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    • Large Breed Chickens vs. Bantams: Which is Right for You?

      Posted at 8:00 am by HomeDabbler, on May 20, 2020
      HomeDabbler | Variety of Bantam Chickens

      There are hundreds of chicken breeds, but only two large categories.

      “Large breed” chickens are what most people think of when they think “chicken.”

      “Bantam” chickens—aka banties—are essentially miniature chickens, much smaller than large breeds.

      They have some commonalities and many differences.

      So which type is better? That’s up to you, depending on what you want from your flock. To help you decide, here’s a run down of the pros and cons of each.

      Size

      Large breeds are, well, large. Most breeds top out at 4-7 lbs. Some popular breeds include Rhode Island Reds, Barred Plymouth Rocks, and my favorite, Buff Orpingtons. This means they eat more than banties, so the feed cost is a little higher.

      Banties are at least half as small as the normal large breed, some as small as a pigeon. They don’t eat as much so you’ll save on the feed bill.

      Because of their smaller size, you’ll probably need smaller openings in the wire of your run so your banties don’t slip out. The smaller the openings, the more the wire will cost.

      Size also matters if you plan to butcher your chickens for meat. Only large breeds will do for this. Don’t bother with banties when it comes to meat. By the way, I wrote an article about what I learned butchering my own chickens.

      Eggs

      Large breeds lay the eggs you are used to, like in the grocery. While large breed eggs vary in size, you can make a two-egg omelet out of them and not go hungry.

      Banty eggs are tiny. It takes about three of their eggs to equal one large breed. Tiny omelets.

      Temperament

      Like any animal, chicken temperaments are all over the board. However, in my experience, large breeds tend to be more docile and compliant (Except roosters. They’re all mean.)

      Bantams are less domesticated than large breeds, which means they are more wild. When I kept banties, they wanted to sleep in the trees, they jumped the fence, and I’ve never seen chickens fight more or more savagely.

      Appearance

      While there are some ornate large breeds, bantams steal the show when it comes to variety and beauty. If you want weird and wacky chickens to look at, try some banties.

      What kind do you prefer, HomeDabbler?

      You may have guessed, but I’m a large breed guy all the way. I want docile, well-behaved birds that lay big eggs. We definitely went through our banty phase, but grew out of it.

      I know chicken raisers who only have banties. Like I said, it depends on what you want out of your flock (here’s an article to help you decide).

      Either way, I recommend you try both at first to see what suits you. If you need more chicken help, read the articles on my Chicken page. If you have questions, either comment on this post or message me anytime through the HomeDabbler Facebook page.

      Mostly, have fun!

      Kevin

       

      HomeDabbler Chicken Raising Manual for Beginners
      Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment | Tagged backyard chickens, bantam chickens, Chickens
    • Why Have My Chickens Stopped Laying Eggs?! Probably One of These Reasons

      Posted at 3:46 pm by HomeDabbler, on December 29, 2019
      HomeDabbler Blog | Why have my chickens stopped laying eggs?

      Chickens are sensitive creatures.

      While it’s amazing to have a small egg-producing flock in your backyard, there are several very natural reasons why chickens (hens) stop laying eggs, at least for a while.

      The good news is that most times, they start laying again soon. Here are the most common causes.

      1. Weather Extremes

      I live in North Florida where the summers are brutal. Every August my hens stop laying eggs. The heat is just too much and most of their energy goes to surviving it. Same with cold. If your flock slows or stops laying, check the recent weather.

      Don’t worry, this usually works itself out when the weather moderates.

      2. Shorter Daylight Hours

      This is related to weather. On short winter days, chickens will slow or stop laying. Adding a light to their coop and keeping it lit a couple hours in the evening can help with egg production.

      3. Molting

      Most chickens molt once a year. It’s creepy to watch but perfectly natural. However, hens will not lay during a molt. Their body needs all the nutrients it can get to generate new feathers.

      Btw, here’s an article about molting in case you need it.

      4. Poor (Or Improper) Nutrition

      Not all chicken feed is the same. There are different mixes of protein, minerals, fats, and nutrients depending on what you want for your flock. Bottom line: wrong mix = no eggs.

      Make sure your layers are eating a quality 16% protein layer pellet. Other varieties include chick starter and feed for meat birds. We like the Nutrena brand (no, they don’t pay me, but I wish they would. Pass the word).

