In this video you will learn how to grow your own oyster mushrooms on cardboard.
There are many varieties of oyster mushrooms. Two good choices of oysters to grow first are:
Blue grey oysters. These are the easiest and one of the highest yielding. They also grow in cooler temperatures than some.
Pink oysters. As well as being a stunning colour, these are one of the fastest growing mushrooms, producing fruits in as little as three or four weeks. They are a tropical mushroom and need a warmer temperature. If you have a warm house you may be able to grow them in winter.
The video takes you through a 5 step process to grow your our mushrooms.
Step 1 – Pasteurisation
In order to give your oysters a good start, and reduce the risk of the card becoming contaminated with mould, you will need to kill most of the other micro organisms that are living on your cardboard. You can achieve this by soaking it in boiling water – a simple but effective technique known as pasteurisation.
Step 2 – Inoculate with mushroom spawn
After squeezing out any excess water from your cardboard, mushroom spawn is scattered between each layer.
Step 3 – Colonisation of the cardboard
In this step the mushrooms are left in a warm place for a few weeks to colonise the cardboard. This process will take 4-8 weeks depending on the species of mushroom.
Step 4 – Fruiting – first flush
Once fully colonised you can open up the bag and let the oxygen stimulate the mushrooms to begin fruiting. They also need some light (enough to read by) to grow. Keep them moist with a spray bottle and then after a few days you should start to see baby pin mushrooms that will grow rapidly to full sized mushrooms in just a few days.
Step 5 – Harvest your home grown mushrooms and enjoy
A little over a month ago we were contacted by one of our Twitter followers (you can follow us @myurbanchicken) after her chickens were attacked by an unknown predator.
So we decide to write a post and try and crowd source the most likely culprit and try and solve this murder mystery for her.
If you missed the original “what killed my chickens” here is a quick recap.
The Facts of the Case
This is what we know about the incident and the unsub – UNknown SUBject (yes I watch too much CSI!):
The location of the crime is British Columbia, Canada.
The unsub squeezed in through a gap in the barn door and dug a 7 inch wide hole in the dirt floor.
The birds had no obvious wounds.
They all had ruffled feathers with signs of a struggle.
They all appear to have died from a broken neck.
The unsub killed 10 birds and pulled/dragged all of them out of the coop. (note the birds were found more spread out than shown in the forensic photos which you can view in the original post).
Only one bird was partially eaten as shown in the photos and the others were untouched.
Some scat (animal droppings) was found near the scene of the crime – a photo of the scat is included in the original post.
After writing our post we put out a call for help from our readers and got an amazing response with over 3300 readers, over 50 comments on various forums, from a diverse range of people including zoologists, farmers, and backyard chicken keepers from all over the world.
So what did we find out I hear you ask? Well here is a summary of the “Great British Columbia Chicken Murder Mystery” investigation.
Feedback from our readers narrowed down the potential predators to the following likely culprits.
38% of you thought it was a Fox.
19% Coyote
12% Mink.
12% domestic dog.
4% weasel.
4% skunk.
4% raccoon.
And rounding out the list is a velociraptor (thanks Hawkeyes7977 from reddit).
Let’s look at the top suggestions in more detail.
Coyote
Coyote are one of many predators found in most parts of the British Columbia area and are certainly a well know predator of backyard chickens.
The scat shown in the photos is consistent with Coyote scat although there does not appear to be any bone fragments in the scat which could be expected for a larger predator like a coyote. The presence of the fur in the scat is consistent with what we would expect from a typical diet for a Coyote.
They are known to cache their food, kill numerous birds at a time and the dead chickens may have evidence of biting on the back of the neck and broken necks are a common cause of death.
They will dig under fences and chew through chicken wire to get into chicken coops.
The only piece of evidence that is not consistent with a coyote is the size of the hole that the unsub tunneled into the coop. At around 7 inches in diameter it is probably unlikely that a fully grown coyote standing around 2 feet tall and weighing 45 lbs could have squeezed through this opening.
Based on this single inconsistency I think we can deliver a not guilty verdict for the coyote.
Fox
The most common suggestion was a fox and I must admit this was also my initial suspect in the case.
The red fox is a common predator in the British Columbia area and is a well known threat to chicken keepers.
Like the Coyote the scat will vary based on diet but in general it looks like Coyote scat only smaller and is usually absent of large bone fragments as the fox does not have the size and power to easily chew through larger bones.
When they attack they will kill several birds and will usually drag them off to a cache to collect at a later time.
