tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29399667287133508692024-03-06T12:02:39.197-08:00Your PoultryNZ Lifestyle Blockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10602565180081239921noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2939966728713350869.post-43686378091008417082011-11-01T02:26:00.001-07:002011-11-01T02:30:12.999-07:00Summer herbs for birds<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSlhUlRhK7_mq3Ri6VhwDQQ6s3gAsqhKKODXXROg4fOpz3vTvreicqmIbZV9gDYTeI62WDlZf4ChqDf9vrUC2rpIybTgneVwqtpN5pZWtwOojuawReNEaoOQCjqU0WLafCv9Z7atrfQxY/s1600/dreamstime_xs_16078532.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSlhUlRhK7_mq3Ri6VhwDQQ6s3gAsqhKKODXXROg4fOpz3vTvreicqmIbZV9gDYTeI62WDlZf4ChqDf9vrUC2rpIybTgneVwqtpN5pZWtwOojuawReNEaoOQCjqU0WLafCv9Z7atrfQxY/s200/dreamstime_xs_16078532.jpg" width="200" /></a>Want to give your birds a special herb treat over summer? Here's a selection of greens you can grow and harvest that will keep them very happy.</div>
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Nasturtiums are a favourite treat, along with garlic chives, clover, nettles, turnips and pesky pasture weed purslane<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Portulaca_oleracea_blossom.jpg"></a>.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfJ_1GPBKfIJdoqUcKtVQGogXTuC9N1AOgStDAl359B4opuJv1ue3idu4ZFlr3iw8SdyiFUg5Og4rGE8BQQzYFM1VxP7dUQR1H9LaKRZ6XcMyNEGbiPGimKuWNn3aDiJb9ypGzRCBSHpQ/s1600/Nasturcija1Photo+by+Algirdas%252C+Lithuania.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfJ_1GPBKfIJdoqUcKtVQGogXTuC9N1AOgStDAl359B4opuJv1ue3idu4ZFlr3iw8SdyiFUg5Og4rGE8BQQzYFM1VxP7dUQR1H9LaKRZ6XcMyNEGbiPGimKuWNn3aDiJb9ypGzRCBSHpQ/s200/Nasturcija1Photo+by+Algirdas%252C+Lithuania.jpeg" width="183" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nasturtium</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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Spare cabbage will always be disposed of and is an excellent vege to
grow through winter as a supplement for your birds. Note, too much
cabbage, turnip or kale (and other members of the mustard family) can
make an egg taste strange if fed out in large quantities.</div>
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If you have
an area of a pen to resow, try a mix of oats, peas, rape and red
clover. Harrow the oats and peas in quite deeply, then sprinkle the
clover and rape over the top and lightly scratch in with a hoe.</div>
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Cooked potatoes are a good treat, especially if you are fattening birds for the pot.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5kB1ESvoVx3hbDzXSkUufOgt8YHgsDxiEzZatSpyxVhyCDJB4nFCJn21V6JRrF2SZI8jmJhomeoRgeB1atLtV6J0Rq8QoyaanJciHs3azvWJH4yca1tJpREVU4ugvArVUJUk6B3GXyYM/s1600/Portulaca_oleracea_blossom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="155" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5kB1ESvoVx3hbDzXSkUufOgt8YHgsDxiEzZatSpyxVhyCDJB4nFCJn21V6JRrF2SZI8jmJhomeoRgeB1atLtV6J0Rq8QoyaanJciHs3azvWJH4yca1tJpREVU4ugvArVUJUk6B3GXyYM/s200/Portulaca_oleracea_blossom.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Purslane</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Photo <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Portulaca_oleracea_blossom.jpg">Ethel Arkvark</a></span></div>
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<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Nadene Hall</b></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.nzlifestyleblock.co.nz/"><b>NZ Lifestyle Block magazine</b></a></span></span></div>
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</div>NZ Lifestyle Blockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10602565180081239921noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2939966728713350869.post-2363013993827163572011-10-24T09:00:00.000-07:002011-10-24T09:00:09.136-07:00A luxury little hen house<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0Eb9hsuu3Uft0Vzf5b5W99gGtd6jyOl30WxnUuq2f8PopWTW7kVmSxd8MEvluTyhls1nIsHfbFsKSJhB6z7bMjtAaGLR0fAWk64Lg47OgTTafX2bfx0xGZIhFSFs-0HfYf6fuITj_498/s1600/FancyFarmgirl.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0Eb9hsuu3Uft0Vzf5b5W99gGtd6jyOl30WxnUuq2f8PopWTW7kVmSxd8MEvluTyhls1nIsHfbFsKSJhB6z7bMjtAaGLR0fAWk64Lg47OgTTafX2bfx0xGZIhFSFs-0HfYf6fuITj_498/s320/FancyFarmgirl.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">This
is a blog for the Fancy Farmgirl and this post in particular is about her quite stunning
hen house. I don't think male readers will get it, and I must confess I
am struggling a bit too, although the idea of a chandelier really does
appeal!</span><br style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;" /><br style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;" /><br style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;" /><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="http://www.thefancyfarmgirl.com/heres-the-coop/"><b>Click hear</b> </a>to take a walk through her amazing hen house.</span>NZ Lifestyle Blockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10602565180081239921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2939966728713350869.post-83402505868291551492011-10-23T09:00:00.000-07:002011-10-23T09:00:03.139-07:00Poultry: why won't my hens use their perches?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJPQgHzYOe22bw7sBE1zqSSL5fg_-hdvOlNDKsichfDAnwU0PgYrsc55tct1HD1a1rBDsVRBPcH2xAnP45oI_r2y88YdZhqdWwHY56lNR6wdd8U8v28inX1REKW5dNLCFFZIrHwAjbTXY/s1600/dreamstime_xs_13270180.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJPQgHzYOe22bw7sBE1zqSSL5fg_-hdvOlNDKsichfDAnwU0PgYrsc55tct1HD1a1rBDsVRBPcH2xAnP45oI_r2y88YdZhqdWwHY56lNR6wdd8U8v28inX1REKW5dNLCFFZIrHwAjbTXY/s200/dreamstime_xs_13270180.jpg" width="197" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>Problem: </b>two
new hens who are happy to lay in the nest boxes in the hen house, but
at night choose to perch in trees outside, even in cold, rainy weather.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>NZ Lifestyle Block magazine poultry expert Sue Clarke replies: </b>The
new girls have obviously adapted well to sleeping in trees and will be
acclimatised to the chilly weather so it will be hard to break them of
the habit without drastic action.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">First,
ensure there is plenty of perching space away from the established
flock, high up in the chook house. Even use a natural branch instead of
flat wooden perches. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Make
a habit of giving them a late afternoon scratch feed of grain in or
near their house, then shut them inside for the night. A couple of weeks
of doing this should see them get used to the idea. You can either open
the door again once it is dark, so they can get out in the early
morning, or just open it when you give them breakfast. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Alternatively,
if there is enough room in your coop for them all to stay inside for a
few days, shut them in altogether, especially if the weather is wet or
cold. Make sure there is plenty of dry litter, like shavings or similar
on the floor, for them to scratch around in, at least 10cm deep. Hang up
an old cabbage/broccoli or silverbeet stalks, for them to peck at and
scatter their pellets on the floor so they have to work to find it. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Then
revert to letting them out during the day but ensure they are inside by
about 4pm, before they think about going back to their old roosts in
the trees. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">If
you can't make them change their minds, they should survive in the tree
tops and at least they are safely out of the way of cats, dogs and
rats!</span><br />
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<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<b>Nadene Hall</b></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<a href="http://www.nzlifestyleblock.co.nz/"><b>NZ Lifestyle Block magazine</b></a></div>
