Creating a Patriotic Chicken Flock

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1 Creating a Patriotic Chicken Flock Do you like a patriotic chicken flock. You may just like the color scheme of red, white and blue. I like to do holiday photos of my chickens for the blog. In the summer I like to have a patriotic flock. I decorate the coop with American flags, and plant red, white and blue flowering plants. Now this doesn t mean that I get rid of the red white and blue chickens or the flowers after the photo op is over! It just gives me some special girls to choose for photos, when Memorial Day arrives, followed closely by the 4th of July.

2 What Breeds are Red, White and Blue Here s a listing of breeds that could fill this need for you. Maybe you buy for a certain look, or prefer a variety. Most of these breeds are widely available whether you want a patriotic flock or one more naturally camouflaged. If this is something that appeals to you, too, order your chicks in early Spring, so they have some feather growth before the summer holidays come around. Just keep in mind that chickens are a long term responsibility. Plan on taking good care of your patriotic chicken flock for seven to ten years. If you want your chickens to be fully feathered before the summer red, white and blue holidays, early Spring is the time to begin raising a patriotic chicken flock. Choosing Breeds for a Patriotic Chicken Flock

3 Red Chicken Breeds Rhode Island Red New Hampshire Production Red Red Sex Link Cinnamon Queen (a variety of production red )

4 White Chicken Breeds Delaware Light Brahma White Rock White Leghorn California White White Ameraucanas

5 And Your Blue Chicken Breeds Delaware Blue Iowa Blue (nearing extinct status) Blue Laced Andulasians Lavender Orpingtons (they are really a greyish not really purple) Blue Copper Marans Blue Polish Blue Cochins Don t forget to throw in a few golden chickens for the stars.

6 Buff Orpingtons Buff Brahmas Golden Comets Gold Stars Now that you have your patriotic chicken flock set up, you can add plants and flags to the run and have the best patriotic coop in town. Good Holiday Safety Reminders Remember, fireworks can startle your pets and livestock. Have your furry and feathered critters locked up secure before dark so they don t fly away or run off during fireworks. Summer means hot weather for many of us. Keep the water cool by frequently changing it out and refilling. A shallow pan of water for the chickens to stand in will help them cool down too. What Picnic Foods are Ok for the Flock? Some traditional picnic food is good for your flock, too. Watermelon is a big favorite. Save the corn cobs for the chickens too. Leftover green salad is a good treat too, and some tomatoes are fine as long as no tomato leaves or plants are tossed in too. Other typical summer salads such as mayonnaise based macaroni salad might upset their digestion. I don t feed our chickens potatoes, so a potato salad would not be fed to our flock. A vinegar based pasta salad in moderation should involved. be ok but make sure there is no avocado A good rule of thumb with kitchen table scraps is moderation. The flock members will love the treat but its not good to overload them with richly prepared people food either.

7 Note I would never recommend getting chickens or any animal for frivolous reasons. If you would like to own Red, White or Blue chickens or gray and brown chickens, remember that they will require care for up to ten years. This includes daily care, food, shelter and water. Please care for animals responsibly. I wrote this as a change of pace from my usual posts. I hope you found some entertainment in it and some useful information regarding holiday celebrations and your chicken flock. Thanks for reading! If you like what you read, please consider pinning this image to your Pinterest account Thanks!

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9 Quiet Chickens What Breeds to Choose in the Suburbs Are Chickens Noisy? What Breeds to Choose for Happy Neighbors. Many suburban and city neighborhoods have voted to allow residents to keep a few chickens in the backyard. Are there quiet chickens that won t disturb the neighbors? This was a recent question posed to me by a resident trying to get her town to allow chicken keeping. Generally speaking, I don t find chickens noisy. Yes, roosters will crow, but most urban

10 cities and suburban towns prohibit roosters, so that is not the concern. Hens will be more quiet than most dogs, as they go about their daily scratching and pecking. The hen who is about to lay an egg or who has just accomplished her daily work, will cackle loudly. It s as if the hen feels obliged to announce her good deed for all to hear. But it isn t as loud as a rooster and the cackle ends quickly. Other than that and an occasional tiff between two want to be alpha hens, noise should not be a prohibiting factor. Which Breeds are the Quiet Chickens?

11 Speckled Sussex Even among hens, some breeds tend to be more settled and less flighty than other chicken breeds. When looking for quiet chickens the first breed often named is the Buff Orpington. Buff Orpingtons rate high on many of the factors people are looking for in backyard poultry. They are quiet, docile, friendly and fluffy birds. Orpingtons often seek out their human caregivers by asking to be picked up with a submissive squat. They rarely become the mean girl in the bunch, and spend their days happily doing chicken stuff. Other breeds often mentioned when seeking quiet chickens for the urban setting are Australorps, Wyandottes, Brahmas, Cochins, Barred Rock, Mottled Java (a breed currently on the Livestock Conservancy listing as in danger) Ameraucanas, and Rhode Island Red. My personal favorite docile, quiet chickens have been the Orpingtons, Speckled Sussex, Brahmas and Wyandottes.

12 When receiving input on this topic from other chicken owners, quite a few stated that their Easter Egger hens were the loudest ones they owned. What is Normal Behavior Even for Quiet Chickens Left Silver Laced Wyandotte, light Brahma behind her, Middle Buff Orpington with Australorp behind her. Right, Rhode Island Red In a flock without a rooster, it is common for one of the hens to assume the leadership of the flock. She may call the other chickens when treats are being given, or when danger is lurking. While not as loud and disturbing as a rooster crowing, the caution clucking is louder than normal activity clucking. This can be a warning to the chicken owner, as well, that something is wrong in the yard. Another good resource for new or aspiring chicken owner is the local farm store where you might choose to purchase chicks. The staff or owner should be knowledgeable about which breeds

13 would be a good choice for you. If you order from a mail order hatchery, I have found the staff and personnel to be very helpful and informative, too. Don t hesitate to ask questions and get prepared before you bring home the chicks. Having the brooder and the accessories set up before hand will start all new chicken owners off on the right foot.

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