#bantam blue australorp

[lostlegendaerie]

Backyard Chickens: A Master Post

So you want your own little dinosaurs to eat your table scraps and make breakfast for you in the sunny months. Well! I am here to provide a quick starter to getting your own flock set up - and yes, for urban chickens as well.

Things to consider:

What can you have? Local laws usually dictate how many chickens can be kept per household/acre. Laws can vary by state and city. Look this up first. You can usually keep more bantams (miniature chickens) than their full-size cousins, and with chickens being so social I do recommend bantams for urban/suburban yards.

What weather will they be exposed to? Indoor chickens can generate a lot of dust, but small outdoor coops can be difficult to heat safely. Dual purpose breeds are usually more cold-hardy than layer varieties, and everybody likes fresh water and shade in the heat. Frozen water bottles left outside to thaw can keep birds cool, too.

What will eat them? I have had little losses to foxes, personally, and more to neighborhood dogs. Raccoons are nearly everywhere in North America and will tear open fences to eat your babies. (I would know. I've had to deal with the aftermath.) Rabbit hutches are a good starter for bantams, but a good coop made of wood and a yard made of hardware cloth or dog fence panels (and with netting on top for hawks/owls) will keep out most things. Weasels/mink will fit through gaps bigger than an inch, so be careful of that, too.

What do they need? Chickens love to scratch and forage (and some can fly short distances and modest heights) so if you're letting them on the lawn be prepared for them to eat it - no pesticides on that turf! At night, they prefer to sleep on perches/something with a bit of height to it and do best locked in their coop where other critters can't eat them. A place to nest and lay their eggs in their coop (otherwise they will find their own little secret place, God help you find it) and a place to dust-bathe (like chinchillas) to help keep mites and lice out of their feathers. They'll also need some grit and calcium - crushed oyster shell (or their own eggshells) will help.

Where can I get them? Many farm and feed stores like Tractor Supply Company will sell baby chicks during the spring, but if you're looking for specific bantams or unusual breeds I recommend checking out your State Fair or a Poultry Association show [American version located here] and check it out. They're free admission, generally, and almost every show has people who bring birds to sell. While the demographics tend to slant pretty "red" I have seen plenty of blue hair and pronouns at poultry shows. Facebook can also be a great resource.

How do I get everyone to get along? Chickens are notoriously territorial, with a vicious pecking order that make Mean Girls a documentary. Chickens who are raised from chicks together will get along best, but if you need to add more I would introduce two or more at a time (so the newbies have a friend) and put them in a nearby yard/cage for a few days until everyone has worked out their opinions through the bars of a cage. Some breeds are sweeter than others (buff orpington) and some are.... spicy (Plymouth rocks).

Saro's Personal Breed Recommendations

Dual Purpose (cold weather) - Black Australorps , Buff Orpington, New Hampshire Reds are all generally pretty good natured and calm. The platonic ideal of a chicken.

Layer breeds (warm weather) - Leghorns are the go-to, but I have a soft spot for Hamburg as well. And of course, who wouldn't love a chicken who lays dark brown (Marans) or green/blue (Ameraucauna) eggs?

Bantams - D'Anvers with their little beards are my all time favorite and have the biggest personalities in my experience, but Old English Game (even more zippity) and Black Sumatras (all black, even down to the skin, and shockingly calm in hand) are high on the list as well. And everyone loves the fluffy-faced Silkie or feather footed Cochin.

Hopefully this is enough to get you started! Feel free to send me questions or add on with a couple of your own tips (especially non-US people and those with indoor chickens). I've been raising them for eggs, pets, and for show since 2005, but I am always eager to learn.

[birdgenetics]

The tale of Zealand AKA three sex-linked genes explained in one post

Now that you know of three of the four most common sex-linked chicken genes, let me tell you a tale...

At sunset one August night, a couple Dominique hens, an Australorp hen, and a Faverolles hen were plotting. They hatched a plan, hoping to hatch eggs. Sneaking into a chick delivery box with fake straw, seeming much like a nesting box, they layed their eggs. Zealand decided to take it under herself to hatch these chicks. Weeks passed by. Somehow, none of my family had noticed she was missing every night, we had just assumed she wasn't missing at all, because we saw her every day when she came out. For five days we were on vacation, and since we locked the coop while we were gone, Zealand had to forage for herself. Four days before the hatch of the eggs, I FINALLY noticed she didn't come in at night. It took two days of spying on her to discover where her nest was, because she would loiter for hours, almost making me think she didn't have a nest, but she kept puffing herself up like a broody. I candled her eggs, and they looked old, so I didn't think they would hatch. But they did, over the course of a week. My family got rid of most of the chicks, because of them being crossbred, but we kept a few, including one that had the down color of a quail d'Anver, since I wanted to study its parentage. It turned out to be Starling, one of the most beautiful hens on the farm.

Starling was rather special, because her parentage means she was a three-way sexlink.

Her father was a blue wheaten Ameraucana. Let's ignore the blue part though. He had slate shanks. This is his genotype, the parts that are relevant anyway: e^Wh/e^Whml+/ml+s+/s+b+/b+id+/id+

These are the three sexlinked genes he had: s+/s+ gold, b+/b+ non-barred, and id+/id+ dermal melanin.

