Chicken myths and old wives' tales, please!

[DianeS]

Now that I have chickens, I'm hearing my share of people's preconceptions about chickens. Like:

How can your hens be laying eggs? You're not allowed to have a rooster here.
Chickens?!?! But they're so dirty and smelly!
How do you get rid of the poop? You know its full of bacteria and you can't put it on your garden or in your compost.
I'd never buy eggs from a farm, I'm too worried about salmonella.

And so on...

So what myths and preconceptions and old wives' tales do YOU hear? I'd like to see a whole list to know my friends aren't the only ones who know nothing about chickens...

 

[sourland]

Beekissed, I too must ask. Why did you take a rooster to church?

 

[A.T. Hagan]

Quote:
The corn will only add fat if you're feeding too much of it. Most chicken feed is corn based already, but it's blended in the appropriate amounts with the other ingredients so that the bird gets the right amounts of protein, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, and minerals. If you're feeding a typical 16% or thereabouts layer ration there is no need for anything else. If you just have to feed scratch, treats, etc. do so in small amounts per bird per day.

But if you're feeding higher protein feeds you can safely feed larger amounts of whole grains (scratch) because the feeds are balanced for it. I feed a 20% protein general purpose poultry feed and hang a tube feeder of grain comprised mostly of whole corn alongside it. The birds typically eat about 60% whole grain and 40% high protein ration and do well.

ANY grain can make your birds fat if you feed too much of it. Feed in the appropriate amounts though and they'll do fine.

 

[greenshade]

Quote:
A "Come to Jesus Meeting" for a bad bird?

 

[sourland]

Yazzo, a "warning call"? Surely you jest. How did you reach such a conclusion?

 

[sourland]

Yazzo, what is your source for this theory?

 

[sourland]

Don't fall down in the broiler house. Happens all the time in the broiler houses down in Maryland. It's the special ingredient that gives Perdue chickens their flavor.

 

[txcarl1258]

An old Wive's tale that my Mom swears by is how to sex chicks. If you hand them up side down a pullet will stay hanging and a roo with try to fly back up. I only tried this once and much to my dismay she was right! I got 4 pullets from a St. Run bin. I am still not convinced, but she gave me the "I told you so look!"

 

[Beekissed]

You don't need a list to know that!!

Whole lotta....well.....let's call them "uninformed" ~to keep it nice~folks out there. Sad when one comes to think of it. I took a rooster to church the other day and a little boy there thought it was a turkey!! What has America come to when a child no longer recognizes a common barnyard animal?

 

[Duramaxgirl]

Just recently my sister in law told me that she though all chickens that had wattles where roosters, and the hens didn't have them!

I was polite and said 'no all chickens have wattles'. Its not an old wives tale but it was funny!