Chickens, Meat Birds

What kind of Meat Bird should i purchase?

WELP_CHICK

What kind of Meat Bird should I purchase?

CORNISH ROCK BROILERS – BEST MEAT TYPE
 -FAST GROWING
 -BROAD BREASTED
 -VERY EFFICIENT
- 5-6 POUNDS BUTCHERED WEIGHT IN 7-8 WEEKS
 -BUTCHERED WEIGHT WILL BE APPROXIMATEDLY 70% OF  THE LIVE WEIGHT
 -AVAILABLE WEEKLY JANUARY THRU DECEMBER
 -MOST STRAINS HAVE YELLOW SKIN & LEG COLOR, EXCEPT ONE STRAIN HAS WHITE SKIN AND LEG. (HOWEVER, ANYTIME YOU SCALD A CHICKEN WITH YELLOW SKIN TO PICK THE FEATHERS, IT WILL TURN THE SKIN WHITE)

SLOW WHITE BROLER
 -VERY SIMILAR TO CORNISH ROCK BROILER EXCEPT IT TAKE 10-14 DAYS LONGER TO GET TO THE SAME WEIGHT. (10-12 WEEKS TO REACH 6-7 LBS LIVE WEIGHT)
 -DOES VERY WELL IN HIGHER ELEVATIONS
 -DO NOT NEED TO RESTRICT THE FEED

RED RANGER
 -12 WEEKS TO MATURE (AVERAGE WEIGHT FOR THE FEMALE 5.74 LBS & THE MALE 7.48 LBS.)
 -GOOD FORAGER
 -GROWN ADULT MALES CAN REACH UP TO 10 LBS. AND THE FEMALES CAN REACH 8 POUNDS
AND WHITE FEATHERS

RED BROILER
 -YELLOW SKIN
 -3-4 POUND RANGE IN ABOUT 8 WEEKS
 -VARIOUS SHADES OF RED FEATHERS

Books

Storey’s Guide to Raising Poultry, 4th Edition

 

Stories Guide to Raising Poultry

Storey’s Guide to Raising Poultry, 4th Edition

For decades, animal lovers around the world have been turning to Storey’s guides for the best instruction on everything from hatching chickens to starting and maintaining a full-fledged livestock business. Whether you have been raising animals for a few months or a few decades, the Storey series offers clear, in-depth information on a variety of breeds, latest production methods, and updated health care advice. The 4th edition has been updated for the twenty-first century and contains all the information you will need to raise healthy and content animals.

This revised edition written by Glenn Drowns is in my opinion the only book you need to raise a wide range of poultry from chickens and turkeys to guineas and pheasants. Glenn Drowns, an expert on rare breeds and varieties of turkeys, ducks, and geese delivers everything you need to know to raise healthy, safe poultry in just 464 pages complete with illustrations and a nice glossary.
A diverse flock of poultry can provide free-range meat, eggs, and endless entertainment. Whether you’re running a large farm or raising a few birds in your backyard, Glenn Drowns tells you everything you need to know about health care, breed selection, housing, breeding, incubating, daily feeding, day to day care and the processing meat and eggs.

References:
Storey’s Guide to Raising Poultry
Storey Publications

Submitted by Michelle Coleman

Books

The Chicken Encyclopedia

The chicken encyclopedia

The Chicken Encyclopedia

This great book written by Gail Damerow is an A-to-Z reference that is both informative and entertaining. Organized alphabetically by term, it covers topics such as anatomy, breeds, coop components, and health problems. Full-color breed illustrations, along with detailed line drawings, such as one depicting how to determine an egg’s age from its position when placed in water, add both visual appeal and substantive information. Tables ease comprehension of complicated subjects like predator identification. It also touches on subjects from addled to wind egg, crossed beak to zygote, the terminology of everything chicken is demystified in this illustrated A-to-Z reference. If it concerns chickens, it’s covered in this comprehensive encyclopedia. You will be sure  to find breed descriptions; definitions of common chicken conditions, situations, and behaviors; and much more. Whether it’s the differences among wry tail, split tail, and gamy tail; the meaning of hen feathered, forced molt or quill feather; the content of granite grit; the characteristics of droopy wing; or the translation of a chicken’s alarm call, here are the answers to every chicken question and quandary. This book is a quick reference, but is not meant to be a how-to book, but would go great with Storey’s  Guide to Raising Poultry.

From Storey Publishing Co.

