Seeds For Young Farmers
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When Jesse Kuhn started Marin Roots Farm at age 28, he already had dirt
under his fingernails. He’d studied ag in college, managed a student farm,
and work...
5/31/09
2008 MacArthur Fellow: Will Allen
Urban farmer Will Allen was named a MacArthur Fellow in 2008. The Fellowship is a $500,000, no-strings-attached grant for individuals who have shown exceptional creativity in their work
Growing POWER - WOOT WOOT
6ft 7″ former professional basketball player Will Allen is now one of the most influential leaders of the food security & urban farming movement. His farm and not-for-profit, Growing Power, have trained and inspired people in every corner of the US to start growing food sustainably. This man and his organization go beyond growing food. They provide a platform for people to share knowledge and form relationships in order to develop alternatives to the industrial food system.
The movie FRESH - I think we can change the world
www.FRESHthemovie.com. FRESH celebrates the farmers, thinkers and business people across America who are re-inventing our food system.
5/28/09
www.americaswebradio.com THIS SATURDAY at 9am!
Tune in this Saturday at 9:00am EST when I welcome @HappyChickens to the radio show! www.americaswebradio.com
5/27/09
Nutritional Value of Eggs
Eggs from pastured hens are far richer in vitamin D
Eggs from hens raised outdoors on pasture have from three to six times more vitamin D than eggs from hens raised in confinement. Pastured hens are exposed to direct sunlight, which their bodies convert to vitamin D and then pass on to the eggs.
Vitamin D is best known for its role in building strong bones. New research shows that it can also enhance the immune system, improve mood, reduce blood pressure, combat cancer, and reduce the risk of some autoimmune disorders.
This latest good news about eggs comes from a study just released by Mother Earth News, a magazine that plays a leading role in promoting health-enhancing, natural foods. The editors found that eating just two eggs will give you from 63-126% of the recommended daily intake of vitamin D.
Note that this benefit comes only from hens that are free to graze fresh greens, eat bugs, and bask in the sun. Most of the eggs sold in the supermarket do not meet this criterion. Even though the label says that the eggs are “certified organic” or come from “uncaged” or “free-range” hens or from hens fed an “all-vegetarian” diet, this is no guarantee that the hens had access to the outdoors or pasture.
Look for eggs from “pastured” hens. You are most likely to find these superior eggs at farmer’s markets or natural food stores.
Better yet, purchase them directly from your local farmer. Click on the following link, then scroll down to the yellow map of the United States. Click on your state. Find eggs from pastured hens on eatwild.com
CLICK HERE for more info on the nutrition of eggs
Eggs from hens raised outdoors on pasture have from three to six times more vitamin D than eggs from hens raised in confinement. Pastured hens are exposed to direct sunlight, which their bodies convert to vitamin D and then pass on to the eggs.
Vitamin D is best known for its role in building strong bones. New research shows that it can also enhance the immune system, improve mood, reduce blood pressure, combat cancer, and reduce the risk of some autoimmune disorders.
This latest good news about eggs comes from a study just released by Mother Earth News, a magazine that plays a leading role in promoting health-enhancing, natural foods. The editors found that eating just two eggs will give you from 63-126% of the recommended daily intake of vitamin D.
Note that this benefit comes only from hens that are free to graze fresh greens, eat bugs, and bask in the sun. Most of the eggs sold in the supermarket do not meet this criterion. Even though the label says that the eggs are “certified organic” or come from “uncaged” or “free-range” hens or from hens fed an “all-vegetarian” diet, this is no guarantee that the hens had access to the outdoors or pasture.
Look for eggs from “pastured” hens. You are most likely to find these superior eggs at farmer’s markets or natural food stores.
Better yet, purchase them directly from your local farmer. Click on the following link, then scroll down to the yellow map of the United States. Click on your state. Find eggs from pastured hens on eatwild.com
CLICK HERE for more info on the nutrition of eggs
5/25/09
Performance-Enhancing Drumsticks
I thought steriods were illegal???
"A steroid used in raising chickens can cause athletes to register false positives on drug tests. So maybe A-Rod just needs to lay off the wings?
Before cluck-clucking at the shortcomings of Alex Rodriguez and the 103 other professional baseball players who, it was revealed this week, had positive urine tests for steroids between 2001 and 2003, take note: If you eat chicken, your urine, too, may have detectable levels of methenolone, one of the drugs for which the athletes tested positive.
In addition to being taken by sluggers hoping to improve their batting averages, methenolone (sold under the trade name Primobolan), is administered to livestock to promote growth.
Gourmet’s James Rodewald, who worked for Sports Illustrated before finding his true calling as a spirits editor (I’ll leave it to you to determine what that has to do with his knowledge of performance-altering substances), brought my attention to a study conducted by researchers at Kings College London. The British scientists analyzed urine from eight men who had eaten chicken injected with the drug and found that half the subjects tested positive for methenolone 24 hours after dining. “Hence, eating meat containing small amounts of injected hormone may constitute a serious liability to the athlete,” concluded the scientists.
The findings leave one big question unanswered: What does eating hormone-laced meat constitute for the rest of us?"
Gourmet Magazine 2/09
"A steroid used in raising chickens can cause athletes to register false positives on drug tests. So maybe A-Rod just needs to lay off the wings?
Before cluck-clucking at the shortcomings of Alex Rodriguez and the 103 other professional baseball players who, it was revealed this week, had positive urine tests for steroids between 2001 and 2003, take note: If you eat chicken, your urine, too, may have detectable levels of methenolone, one of the drugs for which the athletes tested positive.
In addition to being taken by sluggers hoping to improve their batting averages, methenolone (sold under the trade name Primobolan), is administered to livestock to promote growth.
Gourmet’s James Rodewald, who worked for Sports Illustrated before finding his true calling as a spirits editor (I’ll leave it to you to determine what that has to do with his knowledge of performance-altering substances), brought my attention to a study conducted by researchers at Kings College London. The British scientists analyzed urine from eight men who had eaten chicken injected with the drug and found that half the subjects tested positive for methenolone 24 hours after dining. “Hence, eating meat containing small amounts of injected hormone may constitute a serious liability to the athlete,” concluded the scientists.
The findings leave one big question unanswered: What does eating hormone-laced meat constitute for the rest of us?"
Gourmet Magazine 2/09
All I Need To Know I Learned From My Chickens
Wake up early, stay busy
Rest when you need to, but always stay alert
Visit you favourite places every day
Scratch out a living
Routine is good
Plump is good
Don't ponder your purpose in life - your brain is too small
Accept the pecking order and know you enemies
Weed your garden
Look after your children
- Sit on them if necessary
- Take them for walks, show them the little things and talk constantly
Make a nice nest - share it with friends
Brag on your accomplishments
Protect your nest egg
Test your wings once in a while
Squawk when necessary
As you age, demand respect
Leave a little something for those who care about you
Chase butterflies
by Michaele Oleson
Rest when you need to, but always stay alert
Visit you favourite places every day
Scratch out a living
Routine is good
Plump is good
Don't ponder your purpose in life - your brain is too small
Accept the pecking order and know you enemies
Weed your garden
Look after your children
- Sit on them if necessary
- Take them for walks, show them the little things and talk constantly
Make a nice nest - share it with friends
Brag on your accomplishments
Protect your nest egg
Test your wings once in a while
Squawk when necessary
As you age, demand respect
Leave a little something for those who care about you
Chase butterflies
by Michaele Oleson
Living on Earth - Antibiotic use in poultry
"Back in the 1950's, farmers found that by adding small doses of antibiotics to chicken feed, the birds would grow faster and plumper. And with the rise of factory farms, the antibiotics help prevent disease.
