Robert T. Ludlow

Cheat Sheet / Updated 03-01-2022

Chickens are gaining popularity quickly. Not only are chickens fun and educational, but they're also beneficial to you and your garden. When you free-range your flock, you gain helpful gardeners who aerate the soil, rid plants of insects, provide composting, and, best of all, supply food — their eggs! Here's how to gain insight on good and bad plants for a chicken garden, layer your garden for free-ranging chickens, and guard against chicken predators.

Cheat Sheet / Updated 02-24-2022

Raising chickens can be fun and rewarding. Whether you’re raising birds for their eggs or for their cackling companionship, caring for your birds is an everyday project. Raising happy and healthy birds means knowing how to take care of baby chicks and what to feed them as they mature.

Article / Updated 12-10-2021

Okay, you’ve picked out the spot. You know where in your garden you want to situate your coop and outside pen. You’ve carefully assessed the size of a chicken flock that is best for you. Chicken coops have many variations. They can be permanent, mobile, new, repurposed, custom, and innovative. Chicken coops can be cheap — as in free — using wood pallets or recycled materials. Or they can be as expensive and fancy as you want. However, chicken coops must have certain features to adequately house chickens. Here are some of the top features a chicken coop should have: Enough space: Chicken coops must follow the suggested square footage-to-bird ratio for the number of chickens it houses. Overcrowding of chickens causes stress and pecking, and it makes them more susceptible to disease and injury. Good ventilation: A well-ventilated coop has windows, doors, and vents that are adjustable to allow air to circulate. Chickens naturally give off ammonia and moisture in their droppings, which build up without removal and adequate air circulation. Excess moisture can cause mold and mildew and a nasty medium for disease organisms. Free from drafts: Drafts are a constant unwanted air blowing that can cause chickens to get sick. Sealing a leak, erecting a barrier wall, and paying attention to the cause of a draft can correct drafts. Proper temperature control: Chicken coop temperatures can fluctuate throughout the day and throughout the year with the different seasons. Access to a chicken coop can help shelter chickens from heat in the summer and cold temperatures in the winter. A chicken’s body operates optimally between the temperatures of 70 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit. Chickens are however surprisingly adaptable to a wide range of temperatures, from sub-freezing to heat over 90 degrees Fahrenheit. It is wise to raise chicken breeds suitable for your climate, especially if you experience high heat or very cold temperatures. Temperatures between 40 degrees Fahrenheit and 85 degrees Fahrenheit are considered suitable temperature ranges for chickens. When suitable temperatures are exceeded, either hot or cold, chickens will change their eating habits and stop laying. Chickens don’t have the ability to perspire. In hot weather, chickens keep themselves cool by “pant breathing” with their mouths open and holding their wings out and away from their bodies. Their wattles and combs also help to keep them cool. When temperatures exceed 95 degrees, chickens may start dying. When temperatures approach freezing, chickens will eat more to obtain energy needed to maintain their bodies and to keep themselves warm. In cold winters, it helps to have your chicken coop roof and walls insulated. Consider adding bales of straw for extra insulation and protection on exposed sides of a chicken coop. In freezing temperatures, make sure your chickens have ventilation but no drafts to counter the moisture in their manure. It is critical that their water remain free-running and not freeze. In some instances, a simple red heat lamp carefully placed and safely secured against fire hazard can keep water from freezing and heat a chicken coop. A chicken coop may not need to be heated, and a heated chicken coop may not necessarily be healthy for a flock. It depends on your climate, weather, and circumstance. Sturdy construction: Chicken coops need to protect chickens from extreme weather, hot sun, heavy rain, and snow. They must be sturdy enough to carry weight and withstand blustery winds. Good drainage: Chicken coops shouldn’t be situated in low spots on your property or garden. A chicken coop should be located where drainage is good and not around wet or problem areas of your garden. Elevate a chicken coop off the ground at least 1 foot for many reasons. An elevated coop ensures air can circulate around the coop, can prevent flooding in flood-prone areas, and prevents rats and mice from nesting. An added bonus of an elevated chicken coop is that it can serve as a structure for free-ranging chickens to escape under from predators. Cleanliness: A chicken coop should be easy to keep clean. It needs to be free from dust, dirt, and cobwebs. Its roof should be watertight. Make sure it doesn’t have any holes for mice and other rodents to get in. It shouldn’t have any nails or sharp objects sticking out that could injure a chicken. It should have a solid floor made out of wood or concrete. A layer of bedding — such as pine shavings, rice hulls, or straw — makes a nice cushion for inside nesting boxes and the floor of the coop. In addition to having the proper features for maintaining a healthy flock, chicken coops need to be positioned correctly in your garden. Chickens respond well to sunlight for their egg laying and overall health. Egg production is stimulated by daylight length. Position your chicken coop and outside pen to access natural light, but don’t forget to provide shade during the hottest months of the year with shade cloth or landscaping. Chickens do best with fresh water at all times and a source for formulated laying mash. A chicken coop helps keep their water clean and their feed dry and protected. Wet feed can become moldy, get rancid, and attract unwanted bugs. Don’t give chickens wet or moldy feed. A chicken coop should provide access seamlessly to an outside pen or the outdoors during the day. Chickens need access to their coop for their nesting boxes and laying their eggs. Sand is a nice material that chickens love and is good for drainage in an outside protected pen.

