Arizona Chickens

[Bobby Basham]

@meetthebubus what do you think chicken owners do wrong, or are most misinformed about? This was a good topic for a conversation

I'm not qualified to answer that question with any specifics even though I grew up on a farm back in the 60's and we had dozens of chickens and a large coop, and I spent a lot of time with them. They were just fascinating critters.

Just an educated guess of boiling it down to those being misinformed and uninformed, plus failure to provide the essentials would fall under neglect, and it's anyone's guess as to where that can lead.

Oops, the question wasn't directed at me.

 

[SonoranChick]

I'm not qualified to answer that question with any specifics even though I grew up on a farm back in the 60's and we had dozens of chickens and a large coop, and I spent a lot of time with them. They were just fascinating critters.

Just an educated guess of boiling it down to those being misinformed and uninformed, plus failure to provide the essentials would fall under neglect, and it's anyone's guess as to where that can lead.

Oops, the question wasn't directed at me.

No worries, your answer is great. I agree with your idea of those who are misinformed, and those who are uninformed.

 

[meetthebubus]

@meetthebubus what do you think chicken owners do wrong, or are most misinformed about? This was a good topic for a conversation

All these answers are great and I agree with them all so far

My thing is when I read a blog on the internet about a year ago, this lady says if her egg count is low she'll cage her hens individually and if no egg in 3 days she'll cull her.
That made no sense to me by hens can go through resting stages and when they are done they can bloom again and give you tons of eggs
The same idea was a reality show where the owner just guessed which hen wasn't productive and culled her and there were three eggs in her system in different stages so it wasn't her and so...

I just felt that these hens should be treated kinder that they should educate themselves more so the poor hen can do what she does...

 

[SonoranChick]

Cage and cull after 3 days without eggs?! How impractical and silly! There is just so much misinformation out there when it comes to raising chickens, it's wild. It makes me more appreciative to have this site, and you guys to talk to about things. I totally get that it can be a learning process (I'm definitely still learning along the way) but why do people throw out common sense when it comes to chickens sometimes.

 

[DesertChic]

All these answers are great and I agree with them all so far

My thing is when I read a blog on the internet about a year ago, this lady says if her egg count is low she'll cage her hens individually and if no egg in 3 days she'll cull her.
That made no sense to me by hens can go through resting stages and when they are done they can bloom again and give you tons of eggs
The same idea was a reality show where the owner just guessed which hen wasn't productive and culled her and there were three eggs in her system in different stages so it wasn't her and so...

I just felt that these hens should be treated kinder that they should educate themselves more so the poor hen can do what she does...

With all due respect, I think you're confusing those who keep their birds as much as pets with those who breed for production. They're two totally different mentalities, and what you described is actually very typical of those breeding for production and/or for breed improvement. Old-time poultry keepers held a completely separate set of standards and ideals for poultry keeping than people nowadays do. If you've never read the poultry literature written in the early 1900s you should give it a try as it's very informative...and talk with some of the "old-timers" of the poultry world and the dedicated breeders. They have very strict standards for which birds to cull and which to retain, and they have been invaluable for breed improvement and preservation.

I was fortunate enough to have an online mentor on the Breeding for Production thread for over a year before he died. He taught me SO much about being practical versus sentimental. Granted, I'm still too sentimental by nature to cull as severely as I know I should, but at least I'm able to recognize and predict where many problems may occur and which birds will ultimately prove to be less productive. I've only encountered a handful of poultry keepers who still possess that essential mentality. They're a dying breed, especially in lieu of a growing belief that anyone who actually butchers their poultry for meat is cruel and inhuman. I've been called that more times than I can count.

 

[Bobby Basham]

With all due respect, I think you're confusing those who keep their birds as much as pets with those who breed for production. They're two totally different mentalities, and what you described is actually very typical of those breeding for production and/or for breed improvement. Old-time poultry keepers held a completely separate set of standards and ideals for poultry keeping than people nowadays do. If you've never read the poultry literature written in the early 1900s you should give it a try as it's very informative...and talk with some of the "old-timers" of the poultry world and the dedicated breeders. They have very strict standards for which birds to cull and which to retain, and they have been invaluable for breed improvement and preservation.

I was fortunate enough to have an online mentor on the Breeding for Production thread for over a year before he died. He taught me SO much about being practical versus sentimental. Granted, I'm still too sentimental by nature to cull as severely as I know I should, but at least I'm able to recognize and predict where many problems may occur and which birds will ultimately prove to be less productive. I've only encountered a handful of poultry keepers who still possess that essential mentality. They're a dying breed, especially in lieu of a growing belief that anyone who actually butchers their poultry for meat is cruel and inhuman. I've been called that more times than I can count.

I agree completely, and I think in my original answer was that those raised for production are held to a different standard than those raised for pets and sheer enjoyment.

You are absolute correct. Maybe the original question was too broad in general. Chickens raised by Tyson are a completely different ballgame than that small flock raised by Aunt Hattie in her back yard.

 

[SonoranChick]

@DesertChic I absolutely don't think anyone who butchers their poultry for meat is cruel or inhumane. I respect it and think it's a very commendable way to consume meat. It's not for me, but I am so sorry that anyone ever scoffed at you for this. Thank you for bringing up the difference between production and sentiment...not all chickens are raised as pets.

 

[meetthebubus]

@DesertChic well the blogger wasn't some big time producer or even small timer, bc if you cull, imo, after only 3 days of non laying you can be missing out on many eggs, like any of my girls they rested for a couple weeks or more not during molt, and they came back to laying daily eggs, so if I was to adopt that philosophy even as a person who sells eggs even privately, or whatever, if I was to use that philosophy then I would of missed out on a lot of eggs still, which is a waste, imo, for anyone needing those eggs. Also I did put in a disclaimer in my original topic question, as these opinions wouldn't apply to every chicken owner. Thanks for sharing that though I was just expressing my personal view on that specific method I don't think it's logical bc the hen could still be productive

 

[BlueBaby]

Not only that, but hen's will usually take a break from laying when they are going broody also. So if that woman's hen didn't lay an egg for 3 days, maybe that could be why?

 

[igorsMistress]

Went to let the girls out this morning and they were all singing with the newbie in the nest box. I love the egg song, it always makes me smile
Hope everyone has a great day!