Intermediate Chicken-Keeping Series

Do you already own chickens and want to learn more? Have you taken our beginner classes and want a better knowledge base? Whether you have chickens or are planning to in the future, this 3-part ONLINE series will take you deeper into chicken husbandry, so your birds will be at their very best! Taught by poultry breeder and feed specialist Sharon Maish. Week 1: Behavior and The Pecking Order Understanding the behavior of chickens is key to good health and productivity in your flock. This 1.5 hour class will delve deeply into the behavior of chickens. We will discuss instincts, laying behavior, flock hierarchy, integration of new birds, and MUCH more. We will also help you work with these behaviors to have a happy, well-adjusted, and productive flock. Week 2: Nutrition and Mixing Your Own Feed Your instructor has mixed her own feeds for over 8 years, and she is frequently asked how. Finally, she has put together everything you need to know to mix your own feed! She will discuss chicken nutrition at different ages and seasons, teach basic recipes, discuss alternative feed methods, and help source the ingredients you will need. Feed mixing is another great way to be in touch with where your food comes from! Week 3: Basic Health and First Aid This week your instructor will teach the basics of chicken health, as well as discuss common illnesses, symptoms, and treatments. She will teach basic First Aid for injuries and show you what to keep in a First Aid kit. She will also address common “home remedies”, and present the science behind their efficacies or inefficiencies. INSTRUCTOR: Sharon Maish has kept over 35 different breeds of chickens. She is a member of the American Poultry Association, the American Sussex Association, and The Livestock Conservancy. Sharon and her husband Greg own a 62-acre farm/nature preserve southwest of Columbus where they keep turkeys, chickens poultry, pigs, and beef cattle. They currently have a "fun flock" of many different breeds, as well as breeding pens with show-quality Sussex and Narragansett turkeys. Sharon was an ODA-registered poultry feed manufacturer, and currently mixes feed for all their livestock. Follow Sharon's farm on Facebook at www.facebook.com/MaishFarmPreserve