Thank you @RodaleBooks and @RaminGaneshram - Future Chefs

The Backyard Chicken–Loving Future Chef You Need to Know About

Young people today often get a bad rap, but there are kids out there who are helping to make this world a better place—and where better to start than at the dinner table?
BY MOLLIE GREWE

Much of what we hear about kids these days slants to the negative: "They're always on their phones!" or "They have no respect anymore!" But, this simply isn't fair. There are young ones out there who are concerned, curious, and interested in making a difference. There are kids who care about their futures and the futures of kids who will come after them. When we meet younglings like that, it's important that we call attention to them, give them the spotlight they deserve.

One such activist is Orren Fox, a beekeeper and hen raiser from Newburyport, Massachusetts. And in Ramin Ganeshram's upcoming FutureChefs: Recipes by Tomorrow's Cooks Across the Nation and the World we learn about Orren's story and get our hands on an original recipe from the chef himself.

Check out this excerpt about Orren in Future Chefs:

For some young cooks, preparing food is as much a call to social action as it is a hobby. Orren Fox is one of those cooks. He first became interested in the plight of farm animals before he was 10 years old after a trip to a babysitter's farm. Since then, Orren has been spreading the message of animal kindness through his blog, Happy Chickens.

JEAN PAUL VELLOTTI

Orren, who is still just a high school student, has made a name for himself as an animal activist to watch through blogging for sites like Civil Eats and HandPicked Nation, as well as appearing in media such as NPR, Edible Boston, the Boston Globe, and Yankee Magazine.

When it comes to chemical use for chicken farming and beekeeping, Orren steers clear. The animals are important to Orren, and he respects them for their work, saying, "I love going out to the chicken coop or to the beehives to see what the girls have done. They are hard workers." (Here's why you really need to know your beekeeper.)

> READ MORE OF THE ARTICLE HERE

> READ MORE of the book Future Chefs HERE by Ramin Ganeshram

TIPS: Caring for your hens in the heat

Heatwaves are stressful times for chickens. The way chickens cool themselves, because they do not have sweat glands is to rely on their respiratory system, and panting. As chickens pant the water in their throat evaporates and lowers their body temperature. A normal body temperature for a chicken is about 105 degrees. I also sometimes freeze water in old water bottles and place in waterers to keep the water cool.

1 – Water and plenty of it. Hens will need access to cool, clean water all the time. This is true year round but is obviously critical to hens surviving the heat. I also put a little pool of shallow water in the coop to provide an opportunity for them to stand in it if they want.

2 – Chickens need space, especially in the heat. They need to get away from the body heat of other birds and need access to a well ventilated, shady spot.

3 – In my coop there is food available 24/7. In the summer heat chickens tend to eat in the cool of the morning, and not during the high heat of the day. Make sure there is plenty of food available in the cooler parts of the day. I also change the feed ratios to a higher protein ratio, because they are eating less this will help them maintain a proper nutritional balance. I go from layer feed at 17% protein to grower feed or gamebird feed at 20%.

4 – Check on your hens frequently throughout the day, if possible. If a bird begins to show signs of heat stress, take them out of the coop and place in a cool quiet spot. Eliminate as much stress as possible.

5 – Replace the deep litter with a shallow layer of bedding. Shavings with droppings in it can create heat.

6 - Consider adding electrolytes to the water if your hens seem particularly stressed, a sign to look for is pale combs, spreading their wings away from the body, limp, extraordinary panting. A great recipe for homemade electrolytes from Gail Demerow is :

HOMEMADE ELECTROLYTE SOLUTION
1/2 teaspoon salt substitute
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon table salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1 gallon water

Do not administer this to healthy hens this is only if your birds seems in distress. During the rest of the year I add Apple Cider Vinegar to the water, do not do this during high heat times.

Chickens in the winter - what not to do.

Chickens in the winter – what not to do. 

