Did you know that prior to the 1930s there were no hybrid chickens?

As commercial farming has progressed hybrids became the necessity to keep up with demand in the shops and food processing factories. Hybrids chicken breeds started to become normal stock for Australian farms during the 1950s. But can you identify a hybrid from a pure breed?

Hybrid chickens are really a genetic modification, resulting from the crossing of two or more breeds for commercial value. However, the breeding techniques to create a hybrid is usually done at the expense of their health. Whereas traditional breeding is a selection process to get an overall healthy bird, hybrids are specifically chosen for their meat or egg output alone.

If hybrids are bred with hybrids, the genetic stock becomes weaker and more problematic with time. To ensure healthy hybrid stock, it is best to breed from the mix of pure breeds.

* POL = Point of Lay
** = equal positive and negative traits

Hybrid hens are technically endless so I cannot give you an exhaustive list.

On a personal note, as a farmer I recall we kept a Australorp x (possibly Leghorn) commercial breed of chickens for eggs, varying between the whites and blacks according to output and consumer fashions. Egg producing farmers are reliant on purchasing the chicks from a hatchery rather than breeding chicks from eggs on their own farms.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Chicken_hybrids

• Broiler (meat only bird)
  
• Cornish Game Bird
  
• Cream Legbar
  
• Daisy Belle
  
• Easter Egger
  
• ISA Brown
  
• Lohmann Brown
• Orpington
  
• Red Sex Link (aka Golden Comet)
  
• Black Sex Link

Hybrid chickens are purpose specific, which means that they are either bred for meat or egg production only, not for both. It is when they are kept in cages or deep litter sheds with no outdoor roaming that a hybrid hen's meat and egg quality suffers.

Today's faster growing hybrid poultry are higher in calories than ever before, with much higher levels of fat than protein.

If these hens are given a genuine free-range (field/yard roaming) lifestyle that includes sunlight and fresh grasses, their life expectancy and quality can be dramatically improved. Their natural instinct to scratch and peck for bugs, seeds and grasses increases their overall health, meat and egg quality. 

Buying organic free-range eggs and meat is truly far healthier for both you and the hens.

Hybrids are also known for moulting, becoming quite naturally bald in spots (which differs from baldness caused by lice and mites). Don't be put off by the moulting of the older hybrid hens as they can still be excellent layers for many years.

When I go chicken sitting I certainly notice that every yard is set up so differently from one to another. No two are exactly the same. They all suit their yard space and location. But sometimes I notice one thing missing that I think no chicken should ever do without. In fact its as important as their food and water!

A place for their chickens to have a dust bath.

I love the comment from one chicken owner in a forum who thought that her chicken was having a seizure the first time she ever saw her hen dust bathing. Its a natural behavioural instinct that all poultry have and they do it for two good reasons.


Health Benefits

A dust bath is a way for your hens to keep clean, as ironic as it sounds. The dust movement through their feathers helps them to dislodge any lice, mite and other parasites.

Dust bathing also helps them cool down during the summer as the cool earth rest against their skin to cool the blood and prevents over heating.

If your flock does not get access to a dust bath you may find that they become heavily infested with bugs and display behavioural problems. It really is imperative to their overall health and happiness.

You know how pigs love to wallow and elephants dust spray, so do all poultry. You may find more than one hen dust bathing at a time as its quite a social occasion for them. You may even notice that they peck at the ground around them during their bath, eating up any dislodged bugs. Nothing is wasted!

Chickens start dust bathing as soon as they start to develop feathers as young chicks.


Dusting versus Dust Bathing

Dusting is a little different to dust bathing. Dusting is usually in the form of a commercial powder such as Pestene or food-grade Diotomaceous Earth (DE) which is applied to the area around the vent (backside), under the wings and through the chest area to kill any bug infestations. Lice and mites are the most common and they do need to be regularly treated every season. Be particularly watchful during winter as the bugs are all looking for a warm body to snuggle up to.

Allow your poultry to continue their dust bathing after being dusted. This will ensure that the dead bugs will be removed as well as their eggs. They need to go hand in hand.


How to create a Dust Bath

If your hens are free range they may have already created their special spots for a dust bath by scratching an area of dirt until it becomes a dust. They tend to work at the spot daily until it becomes quite a dusty crater for their 'day spa'. Inevitably they create pot holes that make lawn mowing that little more tricky.

Deep litter is not ideal as a dust bath as they can kick manure through their feathers which may contain infectious materials which can cause the trouble rather than prevent it.

Hens keep their dust baths immaculately clean. They never leave any manure in their bathing area. Smart birds!

Chookies kept in a caged run will need a large tub that can fit up to 3 hens at any one time. Bury the tub into the ground slightly to hold it in place so that it is not easily tipped over if hens sit on the side.

Choose a nice dry spot that gets sun.

There are so many different dust bath 'recipes', but simply filling a tub with some loamy soil or wood ash that will reduce to fine dust is all that they really need.

Do not use potting mix or compost. No clumps or twigs.


