Storey's Guide to Raising Chickens (110 page)

watering chicks,
321
–22

feeding meat breeds,
371
–76

drug residue avoidance,
374
–76

feed consumption guideline,
372

feeder space,
374

pasturing philosophies,
373
–74

withdrawal period and,
375
–76

feeding methods

free-choice,
110
–11

restricted,
111

fenced range,
54
–59

range rotation,
58
–59,
59

range shelter,
55
,
55
,
113
,
113
,
191
,
191
,
320
–21

yard rotation and,
56
–57,
57

fences,
81
–86

chain link,
82

electric fence,
85
,
85
–86

electric net,
86

mesh and net,
82
–84

secure gates/sill for,
84
,
84
–85

fertility.
See
mating logistics

fertilizer.
See under
manure management

first aid

broken bones,
179
–81

broken toenail/spur case,
179

kit for,
176
–77

wound care,
176
–79

flatworms,
156
,
157

flock replacement,
210
–12

flock size,
28

floor eggs,
208

flying breeds,
21

fly predators,
164

food calls,
32
,
35

food poisoning.
See under
safety

foundation stock,
260

fowl catcher,
147
,
147

fowl intelligence,
49
–51

self control and,
49
–50

training a chicken,
50
–51

fowl language,
29
–38

chicken talk,
30
–31

chick peeps/trills,
31
–32

cock talk,
35

communicating with chickens,
37
–38

mama hens’ sounds,
32
–34

predator alarms,
36
–37

social sounds,
34
–35

fowl pox,
171

free-range chickens,
53
–54,
56
,
379

freezing eggs,
233
,
233
–34

freezing poultry,
406
–9

cooked chicken,
409

refreezing after power failure,
409
–10

fresh-egg tests,
221
–23.
See also
candling eggs

air-cell size and,
221
,
222
,
222

breaking an egg,
222
–23

floating egg,
221
–22,
223
,
223

smell test,
222

Frizzle breed,
3
,
3

frostbite prevention,
134
–35

game cock boxing,
48

gardens, chickens and,
95
,
111

gene connection,
256
–58

dominant vs. recessive,
257

lethal genes,
258

getting started,
26
–28

flock size,
28

right time of year for,
27

golden flock-size rules,
28

grades of eggs.
See
quality of eggs

grooming.
See
conditioning for exhibition

growth, classical music and,
368

H5N1,
169

handling chickens,
146
–49

carrying a chicken,
147
–48,
148

catching a chicken,
146
–47,
147

exhibition training,
344
–45

transporting chickens,
148
–49

hatching eggs,
22
–23,
275
–306

artificial incubation,
282
–95

candling the eggs,
295
–97

egg air cell sizes and,
291
,
291

egg collection for,
275
–78

hatching of eggs,
297
–300

natural incubation,
278
–82

record keeping,
305
–6,
306

sexing an egg,
278

hatching of eggs,
297
–300

chick identification,
300
–305

help-outs,
299

splayed legs/crooked toes,
300
,
300

what went wrong,
298
–
99

hazards.
See
poisons/hazards

health care,
151
–81.
See also
broiler health issues

aging, health changes and,
165

biosecurity and,
151
–54

diseases and,
166
–71

first aid,
175
–81

parasites,
155
–64

poisons/hazards,
173
–75

post-show care,
359

vaccination,
171
–73

well chickens,
165
–66

health of chicken,
25
,
25
–26

age determination and,
26

healthy features,
25
,
25

heat stress, reduction of,
135

heat transfer,
132

excretory,
132

respiratory,
133
,
133

henhouse.
See
shelter

hens.
See
laying-hen management; mama hens’ sounds

heritage chickens,
380
,
381.
See also
endangered breeds

Houdan breed,
14

humidity control for incubators,
289
–93

ease of cleaning and,
293

egg air cell sizes and,
291
,
291

incubation temperatures,
292

measurement of,
290
–93

temperature and humidity,
293

weight loss during incubation,
292

hybrid.
See
purebred vs. hybrid

hybrid vigor,
259
–60

ID for breeding birds

leg-band size by breed,