But science now shows that the widespread use of these drugs in animal feed can make them far less effective for humans, as germs develop resistance. Four of the country's top poultry producers recently announced that they will no longer use antibiotics unless birds are ill or directly threatened with illness.
Under pressure from major buyers, including McDonalds, the chicken business had already started reducing the use of drugs with Tyson Foods, the largest producer, recently cutting antibiotic use by more than 90 percent"
2006
CLICK HERE for entire show
But science now shows that the widespread use of these drugs in animal feed can make them far less effective for humans, as germs develop resistance. Four of the country's top poultry producers recently announced that they will no longer use antibiotics unless birds are ill or directly threatened with illness.
Under pressure from major buyers, including McDonalds, the chicken business had already started reducing the use of drugs with Tyson Foods, the largest producer, recently cutting antibiotic use by more than 90 percent"
2006
CLICK HERE for entire show
E A R T H L I N G S - Joquin Phoenix Film
"One of the most violent films of all time, only it's real"
"This is the single most powerful and informative movie about society's treatment of animals. A must see for anyone who cares enough to know."
Woody Harrelson
"This is the single most powerful and informative movie about society's treatment of animals. A must see for anyone who cares enough to know."
Woody Harrelson
Eggs Aren't Just for Breakfast Anymore
Thank you @birdsofafeather for sending this to me!
When i was in my early 20s, my good buddy McGee generously moved to a penthouse apartment in Paris for three years. On the first of my (numerous) visits, we went out for "French" pizza, and when it arrived, I was a tad unnerved to find that it was crowned with a fried egg. Now, the two of us had eaten plenty of eggs together-but we usually did so at, say, 3 in the morning, at the Waffle House, and I was unaccustomed to seeing them on a plate with anything other than bacon and toast.
All that changed in France, where eggs are lavished on everything. With the addition of a fried egg and a bit of béchamel, a croque monsieur becomes a croque madame. Eggs top steaks, float in soups and nestle in frisée salads tossed with lardons. They come poached with red wine or bone-marrow sauces. They appear as omelets with fines herbes or ratatouille.
Twenty-five years later, Americans are finally catching on to the fact that eggs are not just for breakfast. The egg-and-frisée craze was the first to take hold on this side of the Atlantic (thanks, in large part, to Manhattan bistro-and-brasserie king Keith McNally), but now, in this era of belt tightening and green chic, chefs are getting more creative. Danny Meyer has been offering egg dishes at his six New York restaurants, with $2 from each dish going to City Harvest, an organization that helps feed the city's hungry. The egg, says Meyer, is "a universal symbol of hope and renewal, as well as a blank canvas on which each chef can express himself." At Meyer's upscale barbecue joint, Blue Smoke, there's a Fried Egg and Pea Shoot Salad With Candied Bacon and Pickled Ramps. At Gramercy Tavern, chef Michael Anthony serves a Norwich Meadow Farm Egg Crepe With Grilled Ramps and Crab.
With more conscientious restaurateurs, and the influx of farmers' markets, consumers are discovering the superior taste of farm-raised eggs-much in the way we were previously turned on to free-range chicken, grass-fed beef and heritage breeds of pork. Birmingham, Ala., chef Frank Stitt keeps 60 laying hens at his Paradise Farm, where they dine on grass, insects and vegetable scraps from his restaurants, as opposed to the grain that commercially bred caged chickens eat. (Chickens that are fed grass-based diets tend to lay eggs that are higher in beneficial omega-3 fatty acids.) Stitt notices a big difference between the eggs from his happy chickens-he has one friend he calls the "chicken whisperer," who talks to the birds and holds them in his lap-and those that are mass produced. "The yolk," he says, "is taller and stronger and such a vibrant orange, and the flavor is so pure and wholesome." Not to mention that his Araucanas, Buff Orpingtons and Rhode Island Reds produce "wonderful sounds," says Stitt, "like the roosters crowing in the background of Tom Waits records."
On the bar at one of Stitt's establishments, Chez Fonfon, he offers hard-boiled eggs, free, in the style of French bistros; diners peel them and sprinkle them with kosher salt. Stitt's new cookbook, Bottega Favorita, contains a recipe for a fabulous salad in which pancetta-spiked scrambled eggs are tossed with young lettuces in a sherry vinaigrette. Even the lowly stuffed egg, long a Deep South staple at picnics and church suppers, is now appearing on menus. At my friend Joe Ledbetter's new Nashville-based chain, Bricktop's, you can order a plate of stuffed (or deviled) eggs as a side, and in New Orleans, chef Donald Link offers eggs stuffed with shrimp alongside a salad. "Stuffed eggs are everybody's favorite," says Link, who grew up in southwest Louisiana. "What party have you ever been to when there were any left on the table?" Link is branching out. At his flagship, Herbsaint, there's an amazing spaghetti with guanciale and a fried poached farm egg. The secret: refrigerate a soft-poached egg before dipping it in flour, beaten eggs and bread crumbs-and then put it in the deep fryer.
By Julia Reed, NEWSWEEK
Saturday, May 16, 2009
When i was in my early 20s, my good buddy McGee generously moved to a penthouse apartment in Paris for three years. On the first of my (numerous) visits, we went out for "French" pizza, and when it arrived, I was a tad unnerved to find that it was crowned with a fried egg. Now, the two of us had eaten plenty of eggs together-but we usually did so at, say, 3 in the morning, at the Waffle House, and I was unaccustomed to seeing them on a plate with anything other than bacon and toast.
All that changed in France, where eggs are lavished on everything. With the addition of a fried egg and a bit of béchamel, a croque monsieur becomes a croque madame. Eggs top steaks, float in soups and nestle in frisée salads tossed with lardons. They come poached with red wine or bone-marrow sauces. They appear as omelets with fines herbes or ratatouille.
Twenty-five years later, Americans are finally catching on to the fact that eggs are not just for breakfast. The egg-and-frisée craze was the first to take hold on this side of the Atlantic (thanks, in large part, to Manhattan bistro-and-brasserie king Keith McNally), but now, in this era of belt tightening and green chic, chefs are getting more creative. Danny Meyer has been offering egg dishes at his six New York restaurants, with $2 from each dish going to City Harvest, an organization that helps feed the city's hungry. The egg, says Meyer, is "a universal symbol of hope and renewal, as well as a blank canvas on which each chef can express himself." At Meyer's upscale barbecue joint, Blue Smoke, there's a Fried Egg and Pea Shoot Salad With Candied Bacon and Pickled Ramps. At Gramercy Tavern, chef Michael Anthony serves a Norwich Meadow Farm Egg Crepe With Grilled Ramps and Crab.