Article / Updated 06-23-2021

So, what exactly do we mean by "neighbors" in this context? Neighbors are any people who are in sight, sound, and smelling distance of your chickens. Even if it’s legal in your urban or suburban area to keep chickens, the law may require your neighbors’ approval and continued tolerance. And it pays to keep your neighbors happy anyway. If neighbors don’t even know the chickens exist, they won’t complain. If they know about them but get free eggs, they probably won’t complain then, either. A constant battle with neighbors who don’t like your chickens may lead to the municipality banning your chickens — or even banning everyone’s chickens. Regardless of your situation, the following list gives you some ideas to keep you in your neighbors’ good graces: Try to hide housing or blend it into the landscape. If you can disguise the chicken quarters in the garden or hide them behind the garage, so much the better. Don’t locate your chickens close to the property line or the neighbor’s patio area, if at all possible. Keep your chicken housing neat and clean. Your chicken shelter should be as tidy and clean as possible — we're talking five-star resort cleanliness standards here. Store or dispose of manure and other wastes properly. Consider where you’re going to store or dispose of manure and other waste. You can’t use poultry manure in the garden without some time to age because it burns plants. It makes good compost, but a pile of chicken manure composting may offend some neighbors. You may need to bury waste or haul it away. Even if roosters are legal, consider doing without them. You may love the sound of a rooster greeting the day, but the noise can be annoying to some people. Contrary to popular belief, you can’t stop roosters from crowing by locking them up until well after dawn. Roosters can and do crow at all times of the day — and even at night. Roosters aren’t necessary for full egg production anyway; they’re needed only for producing fertile eggs for hatching. If you must have a rooster, try getting a bantam one, even if you have full-size hens. He will crow, but it won’t be as loud. Don’t keep more than one rooster; they tend to encourage each other to crow more. We don't want the boys getting too rowdy. Keep your chicken population low. If you have close neighbors, try to restrain your impulses to have more chickens than you really need. Two hens for each family member works well for egg production. The more chickens you keep, the more likely you will have objections to noise or smells. Confine chickens to your property. Even if you have a 2-acre suburban lot, you may want to keep your chickens confined to lessen neighbor complaints. Foraging chickens can roam a good distance. Chickens can easily destroy a newly planted vegetable garden, uproot young perennials, and pick the blossoms off the annuals. They can also make walking barefoot across the lawn or patio a sticky situation. Mean roosters can scare or even harm small children and pets. And if your neighbor comes out one morning and finds your chickens roosting on the top of his new car, he’s not going to be happy. Cats rarely bother adult chickens, but even small dogs may chase and kill them. In urban and suburban areas, dogs running loose can be a big problem for chicken owners who allow their chickens to roam. Free-ranging chickens can also be the target of malicious mischief by kids. Even raccoons and coyotes are often numerous in cities and suburban areas. And of course, chickens rarely survive an encounter with a car. You can fence your property if you want to and if it’s legal to do so, but remember that lightweight hens and bantams can easily fly up on and go over a 4-foot fence. Some heavier birds may also learn to hop the fence. Chickens are also great at wriggling through small holes if the grass looks greener on the other side. Curious little rascals. Be aggressive about controlling pests. In urban and suburban areas, you must have an aggressive plan to control pest animals such as rats and mice. If your chickens are seen as the source of these pests, neighbors may complain. Share the chicken benefits. Bring some eggs to your neighbors or allow their kids to feed the chickens. A gardening neighbor may like to have your manure and soiled bedding for compost. Just do what you can to make chickens seem like a mutually beneficial endeavor. Never butcher a chicken in view of the neighbors. Neighbors may go along with you having chickens as pets or for eggs, but they may have strong feelings about raising them for meat. Never butcher any chickens where neighbors can see it. You need a private, clean area, with running water, to butcher. If you butcher at home, you also need a way to dispose of blood, feathers, and other waste. This waste smells and attracts flies and other pests. Those of you who raise meat birds and have close neighbors can send your birds out to be butchered. Finally, don’t assume that because you and your neighbors are good friends, they won’t care or complain about any chickens kept illegally.

