Backyard Pen

Bronze Turkey : Famous turkey that has grown two times

2012-02-10T19:52:00.000-08:00

All of Turkey breed have been domesticated from wild turkey in America. Some Europe trader brought turkey to Europe. One of famous domesticated turkey is Bronze Turkey that has two types’ i.e. standard and Giant.

As guest its name, the Bronze has bronze plumage. The edge of tail feather color is white strips. The breast color is shinny black bronze. In my opinion, it is a most beautiful turkey.
The feather is not different to the wild turkey. However the domestication makes the bird fatter than the wild turkey. People loves broad breast so they just raise broad breast. The breeder also improves the meat quality and the growth. They want to produce the fast grow turkey.
The breeder cross the wild turkey to domesticated European turkey. They do it in order to get the heavier turkey than the wild turkey and the tamer turkey than the wild. The Bronze cannot mate naturally but the breeder should use artificial insemination. The breeder take the sperm and inject to the hen’s cloaca.
Photo by : luagh 45
Read Also : White Holland Turkey
Guinea Fowl
How to raise Poult
Javanese Peacock
Maleo Bird : Celebes Endemic Bird

White Holland Turkey : The White Turkey From Netherlands

2012-02-07T17:59:00.000-08:00

It is a rare turkey breed which has snowy white plumage. I have seen a white Holland turkey hit George Bush Junior in a photo. The White Holland looks funny.
The white plumage is uncommon plumage color. The mutation occurs at the turkey plumage as the chicken also occurs too.
As guess its name, the turkey was domesticated at Holland or Netherlands. The United States imported the turkey at 18th century. The White has been accepted for the Turkey breed at 1874. Today, the white turkey is everywhere.

The helmet color of the turkey is blue and red. It has red blood wattle and there is beard below the wattles. It has horn colored beak. Shanks and toes are pinkish white. Like common chicken, it has four toes. The bird has dark brown color eye but small white Holland has beautiful blue color eye. The blue is recessive gene so we difficulty see blue eye white Holland.
It is a heavy turkey, weighing up to 36 pounds and the female weighs 20 pounds. The size is lighter than the Bronze but people like it. Perhaps people do not like cook bigger turkey. The farmer loves to raise the white turkey. Some commercial farm raises the white at their flocks because the demand to the white is so high.
The turkey is also good for backyard. They can eat some grass, weed, or insect at there.
Photo by: jessicacareeder

How to Raise Poult
Guinea Fowl
How to Raise Guinea Fowl
Naked Neck Chicken
How to Feed Quail

Japanese Bantam : Japanese Aristocrat Pet

2012-01-31T07:46:00.000-08:00

Among of all bantam, Japanese Bantam may the most famous Bantam in South East Asia country such Indonesia and Malaysia. A Malaysia Bantam Breeder use the Japanese Bantam to produce the famous Serama Bantam. The Japanese heridate the short leg to Serama.
Some article said that the Japanese origin is Bantam (Banten Province, Indonesia). The Dutch trader introduced the Bantam to the Japanese aristocrat. In Shogun era, only aristocrat Japanese raise the chicken. After the modern era, any people can raise the chicken.
Japanese people also call it Chaebo. Since Japanese cannot pronounce “L" letter the chicken names may Chaebol or Cebol which means "Dwarf". Indonesian people said Cebol for everything that short including people.

A Pair of Black Tail White Chaebo

Since the Chaebo origin is Javanese, I believe the ancestor of the chicken is Red Jungle Fowl (Gallus Gallus).
However, Japan have been success to produce Japanese chicken that is more beautiful than its ancestors. The Indonesian Hobbyist also imported the Chaebo from Japan. We Called it "Katai Jepun". "Katai" is Malay for "Bantam" and "Jepun" is Malay for "Japan".
Japanese Bantam is available in various color such as white, black tail white, black tail buff, buff, and spotted. The white color is most common Japanese. All feather color is white. It is not recommended for lazy people who do not care to the chicken. The black tail white has almost white feather in color except the tail. The black tail is black bug in color. The Black tail Buff is also has black bug tail and buff color majority. The spotted is black with white small spot at the chicken.
The chicken has wide single comb above its head. The beak is medium in size. The legs is white in color and has no feather.
Japanese go broody so it can hatch it own eggs or other bantam eggs. The chicken is also friendly with other people. That is why people like it very much.
Raising the bantam in your backyard is good to or you can raise it at pen. Due its small size, you do not need a large pen for it.
People raise Chaebo for ornamental only. We cannot eat this tiny chicken that weighs only 510 gram to 610 grams. The eggs is also small like other bantam.
The hen may go broody and good sitter but it bring the lethal gen. A quarter of chicken eggs are lethal means it dies before hatching. Around quarter of Chaebo descendent has longer legs. Do not surprised when you got your bantam chicken is higher than the parent. The Chaebo hen hatch 50% of "normal bantam" which has short leg.
Read Also:
Serama Bantam
Cochin Bantam
Dutch Bantam
Booted Bantam
Sebright Bantam

Asiatic Chicken Breed

2012-01-24T15:43:00.000-08:00

In Asian Continental, there are some chicken breed. Some chicken have big body and some others have beautiful feather. Some Breeder have used the Asiatic chicken to develop the best breed that has more meat. Here are the Asiatic chicken breed:

Aseels is an Indian chicken breed. This chicken has meaty carcass but the growth is slow; therefore, this bird is not suitable for meat production. The hen lays brown eggs like other Asiatic breed. It has a full breast. It has short and widely spaced shanks. The chicken looks very strong. This chicken is very aggressive to other chicken. The body is slim so it can move fast. It weighs only 6 pounds.

