In this episode of Hobby Farms Presents: Growing Good, listen to Jenny’s story of her love of farming rooted in childhood. You might identify with her vivid childhood memories of digging potatoes, setting off with the family dogs through the woods and fields, and living a life outdoors. She talks about being in the Peace Corps in Gabon as her first experience with environmental education and the start to her work in sharing the outdoors with others. During her time in Gabon, she learned about gardening in the tropics and started teaching the concepts of ecology through school gardens.
Hear about how, when Jenny left Kentucky after college, she had no interest in living in her home state again but has since come back to Kentucky and built a farm. Being flexible is the lesson here. Jenny talks about the time she spent as a market farmer when her son was young and how she’s transitioned their 8 acres to more of a homesteading space for the time being.
Jenny tells us about her work as a farmer educator with the Organic Association of Kentucky, a nonprofit promoting and supporting organic farmers in the state. An annual conference, regular farmer field days, assistance for farmers transitioning to organic certification, and consumer education are all part of OAK programming. Additionally, the organization hosts the Kentucky Farm Share Coalition, which arranges employer-sponsored CSA programs with local farmers.
Finally, Jenny offers advice for getting started on your own land, sharing what she wished she knew when she and her husband were setting up their farm 10 years ago. And we hear about why this work is important to Jenny.
A swollen abdomen in chickens could be a symptom of any number of illnesses or health issues, several of which directly or indirectly affect the hen’s reproductive system. In veterinary medicine, there is rarely one cause of a condition, so we usually begin with a list of differential diagnoses and use lab tests and physical exams to differentiate. With this in mind, your best course of action is to reach out to your county-extension poultry personnel or veterinarian for help in differentiating the various causes of a swollen abdomen in chickens. Veterinarians can perform a physical exam and run diagnostic tests, including X-rays, to distinguish between fluid and solid contents in the abdominal cavity.
Approach the diagnostic process with a clear sense of the animal’s financial value to your operation: Although some services might be available free of charge through a land-grant extension office, the expense of some diagnostic tests and treatments can add up quickly. While it’s always worth your time and money to identify a bacterial or viral infection that could potentially impact more than one member of the flock, this might not be the case with a condition that only affects one hen.
Poultry keepers who keep genetically improved breeds, bred for high egg production, might see these problems more frequently in their flocks, as production breeds—most of which are usually kept for 12 to 18 months in commercial settings—do not have the genetics to support three to four years of egg-laying. The risk of reproductive disorders increases with age in layers. These afflictions aren’t exclusive to production breeds, however—they can show up in any small-scale flock. Although it’s best to have a veterinarian examine your chicken, here’s a short list of differential diagnoses.
1. Ascites (aka Water Belly)
Fluid can accumulate in the abdominal cavity, secondary to heart disease or tumors in the heart and liver. Fluid in the abdominal cavity is usually accompanied by respiratory distress and cyanosis (bluish color) of the combs and wattles. There is no treatment for ascites.
2. Tumors
Several diseases, such as Marek’s disease, lymphoid leukosis and various adenocarcinomas, cause tumors and enlargement of a chicken’s internal organs, such as the liver, which might, in turn, distend the abdomen. Tumor diseases tend to be chronic, and affected chickens slowly suffer weight loss and decreased appetite. All day-old chicks should be vaccinated for Marek’s disease at the hatchery. Lymphoid leukosis can be transmitted from hens to developing embryos; therefore, disease-free chicks should be purchased from reputable hatcheries. There is no treatment for tumor diseases.
3. Fat Deposition
Extremely obese hens have a thick fat pad that can distend the lower abdomen. Obesity, normally caused by high-energy diets, also predisposes chickens to a condition called fatty liver hemorrhagic syndrome, where the liver is infiltrated with fat and can contribute to abdominal distension. The syndrome causes acute death in chickens when blood vessels in the liver rupture and cause internal bleeding. It’s seen increasingly in backyard and pet chickens that are fed table scraps high in calories. It’s also very common with small-scale flocks fed free-choice via feeders. Chickens should be fed a well-formulated and appropriately portioned diet to avoid FLHS.
4. Cystic Oviduct
Normally, only the left ovary and oviduct of the hen are functional, but sometimes, the right oviduct is functional and becomes cystic. The cysts appear in a range of sizes, and overly large cysts can distend the hen’s abdomen and compress internal organs. Your veterinarian might be able to drain the cyst nonsurgically using a sterile syringe and needle.
5. Impacted or Egg-Bound Oviducts
These oviductal disorders are seen in obese hens, older hens or pullets that come into lay too early. The oviduct becomes blocked by an egg or a mass of broken eggs and eventually eggs are pushed back into the body cavity as the hen continues to lay. Affected hens walk like penguins when the eggs in the abdomen are excessive.
There is no technical difference between impaction and “egg-bound;” however, I don’t like using the term egg-bound, as it’s more appropriate for what happens in pet birds, such as parrots, where one fully formed egg is stuck in the oviduct.
In chickens, the obstruction can result from several lodged eggs or a mass of broken shells, shell membranes, or a mass of yolk and egg white, and the result is the same. When impaction occurs in the front part of the oviduct (aka uterus), which is usually the case, eggs enclosed by shell membranes might be found in the abdominal cavity. This indicates that eggs continued to form but were refluxed back into the peritoneal cavity. The prognosis for affected hens is poor. The use of antibiotics might prolong an affected chicken’s life for a few months, but it will eventually die from the condition.