Her mother was Zealand, a Dominique bantam. Her coloring was barred. She had yellow shanks. Here is her genotype:

E/EMl/MlS/-B/-Id/-

These are the three sex-linked genes she had S/- silver, B/- barred, and Id/- dermal melanin inhibitor.

Now here is Starling.

Her genotype was E/e^WhMl/ml+s+/-b+/-id+/-

She inherited her three sexlinked genes from her father: s+/- gold, b+/- non-barred, and id+/- dermal melanin.

She also inherited a Ml Melanotic allele and an E allele from her mother, which interacted with the id+ gene to give her a dark purpley colored face and deep brown eyes.

Now, if she had a hypothetical brother, he would look very different.

He would be: E/e^WhMl/ml+S/s+B/b+Id/id+

He inherits three recessive sexlink alleles from his father and the three dominant sexlink alleles from his mother.

His sexlinked genes are silver/gold (appearing silver as a chick and yellowish as an adult) S/s+, barred B/b+, and dermal inhibitor Id/id+

Since his mother is the one with the dominant genes, you get sex-links!

However, if you crossed a Dominque male with a wheaten Ameraucana female, you wouldn't get sexlinks!

Both offspring would recieve the dominant sexlinked alleles from their father so they would both have white shanks, red combs, orange eyes, one copy of barring, and silver. The only difference would be that the males would recieve a copy of gold from their mothers so they would have a yellowish cast.

[prep4tomoro]

Want to Raise Chickens Near Town? Consider Quiet Chicken Breeds:

Chickens are easy and fun to keep as an alternate natural food source (meat and eggs), pest control, companionship, entertainment, fertilizer for a garden, source of income and bartering resource. Chickens are inexpensive to initially purchase and raise. They are friendly, easy to manage and low maintenance. They reproduce quickly, don't need a lot of space and stay near the coop, and, pretty much take care of themselves. Quiet Chickens: When you are raising chickens in your backyard in the suburbs or even in a small town, there is only one thing as important as egg quality when deciding what breed of chickens to raise – how much noise they make. Quiet chickens breeds do exist, and you do not have to sacrifice egg quality to raise them! If you do not want angry neighbors pounding on your door or stopping you in the driveway over the constant chatter of your beloved flock, invest in a breed known for its polite demeanor. Free-ranging breeds do not need “boredom busters” to keep the content, laying, and playing nice with one another. When allowed to roam at their leisure, the birds are both physically and mentally stimulated and simply don’t feel the need to carry on and make a bunch of racket. A free flock is also usually a healthier flock because they are adhering to their natural instincts and selecting big juicy bugs out of your yard to feast upon – and reducing your feed bill in the process. Noisy chickens in a run might have as much to do with the space and the environment as it does the breed. The general rule of thumb is the taller the coop and run, the happier (and quieter) the chickens will be. Quiet Chickens – What Breeds to Choose in the Suburbs    [Article 3]

Rhode Island Red (invest in heritage breeds instead of commercial breeds)

Orpington (come in various colors like Black, Blue, White, and Buff (tan) and 2 sizes, regular(Large) and bantam)

Java

Bantam ("Banties")

Wyandottes

Cochins

Brahmas (massive size, can grow to hit weights of up to 14 pounds)

Speckled Sussex

Australorps

Barred [Plymouth] Rock

Mottled Java (currently on the Livestock Conservancy listing as in danger)

Ameraucanas

Salmon Faverolles

Polish chicken

Leghorn

LESS ROOSTER CROWING: Silkies and Phoenixes

RESOURCES: Storey's Guide to Raising Chickens by Gail Damerow on Amazon The Chicken Encyclopedia by Gail Damerow on Amazon One of the most popular misconceptions about chickens is that a Rooster is needed for chickens to lay eggs. Not so. Chickens will lay eggs without a Rooster. The only time a Rooster is needed is to expand the flock (baby chicks). Another misconception is that a nest is needed for a chicken to lay eggs; many chicken breeds (do your research) will lay eggs anywhere, anytime. So, unless you want to go egg hunting for your next omlet, keep them in a coop and penned in area. Washed (commercial) vs Unwashed Eggs: Eggs are laid with a nearly invisible natural coating, called the "bloom" or sometimes the "cuticle", on the shell that is applied as the last step in the laying process. This coating is the first line of defense in keeping air and bacteria out of the egg. Since eggshells are porous, that natural barrier is removed if the eggs are washed as soon as they are collected. The bloom helps to keep bacteria from entering into the egg white through the shell. It also helps to keep the egg fresher longer by restricting the movement of air through the pores in the eggshell. Generally, eggs should not be washed until they are ready to be used/eaten. Mildly "dirty" eggs can be wiped with a dry paper/cloth towel. Unwashed eggs last 7 times longer than washed/rinsed eggs. When washing, hold under warm running water [only]; they should never be soaked in a bowl or bucket of water. Washed eggs should be refrigerated promptly. Store bought eggs have been cleaned and the "bloom" has been removed, so they always need refrigeration after purchasing them. Rinse all eggs just before using them to remove any potential bacteria. [Methods to Preserve (non-commercial) Eggs Long Term] Encouragement: Raising livestock and cultivating a garden are great activities to become more self-sufficient, less reliant on commercial products and staying in touch with nature. If these activities are not for you, please consider supporting your local farmers instead of the grocery store. [Reference Link]

