Getting Started With Rare Breed Chickens

Why keep a rare breed?

It’s quite simple really, rare breeds will not survive without people who are prepared to keep them. Some breeds have only survived because just one or two people have kept them. The variety of rare breeds means that there’s likely to be one that is suitable for your environment. There are birds that are great for free ranging in a field and roosting in trees at night or there are those breeds which are simply a conversation starter because of their unique characteristics.

Why is it important to breed rare breeds?

Many breeds were designed because of a specific trait or are simply not desired for because the hybrids are deemed more popular for our food and egg production. With evolving diseases and the constant need to adapt to the changing environment, the genetic diversity represented by these breeds could be vital in the future. By breeding them you are keeping a living heritage alive.

Where to start

There are a couple of different ways to being, but it’s best to contact the Poultry Club of Great Britain or the Rare Poultry Society (RPS). Either of these websites will put you in touch with the relevant breed club (if there is one) or the RPS breed registrar. If they don’t have a breed registrar then they will put you in touch with breeders.

If you want to start with live birds then you must be prepared to travel or arrange collection with specialised couriers. For some specific breeds there may be waiting lists for stock. If you don’t want to start with live birds, then you can purchase hatching eggs. Although you need to be aware that while there are some reputable breeders selling eggs online, there are issues with eggs being sold that were not as they were advertised. Ideally you should obtain eggs from a source that you can go back to if you need any further information. Take a look at the hatching eggs that we’ve got for sale. We have had really good feedback on the success rate of our eggs and we successfully hatch around 500 chicks a year using our hatching eggs.

How to start breeding

The best general advice will come from the relevant breed club as each breed can be different and they will normally be happy to encourage people to get started and to help you understand what you need to look for when choosing breeding stock.

The general advice is that you should breed a few generations in order to understand the genetic make up of the birds you are starting with. Then if you only have space for one breeding pen, you can swap out the cockerels to bring in new blood. Ideally you could have three pens. One for the stock you are breeding, one for the stock that you’re going to introduce and one for test matings between the two stock before you commit to introducing your new line into existing stock. Birds are more resilient to inbreeding depression than mammals, so you are able to breed a couple of generations before introducing new blood.

You need to ensure that you have the space and can deal with the excess cockerels responsibly. This is how the rare breeds survive.

Higher Oak Farm

It’s a brand new year, and we thought we’d give you some more information about us and how we look after our livestock.

We are a family built and run farm. We bought the land back in 2013. Since then we’ve developed the land and now house over 200 chickens. We have a brick barn and a mobile home for me to live in as the agricultural worker on the farm.

This is me (and Juno). I graduated with a degree in fashion design and worked as a designer for 2 years before joining my dad full time on the farm. I’ve always loved animals and being outside in the fresh air, it seemed like a no-brainer when dad asked me to join full time.

Here at Higher Oak Farm, we dedicate our time to ensure that our hens and cockerels are well looked after, well fed and most importantly have a good life. One of the biggest issues with industrial farming of chickens for eggs or meat is that the methods used on the birds do not honour many of their natural habits or needs. For example, overcrowding the hens and de-beaking them to ensure they don’t inflict harm on one another.

As well as having plenty of space our hens are moved around to different runs and moved onto fresh pasture on a monthly basis, rotating the hens around and moving the coops allows the soil and grass to re-generate and gives the chickens fresh pasture to scratch in. Moving then hens is also the perfect opportunity for us to clean out the houses and re-sawdust the floor.

If you’ve read our blog previously, you’ll know that at the back end of last year, we planted our own Orchard and had a local bee-keeper come and put 5 hives up on the farm. We also seeded a wild flower meadow and are working on an area where people can drive onto the farm and collect eggs from a vending machine to collect eggs as and when they want too. This allows us to have as much time as possible to collect eggs, feed, clean and look after the hens.

If owning Chickens is something you’re thinking about for this year but you want some more information on what it actual entails, please contact us at kirk@higheroakfarm.co.uk and we’d be happy to help!

Bird Flu

So yesterday there was news of an outbreak of bird flu at a farm in Suffolk. Unfortunately for the farmer, the 27,000 birds will need to be culled. This is such devastating news, as we know how long it takes to build up such a large flock. The birds were found to have the H5 strain of avian flu, this is a ‘low pathogenic avian flu’. Other bird keepers in the area should remain alert for any signs of disease. I’ve put together this blog post just to make people more aware of what bird flu is and what it looks like in both animals and humans.

What is bird flu?

“Bird flu” is the name given to several strains of virulent influenza that can be transmitted from birds to humans. The primary strains that are cause for concern are H1N1 (since 1997) and H7N9 (since 2013). There are two forms of avian influenza: low pathogenicity (LPAI) and high pathogenicity (HPAI).

What are the symptoms?

High temperature, nausea, cough; the same as flu. However, within days of initial symptoms appearing, victims can suffer potentially fatal complications, such as pneumonia or organ failure.

How do you catch it?