Submitted b Michelle Coleman

 

Turkeys

Fun facts about Wild Turkeys

Male eastern Wild Turkey

photo by Gary M. Stolz, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
  •  Wild Turkeys were hunted to near extinction in the early 1900’s.  Recent numbers now put them around 7 million worldwide.
  • There are 6 subspecies of the Wild Turkey found in North America.  They are the Eastern, Osceola, Rio Grande, Merriam’s, Gould’s, and South Mexican.
  • The Eastern subspecies is the most heavily hunted and most populous at just over 5 million.
  • Wild Turkeys have 5000-6000 feathers.
  • The record-sized adult male wild turkey, according to the National Wild Turkey Federation, weighed 16.85 kg (37.1 lbs.)
  • Benjamin Franklin, in a letter to his daughter in 1784, suggested that the Wild Turkey would be his preference over the Bald Eagle as a symbol of the United States.
  •  Wild Turkeys are omnivores, and prefers acorns, nuts and various trees such as hazel, chestnut, hickory and pinyon pine. They also like seeds, berries, roots and insects.  They occasionally consume amphibians, and lizards and snakes.
  • Hens lay a clutch of 10-14 eggs, usually 1 per day.  They are incubated 28 days, and after hatching, poults leave the nest after 12-24 hours.

Compiled from
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wild_turkey

 

Eggs, Meat Birds

Should I raise chickens?

Should I raise chickens?

Many people are drawn to the idea of raising backyard poultry for fresh eggs and the flavorful meat. Of course there are also other benefits as well, such as manure for fertilizing gardens, keeping down the populations of bugs and other garden pests and they are great companions.
But before you decide to join this fast growing trend, there are several things to consider when raising any poultry.
First , determine your time to dedicate to these animals and how they may impact your life and your family. They do require daily attention and chores. This means daily feeding, watering and yes cleaning up manure. Decide whether you want chickens for egg laying or meat production. If you want egg layers, keep in mind it usually takes 20+ weeks before you will see any eggs. If you want meat production, the best breed would be the Cornish Rock Broilers which take 6-8 weeks from start to finish. If you go with broilers we do recommend a strict feeding schedule of 12 hours on and 12 hours off.
Once you decide which breed of bird you are interested in, you next need to decide how much space you’ll need to accommodate the birds. If you live in a town or city you will also need to check your laws to determine how many you are allowed to have. Most cities have a limit of between 4-10 hens only. You do not need to have a rooster to have egg production. Do you have a coop for them or do you need to build one? A coop protects chickens from predators, and provides shelter from sun, cold and rain. It should have a locking door, a roosting bar and nesting boxes for layers. If you want to try to build your own, I would suggest a couple of items we sell at Welp Hatchery, the Multi-Purpose Mini Barn Plan or Poultry House Shelter Plan. If you’re not the DIY kind, there are numerous places on-line to order coops or check out your local farm supply store.
Before bringing your baby chicks home, you will want to be sure you have waterers, feeders, feed, bedding and a heating lamp. Your chicks need to be handled with care, so having everything set up before you bring them home will help alleviate any stress on the birds. You want to line your coop with woodshavings (not newspaper, it’s too slippery for the chicks), have clean fresh water and food, have the temperature set to 95 degrees for the first week. You drop the temperature 5 degrees every week until there is a constant temperature of 70 degrees or chicks are feathered out. Be sure that the chicks always have fresh water. This is very important as the chicks drink a lot of water.
Lastly, enjoy the chickens. They will provide an entertaining and relaxing atmosphere to your backyard, keep the bugs down, as well as provide you with eggs and or meat.

Contributed by Michelle Coleman

Chicken Photos, Chickens

Send us your poultry photos!

As the leaves start to change from green to the yellow, orange and red colors of fall, there is a definite feeling of transition in the air. Although it seems the “busy” season of hatchery life seems to extend each year (and that is a good thing!), fall is a time where we can catch our breath, and maybe enjoy the beauty of the poultry we hatch and/or raise.

For a lot of people who ordered egg layer chicks in the spring, the birds have grown up now into chickens and are probably giving you plenty of fresh eggs. They probably have all of their permanent feathers grown in, and are pecking around the yard to get the last bugs of the season. Or maybe the last vegetables of the garden are being picked, and there is enough to share some with your birds.

We’d love to see some pictures of you and your birds enjoying the fall season. We are asking you to email us some pictures of you and your birds. Please email to bkollasch@welphatcherycom . We’ll try and share some of the these on our blog page, and we are always looking for photos to include in our print catalog. If you send in a photo, we prefer a digital image, and also include the name of the people (and the poultry, if they are named) in the photo.

We look forward to seeing some great photos!

Eggs, Molting

Things to consider if your hens aren’t laying well.

Are you having difficulty with your hens laying eggs? Are they not producing to their standard? You may want to check on some of these factors that may be the cause of this.

Is there enough lighting? Your hens will need at least 15 hours of daylight. This is easier to do when there is more natural light during the late spring to early fall. However, if you would like to keep your production of eggs going, provide some additional lighting. To try and give them as much light as possible it’s recommended to use no less than a 75 watt light bulb.