[11-Cs Basic Emergency Kit] [14-Point Emergency Preps Checklist] [Immediate Steps to Take When Disaster Strikes] [Learn to be More Self-Sufficient] [The Ultimate Preparation] [P4T Main Menu]

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[fluffnfeathers]

((extend)) 

[whattheflockbirbs]

HensDay!

Perfect pine cone 🖤

[tanevthehimbo]

your fav pens players as different breeds of chickens -chicken anon

Fave? How about literally the entire Penguins roster. I even pulled it up so I won’t forget Jack Johnson this time. Will I explain my logic behind these? Only some of them, bc I am not a chicken expert and we’ve only owned like,,, three breeds of chickens. Without further ado, in no particular order... 

The Penguins as Chicken Breeds

Evgeni Malkin - Jersey Giant. 

Conor Sheary - Old English Game. They’re so fucking tiny oh my god short kings!!

John Marino - Australorp. Emo, but still a lil flashy.

Patrick Marleau - Barred Rock. We used to have Barred Rocks and they’re rather sweet + cool looking. 

Dominik Simon - Black Frizzle Cochin Bantam. Don’t ask why.

Sidney Crosby - Blue Cochin Bantam. Not only is it cool looking, but she THICC!

Jack Johnson - Buff Brahma Bantam. Just looks like it’ll fuck you up. 

Teddy Blueger - Buff Minorcas. I saw this chicken and my brain automatically went ‘Gasp. Teddy.’ so here we are.

Zach Aston-Reese - Buttercups. Their coloring reminds me of his hair?? They also basically have crowns so yasss king!!

Brandon Tanev - Silver Phoenix. LOOK AT THESE CHICKS!! They give me major TURBO SPEED vibes.

[despazito]

Best/coolest multi-color patterns on chickens, or unusual colors?

honestly as for multicolour i dont think you’ll find a broader range of colours than on wild-type/partridge coloured roosters

most unusual colours probably goes to silkies, they have both blue earlobes and black skin

and of course the meme ayam cemani

i think one of the snazziest/bordering on eyesore colourings belong to bielefelder roosters. they have autosexing (can be sexed from birth) barring and i’ve seen one in person and it made my eyes hurt. i love it.

I think salmon faverolles deserve a place because they have such dramatic dimorphism

they may be solid black but australorps’ feathers are extremely iridescent and shine a brilliant blue/green

probably one of the favourite show bantams are belgian millefleurs, they come in both regular and lavender dilute

one of my favourite genes is double lacing notable on barnevelders, they can come in the same colours as single lace

pencilled campines are super stripy this one looks like a gyrfalcon

lastly i just discovered one of my new favourite colours only this year called chamois, here’s a chamois friesian

[starker-stories]

Quarantine Tag Game

I got tagged by the wonderful @frenchfrostpudding​ . Thank you for this. Looks fun. Ran on a bit as usual. Sorry. :)

Are you staying home from school/work?

Yes. I’m pretty home-bound, so it’s not much of a change. But it’s more complete now. No outings, no gaming nights, no shopping. I do go out to play Pokemon Go (yes, I’m lame, I still play) so that I see something other than 3 grey and 1 purple wall.

If you’re staying home, who is there with you?

My angsty x-box-addicted 18yo son. He takes care of our chicken flock and the rest of our zoo. He’s got a wickedly quick wit and is a talented artist who draws in a manga style

My 16yo autistic daughter, who is kind and loves animals like crazy. But is as lazy as the day is long like a typical teenager. But when she’s bored she’ll go into her room to sing quietly because she’s embarrassed to do it, but I can hear her from my room. She has the most beautiful voice. I don’t tell her I can hear her because I never want her to stop singing.

My ex wife and mom of the kids. We had a complicated relationship for 15 years (duh, I’m very gay) but came out of the divorce friends still. About five years ago, Katie was having very violent behavior problems and I needed help with her, so she moved into our spare room. She still has to work outside the home, so we worry about covid exposure a lot.

We have pets. There are the chickens -- 6 indoor bantam silkies (the 2 boys Ruby-roo, Danny Partridge, and the 4 hens S.W.A.N. [silkie without a name], Blue, Onyx, and Silver [who is the runt and lays the teeniest eggs!] and 6 outdoor darlings: Eggsy and Darkness [ameraucana], Yuki [Hampshire red], Pandora [silverlaced wyandotte], Elvira [black australorpe who is SO SOFT], and Emu our giant brahma rooster. The label when we bought him said ameraucana hen. NOPE. GIANT FUCKING ROOSTER! Who is an absolute sweetie and has the tiniest little crows of our 3 roos.