254
–
55

types of,
252
–53

inbreeding depression,
258
–60

hybrid vigor,
259
–60

outcrossing,
259

individual matings,
249

insecticide,
163

jacket for mating hen,
266
–67,
267

Japanese breed,
17

Jersey Giant breed,
19

judging of chickens,
355
–57

killing chickens,
387
–90

bleeding and,
389

methods of,
388
,
388
–90,
389

kitchen safety,
414
–15

large breeds,
2
,
6
–
7

laryngotracheitis,
171

layer breeds,
9
–11,
10

layer nutrition,
187
–91

calcium and,
191

hens, feeding of,
189
–90

obesity, signs of,
190

pastured layer diets,
190
–91

pullets, feeding of,
188

laying-hen management,
182
–214

broodiness and,
194

culling,
195
–202

egg formation,
182
–87

egg issues,
202
–10

flock replacement,
210
–12

layer nutrition and,
187
–91

lighting, control of,
192
–95

second year and,
211

left-eye system,
36

leg-band size by breed,
254
–
55

Leghorn breed,
10

lethal genes,
258

leukosis,
328

light and dark meat,
403
,
406

lighting, control of,
192
–95

daylight, augmenting,
192
–93

height above birds,
193

for pullets,
193
–95

lighting, predator control and,
131

linebreeding,
249

litter.
See
bedding

longcrowers,
43
–45

crowing hens and,
45

typical stance of,
43
,
44
,
44

of various countries,
44

low-maintenance breeds,
13
–14,
14

mail-order chicks,
23

male/female mating ratios,
264

mama hens’ sounds,
32
–34

manure management,
137
–42

chicken diapers,
138

composting litter,
138
–40

nitrogen loss, minimizing,
140

“sheet composting,”
142

use as fertilizer,
141
,
141
–42

Marek’s disease,
172
,
328

marketing.
See
production/marketing choices

master exhibitor,
360
,
360

mating logistics,
263
–70

battle of the sexes,
264
–65

breeder flock age,
268
–69

fertility problems,
269
–70

housing/privacy/fertility,
268

male/female mating ratios,
264

showing/fertility,
269

treading,
266
–67,
267

mature birds, purchasing,
24
–25

meat-bird management,
361
–86

broiler health issues,
376
–78

butchering, readiness,
385
–86

feeding meat breeds,
371
–76

indoor confinement,
366
–68,
367

meat breeds,
361
–65

methods of,
365
–71

pasture confinement,
368
–70,
369

production/marketing,
378
–85

range feeding,
370
,
370
–71

meat breeds,
11
,
11
–12,
361
–65

capons,
363
–64

characteristics of,
247
,
247

color preferences,
364
–65

meat classes,
362
–63

skin color and,
364
,
364
–65

meat safety,
374
–76

mechanical brooders,
310
–14

area brooder,
312
,
312
–13

box/battery type,
311
,
311
–12

homemade,
313
,
313
–14,
314

medication,
154
,
375
–76

mesh and net fencing,
82
–84

chicken wire,
83

hexagonal net,
83

hex wire,
84

rabbit netting,
84

turkey netting,
83

microflora, health and,
168

milk-fed chickens,
89

minerals.
See
supplements

mites,
160
–61

northern fowl mites,
160
–61,
161

red mites,
160

scaly leg mites,
161

Modern Game cock,
343
,
343

molting,
199
–202,
200,
201

Naked Neck breed,
3
,
3

Nankin breed,
17

National Organic Program (NOP),
381
–83

National Poultry Improvement Plan (NPIP),
26

natural brooding,
307
–10

brooding pen/coop,
307
–9,
308

foster moms,
309
–10

natural chicken, defined,
379

natural incubation,
278
–82

brooding nests,
280
–81

broody management,
281
–82

broody signs,
280

nest eggs (fake eggs),
208

nests,
76
–78.
See also
trapnesting

for brooding,
280
–81

for clean eggs,
277
,
277

exterior nests,
76
,
76

nest boxes on shelves,
77
,
77

three-level hutch,
78
,
78

Newcastle disease,
172

noise considerations/noisy breeds,
21

nonconfinement.
See
free-range chickens