6. Salpingitis
This inflammation of the oviduct occurs frequently and can be introduced through the cloaca by various means, including pecking. The most common infection is by E. coli bacteria. In later stages of the condition, the oviduct and abdomen become distended due to masses of foul-smelling, cheesy contents in the oviduct. The cheesy masses are sometimes mixed with egg contents; as a result, salpingitis can frequently be confused with an impacted oviduct.
A chicken with salpingitis can remain healthy for a long time—until the late stage when oviductal contents start to impinge on vital organs. The chicken then becomes sick, refuses to eat and slowly declines. Antibiotics seem to help only temporarily, and while some veterinarians might attempt surgery, the chicken’s oviduct is so friable that the procedure is unlikely to be successful. Affected birds will die.
About the Author: Jarra Jagne, DVM, DACPV, senior extension associate, Veterinary Support Services, Cornell University Animal Health Diagnostic Center.
This article was vetted by Dr. Lyle G. McNeal.
This article the causes of a swollen abdomen in chickens originally appeared in the May/June 2013 issue of Hobby Farms. Click here to subscribe.
How to get rid of poison ivy is top of mind in summer and throughout the year, especially if you’re allergic to it. Even in winter, bare vines can still cause a skin reaction so it’s important to get this plant under control. But it’s also important to consider natural options for the safety of your farm’s wild inhabitants.
How to Get Rid of Poison Ivy: A Personal Story
My father recently asked me whether I plan to use the land where he and my mother live for business at some point. My husband and I already keep some bees with them, and because their land is so different than ours—we have wide-open farmland while theirs is thoroughly wooded—we’ve considered using their space for some plants we want to use in our farm products. I knew my dad asked the question from more than passing curiosity. Mom and Dad haven’t lived on their land very long, and as dad is working to create green spaces and manage the trees. He has become increasingly frustrated with one particular plant that is fighting back: poison ivy.
Poison ivy (Toxicodendron radicans) has taken over most of the wooded space. He has been sorely tempted to use glyphosate to kill off the plant but knew that if I wanted to use the land, it would be a big problem for me because we grow without such chemicals. He challenged me to find a replacement or he would have to resort to the chemical solution. Of course, he reasons, that he could use it and then make the land available three years from now when organic standards would deem it safe to use again, but I would disagree. Glyphosate damages soil bacteria, and we can’t stop there and not discuss the debated health ramifications.
Why further damage the soil with a chemical when it’s imbalanced enough to allow poison ivy to take over in the first place? Those who choose the chemical route are chasing a symptom rather than solving the problem. In addition, many report that using glyphosate on this particular weed slows it down but doesn’t kill it off completely.
Here are some alternate ways to get rid of poison ivy and get it under control without damaging the soil in the process.
1. Use Boiling Water
Some folks suggest that pouring boiling water on the plants and the nearby roots will kill off growth. You must be willing to kill everything in the area, though, as this is a non-specific solution. For my purpose, this isn’t practical, as the area in question is rather large. Boiling water may be a good solution for a few isolated plants, though.
2. Manually Pull the Poison Ivy
Pulling out the vines and root of the plant (suitably covered up while doing so, of course) is one of the time-tested ways of discouraging poison ivy. You have to keep at it, though and don’t burn the weeds afterward if you value your lungs or your relationship with your neighbors.
3. Mow It
Repeatedly trimming or mowing off the vines at the soil surface will absolutely end your poison ivy problem, but you have to be diligent about keeping it trimmed every time the plant pokes its head above ground.
4. Use Sheet Mulch
Any kind of heavy mulch piled thick above a poison ivy plant will kill it off. This is a nice solution to use in combination with mowing or trimming.
5. Enlist the Help of Goats
Seriously, Dad, get a goat already. They’re cute and would provide hours of aggrav… I mean entertainment. Goats love to eat poison ivy, but you’ll need to be able to fence them or stake them in a specific area for a while. They aren’t single-minded eaters and will mow up quite a few of your other plants, but if you keep them in the same area long enough they will eat down all the poison ivy.
6. Try Soil Remediation
Here is where my real focus is in fixing just about any weed issue. Why is the poison ivy there in the first place? What is “wrong” with the soil?
Fixing the Calcium Deficit
Poison ivy appears to like soils that are deficient in calcium, phosphorus and selenium. A good compost tea that includes comfrey, horsetail and even seaweed and is applied on a routine basis could bring the nutrient level up in the soil and create an environment where poison ivy can’t survive.
Neutralizing Soil pH
To take another route, in most cases, poison ivy likes an acid soil. Test the soil in the area to be sure and then add lime to counteract the acidity.
I have a few plants here on my property where I’m going to be trying out my soil remediation ideas. If my Dad lets me, I’ll give a few other options a try in larger areas. Perhaps I’ll have something interesting to report later.
Do you have any natural options for how to get rid of poison ivy?
This post about how to get rid of poison ivy was written for Hobby Farms magazine. Click here to subscribe.