Article / Updated 06-22-2021

If you love your chickens and have enjoyed free-ranging them on your property, it’s only natural to think of having other farm animals. What joy to have fresh milk, fresh goat cheese, or farm-raised lamb! Chickens are low-maintenance, leave a small livestock footprint, and are adaptable to many different environments. Other farm animals may not be as easy to take care of as chickens and may require more time to manage. Before you add other animals to your land, you must confirm that your zoning requirements specifically allow farm animals such as horses, cows, goats, sheep, pigs, geese, ducks, or guinea fowl. Here's where a country homesteader may have an advantage over those in the suburbs or cities. Rural areas are most likely are zoned for other farm animals and have the space and the capabilities for housing them. Always check your city and county ordinances first, just as you did when planning for chickens. Adding large animals to your chicken farm Oddly enough, chickens get along with most farm animals even though they have such a dominant pecking order within their flock. Free-ranging chickens go about their business, happily foraging to their hearts’ content no matter what other farm animals are around. As social creatures, chickens can comingle among larger farm animals such as horses, donkeys, llamas, cows, sheep, and goats. Although these animals are compatible with chickens, you should consider the risk of underfoot injury and unintentional trampling. In a barnyard situation, chickens can add a little companionship and stability for larger farm animals. In return, there is safety in numbers, and having big animals near chickens may discourage predators. Horses and cows A large flock of free-pasturing chickens can cross-graze after cows and horses, eagerly picking through dung and cow patties for larvae, maggots, and parasites. Most parasites are species-specific, and chickens safely interrupt the parasite lifecycle by eating them. Chickens also keep fly populations down by eating maggots, and they helpfully spread manure and mix it back into the soil. Chickens also eat undigested feed and seeds that are passed through manure, thus saving you money by reducing feed waste. Do not let chickens graze with livestock that have been given chemical de-wormers or any medication. Goats and sheep Goats and sheep are becoming almost as popular as chickens on small-farm homesteads. You can keep goats, sheep, and chickens together in one enclosed pen. Chickens can pick up grain the goats and sheep drop. The presence of larger animals discourages predators. Llamas and donkeys are particularly good at protecting sheep and goats against coyotes and dogs, if they are kept in the same pen. Keeping goats, sheep, and chickens together in a pen may also limit diseases and parasites. Goats are great jumpers. They prefer taking chunks out of trees and shrubs and they can be mischievous in their quest to reach delectable landscape. Don't expect goats to replace your lawnmower; goats won’t eat grass. Pigs Pigs won’t work as companion livestock because they’re omnivorous and may injure or eat your chickens. Pigs need their own environment. Adding other fowl to your chicken farm Other farmland birds aren’t as easy to train as chickens, but they require less space than animals like sheep and horses so they may work for suburban and urban settings. If your city zoning permits other fowl, you can consider ducks, geese, turkeys, guinea fowl, and peacocks. Ducks Some people prefer duck eggs to chicken eggs because of their size and richness. You can raise ducks for meat, too. But ducks are messier than chickens. Because of their webbed feet, ducks don't aerate soil but instead compact it over time, especially in muddy areas. Ducks need access to a clean source of water to swim in, drink from, cleanse themselves, and mate. Snails and slugs aren’t favorite foods of chickens, but ducks will eat snails in your garden. Ducks really like grass, more than chickens do. But don’t house ducks with chickens; there is potential for disease. Ducks can bond with you if you raise them from ducklings, but they tend to be flighty by nature. Indian Runner ducks are fun to watch in the garden because they run upright like wobbly wine bottles. Ducks can successfully free-range with chickens. Geese There’s something romantic about a pair of geese roaming your garden; for one thing, they stick together as a pair because they mate for life. Your geese would prefer to have water to play in, but it's not an absolutely necessity for them as it is for ducks. Like ducks, geese will compact your soil. Geese are big and can be intimidating as they run at you, honking with open wings. For this, they're great watchdogs. Geese bite sometimes, so you'll want to keep small children away from them. Geese are territorial, and they may bully your chickens from time to time. But geese are generally compatible with chickens in a free-range environment. As far as housing goes, it’s best to keep geese in a separate protected pen of their own. Although big, geese can still fall prey to predators because they’re clumsy and slow on their webbed feet. Geese thrive on grass and are considered weeders. However, they tend to eat everything, not just weeds. Geese like grain, too. Turkeys Turkeys are better for country dwellers than urbanites. They’re big, bossy birds that dominate the barnyard and your chickens. Turkeys will trample your plants; they can be curious and sometimes appear to stalk other animals. Watch young children around turkeys. Turkeys and chickens can comingle in a free-range environment but are best housed separately. Chickens can transmit a disease called blackhead to turkeys, so keep both pens clean. Turkeys can eat either a custom non-medicated feed or chicken feed. If you intend to raise turkeys for meat, you will want to feed them the custom turkey feed because it's higher in protein. Turkeys also enjoy eating corn and oats, sunflower seeds, and many greens such as lettuce, Swiss chard, and cabbage. Guinea fowl Guinea fowl are interesting creatures. They can be wild and loud — you'd be surprised how loud! Like geese, guinea fowl are good watchdogs and will let you know if something is amiss; they won't bite interlopers, though. Guinea fowl are prized for their tender, slightly gamey meat, their delicious eggs, and their decorative plumage. Guinea fowl can live with chickens and even mate with them, producing offspring that are sterile. Guinea fowl prefer to roost in trees, and they have to be trained to come into the coop at night; this takes patience on your part. A guinea hen will make a nest and lay her eggs in random, hard-to-find places. They’re great foragers for bugs, but they don't scratch. They're less destructive to your garden than chickens. Peacocks In some movies, you'll see peacocks on an undulating green lawn in front of a stone fountain with a grand estate in the background. Who wouldn't want one or two on their lawn or perched in the trees? Raising peacocks is rising in popularity, and they can co-exist with chickens in a free-range environment. They forage on grass, bugs, seeds, and insects; and they can eat a commercial poultry feed. As with chickens, peacocks need to have grit in their diet to digest their food. The downsides: Peacocks require 80 square feet per bird in their housing. When breeding, they prefer to be by themselves. Peacocks can become wild in a free-range environment. And then there's their deafeningly loud noise. Their beauty is undeniable, but it’s best to do extensive research before deciding whether raising peacocks is right for you.