Sumatra is an Asiatic chicken breed from Indonesia. It has slim body which weighs is only 5-6 pounds. This is a descendant of red jungle fowl. It is red partridge in color like its ancestor. The hen lays few light brown eggs. In United States, the breeder developed Sumatra game bird from Sumatra. It is greenish-black plumage in color. Unlike the ancestors, the hen lays white eggs. This is only Asiatic breed whose has white eggs. The Black also has multiple spurs.

Malay is a chicken that has been developed in Malaysia. This chicken is for exhibition only. The breed produces few meats and eggs. The hen lays only 70 eggs in a year. The chicken has big head compared to its body and has a large skull with a cruel expression. Malay chicken is also called Sigun.

Brahma is an Asiatic chicken from India. As guest its name, the bird comes from Brahmaputra Region, South India, India. This is the heaviest Asiatic chicken breed which weighs 10 pounds. The hen weighs 6 pounds. Brahma Chickens have color variation, such as brown, dark, light, and other.

Langshan is a big chicken from Langshan, Chinese. It has full and long breast. The rosters weigh 9 pounds; while, the hens weigh 6 pounds. It has thick plumage. The recognized color of Langshan is black, blue, and white. Some country also developed this breed, such as, French, Dutch and British.

Cochin is a chicken from Shanghai, Chinese. It is a funny chicken due its rumpless (no feather tail). The feather covers the shank and toes. This bird is very docile and tame. This bird is suitable for pets and backyard chicken. The Cochins have many color variation; black, white, buff, barred, golden-laced, silver laced, and partridge. This breed also has bantam variation.

Read Also :
Famous Dual Purpose Chicken
White Egg Laying Chicken Breed
Gallus Gallus The Parent of Chicken Breed

White egg laying chicken breed

2012-01-02T18:13:00.000-08:00

There are various chicken egg shield color, such as, brown, white, blue and green. Most chicken lays brown eggs. If you want white eggs, you need to raise the certain chicken breed. Here are the chickens that lay white eggs:

White leghorn. The bird comes from Tuscany, Italy. It is a small variety of chicken. The roosters weigh 6 pounds and the hens weigh 4.5 pound. The hen can lay up to 300 eggs yearly. This breed is suitable for commercial farm. The chicken is white solid in color. It has mid size single comb with two witted and white earlobes. The feet are yellow in color.

Brown Leghorn. This is the sister of White Leghorn. Unlike the sister, it cannot produce eggs as many as the sister. The roster is red partridge in color; while, the hen is dark brown in color. The neck and saddle color is red orange. It has single comb with six points, double witted and white earlobes.

This is a light type chicken. The roosters weigh 6 lbs; while, the hens weigh 4.5 lbs.

Californian White

This is a big white layer. The California is the descendent of White Leghorn and California Grey rosters. The Roosters weigh 7 lbs and then hens weigh 5.5 lbs. The performance is almost similar to leghorn. It has comb single with six points, double witted and white earlobes.

Buff Catalans

The bird origin is Catalan, near Barcelona, Spain. It is also called as Catalana, or Catalana del Prat Leonada, or just Prat. This breed is dual purpose chicken. The bird is black tail buff in color. This is a Mediterranean chicken breed that lays white eggs. It has clean shanks and comb middle single with six points.

Like other layer hen, the hens are unlikely to go broody. Therefore, you cannot use this chicken to hatch eggs.

Sumatra Black

Sumatra Black is a chicken breed from Sumatra, Indonesia. Although the chicken is black in color, the chicken lays white eggs. Unfortunately, the hen lays few eggs. This chicken is not suitable for commercial. It is black-greenish in color. The rooster has long feather tail.

Cemani Chicken

This bird origin is Java, Indonesia. Indonesian people call it "Ayam Cemani". It lays white eggs too. The hen can lay up to 250 eggs in a year. Unfortunately, this bird is very rare. Only few people care this bird. It is because the chicken has dark meat.

Famous utility pigeon breed

2011-12-22T17:50:00.000-08:00

Pigeon is a famous bird in the world. Some people raise the bird as a game bird. It can fly high and fast. Beside those purpose, they can provide delicious meat for people. In my opinion, the meat is more delicious than the chicken. That is why the meat is more expensive than chicken meat.

A pigeon hen can lay two eggs in a clutch. Both hen and cock hatch the eggs in 14 days. The parents raise the chick until it can fly. You can separate the chick from the parent at one month or thirty days age.

Some region has developed a utility pigeon breed. Most of them are rock dove (Columba Livia) descendant. The breeder has selected the heaviest and full deep breast pigeon for utility pigeon bird. The utility bird has no ability to fly high or fly fast like runner pigeon.

1. King

It is the best utility pigeon breed now. American breeder developed this bird from four pigeon breed such as Duchess, Homer, Runt and Maltese. A month chick weighs up to one kilogram. People slaughter it at thirty days age. The bird is very big and beyond the bantam size. The famous of King Pigeon color is white. The other color variation is brown and blue. People prefer White King because the flesh is pinkish. It has full breast and U shape body.

