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blue copper marans

All About Blue Copper Marans

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All About Blue Copper Marans

If you’re interested in rearing blue copper marans, there are important things you have to know about them before you begin. Let us start with a brief history since the background information, coupled with other details, will be helpful when you go out to buy eggs, day old chicks, chicken feed, and any other item you will need as you start your business.

Brief history of blue copper Marans

Blue copper Marans belong to a breed of chickens known as Marans. They are originally from France, in fact, the name “Marans” comes from a place in France called Marans. As you can already imply, the town of Marans is the first place this breed of birds were reared.

As far back as the 1800s, the first breeders of copper Marans went into the business because of their eggs. These birds are known to lay dark brown eggs that are moderate in size. The Marans chickens have been around for a very long time, so it is hard to tell which exact breeds they are from. But judging by the characteristics of the Marans, we can safely say that the langshans, faverolles, and other local French breed of game birds were crossed to make the Marans breed.

Features of blue copper Marans

If you know the features of blue copper Marans that make them stand out, you will have a clearer understanding of their behavior and this will ensure you prepare yourself well before adding them to your poultry farm. Here are some important features of the blue copper Marans.

  • Appearance

As the name implies, they have both blue and copper feathers on them. Their hackles are copper, while the rest of their feathers are blue in color. Their feet are also covered in light blue feathers. Generally, these birds are not so fluffy, their feathers are narrow, just like the regular game birds.

When you look at the combs of blue copper marans, you will notice that they are single and moderate in size; not too big, but not small either. By observing their combs, you can tell which blue copper Marans is male or female. The hens do not have upright combs, they seem to be slanted to one side, but only partially. While the roosters are known to have upright combs.

Blue copper Marans have big thighs, though they are usually medium-sized with broad shoulders and long necks. 

  • Egg production

Blue copper maran hens are very good layers. Their eggs are the main reason why they are even reared. All things being equal, these birds will start laying at about 6 months old, and they can lay up to four eggs per week. These eggs are dark or chocolate brown in color, and they are quite large. In a year, your blue copper Marans hen can lay up to 200 beautiful large eggs. 

It will interest you to know that the eggs of blue copper Marans have some unique characteristics that the eggs of other birds do not have. Apart from the dark brown color, blue copper Marans eggs have a more pronounced spherical structure. Unlike regular eggs where one end is wider than the other, blue copper maran eggs have both ends that look almost equally narrow.

If the main reason you want to breed blue copper Marans is for their dark eggs, then you are just like many other farmers, but you should also know that the younger the hens, the darker the eggs they will lay. This means you will get the darkest brown eggs from a hen that is less than one year old. 

  • Temperament

Blue copper Marans are not known to be aggressive. They don’t pick on other birds and are usually friendly. But this doesn’t mean they don’t lose their calmness every once in a while, especially when triggered by strangers or when their chicks are triggered. The blue copper Marans hens are friendlier than the roosters and will play with you if you have treats.

  • Size

We already know that blue copper marans are medium to large in size. But specifics vary, depending on the age and gender of the bird. 

The roosters weigh approximately 8lbs, while the hens have an average weight of 6.5lbs. As for bantam blue copper marans, the roosters and hens weigh 32oz and 28lbs respectively.

  • Lifespan

Blue copper marans have a lifespan of 5 to 7 years. It is possible for them to live a little longer than 7 years if properly taken care of, but their eggs will not be as dark as they were in their early laying years.

  • Cost of chicken

Getting chickens to begin your business is not difficult, if you plan your finances well, you can make a lot of profit. The cost of buying blue copper Marans chickens should be between five to fifty dollars per chick. Depending on so many factors, starting from the place you choose to buy from.

Why you should breed blue copper Marans

There are so many breeds of chickens out there, and you can choose to rear any of them, but the reasons why you should pick blue copper Marans are stated here.

  • Blue copper marans are easy to handle

Rearing blue copper Marans does not require so much technicality. The birds have no special or difficult needs and are fairly docile on all occasions. They are not noisy and can be safely kept in the backyard of your house. These birds are not stressful to handle, and when you are not stressed, you will be able to give your best in breeding them properly.

  • They are very prolific

This is one core feature that any farmer should watch out for. If a bird is not prolific, there is bound to be a loss in the business. But if you are breeding the blue copper marans, you don’t have to worry. They lay beautiful dark brown eggs, which is something unique to this breed. You can make a lot of profit selling these eggs, as you are sure of massive supply from your blue copper Marans poultry every season.

  • They are good in cold season

Here is another upside to rearing blue copper marans. These birds don’t give problems, no matter the weather condition. If you are living in a cold region, you can still breed blue copper Marans since they do well in colder climates. 

  • Beautiful appearance

Thanks to the cute colors of the blue copper Marans, they are aesthetically pleasing and will give a great view of your poultry.

  • They are useful for multiple purposes

Yes, the dark brown eggs are the main reason people go for blue copper Marans, but that’s not all they have to offer. These birds are also good producers of meat, so as you breed them for their eggs, you can also breed them for delicious meat, which will earn you more than double of the profit you would have if you reared them for only eggs. 

Remember that blue copper marans lay a darker color of eggs in their early years, and when they start getting older, the eggs they lay will get lighter. This knowledge can be economically beneficial to you, because if you’re in business for both eggs and meat, you can rear the older birds for meat while those below two years of age can be mainly for eggs.

You can still sell light brown eggs laid by older blue copper marans, people buy them a lot too, but if your focus is on the darker eggs, you can make the older fowls your only meat producers.

Eggs and meat are where most birds stop being useful, but not the blue copper marans, they are also good pets. Thanks to their friendly nature, you can keep some around the house as companions. They are fun to play with, it’s even better when you have treats for them. If you have kids around the house, they can be good play companions since blue copper Marans are known to be okay with children.

