this post was submitted on 15 Sep 2023
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Backyard Chickens (and Other Birds)
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[Were you a mod of backyard chickens on Reddit? Message me if you're interested in modding here.]
This is a community for people who keep chickens in their back yard. This includes pets, layers, and meaties at levels that are sub-industrial. Family farms and homesteads are included.
EDIT
The Fediverse is small. There probably aren't enough people here to make up a community for every type of bird that someone might keep so for now, everyone is welcome. Bring us your ducks and geese, turkeys and quail, Guineas and Peacocks, emus and parrots. The community will be focused on chickens but until there are enough of each bird community for their own community they will find care and comfort here.
/EDIT
There may be discussions of animal processing. This is part of chicken keeping. If you don't like it leave and block the community.
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RULES:
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All Lemmy.ca rules apply here.
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Everyone (see rules 4 and 98) is welcome.
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If you've seen a question 100 times answer it the 101st time or ignore it. Even better, write a complete, detailed answer and suggest that the mod(s) pin it to the community.
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There will be ZERO tolerance for shaming, brigading, harassment, or other nonsense of those who keep and process chickens. You will be permanently banned the first time.
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No, it's not a calcium deficiency. Wrinkled eggs are the result of insufficient or insufficiently viscous albumen. Tiny eggs and missing shells are misfires. They happen.
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If you post a picture that includes a dead animal or blood mark it NSFW. We're not going to tolerate the militant anti-hunting and anti-farming bullshit here but we're also not going to tolerate people rubbing their hunting and harvesting in people's faces. See rule 98. If you post blood, gore, or dead animals and don't mark it NSFW it will be removed and you might be banned.
[Did you actually think there were 98 rules?]
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If you present something as fact and are asked to provide proof or a source provide proof or a source. Proof must be from a reliable source. If you fail to provide proof or a source your post or comment may be removed.
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Don't be a dick. Yes, this is a catch-all rule.
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The mod(s) have the final say.
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More interesting to me is the reason why chicken egg production happens so fast and frequently. Chickens originated as a species called the red junglefowl from Southeast Asia where they lived in bamboo forests. These bamboo forests go through 50-year seeding cycles where for decades they produce relatively little food and then for one year, they produce a huge volume of fruit. The ancestors of chickens took advantage of this by laying eggs every day whenever food was plentiful, to maximize their birth rate during those years. Now we take advantage of this biological quirk in chickens by making sure their food is plentiful so that they'll lay eggs every day.
Bonus egg fact: the little air pocket at the top is where all of the bacteria ends up. So, if you want to keep them fresh, make sure they don't get tilted or turned upside-down until you're ready to use them.
White Leghorns lay a large egg almost every day between their first and second molts. When they retire they often weigh under two pounds despite having access to unlimited high quality feed and clean water. We don't have any in our laying flock. We do have a few Azure Blues which are a blue egg laying Leghorn. They are also tiny birds that lay large eggs.