Hand-raising baby farm animals, especially goat kids or lambs, pygmy and miniature breeds, can have its own challenges. The average goat kid weighs between five and eight pounds, and the average lamb weighs eight to twelve pounds. However, pygmy goats, and tiny sheep breeds, like the Soay, are two to five pounds at birth. This necessitates different equipment for their needs than the standard-sized kid or lamb.
Baby Farm Animals: Feeding Time
Bottle Brainteasers
When caring for these small-breed ruminants, the most immediate concern is feeding. The artificial nipples available for “bottle babies” are often too big for the tiniest of mouths. The “one size fits all” nipples that can be purchased to fit a soda bottle are likely to dispense milk too quickly for these babies and can choke them or result in overfeeding. With some breeds, this can be overcome by using a needle in the tip, rather than cutting it. However, some newborns are unable to suckle strongly enough for this to be helpful. This is especially true if the animal is being hand-raised because of birthing difficulties. Colostrum is also often too thick for this to be helpful, especially if sheep breeds.
Think Outside the Species
Milk bottles designed for puppies can be an option. They hold about two ounces of milk, making them a good size for newborn ruminants. These too can have some issues with newborns having enough suckle strength but can be an inexpensive option.
Another choice can be to simply get human infant bottles. Sterile bottles are just as important for lambs and kids as they are for human young, and newborns need to be fed every 2-3 hours, so having several available is a wise idea. Inexpensive options can be found at most dollar stores, so bottles can be rotated, for little cost. Our local dollar store, for instance, has a pack of three infant bottles for $3.50, while livestock nipples are $7.99 each at the livestock big box store.
Baby Farm Animals: Indoor Living
Kids or lambs may have attentive mothers who just require help with feeding time. However, in other cases, they may need to be brought inside. This can be complicated for a family with pets or children, but a basic Pack-N-Play can keep them separated from curious noses or tiny hands. Also, keeping it next to your bed makes midnight feeding a lot easier!
Photo by Sherri Talbot
A playpen with a liquid-proof bottom can also help you keep an eye on babies during the day.
If you prefer free-range kids in the house, human baby diapers can be useful for ewe lambs and doelings. The sizes will not work the same – with the difference in body shapes, a smaller size will often be needed. If you have a seven-pound lamb, for instance, you will likely need to continue using preemie-size diapers, even though they are only rated to six pounds.
For males, human diapers don’t come forward far enough to catch urine but can be used for feces. Small dog breed belly bands are often available online, however, and can do the trick. Just remember though, goats will be goats – at any age – and excel at making a mess!
Hand-Raising Baby Farm Animals: Final Touches
For those interested in eventually showing your bottle baby, using them for pulling, or even just halter training, the younger they start, the easier it will be. However, small goat or sheep halters are often too wide across the nose for some tiny breeds. Heritage breeds, especially, tend to have much narrower faces. However, alpacas have equally narrow faces. For all their tall size, small and extra small halters will often work better for miniature breed goats and sheep.
This article about hand-raising baby farm animals was written for Hobby Farms magazine. Click here to subscribe.
Homemade lemon puddings with lemon zest and juice dusted with icing sugar. Adobe Stock/Olga Gorchichko
Lemon recipes hit the ticket any time of year with the lemons themselves offering a bright, refreshing flavor. Here are some vintage lemon recipes from the 1970s that do not disappoint.
Lemon Pudding – 1976 Recipe Book
Ingredients
1 cup sugar
2 tbsp. flour, heaping spoonfuls
¼ tsp. baking powder
1 lemon rind
3 eggs, yolks and whites separated
½ tsp. salt
1 cup milk
Juice of 1 lemon
Directions
Place the dry ingredients in a bowl, add the rind of lemon, and mix well.
Beat in egg yolks and gradually add milk. Add lemon juice.
Beat egg whites until stiff but not dry, and fold into other ingredients.
When baking the lemon pudding, place the cake pan in another pan containing water. Bake in a square cake pan for 30 minutes at 350°F. It should be a little brown on top when finished baking.
Once baked, don’t remove from the pan until it is ready to serve. A cake layer will form on the top and sauce will form under the cake layer on the bottom.
Serve hot or cold with whipped cream or powdered sugar.
Lemon pudding recipe submitted by Leona Frickman. Shared from the 1976 copy of Dodge Center St. John Baptist DeLaSalle Catholic Women’s Cookbook. Iowa.
Adobe Stock/Davizro Photography
Lemon Fluff Dessert – 1978 Cookbook
Here is another recipe from one of my 1970s cookbooks. It includes Vanilla Wafers, Jello and Cool Whip – how very 70’s, wouldn’t you agree? It’s almost comical how many recipes include Jello from this time period.
Ingredients
Crust Ingredients:
1 lb. box vanilla wafers, crushed
¼ cup chopped nuts of choice
1/3 cup melted butter
Remaining Ingredients:
6 egg yolks
1 cup white granulated sugar
½ cup lemon juice
2 boxes of lemon Jello
1 cup milk
4 egg whites
1 cup whipping cream or Cool Whip
Crust Directions
Mix together the crushed wafers, chopped nuts and melted butter for the crust and firmly press into a 9×13 pan, reserving 1/3 cup of the mixture for the topping.
