Andersen Acres: The Complete Guide to Chicken Keeping

Andersen Acres

The Complete Guide to Chicken Keeping

By Leigh-Ann Andersen

Copyright 2021 Leigh-Ann Andersen

All images copyright 2021 by Leigh-Ann Andersen

Independently Published

Smashwords Edition

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This e-book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This e-book may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Table of Contents

Introduction

Choosing Your Chickens

Feeding and Housing Chickens

Chicken Behavior

Chicken Health

Raising Little Ones

Showing Chickens

Chickens for Eggs and Meat

Making Money With Chickens

Sources

About the Author

Introduction

In times past, everyone had chickens. There were country chickens and city chickens. Chickens were kept in small towns and large country farms. They were a staple of most households. In many cases, even the poorest of the poor had a couple chickens for eggs, at the very least. Even in the early 20th century, backyard chickens were common no matter where you lived. There were chickens everywhere. They provided eggs and meat and were easy to keep, so just about everyone kept at least a few backyard hens.

Time passed and attitudes changed. Keeping chickens slowly went from something everyone did to something for country dwellers and hicks. Chickens were thought of as dirty and smelly, so they fell out of favor with the modern crowd. This didn’t happen overnight, but by the time the 1980s rolled around, chickens were virtually unseen outside a farm or ranch setting.

But they weren’t entirely gone. While city folk and even suburbanites weren’t keeping chickens anymore, there were still those who refused to give up their backyard birds. Some were hippies, some were immigrants, many were simply those looking for a sustainable food source. But the backyard chicken did endure, though it had faded into the background.

And times changed once again. The world became too fast, too stressful, leading many people to look for the quietness of times past. People moved to just outside the cities or even to way out into the country. They decided a commute was worth it. Many of these people eventually found their way back to keeping small backyard flocks.

It took time, but eventually backyard flocks made their way back into towns and even cities. Even larger cities such as Minneapolis and New Orleans allow small groups of backyard hens in certain circumstances. They’re the most common barnyard animal for a very good reason.

There are so many reasons to keep chickens. The first that comes to mind is the eggs. Three or four hens can gift the average family with fresh eggs every day for years. You can also raise chickens for meat. It’s a healthier alternative to red meat and it’s not hard to find a butcher to help you with processing if you can’t do it yourself. Chickens are easy to care for and you can house and feed them without it costing a fortune, unlike some other animals.

But there’s more to chickens than just eggs and meat. As many chicken keepers have discovered, chickens make a loving and unique pet. They’re affectionate and funny and surprisingly good for stress relief.

If you want chickens in your life, you have to start somewhere. This book is meant for both the new chicken keeper and the experienced, so hunker down and get to know these delightful and useful creatures.

Choosing Your Chickens

Before you can choose which chickens are right for you, you should know that there are hundreds of breeds. And so many of those breeds come in various colors and varieties. There is nearly an endless selection before you, so it might be best to start by classifying the varying breeds in some way.

Chickens are classified using a system that divides them based on breed, variety, class, and sometimes even strain (in some breeds). The most common classification is definitely by breed. A breed, when it comes to chickens, is defined as a group of birds sharing common physical characteristics such as size, shape, feather type, skin color, number of toes, and even feathered or unfeathered legs. A variety is a group within that breed that shares minor differences. These minor differences might be color, comb type, or the presence of a beard. You may have a bearded or unbearded Silkie, for example, but they’re both still Silkies.

A chicken class can be defined in two ways. First, it may be used to refer to the geographical region that a particular breed of chicken originates from. But, in cases where the geographical location of a breed is either unknown or too varied, class may be used to refer to a distinctive characteristic shared by several breeds. Currently, the American Poultry Association (APA) recognizes twelve classes: American, Asiatic, English, Mediterranean, Continental, All Other Standard Breeds, Single Comb Clean Legged, Rose Comb Clean Legged, All Other Clean Legged, Feather Legged, Modern Game Bantam, and Game Bantam. This may seem like too many classes for chickens at first, but there really are just that many breeds. Chickens come from everywhere, and they have so many unique characteristics, that you absolutely need twelve classes to divide them up.

A strain in something else entirely and is not always present. When it is, it defines a group within a variety that has been developed by a breeder or organization for a specific purpose. Often this is rapid weight gain or prolific egg production, though there are other purposes as well. A chicken strain can be classified as a meat bird, a layer, a dual-purpose bird, or an ornamental bird. Certain strains can also be classed as light or heavy breeds.

The original Standard of Perfection was published by the APA in 1874. At that time, there were only a handful of breeds and varieties present. These were: Barred Plymouth Rocks, light and dark Brahmas, Cochins and Dorkings (all types), a few Single-Comb Leghorns (white, black, light brown, dark brown), Spanish, Blue Andalusians, Hamburgs (all types), a few Polish (nonbearded white, nonbearded silver, nonbearded gold, white crested black), Mottled Houdans, Crèvecoeurs, La Fleches, all of the modern game birds, Sultans, Frizzles, and Japanese Bantams. That may seem like a lot, but it’s really not when compared with the close to 120 breeds and almost 400 combinations of breeds and varieties that are described in the most current edition of the Standard of Perfection. There’s a lot of variety out there.