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<br style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;" />NZ Lifestyle Blockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10602565180081239921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2939966728713350869.post-40599535218810384262011-09-08T14:00:00.000-07:002011-09-08T14:00:03.904-07:00Poultry Profile: Welsummer<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv4GH6MdmX28mDocbQTmPy22vXdXl3JEXlR8YiWt3cMlXrOEV6d8n-ccp1GtkC3w5shKIPej8ucXR94H67fs-D1mXA-tRupMCoJKzKJ-eKNe1LVPBZO6BcDs49cI5blgnQoIfVhGAA4qc/s1600/Welsummer200.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv4GH6MdmX28mDocbQTmPy22vXdXl3JEXlR8YiWt3cMlXrOEV6d8n-ccp1GtkC3w5shKIPej8ucXR94H67fs-D1mXA-tRupMCoJKzKJ-eKNe1LVPBZO6BcDs49cI5blgnQoIfVhGAA4qc/s1600/Welsummer200.jpg" /></a></div>
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<b>The Welsummer </b><br />Breed type: light<br />Egg production: 200-250 brown-dark brown eggs<br />Mature weight: 2.5-3.2kg </div>
<a name='more'></a><br />The Welsummer is named for the Dutch village of Welsum and was developed at about the same time as the Barnevelder. Some researchers believe it was actually crossed with Barnevelders to develop it into the bird we know today.<br />
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<br />It is the traditional image of the farmyard rooster, with beautiful black and red feathers, the image of a Welsummer rooster can be found in images around the world.</div>
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<br />In their native land, the Welsummer is noted for its great foraging abilities, even forgoing food provided to look for its own dinner, and its friendly nature.</div>
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<br />The hen is known for her deep brown-coloured eggs.</div>
NZ Lifestyle Blockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10602565180081239921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2939966728713350869.post-11868647521825223792011-09-07T14:00:00.000-07:002011-09-07T14:00:01.701-07:00Poultry Profile: Hamburg<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd7bodLtZ7I5Ij0RhahBCCGaJ8kEdlTztVGI1wp0o6bRHn5Dr1-kZ5Em8FoZro0GtMWHi574H8PZ7qzufp1XldR7jTDeRYLG3g-FJieIJ3k9z5bHpJOrni2mJ9GZUXz0GQhyskMsbPQpI/s1600/Hamburg200.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="166" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd7bodLtZ7I5Ij0RhahBCCGaJ8kEdlTztVGI1wp0o6bRHn5Dr1-kZ5Em8FoZro0GtMWHi574H8PZ7qzufp1XldR7jTDeRYLG3g-FJieIJ3k9z5bHpJOrni2mJ9GZUXz0GQhyskMsbPQpI/s200/Hamburg200.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<b>Hamburgh</b><br />Breed type: Light<br />Colours: Gold & silver spangled, Gold pencilled</div>
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Mature weight: 1.8kg<br />Characteristics: non-broody<br />Egg production: 150-200 white eggs </div>
<a name='more'></a><br />This graceful bird has a bit of a mystery past, with breeds fitting its description going back hundreds of years, making it one of the oldest poultry breeds on record.<br />
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There is also some confusion about its origins with some claiming its un-named ancestors originated in the north of England, others adamant it was developed in Hamburgh and Holland. Its more modern colours and shape were definitely refined by British bird breeders of the 1800s, who enjoyed the “pheasant fowl” as it was known.<br /> </div>
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The Hamburgh’s most unusual feature is its delicate rose-coloured comb and it is known for being an easy keeper. </div>
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It is traditionally known as a prolific layer although its eggs are slightly smaller than average. The bird itself is quite small, almost ornamental in nature, but it is considered a layer breed.</div>
NZ Lifestyle Blockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10602565180081239921noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2939966728713350869.post-13241575712945555452011-09-05T15:00:00.000-07:002011-09-05T15:00:01.988-07:00Poultry Profile: Orpington<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD5dDfyNyXxDaxg2hWjUXYto4MuskUuCG_-8_w9HNmIDuDhuraWOjJeO8jiv_QSkh8e8zLCVtbmSAy4ZUV3jTZJVeoZ4SXgizXtqI3BscDd-zYizG9YpYhi8vwzuP1fc8MxhEdv4LsSvg/s1600/Orpington200.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD5dDfyNyXxDaxg2hWjUXYto4MuskUuCG_-8_w9HNmIDuDhuraWOjJeO8jiv_QSkh8e8zLCVtbmSAy4ZUV3jTZJVeoZ4SXgizXtqI3BscDd-zYizG9YpYhi8vwzuP1fc8MxhEdv4LsSvg/s1600/Orpington200.jpg" /></a></div>
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<b>Orpington</b><br />
Breed type: heavy dual purpose<br />
Colours: Black, buff, white<br />
Mature weight: 3.5-4.5kg<br />
Temperament: docile, chicks can be underdogs in mixed coops<br />
docile; diurnal; capable of limited flight and can be seen roosting in trees at night<br />
Egg production: 200-250 eggs</div>
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The Orpington looks a lot bigger than it actually is thanks to its loose feathers, but is still a heavy bird, with a rooster weighing up to almost 5kg. It also has a good life span, from 8-15 years with healthy birds often laying almost all year round.<br />
Originally bred to be an egg producer and a meat bird, the Orpington is named for the English village where breeder William Cook lived.<br />
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He cross bred Minorcas, Plymouth Rocks and Langshans to create the original black Orpington but the breed now includes buff and white coloured birds. The white Orpington was created by breeding in white Leghorns, black Hamburgs and white Dorkings. The buff Orpington comes from crossing gold spangled Hamburgs with red Dorkings and Bluff Cochins. All these colours are said to be solid.<br />
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Their popularity as a meat bird saw them take the US by storm in the 1890s but the Orpington never became a commercial prospect partly because of its white skin.</div>
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The breed is known for being quite docile and in fact almost too docile, with chicks quickly becoming the underdogs if put into a brooder with other breeds.<br />
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Hens are known for being broody, make good mothers, and tend to do well whether running around free range or locked up in a coop. </div>
NZ Lifestyle Blockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10602565180081239921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2939966728713350869.post-19517279518163035582011-09-03T15:00:00.000-07:002011-09-03T15:00:04.125-07:00Poultry Profile: Sussex<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS3eaKjTi6hN9TYM3C3f67nB0zbuYefUworajdA7Ox8WFc7v3MY5hNnyCb7umxkvZao146YYFvdyxu1kqB8vdFu6sPnxL39RdKxXozyLpIOAAwmGi3VJt78d3BYcJG2P6dS1tIKUCWnLs/s1600/Sussex200.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS3eaKjTi6hN9TYM3C3f67nB0zbuYefUworajdA7Ox8WFc7v3MY5hNnyCb7umxkvZao146YYFvdyxu1kqB8vdFu6sPnxL39RdKxXozyLpIOAAwmGi3VJt78d3BYcJG2P6dS1tIKUCWnLs/s200/Sussex200.jpg" width="170" /></a></div>
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<b>The Sussex</b><br />
Breed type: dual purpose (eggs and meat)<br />
Temperament: alert, good foragers<br />
Egg production: 200-250 tinted eggs</div>
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While the Sussex comes in many colours around the world, here the most common is the Light Sussex.</div>
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This quite attractive bird was used widely in the developed of hybrids used in commercial laying flocks because of their good laying abilities.</div>
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For small time farmers of 100 years ago, the Sussex was the breed of choice because it was such a versatile bird – great as a roast or as a prolific egg layer.</div>
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The Sussex originated in the English county of the same name and birds fitting their description were first mentioned more than 140 years ago white-skinned, brown shelled egg laying bird.</div>
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It’s build tends to be boxy in shape, giving it a good ratio of meat and during English laying trials in the mid 1920s it was recognized for its laying, achieving over 200 eggs or more a year.</div>
