“If you like chickens….”

“If you like chickens, are interested in chickens, have chickens, want chickens,
live near chickens, or are a chicken – you should get this book.”

….and so the review concluded on Amazon. I felt rather proud to have been involved in the writing of that book even if the comment brought a chuckle to my face.

I have a lot of poultry books and obviously as a co-author of the above you’d expect me to say it’s a good book…. but it is! And whilst you might think this is just some PR to boost sales…. it isn’t, I’ve had my pay cheque already. Instead I’ll leave to another poultry keeper to share his review…

“I have a large collection of poultry books from the 1930′s through to the present day and I am always eager to open the cover of a new release to see what else I can learn about chickens which have become part of my working life as well as my passion.
There are so many very basic ‘how to keep chickens’ books out there and once you’ve seen one… it gets a little, well, boring reading another and lets face it there are some good websites out there these days with a lot of this kind of information available.
“The Chicken. A Natural History” is different. It is not a ‘how to’ book but is aimed at pretty much anyone interested in chickens, beginner or not. The first 4 chapters covers what science can tell us about chickens. From evolution and domestication to anatomy, biology, behaviour, intelligence and learning, all fascinating chapters that are well presented with no shortage of amazing photos.
From wattles and combs to hatching, flock formation to chicks imprinting on their mother, it really is all covered in this book!
The fifth and final chapter covers an introduction to the breeds which covers many of the different breeds you will come across. From layers to table birds, Game to ornamental breeds, each with their own photograph and breed profile covering their origins, some history and information about their behaviour and upkeep. This chapter is very well written and could make a small book of its own!
Overall, an excellent book. I think this could well be in my top 3 best books on chickens. If you want to learn about chickens and their breeds, don’t look any further, this is definitely the book for you.”

….and on that note, best I press on with writing the next book….. well maybe later, I feel the urge to go sit in the sunshine in the middle of the field surrounded by Brahma’s and read a book  :-)

The Edible Garden Show 2013

It was my first time at the Edible Garden Show this weekend gone (15^th-17^th March) and I was along there with NFU Countryside Magazine offering Chicken Surgeries, in the ‘Potting Shed’ interviewing Genevieve Taylor about her excellent new book “A Good Egg”, hanging out with Victoria Roberts in the Smallholder marquee and sitting on the “Ask the Expert” desk answering questions on chickens and gardening (although I was probably asked if I knew where the toilets were more often than any other question)

It’s the third year the show has run and the size of the crowds on all three days (despite Friday being Red Nose Day and Saturday being the crunch match in this years Six Nations Rugby) were testament to the huge numbers of people who are electing to grow more of their own food.

For many years I’ve understood and appreciated the value of poultry as part of a productive garden and a self supporting lifestyle, and I’ve long being saying that the large increase in backyard keepers is not some fad but simply the fact it’s a natural step to take when you are a grow your veg sort of person. The amount of floor space & talk time at the show dedicated to poultry was a reflection of that, and the fact the planned surgeries dissolved into a full on, flat out Q&A session seemed to prove the point too. People are hungry for knowledge and are keen to get the best out of their birds and ensure the birds get the best out of their land.

Some of us are even dreaming of more land and more chickens (my apologies to Alys Fowler, it was a momentary lapse in concentration)

 

10 things you wanted to know about chickens but were afraid to ask – 3#

SOFT SHELLED EGGS.

As your chickens come back into lay then there is always a chance you might stumble across a soft shelled egg but what precisely are these, why do they occur and how can you prevent them?

Soft shell eggs are those which are laid with only the inner and outer membrane in place. In fact the term ‘soft shell’ is actually incorrect as the egg is laid with no shell at all. They can occur in two circumstances, firstly when the hen is rushed into laying her egg meaning it is laid before the shell is formed. This can occur due to a sudden stress or shock but also in a period of excitement. Secondly these sorts of eggs can be laid as a result of a deficiency in calcium or vitamin D within the diet. This can occur during warm weather when the hen is eating less and isn’t getting sufficient calcium in her diet to produce the egg shell so supplements of liquid calcium can help. It’s not unusual for a hen to lay one or two ‘softees’ in a season however if a hen consistently lays eggs like this there could be an underlying viral condition that will need checking.

