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I was going to add this to this post, but I realized I was just restating a lot of it in my own words with the occasional extra thought. But I still wanted to post this.
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I love birds dearly. I'm studying to become an ornithologist, and I would never own a parrot, or parakeet, or any other "exotic" bird. I simply do not have the means to provide everything a non-domesticated bird needs. Very few people do, unless they have the money, time, and space for an enclosure genuinely comparable to a zoo or wildlife center aviary.
These are wild animals. They have needs even the best zoos can't completely satisfy*. They are not domesticated. They are not built to live in people's homes. Birds, especially parrots, have intelligence comparable to people, and yet they are so different from us on such a basal level. They cannot live a good life any other way than the way they've evolved to.
*(Though they are still VERY well cared-for and captive populations are necessary to protect species from extinction. Without zoos we would be without so many more species on top of what we've already lost. That's not to mention just how far that exposure to these animals goes when it comes to stirring compassion and activism.)
They belong in their natural habitat with other members of their species. And if that can't be accomplished because of population and/or habitat loss, then at the very least in a high-quality zoo where they're treated like animals, not pets.
Chickens, doves, and other domesticated fowl are bred and built to thrive in captivity. If you want a pet bird(s), get something that's domesticated. It will actually live a fulfilling, happy life, instead of always feeling like something is deeply, deeply wrong with its life, but being unable to change it. Not to anthropomorphize TOO much, but I think a lot of us can empathize with that feeling in this modern era.
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I've kept chickens and would so love to do so again when I have a yard again. They're delightful, and the variety of breeds available is extremely fun. Personally I recommend ameraucanas -- they have cheek fluff/"beards", they're very cold-tolerant, and lay green and blue eggs :) And they don't need extra care like Polish, silkies, or other breeds with crazy feathers that get dirty easily.
And if you're totally unfamiliar with chickens, there are two sizes of most (if not all?) breeds: standard and bantam. Standards are the big ones you're likely familiar with, while bantams are maybe half or a third the size. So if you're pressed for space, get a flock of four or five bantam hens of your preferred breed and you're golden :)
Socialize them when they're chicks and they'll adore you when they're older. They have their own personalities, and they'll turn your kitchen scraps into eggs lol (just... double check before feeding them anything that it's safe for them). A mature hen can and will lay an egg a day when she's happy and healthy (no rooster needed), which is actually another reason to go for bantams instead. Smaller eggs (~1/2 the size of standard eggs) means their output is easier to keep up with. And if all else fails, you can sell the eggs too. Fresh, homegrown eggs have better color and flavor so there WILL be demand for them.
It is well-known that in mammals, male sex chromosomes are XY and female sex chromosomes are XX.
But in birds, it works the other way around. Male birds are ZZ and female birds are ZW. This means male offspring inherit sex-linked genes from both their parents and female offspring only inherit a sex-linked gene from their father.
Understanding sex chromosomes is crucial to understanding sex-linked genes in birds.
Bird tax!
ZZ: Blue Wheaten Ameraucana bantam male
ZW: Bantam Buckeye female (genetically black tailed red)
Can Ameraucana Bantams Make Good Pets? Unlock the Mystery of the Blue Ameraucana Rooster! Unlock the Mystery of Blue Ameraucana Hens! What Makes Blue Ameraucana Eggs Special? What Makes Blue Ameraucana Bantams Unique? What Makes Blue Ameraucana Large Fowl So Special? The Ameraucana Breeders Club is an association devoted to the breeding, exhibition and improvement of Ameraucana bantams and large fowl. The Ameraucana Breeders Club also encourages the exchange of relevant information. Members of the club are encouraged to breed their own birds and share their knowledge about the breed. https://backyardchickennews.com/can-ameraucana-bantams-make-good-pets/?feed_id=3447&_unique_id=65b0fc467a7b6
Want to Raise Chickens Near Town? Consider Quiet Chicken Breeds:
Chickens are easy and fun to keep as an alternate natural food source (meat and eggs), pest control, companionship, entertainment, fertilizer for a garden, source of income and bartering resource.