Filling Directions
In a double boiler, heat the egg yolks, sugar, lemon juice, Jello, and milk. Cook until it starts to thicken.
Once thickened, allow to cool.
Beat the egg whites and add it to the whipping cream. Add the cooled lemon mixture to the whites and whipping cream mixture. Mix together until smooth.
Once smooth, spread the mixture over the crust and sprinkle the remaining topping over the filling.
Refrigerate and allow the Lemon Fluff Dessert to set at least 4 hours, or overnight. Keeps very well.
This Lemon Fluff Dessert recipe was shared by Mrs. Francis McFadden. Shared from the 75 Years of Good Cooking cookbook, compiled by the Rosary Society Immaculate Conception Parish in Lonsdale, MN.
Salad Dressing With Lemon Juice
I’ve included a really short recipe for a basic salad dressing that features lemon juice, as many do. It has a star written in pencil by it from the previous owner, so that made it stand out to me.
Ingredients
1 cup salad oil
6 tbsp. red wine vinegar
2 tbsp. lemon juice
4 tbsp. white granulated sugar
½ tsp. salt
1 tsp. dry mustard
1 tsp. grated onion
Directions
Pour all ingredients into a jar, shake well and keep refrigerated.
This recipe was contributed by Mona Bean. This recipe was found in the “Our Daily Bread” cookbook, compiled by the First Baptist Church of Benton, Illinois. Updated third edition, 1980. The first edition was written in 1907!
This article about vintage lemon recipes was written for Hobby Farms magazine. Click here to subscribe.
Level One: This chicken got in an argument with this duck over ownership of the nest. She is showing no bare skin, but has a patch of feathers missing at the base of her tail. Photo by Sherri Talbot
Chicken feathers serve a number of purposes for both birds and humans. For hens, their feathers provide camouflage and protection from the weather. For the roosters, they are a way to win mates. For scientists, farmers and show judges, feathers provide a measure of poultry health. While annual molting is a normal part of a chicken’s lifecycle, other feather loss can be a sign of something wrong in your flock.
Chicken Feathers: Causes for Concern
There are many reasons chickens may lose their feathers that suggest health issues in the bird. Parasites, illnesses, stress and other culprits are all possible issues.
Parasites
Poultry mites can infest chickens and burrow into the skin next to the feathers. This causes the birds to pull out their feathers in an attempt to rid themselves of the irritation. Other mites and lice can cause similar reactions. Signs of these parasites on birds are often a signal that the entire flock is infested and likely the coop and run as well.
It is important to verify that parasites are the issue before treatment. Bacteria or fungal infections can also cause feather loss in a flock and often require medication.
Physical Causes
Feathers are made up primarily of protein and birds may consume a flock mate’s feathers to make up for a protein deficit. Other micronutrient deficiencies can cause cannibalizing behaviors as well. Keep in mind that nutritional needs will vary depending on the breed, time of year, age of the birds and other factors.
Bald chickens can also be a symptom of exposure to toxins or overheating. While it can easily be attributed to a stress problem, feather picking because of extreme temperatures, lack of fresh water or high ammonia levels can be symptom of much more severe issues. In fact, feather picking and levels of loss are often used by animal welfare experts to determine the safety and health of a flock.
Stressors
Some stress-induced feather pulling may exist in even a healthy flock since pecking order clashes can involve physical altercations. However, if the behavior persists or birds are found with severe feather loss, this is often more than normal, competitive behavior. Feather loss can be caused by higher-status hens bullying flock mates. Boredom, cramped quarters, predators and other stressors can result in chickens plucking out each other’s feathers.
If birds appear to be stressed, widening runs and providing enrichment activities can help to reduce issues with overcrowding or lack of stimulation. Roosters can help with the regulation of a flock, though if there are too few hens for an amorous male, over-mating may also cause feather loss in the hens. In this case, it is caused by him repeatedly mounting them and pulling their feathers out.
Measuring Chicken Feather Loss
Feather scoring is a measure of feather loss in a flock. Measuring about 50% of the birds in a flock is suggested to best determine the over-all flock health, and a single bird missing large numbers of feathers is not likely to be seen as a sign of concern. Scoring is done on a scale of 0-2 and should not be done when birds are molting.
Birds with a score of zero are missing no feathers or may be missing a single feather here and there at most. There should be no skin showing. Checking the area around the vent is important.
Level 0: This handsome rooster is missing no feathers, shows no bare patches and everything is lying smoothly. However, as his male chicks begin to grow up sparring matches will likely change this until they are separated out. Photo by Sherri Talbot
Birds with a score of one may have small amounts of skin showing and will have noticeable missing or broken feathers. The bird may look slightly ruffled.
Birds with a score of two have large swaths of skin showing, major feathers may be broken, and the bird will look quite ragged. Flocks with a high number of level 2 scores have also been correlated with high levels of illness in the birds, underweight flocks and poorer production in laying hens.
Level 2: This bird is borderline, but was overbred by a rooster who liked her a LOT! She is missing feathers on her head and body and, while it isn’t visible in this shot, there is a bare patch on her back where she has been mounted repeatedly. Photo by Sherri Talbot
Since chickens are prey animals, they will often hide issues and can be difficult to diagnose. Knowing the possible signs and symptoms associated with feather loss can help identify issues in a flock more quickly.