Weighing in around 15 lbs and standing about 12 inches tall (often smaller) a fox could easily have squeezed through the 7 inch hole and they are well know for digging into chicken coops.
Foxes usually attack the neck area of the chickens and survivors will often be found with clumps of feathers missing from their necks and they also commonly bite the heads off the birds.
They are a very skittish animal and will flee if disturbed which might explain the partially eaten bird in this case.
Based on the evidence a fox would appear to be a primary predator of interest in this case.
Mink
A local farmer informed @alpineblossom that around 300 minks were released from a farm by activists 3 years ago in the area so we know that mink is a possible predator for this location.
With long skinny bodies mink are able to easily slip through small holes to gain access to the chicken coop and generally kill chickens by biting repeatedly on the head and neck area.
They often kill multiple birds (probably with the intention of returning later for more food) and this is know as “surplus killing” which has also contributed to its reputation as a senseless killer (although it is just an evolutionary trait to enable survival between kills).
“They’re vicious little ##$%^rs who’ll kill everything” kernowgringo via reddit
They will also cache their food if they have surplus and their scat looks remarkably similar to that of a fox only smaller.
Whilst they can dig they are not well known for digging into coops and prefer to climb into poorly enclosed coops.
Based on the evidence a mink would also appear to be a primary predator of interest in this case although there is some reasonable doubt regarding the largish hole that was dug by such a small animal.
Velociraptor
Okay, I have to admit that at first I snickered when Hawkeyes7977 suggested this as the potential predator until I looked into some facts about Velociraptors.
Now I am not a velociraptor expert so I consulted my dinosaur loving 5 year old son to see what he thought of the likelihood that a velociraptor killed the chickens.
After getting a big eye roll which was basically code for “you idiot what a dumb question” he gave me the following insights into this rarely seen creature.
Velociraptors were a feathered carnivore that had an awesome large hooked claw on each foot for ripping open its prey. They were quite small standing only 6 inches tall at the hip so conceivably could have squeezed through the small hole into the coop.
According to my 5 year old son the only protection against a velociraptor attack is a Jedi knight light saber so none of the high tech predator deterrents we suggested will work – who knew!
So based in those facts a velociraptor is the obvious candidate for our unsub with only one small problem in that the velociraptor is believed to have been extinct for over 71 million years having lived in the Cretaceous period with the dinosaurs.
Then again maybe @alpineblossom has been a victim of the lochness monster or big foot equivalent of British Columbia!
So based on the great feedback and help from the Backyard Chicken Zone community we cannot really be sure who was responsible for this attack without any reasonable doubt but the most likely candidates are a fox or a mink.
With insufficient evidence to convict either the fox or the mink this case will go into the cold case file for now.
But a big thank you to all of our fantastic readers for their contributions (except for you Hawkeyes7977 with your velociraptor suggestion – jeez there is always one in every crowd isn’t there). Whilst it was devastating for @alpineblossom I know she appreciated the support and input from everyone.
Having experienced the highs and lows of this investigation together I thought we would end the post on a more positive note with a photo of @alpineblossom’s new chicks who will be the next generation of chickens in her flock.
The info-graphic below provides a great summary of the passive measures you can take to protect your flock from various predators but it is 2016 and you probably have more computing power in your smart phone now than NASA had on the moon lander when they put a man on the moon.
So lets look at some technology solution to enhance your physical chicken predator measures such as fencing.
1. Predator Guard Solar Power Deterrent Light
This deterrent light works by simulating the reflection of the eyes of a larger predator to create fear and uncertainty in nocturnal animals.
Wild animals that hunt or feed at night are acutely aware of their surroundings. They will only feed in a safe area
where they will not be noticed. Predator Guard introduces a pair of flashing lights that an animal assumes is a set of eyes.
This disrupts their sense of safety and makes them immediately flee your property.
At under $30 from Amazon this device is a good investment even if it only deters one attack on your flock.
An eco friendly alternative to other pest management solutions is this realistic looking horned owl decoy. The head moves in a realistic fashion drive by the solar panel installed in the head of the decoy scaring away garden pests and smaller predators. Available from Amazon.
3. Foxlights Night Predator Deterrent
Unlike the predator guard lights above that simulate the eyes of a larger predator, this system operates by creating a random set of lights to create the impression that an area is occupied. The sequence is random so the idea is to create uncertainty in the mind of the predators by not having a pattern for them to learn from.