Chickens are inexpensive to initially purchase and raise. They are friendly, easy to manage and low maintenance. They reproduce quickly, don't need a lot of space and stay near the coop, and, pretty much take care of themselves.
Quiet Chickens: When you are raising chickens in your backyard in the suburbs or even in a small town, there is only one thing as important as egg quality when deciding what breed of chickens to raise – how much noise they make. Quiet chickens breeds do exist, and you do not have to sacrifice egg quality to raise them! If you do not want angry neighbors pounding on your door or stopping you in the driveway over the constant chatter of your beloved flock, invest in a breed known for its polite demeanor. Free-ranging breeds do not need “boredom busters” to keep the content, laying, and playing nice with one another. When allowed to roam at their leisure, the birds are both physically and mentally stimulated and simply don’t feel the need to carry on and make a bunch of racket. A free flock is also usually a healthier flock because they are adhering to their natural instincts and selecting big juicy bugs out of your yard to feast upon – and reducing your feed bill in the process. Noisy chickens in a run might have as much to do with the space and the environment as it does the breed. The general rule of thumb is the taller the coop and run, the happier (and quieter) the chickens will be.
Quiet Chickens – What Breeds to Choose in the Suburbs [Article 3]
Rhode Island Red (invest in heritage breeds instead of commercial breeds)
Orpington (come in various colors like Black, Blue, White, and Buff (tan) and 2 sizes, regular(Large) and bantam)
Java
Bantam ("Banties")
Wyandottes
Cochins
Brahmas (massive size, can grow to hit weights of up to 14 pounds)
Speckled Sussex
Australorps
Barred [Plymouth] Rock
Mottled Java (currently on the Livestock Conservancy listing as in danger)
Ameraucanas
Salmon Faverolles
Polish chicken
Leghorn
LESS ROOSTER CROWING: Silkies and Phoenixes
RESOURCES:
Storey's Guide to Raising Chickens by Gail Damerow on Amazon
The Chicken Encyclopedia by Gail Damerow on Amazon
One of the most popular misconceptions about chickens is that a Rooster is needed for chickens to lay eggs. Not so. Chickens will lay eggs without a Rooster. The only time a Rooster is needed is to expand the flock (baby chicks). Another misconception is that a nest is needed for a chicken to lay eggs; many chicken breeds (do your research) will lay eggs anywhere, anytime. So, unless you want to go egg hunting for your next omlet, keep them in a coop and penned in area.
Washed (commercial) vs Unwashed Eggs: Eggs are laid with a nearly invisible natural coating, called the "bloom" or sometimes the "cuticle", on the shell that is applied as the last step in the laying process. This coating is the first line of defense in keeping air and bacteria out of the egg. Since eggshells are porous, that natural barrier is removed if the eggs are washed as soon as they are collected. The bloom helps to keep bacteria from entering into the egg white through the shell. It also helps to keep the egg fresher longer by restricting the movement of air through the pores in the eggshell.
Generally, eggs should not be washed until they are ready to be used/eaten. Mildly "dirty" eggs can be wiped with a dry paper/cloth towel. Unwashed eggs last 7 times longer than washed/rinsed eggs. When washing, hold under warm running water [only]; they should never be soaked in a bowl or bucket of water. Washed eggs should be refrigerated promptly. Store bought eggs have been cleaned and the "bloom" has been removed, so they always need refrigeration after purchasing them. Rinse all eggs just before using them to remove any potential bacteria.
[Methods to Preserve (non-commercial) Eggs Long Term]
Encouragement: Raising livestock and cultivating a garden are great activities to become more self-sufficient, less reliant on commercial products and staying in touch with nature. If these activities are not for you, please consider supporting your local farmers instead of the grocery store.