This story about chicken feathers and scoring was written for Chickens magazine. Click here to subscribe.
Why do you need a multi-bit screwdriver? Wouldn’t a regular set of screwdrivers—or better yet, an electric drill with a full set of bits—handle your farming needs just as well or better?
Actually, a multi-bit screwdriver serves a useful and versatile purpose in the toolkit of any farmer. Here are three reasons why you need one…
1. They Can Drive & Remove Many Different Types of Screws
A regular screwdriver is sized to fit a particular style and size of screw; perhaps a small Phillips-head screw, or a large flat-head screw. To drive or remove screws of different sizes and types, you need to have multiple screwdrivers on hand.
In contrast, a multi-bit screwdriver features a single handle with interchangeable bits, which can usually be stored on or within the screwdriver for convenience. Depending on the number of bits it comes with, you can tackle a wide variety of screw shapes and sizes just by switching bits. Perhaps it’s a 6-in-1 screwdriver, or an 8-in-1, or an 18-in-1. Whatever the number of options, a multi-bit screwdriver offers a lot of versatility in a small package.
2. They’re Lightweight, Portable & Inexpensive
While larger and bulkier than a regular screwdriver, multi-bit screwdrivers are still lightweight and portable. They’re also relatively inexpensive, so it’s not unreasonable to have multiple around. You can toss one into the toolbox of your tractor and forget about it until you need it, keep one in your garage for odd jobs around the house and farmyard, and put one in the barn for similar purposes.
A lot of times you’re going about your day, working on farm projects, and you don’t know what types of screws you’ll need to drive or remove. You might be mowing around a pasture fence when you notice some mild fence damage; to fix it, you need to remove a Phillips-head screw and drive it into a different location. Guess what? That multi-bit screwdriver in your tractor toolbox probably has the right bit for the job and you can repair the damage right then and there.
3. The Bits May Be Compatible With Your Electric Drill
While this isn’t guaranteed to be the case every time, there’s a good chance the bits that come with your multi-bit screwdriver can also be used by a typical electric drill. When paired with an electric drill, a multi-bit screwdriver becomes a convenient carrying case for extra bits and backup if the drill battery runs dry.
It’s worth noting that the inverse probably isn’t true; electric drill bits probably won’t be compatible with your multi-bit screwdriver, since a typical multi-bit screwdriver requires bits of a specific diameter and attachment style while an electric drill can accommodate multiple diameters and styles. But that’s okay since the main point of a multi-bit screwdriver is that it comes with lots of compatible bits.
If these three reasons haven’t convinced you why you need a multi-bit screwdriver… perhaps you should purchase one anyway and give it a try yourself. You might be surprised by how handy they can be.
Types of chicken feathers include an astonishing range of colors and patterns, which help to make each breed recognizable. Below is an excerpt from The Illustrated Guide to Chickens reviewing the common types of feathers found in a backyard flock.
The Illustrated Guide to Chickens Excerpt…
Plumage plays an important role, protecting the chicken from rain, cold and sun, and a chicken must spend a considerable part of its time maintaining it. This is done by preening. Each feather has an axis or shaft, on to either side of which vanes are fixed. Each vane has barbs on either side, which cling together but need to be “combed” by the chicken, who also applies oil from a gland at the base of its tail.
A cockerel can be distinguished from a hen by the fact that some of its feathers take on a different shape. Its hackle and saddle feathers are thinner and longer than a hen’s, and it also develop sickles, which are the spectacular curved feathers on either side of the tail.
Some breeds have much fluffier feathers than others, and game breeds have very tight feathering that often leaves a strip of bare skin down the breast. There may be feathering on the legs, and some breeds sport beards, muffs and crests.
Every year, hens molt, generally at the beginning of fall, and replace their old feathers with new. As feathers are largely made up of protein, this takes a good deal of the hens’ energy, and it’s important to give them plenty of replacement protein in the form of good quality layers’ ration at this time.
A hen will stop laying until her molt is complete, which could take anywhere between six and 12 weeks. If the days are growing shorter, she may not start laying again until they start to lengthen after the winter solstice.
Types of Chicken Feathers: Markings
Barring: Two distinct colors appear in bars across the feather; they may be regular or irregular and the width can vary.
Celia Lewis
Lacing: Appears as a border of a different color right around the edge of the feather; it may be broad or narrow.
Celia Lewis
Double Lacing: Same as lacing, but this has a second loop inside.
Celia Lewis
Frizzled: Each feather is curled, causing the bird to look distinctly unkempt.
Celia Lewis
Mottled: This is being spotted in a different color in a random fashion.
Celia Lewis
Spangling: There is a distinct contrasting color at the end of the feather.
Celia Lewis
Splash: This appears as drop-shaped marks of a contrasting color in a random fashion.
Celia Lewis
Penciling: This is the tricky one as it goes more or less with the breed. Mostly it can look like a kind of barring, but it can also be fine lacing. Hamburg hens have stripes, and the dark Brahma has concentric lines around the feathers similar to lacing; both are known as penciling.
Celia Lewis
Peppered: Feathers look as if someone has ground pepper onto them, the specks being a darker color.
