As I drove the moving truck out of the neighborhood, Rosie and Winston sat shotgun quietly.  I could see the look on their face.  They couldn’t believe what we just packed up in this bohemith of a truck.  Quite frankly, I couldn’t either.  They didn’t say a word – they just both gave me a kiss on the cheek and watched down the road.

Rosie and Winston are my two golden retrievers.  Rosie is the senior dog at two years old while Winston, the puppy, is still learning the ropes in her young 14 weeks of age.  We just spent the last two days loading nearly 100 baby chicks, six adult chickens, two rabbits and the two aforementioned golden retrievers into the truck.  In addition to the animals, of course, came two chicken coops, a rabbit hutch, two dog kennels and two tubs that served as brooders for the newly acquired chicks.

Newly hatched chicks are very resilient yet fragile as the wind at the same time.  I had approximately 40 broilers and 60 layers housed in two separate large plastic tubs.  To get chicks just a week before a move is not something I recommend at all.  My family thought I was crazy but when the opportunity to get the chicks presented itself I wanted to take advantage of it.

I started the chicks in a two feet by three feet tub with the smallest waterer and feeder I could find.  They remained on the landing of the stairs for that week prior to our move.  Two tubs, two waters, two feeders, two heat lamps, 100 chicks – all in the front door of our home that we were carrying furniture out of.

With the truck loaded - our destination was set.  Well sort of set.  The farm we were moving to would offer plenty of room for the chicks to roam in time but for now as the farm house needed some repairs we would be staying with family for the next week or so.  I guided Noah’s Ark to my parents’ house and promptly set up all the animals in their garage.  I could see the worry, concern and astonishment on my mother’s face as the chicks peeped, the rabbits drank, the chickens cackled and the two dogs walked around knocking over golf clubs and everything else that wasn’t fastened down in her garage.

For the next two weeks the chicks got bigger, and the number of tubs increased to accommodate their growth.  As I watched them grow, I knew they were going to need a bigger brooder fast.  My plan for a wooden, divided brooder that would keep the chicks happy and safe certainly looked better in my mind than the final result.  After the last nail was hammered in, I stepped back to take a look and the first thought that crossed my mind was, “It looks like a coffin for an eight feet tall person”.  Not exactly what I was looking for but if it kept my chicks safe and got me back in the good graces of my mother, I was all for it.  I drilled holes in each end of the brooder for air flow, put two heat lamps in each side for each group of chicks (layers and meat birds) and latched it tight so no predator would be able to pay a visit.  It was four or five weeks by now and my chicks were out of the garage.

Week five was similar to a sixteen year old football player getting his appetite.  These chicks can put away some food!  With the weather warming up to consistent above freezing temps and the buffet these chicks were enjoying, I knew this coffin brooder would only be a temporary solution.  By the beginning of week six I knew I needed to act quicker than I originally planned.  The chicks were trying to fly out every time I opened the brooder and I promptly loaded them up for greener pastures.

Literally, I was taking them to the greener pastures of our new farm.  The house renovations were complete and I had constructed a wire mesh wall that would separate the layers from the future brooding spots in the chicken coop.  The coop is approximately 600 square feet giving each layer a lot of room to roam around.  Of course, they have access to the pasture on nice days also.  The meat birds are enjoying the fresh grass of the pasture as they move around the farm in their newly constructed chicken tractor that my boys and I quickly put together.

Two days ago my family and I were out in the yard and we saw two coyotes running across the West end of the property about 200 yards away from us.  I’ve been keeping a close eye on all our chickens but now I tend to look into the coop several times a day just to make sure I haven’t forgotten something that would allow a pesky predator to make a visit.

Looking back over the last several weeks with the newly hatched chicks in the house, then to the garage, then to my coffin coop to finally getting the chicks to the farm, I can honestly say it has all been a positive experience and well worth the work.  While it was not the most ideal situation with our move and the temporary locations we moved through, the chicks remained happy and healthy.  Attention to detail and closely monitoring the chicks kept me in tune to their needs.  This wasn’t the first time we brooded chicks but it certainly was the most unique. 

Even during the short time at my parents’ house, the chicks garnered much attention from the neighbors.  It was fun to share eggs from our adult chickens with the neighbors and educate them on the joy of having chickens.  Brood some chicks today and share the experience with your neighbors!

