Discover the expert in you.
Discover the expert in you.
Wanting to protect your chickens from the harsh winter climate by keeping them shut up in the coop may be well-intentioned, but it is ill-advised. The birds can become bored, restless and peckish if not given the option to step outside for fresh air. Keep cold-hardy breeds and learn how to keep them warm.
Chickens are talented escape artists when it comes to finding their way out of your chicken coop and into the outside world. Chickens can be very difficult to catch unless you have spent a significant amount of time taming and socializing your chickens to the point where they will come to you.
A smelly coop is not only unpleasant to humans, but dangerous to your chickens; harmful bacteria, wet bedding or dust can cause respiratory ailments. One of the most common causes of coop odor is a leak in the building, which allows the bedding to get soaked and then stink. Once you have ruled out this problem, make a change to the coop's cleanliness to hide those unwanted smells.
The "Brown Turkey" fig (Ficus carica "Brown Turkey") produces a medium-sized brown or purple fruit with reddish pulp and good flavor. Although figs prefer a warm climate, they are cold hardy to 15 degrees Fahrenheit and grow in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 6 through 11. "Brown Turkey" fig trees are easily propagated from woody stems that take root quickly. The new tree is genetically identical to the parent, so choose cuttings from a tree that is healthy and has all the genetic traits that you desire. It is a good idea to root more cuttings than you…
Thickening turkey stew only requires a little bit of your time and is actually quite easy. Thicken turkey stew with help from a chef instructor and executive pastry chef in this free video clip.
Chicken egg Fu Yung is a very rich dish that is perfect for any time of day. Make chicken egg Fu Yung with help from the author of Your Resident Gourmet in this free video clip.
Keeping hens in your backyard is a source of eggs and meat -- and hens also need protection from the elements and a warm place to sleep. A hen house will keep your hens safe from predators, dry and warm during the winter, and give them a secure sleeping area. Building a hen house of approximately 6 feet in length by 2 feet wide and 2 feet high should comfortably accommodate around six chickens.
The Nabooti Island level of "Poptropica" has a puzzle where you'll have to use logic to get a chicken, some chicken feed and a fox across a chasm. You can't leave the chicken alone with the chicken feed, and you can't leave the fox alone with the chicken. The only way to solve this puzzle is by quickly moving the pieces around before they have time to eat their natural food.
Exploding nested boxes are a style of mini scrapbook made to look like a small paper box. These boxes are much more than meets the eye, and "explode" when their lids are taken off to reveal photos framed on several sides of the box. Exploding nested boxes, so named because they resemble a series of nested boxes when viewed from above, make ideal Mother's Day gifts, anniversary and Christmas presents, wedding favors, teachers gifts and more. Kits for making these crafts can be pricey. Luckily, they take little time to create at home at a fraction of the cost.
Chickens are common domestic fowl, and are bred primarily for eggs and meat. Believed to have originated in Asia, the chicken's ancestor is a subspecies of the red junglefowl. With feet adapted to perch off the ground, chickens need coops with perches -- so when kept in any sort of enclosure, ensure proper perches are available. A coop perch usually takes the form of a ladder shape that leans against the rear wall, while free-standing perches, also ladder-shaped, support themselves.
Chicken coops are often a perfect home for spiders; the coops are dark, filled with tiny, untouched spaces and replete with other insects for the spiders to feast on. You can minimize the spider population in your chicken coop by employing a few simple repellent methods that avoid the use of insecticides. This helps keep the chicken coop free of spiders while maintaining a healthy environment for the chickens.
The desire to own pigeons dates back 6,000 years and continues to this day. Pigeons are raised and owned for a variety of reasons -- showing, racing, and performing pigeons are all big parts of the hobby. Purchasing or constructing a proper coop is essential to any of the hobbies that involve keeping pigeons. You must consider several issues when building a coop, including providing enough space inside the coop for each pigeon; keeping the coop dry and free of moisture; protecting the pigeons from predators and the elements; and positioning the coop outdoors so that it receives enough sunlight.