1. Do not let the water freeze, even for a few hours overnight. Hens that get even just a little dehydrated are much more prone to getting weak and it takes them a very long time to get rehydrated, hens just aren't that thirsty in the winter. I do like heated dogbowls. Many don’t care for them, but I find them very very helpful. I am at school all day so am unable to tend them throughout a freezing cold day. I also put a little splash of Braggs into the water, I just think it is good for them. They like the taste so drink more water.

2. Do not let your eggs freeze. If they freeze they crack a bit from the expansion. A cracked egg isn't a good idea to eat. When I find cracked eggs I try and scramble them up for the hens. Many people will disagree with this, they will tell you that your hens are more likely to eat their own eggs as a result. They are probably right, but I haven't had that experience and they seem to love scrambled eggs. I hate to waste an egg. So collect the eggs more often when it is cold.

3. Do not heat or insulate your coop too tightly. While it is true you don't want big drafts rolling through the coop a tight coop is just as bad. When chickens breath they put moisture in the air and because they spend more time in their coop in the winter there is just is more moisture in the coop in general from breathing and droppings. Moisture and humidity can create an unhealthy situation with mold and potential respiratory issues. Also a really tight coop can have the smell of ammonia to build up which can be terrible for you and the hens. A good guide is protected, well ventilated and not drafty.

4. Do not let your hens get bored. Cut up a squash, sprinkle corn cobs around, hang a cabbage, put a roost in a new spot. I don't think they need "toys" they just like scratching about for snacks.

5. Do not deprive your hens from light. Let your chickens out of the coop for a walkabout, let them out in the winter even in the snow. Don't keep them cooped up in the coop (make sure they are protected). Chickens need lots of light to continue to lay through the winter. I use lights on timers. It costs more in electric bills, however hens need light. I also have covered their outdoor run in clear corrugated plastic roofing so when they not in their nesting boxes they have access to natural light.

6. Do not forget to go over each bird to look for signs of cold distress. Do this often. I apply Vaseline to their combs in the winter. Also make sure the coop is clean: see moisture above. A good technique in the winter is the Deep Bedding Method. It is very easy to manage, you end up with compost, they birds are always entertained scratching about, and it keeps your birds healthy.

Two goose eggs. Will make for a big omlette.

The farm #happychickens

Baby Silkies

Review of - Chickens in Five Minutes a Day

Chickens in Five Minutes a Day by Murray McMurray Hatchery

Raising, tending and getting eggs from a small backyard flock.

Murray McMurray Hatchery has just published this nice simple book about caring for chickens “In five minutes a day”. The main point of this book is – caring for hens is not complicated and doesn’t have to take a lot of time, 5 minutes a day. As Mr Huseman and employee at the hatchery says “The task of raising chickens at first seemed daunting, especially because I didn’t grow up on a farm. We only had a dog. I remember thinking what are we getting into? But it’s easy. The chickens just need food, water and shelter. That’s it”

The book has a nice seasonal guide for raising chickens and also a daily guide, below are some of the steps outlined in the book:

Watering – “Your chickens need access to clean water every day” I would add, even in the dark cold frozen winter. It can be a challenge in the winter making sure the hens have access to water 24 hours a day. I use a heated dog bowl to ensure this.

Feeding – “A balance chicken feed that is stored in pest – proof containers and housed near the coop for easy access”. I would also add consider adding some diatemaecous earth to your feed to help manage lice. Simply toss a small amount on your feed when loading it into your pest proof container.

Collecting – “When your chickens start laying eggs, you should check the nesting boxes in the coop at least once a day for fresh eggs”. When I go to the barn I simply take a peek in to see if there are any eggs. Just a note that hens need lots of light in order to lay eggs. We have clear panels in the roof of the barn so that even when the hens are in the inside coop, not out in the outdoor run, they are exposed to natural light.

Observing – “Good backyard farmers get to know their chickens and can spot lethargy, loss of appetite and other symptoms that might be the first signs of illness”. This is a very important part of raising hens. Knowing and understanding your hens is critical: are they broody, do they have lice, is anyone on the bottom of the pecking order, are the nesting boxes clean, is the coop completely safe (no holes in the fence for predators)

My favorite section in the book is "Choosing your Chickens". There are some very useful tips in this section for example, what is the right sized flock for your backyard?, Which chickens are best for you and your location, and breeds listed by temperament, multi colored eggs or exotic looking birds. Honestly I want all of them. I have 32 birds of various breeds, bantams, standards, good egg producers, roosters, you name it I probably have it and it all works out.