Generally through prolonged contact with an infected bird, dead or alive. Chickens, ducks, turkeys and geese can all be infected with the virus and not show signs of illness. You can't be infected through eating cooked poultry or poultry products.

Do I have bird flu?

If you have the symptoms of flu and you have visited an area affected by bird flu in the last two weeks, you’re advised to contact your GP. Your diagnosis will be based on your symptoms and the likelihood you have been exposed to an infected bird. This will then be tested via a chest X-ray, blood tests, nose and throat swabs.

What is the treatment?

As with regular flu: rest, plenty of fluids, paracetamol to bring down your temperature. The NHS has stockpiled antiviral medication in the event of a UK outbreak, which will reduce the severity of symptoms. Bird flu victims will generally be treated at home, or in isolation at a hospital.

How do I tell if my bird has bird flu?

The only way to confirm if your chickens have Avian Influenza is a laboratory test. However, there are a few signs that you should look out for:

• Blueness of the head area

• Reduction in their appetite

• Wet eyes

• Excessive flock huddling and ruffled feathers

• Fluid in the comb and wattles

• Decrease in egg production

• Coughing

• Legs bleeding underneath the skin

• Sudden death

• A general decrease in roaming and activity

If you notice any of these symptoms in your chickens then make sure the properly quarantine them immediately.

There are a few things that you can do to prevent bird flu

Restrict wild birds - The most effective measure you can take is to stop wild birds from coming into contact with your chickens. You could also add a roof to your pen as this would stop infected droppings from entering the pens, although the odds of that happening are very slim!

Keep things clean and tidy - Keep your feeders and water units clean and don’t let wild birds have access to these. Thoroughly clean any piece of equipment that comes into contact with your birds, you can you Virkon S.

Clean up any food spillages, so that you don’t attract wild birds. Clean and disinfect your coop weekly, again you can use Virkon S for this. Have dedicated clothing and footwear for handling your chickens. Ensure that you don’t wear these clothes for anything else, especially when visiting another flock.

Frequently asked questions about bird flu

Q: What happens if I eat an egg which was laid by a chicken with Bird Flu?

Chickens infected with highly pathogenic avian influenza don’t normally lay eggs. However if you did eat an egg laid by a chicken with bird flu, the World Health Organisation reports “Proper cooking inactivates the virus present inside the eggs”.

Q: Can I eat a chicken contaminated with Bird Flu?

If you cooked the infected chicken so its temperature rises above 70°Celsius and make sure no meat is raw or red then it should be safe to eat.

Q: Should I Start My First Flock Now?

Some people have said that they are cautious about getting chickens while there is the scare of bird flu. This is an overly-cautious step and if you want to get chickens and raise them you should! Just make sure to purchase your pullets from a reputable dealer and follow the safety steps outlined above and you should be fine.

Hopefully you’ll feel a bit more informed about what bird flu is and how you could potentially prevent it in your flock. If you’re concerned about bird flu in your flock, make sure that you speak to your vet for advice on what to do next!

How To Identify A Sick Chicken

It’s hard to detect a sick bird until it’s normally too late. Birds are notorious for masking the signs of sickness or injury. As a prey species, it’s survival of the fittest, the weak or sick looking birds make easy prey for a predator. The quicker you learn to identify a sick or injured bird the highest chance of survival the bird has.

First of all you need to learn the behaviours of the breed. The key is to look out for subtle changes or an absence in certain behaviours. Once you understand the behaviours of your flock it makes it so much quicker and easier to notice small changes.

Pay close attention to:

Appetite – Knowing how much food each bird is consuming is so much harder than you think! Instead, keep an eye on how involved the birds are when it comes to eating. Add in treats if you’re unsure. Mealworms are our go-to. We have live mealworms delivered once a week from ‘WigglyWigglers’. There must be something wrong with the bird if they aren’t interested in these treats.

Posture – Abnormalities in posture include: head tucked, neck twisted, hunched, upright, sitting on hocks, laying down, droopy wings, paralysis ect.

Socialising and interactions with other birds – How much time they are spending on their own and how they are treated by other flock members. Do they appear lethargic or depressed?

Size – Weight loss and stunted growth in chickens indicate that there may be a problem – something is impacting the birds’ ability to absorb nutrients to grow or maintain their weight.

Movement – How the bird looks when they are walking or running. Do they look off balance, stumble often are reluctant to walk for very long?

Respiratory effort – Does a bird look like it may be having trouble breathing? Sneezing, coughing, wheezing, voice changes, tail bobbing, gasping, or reduced exercise tolerance?

Changes in the chickens comb -

‘The Depressed Bird’ Look

The issue with chickens is that they are very good at masking and hiding their illness and pain. This means that once they appear with the typical ‘depressed bird’ look their condition is usually in the advanced stages.

Hopefully some of this information will help you identify when your birds are starting to look unwell and you can treat them accordingly!