It is worth pointing out that the technology above is not meant to replace physical protective measures like fences, but will enhance protection of your flocks and crops.
Some breeds of chickens also have much better instincts when it comes to predator awareness. Check out our guide or subscribe below to get a copy of our guide to selecting the best backyard chicken breed that identifies the breeds with the best predator awareness instincts.
WARNING!! – The following post contains images that might disturb some readers
We need your help!
One of our twitter followers (Jodie @alpineblossom) sent us a message this week after sadly losing a number of her flock to an unidentified predator.
So we decided to see if we could crowd source the investigation into identifying the most likely culprit.
This is where you come in. We need your help to try and unravel this mystery and identify the most likely predator responsible for killing these chickens.
The Facts of the Case
This is what we know about the incident and the unsub – UNknown SUBject (yes I watch too much criminal minds!) so far:
The location of the crime is British Columbia, Canada.
The unsub squeezed in through a gap in the barn door and dug a 7 inch wide hole in the dirt floor.
The birds had no obvious wounds.
They all had ruffled feathers with signs of a struggle.
They all appear to have died from a broken neck.
The unsub killed 10 birds and pulled/dragged all of them out of the coop. (note the birds were found more spread out than shown in the forensic photos below).
Only one bird was partially eaten as shown in the photo below and the others were untouched.
Some scat (animal droppings) was found near the scene of the crime as shown below.
The Forensic Evidence
The following photos have been provided by Jodie @alpineblossom to help you identify the predator.
Chickens killed by unknown predator
Remains of chicken eaten by unknown predator
Scat found near scene of the crime
Some Information to Help
Common Chicken Predators found in British Columbia
The following is a list common predators found in the British Columbia area:
Bald Eagle
Canada Lynx
Cougar
Grizzly Bear
Peregrine Falcon
Raccoon
Red Fox
Spotted Owl
Wolf
Wolverine
Common Chicken Predators
The following info-graphic provides an overview of common chicken predators, their attack methods, and potential coop design solutions to protect your flock against these predators.
Over to you. If you have some experience with this type of attack please leave a comment or share this post with your friends to see if we can find a possible solution for Jodie.
Also if you don’t follow us on Twitter already you can find us at @myurbanchicken.
Since writing this post we received lots of feedback from the Backyard Chicken Zone community and we have since written a post summarizing the findings of which chicken predator was responsible for killing these chickens in “CSI (Chicken Scene Investigation) – Who did it?“.
FREE Copy of our Guide to Selecting the Best Backyard Chicken Breed E-Book – Get your copy here
There are many different breeds of chickens to choose from so we have put together a members only summary guide for selecting the best backyard chicken breed to help you narrow down the options.
There are a range of things that you need to consider when deciding on the best types of chickens for your purpose and area in which you live.
Our free e-book provides an easy to use guide for selecting the best breed based on the climate in which you live, whether you are raising backyard chickens for eggs or meat production, their temperament, foraging capability, predator awareness, and broodiness.
In a study recently published (6 November 2015) in Maternal and Child Nutrition , Mduduzi Mbuya and Jean Humphrey of Johns Hopkins University identified a potential link between chicken droppings and the stunting of infant growth.
According to the study, in 2011, one in every four (26%) children under 5 years of age worldwide was stunted.The researchers suspect that in places like Zimbabwe where chickens roam freely and the ground is therefore covered in droppings, that infants ingest unfriendly microbes (by eating dirt which we have all seen young children do) contained in the chicken droppings that lead to stunted growth.
The study refers to other research that “found that two pertinent things happen when unfriendly microbes of the sort found in chicken droppings get into the intestine. One is a loss of villi, the finger-like projections from the gut wall that absorb nutrients. The other is a loosening of the joints between the cells that line the gut. This creates holes through which microbes of all sorts can pass into the bloodstream, where they stimulate the immune system. That diverts nutrients needed elsewhere. It also causes the production of chemicals called cytokines which, among other things, switch off the production of growth hormone.”
To support the potential link between chicken droppings and stunted growth in children research from the International Food Policy Research Institute, in Washington, DC by Derek Headey and Kalle Hirvonen found that in Ethiopia that households which kept poultry indoors had a significantly higher rate of child stunting than those that kept the birds outside.
Whilst the link between chicken droppings and stunted growth in children is yet to be proven the take away for backyard chicken and backyard poultry farmers is to keep on top of your flock hygiene including cleaning of the coops, chicken runs, and the household in general.Try to keep shoes for the yard outside and supervise your children.