Super Delux Day Spa Dust Bath Recipe

There are many things you can add to a dust bath tub that can benefit your flock as a little something special, such as mixing:

• Loamy Soil
  
• Food-Grade Diotomaceous Earth (DE) - go sparingly as it can be breathed in which may cause irritation.
  
• Wood Ash
  
• Sand
  
• Commercial Dusting Powder
  
• Dried Herbs
  

Dried Herbs

Wormwood, lavender, mint and rosemary are all natural insecticides. Add them to the dust bathing or nesting areas, where ever bugs are likely to be present. Herbs do not kills the insects but they will help to discourage them from the area.

Here are my free-range hens in the winter sun having their daily dust bath. Note that they peck the ground around them to eat any bugs they 'wash' out with the dust. Clever girls.

Male and female chickens have both a comb and wattle. The comb is located on top of the head, while the wattle dangles below.

What are they for?

We can tell an enormous amount about a chicken by their comb and wattle. They are essentially a way for the chicken to keep cool. They are red because of the circulation of the blood, so as the blood goes through the comb it is cooled by the air and thus keeps the chicken from over heating.

Some breeds are prone to frost bite on their combs during winter. This can appear as a dark discolouration which may be confused with more serious illnesses. Applying Vaseline to their comb during the colder months will give some protection against the frost.

Combs also indicate how old the chicken is and whether they are going start laying for the first time. Small, slightly pale combs indicate a juvenile pullet who is not ready for egg laying. The sign that they are coming into laying is when their comb develops a strong red colour and increases in size.

Roosters' combs grow larger and have more of a dangle of the wattle compared to hens. Their combs are also a signal to one another of sexual maturity and for attraction. Colour and size of combs and wattles may also determine the pecking order of the flock. When introducing new hens to the existing flock take note of how strongly red the combs become on the existing flock.

Combs and Health

Since the comb and wattle are supplied with a circulation of blood, they give us a very good indication as to the chickens' overall health. One of the first signs of illness is often detected in the wattle.

Signs to watch for include:

• Floppy
  
• Pale
  
• Dry
  
• Scabby
  
• Enlarged/Swollen
  
• Split
  
• Patchy spots
  

If any of this signs occur please contact your local vet immediately. Chickens can deteriorate at a rapid rate.

Check that your flock has access to clean water as this can also be a sign of hydration stress. Since their combs are primarily for cooling the body, the lack of hydration directly affects the blood circulation.

Wattles

The development of the wattle in colour and size is affected by the secretion of the sex hormones. Similar to the comb, when they grow and begin to have a floppiness to them this indicates that they are coming into their egg laying.

COMB STYLES

There are 7 general styles.
(There can be variation on these due to cross-breeding.)

1. Single
   
2. Pea
   
3. Strawberry
   
4. Cushion
   
5. Walnut
   
6. Buttercup
   
7. V-Shade
   
8. Rose
   

♦ Other comb styles include Carnation (or Kings) and Silkie which is a variation of Walnut, etc.


Breed Combs

Single is the most common variety in most backyard chickens throughout Australia: Isa Brown, Australop, Barnvelder, Leghorns.

♦ Carnation is a variation of the Single, where the back of the comb is more extended. It tends to be a Spanish variation.

Pea combs are a characteristic of the Araucanas, Ameraucanas, Aseels, Brahmas, Buckeyes, Cornish, Sumatras and Shamos.

Strawberry are found on Malay and Yokohama breeds.

Cushion comb is a characteristic of Chanteclers.

Walnut is a genetic result of breeding rose and pea comb breeds. Typically found on Silkies.

♦ Silkie is a variation of the Walnut, which is said to be a second type of Rose comb. Developed from breeding a Single with a Rose Comb. Found in some Silkies.

Buttercup is shaped like a crown which is typical of the Sicilian Buttercup breed.

V-shape is also known as 'V-comb', 'Horn comb' and 'Antler comb'. Typical of the Crevecoeurs, Houdans, La Flèche, Polish, and Sultans.

Rose combs are found on Dominiques, Hamburgs, Red Caps, Sebrights, and Wyandottes.
♦♦There are variation of the Rose found in Leghorns, Black and White Minorcas, Rhode Island Reds and Rhode Island Whites.

I receive a call almost once a week from chicken owners wanting to know where they can sell their unwanted hens and roosters. Unfortunately there is no farm or chicken shelter/sanctuary where they can retire to here in South Australia.

This doesn't mean that there aren't people who are more than willing to take these chickens from time to time. Its just that they are so far and few between that they really are gold when you find them. Its all about networking.

I have been in that same fix with a previous flock of Isa Brown and fluffy white Bantam hens who were no longer laying. Seven non-laying chickens with various health problems due to being rescued from a neighbour's property was a lot to sustain with no eggs in return.

I have managed to change my flock breeds over time as I have learnt which breeds suit me the best. But there is one common issue with all of the enquiries I have received...all of the enquires are about Isa Brown chickens. There is a theme going on here...

The Isa Brown breed I will explain in a lot more detail another day because there are so many issues with bringing this common backyard chook into our suburban backyards. If we are not prepared to eat our chickens then we do need to be prepared to sell them or give them away. Isa Browns are not ideal for cooking as they are quite lacking in any meat. Not the type that would ever make it the table as a roast (much to many people's relief).