Regardless of your cooking prowess, Josh Ozersky can prep you on how to prep a turkey. With the simple addition of herbs, butter and mirapoix, you too can pull out an impressive turkey on Turkey Day.
In addition to being the much-anticipated main course, your turkey is the ceremonial centerpiece of your dinner table and picking it out is half the battle. Josh Ozersky gives you a quick lesson on bird basics, and helps demystify this potentially daunting task.
A Guinea Fowl is a very specific type of bird. Learn how to draw a Guinea Fowl with help from an artist in this free video clip.
Though peafowl thrive when allowed to roam free, some breeders understand that this plan is not suitable for their circumstances. Whether you live on a busy road or simply want to ensure that your birds do not get too rambunctious, building a shelter can be the right choice. Plan on building your pen large enough to give each bird 80 square feet. Though peahens do not take up as much rooms, those with peacocks will need to make the pen at least 6 feet tall and 10 feet wide to allow the males to fully spread their tails.
Chicken eggs -- whether large fowl or bantam eggs -- are easy to hatch if you have the proper equipment, a warm and secure location and a little knowledge. It takes a large fowl egg 21 days to hatch. People hatching chicken eggs spend most of this time awaiting their development. In the meantime, try these tips to ensure your large fowl chicken eggs will hatch.
Texas regulations regarding private chicken egg sales depend on a number of factors, including whether the owner of the flock is selling the eggs, where the eggs are being sold and whether the eggs are graded. However, regulations regarding storage apply to all private egg sellers, as do product labeling rules.
Many farmers and chicken breeders buy their chicken feed in bulk to save time and money. Bulk food is convenient, but it can present a storage problem. Chicken scratch must be kept cool and dry to prevent mold and fermentation, and must be stored in secure containers to keep out rodents and insects. You can buy a feed bin, or you can make your own from old plastic barrels to keep your chicken feed clean and free from pests.
The Angry Birds for iPhone requires only a small one-time fee, even though the game offers new worlds several times a year. Each world has its own theme, such as western or underground. While each world varies, and every round has its own obstacles to destroy, there are some basic rules you need to know to make it through the game.
The nutritional needs of ducklings are similar to those of other poultry. In their earliest weeks, they need a protein-rich starter feed that will provide them with amino acids for healthy growth. As they grow older, they need a grower feed with less protein. In both stages, ducklings must have constant access to fresh food and clean water. Mixing a healthy, nutritionally balanced duck feed requires considerable time and knowledge. Therefore, you'll want to provide ducklings with a commercial duck feed from a farm supply store.
Keeping chickens for the purpose of gathering eggs is a rewarding task. Give your chickens food, water and shelter and they will provide you with eggs on a daily basis. Keep a large number of hens for a small egg-selling business or just a few to produce eggs for your family. Chickens do not require a great deal of special care. Proper nutrition, safety from predators and a clean dry home will keep your chickens happy.
Blue and gold macaws are a variety of parrot native to South America. The colorful birds breed well in captivity and are often bred in zoos and by private owners. Macaws nest in boxes. In the wild they construct their own nests, but in captivity, the birds nest in boxes provided for them. The box must be large because two birds must be able to fit comfortably inside it. A box measuring 2 feet by 3 feet is usually large enough to provide a comfortable nesting environment for macaws.
The popular mobile game "Angry Birds" ties in to the Game Center system on iPhones, iPods and iPads. Game Center keeps track of stats such as high scores and awards players with achievements for completing certain tasks. A few of these achievements' goals are hidden, so players have to experiment to try to earn them.
Free-range poultry are birds such as chickens and turkeys that are allowed to roam freely on a farm without being caged. Raising poultry free-range allows them to eat natural food and get more exercise so they produce leaner, more tender meat. This type of farming is considered to be a more humane way to raise poultry.
Raising trout in your backyard is more attainable -- and more practical -- than you may think. Building and maintaining your own backyard fish farm has many benefits, including being able to eat fresh fish on a regular basis and knowing that the fish you are eating has not been exposed to chemicals or polluted waters. Trout, which thrive in water temperatures between 50 and 60 degrees, may be better-suited for raising in cooler climates.