[Reference Link]
[14-Point Emergency Preps Checklist]
[11-Cs Basic Emergency Kit]
[Learn to be More Self-Sufficient]
[The Ultimate Preparation]
When we think of animals in our lives, one of the last ones that I think about is the chicken even though we eat eggs and chicken weekly. So today, I’m going to enlighten you all on the breeds and differences in chickens.
I will describe to you, what chickens are best for laying eggs, which ones are best for meat purposes, the chickens that are best for eggs and meat, show poultry, and Bantam.
At the end of the article, you’ll see a list of chickens to have as a reference source.
Chicken Breeds - Type, List, Picture & Information
Meat Breeds
We have chicken breeds that are for meat. Many people are worried about hormones in our foods, therefore decided to raise their own food. If you want to follow their lead, these are the chickens to raise.
The Cornish Cross is preferred when picking a chicken for meat. They can be up to 12 pounds in 6-8 weeks. The Jersey Giant weigh up to 13 pounds, but they are slow growers who need a lot of food.
Bresse is a white chicken that is a fairly large chicken breed. With their bright blue feet, it's not hard to see this bird. They are expensive and popular. They can get up to 7 pounds. Orpington is the last meat chicken I’ll cover. They average 8 pounds and have tender meat.
Dual Purpose
The three best dual-purpose chickens include Black Australorp, its friendly, a great egg layer, and a great mother. They are protective of the flock. Speckled Sussex, which is beautiful and nice, protective as well.
Rhode Island red, great layer and meat, they get up to 8 pounds. There are many resources to find the best meat birds online, so you can pick your favorite chicken to raise and eat.
Exhibition/ Show Poultry
The poultry show is a small piece of a livestock show, which involves an exhibition and competition of the chickens. Chickens are trained for these shows and they are cleaned very well and given manicures too. The chicken breeders are highlighted at the shows as well. It’s a display of beautiful birds.
Related Article - Poultry Farming Guide and Information
Bantam
What are Bantam chicken breeds? They are a little smaller than other birds and they’re great for small backyards. They are very adorable birds.
They are little versions of Brahma chicken. They lay eggs as well, but they do not produce that many eggs per year. They don’t eat much though and their eggs are smaller, but they still taste the same.
Now that you know more about breeds of chickens, I’ll provide a list of the breeds of chickens that we have.
The A-Z of Chicken Breeds - Choosing the Perfect One
Japanese Bantam
Egg Laying:Fair (2/wk)Egg Color:Cream or tintedPrimary use:Exhibition /OrnamentalCold Hardy:NoTemperament:Hardy, Bit flighty
LEARN MORE
First #Hatch on our new #Homestead Nice to be #HatchingEggs again! Look at those Cheeks! #EasterEgger #OliveEgger #Ameraucana #SatinSilkie #OEGB #Bantam #Serama #TinyDinosaurs #GrowBigDreams #FamilyFarm (at Jacksonville, Florida) https://www.instagram.com/p/CEw6VTuASDJ/?igshid=gkd9t8jkgzq0
Wonky and Foster Friend came up to the porch to ask for some goodies, so I tossed them some pigeon food. They were quite offended when Duzen came over to snuffle out the peas, which are his favorite. Also, they're the cutest pair of chicken butts. As an extra, I got the pigeons a nice new winter home that should help keep them toasty (plus their old bed is in desperate need of a wash). Jolene's not so sure what she thinks yet. #cutiebirbs #chickenbut #cluckcluckladies #crazychickenlady #Wonky #FosterFriend #silkie #millefleurduccle #ameraucana #bantam #Jolene #StayAtHomeBirbMom #Duzen #StayAtHomeDogMom https://www.instagram.com/p/CWRTtYphwh8/?utm_medium=tumblr
The tale of Zealand AKA three sex-linked genes explained in one post
Now that you know of three of the four most common sex-linked chicken genes, let me tell you a tale...
