Book Preview: Backyard Chickens Beyond the Basics

Backyard Chickens Beyond the Basics explores the realities of raising a flock for eggs — and entertainment, of course! From odd eggs and molting to chicken behavior, feeding and preparing for the seasons, poultry expert and editor of Backyard Poultry magazine and Countryside Small Stock & Journal, Pam Freeman takes on many subjects that aren’t covered in beginner books. Her practical advice makes the complicated easy to understand, and Pam’s experiences give deeper insight into the workings of a backyard flock.

Chapter 1: Expanding Your Flock
Chapter 2: Flock Behavior
Chapter 3: Life with a Rooster
Chapter 4: All About Eggs
Chapter 5: Chicken (and Egg) Health
Chapter 6: Predators
Chapter 7: Feeding Your Chickens
Chapter 8: Chicken-Keeping Through the Seasons
Chapter 9: Coop Truth

“In my 30 years as a poultry veterinarian, I have not seen a more practical, well-written and easy-to-read book for backyard poultry owners. This book is an essential resource.” – Dr. Sherrill Davison, Director of the Laboratory of Avian Medicine and Pathology, Penn Vet

Excerpt From Chapter 1

Buying chicks from a feed store couldn’t be easier. Each spring they’re readily available in local stores across the country. I find it’s best to get the chicks as early in their lifespan as possible. By doing this, you get more time to bond with them. I’ve found this results in adult backyard chickens that are much more likely to be friendly and ready to interact with humans. (This is especially important for families with children.) It’s good to stay in contact with your local feed store in the spring so you know when they’ll be getting their chick deliveries. That way you can swoop in and buy the chicks at the earliest possible time.

People often ask me what to look for in feed store chicks. I advise looking for chicks that are active and alert. I check to see that they’re eating and drinking. I look for down feathers that are clean and well groomed. I look to see that their rumps are clean and free of poop. I also check their extremities. Are their legs straight? Can they walk well? Are their beaks straight and not scissored (crossed)? Do they have clear eyes?

A sick chick will be hunched over, or sometimes they’ll stand still and sway with their eyes closed. However, be careful about this as healthy chicks need to sleep as well, and they like to get comfortable when they nap. So you may see a chick that’s perfectly healthy but curled up, sleeping or for that matter, all spread out dozing. Don’t confuse natural sleeping with being sick! Here are a few additional tips from a feed store chick-buying veteran.

• If the feed store is putting your chicks in a box, have them line the bottom with some clean shavings. Normally there’s an open bag nearby your box. This makes the slippery box surface a lot less slippery and messy — and it gives your chicks a comfortable ride home.
• Although the bins at the feed store are marked pullets (girls) and straight run (boys and girls), this does not always hold true. First, hatcheries are not 100 percent accurate in their sexing. So there could be some roosters in there from the start. Also, a well-meaning employee or customer may set a chick back in the wrong brooder after looking at it. So you may end up with a surprise or two in a few months!
• Make sure to double-check your chicks once they’re in your box. Most feed stores don’t allow returns. So, if there’s a problem with your birds, the time to address it is right then. Once you walk out fo the store, you have to live with what you’ve got.

The Pecking Order from Chapter 2

Besides pecking, there are other ways chickens work out their order and show dominance. Once chicken might challenge another by puffing up her chest, standing tall, and flapping her wings. The challenged bird can then either choose to show its dominance or back down.

Egg Size and Grading from Chapter 4

Egg scales didn’t gain popularity until World Wars I and II. Until then, egg weighing was done as a way to select eggs for hatching. But during the wars, the U.S. War Department bought eggs to feed the troops and paid for them based on their size. Egg weight equaled cash and created the need for scales. During that time, egg scale advances and production were at a high.

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