Hi;
My name is Mike, and I am a chicken vet. I’ve been working full time for over a decade with egg farmers who produce food for us all. I’ve noticed lately that there is a surge in interest in what we do, as the food producing sector of the world. I’ve also noticed that a LOT of the information that is circulating about egg farming is misleading, confusing, or downright wrong. I started this blog as my way of trying to fix this.
I am in egg producing barns on a daily basis, and see the reality of caged hens, free-run production, and organic eggs. I know this stuff…not because somebody told me, or I read it once, but because it’s what I do…every day for over a decade. If you have a question…ask.
The professional egg farms in Ontario are run the way they are for very good, but complicated reasons. Because egg farming is so alien to most people, there are a lot of misunderstanding about what goes on and why. I will gladly explain the process to clear up some of these misconceptions
We all need to eat. If you beleive that it is morally OK to eat animal products, then someone needs to raise and care for the animals to make those products. I believe that farmers are obligated to look after their animals in the way that provides the best welfare possible, while producing enough safe food for the population.
I help egg farmers do this. I’m so interested in welfare that I’m working on my Masters of Science degree in animal welfare. Part-time on top of my day job. It’s either really important to me, or I’m a glutton for punishment….I’ll have to get back to you on that one.
I am also involved with backyard hen keepers. I am working with municipalities to set up regulations so that the hens are kept in a safe, humane manner. My hope is that the rules get set up well enough to encourage well run backyard flocks. The desire to become closer to their food, and the willingness to take on the responsibility for the hens makes urban farmers worthy of respect.
The passion, knowledge and ingenuity of the backyard farmers I have met is amazing. These people will do anything to get or keep the right to have their hens. I try to help them by making sure they are aware of the hens needs. For the most part, backyard hens are in danger of suffering because of ignorance, not from lack of caring or attention. My hope is that this blog may become a source of information for some of the backyarders who want to know more.
My goal for this blog is to interact with non-farmer types who want to know more. Let me know what you think, what you want to know, or why you are intersted in laying hens. I’ll gladly tell you what I think, and maybe we can learn something from each other.
Thanks for reading;
Mike the Chicken Vet
Dear Chicken Vet,
I am a townie wanting to get two or three birds. I have kept hens before, down in my basement (don’t tell…) I was reading an article where they suggested putting out a pan of dry cat litter for hens to use as a dust bath. Does that sound safe to you? I reckon non-clumping would be the way to go, if one were to do it at all. Thoughts?
Hi Deanna;
Good question. The dry cat litter has the advantage of being accessable, and will work as a dust-bath substrate. Birds prefer a fine “dust” to bathe in. Depending on the brand of litter, some is quite coarse, and won’t be as well appreciated by the birds (they may possibly not use it, if they don’t like it enough). One thing that research from the UK has shown
(http://www.laywel.eu/web/pdf/deliverable%2043a-2.pdf) that peat moss is a VERY popular substrate. Hens preferred it to wood shavings, sand and chicken feed. It might be a possible alternative, and should be available at most gardening stores. Providing that the kitty litter is fine enough, it should work OK, and should be perfectly safe.
I nominated you for the Versatile Blogger Award!
http://outtakesontheoutskirts.wordpress.com/2011/10/01/the-versatile-blogger-award/
Thanks for sharing this with us!
I really appreciate all the posts you make.
I am starting a small backyard flock!
I have already done a lot of research, and contacted many backyard chicken experts!
The only other questions I have is:
1. What chicken breed do you recommend, that is a heavy layer of brown eggs, is friendly, docile, not broody or flighty. In addition I would like it to be well in confined spaces. There are many choices, as you probably know. Please help!
2. In addition, if you have any advice for a amateur, please give me some. I would like this experience to go as smooth as possible for both the hens and the humans!
Again, Thanks for all you help,
I await your response.
Andrew
Hi Andrew;
Sorry for the delay in response….things have been busy here, and I don’t really feel that confident in my answer, so had to look some info up before I responded. I am NOT an expert in different bird breeds. I want to be clear about that. If I read your request properly, you want a brown layer who lays a lot of eggs (as opposed to a HEAVY brown bird). I am very familiar with the commercial strains of brown birds, and I think they would suit your requirements well. They physically resemble Red Sexlink Chicks that you will see in the following link, but are much more readily available in the province of Ontario, at many Co-ops and feed stores during their “chick days”, or from local distributers. If you are looking for something more dramatic, eye catching, or just exotic, the following link has some great information and a bit of a discription for quite a number of brown egg laying breeds: http://www.strombergschickens.com/prod_detail_list/Chickens-Chicks . I think that you will get a good feel for the type of bird you want if you surf this website for a bit.
As for advice, you sound like you are off to a good start. Try to think of everything you need to know before hand, and then plan for all your forseeable problems. The “Urban Farmers Chores List” that is in my 2nd or 3rd post: “Do you want backyard chickens” is a good start to understanding what is involved. Also, don’t hesitate to ask me questions here….I will respond in a more timely manner, and will try to tell you what you need to know, or at least steer you to someone who can.
Thanks
Mike the Chicken Vet
Hi Mike,
Thanks for responding…
I did not check the replies, and just found it today!
Do you know where I can buy “Ready to Lay” chickens?
I do not want to get chicks, and it seems like all the hatcheries only sell chicks, and ready to lay sexlinks (I do not only want to get sexlinks)
My coop is finished, and I have the feed and everything, all I need is the chickens!