The past couple months have been a fun adventure with our chicks.  They’re beginning to look a lot more like chickens than the fluffy little chicks that arrived on our doorstep just 9 weeks ago.  The weather has gotten warmer and they’re now enjoying living in their brand new coop. 

My wife Val and I have decided that chickens are the ultimate pets for three little boys.  During the first few weeks, the boys enjoyed holding them and petting their soft little fuzz.  As they’ve grown, they enjoy watching the silly little girls peck and scratch around.

One afternoon, our oldest son Davis came running into the house to tell us that our two year old Case was in the Peck and Play with the chicks, and that he kissed one of them!  I guess they’re getting very comfortable with our new pets.

Did you know how many books there are written about chickens?  Every week, Davis brings home a new chicken book from school.  It’s been a fun way for all of us to learn all the fun facts there are to know about chickens.  We’ve also realized that we have a lot of children’s books around the house that have chickens in them.  The kid’s most recent favorite is, “The Chicken Problem.”  Our little Case begs to read it every night before bed.

With our boys, it’s been all about the chickens.  They love to read chicken books, watch chicken cartoons and chicken movies, tell why did the chicken cross the road jokes, and draw and color chicken pictures.  Davis has even brought the chicks in to first grade for show and tell.  They were definitely a hit with all the kids!  

When we first made the decision to raise chickens in our backyard, we primarily thought about the benefits of fresh eggs.  We’ve been pleasantly surprised to experience what great pets they make for the entire family.  Sydney, Athens, Beijing, London, and Rio have definitely found a special place in our family.

You have invested a lot of time raising your chickens and by now they could be producing fresh eggs for you every day.

With the winter season, you need to make a few special arrangements to ensure your hens continue to lay.  A few minutes of attention to housing, temperature, water supply and lighting will keep them laying all winter.

HOUSING:

Winter housing need not be fancy.  Any dry, draft free structure will work.  Remember that drafts can be more deadly than cold temperatures.  A 10X10 foot building is more than adequate for a flock of 20 hens.  Chickens produce a fair amount of body heat.  Except in the extreme northern states, an insulated building will keep your flock warm…in fact, you may need to provide ventilation to keep your flock from getting too hot.  Be sure to inspect the building for openings and weasels to enter.  You’ll also need to provide nesting boxes and roosts for your laying hens.

TEMPERATURE:

Hens lay best when the temperature is between 55 and 80 degrees F.  Any temperature colder or warmer will affect egg production.  A small heater or heat lamp may be needed to maintain a minimum temperature in extreme northern climates.

WATER:

Your flock needs a constant supply of water (not ice) throughout the winter.  Keeping the water from freezing is very important.  Be sure to keep FRESH water available at all times.  Water is extremely important to egg quality.  65% of the egg is water.

LIGHTING:

Light is very important in egg production.  Light causes the hen’s pituitary gland to secrete hormones in her ovary.  These hormones stimulate her to lay more eggs.  Hens need fourteen hours of light each day for maximum egg production.  A 60 watt bulb can supply enough light for up to 200 square feet of floor space.  A timer should be used to turn the light on and off.  Hens subjected to irregular lighting will lay fewer eggs or begin to molt and stop laying altogether.  Some poultry experts suggest having two timers.  One to control the 60 watt light and one to run a 7 ½ watt bulb a little longer to allow hens to find their roost after the 60 watt bulb goes out.

THE INCREDIBLE, EDIBLE EGG

A hen lays approximately 20 dozen eggs during a 12 month period.  Once an egg is laid, it cannot get any better, brown or white, fertile or non fertile, the egg is a near perfect food.  Proper handling keeps eggs that way.

HANDLING EGGS

Gather eggs at least twice a day.  Cool them to 50-60 degrees F, as quickly as possible.  75% humidity will help keep them fresh.  A fresh egg has a yolk that stands high in the frying pan and a white that is thick, cloudy and doesn’t run all over the pan.

 During winter, keep eggs from freezing.  Taking extra eggs to work for friends and fellow workers?  Don’t leave eggs in the car or truck where they can freeze.  Bring them into the office and place them in a cool place…not near a heater.  This will preserve the quality of the eggs for your customers.