2. Carneau

This is a utility pigeon bird from Northern France and Southern Belgium. This bird has potential as the squab producer. This breed is smaller than King pigeon. It has big head compared to its body. The feather tail is short and narrow.

3. American Giant Runt.

It was developed in United States. The breeder has crossed some pigeon breed to get heavy utility pigeon bird. They have color variation such as white, black, dun, yellow blue, silver, brown, and more. It has full breast.

4. French Mondain

This looks fat pigeon was originated in Mondain, France. The plumage is very thick. There are two breeds of French Mondain: The American and The French. The body of the bird is round like a chicken hen. The tail is short and narrow. The head is small compared to its body. French Mondain pigeons have color variation like blue, brown, buff, white and more.

Some breeder still crossbreeds various pigeon to get heavy and delicious flesh. Someday, they will find other utility pigeon breed.

read also
English Carrier
Fantail Pigeon
Famous Homing Pigeon Bird

Famous dual purpose chicken breed

2011-12-14T16:27:00.000-08:00

Since a long time ago, people have taken care of chicken for meat or egg. They get delicious chicken meat and eggs. Some farmer can invent the best chicken breed which can produce more meat and more eggs.

In the last 18th century or the beginning of 19th, some researcher have been success to develop the chicken ability. They have selected the heavy cock and productive layer hen only. The researcher also has tried to make an efficient breed that can convert the feed to meat or egg efficiently.

1. Rhode Island Red

This breed is very heavy which weighs 9.5 pound and the female weighs 6.5 pound. The hen can lay up to 250 eggs per year. It is brown and red in color. It is originated in Rhode Island, United States. The ancestor of Rhode Island Red is Red Jungle Fowl. Now, we can see it in South East Asia jungle.

2. New Hampshire Red

New Hampshire is almost similar with Rhode Island Red in performance. People are difficult to difference this bird with the Rhode Island. The breeder developed this chicken from Rhode Island Red. It is red and brown color. The cock has big single comb. The hen can lay up to 250 eggs in a year. New Hampshire pullet start to lay the eggs at six month old. This breed has been recognized as a chicken breed in 1930s by American Poultry Association.

3. Plymouth Rock

Plymouth Rock is a dual purpose chicken too. The chicken looks fat. The cock weighs 9.5 pound while; the hen weighs 6.5 pound. The hen can lay up to 200 eggs a year. The famous Plymouth Rock color is black barred. The Plymouth has other color variation such as pencil, silver, white, black and more. The cock has moderately size single comb.

4. Wyandotte

Wyandotte is a dual purpose chicken breed from United States. The hen can lay up to 240 brown eggs. The cock weighs 8.5 pound; while, the hen weighs 6 pounds. They have many color variations such as black, white, blue, red laced, white laced, silver and more.

5. Orpington

The weight of the chicken is 7-10 pounds. It is a fat chicken but it has not deep breast like Rhode Island Red. This chicken is a hybrid of three chicken breed such as Langshan, Minorca and Plymouth Rock. The hen can lays up to 200 eggs in a year. The egg is brown in color. The color of Orpington is black, red, buff, white and more.

Famous bantam chicken breed

2011-12-12T17:24:00.000-08:00

Bantam is a small chicken or dwarf chicken. It is shorter than common chicken. People care this bird not for meat and eggs. It produces few meat and few eggs. They care this bird for ornamental bird, or game bird.
There are some famous bantam breeds, such as:

Japanese Bantam (Chaebo)

It is a famous bantam from Japan. In shogun era, only Japanese aristocrats cared the chicken. It is only 20-30 cm height. The cock weighs 30 oz; while, the hen weighs 22 oz. The color of Chaebo is white, white black tail, buff, and others.

Dutch Bantam (Hollandse Krielsen)

It is originated in Dutch. The Dutch sailor brought the chicken from Java Island. They have many color variation such as partridge, lavender, black, white, grey, and others. It has red single comb. Averagely cocks weigh 550 grams and hens weigh 450 grams.

Silky bantam (Silkie)

Silkie is a bantam from Chinese. The hen can lays up to 250 eggs in a year like a commercial chicken breed. As guest its name, the chicken has soft silky feather. The silky have color variations such as white, black and buff. The white is the famous silky color.

Unlike other chicken, Silkie has blue face and earlobes. Some Silkie has crested. The color of meat is dark blue. Some people said the meat could cure some diseases. I think it is just a myth.

Sebright bantam

It was developed in England by Sir John Saunders Sebright. They have two color variation silver and golden. The cock has big red rose comb. Unlike other chicken, the cock has short tail that is similar to the hen tail. The sexual difference of the bird is the comb. The cock has bigger comb than the hen. The males weigh 22 0z (625 gram) in average; while, the females weigh 20 oz (570 g)

Belgian bantam

It is a unique bantam breed. The thick plumage covers the feet and shanks. As guest its name, this bird origin is Belgian. The bantam has thick feather below the beak or beard. They have many color variation like black, white, blue, gray, mottled, white, calico and others.

Serama Bantam

Serama is a Malaysian hybrid bantam. The ancestor of the chicken is Silkiy Bantam, Malaysian native chicken and Japanese Bantam. The bantam is the shortest chicken in the world. It weighs less than 500 gram. The price is very expensive. The price could reach thousand dollars. They have color variation such as partridge, buff, black, calico, gray and others.