General flock hygiene should be part of your normal routine and if you keep your grounds and household clean then you probably don’t need to worry about the potential impacts of children ingesting chicken droppings. Check out our chicken raising tips post on maintaining good hygiene around your flock.
This is the second post discussing the results of a recently released study by the University of California Davis that has for the first time given us insights into America’s backyard chicken coops.
In the largest study of its type into backyard chicken ownership in America, The University of California research has obtained insights into backyard chicken owners perceived flock health and welfare issues, the most favoured breed of chicken to keep in backyard flocks, backyard chicken husbandry practices, why people raise backyard chickens, what resources are necessary to help improve backyard chicken flock care and management, as well as demographic information about backyard chicken owners and their attitudes to chickens and chicken derived products.
In this post we are going to delve in to the top reasons why Americans raise backyard chickens.
America’s top 3 reasons for raising backyard chickens revealed
Food for home use
Not surprisingly the number one reason for keeping backyard chickens was food for home use including eggs and meat. 95.2 percent of respondents in the study indicated that they raised backyard chickens to produce their own food with only 3 percent in urban areas using the chicken products for income. Although I expect there are lots if eggs going to the neighbours of backyard chicken owners.
The study didn’t specifically look at how many people raised backyard chickens for eggs compared to meat but the most favoured breeds of chicken were dominated by egg laying breeds so the researchers concluded that egg laying was likely the main reason for most urban backyard chicken keepers.
Gardening partners
Coming in at number 2 with 62.8 percent of respondents indicating that they kept backyard chickens as gardening partners to provide two legged services of pest control, provide manure, and fertiliser for the garden.
Whilst there is a range of high tech garden technologies available to urban gardeners, one chicken can do an amazing amount of work around the garden. As can be seen from the infographic one chicken can de-bug 120 sqft a week, convert 10lbs of food scraps into eggs, fertilise a 50 sqft garden in a month, level a pile of mulch in 2 days, help do a quarter of the work turning a compost pile, produce enough manure in a month to make 1 cubic yard of compost from leaves, till 50 sqft of sod in 4-6 weeks, and one chicken can break the life cycle of pests and disease on one fruit tree within an hour.
Pets
Coming in a close third with 57.4 percent of participants in the study indicating that they kept chickens as pets. Anyone who has ever owned chickens know that they can be great pets with loads of personality.
Tell us about why you keep chickens by posting a comment.
Keep an eye out for future posts where we will reveal other insights from the study including how many backyard chickens people keep in their flock, where they get their chickens and much more. (Remember to subscribe to our newsletter and we will send you the posts straight to your inbox).
If you want to read the whole research paper you can read it here.
One final note. Whilst raising chickens is a sustainable way to produce your own food – why stop there. At backyard chicken zone we believe that going green does not mean sacrificing your lifestyle and that green tech and eco friendly products can give you the lifestyle you desire whilst moving towards a more sustainable future. Our partners at GoGetEco.com have the latest in cool eco friendly gadgets, future gadgets, future tech, the latest in green technology, eco friendly products and cool green tech inventions. Why not check them out.
In this post we will provide information on different types of chickens and breeds of chickens. There are hundreds of chicken breeds in existence and we will cover the 26 most common breeds in this post. (Note – this post is a work in progress and we will be continually adding to the list over the coming weeks as part of our chicken trivia post – Spoiler Alert if you don’t want to know the answers to the chicken trivia yet then stop reading now and go back the chicken trivia post).
We also have a free “Guide to Selecting the Best Backyard Chicken Breed” e-book which you can download. Get your copy here.
Sumatra
Blue Sumatra Rooster
Sumatras are primarily an ornamental breed with an attractive black and green plumage. They also come is blue (as seen in the picture) and white variations. The cocks weigh 4-5.5lbs and the hens around 4lbs. The hens are considered to be poor layers producing around 100 white eggs a year and can be susceptible to broodiness. Both males and females have small wattles and the males can have multiple spurs on each leg. This breed retains a strong flying ability unlike some of their more domesticated cousins.
The breed originates from the island of Sumtra and were originally imported into the US and Europe in 1847 mainly for cockfighting but are mainly kept for exhibition today.
Recently I was discussing different types of chickens with another backyard chicken keeper and we had a small wager on who could correctly name the breeds of chickens shown in photos. It was a lot of fun and I didn’t get as many right as I thought I would.
This was the inspiration for this post because I wanted to give our readers the same chance to test their skills by trying to correctly identify the types of chickens shown in photos I will post here.