Article / Updated 06-21-2021

Slowing down your chickens from eating your plants in the garden is hard to do. Chickens love tender succulent greens. You can choose to grow these in your vegetable garden for yourself, and hand-feed them to your chickens, or plant them amongst your various chicken runs or zones for your chickens only to graze on. What is key here, is to let greens grow to maturity, before letting your chickens graze on them. If you have pasture or large zones, try planting them in greens. Chicory, for instance, is a green suitable for pasture planting. Here are some great choices for growing greens in your own garden and then hand-feeding to your chickens: Arugula Beet tops and leaves Brussels sprouts Carrot tops and leaves Cauliflower tops and leaves Chicory Collard greens Endive Kale Kohlrabi Lettuce (all types) Mache (corn salad) Mizuna Mustard New Zealand spinach Radicchio Sorrel Spinach Swiss chard Turnip greens Wheatgrass Hand-feeding these greens to your chickens is a way to keep them from gobbling them up too quickly. If chickens have access to greens, they will most likely eat them all at once. You want to allow the plants to grow to maturity, as some like arugula will self sow. Growing greens in your vegetable garden, allows you to harvest greens for yourself whenever you like, and hand-feed them to your chickens in moderate amounts. Some greens can be grown in your chicken garden where your chickens are free to roam. These greens are actually weeds and are great foraging plants that chickens count among their favorites. Chickweed: Stellaria media. Common cool-season annual. A favorite forage plant of chickens that’s also a good tonic plant for their general health. Dandelions: Taraxacum officinale. Common weed. A good forage plant for chickens and a plant that people also eat. It can be found in mixed pasture grasses. Its leaves can be used in salads. Lambsquarters: Chenopodium album. Cool-season annual. Also called giant goosefoot. Another good forage plant for chickens that’s also an edible plant for humans. Similar in taste to spinach, with a little more mineral taste. Plantain: Plantago spp. Perennial herb and common weed. A good forage plant for chickens. Although it shares the same name, it’s dissimilar to the type of banana. It can be found in mixed pasture grasses. Purslane: Portulaca oleracea. Warm-season annual and common weed. Also called pigweed. It is high in Omega-3 fatty acids for eggs. A good forage plant for chickens. It’s an edible plant for humans and is eaten as a leaf vegetable. Although these greens are considered weeds, some are edibles for humans. Properly identify these types of greens before eating them for human consumption.

