing the alignment necessary to fertilize eggs.

rooster spurs in backyard
rooster spurs

To keep steady a rooster uses his spurs to “tread” the hen’s back. It’s similar to treading water. A rooster continually steps on a hen’s back to keep himself from falling off.

The result, unfortunately, is that the rooster spurs break or yank out the poor hen’s back feathers. By mid-summer, the “popular” girl looks like she’s been through the wringer. The extent of the damage to a hen’s plumage constantly varies. I’ve had gentle giants who very politely mount a hen, quickly do their business, and then leave as the hen stands and shakes herself out with nary a feather out of place. I’ve had young guns who are so intent that they fail to realize they’re practically flaying the female. 

Rooster Spurs: Stopping the Damage

I’ve tried various remedies to the bare-back situation over the years. One of the worst approaches was to keep the roosters separate from the girls and only put them together to mate. That didn’t work out at all.

Not only did the boys continually fight, but they practically all-out assaulted the hens when they were reunited to mate.

Some people recommend increasing the ratio of roosters to hens to share the love more evenly. This does not work. Having more hens only means having more hens to protect. More available hens to the roosters is like spreading a smorgasbord in front of them. 

Two Solutions to Protect Hens

The two methods that actually help hens are far less expensive and far less stressful for both humans and the birds.

1. Hen Aprons

Hen aprons are little outfits consisting of a back piece that completely covers the affected area, plus elastic loops that cross in front of the hen’s neck and loop around each wing. The aprons fit snugly and stay on securely, protecting the damaged area by placing fabric between the rooster and the hen.

I’ve yet to have a hen remove her apron.

Some seem to like their aprons so much that I leave them on even after the feathers have all grown back. It does take a hen a bit of adjusting time to become accustomed to the apron. This usually manifests by a hen walking awkwardly backward and sitting down unintentionally. This usually lasts only a couple of days. 

2. Desheath the Rooster Spurs

The other solution to a spur-raked back is to remove the rooster’s spurs. Or rather, the outer sheath that covers the spur.

A rooster’s spur is actually skeletal. It’s part of the leg bone. Cutting off entire spurs would be cruel, not to mention crippling, to your rooster. The sheath, however, is made of keratin—the same protein found in a chicken’s beak, claws and feathers.

This sheath can be easily removed by the potato method:

  • Bake a medium-sized potato (in a conventional, toaster or microwave oven)
  • While the potato is hot, firmly hold your rooster, then wrap a small rag or towel around his leg under the spur. Impale the potato on the spur to within a half inch of the rooster’s leg. Do not let the potato touch his leg. This can cause a painful burn.
  • Wait for approximately five minutes. Remove the potato and set it aside.
  • With a pair of pliers, take hold of the outer spur and gently twist in one direction. The sheath should pop right off. If it doesn’t, apply the potato for a few more minutes, then try again.
  • Repeat on the other leg (you may need to warm the potato up again before doing the other leg). Feel free to chop up the potato and give it to your rooster as a treat afterward.

Without his pointy spurs, a romantic rooster will not tear up a hen’s back to the degree that he did with spurs on. However, the downside is that he will also not be able to face off against a predator as efficiently, since his chief weapon has been removed.

Should you live in an area frequented by raccoons, weasels or other carnivorous creatures, a bare-backed hen might be the trade-off for your rooster keeping your flock safe.

This article about rooster spurs was written for Hobby Farms online. Click here to subscribe.

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Poultry

Raising Chickens for Beginners: The Teenage Days

raising-chickens-for-beginners
Images by Bruce Ingram

Raising chickens for beginners not only includes day-old chicks but also the results about eight weeks later as those chicks turn into gangly little cockerels and pullets with scruffy feathers, big feet (especially the males) and attitudes—constantly bopping each other with their wings or using their tiny beaks as weapons.

Welcome to the world of teenage chickens, that in-between stage when our chooks are no longer chicks but also aren’t full-fledged (pun intended) roosters and hens. This time is also when the mother hen and her offspring seem to mutually agree that the time of mama shepherding them through their day is kaput.

Raising Chickens for Beginners: Teenage Behavior

Tom Watkins, president of McMurray Hatchery, gives insight on raising chickens for beginners during their teenage time.

“Basically around 6 to 8 weeks after hatching, the mother hen senses it’s time to stop protecting her chicks,” he says. “If the mother and her young are in a run with other hens and their young flocks, the hen may not even know or care which chicks were once hers.

