Hatching and Brooding Your Own Chicks - By Gail Damerow, From Storey Publishing

The moment you see the images on the front cover you're going to want this book! But, you know the saying, "Don't judge a book by it's cover."

No, don't . . . because it gets even better! Ever since I've had my website, people have emailed me questions, mostly about baby chicks. I love hearing from people and answering their questions (so please continue to keep in touch!), but why wait for me to answer (some issues need an urgent response) when you can have the answers to everything about baby chicks right at your fingertips! Detailed answers . . . from someone whose expertise and experience I've relied upon for years - with excellent results.

It's not a good idea to take on the responsibility of caring for the precious lives of tiny helpless animals without having a couple of reference books on hand to guide you, and the information in this book is reliable, factual, and based on the author's years of experience. There are two reasons why some books lack the level of detail of Gail Damerow's books. Either the author is inexperienced; or they are very experienced but feel that "everyone already knows that", so they don't drill down to the basics. You can rely on all the important details being there for you in this book, even if you're brand new to raising chickens or other poultry. She's very gifted at including even minute details, as well as the reasons and background to support all the facts.

After you buy this book, be sure to keep track of it because it probably won't stay on a bookshelf for long at a time. Somebody in your household will always be cabbaging onto it. That's to be encouraged, of course as they'll be a lot smarter after reading it. But, you may want to 'lay down the law' to ensure it always gets put back in a specific place, so you can reference it quickly if you need to - and you most likely will!

It covers the breeds and guides you to select the right ones for you to help you start off on the right foot. It's full of educational charts and images that are clear, colorful, and heartwarming. And, it's not just about chickens, but covers other poultry, as well. If you're raising babies from one of the hatcheries, letting a hen hatch a brood, or, especially, if you're going to use an incubator - you really need this book. There are so many things to know about maintaining the proper humidity, temperature, and other conditions you'll want to be aware of these factors ahead of time.

And, especially, if you're going to use an incubator to raise babies partly as an educational project for your kids or for a classroom you'll certainly want a successful outcome. Reading this book first can ensure that you get the best results and that it'll become a happy and cherished memory for the kids, instead of a sad disaster.

I can't think of anything that isn't covered in these 200 plus pages to help you become a knowlegable baby poultry caregiver. It's apparent that a lot of effort was put into producing this book, organizing the latest data, ensuring that poultry related vocabulary was included in all thr right places, and cautioning the reader so as to avoid innocent, but sometimes fatal mistakes.

Typically, a book review will include a critique about some detail, but I'm at a loss when it comes to Gail Damerow's books, they've all been comprehensive, complete as possible, and should be interesting to anyone who enjoys learning about diverse topics - if only to improve their conversational skills. One last thing to appreciate is the free or affordable options included for you, even if you're on a tight budget - or just wisely frugal.

This book can be purchased from www.storey.com, and probably through other book sellers, as well - if not yet, in the near future.

Her Town Took Her Pet Chickens Away!

Usually, I just mind my own business and don't get involved, but this is a compelling story . . .

A lady from a small town in New York was having a hard time. She had been diagnosed with cancer, and her chances weren't looking good at all.

In an effort to give her something else to think about (and something to live for), her husband decided to get her a gift. What was it? Well it sure was right down my alley, and yours too, if you're a pet chicken enthusiast!

He brought her 11 baby chicks! Well, as you can imagine, it didn't take long at all for her to fall madly in love with 'em. She named them, spent tons of time with 'em and sometime in there, she found out she'd been mis-diagnosed -- she didn't have cancer, after all! But, she did have some kind of bacterial infection that had damaged her lungs, and had surgery to remove the damaged area. Hope I'm recalling the details right.

What's important right now, is this!

Even though her husband checked the codes in their town (just like all the books tell us to do) to make sure it was kosher to have a few hens as pets (and there was no code at that time covering chickens), they've had those chickens taken away from them. The reason? A judge says they're "farm animals" and that they don't fall under the "pet" category.

Now, the couple has a fine levied against them for $4,000, in addition to their loss of the pet chickens.