There are the budgies Kiki and Dot. My son has a bearded dragon named Loki. Then we have 2 fish tanks converted for mixed reptiles & amphibians. We have a toad and a tree frog, three anoles, a little gecko and a salamander. And that’s it. For now. Alex wants a snake. I want a dog. We’ll see.

Are you a homebody?

I’ve always been ‘anti-social’. Gimme a computer and I’m good. A long time ago, I’d’a said, gimme a typewriter. I gotta be able to write.

An event that you were looking forward to that got cancelled?

I love going to the monthly Gaymer’s gathering at the LGBT center with my family, who all fall into the LGBT categories. Miss that a lot. Also the monthly CAH game at the local gamer bar. A few other gaming events.

What movies have you watched recently?

Well, there’s the continual comfort-watching of the MCU. Rewatched Toby Maguire’s first Spider-Man. Zombieland. I Am Legend, Enemy of the State, and Leon/The Professional.

What shows are you watching?

Just finished Ragnarok, Picard, the first season of Jericho, Ozark, Lost In Space (of course I watched that. There’s a pet chicken!) Tried watching The Witcher, couldn’t get past the horrible wig, stopped after 1 episode. Currently watching s3 of The Man In The High Castle. Bored af looking for a new show to watch.

What music are you listening?

Romantic era classical piano music. A bit of bel canto opera. Legendary Pink Dots and Tear Garden, Random goth/industrial stuff.

What are you reading?

Fics are my usual reading. But I’m reading ‘Filthy Shakespeare’ as my current book.

What are you doing for self-care?

Taking my meds so my writer’s block stays far, far away.

Any big projects you’re working on?

Writing the Messages Series. Trying to get the mojo back to write the one remaining chapter of An Accord that isn’t finished, the 2nd to last one. RPing a lot, which is massively fun, creative, and detailed, but prevents the writing much. Need more self-discipline to make me do both. 

Plans for when the quarantine is over?

Go back to the gamers’ meet-ups. They were pretty much my only ‘get out of the house’ things. Visit my mom and step-dad. We can’t go see them because mom has COPD and my dad has lung cancer. So since my ex-wife is still out there working and exposed, we can’t risk exposing them.

[livejournal24]

80 Chicken Breeds Information (A-Z List)

When we think of animals in our lives, one of the last ones that I think about is the chicken even though we eat eggs and chicken weekly. So today, I’m going to enlighten you all on the breeds and differences in chickens. I will describe to you, what chickens are best for laying eggs, which ones are best for meat purposes, the chickens that are best for eggs and meat, show poultry, and Bantam. At the end of the article, you’ll see a list of chickens to have as a reference source.

Chicken Breeds - Type, List, Picture & Information

Meat Breeds We have chicken breeds that are for meat. Many people are worried about hormones in our foods, therefore decided to raise their own food. If you want to follow their lead, these are the chickens to raise. The Cornish Cross is preferred when picking a chicken for meat. They can be up to 12 pounds in 6-8 weeks. The Jersey Giant weigh up to 13 pounds, but they are slow growers who need a lot of food. Bresse is a white chicken that is a fairly large chicken breed. With their bright blue feet, it's not hard to see this bird. They are expensive and popular. They can get up to 7 pounds. Orpington is the last meat chicken I’ll cover. They average 8 pounds and have tender meat. Dual Purpose The three best dual-purpose chickens include Black Australorp, its friendly, a great egg layer, and a great mother. They are protective of the flock. Speckled Sussex, which is beautiful and nice, protective as well. Rhode Island red, great layer and meat, they get up to 8 pounds. There are many resources to find the best meat birds online, so you can pick your favorite chicken to raise and eat. Exhibition/ Show Poultry The poultry show is a small piece of a livestock show, which involves an exhibition and competition of the chickens. Chickens are trained for these shows and they are cleaned very well and given manicures too. The chicken breeders are highlighted at the shows as well. It’s a display of beautiful birds. Related Article - Poultry Farming Guide and Information Bantam What are Bantam chicken breeds? They are a little smaller than other birds and they’re great for small backyards. They are very adorable birds. They are little versions of Brahma chicken. They lay eggs as well, but they do not produce that many eggs per year. They don’t eat much though and their eggs are smaller, but they still taste the same. Now that you know more about breeds of chickens, I’ll provide a list of the breeds of chickens that we have.

The A-Z of Chicken Breeds - Choosing the Perfect One

Ameraucana Egg Laying:Excellent (5/wk)Egg Color:Light BluePrimary use:EggsCold Hardy:YesTemperament:Broody COMING SOON

American Game Egg Laying:Fair (2/wk)Egg Color:Whitish/CreamPrimary use:OrnamentalCold Hardy:YesTemperament:Hardy LEARN MORE

Ancona Egg Laying:Excellent (5/wk)Egg Color:WhitePrimary use:EggsCold Hardy:YesTemperament:Active LEARN MORE

Andalusian Egg Laying:Good (3/wk)Egg Color:WhitePrimary use:EggsCold Hardy:NoTemperament:Active, Gentle LEARN MORE