One important thing to do if you have a ‘softee’ layer is to ensure you remove the ‘egg’ as soon as possible after laying. If not it may get broken under the feet of the other hens or possible eaten. If the former occurs then it could result in further ‘egg eating’ but that’s an issue for another post.

Are they safe to eat… well yes, just not all that appetising to look at or very easy to crack open on the edge of a pan.

A soft shelled egg, or more accurately, an egg without a shell!

10 things you wanted to know about chickens but were afraid to ask – 1#

Breeding chickens means you will inevitably get cockerels. Options for the cockerels are as follows:

1. Grow them on for the table
2. Sell them as part of a breeding group
3. Sell them to another breeder who is wanting new blood
4. Sell them at an auction that takes single cockerels or pens of cockerels but be aware that they will at best end up on a table or worse still used be used illegally either as live food or for training fighting birds
5. Rehome them through one of the many recycling websites or publications
6. Keep them which is fine if you have the space/finances to feed & house them
7. Cull them out as soon as you are able to sex them (on day one for commercial hatcheries)

It might seem like a fine life being a cockerel in a breeding group of many hens, mating 20-30 times a day, eating, sleeping and never having to lay an egg (the human equivalent of passing bowling ball) but for the huge majority of those that are hatched that’s a reality they will never experience.

Bresse cockerel – a breed for the table

Table Poultry – Meat Breeds

As we enter the new year a number of people have asked me about that they working with some larger breeds of chicken to provide meat for the table. My first response is that its not the cheapest thing to do but thats primarily because the price of chicken meat in the supermarkets is so low. However to compare a slow maturing 20 week old pure bred table bird with a fast to fatten 7 week old shop bought broiler is a little like comparing oak with pine; and its not just a price difference but also weight and density of the wood that puts oak above pine. The same can be said of home grown chicken meat, the longer maturing bird is noticably different in texture and taste.

So whats behind these breeds of poultry? They were developed with the primary aim of providing meat for the table. The surplus cockerels from many of the laying breeds proved too lightweight to supply a practical source of meat, and whilst the dual purpose or utility breeds straddled the line well in terms of fulfilling the need for eggs and meat, neither gained weight fast enough to warrant them being an effective source of inexpensive meat. Original these breeds came about by unintentional matings
between different breeds that occasionally resulted in fast growing, heavy
weight offspring. Careful selection of these larger offspring and further
breeding then resulted in consistently weighty results. Post WWII many of these
breeds became obsolete by the emergence of the table hybrids designed to meet
the increasing demand for a cheap protein source, however some can still be
found on small scale farms and smallholdings.

Fundamentally, the breeds within this category are heavy and large with the males of some breeds exceeding 5kgs in weight, and the hens not too far behind thus maximising the potential of both sexes to be used in the kitchen. As such they are not really suitable where small children are involved. That said, a breed that is active and flighty is not a breed that will put on weight quickly, so table breeds do tend to be more placid and slow moving birds. They are also very tolerant amongst themselves and not prone to aggression towards each other or the keeper.

The breeds are also a fast growing (although not when compared to a commercial strain) with a lot of the weight being put into the breast. This shifts the birds centre of gravity forwards giving them a more full chested profile.

The development of them for meat meant little attention was paid to their laying qualities and as such some are relatively poor layers when compared with those developed for egg production. They do however show a greater propensity towards brooding than the laying types with the hens making excellent mothers Due to their size it also means they are capable of hatching quite large clutches of eggs.

The majority of these breeds do not readily take to the wing and can be kept behind relatively low fencing. In fact their general docility and mobility is such that they will quite happily live with a penned space as opposed to needing large areas to range over. Due to their size and nature they can have quite an appetite and it’s important to ensure they are adequately fed but not over fed, or with anything too rich in calories, as this can lead to the birds becoming fat and in turn result in leg problems if left unchecked. By the same measure they do need exercise to avoid running to fat. Within a small enclosure this can be achieved by hanging greens just out of reach so the bird has to stretch and jump slightly to access the fodder.

