Poultry and Smallholding Articles

Fishy Taste and Smell in Eggs

What causes eggs to taste or smell of fish and how can it be avoided?

Read About: Fishy Taste and Smell in Eggs

Taking on a Smallholding

A guide to the steps required to run a successful smallholding for the beginner in four parts:

• Taking on a smallholding: Introduction
• Taking on a smallholding: The Land
• Taking on a smallholding: Bees & Livestock
• Taking on a smallholding: Poultry

Avian Influenza

Avian influenza is a type A influenza virus that is highly contagious to domestic and wild birds and has been known for over 100 years... more

Working in the Countryside

Small farmers are better suited to relationship marketing than are larger farms, whose sheer size requires selling food in an impersonal marketing system. This 10 part guide will help you

• Introduction
• The Home Office
• The Farm Shop
• Pick Your Own
• The Farm Park
• Bed and Breakfast
• Organic Production
• The Farmer's Market
• Rare Breeds Marketing
• Regulations

Dealing with Aggressive Poultry

Problems of aggression may be specifically related to cockerels but feather pecking is a habit that females may also indulge in 4 parts:

• Pecking Order
• Male Aggression (cockerels)
• Genetic Tendency to Aggression in Chickens
• Health & Condition

Noisy Cockerels

The scientific basis for cock crowing is that it’s part of the male’s territorial display. He’s declaring that this is his patch! ...more

Egg Shell Colour

The colour of eggshells is the result of pigments being deposited during egg formation within the oviduct. The type of pigment depends upon the breed and is genetically determined.

Egg Shell Colour & Egg Shell Colour by Breed Chart

Protecting the Poultry Flock

From the fox to rats and even two legged thieves, you need to protect your flock.

• Protecting the Poultry Flock - Foxes & Fences
• Protecting the Poultry Flock - Rats, Mice and Deterrents
• Protecting the Poultry Flock - Minks, Hawks and Two Legged Pests

Evaluating Good Layers

Evaluating good layers is to some extent a matter of experience, but once one has got into the habit of looking at and handling chickens, it is surprising how quickly the process is understood ...more.

• Evaluating Good Layers - Introduction to evaluating laying hens
• Evaluating Good Layers - Assessing individual birds

Surplus Eggs

As the season changes, they’re all at it. There’s a deluge of eggs that can’t possibly be used up by the average family. ...more

Problems with Eggs

Here is a round up of the main problems that can manifest with eggs...more.

Table Chickens

Rearing and management of chickens for the table. This series in six parts gives a good overview of rearing meat birds.

• Traditional Breeds
• Commercial Breeds
• Housing and Pasture
• Management
• Slaughter
• Further Information on Table Chickens

Rearing Chicks

The newly hatched chick is remarkably robust but care is needed to keep your chicks in good heart . This 6 part series shows you how

• Brooders
• The Broody Hen
• Heat Lamps for Rearing Chicks
• Feeding Chicks
• Problem Chicks
• Health of Chicks

Poultry Breeding

It's necessary to have good, fertile breeding stock, and to provide the best possible conditions for them. Having an accurate knowledge of the breeding cycle is a good place to start. Seven articles on Poultry Breeding.

• Effect of Light
• The System
• Mating
• Health and appearance
• Feeding Breeders
• Housing
• Breeding Crosses

Breeding Your Own Chicks

It does not matter how long one has been keeping and rearing chickens, the moment when a chick emerges from its shell is still a magical one.

• Introduction to Breeding Your Own Chicks
• Breeding Stock
• Suitable Eggs for Breeding Your Own Chicks
• Incubators What to Look For in Egg Incubators
• Egg Turning
• Ideal Temperatures for Incubating Eggs
• Humidity for Incubating Eggs
• Candling Eggs
• Pipping & Hatching Eggs
• Optimum Conditions for Incubation and Hatching
• Useful Items for Incubation and Hatching