Philosophical questions aside, you can’t have chickens without chicks. It’s difficult to imagine something more vulnerable than a newly hatched chick. Exhausted from the two- to four-hour ordeal of breaking through their shells, the chicks lie prone, nearly motionless except for their rapid breathing. Luckily, they soon recover and get on the road to growth. Chicks will grow on their own, as long as you set up an environment conducive to their health and well-being.
Whether you're a farmer with a flock of 100 chickens or a pet owner with just a couple of them, you'll need to devise a feeding system. You can simply fill a trough with chicken feed whenever it's feeding time, but constantly refilling the trough can become unnecessarily labor intensive. An automatic poultry range feeder limits your workload and ensures your chickens get fed properly.
Housing a bunny in your backyard is often not recommended. Outdoor bunnies have a shorter lifespan compared to indoor bunnies; indoor rabbits live at least five years longer. Extreme cold and hot temperatures, predators, such as cats, raccoons and coyotes, and the lack of attention and interaction can end or shorten your bunny's life. If you have no other option but to house your rabbit outdoors, whether it's allergy-related or lack of space, take measures to keep your bunny protected, healthy and happy.
The best things about raising poultry, particularly chickens, bantams or quail, are that you don't need a lot of space, the start-up costs aren't prohibitive, and you'll get a constant supply of eggs. In addition, most poultry readily breeds in close proximity to human habitation and helps reduce the number of garden pests. Nonetheless, there are some important pointers to remember when raising and breeding poultry.
If you are looking for an extra food source or to make some money, raise backyard crayfish. More than 300 species of crayfish are found and grown in the United States. Red crayfish are commonly found in the southern region of the United States, while white crayfish are more commonly found in the northern region. Crayfish, 10-legged crustaceans that are approximately 5 inches in length as adults, weigh approximately 2 ounces, and we eat their tails as food. You can raise crayfish in your backyard by first growing a small rice field that will produce food for your crayfish.
Some secret tips and strategies, developed through experience and study, enable you to pass the levels and earn more points in the various versions of touch-screen game "Angry Birds." You must kill all the pigs or lemurs to pass each level. However, each level contains structures such as walls, tree or piles of rocks that protect them. In addition to this, some pigs wear protective gear such as helmets. Other strategies than direct attack are necessary.
"Angry Birds" is puzzle game released for iOS, PSP and Android. It involves flinging birds from a slingshot at pigs in an effort to destroy them. Throughout the game, special golden eggs are hidden that, once found, award players with awards and new levels. The eggs are displayed on a separate screen, in order of appearance, as the player collects them. The second egg located on the last row is egg number 16 of 25.
"Minecraft" is an action game that puts as much emphasis on crafting items and weapons as it does on surviving nocturnal zombie hordes. Players can craft items ranging from swords to birthday cakes. In order to bake a cake, however, the player needs an egg, and in order to get eggs, the player needs chickens. Chickens randomly spawn, but they're not especially common. In order to get them faster, the player can hatch chickens by throwing the eggs. It's not a fool-proof method, but periodically a chicken spawns after the egg shatters.
Chickens can contract lice from other chickens in your flock as well as wild birds in the area. The lice live by feeding on the blood of the chicken and can cause irritation to the bird. Treating your chicken for lice involves a dusting of lice powder as well as treating the chicken coop to prevent re-infestations. You can dust your chicken for lice with a few simple steps and make your chicken more comfortable.
Putting up nest boxes for screech owls helps with their conservation. Wild birds face a loss of suitable nest sites due to habitat destruction. Screech owls also benefit you. They keep populations of pest rodents, such as voles and mice, under control. Selecting the best possible site for a nest box maximises the chances of screech owls using it.
Hawaii is renowned for its beautiful beaches and tourist activities. However, the state of Hawaii is also a popular hunting destination for both big and small game. Hawaii is home to many different game birds, such as wild turkeys, pheasants, grouse and doves, as well as partridges and quail. Some Hawaii game birds have inhabited the islands for over 150 years, while others have been there less than 50 years.
