• Created on 1/10/12 by BYC Project Manager

Cats   General Information and Description   Domestic cats (Felis Catus or Felus Silvestris Catus) are one of the most popular house pets in the world. Cats are carnivores belonging to the Felids or Felidae family, which also includes tigers, lions, jaguars, leopards and cheetahs. Cats are similar in anatomy to the other felids with strong, flexible bodies, sharp, retractable claws and sharp teeth, adapted to killing small prey. These loveable and gentle creatures are popular pets, mainly because of their easy companionship, but they have instinctive predatory... read more

• Created on 1/10/12 by support

  Bumblefoot surgery - with pics and "how to" Graphic but Informative Pics - By Ruth   Unfortunately, I have had to do my share of bumblefoot surgeries.  I'm often replying on others' threads that seek help and advice so yesterday while performing yet another "procedure" I thought I would document and post pics and step-by-step info: Here's what the foot looked like from the top - notice the swelling: From the bottom: After cleaning the foot - notice the trademark, ever present, black scab: To operate on the foot, lay... read more

• Created on 1/10/12 by support

  Avian Pox (text courtesy of Mississippi State University, photos by BYC)   Avian pox is a relatively slow-spreading viral disease in birds, characterized by wart-like nodules on the skin and diphtheritic necrotic membranes lining the mouth and upper respiratory system. It has been present in birds since the earliest history. Mortality is not usually significant unless the respiratory involvement is marked. The disease may occur in any age of bird, at any time. Avian pox is caused by a virus of which there are at least three different strains or types; fowl pox... read more

• Created on 1/10/12 by BYC Project Manager

General Information   Ask any farm or poultry breeder and he will tell you, without hesitation, that dogs and chickens don’t naturally mix. Unless trained to recognize the chickens in a barn, dogs are generally considered predators.   Dogs, whether domestic or feral, descended from gray wolves nearly 15,000 years back and are part of the Canidae family of mammals in the order Carnivora. They have about the same instinctive predatory traits of a fox, wolf, and raccoon. Dogs come in various breeds and sub-species with varying sizes, attributes and abilities.... read more

• Created on 1/10/12 by BYC Project Manager

  This section provides information about diseases specific to poultry. BYC makes no guarantee as to the validity or effectiveness of any information presented here.   DISEASES     Avian Pox   Bumblefoot Surgery Impacted Crop               Marek's Disease   Vaccinating for Marek's... read more

• Created on 1/10/12 by BYC Project Manager

  Gold Wyandotte Hatching   Related Pages: Candling page Hatching Eggs Tutorial   Remember this guy from day 8 on the candling page? Well, here's how it all turned out on day 23.   Pipped a nice section Another angle   Now it starts to really push   It gets a wing out   And finally the head unfolds - whew   Rock 'n roll around the incubator (still attached to the yolk here)   Dry off a bit, then into the brooder for a nap   Dry and fluffy now, time to start exploring   You may want to visit... read more

• Created on 1/10/12 by BYC Project Manager

  Candling Eggs Found an old can light in the garage. I bought a flourescent bulb for it, since they don't make much heat. Cut a hole in cardboard so the eggs would set slightly in it. I made two of these, one for the smaller bantam eggs. Here it is with an egg on it. Here it is with an egg on it -- lit up!   How to candle To candle, darken the room. Eggs can be out of the incubator (or away from a broody hen) for up to 20-30 minutes before starting... read more

• Created on 1/10/12 by BYC Project Manager

  General Information   Mice are mammals that belong to the order of rodents. They are small animals with pointed snouts, small rounded ears, short legs and and a long naked, or almost naked, hairless tail. There are about 30 species scattered through various regions of the world. They are considered one of the great survivors on the planet and can adapt to almost any environment. These rodents are herbivores by nature and would normally consume grain or fruit, but due to the rise of urban development, they have learned to eat almost anything. Though generally... read more

• Created on 1/10/12 by Nifty-Chicken

History of the BackYard Chickens website Back in 1999 a few baby chicks were brought home from a kindergarten class. Similar to the experience of hundreds of thousands of other children and their families, what started out as a fun project turned into a hobby and then into an obsession!  BackYardChickens is the result of years of collective learning and fun rolled up into the best resource for raising your own backyard flock.   Over the past few years there has been a resurgence in people who want to be more “green”, more self-sufficient, and take part in the... read more

• Created on 1/10/12 by BYC Project Manager

    Chicken nesting boxes come in a variety of shapes and sizes. The basic idea is to have a dry, clean and relatively dark area where your hens can lay their eggs. Here are some of the basics for a good nesting box:   One nesting box for every 2-4 hens. Size: Nest boxes should be big enough for your hen to stand in comfortably. Usually 12 x 12 x 12 inches is adequate, but building bigger is usually a good idea. Nesting material: Many people use either wood shavings (pine usually) or straw. We personally suggest dry wood shavings over... read more