All breeds look a little different. Sometimes they look very different. And everyone enjoys a different look, so there’s no right or wrong here. Decide what you like in a bird before you purchase any. Besides breed, you will want to consider colors your find attractive. Don’t like white? Don’t get white chickens. Plenty of chickens aren’t white. They come in all colors. And take a look at the comb. There are ten basic comb types. If you really don’t like the buttercup comb, don’t get a breed with a buttercup comb. I like walnut and rose combs. It’s one of the reasons we raise Silkies and Sebrights. You should get what you find attractive and what works in your climate. Remember that larger combs are prone to frostbite.

Another thing to consider is size. If you’re not familiar with bantams, they’re approximately one-fifth to one-quarter of the size of a standard chicken. Many of the larger breeds have a bantam version, which is basically just a tiny version of the big guy. They’re not perfectly scaled down, however. A bantam chicken will appear to have wings, head, tail, and feathers that are a little too large for the body. This gives them a sweet and almost comical appearance at times.

Not all bantams have a larger counterpart. Some, like Sebrights, only come in the smaller size and are referred to as true bantams. Bantams are adorable, but they’re also more than that. They are very much like regular chickens. They can be shown, they lay eggs (though they are smaller than the eggs larger chickens lay), and some breeds can even be used as meat birds if raised correctly. They also tend to make charming pets and they take up less space than larger chickens. Because of this, bantams are popular in backyard flocks where space is an issue. The APA has a standard for bantams, but so does the American Bantam Association. These standards don’t always agree, so if you want to show your bantams, make sure you know which standard will apply.

WHAT’S IN A BREED?

With so many breeds out there, it’s a good idea to try and narrow down what you’re looking for. Just ‘chicken’ isn’t descriptive enough. There is enough variety that the perfect chicken for you does exist. Define your needs first. Do you live in a cold climate? A cold-hardy breed might be for you. Live in the scorching desert? There are also heat-resistant chickens. If you live in a town or city, you may need a chicken that doesn’t mind being in a run all day. There are even chickens that are meant to free range, if that’s what you plan on. Look carefully at the breeds and their traits and remember that what works for someone else won’t necessarily work for you.

You’ll also need to figure out why you’re having chickens in the first place, because this will also determine which breeds you might consider. Do you primarily want eggs? Meat? Maybe you just want them to wander around your yard and look cute. You might even be after the companionship of a pet. Does noise matter to you? If you live in a town or city, it probably does. Some breeds are quieter than others, but if you live in the country, this doesn’t matter as much.

Be specific and answer the following questions to the best of your ability:

1. Will your chickens need to be confined to a hen house or small run most of the time? Not all breeds are designed for this. Decide how much space your birds will have, how many you want in that space, and pick a breed that fits those requirements.

2. Do you live close to your neighbors? Are there noise bylaws where you live? Roosters are always noisy, but even some hens can make a little too much noise for city living. Look for quieter chickens if you need to. Also bear in mind that if you live too close to your neighbors and you have chickens that can fly over fences, you might find yourself in a bit of trouble.

3. Are your winters very cold? Not all breeds can handle weeks upon weeks of subzero temperatures. Those with large combs are particularly susceptible to frostbite. If your winters are very cold and long, consider a breed with a small comb and feathered legs, such as Silkies.

4. Summers are another matter entirely. Heavier breeds tend to wilt in a scorching summer. Breeds such as Leghorns, Brahmas, and Minorcas are better suited to these climates.

5. If you live in an area where there’s a lot of mud and slush, consider if you really want a fancy feathered breed. Can you keep them cleaned up and pretty even during the wettest seasons?

6. Will small children be helping with the chickens? If so, you may need a calmer, more tolerant breed. Sumatras, for example, can be too aggressive around young children. A Polish or an Orpington may be a better choice.

No one can tell you what the exact right breed will be for you. You have to look at the breeds available in your area and compare them to your needs and situation. But there are certain birds that are better for certain purposes.

Great Pets: Barnevelder, Belgian d’Uccle, Cochin, Dorking, Naked Neck, Orpington, Polish, Plymouth Rock, Silkie, Sussex

Friendly: Ameraucana, Brahma, Dominique, Faverolles, Java, Langshan, Silkie, Sultan, Welsummer

Cold-Hardy: Araucana, Ameraucana, Aseel, Australorp, Brahma, Buckeye, Chantecler, Cochin, Dominique, Faverolles, Hamburg, Jersey Giant, Langshan, Old English Game Bird, Orpington, Rosecomb, Silkie Sussex, Welsummer, Wyandotte

Heat-Resistant: Andalusian, Aseel, Brahma, Buttercup, Cubalaya, Fayoumi, Leghorn, Minorca, Modern Game Bird, New Hampshire Red, Rhode Island Red, Rosecomb, Silkie, Sussex, Spanish White Face, Sumatra

Flying: Ancona, Andalusian, Campine, Fayoumi, Hamburg, Lakenvelder, Leghorn, Rosecomb, Sebright, most bantams (except Silkies)

Noisy: Andalusian, Cornish, Cabalaya, Leghorn, Old English Game Bird, Modern Game Bird

Flighty: