Small Flock

Hatching eggs at home can be a rewarding way to increase the size of your flock, while teaching family and friends about embryology. While chicken eggs are the most common eggs to hatch, eggs from other species can be incubated as well. As always, before starting a hatching project, make sure you have everything in place to take care of the chicks when they hatch and that you comply with all state and local laws. Authors: Jonathan Moyle, Maegan Perdue, Dr. Tom Tabler, Dr. Shawna Weimer, and Jennifer Rhodes; Title: Hatching Eggs at Home (FS-1114)

As a prey species, chickens are stoic and typically suppress signs of weakness, including when they are sick. It is difficult to detect sick chickens because they rarely show signs of illness before it becomes severe. Chickens also instinctually hide sickness behavior in the presence of a perceived threat, such as humans, because such behavior tells predators that the ill chicken may be an easy meal (Figure 1; Tizard, 2008). While sickness is mainly associated with pathogenic disease, sickness behavior can also result from injury, nutrient deficiency, and environmental stressors, such as thermal stress. Authors: Ashlyn Snyder, Dr. Jon Moyle, and Dr.Shawna Weimer; Title: Sickness Behavior in Chickens (FS-1178)

Chickens of all types use vocalizations to communicate with each other and express their needs. We can gain insight into chicken health, behavior, and overall welfare by understanding how and why chickens vocalize. Authors: Zoie McMillian and Shawna Weimer; Title: Relationships Between Chicken Vocalizations and Health, Behavior, and Welfare (FS-1177)

As winter approaches, it is important to make sure that equipment and housing are ready well in advance for your small poultry flock. By starting winter preparations early, there will be plenty of time to fix any problems before the cold sets in. Authors: Dr. Jonathan Moyle, Maegan Perdue, Emily Lhaman, and Dr. Jennifer Timmons; Title: Winter Weather and Small Flocks: What You Need to Know (FS-1133)

Owning a flock of chickens can be a rewarding and educational hobby as well as a source of fresh eggs. While more often a problem for small and backyard flocks, predators can cause damage and loss of birds on farms of all sizes. This damage can range from an occasional bird loss to many birds nightly until the problem is fixed. Authors: Dr. Jon Moyle, Maegan Purdue, Dr. Tom Tabler, Jennifer Rhodes, and Paul Goeringer; Title: Identifying and Preventing Poultry Predators in the Mid-Atlantic Region (FS-1132)