      5. Trauma or Shock

      If your birds have had a recent scare or attack—a hawk is menacing them or a raccoon killed one of them—they will typically stop laying for a while. Again, they usually pick back up a few days after the incident.

      6. Disease

      Sick hens won’t lay. Most disease in a small backyard flock can be prevented by purchasing vaccinated chicks from a reputable supplier (Murray McMurray is our favorite), giving them quality food and clean water, and providing plenty of open space.

      Treat the disease and she may start laying again. I say “may” because chickens are pretty fragile when it comes to sickness. Many times they simply don’t recover. Doesn’t mean they won’t though. Fingers crossed.

      7. Age

      This is the only one you can’t fix. A hen’s prime time for laying are her second and third years. After that, her eggs will get progressively smaller until she stops laying altogether.

      Some folks butcher their hens after they stop laying, but we don’t. Our girls are free to convalesce into their twilight years.

      In Conclusion

      If you are serious about having a reliably-laying flock, buy sturdy egg-laying breeds from good dealers and you should be fine for the most part.

      We prefer Buff Orpingtons and Rhode Island Reds.

      Questions? Feel free to message me through the HomeDabbler Facebook Page.

      Kevin

       

      HomeDabbler Chicken Raising Manual for Beginners
      Posted in Uncategorized | 0 Comments | Tagged backyard chickens, backyard poultry, Chickens, raising chickens
    • My Chickens Are Losing Feathers! Relax, They’re Probably Molting

      Posted at 2:00 pm by HomeDabbler, on November 24, 2019

      We’re all familiar with a snake shedding its skin. Chickens do something similar about once a year. It’s called molting.

      What does molting look like?

      Molt is when a chicken renews its feathers. The old ones fall out and are replaced with shiny new ones. It can be disconcerting the first time you see it. You will probably think the bird is sick. They certainly look pitiful during the process. But fear not, it is totally natural and will result in a beautiful new coat for your chicken.

      Hens and roosters molt. Hens will also stop laying eggs during their molting period.

      When do chickens molt?

      Molting generally happens in fall or winter, when the days shorten. You’ll notice tufts of feathers missing and others barely hanging on. The chicken may also seem lethargic and irritable during the molt. Or it may act normally. Each one is different.

      How long does it last?

      About two weeks, give or take.

      What do I do?

      It takes a lot of energy for your chickens to molt. Feathers are mostly protein, so they will need to eat a lot. Make sure they have all the quality food they want. And mostly just give them space. No handling or stress. Leave them be and let the process take its course.

      You’ll be surprised at how wonderful they look when they are done.  

      Kevin

      HomeDabbler Chicken Raising Manual for Beginners
      Posted in Chickens | 1 Comment | Tagged backyard chickens, Chickens, molting
    • Preening: How Chickens Groom

      Posted at 1:29 pm by HomeDabbler, on November 23, 2019

      Each afternoon as your chickens get ready for bed, they will congregate and start picking through their feathers with their beaks. They are preening.

      Preening is a way chickens clean themselves. They pick out old feathers and release new ones, clean bugs off their skin, and oil their feathers.

      You didn’t know chickens oil their feathers? Yep, they have a small oil gland at the tip of their tail.

      Watch as your chickens preen – when their heads disappear into their feathers and poke around by their tail, they are getting a drop of oil on their beak to spread through their feathers!

      Chicken oil gland. Chickens pull oil from the gland to oil their feathers during preening.

      The oil helps keep their feathers healthy and also acts as a water repellent. This lets them scratch around in the rain without getting wet and cold.

      Here’s what preening looks like:

      Preening, along with dust bathing, is a natural way for your birds to stay clean and healthy. So make sure they have space to gather, roll around in the dirt, and pick themselves clean.

      You’ll have a lower maintenance and happier flock. And it’s fun to watch. 🙂

      Kevin

      HomeDabbler Chicken Raising Manual for Beginners
      Posted in Chickens | 0 Comments | Tagged backyard chickens, backyard poultry, Chickens, preening
    • Let’s Talk About Roosters

      Posted at 8:00 am by HomeDabbler, on September 20, 2019

      Roosters are gorgeous and majestic, the iconic poultry specimen. That said, I do not have them in my flock and haven’t had for many years.

      Most roosters are extremely aggressive once they reach sexual maturity (about six months old). After that, they are prone to attack you or your children.

      See that spur? It has one job – to stab.

      Don’t roosters protect the flock?

      Contrary to the idea of the noble rooster protecting his flock, more often than not our roosters spent more time harassing the hens.