Article / Updated 06-18-2021

How do you know if your chickens are normal and healthy? Here are nine signs. Eyes: Chicken eyes should be clear and shiny. When a chicken is alert and active, its eyelids shouldn’t be showing. You shouldn’t see any discharge or swelling around the eyes. Nose: Both nostrils should be clear and open, with no discharge from the nostrils. Mouth: The chicken should breathe with its mouth closed, except in very hot conditions. If cooling the bird doesn’t allow it to breathe with its mouth closed, it is ill. Wings: Most chicken breeds should carry their wings close to the body. A few breeds have wings that point downward. (Study breed characteristics to see what is normal for your breed.) The wings shouldn’t droop or look twisted. Sometimes droopy wings are a sign of illness in the bird. A damaged wing that healed wrong won’t affect the laying or breeding ability of the bird. But some birds are hatched with bad wings, which is usually the result of a genetic problem. These birds should not be used for breeding. Feathers: In general, a chicken shouldn’t be missing large patches of feathers. Hens kept with a rooster often have bare patches on the back and the base of the neck near the back. These patches are caused by mating and are normal. But you should never see open sores or swelling where the skin is bare. Sometimes birds lose feathers, particularly tail feathers, when they're captured. If the bird appears healthy otherwise and the skin appears smooth and intact, it’s probably fine. A healthy bird has its feathers smoothed down when it is active. Some breed differences are noteworthy — for example, a Frizzle with its twisted feathers will never look smooth. A bird with its feathers fluffed out that isn’t sleeping or taking a dust bath is probably ill. Feet and toes: The three front toes of chickens should point straight ahead, and the feet should not turn outward. The hock joints shouldn’t touch, and the toes shouldn’t point in toward each other. Chicken feet shouldn’t be webbed, although occasionally webbed feet show up as a genetic defect. You shouldn’t see any swellings on the legs or toes. Check the bottom of the foot for swelling and raw, open areas. Vent: The feathers under the tail of the chicken around the vent, the common opening for feces, mating, and passing eggs, should not be matted with feces, and you shouldn’t see any sores or wounds around it. Mental state: The chicken should appear alert and avoid strangers if it is in a lighted area. Birds that are inactive and allow easy handling are probably ill. Chickens in the dark, however, are very passive; that's normal. Activity level: Here again, differences exist between breeds, but a healthy chicken is rarely still during the daylight hours. Some breeds are more nervous and flighty; others are calm but busy. In very warm weather, all chickens are less active.