Also Read: 3 Reasons To Raise Chickens

“On the other hand, the former chicks are no longer looking for their mother to provide protection or food. Besides, the mother is likely no longer giving the food cluck to her young. If she’s found some kind of bug, for example, she’s likely eating it herself.”

3 cockerels pullets chickens in the backyard
cockerels pullets chickens

This new independent time can illicit some interesting behaviors as teenagers are chest bumping fellow flock mates and even their mothers. For the mothers, they can show the teenagers who’s boss with some beak pecks to the offender.

According to Watkins, “After the mother hen is through raising her chicks, she is still going to want to be on top of the pecking order. It’s instinctive.”

More Space = Less Conflict

Watkins relates that conflicts among teenage chickens become fewer if birds can be put out to pasture. When a teenage chook has a chance to escape its tormenting flock members, skirmishes are less likely as each pullet and cockerel is off doing its proverbial own thing. Indeed, at this contentious stage of chicken development, letting birds range about for a few hours every day is one of the best ways to defuse issues among flock members.

Also Read: 7 Chicken Breeds to Raise for Colorful Eggs

“I don’t care whether you have six birds or 200, letting your chickens free-range for at least a short time every day is good for them and heads off problems that result from being cooped up,” Watkins says.

“Being outside on pasture also helps chicks and teenagers develop earlier. The birds seem to feather out sooner, as well, and their foraging skills develop quicker. I believe that chicks raised under a heat lamp are the slowest ones to develop. Being outside and on pasture helps chickens develop in a survival-of-the-fittest-type way.

“Being outside also helps develop your chicken’s curiosity. There is so more to do outside: searching for bugs and seeds, for example. I also think being outside at a younger age enables birds to leave their mother hen earlier in their lives. But that’s just an opinion.”

Raising Chickens for Beginners: Teenage Changes

Two of the more interesting aspects, when a chick transitions into the teenage period, are the development of sex-related anatomy and behavior change.

1. Combs & Wattles

“People send pictures all the time to McMurray Hatchery wanting us to identify whether a chick is a male or female,” Watkins says. “Some people claim that they can sex chicks when they’re 2 weeks old, but I’m much more confident about predicting their sex when the chicks are about 6 weeks of age. The wattles and combs of the cockerels are well developed by that age.

“But, on the other hand, some roosters and hens are much slower to develop, and it’s very easy to make a mistake when that is the case. A lot of people will get fooled when they see the first little stub of a comb appear, and they think that has to belong to a rooster. But that little comb could turn out to belong to a fast-developing hen.”

During the teenage period, both sexes’ growth rates continue to be quite rapid. By week 16, the general advice is that we should stop giving our young flocks chick feed and replace it with layer rations.

2. Aggression

This time also brings forth another behavior – aggression.

“At 16 weeks, cockerels can become more sexually aggressive toward the hens and more combative with each other as their hormones rise,” Watkins says. “A lot of young roosters like to fight with each other.”

By weeks 20 to 22, if not before, breeding attempts will be common among teenage males. The cockerels will frequently try to mount the hens and pullets. From my observations, older hens will often respond with aggressive moves, especially pecking, toward the unwanted advances while pullets will attempt to escape a cockerel’s advances. If a cockerel does succeed in cornering a pullet, his initial mounting attempts at this time often fail because the male loses his balance. Eventually, of course, the cockerels display competence in this area.

Also Read: How To Deal With Aggressive Chickens?

Roosters Begin to Crow

Another aspect of this time is a cockerel trying to crow for the first time. The poor creature can’t seem to progress much beyond the first syllable of the “cock-a-doodle-do,” and even that opening volley of future roosterhood being announced is more comical than majestic. 

But gradually over the next four weeks or so, the budding roos do become more adept at crowing. And the feistiness between all these hormonal males can become even more intense. It’s at this time that chicken raisers, if they haven’t already, should strongly consider culling their cockerels or trying to find a new home for them. However, be warned that hens can also crow, so be sure of the sex before you cull!

Watkins says one cockerel for every eight to 10 hens is sufficient, and there is no biological reason to keep more.

A chicken in the wooden box
pullets chickens

The Epic Day

The teenage weeks and months eventually end, of course, and the best sign of that is when pullets produce their first eggs around weeks 20 to 22 for industrial birds and approximately 24 weeks for the heritage breeds.

Human parents aren’t the only creatures that experience trying times with teenagers. The teenage weeks and months can stress us chicken enthusiasts, but when our cockerels give their first full-throated crows and our pullets lay their initial eggs, we forget the previous troubling times. 

This article about raising chickens for beginners originally appeared in the May/June 2023 issue of Chickens magazine. Click here to subscribe.