Appenzeller Spitzhauben Egg Laying:Good (3/wk)Egg Color:WhitePrimary use:EggsCold Hardy:Yes (in winter)Temperament:Forager COMING SOON

Araucana Egg Laying:Good (3/wk)Egg Color:BluePrimary use:Meat/EggsCold Hardy:YesTemperament:Flighty COMING SOON

Asil (Aseel) Egg Laying:Poor (1/wk)Egg Color:Cream or TintedPrimary use:OrnamentalCold Hardy:Yes (in winter)Temperament:Aggressive LEARN MORE

Australorp Egg Laying:Excellent (5/wk)Egg Color:BrownPrimary use:Meat/EggsCold Hardy:YesTemperament:Hardy, Docile COMING SOON

Ayam Cemani Egg Laying:Fair (2/wk)Egg Color:WhitePrimary use:OrnamentalCold Hardy:YesTemperament:Flighty LEARN MORE

Double-Laced Barnevelder Barnevelder Egg Laying:Good (3/wk)Egg Color:Light brownPrimary use:Meat/EggsCold Hardy:YesTemperament:Friendly, Active, Quiet, Lively LEARN MORE

Braekel Egg Laying:Very Good (4/wk)Egg Color:WhitePrimary use:EggsCold Hardy:YesTemperament:Active LEARN MORE

Brahma Egg Laying:Good (3/wk)Egg Color:BrownPrimary use:EggsCold Hardy:FriendlyTemperament:Yes LEARN MORE

Buckeye Egg Laying:Good (3/wk)Egg Color:BrownPrimary use:EggsCold Hardy:YesTemperament:Peaceful COMING SOON

California Gray Egg Laying:Excellent (5/wk)Egg Color:WhitePrimary use:Meat/EggsCold Hardy:YesTemperament:Quiet LEARN MORE

California White Egg Laying:Excellent (5/wk)Egg Color:WhitePrimary use:EggsCold Hardy:YesTemperament:Quiet COMING SOON

Campine Egg Laying:Good (3/wk)Egg Color:WhitePrimary use:EggsCold Hardy:YesTemperament:Active COMING SOON

Catalana Egg Laying:Very Good (4/wk)Egg Color:Pinkish CreamPrimary use:Meat/EggsCold Hardy:YesTemperament:Active COMING SOON

Chantecler Egg Laying:Very Good (4/wk)Egg Color:BrownPrimary use:Meat/EggsCold Hardy:YesTemperament:Gentle COMING SOON

Cochin Egg Laying:Good (3/wk)Egg Color:BrownPrimary use:OrnamentalCold Hardy:YesTemperament:Friendly, Calm, Quiet LEARN MORE

Cornish Egg Laying:Good (3/wk)Egg Color:BrownPrimary use:MeatCold Hardy:YesTemperament:Aggressive LEARN MORE

Cubalaya Egg Laying:Very Good (4/wk)Egg Color:Light brownPrimary use:Meat/EggsCold Hardy:Yes (in winter)Temperament:Forager COMING SOON

Derbyshire Redcap Egg Laying:Very Good (4/wk)Egg Color:WhitePrimary use:Meat/EggsCold Hardy:YesTemperament:Hardy COMING SOON

Dominique Egg Laying:Very Good (4/wk)Egg Color:BrownPrimary use:Meat/EggsCold Hardy:YesTemperament:Forager, Calm, Personable, Hardy COMING SOON

Dorking Egg Laying:Good (3/wk)Egg Color:WhitePrimary use:Meat/EggsCold Hardy:YesTemperament:Calm, Docile COMING SOON

Dutch Bantam Egg Laying:Good (3/wk)Egg Color:Light BrownPrimary use:EggsCold Hardy:NoTemperament:Friendly, Flighty COMING SOON

Easter Egger Egg Laying:Very Good (4/wk)Egg Color:Green/Blue/Pink/MultiPrimary use:EggsCold Hardy:YesTemperament:Peaceful COMING SOON

Faverolles Egg Laying:Very Good (4/wk)Egg Color:Light brown, PinkishPrimary use:OrnamentalCold Hardy:YesTemperament:Gentle, Docile COMING SOON

Fayoumi Egg Laying:Good (3/wk)Egg Color:Off-white, TintedPrimary use:EggsCold Hardy:NoTemperament:Flighty COMING SOON

Hamburg Egg Laying:Very Good (4/wk)Egg Color:WhitePrimary use:EggsCold Hardy:YesTemperament:Docile COMING SOON

Holland Egg Laying:Good (3/wk)Egg Color:WhitePrimary use:Meat/EggsCold Hardy:YesTemperament:Calm COMING SOON

Houdan Egg Laying:Good (3/wk)Egg Color:WhitePrimary use:Meat/EggsCold Hardy:NoTemperament:Sweet, Easily handled LEARN MORE

Iowa Blue Egg Laying:Good (3/wk)Egg Color:BrownPrimary use:Meat/EggsCold Hardy:-Temperament:Skittish COMING SOON

Ixworth Egg Laying:Very Good (4/wk)Egg Color:TintedPrimary use:Meat/EggsCold Hardy:-Temperament:Alert, Active COMING SOON