Due to their large size their accommodation needs to be given careful consideration. Pop holes need to be large enough for them to easily enter and exit the house, the nest boxes need to be large enough for the hens to sit comfortably without causing damage to their plumage and perches should not be situated too far off the floor level to reduce the risk of leg injuries when they alight.

At the end of the day though what you produce will hopefully give you an idea of what chicken actually does taste like. You will find that you eat less of it because its more filling and hence the bird may well last 2 or even three meals. And if you run that against the supermarket bird then perhaps it could well be price competitive.

Winter pruning of blackcurrants

A well managed blackcurrant bush can provide quite a harvest in the year with more than enough to meet the need of the kitchen and very often surplus to freeze for the winter months. If left to their own devices though they become overcrowd, begin to crop poorly and become prone to viral diseases and gall mite if they are simple left to their own devices.

 

Pruning out the heavy fruiting branches during the summer does make harvesting easier and benefits the plant in allowing more air and light to reach the centre of the bush but I find a spot of winter pruning helps maintain the vigour of the plant and means the plant remains a productive part of the fruit garden for much longer. Aside from it being a handy winter garden task when the rest of the vegetable garden has slowed down, the leaf drop means it easier to see the overall structure of the bush.

 

The objective of winter pruning of blackcurrants is to try and create a light airy upright habit and shape with as much of the last seasons new growth available as these will be the main fruit bearing branches in the new season. To do this you will need to carefully select and remove the branches that are causing congestion at the base of the plant and those that are cluttering up the upper levels of the plant.

 

An hours clever and careful winter pruning of a neglected blackcurrant bush can be very successful, and whilst the pruning required may initially reduce the crop in the following season, in future years it will pay you back in spades, or should that be crumbles, ice-creams and jams.

 

What You Will Need

Tools

• Secateurs
• Lopers or  a small pruning saw

 

Step 1

Look closely at the unpruned bush. Try to pick out the crowd or stagnant areas and look for the main growth and stems that will contribute to a bowl structure and identify those that cause poor air circulation.

Step 2

Familiarise yourself with the different types of growth. The new shoots (which will fruit next year) will have smooth bark the colour of strong tea.

 

Step 3

Second year growth will have already have fruited in the last season. The bark will be a rough grey colour and it may carry a loose bunch, or strig, of fruit stems.

Step 4

The bark of third year growth is black and rough to the touch. These will not have borne fruit in the last season but they will be carrying the important second and first year growth.

Step 5

Start pruning by cutting out the weak and congested whips from the centre of the shrub. Whilst these could bear fruit in the coming season the crop will be poor and their growth will reduce air circulation and promote disease. Also remove and burn any diseased branches.

Step 6

Identify the third year growth that is either unproductive (ie not carrying a good crop of second & first growth) or doesn’t contribute to the overall upright habit and shape of the bush. Lop this out as close to the ground as possible.

Step 7

Remove any branches that cross over and are rubbing. These run the risk of damaging the bark and encouraging disease

Step 8

Prune out any second year growth that either is not supporting good first year growth or is not adding to the overall shape of the bush

Step 9

Finally scatter some good organic granular fertilizer around the base of the plant and then mulch it with some good quality homemade compost.

 

Apple Tree Recovery – Pruning & how to revive an old tree

When we moved here some years back we were presented with quite a wilderness. The house was just about to reach at least its second dereliction in as many decades and the garden was in need of some serious help to try and bring it back to some semblance of order. A previous owner had planted up some wonderful fruit trees included a variety of Shropshire prune, plus a number of apple, cherry and pear trees however these had been abandoned for a number of years and its taken sometime to gradually bring as many as we could back into productivity. Ok, some people would advocate starting over with new stock plants but I really hate cutting trees down unless there is a very good reason such as disease or safety, besides theres something wonderful about a knarled old Bramley bursting into life again.

By the end of February is essential you have most of your fruit tree pruning complete before the plant begins to grow so heres a step by step guide to recovering a neglected spur bearing apple tree.

 

This particular tree has been pruned over previous years as it was in a terrible state so if you have one that really is a congested mess then execute this process over a 3 year period in order to control the regrowth and achieve a level of productivity without stressing the tree and exposing it to potential infection or disease.