With more conscientious restaurateurs, and the influx of farmers' markets, consumers are discovering the superior taste of farm-raised eggs-much in the way we were previously turned on to free-range chicken, grass-fed beef and heritage breeds of pork. Birmingham, Ala., chef Frank Stitt keeps 60 laying hens at his Paradise Farm, where they dine on grass, insects and vegetable scraps from his restaurants, as opposed to the grain that commercially bred caged chickens eat. (Chickens that are fed grass-based diets tend to lay eggs that are higher in beneficial omega-3 fatty acids.) Stitt notices a big difference between the eggs from his happy chickens-he has one friend he calls the "chicken whisperer," who talks to the birds and holds them in his lap-and those that are mass produced. "The yolk," he says, "is taller and stronger and such a vibrant orange, and the flavor is so pure and wholesome." Not to mention that his Araucanas, Buff Orpingtons and Rhode Island Reds produce "wonderful sounds," says Stitt, "like the roosters crowing in the background of Tom Waits records."
On the bar at one of Stitt's establishments, Chez Fonfon, he offers hard-boiled eggs, free, in the style of French bistros; diners peel them and sprinkle them with kosher salt. Stitt's new cookbook, Bottega Favorita, contains a recipe for a fabulous salad in which pancetta-spiked scrambled eggs are tossed with young lettuces in a sherry vinaigrette. Even the lowly stuffed egg, long a Deep South staple at picnics and church suppers, is now appearing on menus. At my friend Joe Ledbetter's new Nashville-based chain, Bricktop's, you can order a plate of stuffed (or deviled) eggs as a side, and in New Orleans, chef Donald Link offers eggs stuffed with shrimp alongside a salad. "Stuffed eggs are everybody's favorite," says Link, who grew up in southwest Louisiana. "What party have you ever been to when there were any left on the table?" Link is branching out. At his flagship, Herbsaint, there's an amazing spaghetti with guanciale and a fried poached farm egg. The secret: refrigerate a soft-poached egg before dipping it in flour, beaten eggs and bread crumbs-and then put it in the deep fryer.
By Julia Reed, NEWSWEEK
Saturday, May 16, 2009
My Birds
1-Buff Brahma
1-White Brahma
1-Silver laced Wyandotte
1-Barred Rock
1-White Silkie(Rooster)
1-Black Sex-link(Rooster)
1-White Cochin Bantams
1-Snowy Call(male)(Duck)
1-Grey Japanese
1-Buff Sex-link
2-Mallard Calls(1boy,1girl)(Ducks)
2-Black Giants
2-New Hampshire Reds
2-Blue Silkies Bantams
2-Black Cochin Bantams
2-White-Crested Black Polishes
3-Aracaunas
4-Blue Cochins
1-White Brahma
1-Silver laced Wyandotte
1-Barred Rock
1-White Silkie(Rooster)
1-Black Sex-link(Rooster)
1-White Cochin Bantams
1-Snowy Call(male)(Duck)
1-Grey Japanese
1-Buff Sex-link
2-Mallard Calls(1boy,1girl)(Ducks)
2-Black Giants
2-New Hampshire Reds
2-Blue Silkies Bantams
2-Black Cochin Bantams
2-White-Crested Black Polishes
3-Aracaunas
4-Blue Cochins
Very Happy Chicks
Yesterday I put the babies outside. They had a great time except for two little things. The first one was when my friend Liam was looking in their little play pen and he said "hey O don't you have six baby chicks." So I ran over to where they were and I could hear little Cotton excitedly chirping away in our neighbors lawn. So I went and got her and put her back in their cage. The second was a little bit later, Liam and I had been putting a couple of ants in their cage so they could eat them and play with them. We were watching them play when I saw Ilya choking or shaking her head and I knew something was wrong. So I picked her up and the ant which was pretty big had clamped on to her face/lip. But we couldn't get it off until we pulled hard, but cute little Ilya was okay.
5/22/09
Check out my twitter poll! Please vote
Can you taste the difference between mass produced eggs & locally farmed eggs?
http://twtpoll.com/v99d8c
http://twtpoll.com/v99d8c
I'm doing my homework with my new baby chicks
See the baby birds on my keyboard!
The birds are from mypetchicken.com
Backyard Coops Make Chicks Chic - OH YAH
All Things Considered, May 21, 2009 ·
Chickens aren't just for farms anymore. That's right — urban hens are hip. Across the country, city dwellers — attracted by the idea of having fresh eggs, a new hobby or even unique pets — are keeping flocks.
Allison Adams, writer and avid organic gardener, has a flock of seven hens in the backyard of her home in Decatur, Ga., not far from Atlanta. A few years ago, Adams saw an article about raising chickens and then approached her neighbor with the idea.
"I love fresh eggs. I love having fertilizer production right in the backyard, so I thought, 'Well, if it's legal, I should probably investigate it,' " Adams says.
Adams and her neighbor, Bill DeLoach, converted a lawnmower shed into a chicken coop and got some baby chicks. Their seven chickens are now 4 years old and produce about 30 eggs a week.
And they have names — royal ones at that. Adams and DeLoach got clever, opting for a queen theme. Among them are Latifah, Ethel and Lucy (queens of comedy), Mary Flannery (queen of Southern gothic), Liliuokalani (a Hawaiian queen), and even one called "Foraday."
You can't see or smell the coop from the street. It's in the backyard surrounded by a fence and some chicken wire. The chicken runs are built so both Adams and DeLoach can watch the multicolored flock from their yards.
"The chickens are pretty relaxing. They scratch around eating, chirping. They're fun to watch," says DeLoach.
"Sometimes in the evening, we'll all get together back here and have cocktails," Adams says.
Chicks And The City
The backyard chicken movement is catching on, thanks no doubt to the variety of resources for people who want to learn more about keeping chickens in their backyards. There are Web sites, coop tours, and in Atlanta, there's even a class called "Chicks and the City." The class, offered through a community garden's education program, teaches everything would-be urban chicken farmers need to know.
Instructor Jonathan Watts Hull tells the class where to get chickens, what to feed them and how to design their coops.
"What you want to provide your chickens, at a minimum, is a place where they get inside from the weather that is ventilated, that gives them a place to roost and a place for them to lay their eggs," Watts Hull says.
Though some leave the class realizing raising chickens may be more demanding than they first thought, others are not deterred. Students David Cotton and Kelly Enzor had already decided to build a coop.
"Yeah, I got plans this past week, and I went and bought most of the wood for the framing of it," says Cotton.
Cotton and Enzor say their neighbors are OK with their coop plans.
"A woman who lives across the street is really interested in teaching her daughter where your food comes from, so she wants to come over while we collect the eggs and things so her daughter can really have that connection to her food," says Enzor. "It'll be great."
The Chicken Whisperer
Some cities don't allow residents to keep chickens, because they worry about the noise, the smell and the rodents that are attracted to the feed. And, of course, there are those who say they don't want chickens next door. Yet many are taking another look at the idea.
Andy Schneider, known as Atlanta's "Chicken Whisperer," lives in the suburbs. He started a Web site and Internet radio show for people interested in keeping backyard flocks.
"Lots of cities across the country are changing their laws," Schneider says.