NZ Lifestyle Blockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10602565180081239921noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2939966728713350869.post-1443321723574430102011-09-02T01:53:00.000-07:002011-09-02T02:23:54.708-07:00Poultry profile: Sebright<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvqDipkaEmCi-BR14egwTwAfuC9UcOI6VFgSaSApVqocveeBReJcTLBrZpdzmAG8ON6u6fk_SxTyZFpUR5krfbucy1VEGHxdMK2rJV78InJKzevwaT0jMoB-fnolg0Gyxb6VFVZu_anKY/s1600/SebrightA.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvqDipkaEmCi-BR14egwTwAfuC9UcOI6VFgSaSApVqocveeBReJcTLBrZpdzmAG8ON6u6fk_SxTyZFpUR5krfbucy1VEGHxdMK2rJV78InJKzevwaT0jMoB-fnolg0Gyxb6VFVZu_anKY/s200/SebrightA.JPG" /></a><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Sebright</span></b><br style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;" /><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Breed type: Bantam only</span><br style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;" /><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Colours: Gold laced with black, silver laced with black</span><br style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;" /><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Mature weight: 500-700g</span><br style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;" /><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Temperament: Confident, sometimes aggressive</span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Egg production: <100 eggs per year</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The Sebright is named for a British landowner of the 1800s, Sir John Sebright. While it originally thought the bird was named after him because he developed it on his own, it’s now believed the bird was actually developed in conjunction with several other breeders in his area.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9VyNK3remkXSuezHIpJYJK43C1BYYaOLLhKks-1QTccpPSLEf3EWj1bpH6Q9TXjVbuy187nLczLiafZgeeR13h-O6Fgxqn8rFPZiWbPyIJHSfdYCaPYKTbRlLkWMM3a1uXhXNmm6z9Ho/s1600/dreamstime_xxl_9750072A.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9VyNK3remkXSuezHIpJYJK43C1BYYaOLLhKks-1QTccpPSLEf3EWj1bpH6Q9TXjVbuy187nLczLiafZgeeR13h-O6Fgxqn8rFPZiWbPyIJHSfdYCaPYKTbRlLkWMM3a1uXhXNmm6z9Ho/s200/dreamstime_xxl_9750072A.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">They wanted the beautiful plumage of the Laced Polish Fowl on a small bird and Sir John created a club that worked towards this. He was then honoured by the club, who named the bird after him.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">It was a big effort though. It took around 30 years of intensive breeding to come up with the bird we know today by cross-breeding Laced Polish Fowl and bantams to create the small but perfectly formed Gold and Silver Sebrights, although silver Sebrights actually look white.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAOaLsClyLZw6iqfVzgH9kdmFPvL8WrkRu7ceOQ2spzDR26FYGjbNqDlYJguQ84OQDcPRqb5Sy0GQLrLyfVAlzqK6OXJrPZtliWciqYVPEjDlfw1RwCtdeq9aJf9oB5c7GkuJHZSVrmgo/s1600/dreamstime_xxl_4575833A.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAOaLsClyLZw6iqfVzgH9kdmFPvL8WrkRu7ceOQ2spzDR26FYGjbNqDlYJguQ84OQDcPRqb5Sy0GQLrLyfVAlzqK6OXJrPZtliWciqYVPEjDlfw1RwCtdeq9aJf9oB5c7GkuJHZSVrmgo/s400/dreamstime_xxl_4575833A.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The feathers on each bird are lined with black, off-setting the plumage colour to dynamic effect.</span><br style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;" /><br style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;" /><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Despite it now being a breed all on its own, it is considered a true bantam. Males and females are also feathered the same, and experts say this, combined with its amazing colourings, makes the Sebright one of the most amazing birds to ever be developed by man.</span>NZ Lifestyle Blockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10602565180081239921noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2939966728713350869.post-50602853914052629442011-08-16T15:24:00.001-07:002011-08-17T17:31:46.083-07:00More groovy hen house designs<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjau9tq3FTGmEE1JHv3wTWeNxy-ZWKep3p_TbOskLjHIp3KYCPMPQ8BZaYUMlCxua6BQtfOgES5wnWThSXeC5Tc1BbMpyDQfOaM75z8o7EqfB_xHxEVWmL0_jauXUdH93euEaU7L9UF0Qw/s1600/Coop-Chicken-Circus-Studio-H.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjau9tq3FTGmEE1JHv3wTWeNxy-ZWKep3p_TbOskLjHIp3KYCPMPQ8BZaYUMlCxua6BQtfOgES5wnWThSXeC5Tc1BbMpyDQfOaM75z8o7EqfB_xHxEVWmL0_jauXUdH93euEaU7L9UF0Qw/s200/Coop-Chicken-Circus-Studio-H.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5641987142083853538" border="0" /></a>The latest design fashion seems to be making something out of other people's rubbish, or making something outrageous it's almost art.
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<br />Hen houses are no exception! These designs are from a USA school who challenge students to come up with designs that can be part of the 'real world' and teach them skills from construction to leadership to project management.
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<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Design 1</span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" style="font-weight: bold;" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1H2roEZ5J7GV2nXLeEviHPaqhwqnH9EJobs7ZUEqrEXOquqyvYzwRQCdmKY7ak1Rq4YpaBqL1KzRpTaUEaMNWnx2uxx3E6d3cdgTzaUYtBE5xWmSpIvDnTfHAFu96ONALneW5qd_GEB8/s1600/Coop-Chicken-Circus-Studio-H.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1H2roEZ5J7GV2nXLeEviHPaqhwqnH9EJobs7ZUEqrEXOquqyvYzwRQCdmKY7ak1Rq4YpaBqL1KzRpTaUEaMNWnx2uxx3E6d3cdgTzaUYtBE5xWmSpIvDnTfHAFu96ONALneW5qd_GEB8/s400/Coop-Chicken-Circus-Studio-H.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5641584938769014418" border="0" /></a>
<br />Chicken Circus
<br />This one was designed to be easily accessible and was built from old wooden pallets, tin and steel tubing.
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<br />To see more pictures inside, <a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.studio-h.org/chicken-circus-completed">click here</a>
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<br />Design 2</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Chicktopia</span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVyIggcZutw3omu7m8Jz50HHkh5-d69aMlJTkbZrVH5VLKvzutaDgofzs1WX1sUFqcKB96OiGgfYmX3sGeD8ggwGFmfTHUSIJiZsY4ZHSxI9DFPKnfByDHZhX5E8EldrpXYkfje0UPlWg/s1600/Coop-ChickTopia-Studio-H.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 309px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVyIggcZutw3omu7m8Jz50HHkh5-d69aMlJTkbZrVH5VLKvzutaDgofzs1WX1sUFqcKB96OiGgfYmX3sGeD8ggwGFmfTHUSIJiZsY4ZHSxI9DFPKnfByDHZhX5E8EldrpXYkfje0UPlWg/s400/Coop-ChickTopia-Studio-H.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5641587023326450610" border="0" /></a>
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<br />A geometric design, again using recycled materials.
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<br />To see more pictures, <a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.studio-h.org/chicktopia-completed">click here</a>
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<br />Design 3</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Coopus Maximus</span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_s9_Z5rhqvJ0wx5DuTaxRof_ISFaUnYxSiWhxGsIl3M7lFZUMqGOQEGBiaFlwTZUROGNoMTEAHTpKsnqfh6k415MaBbKfTQz7mUltBuLZWhjvk6GuopRO9kkE6eEidD72lLh1WUsThxo/s1600/Chicken-Coopus-Maximus-Studio-H-2.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_s9_Z5rhqvJ0wx5DuTaxRof_ISFaUnYxSiWhxGsIl3M7lFZUMqGOQEGBiaFlwTZUROGNoMTEAHTpKsnqfh6k415MaBbKfTQz7mUltBuLZWhjvk6GuopRO9kkE6eEidD72lLh1WUsThxo/s400/Chicken-Coopus-Maximus-Studio-H-2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5641587595419195506" border="0" /></a>
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<br />Inspired by the geometric designs of Buckminster Fuller and was fashioned on the fly one joint at a time.