Winter can be tough on everyone.  The bitter cold bites at your lungs while the howling wind cracks your hands.  Frozen tears cry for warmer weather while layers and layers of bundling limit your mobility to a stay puft marshmallow man.  I am not a fan of winter. 

The elements of the winter season are embraced by many I’m sure.  While I certainly enjoy a good Winter Olympics, sled riding with the kids and of course that white Christmas that Crosby sings about every year, I would much rather have a limited exposure to it.  When it comes to our animals outside, limiting their exposure is exactly what we need to do.  We certainly learned a few lessons this past winter in caring for our chickens.  Some things, quite frankly, I took for granted during the warmer days and others we were lucky enough to learn or be told about that we will incorporate into next season’s preparation.  

Water:  Oh how I longed to be able to turn on the hose outside at 5:00 am  to fill the waterers in the coops.  With six or more inches of snow on the ground and negative temperatures for days, the spigot unfortunately was not going to spew.  A three foot long icicle hanging from the spigot quickly told me I should have done something differently.  Watering the chickens now consisted of filling several pitchers of water to fill the three gallon waters in the coops.  I had to do this in the dark on most days as I dare not wake up the little ones who needed several more hours of sleep.  I learned quickly to pay attention to not spill any water on my hands as I turned the filled waterers upright in the coop.  The first time I reached for the door knob to the garage with wet hands I found myself breathing as much hot air as I could on my hand that was now frozen to the door knob.  Several times my index finger would freeze to the metal latch of the coop door and I kept thinking about how this just happened the day before – how can I keep making the same mistakes?  I chalked it up to early morning delirium.

Coops:  Kim at the hatchery here was wowing me with her stories of her glorious coops she had in the past.  She told me about the shutters on the windows and the curtains she sewed for them.  She also talked about how she built the coop with insulation.  I thought she was getting a little extreme with the insulation until I moved to Iowa and felt the cold hard truth of the winters.  As winter came in, I thought my chickens would be okay.  I have hardy breeds such as Buff Orpingtons, Barred Rocks and the like.  Chickens have been around long before insulation I reasoned, surely they will be fine.  Hold that thought. 

During a visit to Joel Salatin’s place he showed us his deep bedding philosophy in action and I quickly got an appreciation for this as I watched the chickens scratch and bed down in the thick bedding.  Joel mentioned that while he loved the egg production of the Red Star’s, he preferred the hardiness of the large breeds like the Barred Rocks and Rhode Island Reds.  He had found that the Red Star’s just didn’t take the winter as well as these other breeds.  A week after our trip to Joel’s, there in my coop was my Red Star, Ester, lifeless.  I was devastated.  My kids were devastated.  And it was my fault.  My mind flashed back to Kim talking about insulating her coops, it flashed to Joel talking about deep bedding.  For my small coops in the backyard, I needed to do something different.  I quickly added a lot more bedding, put heat lamps in each coop and put thick plastic around all exposed windows of the coop and the runs.  I should have done this already – I’m not sure what I was (or wasn’t) thinking but I know now – unfortunately this was a costly lesson to learn.

Feed – I was in the habit of feeding the chickens in the morning but with the cold weather, the chickens will need to eat more to maintain their body weight.  I switched to feeding them twice a day (or at least ensuring they had food in the feeders in the evening.).  I learned again that walking to the coops in the yard was something I took for granted.  With a few warm days periodically throughout the season, it was just enough to melt some snow and then refreeze it into this uneven treacherous frozen tundra.  One day in particular I was walking a loaded feeder back to the coop when I found myself gliding down the yard like a downhill skier!  Panic set it quickly as I tried to maintain the fully filled feeder while riding the roller coaster of this ice path.  The trip came to an abrupt end with the feeder in the air, my tush landing hard on the ice, my eyes glaring up at the starry night sky and the chickens squacking at me as I lay there doing a quick limb check.  Feeding in the winter can be dangerous.  Next year, I’m keep a nice, clear patch shoveled to the coop.