Schneider says his group persuaded Gulfport, Fla., to allow chickens, and now they're working on a case in Roswell, Ga., after someone filed a complaint against one man who's kept a flock for years.
"When we go to cities, a lot of times we'll ask them, 'Why don't you want your citizens to lead a more self-sustaining lifestyle? Why don't you want your citizens to save some money in this hard economic time by allowing them to raise backyard poultry?'" Schneider says. "And I'm telling you, Animal Control, I'm sure, gets way more calls from barking dogs and dogs running loose and cats than they ever have from backyard poultry."
Many cities allow people to keep hens — just not roosters — including Seattle; Madison, Wis.; and Raleigh, N.C. And chickens are so popular, there's a shortage. According to some hatcheries and feed stores, orders for chicks take four to six weeks.
5/21/09
The Joy of Chickens
Author Ashley English discusses the merits (and joys) of raising chickens. Look for her new book series on local food coming in Spring 2010.
5/20/09
Politics of the Plate: Humane Beings - by Barry Eastbrook 5/09
Thanks to new regulations and consumer demand, the market for humanely raised animal products is about to take off.
Local, seasonal, raised humanely. It may not trip off the tongue, but that could soon be the new mantra of conscientious eaters. Humane animal husbandry, now practiced by only a small number of producers, is set to explode over the next few years, becoming a hot (and welcome) trend, according to panelists addressing the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Cooking for Solutions conference last week.
“I’m working on big projects I never dreamed would happen,” said Tim Amlaw, director of the farm animal program at American Humane, based in Englewood, CO. “We’re going to make the transition.” Amlaw estimated that about 3 percent of farms raising “major animal-protein species” in the United States would currently qualify for humane certification by his group. He expects that to rise to 35 percent within the next five years.
Part of the momentum will come from new laws and regulations. Last November, Californians passed Proposition 2, which forbids farmers from confining veal calves, pregnant sows, and laying hens in crates and cages too small to allow normal movement. “Prop. 2 is just the tip of the iceberg,” said Marcus Benedetti, president of Clover Stornetta Farms, a humane-certified California dairy company. “If the voters in this state knew what was going on in the rest of agriculture, there would be referendum after referendum.”
In addition to regulatory action, the trend toward better husbandry is being driven by consumer demand. “Our organization is 131 years old,” said Amlaw. “Now, for the first time, we are moving from a model where government is pushing farmers toward better practices to a model where consumer demand is pulling them in the right direction. The best way to get corporations to make changes is to show them there’s money in it. Consumers are now saying, ‘We want a better food source.’”
Temple Grandin, an author and associate professor of animal science at Colorado State University, specializes in developing humane husbandry and slaughter techniques. She pointed out that there were financial benefits to good practices. “It comes down to stockmanship,” she said. “Well-treated cows give more milk; sows more piglets.” She added that humanely killed pigs and cows produced higher quality meat than those that suffered undue stress.
Grandin, who established a set of clear, objective, numerical standards for humane slaughterhouse procedures, is currently at work on creating her own certification program for humane producers. “I don’t want it to be a marketing thing,” she said. “I’m going to make sure they are doing what they say they are doing.”
Financial incentives, laws, and stringent monitoring are all well and good, but Grandin reminded attendees of the most important argument for humane farming. “It’s the right thing to do,” she said. “Animals feel pain.”
CLICK HERE for more
5/19/09
Resources for Farmers
Poultry Resources
NCAT's Sustainable Poultry Website: this site has comprehensive information on sustainable poultry production, including genetics, equipment, range management, processing and marketing.
American Pastured Poultry Producers Association: includes valuable information on pastured production. Access to listserve requires membership, but site visitors can browse the resource page for free.
Barry Koffler's poultry site: Scroll down to browse the table of contents, which includes links to equipment suppliers, information on incubating and hatching, breed club information, and an online poultry glossary, among others.
From Animal Welfare Approved blog
NCAT's Sustainable Poultry Website: this site has comprehensive information on sustainable poultry production, including genetics, equipment, range management, processing and marketing.
American Pastured Poultry Producers Association: includes valuable information on pastured production. Access to listserve requires membership, but site visitors can browse the resource page for free.
Barry Koffler's poultry site: Scroll down to browse the table of contents, which includes links to equipment suppliers, information on incubating and hatching, breed club information, and an online poultry glossary, among others.
From Animal Welfare Approved blog
Thank you reader Beth, for this information - Egg Cartons
There's also Animal Welfare Approved. This label on meat, dairy and eggs means that a family farmer has raised the animals with the highest welfare standards, as designated by the World Society for the Protection of Animals. High welfare practices lead to better stewardship of the environment and produce healthier, safer products. Visit http://www.AnimalWelfareApproved.org for more information and a searchable database for where these products are available in your state.
Please consider signing this, thank you
Please support HB 815, a bill to ban the cruel confinement of egg-laying hens, veal calves and pregnant pigs, sponsored by Rep. Pam Richardson.
Currently, countless thousands of farm animals are spending their entire lives in cages or crates that allow them almost no room to step forward or back, stretch their limbs, stand up, or lie down comfortably. Animal welfare experts agree that such confinements are inhumane and should be prohibited. Several states have already passed laws banning gestation crates, veal crates and/or battery cages, and Californians voted to ban all three of these confinement systems last November in a landslide vote.
Will you actively support this humane legislation by becoming a co-sponsor? I look forward to your response.
CLICK HERE to go to form
Currently, countless thousands of farm animals are spending their entire lives in cages or crates that allow them almost no room to step forward or back, stretch their limbs, stand up, or lie down comfortably. Animal welfare experts agree that such confinements are inhumane and should be prohibited. Several states have already passed laws banning gestation crates, veal crates and/or battery cages, and Californians voted to ban all three of these confinement systems last November in a landslide vote.
Will you actively support this humane legislation by becoming a co-sponsor? I look forward to your response.
CLICK HERE to go to form
United Poultry Concerns [UPC]
United Poultry Concerns is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the compassionate and respectful treatment of chickens, turkeys, ducks and other domestic fowl. We hold that the treatment of these birds in the areas of food production, science, education, entertainment, and humane companionship situations has a significant effect upon human, animal, and environmental welfare. We seek to make the public aware of the ways in which poultry are used, and to promote the benefits of a vegan diet and lifestyle. We provide information through our quarterly magazine Poultry Press, our Website at www.upc-online.org, and our sanctuary in Machipongo, Virginia on the Eastern Shore. Animal Drug User Fee Act H.R. 6432
An estimated 70 percent of all antibiotics used in the United States are regularly added to the feed of livestock and poultry that are not sick.
CLICK HERE TO READ whole bill
CLICK HERE TO READ whole bill
Can Industrial Food Become Sustainable - @jambutter
Union of Concerned Scientists describes it:
Industrial agriculture views the farm as a factory with “inputs” (such as pesticides, feed, fertilizer, and fuel) and “outputs” (corn, chickens, and so forth). The goal is to increase yield (such as bushels per acre) and decrease costs of production, usually by exploiting economies of scale.
A sustainable approach, based on understanding agriculture as an ecosystem, promises sufficient produce without sacrificing the environment. For sustainable agriculture to thrive, the policies that foster industrial agriculture will need to be refocused.