You can read the news story and see the accompanying video by clicking below:

http://www.wten.com/global/story.asp?s=13783920

Since this lady, Brenda Helm,  saw my website about the hobby of keeping chickens as pets, she contacted me to ask if I'd be willing to write a letter to the judge explaining the growing popularity of this great hobby. She wanted me to let them know that chickens are regarded by many as more than "just farm animals". I said, "You Bet"! Why? Well, first of all, since the town had no codes in place at the time her husband got her the baby chicks, at the very least I thought this couple should be allowed to be grandfathered in, as they say. Second, the judge is obviously not aware that chickens are regarded as pets by so many people. Read the definition of "pets" below, then maybe you'll feel moved to write a short note to the judge, too, on this lady's behalf.

Please take a minute to check out the link below! If you do feel moved to help by writing to the judge, these people can certainly use (and will appreciate) your help! They're filing an appeal and you could make the difference in whether they get to bring these pet chickens back home.

The address is:

Stephen F. Swinton, JR.

Town Justice

One Niskayuna Circle

Niskayuna, N.Y. 12309

In my letter, I cited:

• The dictionary definition of a "PET" -- "an animal that is tamed or domesticated and kept as a companion or treated with fondness; kept or treated as a pet (a pet duck)"

• The fact that many hatcheries are shipping small numbers of baby chicks (from 3-10) to accomodate those who live in town and want to raise pet chickens as a hobby.

• Some quotes from The Complete idiots Guide to Raising Chickens, by Jerome D. Belanger, founder of Backyard Poultry Magazine, documenting the popularity of the 'chickens as pets' trend.

• And, the point that, though this trend may not represent the majority, other more "fringe" ideas and lifestyles are being given great respect, protection, and even privilege, under the law. I also mentioned that many pet chicken hobbyists are saving endangered breeds, so that they can be admired and enjoyed in the future.

Brenda Helm, is, as you can imagine, sick with worry about her "babies" who've been taken away to some type of "foster home" for chickens.

You can help her get them back, simply by writing a short letter to the address above!

Remember, your right to "pursue happiness", promised in the U.S. Constitution, could be compromised next!

I 've never gotten involved in anything like this, but I just don't believe that Judge realizes that people (not everyone, for sure, granted) like raising chickens, regard them as pets, and take excellent care of them.



Baby Chicks Alert -- It's Henrietta Plus 12

Move over, 'Kate plus 8'! Within mere days, Henrietta, my Barred Rock hen, will soon be Mama hen to twelve little chicks.

I only mention 'Kate plus 8' because a friend at work was relating the story and recent events on that TV program, some sort of reality show, I gathered. My friend said that on the show, Kate had a chicken house built on her rural acreage and bought a flock of chickens. Kind of wish I'd seen it, but don't presently have a TV (there are pros and cons to being "out of the loop"). This event should make raising chickens even more popular! Guess her eight kids had a great time feeding the hens and gathering the eggs.

And, speaking of the popularity of raising chickens, I discovered there's actually a shortage of the most popular baby chicks at several of the major hatcheries. Most hatcheries advertise that they have chicks available well into September, but when I called to order, a whopping five of my favorite hatcheries told me they'd been sold out for some breeds in late June. Wow! Can't believe my longtime hobby is finally being well received, at least in some quarters.

I'm keeping a close eye on Henrietta, especially since the recent war with the raccoon. She's a member of Radio Flyer's little harem and some of the eggs she's incubating actually belong to his other mistress, Lily, a Black Sumatra hen. Are you having trouble keeping up? Sounds like a soap opera, doesn't it?

Will keep you posted on the goings on of my chicken family (plus five geese, a dog, cat, and rabbit), and will take pictures and video to share, assuming I'm not too much of a technical dunce to make that happen. The learning curves just keep coming.

On Fathers Day, I mentioned adopting a new puppy. Her name is Ellie, and a trip to the Vet today confirmed that she's a healthy girl -- a black Newfoundland. She's really good with my chickens, and when she grows up will probably be very protective of them.

Chickens Who Win - Characteristics to Note

Ever wandered through the poultry section at your county fair, looked at the prizes won by the many exhibitors and thought either, "now why didn't that one get a prize?" or, "what's so special about that bird?"