Celia Lewis
Types of Chicken Feathers: Parts of a Wing
Celia Lewis
Chicken Feather Patterns
Celia Lewis
Birchen: hackle, back saddle and shoulders white; neck hackles narrow black striping; breast black with silver lacing
Black: male and female uniformly black with green sheen
Black mottled: male and female black ground with white v-shaped tips on random feathers
Black red: red hackles and black body and tail
Blue: male and female uniformly slaty blue; head and neck may be darker; lacing, if present, darker
Buff: male and female uniformly buff
Chamois: male and female uniformly buff with paler lacing
Columbian: male and female body mainly white; neck and tail black with some white lacing
Crele: male hackles, back and saddle barred orange on pale ground; body barred gray and white. Female hackles barred grayish brown on pale ground; breast salmon; body as male
Cuckoo: male and female dark gray to black indistinct barring on white ground. Female can be darker than male.
Exchequer: male and female black and white randomly over body in blobs
Gold barred: golden ground with distinct black barring
Gold spangled: male and female hackle golden red with dark vane; body gold ground with black spangles; tail black
Jubilee: male head, neck, body, legs and tail white; back and wings white with dark red markings. Female head and neck white; rest of body dark red with single or double lacing.
Lavender: male and female uniform slaty gray throughout
Mahogany: male and female rich mahogany brown throughout
Millefleur: male and female orange ground with black spangles with white highlights
Partridge: male hackle, back and saddle greenish black with red lacing; breast and body black. Female reddish lacing on black ground.
Pile: male head golden, hackle and saddle lighter; back red; front of neck white; wings mainly white. Female hackle white with gold lacing; neck and body white with salmon breast.
Porcelain: similar to Millefleur but bright beige ground
Quail: complicated coloring giving impression that upper parts are dark and lower light; gold lacing and shafts
Red: male and female bright red throughout
Silver barred: male and female white to pale gray ground with bright black barring
Silver cuckoo: male and female white to pale gray ground with dark gray to black indistinct broad barring.
Silver duckwing: male silver hackles and back; breast and body black; tail black with silver edging. Female silvery gray with salmon breast; tail and wings black with gray edging
Silver spangled: male and female gray ground with black spangles
Speckled: in Speckled Sussex male and female mahogany ground with white tips and black/green intermediate strip
Splash: male and female white ground with irregular slaty blue blobs, gray in places
Wheaten: male gold hackles, rich brown body and dark green tail; female shades of wheat from golden to chestnut with black tips.
White: male and female uniformly white throughout
Reprinted with permission from The Illustrated Guide to Chickens (Skyhorse Publishing) by Celia Lewis. Copyright 2011 text and illustrations by Celia Lewis.
This story about types of chicken feathers originally appeared in the March/April 2018 issue of Chickens magazine. Click here to subscribe.
Combining a sickle bar mower or disc mower with a conditioner to promote better drying, modern mower/conditioners are the perfect tool for cutting hay. It sure beats a handheld scythe!
3. Tedder
A machine used to aerate cut hay and speed up the drying process—an important step if you’re trying to bale before rainfall arrives.
4. Bale Kicker/Thrower
While it’s possible to get by without a bale kicker/thrower, if you’re working with a small crew, having a machine that automatically shoots fresh bales from the baler into an attached wagon can save time and effort.
Baling Hay: Attachments
5. Hay Rake
Hay must be raked into windrows to facilitate easy baling. A hay rake—even an old one—can do the job just fine.
6. Baler
Whether you’re making square bales or round bales, a hay baler is necessary to pack the hay into manageable units for easy handling and storage. Try moving loose hay around, and you’ll quickly see the benefits of bales!
7. Hay Wagon or Trailer
At least one hay wagon or trailer is convenient for hauling bales off the fields. Having multiple on hand allows you to unload one wagon while the other is picking up new bales.
8. Bay Accumulator
As an alternative to towing a wagon behind the baler, you can pull a hay accumulator, which will gather and hold a large handful of bales before dropping them off in a single location.
Later, you can drive to each group of bales and pick them up with a wagon, saving time compared to picking up individual bales scattered all over the fields.
9. Hay Bale Spear
In you’re baling round bales, a hay bale spear—literally a few heavy-duty prongs designed to pierce and pick up heavy bales—is a great tool to have.
Trade out the bucket on your front-end loader (or mount the bale spear on your three-point hitch) to make transporting round bales a breeze.
Hay Equipment
10. Baling Twine
Without baling twine, a hay baler isn’t much use. Calculate your needs for the season, then stock up sufficiently so you won’t run out.
11. Fuel
Does your tractor run on gasoline or diesel fuel? Either way, have enough on hand so you won’t run out in the middle of baling.
12. Gloves & Safety Goggles
Wearing appropriate safety gear around powerful farm machinery is always a good idea. Gloves and safety goggles are just two examples.
13. Spare Parts
Sometimes machines break. Spare tires, rake tines, shears pins, etc. should all be handy so if something goes wrong, you can quickly switch out the broken part and keep moving.
Hay can be messy. Leaf rakes, bow rakes, push brooms, shovels and similar hand tools can sweep hay wagons and barn floors clean, or help tame the mess if a hay bale bursts open during stacking or transport.
16. Water
The saying “make hay while the sun shines” often means hay is baled during hot weather. Staying hydrated is important, so have lots of drinking water on hand for you and your crew.