I always tell new chickens owners that chickens need three basic things:  Food, Water and Shelter.  Unfortunately for me, even with having owned chickens and working at a hatchery, I let winter come in like a lion and chase my common sense away this time.  Winter can be tough on everyone, and it was especially for me this winter.  As I proved, exposing our chickens to the elements can be deadly if we are not prepared.  While I know we are getting to the end of winter now, later this week I’m going to share a quick list of some winter tips that Kim put together for us.  One of the best ways to prepare for exposing our chickens to winter, is getting ourselves exposed to the hard lessons learned by others.

With Spring upon us now, I look forward to the warm weather and look for ice only to be my tea.

Congratulations to our winners of the 2014 Winter Photo Contest!

1st Place

2nd Place

3rd Place

4th Place

5th Place

6th Place

We received 5 different breeds of chicks.  Before they arrived, we learned a little about each type of chick and named them according to the things we learned.  The 5 names we chose for our 5 different breeds of chicks represent the 4 Olympic Games cities I’ve competed in and the 2016 Olympic Games I will be going after.

Buff Orpington – Sydney (host of the 2000 Olympic Games in Australia)

We named this chicken Sydney because it is a very friendly breed, and Sydney was known as the “friendly” Olympic Games.  Buff Orpingtons are the “Golden Retrievers” of Chickens.  They are calm and affectionate.  They are golden in color and lay brown eggs.

Barred Rock – Athens (host of the 2004 Olympic Games in Greece)

Our Barred Rock baby chick is actually the smallest of all the chicks.  We’re not sure how she’ll grow, but we thought that naming her Athens would be ironic since the Athena division in triathlon is for women over a certain weight.  It will be interesting to see if she remains on the smaller side, or if she begins to pass the others in size.  The Barred Rock is also friendly and is a reliable brown egg producer.

New Hampshire Red – Beijing (host city of the 2008 Olympic Games China)

We named the New Hampshire Red Beijing because the color red has importance in Chinese culture.  Red symbolizes good fortune and joy.  The New Hampshire Red chick is yellow with a soft cast of red on her back.  She will grow up to have a rich red hue.  She lays brown eggs and supposedly can be competitive with other chickens.  It will be interesting to see if this is the case.

White Leghorn – London (host city of the 2012 Olympic Games in England)

We named the White Leghorn, London because of her pure white color that reminded us of the queen and the royalty found in London.  The White Leghorn will be a good egg layer, producing large white eggs like the kind you typically find in your grocery store.

Araucana/ Ameraucana – RIO (will be the host city of the 2016 Games in Brazil)

We named the Araucana/ Ameraucana RIO because she is very colorful.  Not only are her feathers made up of a variety of colors, she lays colorful eggs!  Yes, several of these chicks can lay an Easter basket full of green, blue, and even pink and yellow eggs.  When we think of RIO and South America, we think of a lot of vibrant colors.

Marek’s Disease

 Darrell W. Trampel, D.V.M., PhD.
Iowa State University
January 27, 2014

Marek’s disease (MD) is a highly contagious disease of chickens characterized by a) varying degrees of paralysis of wings and legs and/or b) development of lymphoid tumors.  Marek’s disease is found in broiler chickens raised for meat and in laying hens maintained for egg production.  “Range paralysis” is an old, but very descriptive name for MD.  With this condition, chickens are unable to walk and tend to lie with one leg stretched forward and the other back.  Paralysis of one or both legs is caused by accumulation of neoplastic lymphocytes in nerves which causes structural damage and nerve enlargement.  Death often results from starvation and dehydration because paralyzed chickens are unable to reach food and water.  After 3 weeks of age, chickens may develop tumors (lymphomas) in almost any tissue or organ.  Chickens with lymphomas frequently become depressed, stop eating, often have pale shriveled combs, and become emaciated prior to death.  Marek’s disease tumors are gray-white in color and may appear as distinct nodules or as a diffuse infiltration that makes the affected organ look paler than normal.