Industrial agriculture views the farm as a factory with “inputs” (such as pesticides, feed, fertilizer, and fuel) and “outputs” (corn, chickens, and so forth). The goal is to increase yield (such as bushels per acre) and decrease costs of production, usually by exploiting economies of scale.
A sustainable approach, based on understanding agriculture as an ecosystem, promises sufficient produce without sacrificing the environment. For sustainable agriculture to thrive, the policies that foster industrial agriculture will need to be refocused.
5/17/09
Reading Egg Cartons
"The vast number of consumer labels affixed to egg cartons can leave a shopper feeling as dazed and confused as a laying hen trapped in a battery cage. One carton may label its eggs "Natural." Another carton may call them "Free Range," while yet another may claim its eggs are "Certified Organic." How are thoughtful consumers supposed to know what these labels and claims really mean?
The truth is that the majority of egg labels have little relevance to animal welfare or, if they do, they have no official standards nor any mechanism to enforce them. Only three labels listed below are programs with official, audited guidelines, but even those vary widely in terms of animal welfare. Those three are marked with an asterisk (*).
Certified Organic*:
The birds are uncaged inside barns or warehouses, and are required to have outdoor access (although there have been concerns about lax enforcement, with some large-scale producers not providing birds meaningful access to the outdoors). They are fed an organic, all-vegetarian diet free of antibiotics and pesticides, as required by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Organic Program. Debeaking and forced molting through starvation are permitted. Compliance is verified through third-party auditing.
Free-Range:
While the USDA has defined the meaning of "free-range" for some poultry products, there are no standards in "free-range" egg production. Typically, free-range egg-laying hens are uncaged inside barns or warehouses and have some degree of outdoor access. They can engage in many natural behaviors such as nesting and foraging. However, there is no information on stocking density, the frequency or duration of outdoor access, or the quality of the land accessible to the birds. There is no information regarding what the birds can be fed. Debeaking and forced molting through starvation may be permitted. There is no third-party auditing.
Certified Humane*:
The birds are uncaged inside barns or warehouses, but may be kept indoors at all times. They must be able to perform natural behaviors such as nesting, perching, and dust bathing. There are requirements for stocking density and number of perches and nesting boxes. Forced molting through starvation is prohibited, but debeaking is allowed. Compliance is verified through third-party auditing. Certified Humane is a program of Humane Farm Animal Care.
Cage-Free:
As the term implies, hens laying eggs labeled as "cage-free" are uncaged inside barns or warehouses, but generally do not have access to the outdoors. They have the ability to engage in many of their natural behaviors such as walking, nesting, and spreading their wings. Debeaking and forced molting through starvation are permitted. There is no third-party auditing.
Free-Roaming:
Also known as "free-range," the USDA has defined this claim for some poultry products, but there are no standards in "free-roaming" egg production. This essentially means the hens are cage-free. There is no third-party auditing.
United Egg Producers Certified*:
The overwhelming majority of the U.S. egg industry complies with this voluntary program, which permits routine cruel and inhumane factory farm practices. By 2008, hens laying these eggs will be afforded 67 square inches of cage space per bird, less area than a sheet of paper. The hens may be confined in restrictive, barren cages and limiting their ability to perform many of their natural behaviors, including perching, nesting, foraging or even spreading their wings. Compliance is verified through third-party auditing. Forced molting through starvation is prohibited, but debeaking is allowed. This is a program of the United Egg Producers.
Vegetarian-Fed:
These birds are provided a more natural feed than that received by most laying hens, but this label does not have significant relevance to the animals’ living conditions.
Natural:
Currently there is no legal definition of “natural” as it relates to food products. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture any food that contains “no artificial ingredients or added color and are no more than minimally processed,” may be considered “natural.”
Fertile:
These eggs were laid by hens who lived with roosters, meaning they most likely were not caged.
Omega-3 Enriched:
Eggs carrying this label have a higher content of omega-3 fatty acids than other eggs. This is achieved by mixing flaxseed, a grain high in omega-3s, into the hen’s feed.
Source:
The Humane Society of the United States. A Brief Guide to Egg Carton Labels and Their Relevance to Animal Welfare. March 2007.
The truth is that the majority of egg labels have little relevance to animal welfare or, if they do, they have no official standards nor any mechanism to enforce them. Only three labels listed below are programs with official, audited guidelines, but even those vary widely in terms of animal welfare. Those three are marked with an asterisk (*).
Certified Organic*:
The birds are uncaged inside barns or warehouses, and are required to have outdoor access (although there have been concerns about lax enforcement, with some large-scale producers not providing birds meaningful access to the outdoors). They are fed an organic, all-vegetarian diet free of antibiotics and pesticides, as required by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Organic Program. Debeaking and forced molting through starvation are permitted. Compliance is verified through third-party auditing.
Free-Range:
While the USDA has defined the meaning of "free-range" for some poultry products, there are no standards in "free-range" egg production. Typically, free-range egg-laying hens are uncaged inside barns or warehouses and have some degree of outdoor access. They can engage in many natural behaviors such as nesting and foraging. However, there is no information on stocking density, the frequency or duration of outdoor access, or the quality of the land accessible to the birds. There is no information regarding what the birds can be fed. Debeaking and forced molting through starvation may be permitted. There is no third-party auditing.
Certified Humane*:
The birds are uncaged inside barns or warehouses, but may be kept indoors at all times. They must be able to perform natural behaviors such as nesting, perching, and dust bathing. There are requirements for stocking density and number of perches and nesting boxes. Forced molting through starvation is prohibited, but debeaking is allowed. Compliance is verified through third-party auditing. Certified Humane is a program of Humane Farm Animal Care.
Cage-Free:
As the term implies, hens laying eggs labeled as "cage-free" are uncaged inside barns or warehouses, but generally do not have access to the outdoors. They have the ability to engage in many of their natural behaviors such as walking, nesting, and spreading their wings. Debeaking and forced molting through starvation are permitted. There is no third-party auditing.
Free-Roaming:
Also known as "free-range," the USDA has defined this claim for some poultry products, but there are no standards in "free-roaming" egg production. This essentially means the hens are cage-free. There is no third-party auditing.
United Egg Producers Certified*:
The overwhelming majority of the U.S. egg industry complies with this voluntary program, which permits routine cruel and inhumane factory farm practices. By 2008, hens laying these eggs will be afforded 67 square inches of cage space per bird, less area than a sheet of paper. The hens may be confined in restrictive, barren cages and limiting their ability to perform many of their natural behaviors, including perching, nesting, foraging or even spreading their wings. Compliance is verified through third-party auditing. Forced molting through starvation is prohibited, but debeaking is allowed. This is a program of the United Egg Producers.
Vegetarian-Fed:
These birds are provided a more natural feed than that received by most laying hens, but this label does not have significant relevance to the animals’ living conditions.
Natural:
Currently there is no legal definition of “natural” as it relates to food products. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture any food that contains “no artificial ingredients or added color and are no more than minimally processed,” may be considered “natural.”
Fertile:
These eggs were laid by hens who lived with roosters, meaning they most likely were not caged.
Omega-3 Enriched:
Eggs carrying this label have a higher content of omega-3 fatty acids than other eggs. This is achieved by mixing flaxseed, a grain high in omega-3s, into the hen’s feed.