How did you talk go?
Andrew
Thanks for sharing your knowledge. I maintain a blog focusing on zoonotics and wildlife and posted an excerpt from your recent article about “chickens and zoonotic disease” with a link to your blog page and a few images, including one of you.
I hope you find the Natural Unseen Hazards web site useful. It helps wildlife professionals and others who work and play in the great American outdoors keep up with current zoonotic disease outbreaks and wildlife invasions. Vital information about these events are posted several times each week at http://naturalunseenhazards.wordpress.com
Each item posted focuses on a government or media report about invasive wildlife or a zoonotic disease. The blog also carries travel warnings about zoonotic disease outbreaks in other countries.
The Natural Unseen Hazards Blog is free of charge and is maintained as a public service.
SO happy to have found you, Dr. Mike! There is a real need in the backyard chicken keeping community for professionally trained, practicing vets willing to share their knowledge and experience!
I would love it if you could email me with a few questions I have. Thanks!
K
Hello Mike, I was referred to you by another owner of backyard chickens. It looks like one of my chickens has hurt herself and im not sure how to help her. Shes basically limping. i have no idea how it happened. I took a video. If i can email it to you so you can see what im talking about, that would be great. Or perhaps you have some general advice on what we can do to help her.
Thank you so much!
I sent you an email….let me know if you didn’t get it.
Mike
I need to know asap if piperazine can immediately follow amprolium? A flock of my grower chickens are on Corid and it was discovered this morning they have a bad case of worms. How long do I have to withdraw the amprolium in order to give them the piperazine?
Hi Sande:
Since piprazine and Amprolium have completely different target species, and different mechanisms of action, there is no need to have a withdrawal between the drugs. Just clean out the waterers, and replace with piprazine-medicated water. Hope this helps.
Mike
YES! Your information has made my day! Thank you so very much.
I have adopted/rescued a couple Ameracaunas from an elderly man and after the transition to our coop they have not laid a single egg. There has been some trauma – moving, coop construction, death, predators, but everything has been safe and sound for almost 3 weeks and still no eggs. We live in FL and I have been trying the extended daylight thing with a solar light bulb; no effect. They look amazing and have recovered all their lost feathers and plumped up nicely since moving to our place. Please help before my husband throws them in the stew pot!!
Hi Cynthia;
Tell your husband to be patient! The number of things that need to happen for an egg to be laid is surprising. The hens need to sense an increase in light….then the hypothallamus has to secrete hormones that stimulate the pituitary gland….this then stimulates the ovaries and uterus to enlarge and develop. After 2-3 weeks of development, the hormones that are made BY the ovaries cause the yolks to develop. Afer 5-7 days, the first yolk is dropped off the ovary, and starts to travel down the uterus….the next day it will be the first egg. Long story short, these things take time. Professional farmers start light stimulating pullets at 16 weeks of age, expecting the first egg at 19-21 weeks of age. Keep the daylength around 15 hours, feed a good balanced ration, and the eggs will come. The good news is that the hens will ALWAYS fit in the stew pot, so you husband has nothing to lose by waiting!
Mike
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What is the best method/solution to clean eggs with? Was told eggs should not sit in any solution for any length of time…thanks!
Hi Heather;
The best way to clean eggs is under running, cool water. Using some sandpaper to get the dirt off is also a good method, without getting the eggs wet at all. Egg shells are full of holes, called pores….they are plenty big enough for bacteria to get through. If you get the egg wet, and especially if the egg sits in water, bacteria have a chance to penetrate through the pores and get into the interior of the egg, where they can grow and multiply like wildfire. Detergents remove the protective cuticle that is on the outside of the egg, and the cuticle gives protection against bacteria, so that is not usually beneficial. Also, the temperature of the water is important….if you use hot water, you end up heating the egg, and it expands within the shell. Once it cools, it shrinks again, causing suction through the pores, and actively sucking bacteria through the shell.
Professional farmers used to be encouraged to wash eggs on the farm, but it is no longer done….only grading stations with specialized washing machines that can ensure water temperature and hygenic rinsing are allowed to wash the eggs…it is a big factor in food safety, and I’m glad you recognized it, and will deal with it appropriately.
Mike
HI Mike,
I can see that you really love chickens. Can you tell me what happens to male chicks born on most of the farms where eggs are produced? And do you have any suggestions for those who wish to raise laying hens on what to do with male chicks? Thanks!
Hi Indra;
Thanks for the interest in my blog, and the question. This is a subject that nobody wants to talk about. All male chicks that are hatched in laying hen hatcheries are euthanized shortly after hatching. It is done in a rapid and humane manner, but they are killed. I have little advice for people raising laying hens with respect to males. Most urban centers allow no roosters, which precludes their value as pets, and any person who is raising hens in a commercial manner cannot use commercial strains of roosters to make a profit….they grow too slowly to produce meat, and obviously, they will lay no eggs. A system could theoretically be imposed which would force farmers to grow roosters at a loss, in order to have laying hens, but this would be extremely difficult to manage.
There is research that is getting close to being available that will allow hatcheries to sort eggs by sex before the embryos are aware. This would allow the embryos to be euthanized before they are sentient, and this would be a huge step forward. The technology is not quite ready yet, but it is getting close. This is a project that I am involved in (very peripherally), and am hoping to use in our hatchery as a trial facility as soon as it is possible. Any practical and workable ideas with respect to use of roosters would be most welcome.
Mike