Article / Updated 06-18-2021

Feathers cover most of the chicken’s body. Most breeds of chickens have bare legs, but some have feathers growing down their legs and even on their toes. Other variations of feathering include muffs, puffs of feathers around the ear lobes; beards, long, hanging feathers beneath the beak; and crests or topknots, poofs of feathers on the head that may fall down and cover the eyes. Some breeds of chickens appear fluffy, and some appear smooth and sleek. Chickens with smooth, sleek feathers are called hard-feathered, and birds with loose, fluffy feathers are called soft-feathered. A feather mutation can cause the shaft of the feather to curl or twist, making the feathers on the bird stick out all over in a random fashion. Talk about a bad hair day! These birds are called Frizzles. The Frizzle mutation can occur in a number of chicken breeds. Birds shed their feathers, beginning with the head feathers, once a year, usually in the fall. This shedding period is called the molt, and it takes about seven weeks to complete. The molt period is stressful to chickens. Types of feathers Contour feathers are the outer feathers that form the bird’s distinctive shape. They include wing and tail feathers and most of the body feathers. Down feathers are the layer closest to the body. They provide insulation from cold temperatures. Down feathers lack the barbs and strong central shaft that the outer feathers have, so they remain fluffy. Silkie chickens have body feathers that are as long as the feathers of normal chickens, but their outer feathers also lack barbs, so the Silkie chicken looks furry or fluffy all over. Feathers also vary according to what part of the chicken they cover. The following list associates these various types of feathers with the chicken’s anatomy: On the neck: The row of narrow feathers around the neck constitutes the hackles. Hackle feathers can stand up when the chicken gets angry. These feathers are often a different color than the body feathers, and they may be very colorful in male birds. In most male chickens, the hackle feathers are pointed and iridescent. Female hackle feathers have rounded tips and are duller. On the belly and midsection: The belly and remaining body areas of the chicken are covered with small, fluffy feathers. In many cases, the underside of the bird is lighter in color. On the wings: Chickens have three types of feathers on the wings. The top section, closest to the body, consists of small, rounded feathers called coverts. The middle feathers are longer and are called secondaries. The longest and largest feathers are on the end of the wing and are called primaries. Each section overlaps the other just slightly. On the legs: Chicken thighs are covered with soft, small feathers. In most breeds, the feathers end halfway down the leg, at the hock joint. In some breeds, however, the legs have fluffy feathers right down to and covering the toes. On the tail: Roosters have long, shiny, attractive tail feathers. In many breeds, the top three or four tail feathers are narrower and may arch above the rest of the tail. These are called sickle feathers. Hens have tail feathers, too, but they are short and plainly colored, and they don’t arch. Anatomy of a feather Feathers are made of keratin, the same stuff that comprises your fingernails and hair. Each feather has a hard, central, stem-like area called a shaft. The bottom of the mature shaft is hollow where it attaches to the skin and is called a quill. Immature feathers have a vein in the shaft, which will bleed profusely if the feather is cut or torn. Immature feathers are also called pinfeathers because when they start growing, they are tightly rolled and look like pins sticking out of the chicken’s skin. They are covered with a thin, white, papery coating that gradually wears off or is groomed off by the chicken running the pinfeather through its beak. When the cover comes off, the feather expands. When the feather expands to its full length, the vein in the shaft dries up. New feathers, old feathers Chickens can lose a feather at any time and grow a new one, but new feathers are more plentiful during the molting period. The age of a chicken has nothing to do with whether a feather is mature. On both sides of the shaft are rows of barbs, and on each barb are rows of barbules. The barbules have tiny hooks along the edge that lock them to their neighbors to make a smooth feather. When chickens preen themselves, they are smoothing and locking the feather barbs together. Feathers grow out of follicles in the chicken’s skin. Around each feather follicle in the skin are groups of tiny muscles that allow the feather to be raised and lowered, allowing the bird to fluff itself up. How feathers get their colors The color of feathers comes both from pigments in the feather and from the way the keratin that forms the feathers is arranged in layers. Blacks, browns, reds, blues, grays, and yellows generally come from pigments. Iridescent greens and blues usually come from the way light reflects off the layers of keratin. The way the light reflects off the feather is similar to the way light reflects off an opal or pearl. Male chickens generally have more iridescent colors.