STOPPED LAYING?

• If your chickens are daily laying (egg only) hens such as the Isa Browns and have dropped off laying in the cooler months of the year, this is normal and should not be interpreted as a hen who has ceased to lay. Come the warmer months they go back to their normal routine.
• Egg production in daily egg layers (e.g. Isa Browns) usually have a 2-2½ year laying period. They rarely lay after 2½ years.
• You can encourage your chickens to lay a little more by offering small amounts of Meal Worms and Live Culture Yoghurt twice a week.
• If your chicken is under 2 years of age and has ceased to lay then I strongly recommend that your local vet to check out their health as there may be other issues at play such as being Egg Bound.
• Do not expose your hens to a rooster in hope of using them as breeding hens in their retirement years.
  Firstly, the rooster will not help to encourage any more laying, and secondly, if eggs are fertilized the shell walls are far more brittle and porous which can result in a high chick mortality rate (no hatching).

TOP SELLING TIPS

• Try to sell them when they still lay but have dropped off significantly in their regularity.
• Do not sell sick or diseased hens.
• Make sure worming and dusting for lice, mites and flees are up-to-date.
• Roosters are often a 'give away'.
• Don't sell them during their moulting period. Presentation is important at point of sale.

WHERE TO SELL

• Facebook Groups
  A great place to start is with: Feathered Friends - Advice, Sales & Feedback in South Australia
  From there you will find many other breed and location specific groups
• Poultry & Livestock Auctions.
  These are the best option! These auctions occur once a month in many of the country towns. Contact local district councils for their dates and how to register your flock for sale. People who buy from these auctions are usually aware that the hens may nearing the end of their egg laying life and may just want them for their companionship and garden bug control.
• Do not sell old hens on the Gumtree website (if you get upset easily).
  This is a good site for new hens but not for the older ones. Many of my clients have received rude calls from their ad on Gumtree and have since pulled their adds. If you resolve to do it, Gumtree is still a good place to list chickens.
• Network and sell through online Australian Poultry forums.
  This is where your buyers are. Someone will know someone who may be willing to take your hens.
• Network through family and friends.
  You may have already tried this, but often they are the most likely to take them especially if they are located in a semi-rural community or have a larger than average house block.
• Other sources may include Agricultural colleges, Veterinarian schools and the RSPCA as a last resort. 

DO NOT DUMP UNWANTED CHICKENS ON SCHOOL AND KINDERGARTENS, PLEASE.


Make sure your hens are in the best of health before moving them on.

​They should have:

• Clean, smooth legs - no leg mites
• Bright wattle and comb
• Comb not flopped over (unless Meditteranian breed specific)
• Bright eyes
• No swellings of the abdomen beneath the vent
• No lice or mites
• No sneezing or discharge
• Clean bottom
• Not recently sick or on antibiotics
• Bright disposition - not hunch or unwilling to scratch and peck around
• No blood in their droppings

If your hens display any of these signs, they are unwell and should not be sold/given away at this point in time. Resolve their health issues before moving them from your property for good biosecurity.

WHAT TO DO IN THE FUTURE

I don't want anyone to give up on their desire to own chickens. There is nothing more satisfying that own hens who give back to us in three ways: eggs, manure, bug control and friendship.

• Don't choose the Isa Brown breed. Opt for a Black Australop, Banrvelder or Bantams as daily egg layers.
  
• Move away from daily egg laying hen breeds. Opt for (egg/meat) Light Sussex, Barred Plymouth Rock or Wynadottes.
  
• Choose the right breed for you.
  Will you eat them? Opt for an egg/meat breeds.
  Will you use them for breeding? Do this around one year of age.
  Are you willing to keep them for the long term and accept that one day they will die?
• How many do you need/want? Have more hens who lay less often. In turn they have a longer life.
• Get to know a really good Vet who deals with chickens - and use them at least once a year.
  Not all vets will treat chickens. Mobile vets tend to be the best by far. They can also see the conditions that your flock are living in to make a far better health assessment.
• Buy your poultry from a good breeder, rather than a fodder & stock store.
  Find breeders in your area of Australia via the BackYardPoultry Noticeboard.
  A 'good' breeder will take back any bad stock or accidental roosters.
  These breeders have the other poultry breeds that the fodder & stock stores don't stock.

PREPARING FOR NEW CHICKENS

If you are selling all or only part of your flock you still have a matter of house keeping, or coop keeping.

Before welcoming any new poultry onto your property you will need to give the coop a thorough clean-out to prevent any contamination from the previous flock. Lice, mites an fleas are the top nastiest. Worms in old chicken manure can also be a risk. It comes under the header of Bio-Security. There can be all sorts of diseases left behind.

Remember to isolate your new flock from any existing flock for the first fortnight. This is to ensure that your new hens are disease free and that you hens have a softer introduction to one another for the new pecking order.

If the prospect of a thorough coop clean seems a little too daunting or physically difficult for you, book me for your next Chicken Coop Cleaning. 

Janine