Tips on how to keep our chicken in rainy season

2011-12-07T23:23:00.000-08:00

In tropical country, the rainy season is a problem for chicken lover. The rain season occurs six month in a year. The cloud often cover the sun shine; whereas, we need the shine to kill the disease in the pen or chicken feather. Some virus include avian influenza cannot stand with sun shine.
Most chicken got sick in rainy season. The diseases attack the chicken in a cage easily. The reason why the chicken got sick is the cold weather. The cage is also wet so the disease can grows at it.
To prevent the chicken from sick my aunt has tips. She used to not using medicine or vaccine. She prefers to use the traditional ways to prevent the chicken from sickness. She is a veterinary who works for government office. She raised over 350 chickens near her home.
She has a principal to keep the chicken satisfied. He provide the chicken food ad libitum.He provide the newly harvest corn grain. She provides the best food for her chicken. She also feed the chicken with paddy. I believe the fresh chicken food contain more vitamin than the old chicken food. The vitamin will decrease if you save the food on the storage the vitamin may decrease.
She also adds Vitamin B complex to the chicken drink. It may increase the chicken immunity.
Marek's Disease
Chicken Winter Care
New Castle Disease kill the chicken population
Mutation in Chicken
Pigeon Canker could kill the Pigeon

The types of Chicken Crow

2011-12-05T06:08:00.000-08:00

What do you like from the chicken? Perhaps you like the color of feather that shining and beautiful. Some people also love the brave of the chicken. Everybody has different reason for loving the chicken.
In my opinion, I love the crow of chicken beside its meat and eggs. I love the sound of crow that wakes me at early morning. A lazy people may hate the crow and they will throw the shoes to the chicken.
Most rosters crow at early morning. Sometimes they crows at the afternoon too. Each chicken breed has different crow. Some chicken has long crow but some others has short crow. In my country, there is a chicken that crow like a people laughs. You must be surprised with the chicken. Here are the types of chicken crow:

1. The long crower
The chicken can crow longer than common chicken. In my country, Pelung Chicken can crow longer and louder. There is also long Crower from Czech

2. The Common Crower
It crows like common chicken for example, Rhode Island Red, Red Jungle Red, Bangkok Chicken, Malaysia Chicken, Vietnam chicken, Indonesia Chicken, Java, and so much. The sound is not special like the long crower.

3. Short Crower
Most Bantam crow short. In my opinion, the Bantam crows like necked chicken. Perhaps, its short body influence the duration of crowing.

4. Laughing Crower
Perhaps Only Indonesia that has laughing crower. The crow is horrible if you hear at the night. You may think the crowing is a ghost. There three types of the laughing crow, such as, popular crow, dangdut (Indonesia traditional genre song) crow, and slow dangdut.

The Roosters will began to crow at six month. It also sign that the cockerel grows up to mature. Sometimes a hen also can crow but the sound is weak.

How to raise Guinea Fowl

2011-11-14T16:59:00.000-08:00

Raising Guinea fowl is not difficult. You can raise the bird as free range bird. Guinea fowl is a peaceful bird so you can care it with chicken, turkey, and others in a backyard. Off course, you cannot put this bird with other birds chicken in a coop.

You need a pair of guinea fowl. Do not put more than one guinea cock in a backyard. The cock will fight each other to lead the territory and the hen.

Feed them with common poultry food. It also like grain like corn, paddy, oat,

Provide water silo inside the cage or the backyard. Clean it periodically. Do not let the moss make it green.

Clean and disinfectant the cage periodically

Provide the nest box for the hen so it can lay inside the box.

Read Also
Vulturine Guinea Fowl
How to Sex Guinea Fowl
Guinea Fowl
The Benefit Raise of Guinea Fowl
How to Raise Peacock

Buckeye: The only American Chicken breed that is created by woman

2011-11-08T16:20:00.000-08:00

Buckeye is an American chicken breed that has heavy body. The Rooster weighs approximately 9 pounds (4.1 kg); while, the female approximately weighs 6.5 lbs (3 kg). The chicken shape is round, like other American heavy class chicken breed. The breast is wide and it looks handsome like Cornish Chicken. The Feet looks strong and is white or yellow in color.
The feather chicken is mahogany in color; while, the tail is black in color. It has thick feathering. The chick color is buff. The sickle tail is short like other heavy chicken class. The body of the chicken is round.
The performance is almost similar to Rhode Island Red. However, this chicken is different if you can see the difference carefully. The buckeye color is darker than the red. As I mentioned above, this chicken appears very close to Cornish. Of course, the Cornish has wider breast.
The head is proportional with its body. It has small pea comb upside the head and it is the only American chicken breed that has small pea. We know most of American class breed has single comb such as Rhode Island Red, New Hampshire Red, Jersey Giant, and else.
The chicken has been breed by Mrs. Nettie Metcalf. She is the only woman that produce American Chicken breed. She crossed some chicken breed such as Barred Plymouth Rock, Buff Cochins, and black breasted Games. For first trial, he crossed Buff Cochin male to Barred Plymouth Rock Female. The descendant did not satisfy him. Next years, she crossed the descendant to Black breasted Red game that produced the red offspring. She developed the red become the buckeye.
She has bred the chicken in order to make the best dual purpose chicken. It has good meat and laying ability. Unfortunately, I do not know see any reference about the egg production. The hen lays brown medium size eggs. This chicken has been popular before Rhode Island Red founded.
The chicken is rare species. Only few farmers care this chicken.
This chicken is good forager so it is good to control your weed or grass population. This chicken is suitable for your backyard due it is tame and easy to hand. This chicken also tolerate with hot summer and cold winter or extreme weather.
I am afraid this chicken is aggressive like the ancestor black breasted game. There is no reference that the chicken is aggressive. Perhaps Mrs. Metcalf has selected the aggressive chicken from the breed.