Source:
The Humane Society of the United States. A Brief Guide to Egg Carton Labels and Their Relevance to Animal Welfare. March 2007.
Egg Facts
"THE AVERAGE AMERICAN eats about 175 “shell eggs”—the kind you buy by the dozen at the market—a year, or about one every two days. Most of these are produced in egg factories by hens crammed into cages. But those of us who buy organic get eggs that are qualitatively different from the factory sort.
Because of the abundant minerals and natural foods in the organic hen’s diet, organic eggs’ shells are thick and smooth. When you crack them open, the yolk is a richly colored dark orange due to an abundance of beta-carotene and stands up tall above the white. Again, because of the hen’s natural diet, the white is gelatinous, with substance—it doesn’t just spill out across the pan or bowl. It has a light greenish-yellow tint that indicates it’s high in riboflavin. It has prominent chalazae, the thick white place in albumin strings that center the yolk in the shell.
The first time I used fresh organic eggs from free-range hens I had to separate four eggs. I remember that the whites were not runny, but clear and viscous, holding together in a thick, jelly-like mass. The yolks were deep orange and gave the batter of the cake I was making a rich, warm color. The yolks were also plump, standing up in the bowl before I beat them into the batter with a fork. They were thick and clung to the tines of the fork, so I had to squeeze the tines with my fingers to get the last of the yolks off the fork. They clung to my fingers, they were that thick and sticky. There is no substitute for eggs like these.
Compare these against eggs from a factory farm, where hens spend their lives cooped up in tiny cages under 24-hour-a-day lighting, fed genetically modified and pesticide-sprayed corn, and routinely treated with antibiotics to prevent the diseases that would otherwise flourish in these smelly, noisy, inhumane conditions. I’ve been in such egg factories, and they are a vision of chicken hell. Forced to lay too many eggs, fed as cheaply as possible, and living in unnatural conditions, factory hens lay eggs that may have rough and ridged shells, loose light yellow yolks, and watery whites. In the kitchen, this translates into poor performance in what eggs are supposed to do: bind ingredients, add body, and support light, well-risen cakes, among other functions.
The organic farm, however, is much closer to chicken heaven. According to the standards for the National Organic Program, “All organically raised animals must have access to the outdoors.… They may be temporarily confined only for reasons of health, safety, the animal’s stage of production, or to protect soil or water quality.”
This means that organic eggs come from hens with a scratch yard. Notice it says they can be shut in the henhouse only temporarily—in other words, they are truly free-range birds. That doesn’t mean they can fly out of the scratch yard and start living under the hydrangea. Laying hens and roosters usually have their flight feathers clipped so they can’t fly. Humane treatment, healthy diet, and lack of stress translate into organic eggs that perform beautifully in the kitchen, including functions such as coagulation, foaming, emulsification, and browning.
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Because of the abundant minerals and natural foods in the organic hen’s diet, organic eggs’ shells are thick and smooth. When you crack them open, the yolk is a richly colored dark orange due to an abundance of beta-carotene and stands up tall above the white. Again, because of the hen’s natural diet, the white is gelatinous, with substance—it doesn’t just spill out across the pan or bowl. It has a light greenish-yellow tint that indicates it’s high in riboflavin. It has prominent chalazae, the thick white place in albumin strings that center the yolk in the shell.
The first time I used fresh organic eggs from free-range hens I had to separate four eggs. I remember that the whites were not runny, but clear and viscous, holding together in a thick, jelly-like mass. The yolks were deep orange and gave the batter of the cake I was making a rich, warm color. The yolks were also plump, standing up in the bowl before I beat them into the batter with a fork. They were thick and clung to the tines of the fork, so I had to squeeze the tines with my fingers to get the last of the yolks off the fork. They clung to my fingers, they were that thick and sticky. There is no substitute for eggs like these.
Compare these against eggs from a factory farm, where hens spend their lives cooped up in tiny cages under 24-hour-a-day lighting, fed genetically modified and pesticide-sprayed corn, and routinely treated with antibiotics to prevent the diseases that would otherwise flourish in these smelly, noisy, inhumane conditions. I’ve been in such egg factories, and they are a vision of chicken hell. Forced to lay too many eggs, fed as cheaply as possible, and living in unnatural conditions, factory hens lay eggs that may have rough and ridged shells, loose light yellow yolks, and watery whites. In the kitchen, this translates into poor performance in what eggs are supposed to do: bind ingredients, add body, and support light, well-risen cakes, among other functions.
The organic farm, however, is much closer to chicken heaven. According to the standards for the National Organic Program, “All organically raised animals must have access to the outdoors.… They may be temporarily confined only for reasons of health, safety, the animal’s stage of production, or to protect soil or water quality.”
This means that organic eggs come from hens with a scratch yard. Notice it says they can be shut in the henhouse only temporarily—in other words, they are truly free-range birds. That doesn’t mean they can fly out of the scratch yard and start living under the hydrangea. Laying hens and roosters usually have their flight feathers clipped so they can’t fly. Humane treatment, healthy diet, and lack of stress translate into organic eggs that perform beautifully in the kitchen, including functions such as coagulation, foaming, emulsification, and browning.
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MORE
Update on the Babies
My Japanese is already growing her big tail. My Polishes are huge and so are their hats.
One of my Silkies is huge but the other one is still as tiny as when we got them. My Brahma already is the biggest and her leg feathers are really pretty. I am still working on their final names. More suggestions?
One of my Silkies is huge but the other one is still as tiny as when we got them. My Brahma already is the biggest and her leg feathers are really pretty. I am still working on their final names. More suggestions?
Anti-Antibiotics - LOE 3/2009
"The vast majority of antibiotics aren't used on people - they're fed to farm animals to make them grow faster – or keep them healthy under stressful conditions. Last year farm animals in North Carolina alone consumed more antibiotics than were prescribed for all the people in the United States."
Representative Louise Slaughter says that's got to stop. The New York Representative has introduced a bill in Congress to limit the use of antibiotics on the farm. It's called the Preservation of Antibiotics for Medical Treatment Act.
GELLERMAN: I noticed that a lot of chicken companies in the United States have started giving up voluntarily the use of antibiotics.
SLAUGHTER: Yes, I think a lot of people have – mostly because people have, as I said a while ago – this is an entirely new population of thought than we had even four years ago of people who are much more aware. Because of the deaths and the peanut butter scare and the other things – meat recalls – and all the things that they've seen, I think they understand that their food supply's not safe. And that's one of the least things that they could have always been able to expect from us. And it is our job here to make sure that they are safe. So I think this bill will pass much easier and quicklier now. Senator Kennedy will be carrying it in the Senate. We never predict the Senate's actions, but I believe it will pass the House handily.
Read whole article
Representative Louise Slaughter says that's got to stop. The New York Representative has introduced a bill in Congress to limit the use of antibiotics on the farm. It's called the Preservation of Antibiotics for Medical Treatment Act.
GELLERMAN: I noticed that a lot of chicken companies in the United States have started giving up voluntarily the use of antibiotics.