      If you get a serious predator like a raccoon or fox, even the burliest rooster will be no match, especially at night when these varmints attack.

      Ready for a 24-hour serenade?

      And the crowing. Roosters do not just scream at day break. They crow around the clock, disturbing you and your neighbors.

      But what about eggs?

      The idea is that, without a rooster, your hens will not make eggs. Not true. The female of almost every species makes eggs no matter what. If you have no roosters, you will have no fertilized eggs, so no baby chicks.

      That said, hatching your own chicks is overrated, in my opinion. There are good reasons for just buying them.

      You’ve been warned.

      I know it’s romantic to have a towering rooster commanding your flock. But unless you want to hatch your own chicks, I recommend against it.

      Kevin

      P.S. – Want more chicken articles? Visit our Chickens page.

      HomeDabbler Chicken Raising Manual for Beginners
      Posted in Chickens | 1 Comment | Tagged backyard chickens, backyard poultry, chicken coop, Chickens, raising chickens, roosters
    • Chicken Wire is Useless

      Posted at 8:00 am by HomeDabbler, on September 9, 2019

      It sounds so right.

      Chicken. Wire. Wire for enclosing chickens. What could go wrong?

      A lot. Chicken wire, also called poultry netting, is a lot like duct tape. Used for everything but good for nothing.

      You’ve seen it, the cute honey-comb pattern wrapped around rustic coops, the very model of American farm yard-ery. The only problem is that chicken wire, while visually pleasing, doesn’t do its job, at least not long term.

      The primary reason for enclosing your chickens in their own space – a coop, run, or nursery – is to keep them safe. Chicken wire is made of, well, wire. However, the wire is very thin. It is galvanized to withstand the elements, but will not over the long haul.

      Eventually, your chicken wire will rust and corrode. Because it is so thin, predators like raccoons can (and will) break it. And they don’t need much space to get in. A raccoon or fox can slink through a hole the size of a grape fruit.

      These predators play for keeps. I lost my entire flock of 12 chickens in one night when two coons broke in.

      2″ chicken wire. See how corrode-y?

      There is a better way

      There are three better options to chicken wire, based on application.

      1. 2″ x 4″ weld wire

      Weld wire is also made of galvanized wire, but it is much thicker than chicken wire and will last longer.

      While I do not recommend using weld wire for high-security areas like your run, it is fine for a broody breaker or yard fence.

      2. “Rabbit wire”

      Love this stuff, especially the kind coated with PVC. Rabbit wire is the common name for 1″ weld wire (it is commonly used for rabbit hutches).

      It is expensive, so use it sparingly. You would not use it to cover an entire run (you could, but you better have serious budget), but it is great for nurseries. The small spaces make it impossible for even the tiniest chick or slither-i-est rat snake to pass through.

      3. The ultimate: chain link

      Lasts for ages. Virtually unbreakable. Chain link is the ultimate poultry protection device.

      It is also expensive but you will not have to replace it for years and years and years. No predator (save a bear, maybe) can penetrate it. I use chain link to cover my run – top, sides, and along the ground – and haven’t lost a chicken to a predator since.

      My coop and run. Chain link on top, sides, and along the ground.

      You won’t regret it

      I used chicken wire for way too long and lost many birds along the way. If there is one tip that I wish someone had shared with me when I was a new chicken raiser, it would be this one.

      Dump the chicken wire and use something actually made for chickens.

      Kevin

      HomeDabbler Chicken Raising Manual for Beginners
      Posted in Chickens | 0 Comments | Tagged backyard chickens, backyard poultry, chicken behavior, chicken care, chicken coop, chicken raising, chicken run, chicken wire, Chickens
    • [VIDEO] A Tour of My Chicken Coop

      Posted at 9:26 am by HomeDabbler, on June 23, 2019

      Chicken coops don’t require much, but it is important to get the elements right. Watch this for a quick tour of my poultry Shangri-la.

      Kevin

       

      HomeDabbler Chicken Raising Manual for Beginners
      Posted in Uncategorized | 0 Comments | Tagged backyard chickens, chicken coop, Chickens
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    • Recent Posts

      • Pecking Order is a Thing. Here’s How to Handle It.
      • 2″x 4″ Welded Wire: What It’s Good For and What It’s Not
      • Large Breed Chickens vs. Bantams: Which is Right for You?
      • Why Drought is Good for Your Lawn
      • 3 Things Chicks Need That Big Chickens Don’t
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