Obviously, the section titled “Everything you need to know for those first few weeks” is very very complete, this is a book from MurrayMcMurray after all. If you are considering getting chicks, get this book. This section of the book gives you critical, life saving information on how to care for your new birds: Pasting up, how to introduce them to water, huddling, pecking order. Read this chapter, then read it again to make sure you have it all. 

There are only a few things I might think twice about. One is on page 110 "Tips for Protecting Your Chickens from Pests and Predators". This is a very critical part of the book, in fact I think one of the most important. I don't have much patience when neighborhood dogs attack and injure hens. I think it is our number one task to keep our chickens safe, at all times. So I would recommend chain link instead of chicken wire. Where I live a fox or coyote could easily get through chicken wire. Keep your hens safe and happy.

Harvest

Dust Bath

Chickens need to take a bath, in dirt.

Dust baths are how chickens prevent mites and lice from taking hold on their skin and and making them sick. If your chickens have access to a little area of dirt that they can dig up and then throw the dirt around they are all set. IF your birds are in a coop where they don't have access to a little dirt pit you will need to create one for them. Here is what I have done (although my hens have access to the outdoor baths - see above) to make one. I take a low galvanized tub and fill it with a mixture of things: diatomaceous earth (wear a mask when using), sand, dirt, and some fireplace ashes.

Plum on her eggs

Alice

She is a Belgian D'Anvers

The Chicken Encyclopedia Review

I'm posting mine a bit early because I won't have access to a computer for the next week. 

The Chicken Encyclopedia, an illustrated reference

By Gail Damerow
Author of Storey’s Guide to Raising Chickens (a must have)

If you have chickens or are thinking of getting them you have to have this book. It is filled to the brim with helpful information. When I first picked up the book I simply flipped it open to a page and 30 minutes later I was in a completely different section, having just learned about 20 things I hadn’t known before picking it up. Honestly I thought I knew a fair amount about chickens since I have had about 20 of them for the past 6 years. This book made me realize I still have a lot to learn.

I am into raising happy chickens. You may ask “what is a happy chicken?” while there isn’t a specific entry for “Happy Chickens” in The Chicken Encyclopedia, I think these five entries are the must haves; light, food, fencing, pasture, water.

Controlled lighting for hens / page 72
Hens need roughly 15 hours of light in order to be productive laying hens. I also think daylight is part of what makes for a happy chicken. “In the natural course of events, pullets hatch in the spring as daylight hours are increasing, and mature during summer and autumn as daylight hours decrease…as hens they continue to lay until either the number of light hours per day or the degree of light intensity signals the end of the reproductive cycle”. My outdoor run for my coop has corrugated clear plastic roof so the hens have access to the natural cycle of light, then in the winter months I supplement with a compact fluorescent for the indoor coop. An important note “Leaving lights on all the time is not only wasteful but...doesn't not give them the daily 6-8 hours of restful darkness they need to maintain good immunity”.

Feeding hens / page 121
“Chickens eat to meet their energy needs, so they eat less in the summer than in winter, when they need extra energy to stay warm”. It is really important to feed your birds high quality, well-balanced feed. Paying attention to the protein ratio in each season. I feed my standard hens layer pellet and my bantams layer crumble, but I also mix in some other ingredients so they don’t get bored. I add cracked corn in the winter to help them keep their body temperature up and I always add black sunflower seeds. They love the seeds, because they can scratch around while finding them and it takes a bit of effort to find each seed. We also add fresh greens and meal worms every few days. Feeding your hens properly is a sure fire way to have happy chickens.

Fence and Fencing / page 123
“A sturdy fence keeps chickens in and predators out”. I can’t tell you how many people have told me about how a hawk or a neighbor’s dog or a local coyote have taken their hens. It is our responsibility to keep our hens safe. This starts with a sturdy fence. As Ms Damerow mentions, chicken wire, despite its name, is not a good solution.