SLAUGHTER: Yes, I think a lot of people have – mostly because people have, as I said a while ago – this is an entirely new population of thought than we had even four years ago of people who are much more aware. Because of the deaths and the peanut butter scare and the other things – meat recalls – and all the things that they've seen, I think they understand that their food supply's not safe. And that's one of the least things that they could have always been able to expect from us. And it is our job here to make sure that they are safe. So I think this bill will pass much easier and quicklier now. Senator Kennedy will be carrying it in the Senate. We never predict the Senate's actions, but I believe it will pass the House handily.
Read whole article
Living on Earth - Radio Show
Air Date: Week of May 15, 2009
"According to scientists from the University of Wurzburg, honeybees act as plant bodyguards by scaring away caterpillars that would otherwise munch on the plants' leaves.
Honeybees aren't actually dangerous to caterpillars, but wasps are. And the caterpillars – using fine hairs on their bodies to detect flying insects - can't tell the difference - so they keep away from areas with large honeybee populations. In fact, in lab experiments, the scientists found that when honeybees are around, caterpillars do 60 to 70 percent less damage to plant leaves.
The researchers hope their discovery will soon be applied to sustainable farming practices. If crops and flowers are grown side by side in the same field, then honeybees attracted to the flowers will become crop protectors – allowing farmers to use fewer chemical pesticides."
Click here for to hear the story
"According to scientists from the University of Wurzburg, honeybees act as plant bodyguards by scaring away caterpillars that would otherwise munch on the plants' leaves.
Honeybees aren't actually dangerous to caterpillars, but wasps are. And the caterpillars – using fine hairs on their bodies to detect flying insects - can't tell the difference - so they keep away from areas with large honeybee populations. In fact, in lab experiments, the scientists found that when honeybees are around, caterpillars do 60 to 70 percent less damage to plant leaves.
The researchers hope their discovery will soon be applied to sustainable farming practices. If crops and flowers are grown side by side in the same field, then honeybees attracted to the flowers will become crop protectors – allowing farmers to use fewer chemical pesticides."
Click here for to hear the story
5/16/09
Mom and Dad
Thank you for letting me have 30 chickens. Thank you for helping me clean out their cages (even in the biggest winter snow storms. Thank you for helping get the mites and lice off. Thank you for taking Butterscotch to the vet when she ended up at the bottom of the pecking order. Thank you for building her her own coop - it's like her own apartment. Thank you Julie, for letting me keep my birds at your barn. Thank you Dan, for my first Grand Champion birds. Thank you Dorothy, for caring for my birds and encouraging me. Thank you Lisa, for loving my birds and taking me to the barn. Happy Mom and Dad's Day. -- Baby Oeee
5/15/09
Growing a New Crop of Farmers from civileats.com
When the Agriculture Department released its 2007 census recently, the news appeared surprisingly good: For the first time since World War II, the United States did not lose farms, it gained them — 75,810, to be exact, for a total of 2.2 million.
I think I am one of them!
5/14/09
Meat the Truth
Meat the Truth is not just a critical analysis of the relationship between the greenhouse gas effect and the intensive livestock farming industry. It also offers practical solutions, which can help to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Consumers are confronted with thought-provoking, personal dilemmas: would they be better off giving up their cars, or their steak?
5/13/09
Why is this ok? Isn't there another way to harvest eggs?
The hidden camera video shot in early 2009 gives a startling glimpse behind the closed doors of one of the nation's leading egg producers, exposing the rotten truth behind battery cage egg production and heinous cruelty to animals.
I am not going to embed this video it is too disturbing. Click here, only if you prepared to be disgusted.
I am not going to embed this video it is too disturbing. Click here, only if you prepared to be disgusted.
5/12/09
5/11/09
I am trying to eliminate what happens in this video.
I really only want to post happy information, but this is so amazing I feel like people should see this. I think it is unethical to raise animals this way for our consumption.
Now I will post a happy picture
5/10/09
What I Have Learned from my chickens - an essay for the APA newsletter
I fell in love with chickens about 3 years ago when I was 9. I was visiting a friend’s house and they had chickens, that was it, I was hooked. I asked my parents if I could get some chickens, but there was one problem we lived in an area where we couldn’t have chickens. So we did a bit of research. Our Animal loving neighbor Dorothy had a few ideas. Perhaps I could volunteer at a local barn owned by Julie P. She had about 50 chickens, rabbits, goats, ducks, goats and a turkey. I volunteered at Oak Valley Farm for about a year, cleaning out the cages, collecting the eggs, treating some birds for lice and scaly leg mites. Even after all of that work I was still fascinated by these birds.
Finally March passed into April. April is chick season! It was then that Julie asked if wanted to get chickens of my own. At that very moment I thought this must be what heaven is like! And my parents said, “Yes”. For the next few weeks I dreamt of the different types of birds I might like to get. I did a bit of research by calling around to see who was going to have chicks. Our favorite local Agway run by Dan was going to have Barred rocks, White Brahmas, Silver Laced Wyandotte’s, Americaunas, New Hampshire Reds, Golden Comets and Black Giants. On April 21 we went to Dan’s Agway with a little cozy box and picked out 12 birds. I couldn’t stop looking at them the entire ride home. I fell in love with them and became a vegetarian, as did my family. I began to do quite a bit of research about how hens are treated and raised. I have to say I have become quite active in trying to get my classmates and others to think about and know where they get their chicken meat, and to make sure the animals were ethically raised.
But chicken farming isn’t all great. Sometimes babies die and it is really hard to let go but you just have to move on. But for the most part I think chicken farming is more good than bad. When you think about the good things about chicken farming there are way more good than bad. Think about having farm fresh eggs every day, having your birds win the county fair, bringing your chickens in for school for a big research project, these are all fun right? And cleaning out their cages once a week and giving them food and water each day isn’t that bad plus you get used to it after a while.
What have I learned from my chickens? I have learned to be patient, what hard work is, what discipline is, that I am grateful, how hard it is to earn money and how to read the voices and body language of animals. Patience – I had to work and wait before I was able to get my birds, I have to be patient for them to grow and lay eggs. I have learned how to be very responsible and take care of my birds every day. Although all of the hard work has paid off to bring me my beautiful, healthy, prize winning chickens. I am grateful that my parents said yes, that my friends Dorothy, Dan, Julie, Lisa all have helped me with my chickens. Oh woah, hard work....imagine filling up a wheelbarrow with stinky chicken poop and having to haul it to the end of the orchard in knee deep snow to dump it. I do it because I really love my birds. One of my favorite things is understanding what my birds are saying to me even though we don't speak the same language, or maybe we do?
Finally March passed into April. April is chick season! It was then that Julie asked if wanted to get chickens of my own. At that very moment I thought this must be what heaven is like! And my parents said, “Yes”. For the next few weeks I dreamt of the different types of birds I might like to get. I did a bit of research by calling around to see who was going to have chicks. Our favorite local Agway run by Dan was going to have Barred rocks, White Brahmas, Silver Laced Wyandotte’s, Americaunas, New Hampshire Reds, Golden Comets and Black Giants. On April 21 we went to Dan’s Agway with a little cozy box and picked out 12 birds. I couldn’t stop looking at them the entire ride home. I fell in love with them and became a vegetarian, as did my family. I began to do quite a bit of research about how hens are treated and raised. I have to say I have become quite active in trying to get my classmates and others to think about and know where they get their chicken meat, and to make sure the animals were ethically raised.
