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You might try Poulet Rouge. It is a French breed that some Francophobic Americans have renamed "Freedom Rangers". They are designed for free range conditions but are still fast maturing. They do require an additional four weeks over the Cornish/Rock crosses that are used by everyone else...

The "Freedom Rangers" are originally known as "Poulet Rouge" or "Label Rouge" and were developed in France as a meat bird that would be more mobile than the Cornish/Rock cross. They have been renamed "freedom rangers" in the US, presumably by the same folks who now eat "Freedom Fries" rather...

I have not seen the answer posted anywhere to this question. I understand that Blackhead disease can be transmitted from chickens to turkeys but no one has explained how the chicks can get it so your flock becomes infected in the first place. Since the Blackhead organism is a protoza as I...

Iv'e actually been to North Pole AK. It's a great place to get those Christmas supplies. I am in Northern Illinois where it gets cold but nothing like AK. I don't know that you can overwinter turkeys at all in that climate unless you bring them inside. They can tolerate below freezing...

If you live near a Farm & Fleet you can special order to get the turkey breeds you want or wait to take your chances on getting what comes in. I beleive they get theirs from Cackle. It's too late to special order for this year but they do get pullets in if you are not picky about the breeds.

Folks might want to try the hot oil radiators that you can get at home improvement stores. They look like miniature radiators and contain oil rather than water. They give off an even heat and don't get that hot if you keep them on the low setting, but are sufficient to take the edge off the...

I have asthma and allergies so I designed my coop to minimize my exposure to the inside. I have a foyer in the center of the coop where I keep the feed and it has flaps on either side so I can retrieve the eggs without going inside with the chickens. I did try food grade DE but stopped using...

I raise only heritage chickens. Most of the large breeds will do fine in the winter. There are a couple of breeds (Chantecler and Buckeye) were speficially bred to be cold tolerant. The comb is the main problem. You want a comb type that is close to the so it doesn't leave a lot of surface...

I have hawks too but I put up fishing tackle instead of netting. It is completely invisible. That's the idea. The hawks can't see it and when they try to swoop down they run into it and it freaks them out. I have had no loses so far and have had the chickens out in that run all year. Hawks...

The faux farm work is very theraputic, I think. The key is that you have to be in the position where you don't HAVE to do anything in particular so you can skip it if you don't feel up to it. It does reconnect you with the natural world which is where we all are programmed to be and, in that...

Again, if you read the opening sections of this Act, it is framed as a "nuisance" shield law. I believe that was the intention and it was not intended to preempt or trump any local zoning ordinances. Otherwise, everyone could have chickens or whatever they want in the middle of every city in...

I responded to this before. I am an attorney and former planning commissioner in Illinois. The Right to Farm Act in MI and other similar laws in other states are meant to prevent NUISANCE LAWSUITS against farms which OTHERWISE COMPLY WITH LOCAL ZONING LAWS. You can be in full compliance...

I clean out my coops twice a year. Once in late Fall and once in early Spring. The only drawback is that the Spring cleanout is a real mess as the poop all freezes during the winter and forms a layer on top of the litter, without being able to be mixed in by the chickens as everything is...

Thanks everyone. What this isn't telling me is how a new born chick could wind up with the disease so as to introduce it to a flock if the chick is purchased from a hatchery. I would expect that a protozoan would not be able to get inside of an egg. The egg is developed in the ovary and...

I have done the calculation on feed costs if you are feeding your birds certified organic feed. Based on WHOLESALE feed costs of $15/50 lb bag, that comes out to 30 cents/lb. According to the label on the bag, each hen should eat 1/4lb per day. In a week that would come out to 1.75lbs or...

The feed bags say that you should allow 1/4 pound per bird per day. As I use certified organic feed, I am very concerned about the cost. I find that I am feeding about a third of a pound a day due to wastage. They don't want to eat the small crumbles, which is half of the bag. I have tried to...

I have strung invisible fishing tackle back and forth at a nine foot height all across my chicken run and have not lost any chickens to hawks all year although there are definitely some around. When they try to swoop down and hit the line, it freaks them out as they can't see it and think there...

I have ducks and chickens. Although they are now separated, they were together for a time. I tried to feed the chickens chicken feed and the ducks duck feed but it didn't take long before they were each eating each other's feed so I don't think it makes any difference. In fact, as I am now...

I have Blacks and Slates myself. What kind of protection did you use? I have my turkey tractor covered with 2 inch by 1 inch wire fencing. Small critters like weasels would be able to get in but I am assuming that the turkeys are too large for them to handle. Raccoons would have to be...

I know there have been some posts on this but I didn't see anything recent that addressed this precise question. I have turkeys for the first time this year. They are confined in a turkey tractor and the chickens are in chicken tractors. I had thought it would be safe to have the chicken...