Well, it's the little things that count. And sometimes people forget to inspect their entries and compare all the minute details to The American Standard of Perfection. Poultry judging is done on a points scale, and everything is taken into consideration. An entry can lose points for having:

• too many toes for the breed
• a broken toenail
• an incorrect eye color
• a broken feather
• the wrong leg color
• an extra sprig in the comb,

and many other traits that can bring what to many appears to be beautiful and perfect in every way, down to white ribbon (or no ribbon at all) status.

It pays for exhibitors to dutifully study each of the details in the Standard before deciding to show a particular bird.

Whether your entry is tame enough not to struggle when the judge picks it up, and the effort put into grooming can make a great difference, too.

On my website I've offered a free report with fitting and showing tips. You're welcome to download it, probably will be helpful, especially if you're new to fitting and showing.

The Coming Debut at the Fair -- of Pebbles and Bam Bam

Two county fairs are coming up in my area, which means it's time to prepare my pet chickens for the competition. Same with you, I imagine? If you're a fellow chicken enthusiast you probably have at least thought about taking the hobby one step further and showing your best birds.

This year, the fair may be the only indication that it's summer, here in the Northwest, anyway. BRRR!

Since so much is going on (including a 7 day work week-I know, I am grateful to still have a job in this economy) I decided to just show 4 or 5 birds this year. Two of my favorites are a pair of Japanese Bantams. The rooster is Pebbles, and the hen, Bam Bam. They're young, part of an order I sent off for in February, but they meet the minimum age requirement. Assuming all goes well (technically challenged) you'll soon be able to watch a video of them at five weeks where I check them out.

In the free report about fitting and showing chickens, which is available on my website, I talk about showing young chickens to avoid a fairly common issue. Often, when people are deciding which of their chickens to show, they'll put forth all the necessary effort taming and conditioning them, only to find that their chosen birds have started to molt when it comes time for the competition. This has happened often enough to me so that I started placing an order in late winter to avoid that issue.

Probably next week, I'll start cage training my entries. This is where you use a judging stick to go through the same steps the poultry judge will take while the chicken is in it's cage at the fair. You stroke the chicken with the rounded end of the stick in several ways to bring about show quality posture. This is part of the "fitting" or conditioning process. It's fully explained in the above report.

The first issue of the "Out of an Eggshell Newsletter" will soon arrive in your in-box if you've signed up as a subscriber. Like the report, it's free by just entering your first name and email address, and of course you'll be able to cancel if you don't like it.

Look forward to 'meeting' you.

Happy Fathers Day, Guys

Feeling a little left out today, but I did just adopt a puppy. That qualifies, right? Well, kinda, sorta, in a way . . .

Anyway, since I keep reading "you don't even need a rooster" to keep chickens and enjoy those delicious eggs, I'm dedicating this post to the mighty and awesome ROOSTER.

That would be the same ROOSTER that's required for fertile eggs and the miracle of birth, or hatching, of one of the cutest baby farm animals that exist! I know, the reason roosters have gotten short shrift is because of the popularity of urban farming. Not keeping a rooster with a flock of hens keeps city dwellers within the confines of local law. Roosters are usually banned because their early morning 'cock-a-doodle-do's' are considered to be noise pollution by some people. For others, this "noise" brings back nostalgic memories of rural living.

Personally, if you're living the 'country life' without the presence of a rooster, I believe you're missing an important part the experience. And I understand, the law is there to be obeyed, and there's not a lot you can do about that.

Roosters are beautiful, living, moving, crowing works of art. Each one has a distict personality. Some are mean and independent, and qualify as "deadbeat dads", while others actually welcome the baby chicks under their wings. And, you can't automatically judge roosters as poor choices to develop into pets. Often, if you start early, and spend time with them , they'll become great pets, even defending your home much like a watch dog. Like my Old English Bantam, Spike, who struck fear into a six-foot-four former football hero.

Then there's my liberty loving Auracauna Rooster, Radio Flyer. He gets out every day, along with his harem of four hens. I can hear him now, "peck, peck, peck". When he hears I'm up and about on the weekends -- he wants his treats, which he gallantly shares with his hens.

Roosters share a prominent place in history, are used in art, decor, and are featured in many customs around the world. They deserve a little tribute today, in my humble opinion.

Okay, I'm off to do the chores, call my Dad, and walk my new puppy.

What do you think? Got any good rooster stories?