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<br />To see more pictures, <a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.studio-h.org/coopus-maximus-completed">click here</a>
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<br />NZ Lifestyle Blockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10602565180081239921noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2939966728713350869.post-79408433753149246932011-07-13T16:21:00.000-07:002011-07-13T16:22:48.569-07:00Is my hen laying?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" style="font-family: georgia;" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisdgoNOTc-8nWBj7n4efHsoX-hrx-8LtcJEA5WQ6mqcdmq0CFLPkE7e2VTAlQXHw5sMcO7PlosozC_BxrCJjjAsirO36cjcH9bMDS7lYQGPH_BM_GwfeSRKntxneo-RTdrPBvQF21Vj3Y/s1600/dreamstime_xs_6558566.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisdgoNOTc-8nWBj7n4efHsoX-hrx-8LtcJEA5WQ6mqcdmq0CFLPkE7e2VTAlQXHw5sMcO7PlosozC_BxrCJjjAsirO36cjcH9bMDS7lYQGPH_BM_GwfeSRKntxneo-RTdrPBvQF21Vj3Y/s320/dreamstime_xs_6558566.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5628973564457639970" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:georgia;">The shortest day has past and you're probably already getting good numbers of eggs from your hens.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">But what if you're not sure? If you have a small flock, it can sometimes be hard to figure out who is pulling their weight, and who is a bit slow off the mark, or not even in the game.</span><br /><a name='more'></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1. How old is she?</span><br />A young hen takes time to reach point of lay, especially if she is a purebred or crossbred, versus a commercial hybrid like a Brown Shaver or Hyline Brown. These birds are ready to lay by weeks 18-20, whereas a purebred bird may take up to 30 weeks or longer.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2</span><span style=" font-weight: bold;font-family:georgia;" >. Check her comb</span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">The comb</span> of a young hen starts small and slowly gets bigger as she approaches point of lay. It also changes colours, from pale pink to a bright red. The colour is actually a signal to a rooster that a hen is fertile.<br />If a hen of any age has a pale comb, it's likely she's not laying for some reason, either because of her age (hens lay less as they age), or some kind of disease challenge, or possibly because she's not a good layer, so stays in a moult for much longer than her peers.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">3. Find the pelvic bones</span><br />If you're not sure from a hen's comb whether she is laying or not - and comb size and colour will vary depending on a bird - you can check the pelvic bones and the vent.<br />To find the pelvic bones, hold your hen tucked under one arm, facing backwards. Use your other hand to feel for the bones on either side of her vent. These are quite prominent bones and are easy to find without getting your hand messy.<br />A hen that is laying or just about to lay will have a wide gap between her pelvic bones, about 20-30mm 2-3 fingers width). A hen that is on her way to laying but isn't quite there yet will have a gap of about 15-20mm (1-2 fingers). A hen that is not laying will have barely any gap at all, 10-15mm or less.<br />Note: it is not necessary to insert your fingers into the vent, as some people think! You are just feeling through the skin on either side of the vent for these bones!<br />The vent itself will also give you clues. A vent that is pink and moist-looking is passing eggs. If it's dry, pale and shrivelled, it's not.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">4. Find the nest</span><br />If you have a hen with a bright red comb, wide pelvic bones and healthy-looking vent, then you need to start looking for a hidden nest. Hens can be very sneaky and hide their nests incredibly well. It may be you don't have enough nest boxes (have at least one box per 2-4 hens, more is always better) or that a younger hen hasn't got into the habit of laying in the right place. Try locking your hens up in their coop and run for a few days so they have to lay in the right spot, and then keep them locked up until at least 10am if you can (as most eggs are laid before 10am).<br /><br />It may also be that your nest boxes aren't as enticing to a hen as they could be.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />5 ways to create an attractive nest box</span><br /><ol><li>It should be dark, preferably with a 'roof' (even if they are inside a coop) to create a dark corner</li><li>Hens like secure spots, so make sure your nest box doesn't wobble when a hen climbs into it</li><li>If your nest boxes are elevated, have a perch or area out from the entrance where a hen can stand and look inside to check out the nest (<a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.poultryhelp.com/nest10.jpg">like this nest box</a>)</li><li>If your nest boxes aren't dark enough, use some strips of dark cloth or from an old feed back and hang them across the doorway so the hen feels more 'private' and it's darker.</li><li>Put in a deep layer of a good quality litter, preferably wood shavings (never hay or straw as it's too moisture-absorbent), at least 10cm deep so the hen can wiggle her way down into a snug position to lay.<br /></li></ol><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Nadene Hall</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">NZ Lifestyle Block magazine</span>NZ Lifestyle Blockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10602565180081239921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2939966728713350869.post-78548677524408980962011-07-07T17:38:00.000-07:002011-07-21T01:51:48.241-07:00What's the best chicken for you - part 3<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGj3mX740w974ghAtWYfmY38a6FN564DfzkpQEK5_0qCzXCTIDqTZg5uU50SwJH-btWI9bWruIMsXfdfsDKvhtTmWeRuyzTO8IQHS5g-XhMjdwXLqOI3SnGLYnr2hKIQEQ-99or38mJ7s/s1600/iStock_000012961391XSmall.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGj3mX740w974ghAtWYfmY38a6FN564DfzkpQEK5_0qCzXCTIDqTZg5uU50SwJH-btWI9bWruIMsXfdfsDKvhtTmWeRuyzTO8IQHS5g-XhMjdwXLqOI3SnGLYnr2hKIQEQ-99or38mJ7s/s320/iStock_000012961391XSmall.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5626776544419709474" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Tip 5: d</span><span style=" font-weight: bold;font-family:georgia;" >o you want to support a heritage breed?</span> <span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /><br />It’s an somewhat unscientific claim, but I estimate 90% of the people who talk to me about getting poultry say they want ‘the brown layers’ and that they aren’t interested in the old breeds of poultry – as outlined in <a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://yourpoultrynz.blogspot.com/p/breeds-of-new-zealand.html">NZ Lifestyle Block magazine’s breed guid</a>e.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">But then they see them. <a name='more'></a>The bright green sheen of an Australorp, the warm lacy, browns of a Barnevelder or the outrageous hair-do on the Polish and the Houdan and they fall in love, and with good reason.<br /><br />The heritage breeds may not have the incredible production values of the commericial hen but some will lay around 200 eggs per year.<br /><br />They also tend to live longer and be more robust than commercial breeds which can only lay at an optimum of about 300+ eggs in their first 12 months of laying, slightly less in subsequent years if kept in optimum conditions (good quality layer feed and decent housing), but tend to only live 3-4 years at most. However 700 or 800 eggs in four years is probably more economic than 800 in eight years.<br /><br />Good heritage breeds for meat include Dorking, Sussex, Cochin, Barred Rocks, Orpington and Rhode Island Reds. You may go for crosses of good meaty birds, and some people swear by the recommendation of Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall of River Cottage fame, who swears by the Indian Game-Dorking and Indian Game-Orpington crosses as very tasty meat birds.<br />However, these may be hard to source unless you breed your own.<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></span><span style=" font-weight: bold;font-family:georgia;" ><br />What’s their attitude?</span> <span style="font-family:georgia;"><br />Some breeds are known for being more aggressive, like the Indian Game, a bird that was traditionally bred for fighting and maintains a more aggro nature than other breeds. Others can be more flighty or nervous. </span> <span style="font-family:georgia;">Talk to a breeder about the temperament of any birds you are thinking of buying. While a hen may be small, she does have spurs on the back of her legs and she can fly up and hit you with them. It does hurt.</span> <span style=" font-weight: bold;font-family:georgia;" ><br /><br />What are the best breeds of all?