Preschool lessons on chickens and eggs will be entertaining for the children and are appropriate for a variety of units. Lessons can include seasonal subjects such as chicks hatching in the spring or studying farms and the harvest in the fall. Be sure to keep the lessons short and interactive because young children tend to have short attention spans.
Keeping a backyard flock of chickens for eggs can provide an ongoing source of organic protein for a family. Urban farmers can also use the chicken's droppings as a natural source of fertilizer for vegetable gardening. Though costs of building a shelter can be high, flocks can use a hen house and chicken run for years.
Nothing says "rustic decorating" like an outhouse. While modern plumbing makes the need for an outhouse obsolete for residents of a home, there are still other winged members of the family who will appreciate such a structure. If you own chickens, make an outhouse-themed chicken coop. The design can be as simple or complex as you like with a few simple structural rules in place.
Crows are sneaky, clever birds that have a taste for hen eggs. Keeping them out of the hen house can be a real challenge. Ideally, you want to prevent them from getting in in the first place, but unfortunately even the best designed hen house will fall victim to crows. Fortunately, there are many things you can do to stop these pest birds from stealing the fruits of your labor.
The Eagle, formally known as the Mighty Eagle, is an add-on available for the "Angry Birds" game. While it is possible to play and complete the game without buying the Eagle, the add-on makes it easier to clear levels. When you buy the Eagle, you also have another mini-game within the game -- aiming to earn feathers in each level.
Since its release in 2009, “Angry Birds” has, according to Pocket Gamer, become the best-selling mobile game app to date. There have been several versions of the puzzle-based action game released by its creator, Finnish mobile games development company Rovio, but there are tricks – or cheats – that can help you more effectively hurl your birds to knock down more of the pigs' structures.
When you raise chickens for eggs, you must provide a safe and quiet spot for the chickens to lay eggs. Called a nesting box, this is the cozy spot chickens use for egg-laying. Fix a box for chickens to lay eggs in; use a basic design that will suit the chickens' needs and enable you to monitor the chickens’ egg output.
One of the most abundant species of birds in North America, sparrows are notorious for devouring grain and killing the young of other birds. Sparrows flocking around barns and hen houses is a common problem, with the birds flying inside buildings to steal feed. Many methods have been devised for repelling sparrows, most with mixed results; the only surefire way to repel sparrows from a hen house is by physically blocking access.
Joel Salatin, owner of Polyface Farms in Virginia, uses his livestock's natural foraging tendencies to raise healthy and what he calls "beyond organic" cows, chickens, turkeys, pigs and rabbits. Salatin lets his chickens clean the pasture after his cows have grazed for a day the same way a flock of birds in the wild clean the land after a herd of buffalo come through. The bottomless design of his 10-by-12-by-2-foot broiler pens allow the young birds to forage safely without the fear of predators. The frame is made from 1-by-3-inch wood boards that are covered in chicken wire and topped…
Angry Birds is a game available for both Apple and Android devices. As the name implies, the game involves birds; the birds in the game serve a variety of functions. Some birds become a bomb while others have super-speed capabilities. Use the birds to destruct the obstacles set for you in each level, and you can move on to the next level.
"Angry Birds" is a popular computer game available in multiple phone and browser formats. The game involves a drawn out battle between birds and pigs, where birds are used as slingshots to defeat pigs and the structures they are housed in. If you can defeat all the pigs with the amount of birds allotted for each level, you can advance to the next level -- featuring a different kind of bird. However, some players may find the second level is locked even after advancing. Although there are considerable variations in the structure of the game between different formats, here are…
Pigeons have been kept as pets for thousands of years. Used by the army to carry messages during WWI and WWII, these birds are able to navigate to homes or coops. People keep these birds in backyard shelters that are designed to give the birds a safe environment free from drafts and predators. These shelters should have nests and roosts and have adequate ventilation.
Chicken coops are built to house a large number of chickens in an environment that shelters them from the elements and from aggressive animals such as foxes and dogs. They have a ventilation area underneath where feces and other waste can fall and air out. Building your own chicken coop lets you create it the way you want, to the size and shape you desire. Only undertake this project if you have a strong grasp of woodworking, building and construction.