Famous Domestic Duck in the world

2011-11-07T18:16:00.000-08:00

Indian Runner
If you want fresh egg daily, you can care Indian runner at your backyard. It can produces egg up to 300 eggs daily. It eggs is light green color and heavier than domesticated hen's egg. The egg fat is higher than chicken. That is why duck eggs is more delicious than chicken eggs. In Philippine, the duck eggs is a favorite food. They hatch the egg up to eighteen days. It eggs is called balut and it sold at Manila street. I think not all people can eat balut because the embryo still there. People eat balut with jalapeno and vinegar. In Indonesia, people salt the eggs so it becomes more tasty. They can boil and grill the salt duck egg.

Unlike other fowl, Indian runner does not hatch its eggs. The hen let the eggs in the corner of pen after laying. The breeder hatch the eggs with chicken hen or muscovy duck hen. Some rich breeder use hatchery machine. The eggs hatch 28 days or four week. It takes longer time than chicken eggs because the duck egg skin is thicker than the chicken.

The color of the duck is white, roan, barred, brown, black, plaid, blue, and others. The beak is yellow and black color. The feet is yellow, black and khaki. The male has curly tail. It could differentiate male to female. The male voice is also lower than the duck. Some species is raised as pet like Bali duck which is white color and crested.

According scientiest, Indian runnder is wild mallard descent. The ancient farm has domesticated this bird successfully that produce more eggs and more meat. The body of Indian runner is higher than the ancestors. People named it Indian runner because its high.

Indonesia has dozen Indian runner strain like Itik Tegal, Itik Magelang, Itik Bali, Itik Mojosari, Itik Cirebon, and others.The largest Indian runner farm in Indonesia is Alabio district (Kabupaten Alabio), South Borneo. South Borneo people prefer duck meat than chicken meat. They can hatch duck eggs with rice husk. This is a cheaper way than using hatchery machine or incubator machine.

Muscovy Duck
Muscovy duck (Cairana Moschata) is a domesticated duck that produce red meat. Some people like the dark meat that contain much fat. This bird is easy to care and easy eater. The bird is resistance to some fowl disease. It can eat grain, insect, small fish, snail, grass, young leaf and others.

The wing feather is long enough and could reach 25 cm. I use the feather wing as my pen. The white wing feather is for shuttlecock.

The weight of the drake could reach 10 kg or 20 pounds.It almost similar with the small goose. Meanwhile the female is just 5 kilogram. The Drake is bigger two times than the female. The drake is also longer than the female. The drake is about 86 cm length and the female is just 64 cm.

The muscovy body is slender like African geese. The neck length is shorter than Goose. It can fly away from your pen even the domesticated. It does not forget to fly like their ancestor.

It has long beak. The drake has red blood face and crest. There is two sharp nails at the edge wing and elbow. It is useful to expel predator. No Eagle is dare to this bird.

The hen is a productive layer too. It can lay up to 14 eggs per breeding. The hen hatch the eggs up to 28 days or four week. The egg color is light brown. In my country, farmer often use chicken hen to hatch the duck eggs.

The origin of this water fowl is Texas, Mexico, Central America and Brazil. The color of the muscovy is black. After domesticated there are some variety color like : pied, barred, white, blue, chocolate, bronze. lavender, and many pastel color.

Like other waterfowl, the bird like swimming. If you want care it, you need to provide a pool for them. The diet of this bird is corn, pollard, paddy, and others. They need grit too like other fowls.

Cayuga Duck

Cayuga duck is almost similar with Indian runner he weight is double Indian Runner. The drake weight could reach seven pounds and the hen could reach six pounds. It is black blue color. The beak is black color.Cayuga origin is Cayuga Lake in New York State. That is why this duck is tolerate bad winter in North America.

This domesticated is raised for its meat. like other dark, this fowl produce red dark meat which is delicious and full nutrient. Unfortunately, the black dark feather is very difficult to remove. The duck cannot lay many eggs as Indian runner does.The cayuga hen can lay 100 -150 eggs a year. The color of eggs is light white.
Peking Duck

Hence with its name, the duck come from Peking, the capital city of China. United States imported first in 1870. This is the most famous duck in the world. Peking duck is most delicious cuisine and the. It is white color. the beak and the feet is yellow color. The body of the duck is slender like Cayuga duck. The drake is 4.5 kg and the hen is 4 kg. Both drake and hen is not difference in weight.

The farm raise the bird in small cage so the duck cannot move so the fat meat is high. The high meat meat, the more delicious. I think I am pity with this kind duck. Some breeder cross breed this duck with Aylesbury to get juicy meat.
The hen can lay up to 100 egss in a year. Therefore, this duck is not good for layer.