</span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.motherearthnews.com/">Mother Earth News</a> magazine did a survey of thousands of poultry-owning readers and found the breeds with the highest overall scores (including temperament, maturity, cold and heat tolerance, egg production, egg size, meat utility and meat flavor) are all dual-purpose, brown-egg-laying breeds:</span> <span style="font-family:georgia;"><br />• Rhode Island White (not available in NZ, but Rhode Island Reds are highly rated)</span> <span style="font-family:georgia;"><br />• Plymouth Rocks</span> <span style="font-family:georgia;"><br />• Orpingtons</span> <span style="font-family:georgia;"><br />• Australorps</span> <span style="font-family:georgia;"><br />• New Hampshires<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:georgia;">Read </span><a style="font-weight: bold; font-family: georgia;" href="http://yourpoultrynz.blogspot.com/2011/06/when-selecting-your-first-hens-youre.html">part one here</a><span style="font-family:georgia;"> and </span><a style="font-weight: bold; font-family: georgia;" href="http://yourpoultrynz.blogspot.com/2011/07/whats-best-chicken-for-you-part-2.html">part two here</a> <span style=" font-weight: bold;font-family:georgia;" ><br /></span><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Nadene Hall</span><br /><a href="http://www.nzlifestyleblock.co.nz/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">NZ Lifestyle Block magazine</span></a><br /><br /></span>NZ Lifestyle Blockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10602565180081239921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2939966728713350869.post-71926842050301635062011-07-06T17:52:00.000-07:002011-09-02T01:57:14.762-07:00What's the best chicken for you - part 2<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiALOLUlBFnHTICgV1rWXukiuBx472NGstascCJgLIM7kWfB_ysnVw5pKiKFcX5_yQswEy8skZBlMhMZenFUPX1pq490zMUJ3rqIXKUIkSLk4n7ZLADWUol-qR43-GNIvmpbvz99dza2M8/s1600/dreamstimefree_654634a.jpg" style="font-family: georgia;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5626409155543583602" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiALOLUlBFnHTICgV1rWXukiuBx472NGstascCJgLIM7kWfB_ysnVw5pKiKFcX5_yQswEy8skZBlMhMZenFUPX1pq490zMUJ3rqIXKUIkSLk4n7ZLADWUol-qR43-GNIvmpbvz99dza2M8/s320/dreamstimefree_654634a.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 247px; margin: 0 10px 10px 0; width: 320px;" /></a><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: 100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Tip </span></span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-weight: bold;">3</span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-weight: bold;">: do you want hens to raise chicks?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: georgia;">If you’d like hens to raise chicks for you (remembering odds are half that hatch will be males and grow up to be very loud roosters), then smaller breeds like Silkies and Pekins are great mothers and will happily sit on any hatching eggs of your choice (fertilised eggs which you can buy from a breeder).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: georgia; font-weight: bold;">Tip 4: are you looking for a good roast quickly?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: georgia;">The great thing about poultry is any birds you don’t want to keep long-term can be turned into roasts, but some breeds make better roasts than others. Commercial laying hens have just a few hundred grams of meat on them, and it tends to be pretty stringy as their genetics programme them for high egg laying abilities, not good meat. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: georgia;">On the other hand, commercial meat birds (Ross and Cobb) are available as day-old chicks for sale from the two main commercial poultry breeding companies:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Golden Coast Commercial- Ross</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: georgia;">Phone 0800 495 463</span><br />
<span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Bromley Park – Cobb</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: georgia;">Phone 09 236 7011</span><br />
<span style="font-family: georgia;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: georgia;">There tend to be minimum orders, and you will pay to have the chicks couriered to you but chicks are available all year round. You will also need to order a specialist chick feed for meat birds from your local rural supply store, such as </span><a href="http://www.nrm.co.nz/index.php/ps_pagename/product/pi_categoryid/5/pi_productid/26" style="font-family: georgia; font-weight: bold;">NRM’s Meatbird Crumbles</a><span style="font-family: georgia;"> or you can use normal </span><a href="http://www.nrm.co.nz/index.php/ps_pagename/product/pi_categoryid/5/pi_productid/24" style="font-family: georgia; font-weight: bold;">Chick Starter</a><span style="font-family: georgia;"> so long as you feed them for the final week of their lives on Meatbird Crumbles or Layer feed (as Chick Starter contains a coccidiostat that has a 7-day withholding period.<br /><br />Meat bird crumble is more expensive to buy than Chick Starter, and usually has to be specially ordered in. You can grow them on a less high-powered diet so they will grow slower and be more active, especially if they are kept on a diet, allowing the meat to develop more flavour.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: georgia;">It can be difficult to make growing your own roasts economic - at best you can probably match the price of store-bought meat, however you will have free-range meat and depending on what else you feed them, much better tasting meat too.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: 100%;">Read <a href="http://yourpoultrynz.blogspot.com/2011/06/when-selecting-your-first-hens-youre.html" style="font-weight: bold;">part one here</a></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: georgia; font-weight: bold;">Nadene Hall</span><br />
<a href="http://www.nzlifestyleblock.co.nz/" style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">NZ Lifestyle Block magazine</span></a>NZ Lifestyle Blockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10602565180081239921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2939966728713350869.post-52175579455828234622011-06-30T03:55:00.000-07:002011-07-09T03:34:47.314-07:00What's the best chicken for you - part 1<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCYpFjm9E2VAIyYDl-SIEy0b0vTuxfQpte8zSh8Gol0Zv1Fhvat-Mr_bfCP3k1lt0pIXNL_3L55Msl81qEPkBUjBfU2rjtoaaRYpe8oM_4TP4E7OMJi8REfsHKnboJs9_FPcOxgbuqJwQ/s1600/dreamstime_xs_19007446.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 222px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCYpFjm9E2VAIyYDl-SIEy0b0vTuxfQpte8zSh8Gol0Zv1Fhvat-Mr_bfCP3k1lt0pIXNL_3L55Msl81qEPkBUjBfU2rjtoaaRYpe8oM_4TP4E7OMJi8REfsHKnboJs9_FPcOxgbuqJwQ/s320/dreamstime_xs_19007446.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5623949400233009858" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;">When selecting your first hens, you’re probably thinking about eggs and production and how healthy you’ll be, but once you own poultry, you’ll probably find egg-laying is never as important again.<br /><a name='more'></a><br />When I chose my first hens, I stood in a large pen of pullets of different breeds and pointed out</span><span style="font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;"> the prettiest ones: a Dorking (pictured below), a Light Sussex and a Brown Sussex.<br /><br />When my brother finally finished building his poultry “hotel” (it’s big enough to b</span><span style="font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;">e a spare room for guests), there was only one breed for him, the birds he had loved since h</span><span style="font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;">e owned them as a child: black Orpingtons.</span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOVMJA2tPoQzI3SOZ7qX2sVNaLC2GYUCULBu77uTQPry0W7CGqlOvLeYn3gs_VT-4iV2AwKaP186Ue6AKA3Xs0Y8N5CSWIya3lSNy-ukVdmWH0lIwtUoQKHxxRtAHFqbPVvFsLVW2UVYM/s1600/Dorking200.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 206px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOVMJA2tPoQzI3SOZ7qX2sVNaLC2GYUCULBu77uTQPry0W7CGqlOvLeYn3gs_VT-4iV2AwKaP186Ue6AKA3Xs0Y8N5CSWIya3lSNy-ukVdmWH0lIwtUoQKHxxRtAHFqbPVvFsLVW2UVYM/s400/Dorking200.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5623947633455704114" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;">For my friend Carolyn, it was supposed to be a choice of practical egg layers, but sinc</span><span style="font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;">e then a flurry of breeds have appeared in a rainbow of colours and she seems to spend a s</span><span style="font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;">ignificant portion of her summer days hunting for nests and doing other chook-related activities. For some reason, this is never a chore.