Jangmigye Egg Laying:Very Good (4/wk)Egg Color:Light BrownPrimary use:OrnamentalCold Hardy:-Temperament:Friendly, calm COMING SOON

Japanese Bantam Egg Laying:Fair (2/wk)Egg Color:Cream or tintedPrimary use:Exhibition /OrnamentalCold Hardy:NoTemperament:Hardy, Bit flighty LEARN MORE

Java Chicken Egg Laying:Good (3/wk)Egg Color:Cream or tintedPrimary use:Meat/EggsCold Hardy:YesTemperament:Hardy, Docile COMING SOON

Jersey Giant Egg Laying:Very Good (4/wk)Egg Color:BrownPrimary use:MeatCold Hardy:YesTemperament:Calm, Docile LEARN MORE

Kuroiler Egg Laying:Good (3/wk)Egg Color:BrownPrimary use:Meat/EggsCold Hardy:-Temperament:Friendly, Feed Continuously, Good Foragers COMING SOON

Lakenvelder Egg Laying:Good (3/wk)Egg Color:Tinted, WhitePrimary use:EggsCold Hardy:NoTemperament:Active, Quick COMING SOON

Lamona Egg Laying:Very Good (4/wk)Egg Color:WhitePrimary use:MeatCold Hardy:-Temperament:Friendly, Docile COMING SOON

Legbar Egg Laying:Very Good (4/wk)Egg Color:Light BluePrimary use:EggsCold Hardy:YesTemperament:Forager LEARN MORE

Leghorn Egg Laying:Very Good (4/wk)Egg Color:WhitePrimary use:EggsCold Hardy:NoTemperament:Nervous, Flighty LEARN MORE

Malay Egg Laying:Fair (2/wk)Egg Color:Light-brownPrimary use:MeatCold Hardy:-Temperament:Aggressive COMING SOON

Marans Egg Laying:Good (3/wk)Egg Color:Dark brownPrimary use:Meat/EggsCold Hardy:YesTemperament:Quiet, Docile LEARN MORE

Marsh Daisy Egg Laying:Good (3/wk)Egg Color:TintedPrimary use:EggsCold Hardy:YesTemperament:Calm, Active COMING SOON

Minorca Egg Laying:Very Good (4/wk)Egg Color:WhitePrimary use:OrnamentalCold Hardy:NoTemperament:Noisy, Flighty COMING SOON

Modern Game Egg Laying:Poor (1/wk)Egg Color:WhitePrimary use:OrnamentalCold Hardy:NoTemperament:Curious, Friendly COMING SOON

Naked Neck Egg Laying:Fair (2/wk)Egg Color:Light brownPrimary use:Meat/EggsCold Hardy:YesTemperament:Cold hardy COMING SOON Read the full article

[following-pixies]

Oh, I am so tired. And I am bad at being a spoonie witch because I want to DO ALL THE THINGS.

But I cannot Do All The Things.

AAAAACK.

BUT. I think I’m doing quite well in serving Cerridwen because holy shit am I good at raising chickens. I have 21 of the little beggars now. I have a blog for them too, a sideblog from my every-day blog, called look-achook.

And because I name everything, they are called: Agapanthus,Buttercup, Foxglove, Marigold, Primrose, Snowdrop, Sundrop, Winterberry, Zinnia, Tansy, Hellebore, Violet, Belladonna, Delphinium, Busy Lizzie, Pepperberry, Dahlia, Bluebell (the second), Frodo, Khione and Tempest.

Pepperberry, Bluebell and Dahlia are Australorps (Blue splash, blue and black respectively.)

Khione and Tempest are winter-hatched silkie chicks, currently five and a half weeks old, hence their winter-themed names (Khione being Greek Goddess of Winter, daughter of Boreas the North Wind).

The rest are cross-breed bantams, Frodo is the rooster, and a handsome wee laddie.

Anyway. Aside from a successful chicken raising year, I’m still feeling very drawn to The Morrigan, although the energy to explore this attraction is pretty much not there. I have so much other stuff I’m trying to do (keep up with the house, write a book, look after the animals, continue to be in a relationship after being single for 20 years) that shit’s pretty overwhelming. I’m not getting out into nature as much as I was, and I want to get that back as well to strengthen the pagan connections. I visited my Morrigan tree yesterday, and had a Morrigan book call me from the shelf at the local library. But action wise it’s... Blah, It’s hard. IDK. I’ve never been good at just doing little things. Like so many people I know who have become chronically ill, I go hell for leather and put everything into whatever I’m doing.

Again, anyway. Just some thoughts. I want to come back to this witchy-pagany space because I do really love the people I connected with here, even if I’m bad at being consistent with my communication. Sorry about that, my dears!

So, hello again! Hoping I manage to get my butt back over here again with some kind of regularity.

