NewsBreak Original

While we were visiting friends in Kentucky we were invited to help catch 2,000 chickens at a chicken farm. It was an interesting experience.

While we were in Lancaster, Pennsylvania we got a first hand look at Amish Country. We stayed at an apple orchard farm. They had many different kinds of animals and a pig that gave birth to her piglets. We also visited Sight and Sound theater and got to have a behind the scenes tour!

We have a broody hen, which means I have a hen that wants to sit on eggs until they hatch with babies. Which is right around 21 days, give or take. So I placed six eggs under her and let her sit. On day 7, I checked the eggs with a bright flashlight for fertilization, veins, movement, and an air pocket. I removed two that had not developed (not fertile). So that left 4 for her to sit on. By day 17, I checked them one more time; three looked good, one I didn't see much movement if any, but let her sit on it to see what would happen. On day 20, I heard loud peeping coming from under her and checked to see if we had a baby. It was hatching, and the beak was out to breathe the fresh air. By the end of the day, we had a baby and two more eggs pipped (cracked open). So we ended up with three cute, healthy babies, and sadly the 4th egg never hatched. It developed all the way but never opened. Here is the video evidence from egg to hatching. Enjoy!

Without a manual or any training, nature kicked in and our hen decided she wanted to raise a few chicks for us.

Federal authorities said Thursday that a strain of highly pathogenic avian or bird influenza was detected in Michigan in a backyard flock of birds in Kalamazoo County. The infected flock was tested by the Michigan State University's Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory and the USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services later confirmed. Michigan officials quarantined the Kalamazoo County site and birds at that property, and according to the USDA, they will be “depopulated” so the disease does not spread. Additionally, the USDA said that birds from that flock will not enter the food system. The virus is also theoretically lethal to any poultry in a commercial setting.

The USDA is warning commercial and backyard producers to be aware the "bird flu" has been found in the US:. The United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has confirmed two additional findings of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in wild birds – one in Colleton County, South Carolina and one in Hyde County, North Carolina. These finds follow confirmation on January 14, 2022 of HPAI in a wild bird in Colleton County, South Carolina. All three findings are H5N1 HPAI.

I share a review and demo of the Precision Pet nesting box for backyard chickens. I bought this with my own money and this is not a sponsored review.