</span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;"><br />The most common story we hear at NZ Lifestyle Block magazine is the people who say they are going to get some hens “just for eggs”. But almost without fail, the poultry addiction starts. I’ve met a lot of poultry people over the </span><span style="font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;">past five years, and the egg-laying prowess of their birds is never the first thing they mention, often it’s not the second or third, and a lot of the time it’s never mentioned at all. It’s always “this is Matilda”, or “she’s a Silkie and the best mum” or most commonly “I love my girls”.<br /><br />So while you may think egg-laying is an important factor in your decision, it’s not quite that simple.</span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;"><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">5 tips to finding the best chicken for you<br /><br />1. How much room do you have?</span><br />If space is at a real premium, especially if you live in an urban area, then a breed that lays well and takes up minimum space is your best bet in which case commercial Hyline or Shaver hens are best.<br /><br />We recommend you buy them as point-of-lay pullets to get the best production out of them, but if you wish to rescue a former commercial layer, look out for sales in your local community newspaper, on Trade Me or try a website like the <a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.chickenrescue.net.nz/">Chicken Rescue Network</a>. If you do buy them as rescues straight from a farm, they will look terrible as they will be moulting for the first time at 18 months of age and will have spent much of that time laying.<br /><br />Because they are prolific layers in their first year, these hybrids tend to only live a few years and their egg laying can drop off quite quickly after the first year or two. Some birds won’t make the transition from caged bird to rescue due to the shock of leaving a warm, climate-controlled, almost disease-free shed to live in the outside world.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2 Do you want pretty eggs?</span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLNe31MXjITWgI7SOLMrEWiJ5fLhW3BmegQudoJr6A7XuV_XQhGmllsq93ao5R-wqbEYiXB7HADZI9R6AHFlg6O33HBdPmvCY8q-LO9jFvDKF8r-NVF-Fh-FBqE73WM509M4HqGjZH2rI/s1600/dreamstimefree_2525089a.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLNe31MXjITWgI7SOLMrEWiJ5fLhW3BmegQudoJr6A7XuV_XQhGmllsq93ao5R-wqbEYiXB7HADZI9R6AHFlg6O33HBdPmvCY8q-LO9jFvDKF8r-NVF-Fh-FBqE73WM509M4HqGjZH2rI/s320/dreamstimefree_2525089a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5627298818763050338" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;"><br />Different breeds of hen lay different kinds of eggs, from creamy white of the Ancona to blue-green of Araucana to the warm chocolate browns of the Barnevelder.<br /><br />There’s something very beautiful about gathering a rainbow of eggs, and it’s quite delightful to share a simple joy with other people who may never have seen anything other than a plain brown or white egg.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Tomorrow:</span> eggs or edible?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Nadene Hall</span> <a href="http://www.nzlifestyleblock.co.nz/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">NZ Lifestyle Block magazine</span></a><br /></span>NZ Lifestyle Blockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10602565180081239921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2939966728713350869.post-69714546341626841632011-06-10T19:54:00.000-07:002011-06-10T20:03:26.406-07:00How to build a 10 hen poultry coop<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRZTfFpfAXKsMBEU3OXsrF_lsET19VwGGOKps_dxE_g9sBPuC9to-18VfMBZuNrygZJNL9VArNSMzOjGzAVwwdhUkCa90eScGPg8GY0fw7nhY07ZeRLIjLbCg_zkXyqEXQt9mVjCcouoA/s1600/dreamstimefree_72190850.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 133px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRZTfFpfAXKsMBEU3OXsrF_lsET19VwGGOKps_dxE_g9sBPuC9to-18VfMBZuNrygZJNL9VArNSMzOjGzAVwwdhUkCa90eScGPg8GY0fw7nhY07ZeRLIjLbCg_zkXyqEXQt9mVjCcouoA/s200/dreamstimefree_72190850.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5616792245234560610" border="0" /></a>If you've always wanted to build your own hen house,<a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://nzlifestyleblockresources.blogspot.com/2011/05/build-10-hen-poultry-coop-2.html"> check out these plans</a> for a 10 hen coop in NZ Lifestyle Block magazine's <a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://nzlifestyleblockresources.blogspot.com/">resources </a>section.NZ Lifestyle Blockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10602565180081239921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2939966728713350869.post-61085314318205054932011-05-31T20:07:00.000-07:002011-06-10T19:22:53.032-07:00How to Care for Your Poultry - buy now!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBYFZSSRBPHIKX33DBk5wXa2MfOEjlqEUy0dGSHKIwOOXb1iNLJdVzakXPmNx_ESE_Z50pG0nR-ENJX4aGbb077PQMBpWtiK95UBBk_gJy5V7UpXYVrI7AKGtqdxWwPpGPCg5dCgTXnLI/s1600/Cover_LSB_Chicken+Book_email+%25282%2529A.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 142px; height: 201px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBYFZSSRBPHIKX33DBk5wXa2MfOEjlqEUy0dGSHKIwOOXb1iNLJdVzakXPmNx_ESE_Z50pG0nR-ENJX4aGbb077PQMBpWtiK95UBBk_gJy5V7UpXYVrI7AKGtqdxWwPpGPCg5dCgTXnLI/s400/Cover_LSB_Chicken+Book_email+%25282%2529A.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5613084126515435346" border="0" /></a><br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.nzlifestyleblock.co.nz/p/how-to-care-for-your-poultry.html">How to Care for Your Poultry</a> can now be bought online, or you can buy from NZ Lifestyle Block magazine by mail.<br /><br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.mags4gifts.co.nz/nz-lifestyle-block-special-gifts">Go to this website to order online</a> by credit card, or you can send a cheque for $19.90 per copy (made out to Fairfax Media, amount includes postageand send it with your name and postal details to NZ Lifestyle Block, PO Box 12-965, Penrose, Auckland 1642.<br /><br />Don't miss out - it sold out in just weeks when we first released it and we've got a limited print-run this time round, so get in quick. You can see samples of pages on <a style="font-weight: bold;" href="https://www.facebook.com/yourpoultry?sk=app_125741090808900">our Facebook page</a>, or if you want to wait to see a copy in person, try your supermarket from mid-June when they should be in stock - check the magazine stands in the garden/rural area.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Nadene Hall</span><br /><a href="http://www.nzlifestyleblock.co.nz/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">NZ Lifestyle Block magazine</span></a>NZ Lifestyle Blockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10602565180081239921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2939966728713350869.post-48018287369030856562011-05-31T19:47:00.000-07:002011-05-31T20:07:24.398-07:00Why your hens need fresh winter air<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV1wS3LM0T7UKGWJCA0B4Pc82YyOqbwW-GICteYg6I0jJYTuKNEKit4pP1nrez7-wvZ_lyDPxuZ4ZjOPT8wMWa3HyoxZ95OeHbxjbf3LypUxPEFVAcMMAf56i-e-UzvqQ57Q62vJF4LkU/s1600/dreamstime_19153838.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 134px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV1wS3LM0T7UKGWJCA0B4Pc82YyOqbwW-GICteYg6I0jJYTuKNEKit4pP1nrez7-wvZ_lyDPxuZ4ZjOPT8wMWa3HyoxZ95OeHbxjbf3LypUxPEFVAcMMAf56i-e-UzvqQ57Q62vJF4LkU/s200/dreamstime_19153838.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5613078548908635874" border="0" /></a><br />It's definitely getting colder and you may be thinking your hens are feeling the cold just as much as you are.<br /><br />That's true, but it doesn't mean the best thing for them is to snuggle down inside a warm coop behind closed doors.<br /><a name='more'></a><br />In most climates within NZ, a hen house should keep a hen dry and out of the wind and cold drafts, but it shouldn't be kept completely closed up. The open door of a smaller hen house may provide enough ventilation if you have just a few birds, but larger hen houses with a lot of birds may need more than that, such as windows on the north and west sides that can be opened during the day, or even ventilation holes up near the top of a wall something like what <a style="font-weight: bold;" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSxz12ZeJHJIUoEjnAbAl7pHi_rpKAIfJt-S_D_lbHElFHl2VtBnS52MiJIaUclJnyzDQExz-4BRtaG0qFAk_B9RpoSL2i-S9hHQBWDC1RyTMsyWC8oEQyd-udMxaYX0lQ9bimaaXMq4U/s1600/IMG_7334.JPG">you can see on this coop</a>.<br /><br />The reason is the physiology of the chicken. When a bird breathes in and out, it expends a lot of moisture, so while you don't want your hens to be in a draft, you do want them to get enough fresh air that the inside of the coop stays dry. Droppings are also full of moisture, so by keeping a deep bed (preferably of wood chips) at least 10cm deep, you help keep the floor area dry, less smelly and as it composts, it helps warm the hen house.