But chicken farming isn’t all great. Sometimes babies die and it is really hard to let go but you just have to move on. But for the most part I think chicken farming is more good than bad. When you think about the good things about chicken farming there are way more good than bad. Think about having farm fresh eggs every day, having your birds win the county fair, bringing your chickens in for school for a big research project, these are all fun right? And cleaning out their cages once a week and giving them food and water each day isn’t that bad plus you get used to it after a while.
What have I learned from my chickens? I have learned to be patient, what hard work is, what discipline is, that I am grateful, how hard it is to earn money and how to read the voices and body language of animals. Patience – I had to work and wait before I was able to get my birds, I have to be patient for them to grow and lay eggs. I have learned how to be very responsible and take care of my birds every day. Although all of the hard work has paid off to bring me my beautiful, healthy, prize winning chickens. I am grateful that my parents said yes, that my friends Dorothy, Dan, Julie, Lisa all have helped me with my chickens. Oh woah, hard work....imagine filling up a wheelbarrow with stinky chicken poop and having to haul it to the end of the orchard in knee deep snow to dump it. I do it because I really love my birds. One of my favorite things is understanding what my birds are saying to me even though we don't speak the same language, or maybe we do?
5/9/09
Listen to the Backyard Chicken Radio Show
5/8/09
Confused.
See my essay below - http://bit.ly/2Gce2
I am told that chickens don't have their beaks seared off in factory farms "Chickens bred for consumption in Canada do not have their beaks trimmed", but here is a picture. How do I find out what is true? I guess I have to go see myself. Maybe the part to pay attention to is "bred for consumption"....but you can trim egg layers?
See more....
Playing for Change - Stand by me.
"http://playingforchange.com - From the award-winning documentary, "Playing For Change: Peace Through Music"
My Twitterview with @backyardpoultry
1. When did you first become interested in chickens?
Response: @HappyChickens I currently have 44 chickens. I have 11 ISA Browns, 2 Rhode Island Reds, 4 Americanas, 4 White Leghorns, 2 Barred Rock, 1 Buff Orphington, 3 Light Brahmas, 3 Black Australorps, 4 Silkies, 3 Seramas, 1 Cochin, 2 Frizzles, 1 Rescued Bantam, 2 Golden Comets, 1 Naked Neck.
2. How many birds do you have?
Response: If I had to pick one, I guess it would be the good old fashioned Rhode Island Red.
3. What is your favorite breed?
Response: I just remembered that I also have a Silver Laced Wyandotte! I like the RIR because it was the first breed I ever had, and they are proven layers!
4. Why is that breed your favorite?
Reponse: I just remembered that I also have a Silver Laced Wyandotte! I like the RIR because it was the first breed I ever had, and they are proven layers!
5. How do you recommend treating lice, naturally?
Response: The best way to control mites is to keep a clean coop, and to eliminate places for them to hide! However, if your chickens have a mite problem and you want to treat it naturally I always recommend using food grade Diatomaceous Earth.
6. What is the most important thing for backyard flock owners to know?
Response: As you know there are several important things to know, but I always tell chickens owners "There will always be something that will love your chickens more than you." In other words, protect your chickens from predators!
7. Do you believe Happy Chickens Lay Healthy Eggs :)?
Response: Yes, I do believe that happy chickens will lay healthy eggs.
8. What is the one thing backyard flock owners can do to make sure their birds are happy.
Response: A consistent supply of clean water and food!
9. Where can people find you to get more information?
Response: People can listen live to my weekly radio show "Backyard Poultry with the Chicken Whisperer" every Saturday at 9:00am EST at www.americaswebradio.com. They can also download past shows from there as well. They can visit my personal blog at www.atlantachickenwhisperer.blogspot.com or they can see my blogs at www.grit.com, www.farmersalmanac.com, and www.communitychickens.com
10. Lastly what have you learned about life, from your chickens?
Response: If you want something in life you have to scratch for it!
Response: @HappyChickens I currently have 44 chickens. I have 11 ISA Browns, 2 Rhode Island Reds, 4 Americanas, 4 White Leghorns, 2 Barred Rock, 1 Buff Orphington, 3 Light Brahmas, 3 Black Australorps, 4 Silkies, 3 Seramas, 1 Cochin, 2 Frizzles, 1 Rescued Bantam, 2 Golden Comets, 1 Naked Neck.
2. How many birds do you have?
Response: If I had to pick one, I guess it would be the good old fashioned Rhode Island Red.
3. What is your favorite breed?
Response: I just remembered that I also have a Silver Laced Wyandotte! I like the RIR because it was the first breed I ever had, and they are proven layers!
4. Why is that breed your favorite?
Reponse: I just remembered that I also have a Silver Laced Wyandotte! I like the RIR because it was the first breed I ever had, and they are proven layers!
5. How do you recommend treating lice, naturally?
Response: The best way to control mites is to keep a clean coop, and to eliminate places for them to hide! However, if your chickens have a mite problem and you want to treat it naturally I always recommend using food grade Diatomaceous Earth.
6. What is the most important thing for backyard flock owners to know?
Response: As you know there are several important things to know, but I always tell chickens owners "There will always be something that will love your chickens more than you." In other words, protect your chickens from predators!
7. Do you believe Happy Chickens Lay Healthy Eggs :)?
Response: Yes, I do believe that happy chickens will lay healthy eggs.
8. What is the one thing backyard flock owners can do to make sure their birds are happy.
Response: A consistent supply of clean water and food!
9. Where can people find you to get more information?
Response: People can listen live to my weekly radio show "Backyard Poultry with the Chicken Whisperer" every Saturday at 9:00am EST at www.americaswebradio.com. They can also download past shows from there as well. They can visit my personal blog at www.atlantachickenwhisperer.blogspot.com or they can see my blogs at www.grit.com, www.farmersalmanac.com, and www.communitychickens.com
10. Lastly what have you learned about life, from your chickens?
Response: If you want something in life you have to scratch for it!
5/7/09
Today after school I'm doing a Twitterview
Twitterview (Interview on Twitter) with @backyardpoultry (Andy Schneider)! I will be asking him questions for a project I am doing on Twitter and he will respond with Twerbose (twitter for longer messages).
Click here for more info
The Chicken Whisperer Meetup
Cool New App my mom found - Locavore
Locavore
Know the food in season near you.
Eating local food when it’s in season is an increasingly popular goal amongst people who are interested in eating the tastiest, healthiest food while also being good to the environment. Knowing what’s available in your area at a given time of year is often difficult to determine, so we’ve taken on the task of collecting data from a variety of sources and presenting it all in the most understandable of ways. The Locavore iPhone app will come in handy next time you’re at the market and want to know what’s actually being grown near you, and what is most likely to taste the best right now.
Whether you’re just trying to become more aware of what’s in season around you, or you are fully committed to eating only locally grown food, this app will help you know what your options are.
Purchase Locavore at the iTunes Store
5/6/09
Two new birds from the Animal Control Officer in town
Someone left these birds behind, so I took them in. Their new names are Milk and Honey.
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