Time to test your skills by leaving a comment below with your answer. (Note I am going to hold all comments from publishing for 24 hours so it doesn’t spoil it for everyone and then we can see who got it right).
Test your friends knowledge by sharing this post also.
If you want to be notified by email when we post the answer simply subscribe by providing your email above and as a bonus you will get a copy of our e-book on selecting the best backyard chicken breeds.
Also check out our other posts about types of chickens and breeds of chickens by searching through the menus above.
No matter where or with whom you are spending the holidays, Christmas is a time for celebrating and expressing your love for your close friends and family. However, looking for that perfect gift for a particular person can be a daunting process (especially for an indecisive husband like me!). But online shopping makes this difficult task a breeze with numerous Christmas gift options. And if you are feeling especially festive, you can embark on a 12 Days of Christmas Chick-mas inspired gift giving spree.
Now at Backyard Chicken Zone we know that buying gifts for chicken lovers can be a challenge so we have come up with a list of suggestions for the 12 Days of Christmas.
DAY 4 – FOUR CALLING BIRDS
The last thing you probably want is four calling birds – particularly if they are roosters! So we have decided that on this day of the twelve days of Chickmas we are going with the theme of “four”.
For the Rooster (aka men) and for the chickens (aka the chickens)
What better way to spend the holiday season than with a set of instructions, a handful of tools, and a determination to build something. I can almost feel the surge of testosterone from here. Why not get the man in your life the ultimate chicken project with the ultimate in chicken coops (it is four sided in case you were wondering how we went from four calling birds to a hen house!). The Colonial Gable Chicken House with Ramp and Nesting Box by Little Cottage Company is sure to please both the rooster (aka men) and the chickens – A real WIN WIN.
Whilst the men our out building their awesome chicken coop how about sitting back and relaxing with this retro 4 speaker Retro inspired record player which delivers room filling sound with a perfectly tuned acoustic cabinet and four speakers for high fidelity audio performance. It plays vinyl records, AM/FM radio, CDs, MP3s through USB and includes a 3.5mm auxiliary input for music from your iPhone, iPad, Android or any other smartphone or tablet.
Made from authentic handcrafted real wood cabinetry with deep walnut finish creates a vintage design backed by Electrohome’s 100 years of developing analog audio systems.
To keep fully with the theme how about getting a copy of the 12 days of Christmas song.
Check it out
“My wife and I had several old records laying around and were looking for something to play them on. It didn’t take long after reading all the positive reviews for this item that we purchased the Electrohome record player. This was a perfect addition to our room and the sound from our record collection is more than what we could have asked for.” Review – Tom via Amazon, 3 December 2015
For the chicks (aka children)
As a parent I know that four children calling at the same time can rank right up there with four roosters crowing so how about giving yourself some peace and quiet and chill out listening to music on your retro sound system whilst the children enjoy a movie.
Click here
DAY 3 – THREE FRENCH HENS
Woohoo – for backyard poultry keepers this is the premium day of the 12 days of Chickmas with chickens front and centre.
Therefore the gifts you give on this day should have a distinct chicken theme to make sure you get that perfect chicken gift for the chicken lovers in your life.
For the Rooster (aka men) and for the hen (aka the special lady)
What better gift for the day three than the gift of knowledge with this online course on raising backyard chickens by Criss Ittermann through the online learning marketplace Udemy with over 9million+ students. Raising Chickens in Your Backyard: hen’s eggs for food
Click to see course details
“Excellent course and instruction!
If you are considering chickens, now to chickens, struggling with your chickens, or are experienced and want to expand your knowledge this is an excellent course.
The subject coverage is comprehensive and Criss’s style left me feeling that I had an extended personal visit with an expert. I’ve had chickens for years. I still loved the course and learned a lot.
Criss does a great job at making this a very personal experience.”
Robert U Smith, Udemy student and chicken owner, 4 October 2015
Ranked in our top 10 best gift for husband, best gift for boyfriend, best gift for men, best gift for wife, special gift for her, and unique gift for her.
Check out the other courses at Udemy – maybe a French language course to go with the three French hen theme.
Click to explore courses
For the chicks (aka children)
Whilst the children would be more than happy to be chasing three French hens around the yard why not try this “Count your chickens” board game.
Winner of four awards including Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Award and Creative Child Game of the Year Award.
Check it out
Players work together to help Mother Hen collect her chicks and bring them back to the coop; if they are successful everyone wins!
Children learn counting and social development skills with no reading required.
