Agoraphobia and Chicken little

This article from the WSJ says that chickens fear of open spaces, typically attributed to cowardice, maybe just good common sense, in a study done at the University of Wurtzberg, Germany demonstrates. The idea is that open fields are evolutionary anxiety triggers, as larger predators can move faster over it than their smaller pray, whom…

German-based Bayer buys US Monsanto

Monsanto Co. agreed to sell itself to Bayer AG after months of haggling, in a $57 billion deal that would create an agricultural powerhouse and end the independence of one of the most successful and controversial companies in the U.S. If regulators approve the deal, which was unveiled Wednesday, the German pharmaceutical and chemical conglomerate…

The sounds of summer

Lawn Mowers Cut Decibels for a Price Some lawn mowers, such as a new Craftsman, sold at this Sears store not far from Pittsburgh, are promoted as having quieter engines than the standard models. How much will Americans pay to avoid annoying their neighbors? Briggs & Stratton Corp. hopes they will cough up roughly $40…

Bantam white cockerel

Nice boy at a show.  I believe this is Mike Gilbert's but if you look at the neck it's a bit poufy.  John Blehm of Fowlstuff did a big writeup on the club site about this problem that is called overseas a "boule" a bowl.  It is a recessive trait that is very hard to…

He died…black Ameraucana

  He was doing well.  He was happy.  He seemed to be thriving and then...poof after two weeks he died while I was away at a Conference.  That's sand underneath instead of shavings, I figured I would try that instead of shaving while they were in the brooder.  He did well there, dried off and…

He’s not pretty, but he is healthy

I can't say I'm overly fond with this fellow, but he is one of the 5 I got and ordered this spring that was actually healthy.  So many of the chicks I got had coccidiya that I've had to kill them -- can't breed from sick stock can you.  That has been problematic for me…