What are you feeding them? It is recommended to have a quality layer feed which will have the right portions of everything they need to produce eggs. Some table scraps are ok for your birds, but should be given to them in moderation so it does not upset the balance of the feed.

Are your hens stressed out? Are there predators? This is caused by different things. One would be to make sure they are not being frightened. This could be from predators trying to get in the pen with them, or a snake that made its way into the pen. Other reasons for stressed out chickens would be handling them too much, moving them to a different pen, letting them run out of food or water, or even disrupting the pecking order by bringing in new birds.

Do they have enough water? They should always have plenty of clean water to drink, and during the winter months it is important to not let their water freeze.

What is the temperature like? Hens usually lay best when it is not too hot or too cold. During the summer it is necessary to provide cool water, and shade. During the winter it is recommended to try and keep their pen at above 55-60 degrees.

Are they molting? The molting process happens about once a year. This usually causes a production decrease or a halt to the eggs. Molting can last anywhere from 4 – 16 weeks. Chickens will lose feathers in a sequence starting with the head and neck and then down the back, across the breast and thighs and finally their tail feathers. The new feathers that emerge are called pinfeathers and will grow in following the same sequence they were lost.

How old are your hens? It is typical for your hens to have their best production in the first and second year after they hatch. After three years old their production will start slowly decreasing. It is estimated that at about five years of age they will only be producing half as frequently as they did the first two years.

Contributed by Cory Johnson

Cooking Chicken

GENERAL GUIDELINES FOR COOKING CHICKEN SAFELY

When cooking your chicken, here are some general guidelines to help prepare it safely:
Cleanliness–Make sure everything is prepared and cleaned to prevent bacteria from getting on the food. It is important to wash your hands before and after handling the food. Also make sure that all of the cooking dishes you use are clean.
Separate–You want to avoid cross-contamination with other foods. It is important to keep raw meat, poultry, seafood, and eggs separate. Before preparing your raw chicken, you should not rinse it in your sink. The bacteria can easily be spread from your sink to your countertops and onto the other food you are preparing. The only way to kill this bacterium is to cook it to a safe internal temperature. It is recommended to have at least 2 cutting boards as well (one for fresh produce, one for raw meats).
Cooking–When cooking poultry you want to make sure that is cooked thoroughly. Poultry should always be cooked to 165 degrees internal temperature. You can use a meat thermometer to make sure this is done accurately, and it is not recommended to just judge the poultry by the “color test”. Just because it isn’t pink or odd colored anymore doesn’t mean that it has been cooked thoroughly.
Chilling—it is best to select the poultry items you wish to purchase from the store as one of your last items in the cart as to keep it cold longer. Once you get it home it should immediately go into the refrigerator or the freezer. Your refrigerator should maintain a temperature of about 40 degrees (F). You should thaw the frozen poultry in the refrigerator instead of on the countertop or in cold water. This helps prevent the spread of bacteria. It is recommended to refrigerate leftovers within an hour or two after cooking; they will then be safe to eat for the next two-three days.

Source: http://www.nationalchickencouncil.org/ncc-partnership-food-safety-education-remind-consumers-safe-handling-cooking-practices-prevent-illness/

Compiled by Cory Johnson

Labeling

Chicken labeling definitions.

The Food industry uses many different terms on it’s label to advertise it’s products. These terms can be a bit confusing trying to figure out what makes them different from each other. Here are a few definitions from the National Chicken Council to hopefully help clear up some of the confusion.

Free Range
There’s no precise federal government definition of “free range,” so the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) approves these label claims on a case-by-case basis. USDA generally permits the term to be used if chickens have access to the outdoors for at least some part of the day, whether the chickens choose to go outside or not. In practice, most chickens stay close to water and feed, which is usually located within the chicken house. Chicken labeled as “organic” must also be “free-range,” but not all “free-range” chicken is also “organic.” Less than 1% of chickens nationwide are raised as “free range,” according to the National Chicken Council (NCC).

“Farm-Raised”
All chickens are raised on farms. So any chicken could be labeled “farm-raised.” When this term is used on restaurant menus and the like, it usually refers to chickens raised on a local farm.

Natural
Under USDA regulations, a “natural” product has no artificial ingredients, coloring ingredients, or chemical preservatives, and is minimally processed, just enough to get it ready to be cooked. Most ready-to-cook chicken can be labeled “natural,” if processors choose to do so.

Organic
The USDA has a very specific rule to define “organic” production and prohibits the use of the term “organic” on packaging of any food product not produced in accordance with its rule. According to USDA, the organic label does not indicate that the product has safety, quality or nutritional attributes that are any higher than conventionally raised product.