Pastured and Pasture Raised / page 197 [also see free range]
“Allowed access to fresh vegetative grazing much of the time”. If it is safe giving your hens access to a pasture with fresh bugs and grasses their eggs will “contain less fat and more omega-3s”! I also believe it makes the hens happy because they can do all of the natural things hens do: scratch about, chase bugs, dust bathe naturally, chase around etc. One critical detail however is that the hens are safe, make sure that you ask yourself these questions: are neighbors dogs well mannered, are the hawks not near the farm, is it possible to keep them in a little mobile coop. Just letting your birds out to “free range” can be a death sentence, unless you have taken proper care to guarantee their safety.

Water / page 287
“Lack of water for even a few hours can cause hens to stop laying for days or weeks. Access 24/7 to clean, fresh water, of course, is key to happy chickens. Interestingly “Chickens also may suffer water deprivation if the water quality is poor or they just don’t like the taste..”. It is critical to keep water bowls and waterers very clean. I wash mine with soap often! In the winter I use heated dog bowls to make sure the water doesn’t freeze and occasionally I will add Bragg’s apple cider vinegar (pg 282) to “encourage beneficial micro flora to flourish” in their gut.

____________________________

Here are the other reviews of the book;

3/2    For the Love of Chickens http://fortheloveofchickensblog.blogspot.com/
3/3    Vintage Garden Gal http://www.vintagegardengal.com/
3/4    The Garden Roof Coop http://www.thegardenroofcoop.com/
3/5    Common Weeder http://www.commonweeder.com/
3/6    Chickens in the Road http://chickensintheroad.com/
3/7    Garden Rant http://www.gardenrant.com/my_weblog/
3/8    Fresh Eggs Daily http://fresh-eggs-daily.blogspot.com/
3/9    My Pet Chicken Blog http://blog.mypetchicken.com/
3/10  Coop Thoughts http://www.thegardencoop.com/blog/
3/11  BoHo Farm and Home http://www.bohofarmandhome.com/
3/12  Happy Chickens Lay Healthy Eggs http://www.happychickens.com
3/13  A Charlotte Garden http://acharlottegarden.blogspot.com/
3/14  Farm Fresh Fun http://farmfreshfun.blogspot.com
3/15  The HenCam http://www.hencam.com/henblog/
3/16   Life on a Southern Farm http://georgiafarmwoman.blogspot.com/
3/17  ADozenGirlz, the Chicken Chick™ http://eggcartonlabels.blogspot.com/
3/18   North Coast Gardening http://www.northcoastgardening.com/

The Chicken Encyclopedia on Storey's website 

Storey on FB
Storey on twitter: @storeypub

____________________

I have one copy of the book to send to someone. If you'd like it please go to Happy Chickens on FB and leave me a comment on what you think is essential to keeping HappyChickens. I will put all the entries into a bowl and pick one out and send you a copy! Nice, right?

My hen Butterscotch hatched out 7 new silkies!

New baby in the barn.

WELCOME HOLLY.

I just returned from a month a camp to find a 2 day old baby chick hatched by Peach, my standard blue cochin. She is an awesome mom.

Sweet Blue Cochins. They are the best.

When do I switch to Egg Layer from Grower?

My blue cochins. When this picture was taken she was eating "Grower"
"When do I switch from Grower to Layer?"

I feed my babies "Starter" until about 8 weeks.

Then I switch to "Grower Mash" until they are fully "feathered out" about 20 weeks.

Next I switch them over to "Layer Pellet" I do not use "Layer crumble or mash".

I also mix in some:
Black Sunflower Seeds
Cracked Corn
Flax Seed
Mealworms
GameBird Pellets (higher in protein)

There are lots of ways to feed your birds. This is just one suggestion.

My friend Lis Timpone's HappyChicken!

MAHA and HOWL at the Farmers Market

Hard to do homework.

Spring hens. Butterscotch as a baby.

She is a super gentle hen.