[zeebirdskingdom]

Australorp Poultry Farming Business Plan | Some Wrong Definations and Expectations about Australorp Black Australorp chicken farming is very popular among the backyard poultry keepers. The breed is also an ideal choice for the novice domestic poultry keepers. Black Australorp chicken farming is very popular because these birds are good looking, hardy, easygoing and highly prolific layers. The Black Australorp is a chicken breed of Australian origin, which was developed as an utility breed with a focus on eggs production. And the breed achieved world-wide popularity in the 1920s after the breed broke numerous world records for number of eggs laid and has been a popular breed in the western world since. The name of the breed ‘Black Australorp’ is a combination of Orpington and Australian. Because the breed was developed in the early 1900s by Australian breeders from English Black Orpingtons. The Black Australorp chicken is one of eight poultry breeds created in Australia and recognized by the Australian Poultry Standards. The most popular color of this breed is black. But blue and white color varieties of this breed are also available. However, as these birds are highly prolific, so starting a commercial Black Australorp chicken farming business for eggs production can be profitable. And the breed is also very good for producing meat. So, commercial Black Australorp chicken farming can be a good business if you can manage everything perfectly. Colors & Varieties Like many other chicken breeds, the Black Australorp chickens also come in both standard and bantam size and many different colors. Black, blue and white color varieties are available (South Africa recognizes buff, splash, wheaten laced and golden colors). But the black variety is most common and very popular. How to Start Black Australorp Chicken Farming Starting a commercial Black Australorp chicken farming business is very easy and simple, just like starting a chicken farming business with any other domestic chicken breeds. They are very gentle and well behaved birds, and they are very easy to care. Here we are trying to describe more information about starting and operating a successful Black Australorp chicken farming business from purchasing birds to caring and marketing. Purchase Chickens First of all you have to purchase very good quality, healthy and disease free chickens for starting Black Australorp chicken farming business. You can either start with day old chicks or mature birds. But you will need to take extra care of the birds if you raise the chicks.  The Black Australorp chickens are very common and popular throughout the world. So you will probably be able to easily source the birds for purchasing. Consider purchasing the birds from any of your nearest breeding centers or existing farms. You can also search your local online classified websites. Housing Making a good, comfortable and safe housing system is important for Black Australorp chicken farming business. So try to make a good house which is comfortable and safe for your birds. The Black Australorp chickens are suitable for raising in both confined and free range system. Generally 4-5 square feet space is required per bird if you want to raise them in confined system. But they will require more free space if you want to raise them in free range system. While making the house, install good ventilation system and ensure flow of sufficient amount of fresh air and light inside the house. And make the house in such a way so that you can easily clean the house. Feeding Feeding the birds with very good quality and nutritious food is the most important part of Black Australorp chicken farming business. So, always try to feed your chickens with enough fresh and nutritious food. You can feed your chickens with ready-made or commercial chicken feeds which are available in the market. You can also prepare the feed of your own by following the guide about making layer poultry feeds. Never provide your chickens with contaminated feeds. And always provide your chickens with enough clean and fresh water as per their demand. Breeding The Black Australorp chickens are naturally very good breeders. But if you want to produce fertile eggs for producing chicks, then you have to keep good ratio of hens and roosters. Generally one mature rooster is enough for breeding 8-10 hens. Caring The Black Australorp chickens are very hardy and they are long lived birds. And they have a good resistance to the most common poultry diseases. All types of physical deformities such as bent toes or twisted beaks are less in well bred Black Australorp chickens. The Black Australorp chickens can also adopt themselves well with low temperatures and cold weather. They can actually survive well in almost all types of climatic condition and produce eggs. Although taking additional caring will ensure good health and also good growth of the birds.

[teacupchimera]

I'd love the recipe at some point! Mochi is a bantam blue cochin, and Maya, Mango, and Macho are silver sebrights! I also raise Black Australorps for meat and eggs, and I could talk about them for hours because I love them so much! I have a lavender orpington named Valerie, I feel like that's a very chicken like name! -Golden Anon

well, you’re not going to be on anon forever, so I’m sure you’ll have it soon enough XD

oooh, I just looked them all up and they’re all so pretty! that’s so cool ahhhhand yes Valerie is an excellent chicken name 10/10

[josephkitchen0]

Blue and Black Australorp Chicken: A Prolific Egg Layer

Breed: Australorp Chickens

Origin: Originating in Australia, the Australorp chicken breed arrived in the 1920s in America and other parts of the world. They originated from Black Orpington chickens in Britain, which were imported to Australia, where they were mated with Langshan blood to raise their status as meat and egg birds. Since then, this heritage chicken breed’s numbers have dwindled. It was briefly placed on the Livestock Conservancy’s threatened list, and is currently labeled as a recovering breed. They are prolific brown egg layers, and even hold the world record, as one hen laid 364 eggs in 365 days, according to the Guinness Book of World Records.

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Varieties: Black, Blue

Temperament: Gentle

Egg Color: Brown

Egg Size: Large

Laying Habits: 250 per year

Skin Color: White

Weight: Large Fowl: Rooster, 8.5 pounds; Hen, 6.5 pounds; Cockerel, 7 pounds; Pullet, 5 pounds; Bantam: Rooster, 2.5 pounds; Hen, 1.5-2 pounds; Cockerel, 30 ounces; Pullet; 24 ounces

Standard Description: Australorp chickens get their name from their origin as “Australian Orpingtons,” which had been called “Utility Type Orpingtons” before that. They were essentially early Black Orpingtons, and were imported into Australia around the late 1880s. They were refined for Utility purposes and later after the Orpington had been modified in Britain, exported back as Australorps in the early 1920s. They were admitted to The Standard of Perfection in 1929.