No Hormones Added
Despite what you may hear, no artificial or added hormones are used in the production of any poultry in the United States. Regulations of the Food & Drug Administration prohibit the use of such hormones. No such hormones are used. So any brand of chicken can be labeled “Raised without hormones” or something like that. However, any package of chicken with that type of label must also have a statement that no hormones are used in the production of any poultry.

“Raised without Antibiotics” or “Antibiotic-Free”
“Raised without Antibiotics” on a package of chicken indicates that the flock was raised without the use of products classified as antibiotics for animal health maintenance, disease prevention or treatment of disease. Animal health products not classified as antibiotics (such as some coccidiostats, which control protozoal parasites) may still be used. “Antibiotic free” is not allowed to be used on a label but may be found in marketing materials not regulated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. It means the same thing as “Raised without Antibiotics.” All chicken is “antibiotic-free” in the sense that no antibiotic residues are present in the meat due to the withdrawal periods and other precautions required by the government and observed by the chicken companies

Enhanced Chicken Products
Some fresh (raw and uncooked) chicken products are enhanced with chicken broth or a similar solution. The presence and percentage of the broth or other solution must be stated clearly and the actual ingredients listed on the label. Both enhanced and non-enhanced products are currently available in the marketplace.

Sodium is used in the broth or solution of some enhanced products, usually at very low levels. The presence of salt or sodium is noted on the label.

“Retained Water”
A “retained water” statement, such as “May contain up to 6% retained water” or “Less than 4% retained water,” is often found on packages of fresh poultry. USDA prohibits retention of moisture in meat and poultry except for the amount that results from essential safety procedures, such as chilling processed chickens in ice-cold water to reduce their temperature and retard the growth of spoilage bacteria and other microorganisms. If any moisture is retained by the product after this procedure, it must be stated on the label.

All-Vegetable Diet
Poultry feed is made primarily from corn and soybean meal. Poultry feed sometimes includes some processed protein and fats and oils from meat and poultry by-products. The composition of all animal feed ingredients used in the United States is regulated by the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO). If the chicken company chooses not to use these ingredients, the feed would contain no ingredients derived from animals and could be described as “all vegetable.”

Chickens: Made in the USA
Nearly all the chickens and chicken products sold in the United States come from chickens hatched, raised and processed in the United States. The only exception is a small amount imported from Canada, which has food safety and quality standards equal to our own.

Eggs

Interesting Odds & Ends about Eggs

eeggs-100120265
•Howard Helmer, former American Egg Board representative, is the Omelet King. Helmer holds three Guinness World Records for omelet making – fastest omelet-maker (427 omelets in 30 minutes); fastest single omelet (42 seconds from whole egg to omelet); and omelet flipping (30 flips in 34 seconds).
•The name meringue came from a pastry chef named Gasparini in the Swiss town of Merhrinyghen. In 1720, Gasparini created a small pastry of dried egg foam and sugar from which the simplified meringue evolved. Its fame spread and Marie Antoinette is said to have prepared the sweet with her own hands at the Trianon in France.
•To tell if an egg is raw or hard-boiled, spin it. Because the liquids have set into a solid, a hard-boiled egg will easily spin. The moving liquids in a raw egg will cause it to wobble.
•Double-yolked eggs are often produced by young hens whose egg production cycles are not yet completely synchronized. They’re often produced too, by hens which are old enough to produce Extra Large-sized eggs. Genetics is also a factor. Occasionally a hen will produce double-yolked eggs throughout her egg-laying career. It’s rare, but not unusual, for a young hen to produce an egg with no yolk at all.
•An egg roll can be any one of three very different things: 1) an Asian specialty, usually served as an appetizer, in which a savory filling is wrapped in an egg-rich dough and then deep-fat fried, 2) an annual Easter event held in many places, including the White House lawn and 3) an elongated hard-boiled egg made for the foodservice industry. When the long egg roll is sliced with a special slicer, every piece is a pretty center cut.
•It is said that an egg will stand on its end during the spring (vernal) equinox (about March 21), one of the two times of the year when the sun crosses the equator and day and night are of equal length everywhere. Depending on the shape of the egg, you may be able to stand it on its end other days of the year as well.
•Long before the days of refrigeration, the ancient Chinese stored eggs up to several years by immersing them in a variety of such imaginative mixtures as salt and wet clay; cooked rice, salt and lime; or salt and wood ashes mixed with a tea infusion. The treated eggs bore little similarity to fresh eggs, some exhibiting greenish-gray yolks and albumen resembling brown jelly. Today, eggs preserved in this manner are enjoyed in China as a delicacy.
•You really can have egg on your face. As egg white tends to be drying, it has long been used as a facial. Egg yolks are used in shampoos and conditioners and, sometimes, soaps. Cholesterol, lecithin and some of the egg’s fatty acids are used in skin care products, such as revitalizers, make-up foundations and even lipstick.

Source www.incredibleegg.org American Egg Board