For 2 to 4 players ages 3 years and older.
For the chickens (aka the chickens)
Whilst the chickens are out celebrating their favorite day of the 12 days of Chickmas you can slip this awesome chicken treat ball into the coop. This treat ball will keep them busy for hours.
Click to check it out
“My chickens LOVE this toy —they peck it and move it to have it spill the treats…it is like watching a Chicken Soccer game!” Joe M. 24 October 2015
DAY 2 – TWO TURTLE DOVES
Now two turtle doves is not the most practical present you could get and ranks right up there with the hand knitted iPhone cover your Grandma made for you last Christmas or the tattoo you got of a rooster jumping a motorcycle through a flaming hoop that seemed like a good idea at the time (we’ve all been there right?!).
Anyway no need to stress about getting the most awesome present on day 2 of the 12 days of Chickmas because the Backyard Chicken Zone team have got you sorted.
For the rooster (aka men)
Now if you do get a pair of turtle doves for the man in your life the chances are he is going to need to feel like a man again after you make him walk those turtle doves down the street in with those cute fluffy harnesses they came with.What better way to recharge the testosterone levels than with a bit of wood splitting using this awesome Kindling Cracker Firewood Kindling Splitter.
Click to check it out
Ranked in our top 10 best gift for husband, best gift for boyfriend and best presents for men.
For the hen (aka the special lady)
Gentlemen, let’s face it, despite our manly wood chopping skills our domination of the world around us is but a hollow façade and the ladies really are in control.Well now is the time to give in to this reality and take it to a new level with this wearable ring that will allow her to even control smart phones, home appliances simply by gesturing with their finger!(Now I know they can achieve the same feats simply by gesturing with their fingers at us but now you don’t even have to move!).
Wearable technology – click to check it out
I didn’t even know these things existed and it is truly the shortcut to everything.
Ranked in our top 10 best gift for wife, unique gifts for women, and unusual gifts for her for 2015.
For the chicks (aka children)
On day one of our 12 days of Chickmas we suggested that a drone was the perfect gift for the man in your life.If you missed out how about a kids drone (or two because dad will need one of course).
Click to check it out
For the chickens (aka the chickens)
It wouldn’t be the Backyard Chicken Zone without something for our feathered friends. Try this treat ball to keep them busy this holiday season.
Click to check it out
DAY 1 – PARTRIDGE IN A PEAR TREE
On this day, give a single gift. While a partridge in a pear tree may be impractical on day one try some of these fun alternatives.
For the rooster (aka men)
It fly’s better than a partridge, is able to hover effortlessly over the pear tree, and lets face it – it is a lot more awesome than any partridge. Try a remote control drone for the hard to buy for man in your life. If that special person is into photography some models even come with in-built cameras to take amazing pictures and video. My 65 year old father even purchased a drone similar to the one in the image and uses it for filming coastal scenes as a hobby and is now obsessed with it.
Voted by the Backyard Chicken Zone team as the 2015 Best Gift for Husband (okay I was the only one who voted for this category), 2015 Best Gift for Boyfriend, and 2015 Best Presents for Men.
For the hen (aka special lady) Now gents, while you are flying your awesome new drone you need to make sure you find some special gifts for her. Show your appreciation for the awesome remote control drone she bought you with these beautiful pear shaped earrings. Present these to her on day one and you will be strutting your stuff as top rooster for the rest of the holiday period. Voted by the Backyard Chicken Zone team as the 2015 Best Gift for Wife (note that your chances of getting that 2015 Best Gift for Husband is directly related to the value of the jewellery you buy her!).
For the chicks (aka the children)
Why not start off day one with a beautifully illustrated book about the 12 days of Christmas.
For the chickens (aka the chickens)
Now we don’t want the flock to get jealous about the partridge in the pear tree so get them a chicken swing to hang from the tree (don’t worry the three French hens will get their day in the sun straight after the two turtle doves and your flock can go nuts celebrating their special day in the 12 days of Christmas).
ently published (6 November 2015) in 
Not surprisingly the number one reason for keeping backyard chickens was food for home use including eggs and meat. 95.2 percent of respondents in the study indicated that they raised backyard chickens to produce their own food with only 3 percent in urban areas using the chicken products for income. Although I expect there are lots if eggs going to the neighbours of backyard chicken owners.
Coming in a close third with 57.4 percent of participants in the study indicating that they kept chickens as pets. Anyone who has ever owned chickens know that they can be great pets with loads of personality.
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