Featured Stories
Dahline Poultry: Starting Small, Dreaming Big
Most teenagers turning 16 look forward to getting their driver’s license and owning a car. Hunter Dahline of Willmar, Minnesota has other plans; he has his eye on constructing a new building to expand his poultry business.
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Don’t Count Your Chickens Before They Hatch!
Feed, water, and fertilized eggs lay on plenty of soft bedding. Conspicuously missing were the two broody hens. The job of moving them out of the nest boxes was akin to prying an ill-tempered badger from its burrow.
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Managing Chicken Coop Smell
Does your chicken coop smell inordinately bad? Does your neighbor complain about the chicken coop smell wafting across the fenceline? If so, I’ve got a few tips and tricks you can employ to fix your coop, or at least understand the issue at hand.
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Tips for the Best Boiled Eggs
One of the many advantages of raising chickens for eggs is, for most of the year, having an abundance of eggs. I want to share my tried and true recipes for the best boiled eggs, both soft and hard-boiled.
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Butter Chicken and Masala
Butter chicken has a spicy kick to it, but it’s not too hot. This colorful dish literally bursts with flavor. As butter chicken cooks, the aroma escapes the kitchen and wafts through the house.
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All Cooped Up: Fowlpox
Fowlpox is an old viral poultry disease that frequently affects backyard flocks. It is found worldwide and was first described as early as the 17th century. It is most commonly seen in chickens and turkeys, but almost every bird species can become infected including wild birds and indoor birds like canaries.
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Ask the Expert June/July 2020
Ask our poultry experts about your flock’s health, feed, production, housing and more! Please note that although our team has dozens of years of experience, we are not licensed veterinarians. For serious life and death matters, we advise you to consult with your local veterinarian.
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Breeds and Types of Pigeons: From Rollers to Racers
Recognized as a Master Breeder of Old Dutch Capuchines and Bavarian Pouters, Layne Gardner has had the good fortune of traveling the world photographing various types of pigeons. In her 50 years of raising pigeons (she started early!) she has developed a passion for quality and enjoys seeing excellent specimens in various breeds.
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Backyard Poultry June/July 2020
Backyard Poultry June/July 2020 • 15/3 is in-home May 14th but available online NOW! Subscribe for stories on kids in 4-H, FFA, and Grange, picking out roosters before they crow, how to REALLY know if eggs are bad, and a disease profile of fowlpox.
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How to Tell if Eggs are Bad
Eggshells are a porous, which allows air, moisture, and some contaminants to pass through. Spoilage bacteria are the most common culprits of eggs turning rotten. When laid, the hen deposits a protective bloom, but this cuticle is not completely impenetrable, so whether or not you wash the egg, bacteria will eventually traverse that porous shell.
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