Comb: Five distinct points, upright, and ranging from deep pink to red.

Popular Use: Eggs and meat

It really isn’t an Australorp chicken if it has: Splashed or speckled colors.

Quote from an Australorp chicken owner: “My Black Australorps came from Mt. Healthy Hatchery. They have been healthy, active and friendly birds from the beginning. They are a great bird to have around kids and family. Black Australorps are beautiful additions to a backyard flock. There is nothing prettier than watching their black feathers become iridescent in the sun reflecting stunning blues and greens. These are prolific egg layers and do well in hot and cold weather. I love that Black Australorps have black legs and feet with white toenails. It almost looks like they’ve had a manicure!” – Pam Freeman of PamsBackyardChickens.com.

Learn about other chicken breeds from Backyard Poultry, including Orpington chickens, Marans chickens, Wyandotte chickens, Olive Egger chickens (cross-breed), Ameraucana chickens and many more. Promoted by: Mt Healthy Hatchery

  See the Full List of Breed of the Month Features: 

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Blue and Black Australorp Chicken: A Prolific Egg Layer was originally posted by All About Chickens

[jaimetobias]

Picking a type of backyard hens

A major distinction between basic and miniature (or bantam) chickens is the size of the egg they generate. An egg laid by a bantam poultry is around a fifty percent to a third the dimension of an ordinary egg from a full sized poultry. Bantams additionally generate less of these smaller sized eggs in a year. For example, the Isa Brown breed of 鸡肉 will certainly produce about 260 eggs annually, compared with just 150 small eggs from different breeds of bantam hens. So if eggs are essential to you, it's a good idea to choose a full common sized hen.

Variety of Eggs

Different breeds of poultries additionally seem to be able to generate more eggs than others. As discussed, the commercial hybrid 'Isa Brown' has the tendency to lay even more eggs per year compared to various other breeds of hen. Isa Browns will certainly lay about 260 eggs per year, compared with 250 eggs from the Black Australorp and around 200 from the Rhode Island Red. White leghorns are additionally a great greater volume layer laying approximately 195 eggs each year.

Great Types for Hatching Chicks

Every now and then poultries go broody or 'clucky' suggesting that they have the tendency to sit on their eggs in the hope that they'll hatch into chicks. Obviously some bad chickens still do this although they do not have a rooster in their pen to earn fertilization feasible. When the poultries go broody they will quit laying new eggs as well as remain on their eggs, or whatever eggs they could discover, for as much as a month. If a poultry really rests on fertilized eggs, they have the potential to hatch into chicks after 21 days.

Typically bantam types such as 'Silkies' routinely go broody, so these are a good option if you have a fowl want some hens to do the resting. Other breeds such as Rhode Island Reds or Australorps have had their broody reactions reproduced out of them, so you have a poultry focused on laying eggs as opposed to remaining on them. If you make a decision down the track that you wish to hatch some chicks, purchasing some fed eggs and also working with an incubator may be the way to go, due to the fact that it is unlikely these 'unbroody' breeds will certainly get broody simply when you require them to.

Family members Friendly Chickens

If you've obtained children or wish to interact much more with your poultries, you could prefer to pick a type of chicken that does incline being gotten as well as snuggled. If you're not as well fussed regarding obtaining eggs as well as desire the poultries much more as animals, then numerous bantam breeds could an excellent decision.

'Frizzles' are uncommon yet eye-catching looking bantams that have curly feathers that direct upwards as opposed to sitting level versus the body. 'Pekin' is an additional prominent type of bantam that merely looks like a sphere of feathers. They even have feathers on their legs and also feet. Both Silkies as well as Pekins are extremely peaceful creatures and also are excellent pets for youngsters. Like numerous bantam types, Silkies are terrific broody hens.

If you desire a type of chicken that is a wonderful layer and also good with children, Australorps are a good selection. These chickens are black in colour with a beetle environment-friendly shine to their plumes. They are excellent with children and also other pets and also lay a great number of eggs throughout the year.

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Requirement hens or uncommon hens?

The option in between getting conventional sized, common hen (such as an Australorp, Isa Brown or Rhode Island Red) or an extra uncommon type still comes back to the concern of egg amount. If you mainly want a hen that can produce a practical sized egg with a good variety of eggs annually, it is most likley ideal to stay with one of the most usual standard-sized types. Otherwise, then there are numerous lovely breeds to choose from! For something different there are even breeds such as the Araucana that lay very blue/ green eggs! You might even obtain a mix of various basic types: some orangePsychology Articles, some black as well as some white just to earn your yard chicken coop look that little bit more intriguing!

[whattheflockbirbs]

HensDay!

Big and smol 🐔

[whattheflockbirbs]

HensDay!

That one poser in the group 🙄😝