As a basic rule of thumb the first pruning activity should be the 3D’s, this is to prune out the diseased, dead or damaged branches, but by the same measure you should look to shape the tree into a bowl structure. This will let light and air through into the canopy which will not only mean healthy growth but quality productive growth. As my grandfather told me once ‘aim to create a bowl shape with enough space for a pigeon to fly through and it’ll see you right’. The old fella’s tips have never failed me yet!

 

What you will need

Tools

• Pruning saw/Bow saw
• Secateurs
• Long handled loppers

 

Step 1

No action in this step, just observation. Take a good long look at the tree structure, try to visualise a bowl like shape. It’s always good to take step back and observe throughout the process also.

 

Step 2

Using a pruning saw remove all dead or diseased wood, cutting back to the main branch or trunk

 

Step 3

Look for any crossing branches, they will usually show rubbing on the bark as this one does. Remove them, they will cause a wound for disease in the long run.

 

Step 4

Prune out any whips growing on the main trunks, these will be unproductive and reduce the light and air in the tree if left to grow.

 

Step 5

Using a bow saw or pruning saw remove any central trunks that may sprout whips and interfere with the bowl structure you are looking for.

 

Step 6

Cut out two out of every three of the remaining new growth whips. Long handled loppers make this job quicker than ladders

 

Step 7

Prune the remaining new growth down to three buds from the main branch cutting about an inch beyond the terminal bud.

 

Step 8

Apply a good mulch of well rotted compost to keep the weeds down and give the tree a boost after its ‘surgery’

 

Step 9

Stand back, have a cup of tea, and survey the shape. Identify if there is any remaining pruning required in order to achieve that desired bowl shape

 

Fruits of your labours

Battery Eggs – The EU & their New Years Resolution

The concept of a New Years Resolution can be crap can’t it? People set off with a vaguely positive intent then in the end, more often than not, it gets forgotten after a couple of weeks and you slink away trying to remember who you told about it, feeling slightly uncomfortable that a resolution of creating a resolution you could stick to would have been more appropriate.

Perhaps the solution to the resolution conundrum is to not make a resolution at all? Perhaps it should be to support somebody else in ensuring they achieve theirs, that way you don’t get the mild embarrassment of failing to stick to yours, but you do get the benefit of knowing you are doing something to help someone else with theirs. It’s an interesting concept filled with positives and I know just the person…. the EU.

Sometime ago the EU brought in legislation to outlaw the use of barren battery cages for egg laying hens. The legislation was passed and out of the idleness/goodness of their hearts, the EU made the deadline for the removal of battery cages 12 years after the date the it was passed. That’s T W E L V E long years…. Well 1^st January 2012 marks THE date when battery cage systems for poultry are illegal…… but guess what? There are EU member countries that have still not fully implemented the ban or even made any effort to implement it,  and those lovely fuzzy people in the land of the EU are still now debating the regulations concerning the legalities of exporting battery eggs across Europe, and worst still allowing the export into those member countries that have fully conformed!

This EU legislation has to be potentially one of the most public New Years Resolutions in existence. 12 years ago 1st January 2012 marked the end of all battery caged systems for chickens, and just like so many other people, the good old EU is in very really danger of slipping up and failing in its resolve. But they said it, and unlike some of us, it wasn’t whispered to a few close friends just in case it couldn’t be kept. No, it was VERY public and there’s no ‘slinking away’ from this one. 

You can perhaps sense the of spitting of feathers and potential of a soap box rant about to start but no, I’ve ranted for many a year already and busted many a soap box. I’m not going to go on about welfare, besides if you give a jot about animal welfare you’ll be fully versed, and already avoiding eggs from such farming methods. The same applies if you actually think about what you eat, you will already be making sure the eggs you consume are not from battery systems. In fact it’s distinctly likely that if you frequent this blog then you are probably an advocate of non-battery systems for egg production already….. but if, and its possible, you stumbled on this blog and are reading this for the first time and you’ve not really considered this issue in any depth then be a good person, and help the EU from stumbling into the new year and screwing up the New Years Resolution its spent 12 years building up to.  