<br /><br />You can read more about how to create a low-smell, easy care, warm and cosy chicken coop using the deep litter system on page 43 of <a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.mags4gifts.co.nz/nz-lifestyle-block-special-gifts">How to Care for Your Poultry</a>, available in supermarkets in NZ from mid-June, or next week if you buy it online <a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.mags4gifts.co.nz/nz-lifestyle-block-special-gifts">by clicking here</a>.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Nadene Hall</span><br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.nzlifestyleblock.co.nz/">NZ Lifestyle Block magazine</a>NZ Lifestyle Blockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10602565180081239921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2939966728713350869.post-56305371940271967162011-05-18T03:12:00.000-07:002011-05-18T03:38:04.087-07:00More mad hen houses<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8tAUmvPWK6VaSKVLrp2UmSz3Ajlh8MjJi2xuRcetBYQNF1F0TLb90Y2b0qPA0llpDfwqUrrXf7MhL8lyxpyt7hzWybzILv5vniAJ3ZSwnlzwncdHzxGTZ2FhURp_5BDBvos7aXgQUW-M/s1600/cocorico-002.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 390px; height: 255px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8tAUmvPWK6VaSKVLrp2UmSz3Ajlh8MjJi2xuRcetBYQNF1F0TLb90Y2b0qPA0llpDfwqUrrXf7MhL8lyxpyt7hzWybzILv5vniAJ3ZSwnlzwncdHzxGTZ2FhURp_5BDBvos7aXgQUW-M/s400/cocorico-002.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5607998805062398754" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:georgia;">Every time I think I've seen a pretty amazing hen house, more come along to make me go 'wow'.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /><br /></span><br /><a name='more'></a><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipijvVdHWEehgjESNT-A2sbIGQvaoX1uUhs4VlN-DAdQZtbEBdnqaNaC-YuMB83tK07CR8GRafGYQEuq6F-9gnBxbynkPdRYvO-9DrBAL_cfdlLOsMubWcRL46tMkMTjhmmuOYRlWuxHg/s1600/cocorico-001.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 248px; height: 162px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipijvVdHWEehgjESNT-A2sbIGQvaoX1uUhs4VlN-DAdQZtbEBdnqaNaC-YuMB83tK07CR8GRafGYQEuq6F-9gnBxbynkPdRYvO-9DrBAL_cfdlLOsMubWcRL46tMkMTjhmmuOYRlWuxHg/s400/cocorico-001.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5607998630206189906" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">Like this one called "Cocorico" by designer <a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.yankodesign.com/2008/11/18/chicken-heaven/">Maxine Evrard</a> - it even pulls apart for </span><span style="font-family:georgia;">eas</span><span style="font-family:georgia;">y </span><span style="font-family:georgia;">cleaning.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxeGWIMs4JWSIKu2fRG5tiDmOks3A8yiWGeLkeUY_tg0o-egmX1hyphenhyphenPsUGUauitJ3xvSdwgfmuKEAkbdga_GEofeTuvwj5yg2nJocS4DmoicZL-1aButSfo_CGiiSENONk9SbbWdAtdnF4/s1600/eglu.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 344px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxeGWIMs4JWSIKu2fRG5tiDmOks3A8yiWGeLkeUY_tg0o-egmX1hyphenhyphenPsUGUauitJ3xvSdwgfmuKEAkbdga_GEofeTuvwj5yg2nJocS4DmoicZL-1aButSfo_CGiiSENONk9SbbWdAtdnF4/s400/eglu.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5608000032217510098" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:georgia;">Then there is the small but really stylish Eglu from <a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.omlet.co.uk/products_services/products_services.php">Omelet</a> - these are from a UK company but are now available in Australia so I'm </span><span style="font-family:georgia;">suspecting they may come her</span><span style="font-family:georgia;">e before long, and just a snip at NZ$450 or so (without run).<br /><br /><br /><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /><br /><br /><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /><br /><br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwzxnA66X1oq2Myt9BfWKw3Wu-DnOnXNMieQRNaLOkrLMIe7clPlSI67DYnzPS9E02HVzisjD5u_pCGYYHaxIUmotLzKM94BN8hTEuROn5NtogrxXUHd4rL6IOxJSK4sjQU-TrCdhTvhk/s1600/Henhouses.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 296px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwzxnA66X1oq2Myt9BfWKw3Wu-DnOnXNMieQRNaLOkrLMIe7clPlSI67DYnzPS9E02HVzisjD5u_pCGYYHaxIUmotLzKM94BN8hTEuROn5NtogrxXUHd4rL6IOxJSK4sjQU-TrCdhTvhk/s400/Henhouses.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5608002259611206434" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span><span style="font-family:georgia;">Finally, some designs aren't so far out, but are beautifully </span><span style="font-family:georgia;">executed I think (as som</span><span style="font-family:georgia;">eone who loves that </span><span style="font-family:georgia;">'church' look to a building).</span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /><br /><br />If you're especially proud of your hen house, or find a great-looking coop online that you think we should know about, do <a style="font-weight: bold;" href="mailto:editor@nzlifestyleblock.co.nz">drop us a line</a>.<br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /><br /></span>NZ Lifestyle Blockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10602565180081239921noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2939966728713350869.post-32493329048475887252011-05-14T03:08:00.000-07:002011-05-14T03:21:35.818-07:00Breed Profile: the Araucana<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh74-yDkL4WaFRhHzF11Cj5qybCv5R1ZZnFOQG_Lp7q1kJ5gWEvmvbQNbdnynYyUkXLMxIT_xJoSWuKgM494ss2rDvXlUdyZyg95EDNsi0oOlTEWZkyqIradMddlm8TvaP1DZX52uvWaKU/s1600/Araucana200.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 172px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh74-yDkL4WaFRhHzF11Cj5qybCv5R1ZZnFOQG_Lp7q1kJ5gWEvmvbQNbdnynYyUkXLMxIT_xJoSWuKgM494ss2rDvXlUdyZyg95EDNsi0oOlTEWZkyqIradMddlm8TvaP1DZX52uvWaKU/s320/Araucana200.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5606513521639631730" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Araucana </span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Breed type:</span> Light breed, dual purpose<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Mature weight:</span> 2.3-3.2kg<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Temperament:</span> known for being docile, hardy and good forager, broody<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Egg production:</span> 150-200 blue or green eggs<br /><a name='more'></a><br />The beautiful Araucana is known around the world for its lovely feather colours and its unique eggs which have a blue and/or green shell - this is a dominant gene so even if a hen looks nothing like an Araucana, if she lays green or blue eggs, she has Araucana in her family make-up somewhere.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbx5XmGNk_1TypKVz2hX31LaFQA9U4wYqIGKyconT8E6gz9j4rT7W13W4YKK2mDAnMAry2l04nblAof305k38oljhoV_NzdFu0e0jmUEv38W-Ic41M4S3QklTpr9JTQ21OV2LwkncjRTM/s1600/599px-AraucanaEgg_vs_Brown_White.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbx5XmGNk_1TypKVz2hX31LaFQA9U4wYqIGKyconT8E6gz9j4rT7W13W4YKK2mDAnMAry2l04nblAof305k38oljhoV_NzdFu0e0jmUEv38W-Ic41M4S3QklTpr9JTQ21OV2LwkncjRTM/s320/599px-AraucanaEgg_vs_Brown_White.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5606513863627403570" border="0" /></a>The Araucana is believed to have been first bred by the Arauca Indians of Northern Chile, possibably from cross-breeding with two native breeds of the region, the Collonca and the Quetro. In the US the Araucana is known for being “rumpless” – it lacks the tail feathers and the entire coccyx bone that normally results in a tail.<br />They are also known for being plump, meat-producing birds.<br /><br /><span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Left:</span> an Araucana egg (left) compared with the more common shell colours of brown and white.</span>NZ Lifestyle Blockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10602565180081239921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2939966728713350869.post-3333860598748900472011-05-13T15:32:00.000-07:002011-05-13T15:43:36.264-07:00Breed profile: the Wyandotte<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY5iAp6728Z-jqECLydtQNlYOBJG26rLhg_BTRr3oVEvLH10L1ZZdOJnfOjvPJxk1wtMAdmV9LsTjsl-5GQiCTmXUduQMbg5eKSKmI311wTNQVbLlZJvFyuNckW0_pqkuCKj7rduB0298/s1600/Wyandotte200.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 181px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY5iAp6728Z-jqECLydtQNlYOBJG26rLhg_BTRr3oVEvLH10L1ZZdOJnfOjvPJxk1wtMAdmV9LsTjsl-5GQiCTmXUduQMbg5eKSKmI311wTNQVbLlZJvFyuNckW0_pqkuCKj7rduB0298/s200/Wyandotte200.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5606334805899339410" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Wyandotte</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Breed type: </span> Heavy breed/dual purpose (eggs and meat)<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Mature weight:</span> 2.9-3.8kg<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Temperament: </span> Docile, good broody, good mothers, hardy<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Egg production: </span> 200-250 eggs per year<br /><a name='more'></a><br />The Wyandotte is the mystery chicken for many breeders wanting to know the origins of this medium-sized dual-purpose bird. Its origins are unknown although the first variety, the silver-laced Wyandotte, is believed to have originated in New York.