Read Also:
Bali Crested Duck
Ancona: The English Duck
Campbell Duck
Anatomy of Duck
Cayuga Duck: The Native American Duck

Norfolk Grey : The Rare Chicken Breed from English

2011-11-04T02:18:00.000-07:00

Norfolk Grey is a chicken breed from United Kingdom. The breed was created at the time of the world war by Fred Myhill. The bird was called Black Maria due its black feather color.
The chicken is heavy enough. A rooster weighs 6-7 pounds while the female weighs 5-6 pounds. The Chicken is beautiful with the silver plumage. Either Roosters or hen has silver feather in neck. Surely the Rooster has shimmering color. The Silver feather of rooster is also in its shoulder, back, and saddle. The color of the rooster is silver duckwing. The small chicken has not yet had the silver color or birchen. It just has black soft feather.
No one sure the ancestor about this breed but Wikipedia say that the chicken is the descendant of birchen English Game and Partridge Wyandotte.
The Grey is good to produce meat and carcass due it is also the descendant of game fowl. Surely, this leghorn descendant also lays so many eggs. Unfortunately, I have no reference the egg production of the hens. This chicken population is rare. Only few farmers raise the chicken
This chicken breed is also good for backyard. It is a good forager that can eat the weed and grass in backyard. There is also bantam version of the chicken with one color variation only.
Read Also
American Game Fowl
Redcap Derbyshire

Mandarin Duck : The Famous Oriental Duck

2011-10-30T23:52:00.000-07:00

This duck is a beautiful ornamental duck.We can raise this bird at your house. Facilitate the duck with poll so they can swim at there.

They have beautiful brown feather while the female has bad color. Unlike other duck, either drake and hen care the duckling until the duckling independent. Se this lens and give the thumb for this lens. You can also buy the duck egg here and you can hatch the duck with incubator.

Photo by : Mike Bowler

Mandarin Duck is a famous ornamental duck from Chinese. As where its get name, this bird origin is Chinese but we can find this bird at Russia or Japan. This bird is also found at the British, Ireland, and United States. It has beautiful brown color. There are small part of green beetle feather at wing and shoulder. The breast color is white. There is some white color at face and wing. This duck has unique feather that similar to chicken sickle at upper neck. The duck bill is red light in color and short. Some Mandarin also has albino variations with white color but the beak is still red in color.

This duck is small with slender and shorter body which is only 41-49 cm in long include the tail. The male is heavier than the female.

The female color is very bad. The color is dull brown with black spot. The beak color is also black unlike the male.

Both duck spend their time at water or water bank. They find food at the water such as small water plant. This water bird is a smart hunter too. The female lays the eggs at tree cavity. They incubate the eggs for four weeks or 28 days. Mandarin female is not different with other duck female that incubate egg alone without Male assistance.

If you want care this beautiful bird, you have to provide pool so they can swim at there. You can feed them with game bird feed, small fish, vegetable and others.

Bantam Cochin : A Chinese Bantam

2011-10-27T18:27:00.000-07:00

When I look this chicken, It reminds me with Elvis Presley's pant which is widen at below legs. The chick also has thick feather in shank and legs. This is an exhibition chicken or ornamental chicken. It is derived from Cochin domesticated chicken. The body is smaller than the common chicken. That is why people call it Bantam Cochin.
Cochin is also called Peking bantam hence with its origin. The British troops introduced as ornamental fowl in 1860s in Britain. There are some exhibition for Cochin bantam in Britain.
The cock weight is one kilogram; meanwhile, the hen is 750 gram. It is has 14 combination color such as white, lavender, golden laced, mottled, red, blue, barred, buff, birchen, partridge and others. There are some variety plumage like frizzle and silky. Most Cochin feather tail does not grow perfect. The comb is red color and single. The hen comb is smaller than the cock. The beak of the chicken is small curve to point.
This chicken is good for your backyard too because it just need small backyard. The bird is easy to care and it is strong enough. This bird is very tame. The hen could produce much eggs to and it can be raised as layer hen. Its egg is light brown color. Some breeder use the bird for mother foster other chicken chick. It because the thick plumage keep the chick from cold weather. The thick plumage is useful for incubating the eggs. If you have any chicken that is not able to incubate eggs, you can put the eggs to the bantam nest. Off course, you should consider the eggs number. Do not put more than twelve eggs in a bantam nest.
If you want care it, you need to provide the chicken pen. The pen should be located far from people reach. Feed them with poultry feed, fresh grass, fruit,scratch,and scrap.
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Zebra Dove : The Most beautiful Singer Dove

2011-10-24T04:53:00.000-07:00

Zebra dove or barred dove that has beautiful song in the world is very expensive in Thailand, Malaysia, and Philippine, and Indonesia. There are numerous Zebra dove on those areas.

Zebra dove performance is not beautiful. They have zebra-like color gray and brown. The iris of the bird are various such as yellow, blue, and green. The length is not more than 20-23 cm. There is albino zebra dove with red iris eye. The unique albino price is very expensive.

Photo by Oggie dog
The beak is straight at curfew at the edge. The feet are in color like most doves feet. This dove is solitaire dove unlike other dove that lives in a group.

The habitat of the bird is secondary jungle, savanna, and farm crop. It likes seed, grain, and small insect. In farm, the breeder feed them with high quality seed such as paddy, millet, black seed, red rice, ketan, and others. Cuttlefish bone that contains calcium is also good for this bird. Some breeder also mixes the seed with honey and chicken eggs. Some Java people make traditional medicine so the bird can sing beautiful. The hobbyist put the bird at high place so people can hear the song.

The female can lay one or two eggs in a clutch. Both male and female will hatch and care the bird until they can independent. In the farm, the breeder do not let zebra dove to hatch and care their eggs. The breeder want the zebra dove lays eggs only. They will take the eggs and give it to ring-necked dove. The eggs will hatch in 17-19 days. The ring necked dove will care the zebra dove kid for one to one a half month.