At sunset one August night, a couple Dominique hens, an Australorp hen, and a Faverolles hen were plotting. They hatched a plan, hoping to hatch eggs. Sneaking into a chick delivery box with fake straw, seeming much like a nesting box, they layed their eggs. Zealand decided to take it under herself to hatch these chicks. Weeks passed by. Somehow, none of my family had noticed she was missing every night, we had just assumed she wasn't missing at all, because we saw her every day when she came out. For five days we were on vacation, and since we locked the coop while we were gone, Zealand had to forage for herself. Four days before the hatch of the eggs, I FINALLY noticed she didn't come in at night. It took two days of spying on her to discover where her nest was, because she would loiter for hours, almost making me think she didn't have a nest, but she kept puffing herself up like a broody. I candled her eggs, and they looked old, so I didn't think they would hatch. But they did, over the course of a week. My family got rid of most of the chicks, because of them being crossbred, but we kept a few, including one that had the down color of a quail d'Anver, since I wanted to study its parentage. It turned out to be Starling, one of the most beautiful hens on the farm.
Starling was rather special, because her parentage means she was a three-way sexlink.
Her father was a blue wheaten Ameraucana. Let's ignore the blue part though. He had slate shanks. This is his genotype, the parts that are relevant anyway: e^Wh/e^Whml+/ml+s+/s+b+/b+id+/id+
These are the three sexlinked genes he had: s+/s+ gold, b+/b+ non-barred, and id+/id+ dermal melanin.
Her mother was Zealand, a Dominique bantam. Her coloring was barred. She had yellow shanks. Here is her genotype:
E/EMl/MlS/-B/-Id/-
These are the three sex-linked genes she had S/- silver, B/- barred, and Id/- dermal melanin inhibitor.
Now here is Starling.
Her genotype was E/e^WhMl/ml+s+/-b+/-id+/-
She inherited her three sexlinked genes from her father: s+/- gold, b+/- non-barred, and id+/- dermal melanin.
She also inherited a Ml Melanotic allele and an E allele from her mother, which interacted with the id+ gene to give her a dark purpley colored face and deep brown eyes.
Now, if she had a hypothetical brother, he would look very different.
He would be: E/e^WhMl/ml+S/s+B/b+Id/id+
He inherits three recessive sexlink alleles from his father and the three dominant sexlink alleles from his mother.
His sexlinked genes are silver/gold (appearing silver as a chick and yellowish as an adult) S/s+, barred B/b+, and dermal inhibitor Id/id+
Since his mother is the one with the dominant genes, you get sex-links!
However, if you crossed a Dominque male with a wheaten Ameraucana female, you wouldn't get sexlinks!
Both offspring would recieve the dominant sexlinked alleles from their father so they would both have white shanks, red combs, orange eyes, one copy of barring, and silver. The only difference would be that the males would recieve a copy of gold from their mothers so they would have a yellowish cast.
It is really a reasonably recent addition to the chicken breeds creating its’debut in the 1970s. It features a staunch band of breeders and supporters in that state and many others and is slowly getting more persons that are becoming devoted followers. The annals of the Bantam Ameraucana Chicks is really a bit complicated once we shall see. In this information we will examine the Ameraucana’s…
Can Small Backyard Chickens Make a Difference? Why Ameraucana Hens Make Great Pets? What Makes Salmon Faverolles Unique? Why Bantam Barred Rocks Make a Great Choice for Your Backyard Flock? Unlock the Fun of Keeping Welsummers! Can Plymouth Rocks Create New Breeds of Chickens? What Feeds Small Backyard Chickens? If you want small backyard chickens, you have a few options. Ameraucana hens are docile and fun, and if you want a chicken that doesn't require much care, Bantam Barred Rocks make a good all-rounder. You can also look into the fun and friendly Welsummers. https://backyardchickennews.com/can-small-backyard-chickens-make-a-difference/?feed_id=3423&_unique_id=65ae5a2845111