Marek’s disease is a form of cancer caused by a herpesvirus (Gallid herpesvirus 2).  Marek’s disease viruses are placed into categories based upon their ability to produce disease.  These categories include mild, virulent, very virulent, and very virulent plus strains of Marek’s disease virus.  The virus initially infects and destroys B lymphocytes which causes a transient immunosuppression.  However, most neoplastic cells present in tumors consist of CD4+ helper T lymphocytes.  In addition to paralysis and tumors that are the most common manifestations of MD, several other syndromes occur.  Immunosuppression develops in the early stages of infection due to destruction of B lymphocytes that normally produce antibodies.   Skin leucosis results from accumulation of neoplastic lymphocytes around feather follicles.  “Gray eye” describes the appearance of chicken eyes after MD tumor cells have infiltrated the iris and cornea and results in blindness.   Atherosclerosis in chickens is caused by MD virus and closely resembles chronic human atherosclerosis.  Atherosclerosis is an accumulation of cholesterol‑filled plaques on the inner walls of blood vessels which reduces the diameter of the vessel lumen.  Transient paralysis is caused by MDV-induced damage to blood vessels in the brain with subsequent leakage of fluid into the surrounding brain tissue.  Temporary swelling of the brain causes chickens to develop nervous tics and twisted necks.

Marek’s disease virus in large numbers are shed in keratinized feather follicle epithelial cells (dander) that slough off the surface of the skin of infected chickens and are disseminated by air currents.  Shedding begins 2 to 4 weeks after infection, prior to the appearance of clinical disease, and can continue for the life of the chicken.  Dander protects the virus from physical degradation and contaminated poultry house dust remains infectious for at least 4‑6 months at room temperature.  Dander is a major component of poultry dust and inhalation of keratinized epithelium containing MD virus is the major route of infection.  Chickens may contact residual dust and dander in the growing house from a previous flock or dust from adjacent chicken houses.  Poultry dust can remain infectious for over a year.  Contaminated dander may be spread from one location to another on undisinfected eggs, contaminated clothing, shoes, equipment, and vehicles.  Feather tips contain MD virus and darkling beetles can carry the virus from one location to another.  Once introduced into a house, infection spreads quickly from bird to bird.  Transmission through the egg does not occur.

Prevention requires a combination of good hygiene and vaccination.  Chicks placed in a contaminated environment are likely to be infected within the first few days of life.  Delaying the time of exposure allows more time for development of the chick’s immune system and immunity following vaccination in the hatchery.  Up to 7 days is required for solid immunity following vaccination.  Failure to prevent early exposure is the most common cause of vaccine failure.  Exposure to MD virus can be delayed and the challenge dose diminished by careful cleaning followed by disinfection of the brooder house prior to chick placement.  Thorough cleaning is an essential first step because droppings, dust, and other organic matter remaining on surfaces will inactivate disinfectants.  Chicks should be housed in a building that do not contain older chickens.  Older chickens are likely to be shedding MD virus and represent a potential source of infection for baby chicks.

Marek’s disease vaccine was the first practical effective cancer vaccine in any species of animal and represented a major scientific advance in medical science.  The first commercial vaccine against MD was the herpesvirus of turkeys (HVT, serotype 3) introduced in 1971 and still widely used today.  HVT can still be obtained as a cell-free lyophilized vaccine that does not need to remain frozen to maintain potency.  HVT became less effective as MDV in the field became more virulent.  In the early 1980’s, bivalent vaccines containing HVT and naturally non-oncogenic serotype 2 MDV became available.  Serotype 2 vaccine viruses include strains SB-1 and 301B/1.  Serotype 3 vaccine (HVT) and a serotype 2 vaccine (SB-1 or 301B/1) have synergistic activity when combined and administered together.  During the 1990s, field strains of MDV became even more virulent and a serotype 1 vaccine was employed to generate higher levels of immunity.  This vaccine (Rispins, CVI988) was developed at the Central Veterinary Institute in the Netherlands and is now widely used in the United States and around the world.   Serotype 1 and 2 vaccines are cell-associated vaccines and consist of frozen, viable MDV-infected cells that require storage and transport in liquid nitrogen.  MD vaccines can be administered subcutaneously on the back of the neck at 1 day of age or in fertile eggs (in ovo) at 18 days of incubation.  More broilers in the United States are vaccinated by the in ovo method.

Vaccination of chicks to prevent Marek’s disease is strongly recommended.  Marek’s disease vaccines are not perfect, but they are very effective.  In most hatcheries, the cost of Mark’s disease vaccination is 19-20 cents per chick –  money well spent to prevent a widespread disease of chickens.