Zebra dove are raise in big farm intensively. The owner selects the best breed from the champion zebra dove. The breeder believes that the champion will bear the champion too. Surely, the breeder also selects the good female that can sing beautiful.

The hobbyist often organized zebra dove championship before avian flu H5N1. The winner of the championship could get prize and it price increase to thousands dollar. A hobbyist dares to barter SUV car with zebra dove champion. The avian flu has crushed this business. We find rarely any zebra dove contest today. The breeder also cannot sell much zebra dove as much as before avian flu. They do not expand the business. Some breeders prefer to close the farm because they cannot stand to finance the operational costs.

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Silky Bantam: The Chinese Bantam Layer

2011-10-20T05:54:00.000-07:00

This bantam come from China. It has soft silky feather like hair. Unlike other bantam, its tails is not grow perfect. It is blood red rose comb.The height of silky could reach 20 cm. Its iris is dark brown color. The famous silky bantam color is white but there are black silky bantam and buff silky bantam.

Photo by : eggybird
In China, This bird is raised as layer hen. It can produce up to 250 eggs a year. This is the most productive bantam. Silky can hatch the egg well. It is a good mother too.

In my country, some people silky bantam meat can cure some diseases. I think it is just a myth.
Dutch Bantam is the most famous Bantam in the world. The height is only 20 cm. The cock has wide curve tail. The comb is red blood single. It is not more than half kilos weight. The hen is lighter than the cock. Dutch bantam color is various like red partridge, green partridge, gray, black, and others.

Dutch Bantam is originated at Dutch or Holland. Some story said that the Dutch trader imported the bantam from South East Asia. I believe the Dutch trade brought from Java because Java was under Dutch occupation. It is descendant of Gallus Bankiva or red jungle fowl.

It is prolific layer too. A Dutch bantam hen can lay up to 200 eggs per year. The eggs is light brown color which is size is smaller than common chicken.

Sebright Bantam : The England Bantam whose has unique feather

2011-10-18T06:04:00.000-07:00

Photo by: me'nthedogs
Sebright Bantam is a bantam from Britain. The breeder of the bantam is Sir John Sebright. There are two kind sebright: gold sebright bantam and silver right bantam. It is gold laced and silver laced feather.

It is full breast, V-shaped tail feather, and near vertical wing. Unlike most bantam, Sebright cock has no train tail and saddle feather. Both cock and hen has same plumage. The difference between male and female is the comb. The female has small pea comb but the male has large pea comb like a crown.

I have cared this bird. It can fly up to 10 meters but it does not run from my pen. The hen lay much eggs but it does not want incubate or hatch the eggs. Therefore, you need other hen to incubate the eggs.

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Serama : Smallest bantam in the world

2011-10-16T06:05:00.000-07:00

Photo by: Mhd Fahmi

This chicken is domesticated in Malaysia. The breeder crossbreed various bantam like Japanese bantam, silky, and Malayan native chicken. Unfortunately, only few people know the Serama gen composition. Now, the chicken also breed in Thailand and Indonesia.Serama name is taken from Sri Rama, a Hindu God.

Serama is the smallest and shortest chicken in the world. It is less than half kilo or one pound weight. It is less than 20 cm tall. I saw some Serama is less than soda can. the color of the chicken is various such as red partridge, silver partridge, buff, barred, dark blue, and others

It has full breast, near-horizontal wing, horizontal tail feather.

Serama is ornamental pet. Malaysia often organize Serama Exhibition. The winner is the smallest beautiful chicken. The shorter, the better. The bantam price that win contest is increasing. Some insane people dare to change their SUV car with the bantam.

This strain is difficult to breed. The hen just lay six eggs. Only 50% eggs can be hatch.

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How to hatch Egg Duck

2011-10-15T20:07:00.000-07:00

To increase your duck, you need to hatch the duck eggs. For some breeder it is not difficult to hatch duck. It will took 28 days or four week.

1. If you care a group duck that contain drake and hen, collect the eggs. You can let the hen hatch the eggs. Provide the nest box for the hen. You can make wooden box or card box. Fill the box with hay. The hay help the hen to heat the eggs. The benefit of using hen is that the hen can care the duckling until mature.

2. If the duck does not want to hatch the eggs, you can use chicken hen. For example, most Indian runner does not want to hatch its eggs. Some chicken hen is the best incubator. You should find the hen that lay some eggs. Replace the chicken eggs with the duck eggs. The chicken is not clever so it hatch the duck eggs. notice: if the hen know you replace its eggs, it may break the duck eggs.

3. Some breeder use incubator machine. You can buy incubator machine too. If you have much eggs, you need to buy a big incubator machine. Turn on the light for 28 days or four week. Further, read the manual book of incubator machine. After hatch, let the chicken stay at incubator machine for 24 hours. You do not need to feed them for first day.

4. You can hatch the duck egg with rice husk. In Alabio district (Kabupaten Alabio) , South Borneo, Indonesia. People use to hatch duck eggs with rice husk. They put rice husk in big basket and let duck eggs hatch. This is way is cheap way because we do not need any energy.

You can use any method that you like. For backyard farm, I suggest you use duck hen to incubate the duck eggs.