17. Appropriate Clothing
Light-colored clothes made of cotton are ideal for working in hot weather. And a long-sleeved shirt can help protect you from getting scratched up by prickly hay.
18. Enclosed Tractor Cab
No, this isn’t a requirement … but isn’t the thought of riding around in an enclosed cab (especially one with air conditioning) an appealing thought on a hot afternoon?
19. Hay Elevator
If you’re storing hay in the upper level of a barn (or even just stacking it really high), a hay elevator can easily lift the hay where it needs to go, saving time and effort. They can also act as a conveyor belt to carry hay across wide spaces, such as from the front of a barn to the back.
Baling Hay: Storage
20. Hay Barn or Shed
You need somewhere dry to store your hay, yes? Any barn or shed can do the job, so long as it protects hay from the elements while still providing proper ventilation.
Storing the hay on floor pallets can help get air under the stack.
Knowing how to keep chickens cool in the summer when the high heat kicks in and heat-stressed chickens take a sabbatical and drop egg production is important. Once temps reach the triple digits, you’ll be lucky if you get a single egg from a flock of a dozen hens. However, with a bit of extra attention, you can ease the stress of summertime heat and help the girls continue laying those golden eggs even during the dog days of summer.
Enemy No. 1 – Heat Stress
Chickens are fairly hardy creatures, often enduring crowded conditions, suboptimal nutrition and less-than-ideal housing. However, when it comes to battling heat, chickens aren’t overly adept at maintaining their cool. That’s because chickens don’t sweat.
Instead, heat is dissipated via their comb, wattles, shanks and the unfeathered areas beneath the wings. While it is true that chickens, like dogs, are capable of panting to aid in cooling, once panting is evident, the hen is already in a state of heat stress.
Because chickens don’t sweat, knowing how to keep chickens cool in the summer is important. Learn to recognize the contributing factors to heat stress so you know when to put your heat management practices into action. Once temperatures reach a balmy 75°F, many hens begin to consume less food. This results in a reduced level of nutrition.
As protein and calcium stores become depleted, egg production and quality begin slowly dropping.
By the time summer temps reach 85 degrees, eggs become fewer, smaller and have softer shells. By 95 degrees, overall production drops significantly or stops altogether, with heat exhaustion becoming a serious threat to any unprotected birds.
In regions with high humidity, chickens are in even greater danger of heat stress. Heat indices often reach these thresholds much sooner and last for much longer than in less humid regions.
Provide Cool Water
A constant supply of cool water is perhaps one of the best strategies for how to keep chickens cool in the summer and comfortable enough to continue eating their rations and laying eggs. However, water that is cool to the touch during the early morning hours often becomes unappealing, hot liquid before noon in many areas.
Hot water is much less appealing to the flock, resulting in less water consumption and dehydration. Once dehydrated, the hen struggles even harder to stay cool and simply cannot lay eggs.
Left untreated, dehydration leads to heat exhaustion and then death.
There are many ways to ensure a cool water source even if you’re away from home for most of the day. A water container with an automatic waterer attached is the easiest option for providing a continuous supply of fresh, cool water.
Each time a hen takes a drink, fresh water will refill the container, encouraging hens to continue drinking.
Supply Frozen Water
Another easy option is to freeze several water buckets overnight in a large chest freezer. Set each one out in the morning in the shade to allow for slower melting. Refill containers with fresh water as soon as you return home in the afternoon.
Alternatively, freeze water in half or 1-gallon ice-cream buckets each night and place in water containers each morning or, even better, every couple of hours as the temperature rises whenever possible. Refill and refreeze each evening.
For a special treat, freeze large sections of fruit such as watermelon, cantaloupe, tomatoes, and even berries and cucumbers for each day. These may be placed in the water buckets like ice, which also helps to keep the hens drinking.
In addition to cool water, electrolytes may be added to the water to encourage drinking and to replace lost electrolytes. There are many home recipes as well as ready-made electrolyte mixes available for purchase.
When using electrolytes, however, be sure to follow directions closely. Some recommend only offering the electrolytes for a limited time to prevent other health issues.
It’s also a good idea to include a source of plain water nearby in the event a hen decides she doesn’t like the taste the electrolytes add to the water.
Zzzufa/Shutterstock
Increase Protein
Hot chickens don’t eat well, which also decreases egg production. To help hens continue laying, increase their ration’s protein level. Switch from 16 percent layer feed to one with 17 to 18 percent protein, such as those designed for molting.
You can also increase protein by mixing small amounts of milk or sunflower seeds into their mash. This further stimulates appetites.
However, avoid scratch grains during hot weather, particularly corn-based sources. The carbohydrates raise body temperature during digestion, further decreasing food consumption.
Open the Coop
Second only to adequate water and food sources is ventilation for how to keep chickens cool in the summer—not only in the coop but in the chicken yard as well. If your girls are lucky and have windows in their chicken coop, keep them open once temperatures reach 75 degrees.
Screened doors instead of solid doors are also quite useful even if they can only be left open during the daytime hours when predators are less likely to venture to the coop for an easy meal.
Fans also contribute to airflow and are highly recommended. But care should be taken as they can be a fire hazard.