Make 2012 will be the year where you ask about the source of the egg products you are about to purchase and don’t buy battery.

If the vendor doesn’t know then don’t buy it, you could (as could the vendor) be inadvertently supporting a battery farm from the EU member countries who obviously have little or no care for poultry, agriculture, food, the law… the list goes on. Vote with your feet and go buy from somewhere that does know and be confident that you are not supporting the sale of illegal eggs.

12 years is a long notice period but a deadline is a deadline. If the politicians don’t have the back bone to make it happens across the board as promised and are that incompetent that they can’t legislate against illegal egg producers and support those who remain legal, then it’s down to the food producers and consumers to make damn sure they do.

2012 – The End Of Battery Cages, make sure THE END means THE ABSOLUTE END and don’t allow illegal eggs into your food chain.

 

Llnclys Hall Farm Shop –annual pumpkin harvest

I’ve driven past Llnclys Hall Farm and its shop many times over the years, it’s on the Oswestry to Welshpool road, which given that’s one of the few main routes out of Oswestry then that should come as no real surprise to anyone local reading this.

I’ve been into the farm shop on a number of occasions over the years too but one thing which always stands out to me is the shop at this time of year. Why? It’s because of the pumpkins. Some years back there would be a few pumpkins placed on the roadside wall which you would see when driving by. As time passed each year would see a slightly bigger display and each year we would pop in to buy a few, in part for Halloween carvings and also for cooking. We do grow our own here sometimes, but given the fact we try to maximise our crop to space ratios pumpkins are one of those vegetables that are a bit of a luxury item given the ground they can occupy. Thankful I am then for the people at Llnclys Hall Farm as they seem to have become quite avid pumpkin growers, and it’s not just trying to grow big ones, it’s all manner of squashes and gourds!

And so today I happened to drive that way as I went to collect this weeks chicken feed and I spotted the pumpkins had appeared on the wall again for the year. Time was on my side so I pulled in for a nose at what this years crop was looking like.

Once again the place was a mass of pumpkins, a large shed just to the side of the shop was already chock full, there were crates filled with orange ‘footballs’ and ‘boulders’ dotted around the yard and up the lane I could see another tractor heading in with even more. But best of all was the shelves outside the shop and I just had to grab a snap of it.

Sure there may be more dramatic or impressive displays of said vegetable elsewhere, but there is something about the quiet appreciation of the varieties of pumpkin and the way they farm them at Llynclys Hall that always bring a smile to my face every year. So if you happen to find yourself driving along that road and have ever wondered what lie behind the wall with the pumpkins on it, pull in, mind the cow pat, and take a closer look.

(By the way, if you do grow pumpkins and fancy making sure everyone knows which is yours then have a look here for a handy hint on how to make sure it carries your mark)

Be wise and back the battery cage ban

Its been 12 years since the EU put in place legislation to ban the use of battery cage systems for poultry, January 2012 marks the point when all EU member countries should have removed caged systems and moved to a more enriched environment for the birds. It’s a small step for poultry welfare but a very needed step if chickens are to be farmed with compassion and removed from that cheap and disposable end of the food chain.

Many people have campaigned long and hard for this to happen, and a fair number of them have taken in battery hens that have come to the end of their economically viable lifespan and enjoyed the incredible transformation the birds under go as they return to the real life of chicken. A drop in the ocean of millions upon millions of chickens who never get to see anything other than metal cages, but it has served well to prove to so many people that there is nothing natural or right about caging poultry.

Take time to read the Compassion in World Farming article here

http://www.ciwf.org.uk/news/laying_hens/battery_cage_ban_the_final_countdown.aspx

Familiarise yourself with the current situation and make a mental note to ensure ANY egg product you consume after Jan 2012 does NOT come from a battery cage system. The UK has abided by the legislation so if you can’t establish farming system used for the egg product you are about purchase, then don’t purchase it and buy British produced eggs. Otherwise you could well inadvertently supporting the ongoing use of battery cage systems and continuing to subject millions of chickens to a barbaric life. Out of sight is not out of mind.

A recovered battery hen - how a chicken should look