In the second interview of this series from the EcoFarm conference, I speak with Jim Adkins of The International Center for Poultry, an organization that educates people about standard poultry breeds and sustainable farming. Jim has over 30 years experience with poultry, having raised over 50 standard breeds and varieties. He has a license to judge poultry from the American Poultry Association and has judged birds in the United States, Australia and Canada. In 1992, Jim founded the International Center for Poultry to promote understanding of standard breeds and he teaches workshops on the subject throughout the U.S. and abroad.
PlanterTomato:
Jim thanks for speaking with us today.
Jim Adkins:
Good to be here.
PlanterTomato:
So let's begin by first discussing what you mean by the standard for poultry and why it's important for backyard flock owners.
Jim Adkins:
There's a book called The Standard of Perfection that is published by the American Poultry Association. The American Poultry Association is the oldest livestock association in the country. It was organized in 1873. I have one of the earliest editions published in 1897 [Jim points to a copy of the book] and it describes exactly what a Rhode Island Red, Plymouth Rock, Leghorn etc. should look like.
Photo: Page from the 1938 edition of The Standard of Perfection
PlanterTomato:
Why is that important to the backyard gardener or poultry enthusiast?
Jim Adkins:
When you don't breed by the standard, your going to get a bird that's compromised -- it might be smaller weight, it might not have the carcass quality that it should have because all American breeds are dual purpose for eggs and meat, so the standard keeps poultry where it should be from it's breeding parents.
PlanterTomato:
If I wanted to make sure the birds I was buying for my flock meet the standard of perfection, where would I buy them?
Jim Adkins:
You should go to individual breeders. I encourage people to stay away from the large hatcheries because they are looking for quantity, not quality. The best thing you can do is go to local breeders. You can find them at local exhibits, the county fair, or you can also check out the Poultry Press which is a monthly publication. Finally, if you become a member of the American Poultry Association, they send you a yearbook. Breeders who advertise in this yearbook are usually a very reliable source for good standard bred poultry.
PlanterTomato:
Where can I go to learn more about the standard of perfection?
Jim Adkins:
You can order your own copy of the Standard of Perfection from the American Poultry Association web site. You can also purchase them from us at the International Center for Poultry. You can also sometimes find them at your local library, 4H, or county extension office.
PlanterTomato:
OK, so let me ask an expert... could you make some breed recommendations for those who are interested in keeping chickens in their backyard primarily for eggs.
Jim Adkins:
The first question you have to ask is whether you want brown eggs or white eggs. If you want white eggs, it's fairly easy -- all the Mediterranean breeds such as Leghorns, Anconas, Andalusians, and Buttercups. As far as brown egg laying breeds, all of the American breeds such as the Buckeye, Plymouth Rock, Delaware, Chantecler, and the Rhode Island Red. All of these breeds are dual purpose, they were bred for meat and eggs. You could use the females for egg laying, and if you had extra males in your flock, you could use them for meat.
PlanterTomato:
Assuming someone just wants to raise chickens for eggs and they want eggs for their family, not to sell, how many chickens should that person get for a family of four?
Jim Adkins:
I would recommend 6-10 hens because not every hen is going to be laying at the same time. And if all the birds are in production, you will have some extra eggs you can give away to a neighbor. By the way, you don't need to have a rooster to get egg production.
PlanterTomato:
What general advice would you give to someone new to raising chickens?
Jim Adkins:
Here is a great principle that I teach people attending my workshops...I tell people that their eyes are their best management tool. You can look at a flock of birds to see how they are acting... are they foraging, are they active, etc. If the birds are spending lots of time going through their plumage they may have mites. Generally speaking, your eyes are your best management tool.
PlanterTomato
What are some typical mistakes that newbies make?
Jim Adkins:
Chickens need good feed quality, water quality and air quality. Make sure that there's plenty of ventilation and also that the chickens have dry litter.
PlanterTomato:
What advice do you have for people keeping chickens in the city or suburbs?
Jim Adkins:
Firstly, make sure that you are within the law. You don't want to get birds and then realize that they are illegal and you can't have them. Check out your local laws. Secondly, make friends with your neighbors. Tell them in advance that you are getting birds. Some will love it and some will become your enemies. You want to be careful.
PlanterTomato:
For many backyard chicken keepers, the birds aren't just livestock they are pets. They may not want to cull the flock and that makes it difficult to add new chickens that are producing eggs. What strategies would you recommend to introduce new birds to an existing flock?
Jim Adkins:
I would recommend that if you want to start a new flock you should get rid of the old one first. That's the easiest thing to do. It's very complicated to introduce new birds because hens can be very territorial and harmful to the new birds. One simple thing you can do is to put a fence down the middle of your coop and keep the new chickens and the old hens separated. That way they can get used to each other. Even then, there's going to be some fighting through the fence. Again, your eyes are your best management tool. Put them together, see how they act. You need to accept the fact that there's a pecking order and you should keep an eye on the birds at the top of the pecking order so they don't do any really destructive things to the younger birds.
PlanterTomato:
If people want to learn more about the International Center for Poultry, what's your web address?
Jim Adkins:
It's www.CenterforPoultry.com. We do workshops and also there's a hen-house coaching network and other resources on the web site.
PlanterTomato:
Thanks for speaking with us today.
Jim Adkins:
Thank you.
Comments