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTMpYR7rMMcEk5oYojUTHy-8PCrFmtV1uMhfZeT1wu-49WhRNZWqz5C3TT-S7_PxVcxJ9X6rNd-hb0EAvHuwLGj_99Xbjgbqjkew1hIWSMhuP9tD8V6vRH3HIkewO-zyBXpggBZkVPa-8/s1600/WyandotteB200.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 191px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTMpYR7rMMcEk5oYojUTHy-8PCrFmtV1uMhfZeT1wu-49WhRNZWqz5C3TT-S7_PxVcxJ9X6rNd-hb0EAvHuwLGj_99Xbjgbqjkew1hIWSMhuP9tD8V6vRH3HIkewO-zyBXpggBZkVPa-8/s200/WyandotteB200.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5606334985745666434" border="0" /></a>Experts now believe the Wyandotte was created by breeding Spangled Hamburgs with Dark Brahmas somewhere in the US, and breeders recognised it as a unique breed in the late 1800s. The different varieties of Wyandotte were created by different breeders all over the United States and the bird now comes in a rainbow of colours, from silver-laced (pictured above, right), to black, white and crele (pictured left).<br />The breed is modelled after the Sebright, its colour patterns usually the standard followed by Wyandotte enthusiasts.<br />The Wyandotte is known as a good forager, doesn’t like to fly (most can’t) and can survive in a harsh environment where others may struggle.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Nadene Hall</span><br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.nzlifestyleblock.co.nz/">NZ Lifestyle Block magazine</a>NZ Lifestyle Blockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10602565180081239921noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2939966728713350869.post-22564697077801163192011-05-02T15:13:00.000-07:002011-05-02T17:12:47.779-07:00A house just for hens<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.thecoolist.com/amazing-hen-house-by-frederik-roije/"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 230px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg54I79HzooI4BD2nWZRZV_iXvsk_J0jOtbWicyIBD7Vmd10zJ-uW3f6eZySmydn3u_ZUweP_QXYUr3iKWkr17ojzKlQh1xtoSHl1RRWSvApzMtSKeINXCFBPSZikY2dtgbHMBwOmG-Xac/s320/frederick-roije-breed-retreat-birdhouse_400.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5602272558911332370" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family: georgia;font-family:georgia;" >When we were writing How to Care for Your Poultry, it was so much fun to see the different hen houses people came up with, and since then we just keep finding more and more amazing coop ideas, like this one from Holland, and yes, you read that price right!<br /><a name='more'></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Breed Retreat</span><br />Designer: </span>Frederik Roijé <span style="font-family: georgia;font-family:georgia;" ><br />Materials: wood finished with durable coating<br />Size: W 260cm x H 180cm x D 260cm<br />Cost: NZ$13,850 (€ 7980)<br /></span><span style="font-family: georgia;font-family:georgia;" ><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://roije.com/#/products/breed_retreat">http://roije.com</a></span><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;font-family:georgia;" ><br /><br />Thanks to their very kind owners, we were able to feature two of my favourite hen houses:<br /></span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" style="font-family: georgia;" href="http://www.rammed-earth.org/maurice.htm"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 263px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhymf1VIGPf6iElCo1de_98uvfbV6s04SBcH6aam_KM-6M6DPsUo0jnMTfboUK2b4X6QyOzkoigMu-RY72MZJonKJ_Xf_F1Tp8xhGvGpsTEvRAc39nXgDByibxUvOyzUX-e75Jnn4b3U_0/s320/Image241300.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5602252878346338306" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family:georgia;" >'Maurice'</span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">Previously: half an old 1971 Morris Traveler</span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">Designed, built and owned by Michael Thompson</span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">UK<br />Cost: NZ$600 (</span>£300)<br /><a style="font-weight: bold; font-family: georgia;" href="http://www.rammed-earth.org/maurice.htm">www.rammed-earth.org</a><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;font-family:georgia;" ><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;font-family:georgia;" ><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" style="font-family: georgia;" href="http://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=16313-kreitz-family-poulet-chalet"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXEHcl67HwKmlTf5KIpwdCDXdTitVcdzlj2I-dpT6aVUJZz8Dc24FBpWo3extjPtemuCrIAf1cVVUQ0bkQzGsGF3I7PthFdjdFqO_zCgpv6XxiF3kpTN0QZMYhmVRB8fjxNc0ntzNKEDU/s320/finished-allopen.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5602254563040190722" border="0" /></a><strong style="font-family:georgia;">"Poulet Chalet"<br /><span style="font-weight: normal;">Designed, built & owned by: Steven, Mary, Ben, Joe and Josh Kreitz<br />USA<br />Cost: unknown<br />See more at: <a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=16313-kreitz-family-poulet-chalet">www.backyardchickens.com</a><br /></span></strong><span style="font-family: georgia;font-family:georgia;" ><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Since then, I've found a few more that really tickle my fancy.<br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" style="font-family: georgia;" href="http://www.google.co.nz/imgres?imgurl=http://www.freewebs.com/sunrisecreek/Hen%2520House%2520002.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.freewebs.com/sunrisecreek/poultry.htm&usg=__87KcVVhkItf-9aZu9i_hWnbs5EQ=&h=1600&w=1200&sz=350&hl=en&start=62&sig2=xzYurtsNaMkcNdXhdcJeBA&zoom=1&tbnid=me__V1K7AnM3cM:&tbnh=147&tbnw=108&ei=aSy_TZnDMpDWvQPrv_TABQ&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dpoultry%2Bhen%2Bhouse%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26biw%3D1171%26bih%3D742%26tbm%3Disch0%2C1710&um=1&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=615&vpy=439&dur=214&hovh=161&hovw=121&tx=66&ty=86&page=4&ndsp=25&ved=1t:429,r:9,s:62&biw=1171&bih=742"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYFv6y0cAUXKtQd_DKEXpvaSEIPF7mP0VXu8plbcd5xCRC17Eik0qCtgNVT67rTIjRIPnGanUL5Jq3_8b_9TwONpEL4gEffVjS-Gcd_xIdO9Ju7CCFnLRYj3iWgIkMXhgVj87fEjOPg5A/s320/Hen+House+002400.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5602246264856348802" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family:georgia;" >Sunrise Creek</span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">Alaska</span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">Cost: unknown</span><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" style="font-family: georgia;" href="http://www.birdpavilions.com/product.asp?p=14"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCVwZ-Rk9eD9dvkIrZ4N7WEDf9v54oa4l0F8HriypZtzn35tV8_gDk3pEbyopjB0ZtJfB1CbItWLQd8tvc4VWKaSlK482aHHRzNLDBc_sKXgj4ReD962e8lWurWDDDK8Z-6t3ZjZIHUo8/s320/palladium.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5602247695198222978" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family:georgia;" >The Palladium</span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">Designer: Ivor Ingall</span><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br />UK</span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">Cost: NZ$5500 (£2,800)</span><br /><a style="font-weight: bold; font-family: georgia;" href="http://www.birdpavilions.com/product.asp?p=14">Heytesbury Bird Pavilions</a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" style="font-family: georgia;" href="http://www.contemporist.com/2010/09/27/the-nogg-a-modern-chicken-coop/"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 238px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUgv_vmYHQHuSvH5iuJD0wi_wCdQwcMpWPPt4NZHMQ_ywCcLagPdUBfATIBCNdOh6NgduiabxLYoDM2PovLShJynzgGIRCAMM_zv5CWJ3JSjplCBzPfEVbmh5oyX2ISCIQPenXXDcumrs/s320/no_260910_01-630x848400.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5602250702045293922" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family:georgia;" >The 'Nogg'</span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">Designers: Matthew Hayward and Nadia Turan</span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">Materials: cedar wood, 316 stainless steel, glass & concrete base</span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">Size: 1.2m high x 80cm (widest diameter), 2-4 hens</span><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br />Cost: NZ$3800 (</span>£1,950<br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://thenogg.tumblr.com/">The Nogg blog</a> or read more about it at <a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.nogg.co/pdf/nogg_press_release_01.pdf">www.nogg.co/</a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Nadene Hall<br />NZ Lifestyle Block magazine<br /></span>NZ Lifestyle Blockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10602565180081239921noreply@blogger.com0