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Bali Duck

Chicken WInter Care

2011-10-14T05:58:00.000-07:00

It is not easy to raise chicken in a subtropical region where winter occurs. In winter, the flock owner should spend more money for electric because they should turn on the light all day. On the other hand, the revenue of flock owner will decrease because the chicken stops to production in winter. Some chicken breed cannot lay in winter such as Asian Chicken and Mediterranean Chicken. Therefore, you should select the breed that has egg-laying ability in winter such as Rhode Island Red, New Hampshire Red and other.

It is because they may suffer from cold. The cold weather also causes the frostbite in chicken. The frostbite often attack the chicken whose has wide single comb.

A hen can lay when it feel comfort and has enough food. The flock owner should do like this to keep the chicken warm. To raise the chicken in winter, you can do like this:

1. Place the additional heater lamp during winter. The lamp can make the cage warmer. The heat of lamp depends on the weather and the coop. Some articles suggest 75 Watt lamp for the cage. I think it is not absolute. You can observe the chicken with the lamp. If the chicken far from the lamp, it means the lamp is too hot. If, on the other hand, the chicken close from the lamp, it means the lamp is not hot enough.

2. Put the warm water inside the cage. Do not let the water frozen because the chicken cannot drink it. Alternatively, you can change the water often. Water is essential for chicken especially layer egg. They need sufficient water to keep laying.

3. In an attempt to produce eggs, you can increase the chicken appetite by pouring water to the feed. The feed is easy to eat.

4. Design the coop for winter that can reduce cold.

5. The ventilation and air circulation inside the cage should be good. It helps chicken to get fresh water and decrease the humidity. Some flock owner think that closing the ventilation can make the chicken warm. They are wrong. The closed cage can caused diseases such as lung disease.

6. Remove the chicken coop to warehouse or chicken house. They will be comfort inside a building.

7. Add the chicken hay bedding. The hay can control the manure stinky. Change the hay when it dirty. You can use the hay and manure as fertilizer too.

Campbell Duck : The heavy duck from England

2011-10-12T06:01:00.000-07:00

similar to the ancestor Wild Mallard. The drake has green beetle color head.

Campbell duck is the cross duck between the mallard and its ancestor such as Rouen Duck and Indian Runner. Campbell looks fats than other duck breed. The body slender like the muscovy duck. The beak and feet color is dark.
It weighs 4 pounds or two kilograms. The duck could be considered as the dual purpose duck. It can produce meat as much as chicken.

Photo by: Superfantastic
The breed was introduced in 1898 in United States. The duck was crossed by Adale Champbelin England.
Khaki begin to lay the eggs at six month like New Hampshire Chicken or Rhode Island Chicken. They rarely hatch the duckling like Indian runner duck.

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Shepherd Indian runner duck
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Bantam Chicken

2011-10-09T20:11:00.000-07:00

Bantam is small miniature chicken that is also ornamental chicken. People raise this bird for fan. Some people also care this bird for meat. Raising this bird is easy because you need small pen and few chicken feed. There are some bantam various. Perhaps you want to raise it.

Japanese Bantam is a beautiful bantam from Japanese, According to wikipedia, this bantam origin is Java Island, Indonesia. A dutch trader brought the bantam to Japan as a gift. Japanese Bantam is also called Chabao. It words similar with cebol that is mean dwarf.

Photo by: Tony Austin
After hundred years in Japan, This strain become famous as Japanese chicken. It is the Japanese aristocrat pets. Indonesia people called it Katai Jepun. They do not know that the origin of the bantam is their country.

The bantam is one kilos weight for cock and six ons for the female. It is 15-20 cm tall. The head is proportional with its body. It has near-horizontal tail feather, wing, full breast, and red blood single comb. Japanese bantam has so many various color like white, white-black tail, buff, black red, Buff-black tail, buff-white, and others.

Read Also : Rose Comb: The old Bantam in the world
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Polish Chicken profile : The crested beautiful chicken

2011-10-07T18:29:00.000-07:00

The polish has bizarre performance. It has large crested at the top of head. Some crested cover the chicken eye so they have bad sight. I think this chicken is similar with rocker due to its crested.
Actually this chicken’s origin is not Poland. The origin of the bird is Asia. In 12th centuries, The Mongol invader brought the chicken. I saw that The mongol invader has hat like this chicken crest. This chicken has been developed in Ukraine-Polish border. In 16th centuries, this chicken were distributed to Western Europe, Germany, Dutch, England and Italy.

black-white crested polish chicken

Photo by : Thomaspix
The chicken is slim and it has thick plumage. The cock weighs 6 pounds; while, the hen weighs 4.5 pound. They have color variation that have been recognized as a breed like golden, silver, white, buff, buff laced, white crested black, and black crested white. They have crested color variation too like white, black and golden. Beside crested, some Polish has also beard or additional feather below the beak. The color of bread is buff, white and black. In front of the crest, there is a small unique V-shape comb like a horn. The feet and the shank has no feather. The shank is white and khaki in color.
Due its unique and beautiful feather, some people raise this chicken as game bird, or ornamental bird. Actually, it is a layer chicken because it can produce much eggs. The hen can lays two white eggs a week. Unfortunately this chicken cannot lays in winter even they come from region where winter occurs. The chicken also cannot hatch the eggs too. You should find another mother to hatch the chicken eggs or you can use incubator machine.

This chicken is docile and tame. You can hold this chicken easily. This chicken is good for your backyard. You may get fresh egg from this chicken everyday.

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