Article / Updated 06-18-2021

Serious illness is unlikely in a backyard chicken flock, especially if you vaccinate the chickens. All the same, it’s good to be aware of illnesses in case you're ever wondering, is my chicken sick? Diseases can spread from wild birds and pests, so keep an eye out during your daily health checks for the symptoms listed below. Avian Pox/Fowl Pox: Symptoms: White spots on skin; combs turn into scabby sores; white membrane and ulcers in mouth, on trachea; egg laying stops; all ages affected. How contracted: Viral disease; mosquitoes, other chickens with pox, and contaminated surfaces. Treatment: Supportive care, warm dry quarters, soft food; many birds with good care will survive. Vaccine available: Yes; recovered birds are immune and do not carry the disease. Botulism: Symptoms: Tremors quickly progressing to paralysis of body, including breathing; feathers pull out easily; death in a few hours. How contracted: Caused by a bacterial by-product and by eating or drinking botulism-infected food or water. Treatment: Antitoxin available from vet, but expensive. If found early try 1 teaspoon Epsom salt dissolved in 1 ounce warm water dripped into crop several times a day. Vaccine available: None; locate and remove source, usually decaying carcass, carcass near water, or insects that fed on the carcass or the water the carcass is in. Fowl Cholera: Symptoms: Usually birds over 4 months — greenish yellow diarrhea; breathing difficulty; swollen joints; darkened head and wattles; often quick death. Does not infect humans. How contracted: Bacterial disease; wild birds, raccoons, opossums, rats, can carry. Also transmitted bird to bird and on contaminated soil, equipment, shoes, clothing contaminated water and food. Treatment: None — destroy all infected birds if recovery occurs the bird will be a carrier. Vaccine available: Yes, but only your state's agriculture department can administer it. Infectious Bronchitis: Symptoms: Coughing; sneezing; watery discharge from nose and eyes; hens stop laying. How contracted: Viral disease; highly contagious; spreads through air, contact, and contaminated surfaces. Treatment: Supportive care; 50 percent mortality in chicks under 6 weeks. Vaccine available: Yes. Give to hens before 15 weeks of age because vaccination will cause laying to stop. Infectious Coryza: Symptoms: Swollen heads, combs, and wattles; eyes swollen shut; sticky discharge from nose and eyes; moist area under wings; laying stops. How contracted: Bacterial disease; transmitted through carrier birds, contaminated surfaces, and drinking water. Treatment: Birds should be destroyed as they remain carriers for life. Vaccine available: None. Mareks Disease: Symptoms: Affects birds under 20 weeks primarily; causes tumors externally and internally; paralysis; iris of eye turns gray, doesn’t react to light. How contracted: Viral disease; very contagious; contracted by inhaling shed skin cells or feather dust from other infected birds. Treatment: None; high death rate and any survivors are carriers. Vaccine available: Yes, given to day old chicks. Moniliasis (Thrush): Symptoms: White tacky substance in crop; ruffled feathers; droopy looking; poor laying; white crusty vent area; inflamed vent area; increased appetite. How contracted: Fungal disease; contracted through moldy feed and water and surfaces contaminated by infected birds. Often occurs after antibiotic treatment for other reasons. Treatment: Yes. Ask a vet for Nystatin or other antifungal medication. Remove moldy feed and disinfect water containers. Vaccine available: No. Mycoplasmosis/CRD/Air Sac Disease: Symptoms: Mild form — weakness and poor laying. Acute form — breathing problems; coughing; sneezing; swollen infected joints; death. How contracted: Mycoplasma disease; contracted through other birds (wild birds carry it); can transmit through egg to chick from infected hen. Treatment: Antibiotics may save birds — see a vet. Vaccine available: Yes. Newcastle Disease: Symptoms: Wheezing; breathing difficulty; nasal discharge; cloudy eyes; laying stops; paralysis of legs, wings; twisted heads, necks. How contracted: Viral disease; highly contagious; contracted through infected chickens and wild birds and is also carried on shoes, clothes, and surfaces. Treatment: None. Birds under 6 months usually die; older birds can recover. Recovered birds are not carriers. Vaccine available: Yes, but the U.S. is working to eradicate the disease. Omphalitis (Mushy Chick): Symptoms: Newly hatched chicks — enlarged, bluish, inflamed naval area; bad smell; drowsy, weak chicks. How contracted: Bacterial infection of naval from unclean surfaces or chicks with weak immune systems. Can spread from chick to chick on contaminated surfaces. Treatment: Antibiotics and clean housing sometimes help, but most chicks will die. Remove healthy chicks immediately to clean quarters. Vaccine available: None. Use caution handling — staph and strep that cause this disease may infect humans. Pullorum: Symptoms: Chicks are inactive; may have white diarrhea with pasted rear ends; breathing difficulty; asymptomatic death possible. Older birds — coughing; sneezing; poor laying. How contracted: Viral disease; contracted through carrier birds and contaminated surfaces, clothing, and shoes. Treatment: Destroy all infected birds — birds that recover are carriers. Most chicks infected will die. Vaccine available: No vaccine, but there is a blood test to find carriers. While the U.S. is trying to eradicate this disease, buy chickens from Pullorum-negative flocks only.