Regardless of how much ventilation you provide inside the coop, hens laying in indoor nesting boxes will still get hotter than is optimal.
Broody hens have an even higher risk of heat exhaustion and stroke than non broody hens. They’ll often only leave their nest once or twice in an entire day to eat, drink and relieve themselves.
So moving nesting boxes outside into a safe area of the run is best for laying and broody hens whenever possible.
To encourage egg laying in outdoor nesting boxes rather than inside the hot coop, you may need to close off the original nesting area to force the hens to look for other areas to lay their eggs.
Empty milk crates and square laundry baskets placed outdoors and stuffed with a bit of straw make suitable outside nesting boxes. Many hens will happily choose these cooler options over their normal indoor boxes.
Lots of Shade
Perhaps the most commonly overlooked needs during hot weather are adequate shade and breezes for how to keep chickens cool in the summer
To provide a constant source of shade around the yard, place several tarps along the run walls wherever possible. But you also need to keep air flowing throughout the chicken yard. Be sure to leave an open space of at least 3 feet around the perimeter between the tarp and the ground.
Scrap lumber may also be used to build simple shelters throughout the yard as well. One of my favorite methods of creating shade is to bend cattle panels into an arch and then cover with tarps.
These shady tunnels are a favorite of my hens. They allow good airflow and protection from the occasional summer rainstorm. As an added bonus, I can move these temporary shelters as needed with relative ease and minimal equipment.
The best source of shade for how to keep chickens cool in the summer is free-ranging whenever possible, particularly in wooded areas. The cool, moist earth is a treasure trove of protein-rich earthworms. It also cools the hens’ feet and provides much-needed relief during extreme temperatures.
In areas where predators are a problem, portable fencing is an excellent option whether free-ranging in the woods or in the backyard. Even cattle panels lined with poultry netting may be assembled into temporary enclosures to provide chickens respite from the heat.
Plus, the additional roaming space keeps the chickens from crowding together under a single shade source. This further allows them to keep themselves cooler and more comfortable throughout the hottest part of the day.
Do, however, ensure your hens have easy access to their water source. They are often quite hesitant to travel back to the chicken yard for a drink.
Place a few sources of cool water throughout their favorite ranging spaces to keep them hydrated. Replenish with fresh water as needed.
Heinz Jacobi/Shutterstock
Dust Baths & Misters
As you likely already know, chickens are known for their love of dust baths. During the heat of summer, access to dust baths is a significant component in heat management. The dust has a cooling effect over their bodies.
You can help chickens create their own dust bath by allowing access to grass-free dirt. You can also dig a shallow hole to get them started.
Another great option is to fill a kiddie swimming pool with soft, loose dirt several inches deep. It won’t take the girls long to find this flock-sized dust bath and jump in.
Another use for a kiddie pool is as a source of wading water. Many hens will happily walk around in a few inches of cool water whenever they get hot. They can take a drink, too.
Adding a mister to the area they roam in is another good way to provide a cooling station. Misters are capable of reducing the surrounding air temp by up to 20 degrees in some areas.
And because hens typically don’t like dripping water from a sprinkler, misters may be used in their place to cool the most commonly used areas of the chicken yard on exceptionally hot days without stressing the chickens further.
Keeping your flock healthy enough to continue laying eggs during the dog days of summer can at times be challenging. However, the extra work required usually lasts only a few months. And it is made easier with careful planning such as breed selection, water placement, and shady locations.
So fill your freezer with ice and frozen fruit, start building those extra waterers and find some shade. Then you and your flock will be prepared when the heat comes.
Signs of Heat Stress
Heat stress begins and chickens need help keeping cool when the ambient temperature climbs above 80°F. And it’s readily apparent above 85 degrees, according to North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service. For most areas of the U.S., these are pretty normal summer temperatures.
Mild signs of heat stress in chickens manifest as:
reduced egg laying
lower hatching rates
reduced weight gain
smaller and weaker eggs
pale combs and wattles
Just as people become more irritable when hot and uncomfortable, chickens suffering from heat stress are also not themselves. They’ll be lethargic, eat less and drink more.
More drinking leads to diarrhea. Chickens might be more likely to pick fights and engage in cannibalism, too. At its most severe, heat stress can lead to seizures and death.
A hen that is simply hot may be seen panting lightly but otherwise will be acting normally, says Ashley Wright, a livestock area agent at the University of Arizona Cooperative Extension Service.
A hen under light or moderate heat stress may pant more heavily or hold her wings away from her body and crouch slightly to aid in heat dissipation through the unfeathered areas under her wings.
She will, however, continue to act normally otherwise.
“These hens may not be in immediate danger, but it is a sign that further action should be taken to cool them and the rest of the flock to prevent heat exhaustion,” Wright says.
“A hen in danger of heat exhaustion will be panting heavily and holding her wings away from her body. She may have a pale wattles and comb; she may be lethargic, limp or unconscious.”
A chicken exhibiting these symptoms is in extreme danger of dying from heat stress and should be cooled quickly.
“Submerge her body up to her neck—not her head—in a bucket of cool—not icy—water and place her somewhere cool until she is completely recovered,” Wright says.
This article about how to keep chickens cool in the summer originally appeared in the July/August 2020 issue of Chickens magazine. Click here to subscribe.