How To Clip A Chickens Wing

Recently our 12 week old Hi-Oak Brown hens have just been put out into a larger run with a lot more space to mill around. It’s a delight to finally see them out and about in their runs, but they seem to keep hopping the fence. So I’ve looked into clipping their wings. There’s a lot of debate about whether or not the wings should be clipped, but we came to the conclusion that it’s for their own safety with our local fox visiting nightly, we want our birds to stay inside the fence and not out for the fox to feast on.

I’ve googled how to clip a chickens’ wing for the novice like myself. My dad’s owns and runs the farm, but as he was on holiday when we moved the hens, it was up to me to get them back in the runs and keep them there. I only clipped one wing as it puts the hen off-balance as soon as they try to fly. I found it unnecessary to clip both.

I found the image below really helpful when it came to what to cut and what not to cut. We’re hoping to get a video done soon to show you guys how to clip them properly and give you a bit more information on the birds themselves.

Detecting & Treating Frostbite In Your Flock

It’s that time of year again, the days are getting shorter and the nights longer and colder, here’s some advice for the winter on how to detect and treat frostbite in your flock.

How to detect frostbite

Frostbite is damaged body tissue from extremely cold temperatures. Cells become frozen, which damages the tissue and prevents blood flow to the area. Chickens conserve their body heat by restricting blood flow to their feet, combs and wattles making these specific areas susceptible to frostbite. If your bird has frostbite, you’ll notice a change in these areas, they will become pale or grey. Depending on how bad the frostbite is, you may also notice changes in their appetite or lack of, swelling and blisters as well as the tissue feeling cold or hard to touch.

How to treat Frostbite

Once you’ve detected frostbite on your chickens, ensure you move the affected bird to a warmer, dry location. Don’t massage the area to warm it up as this could damage the surrounding tissue. You need to warm the area up slowly. For example, if your chicken is developing frostbite on their feet start by submerging their feet in lukewarm water instead of hot water.

Keep the area as clean as possible to prevent infection. Using a veterinarian antiseptic spray like the ‘Curaseb’ Antiseptic spray (available on Amazon) and use this to clean the area.

A full recovery from frostbite can take between 4–6 weeks. You just need to keep an eye on the affected area and check for infection. If the area develops blisters, do not touch them as they are part of the healing process.

Keep the affected chicken in a dry area by adding a heater to the coop or assigning a specific recovery area.

If the area is large, then don’t hesitate to get some advice from your local poultry vet and follow their instructions.

How to prevent Frostbite

The easiest way to prevent frostbite is to ensure your chicken coop has proper ventilation. Ensure that the bedding is dry by only allowing them access to water outside of the coop, but ensure that this is not frozen and monitor how much water they are drinking to ensure that they stay hydrated. Have a look at our blog post on ‘preparing your coop for winter’ for some more helpful tips.

Preparing Your Coop For Winter

Ensuring your coop is ready for winter is vital for the health, happiness and production of your birds. Here’s a few tips on how to make your chicken coop ready for the cold winter months.

Light – Light is a vital part of helping your hens keep laying through the winter. Adding in artificial daylight extends the daytime for the hens and the laying time.

Insulation – Ensure that your coop should be properly insulated to reduce heat transfer or flow and helps moderate the temperature.

Frostbite – You must regularly check your birds with large combs for signs of frostbite.

Eliminate Drafts -Seal any holes and cracks that are large enough to let light inside the coop. Blocking these up ensure that the heat stays inside the coop.

Keep your birds well fed – Making sure your birds are well fed is vital. The digestion process will raise the core temperature of the chicken and this will improve their circulation.

Accessible Water – Chickens need constant access to water. You could insulate the water source, replace the water every day to avoid freezing, hang a lamp above the water or invest in a heated bucket.

Pumpkin Season

Yes, it's Halloween! Having pumpkins around, as well as great for carving are also amazing nutrients for your chickens!

There’s loads of different ways you can feed pumpkins to you chickens, you can literally hang it up from the roof of the coop and let them all peck at it. You can slice it up to make it a bit easier for them or you could make them a ‘Poultry Pie’. Your flock will love it all regardless!

Do you need a Cockerel for a hen to produce an egg?

I’ve had a few people ask me now if it’s a necessity to have a cockerel for a hen to produce eggs. The simple answer is no, a hen will naturally lay an egg roughly once a day (this time frame will change depending on the breed of hen). A hen is hatched with all the eggs they will ever lay inside them. At about 6 months old the hen will start to lay. The process is that a mature yolk then enters the tunnel, the egg then moves through the oviduct, it’s at this point when the cockerel would fertilise the egg. The yolk is then covered in its white and protective fibres. Further through the process the shell is formed to protect the egg. The egg is then released through the vent which is also shared by the intestine. The egg is laid and the process starts over again.

You only need a cockerel if you’re wanting to breed from the hens.

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Higher Oak Farm featured in My Countryside Magazine

Higher Oak Farm and our very own Kirk Robertson were featured in this months My Countryside Magazine. Check out the full article here...