A Note About Chick Handling and Salmonella

With the rise in popularity of backyard poultry, the Centers for Disease Control is seeing a rise in reports of salmonella. Salmonella can cause diarrhea, vomiting, fever, or abdominal cramping in humans. The illness can range from mild to life threatening. The biggest tool you have in preventing salmonella...

Bantam Ducks are bright and varied

Bantam ducks, like bantam chickens, are the miniatures of the breed. They range from the small Mandarin and Wood ducks, maxing out at 24 and 25 ounces respectively and popular Call ducks at 26 ounces to 30-ounce East Indie ducks and Mallards, which top out at 40 ounces. Those are the maximum Standard sizes...

If it walks like a duck…

Ducks! Colorful and varied, good producers, effective pest foragers, attractive. Some quack more than others – they call them Call ducks  for a reason – but many owners enjoy that sociability. Husbandry is different from that for chickens, but once you have them set up, they are no trouble. Take a look...

Waterfowl: Ducks, Geese and Swans

Waterfowl are different from their land-based relatives, the chickens and other gallinaceous birds such as quail and pheasants. Their plumage is oiled to resist water and their meat is all dark. They carry a layer of fat under their skin, an adaptation that helps them stay warm in cold water. All those...

Thinking Beyond the Chicken

Most backyard flock keepers are introduced to the world of domesticated poultry by the chicken. There is plenty of easily accessible information about chickens, chickens lay the eggs that Americans are most familiar with eating, and chickens make great pets. We certainly don’t discourage raising...

Laying Cycles

People keep poultry for many reasons, but one of the most common is for food. Healthy poultry provide eggs and fresh eggs from happy, healthy birds taste good and are good for you. Obviously, chickens are the most popular eggs, but many people keep ducks and quail for eggs as well.   One thing that all...