Article / Updated 06-16-2021

Creating a free-ranging chicken run or zone works well in orchards. Chickens easily forage around the trees, and on fallen fruit in an orchard. Trees are considerably higher in height than chickens, so the fruit doesn’t come into contact with the chickens, making it safe for humans to eat. An orchard is defined as a piece of land intentionally planted with trees for food production. Orchards can have many sizes and varieties of trees, but generally they’re fruit and nut trees. Putting your chickens to work Chickens benefit an orchard by eating falling fruit, bugs, insects, maggots, and caterpillars, and by fertilizing the orchard at the same time. Chickens foraging in an orchard can eat and decrease orchard pests without the use of pesticides. Some common orchard pests are the apple maggot, codling moth, plum curculio, grubs, worms, larvae, and the European earwig. Different types of pests eat different areas of the fruit. Caterpillars gravitate to the apple core, while apple maggots feed on fruit flesh. Allow chickens to free-range in your orchard in early spring before adult pests emerge and affect your fruit crop. Return them to the orchard after your crop starts ripening. Pest-ridden fruit usually drops first, leaving the unaffected fruit safe on the trees. Chickens clean up all the dropped fruit and effectively lower the insect pressure for the next year. Planning your orchard You can find fruit trees specific to your region and plant zones. Seek help through local nurseries, clubs that specialize in home orchards, rare fruit tree nurseries, and cooperative extension offices. Fruit trees need plenty of sun and well-drained soil. Planting young fruit trees may mean an investment of three to five years before your first edible crop. Consistent pruning and care throughout the year is always key with these types of trees. As with other plants and trees, research requirements such as size at maturity, chill hours, and recommended pollinators for trees to flourish. What are chill hours and pollinators? Here’s the scoop: Chill hours are a standard measurement of hours below 45 degrees Fahrenheit that many types of deciduous trees, shrubs, perennials, and bulbs require to flower well. Chill hours are an especially important measurement for fruit trees to bear fruit. Pollinator is a transfer of pollen from one part of a flower to another or from one plant to flowers of another for fertilization and seed production. Some fruit trees can be self-pollinators, while others require certain desirable varieties to act as pollinators. Plant a chicken-friendly edible cover crop. The cover crop enhances your soil in the orchard and provides more food for your chickens. Remember not to let your chickens overgraze your orchard. Rotate them in and out of this zone throughout the year. Although citrus orchards are common, don’t hand feed your chickens any citrus. Chickens generally aren’t interested in citrus trees or dropped citrus fruit on the ground. Here are some of the many different theories why chickens can’t have citrus: Chickens are one of the few animals that can actually make their own vitamin C. Feeding them citrus would result in excessive vitamin C in their bodies. Citrus contains tannin, limonene, and other natural substances that are toxic to poultry. Eating citrus may interfere with chickens’ calcium absorption, affecting eggshell quality. Examples of fruit trees for a chicken garden If you have orchards full of one of the following fruit trees, consider giving your free-range chickens some time there: Apple: Malus spp. Deciduous trees. Zones vary by species. Some species have showy fruit and flower buds. Many varieties are available. Apricot: Prunus armeniaca. Deciduous trees. Zones vary by species. Have showy fruit and flower buds. Cherry: Prunus spp. Deciduous trees. Zones vary by species. Have showy fruit and flower buds. Come in sweet and sour varieties. Fig: Ficus carica. Deciduous trees. Zones 7–11. Versatile tree for espaliered design, containers, and in the garden. Wonderful fruit and foliage. Mulberry: Morus. Deciduous trees. Zones vary by species. Fruit resembles small blackberries. Chickens love to eat the fruit. Peach and nectarine: Prunus persica. Deciduous trees. Zones vary by species. Beautiful stone fruit. The symbol of summer fruit. Persimmon: Diospyros spp. Deciduous trees. Zones vary by species. Beautiful foliage for the garden. Fuyu Persimmon orange-colored fruit is firm and shaped like a flat tomato. Plum: Prunus spp. Deciduous trees. Zones vary by species. Beautiful stone fruit. Many varieties are available. Pomegranate: Punica granatum. Deciduous shrubs or trees. Zones 7–10. Beautiful ornamental fruit. Fruit can be messy when opened. Chickens love to eat the seeds.