| Publication: The Frederick News-Post; |
Date: Sep 9, 2007; |
Section: Sports; |
Page: B-10 |
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Got a yen for a hen? Website helps out the chickenhearted
By DIANA CLEMENT
Special to the News-Post
LAST WEEK I visited a friend
who keeps pet chickens. While we enjoyed the end of summer, the hens were
lounging in their pen alternately sunning
themselves and watching us. Today I checked my issues calendar and noted that
it’s Adopt a Chicken Month. So I did some checking.
The Frederick County Animal Control Center
periodically offers chickens for adoption. You
may apply on a waiting list or inquire any time.
Chickens arrive at the shelter through various
means. Chickens may be removed from places in which they are illegal — such as
incorporated towns that ban chickens. They also may be taken from people who do
not care for them properly. They used to arrive at the shelter if given as
chicks at Easter, but this is rare now that most schools and churches are aware
of the risks of live animal prizes or gifts. Some chickens are caught running
loose and never claimed, so adoption is the option. There are rescue
organizations willing to accept the chickens, too, but only as a last resort,
because there are so many chickens in need.
My friend Kyle has the
basics — and then some. A small wooden house with a raised floor, shuttered
windows and swinging door made as a child’s playhouse sits in the center of a
fenced yard. The fence is placed near a large tree for shade, and Kyle moves it
and the house every few weeks to rotate the grass and soil. Apparently the
chickens are good at taking care of grubs, which is good for the lawn. They also
give fresh eggs. Kyle closes them in the wooden house at night to protect them
from predators. He points out that they are good sentries for trespassers
because they will make enough noise to alert him of nighttime activity. He
doesn't keep a rooster, so there's no early morning alarm clock.
The Country Chicken web
page, www.cyndilou6.com/ care.html, offers advice on raising backyard chickens.
In addition to a shelter and a pen that you can rotate, Country Chicken
recommends keeping more than one chicken at a time and offering them exercise
outside the pen each afternoon. It also recommends diatomaceous earth or access
to clean dirt so that the chickens can take a dust bath to keep their feathers
clean. It also mentions that chickens need a lot of fresh drinking water.
For year-round care, infrared light can be
connected inside the house. If you use a coop — plans are available from Country
Chicken — the coop can be insulated, with nest boxes supplied and filled with
straw for the winter. If additional heat and light are provided, some hens will
continue to lay eggs year around.
Many
veterinarians in Freder-Available for adoption
this week are Blue, a gray and white male pit bull, 10 months old, and Daisy, a
domestic shorthair
1 orange tabby, female, 1 /2
years old. Blue has been at the shelter since Aug. 22 and will neutered and
microchipped once he is adopted; Daisy is current on her vaccinations and has
been spayed and microchipped. Meet Blue and Daisy at the Frederick County Animal
Control Center, 1832 Rosemont Ave., Frederick.
ick County are still up
to speed on farm medicine, so you should not have difficulty caring for a
chicken in an emergency. It will be very important to have a veterinarian, since
your chickens must be safe for the farming community as well as protected from
any outbreaks of chicken flu. You may want to register with your agricultural
extension office so you’ll receive any alerts on chicken health.
Some
other tips from Country Chicken include using chicken crumbles-style food to cut
down on waste. The website suggests offering chicken mash randomly in addition
to fresh bread and vegetables. The hens like to scratch and peck, and though
scraps and chicken mash do not provide a balanced diet, it is not expensive and
gives the hens something to do. When provided in addition to a balanced chicken
chow, it makes for happy hens.
In order to
become a better pet trainer, many experts have their students practice by
teaching chickens a simple task. Hens and roosters respond to clicker training
in the same way that a dog does, but since they are quick and small, a trainer
must be very accurate for best results. Chickens can really help a dog trainer develop useful
skills. It’s also helpful to work with your flock so that they are easy to
corral for the veterinarian, as well as after they have some exercise.
Daisy
PETS AND PEOPLE
Blue