  • They can evade predators

If you have a good poultry farm, predators are the least factors you would worry about since the farm will be safe for your birds. But anything can happen at any time, especially when your birds are out in an open space. In such cases, you can be rest assured that blue copper marans have a good sense of protection. They are known to evade predators quite well, which is a good advantage to rearing them. Please note that it is important to always make sure they are in a safe environment at all times, even if they can evade predators.

  • You don’t have to worry about broodiness

Blue copper maran hens are known to have a moderate broodiness level, many of them never go broody. On the rare occasions that they do, one way to make the hens break out of broodiness is by moving them to private pens. When you do this, make the broody hen sit on her clutch. Many chicken keepers have attested to this method of breaking a maran hen out of broodiness. 

What you need to successfully breed blue copper marans

Now that you know the advantages of breeding blue copper marans, let us look at the things you need to do in order to carry out a successful breeding process.

  • You’ll need enough space

It is true that blue copper Marans do well in confinement, but that doesn’t make it the best way to rear them. Before you start, make sure you have a conducive environment for the birds, where they can feel free to roam about. It is safer this way.

Having enough space for your birds will also help you ensure they exercise often. Keeping them confined at all times could make them fat in an unhealthy way.

  • You can start with day old chicks or eggs

For day old chicks: ensure you are buying from a credible source with good reviews from those who have already bought from them. Rearing day-old chicks into laying age can take some time, but the profits are massive if you do it right. You’ll also get experience with young blue copper Marans, so when your birds reach maturity and start hatching, you’ll be familiar with their physical and economic growth process.

For hatching eggs: this is arguably the best way to start breeding. Apart from the transportation risk during shipping, it is the most economical way a new breeder can start their business. 

When your eggs are shipped, only hatch the biggest and darkest colored eggs. This will ensure that the genes are passed down. 

When your chicks grow into hens and start laying, also hatch only the darkest of them all. If you continue this way, you’ll never run out of beautiful dark brown eggs to supply.

  • Feed them balanced diet 

Just as you need to eat well to stay strong and healthy, your birds also need the same. Make sure you feed them with vegetables, fruits and non-sugary grains. 

  • Keep them healthy at all times

If you’re feeding the blue copper Marans well, you’re already halfway into keeping them healthy. The other part involves general neatness and other healthy practices. Start by making sure you disinfect your equipment before use, change the drinking water every day, and only use clean containers.

  • Control parasites

You must not allow parasites to invade your poultry. They can do a lot of damage to the fertility of your hens and the health of the entire flock. Tampans and red mites are very dangerous to chickens, and there are other equally deadly parasites as well. So, to protect your blue copper Marans, make a budget for parasite control. Don’t buy random insecticides, since it’s easy to mistakenly buy the ones that could be harmful to your flock.

There are insecticidal powders registered specially for birds, and these are the only ones you should buy. When you get them, read the instructions carefully before using them. If you notice any fleas on the comb of your blue copper Marans, use Vaseline to rub the entire comb, it will kill the fleas.

how to keep roaches away

How to keep roaches away

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Roaches infestation is one of the most frustrating things in the home. These pests can be found almost everywhere in your environment as they search for food. Sadly, they multiple faster than you may imagine and that can increase your frustration. They are known to trigger allergies and asthma, contaminate food, damage wallpaper, and spread diseases. They are good adapters and can adapt to any environment. That is why it is difficult to get rid of them.

Nonetheless, it is very important to keep roaches away from our homes or offices. Therefore, in this post, we will look into the best ways to keep cockroach away from our homes. Continue reading to learn more on how to keep roaches away.

Keep your home and environment clean

The first step to keeping roaches out of your home or other buildings it to keep it clean. Roaches only become your problem when your home is accessible and comfortable to them. This happens when your home or building is not well maintained. Many a times, roach infestation begin in the kitchen or bathroom. Those are the places to focus on when you want to start your anti-roach war.

To keep roaches away, ensure that your kitchen is neatly cleaned after dinner and no dirty dish is left behind. Cover your leftover food, sweep the kitchen floor, and vacuum the rugs. This is to make sure that there is no cockroach infestation before morning.

In addition, make sure your yard in clean. Roaches love to stay in the wood, decaying branches, and on leaves. So, clean them up.

In summary:

  • Clean crumbs and spills immediately
  • Wash dishes and put away after every meal
  • Take out garbage before night rest
  • Cover leftover food
  • Sweep the kitchen floor regularly
  • Remove grease from stove top
  • Clean your bathroom properly
  • Clean your yard and keep dirty away

Limit where you eat

To keep roaches away or limit their movement within your home, it is advisable to limit your food consumption to one room or the dinning table. This will make your clean up easier and reduce crumbs and spills that are food sources to roaches.

Make sure there is no clutter

Another interesting way to keep roaches out of your home is by clearing clutter. Roaches will find it difficult to invade your house when there is no clutter. With no place to hide during the day, it will be extremely difficult to hide their presence within your home.

Seal cracks and all entry point

Sometimes roaches get access to your home from under the windows, doors, or foundation cracks. Other times, it may be through utility pipes and crawl spaces. Hence, it is important to inspect these problem areas once in a year and seal all cracks and hole. In addition, do ensure that your doors and windows are secure enough to keep roaches away.

Below are some of the places you should inspect:

  • Along the roof or foundation
  • Around the doors and windows
  • Around holes used for gas, electric, and plumbing lines
  • Attic and crawl space vents

Inspect and fix plumbing issues regularly

Like humans, roaches need water to survive. Many a times, your home may have leak problems that need to be fixed. Hence, it is important to inspect your sinks, faucets, refrigerators, and other home appliances to ensure that they aren’t leaking. If you find plumbing issues or leaks, employ a professional to get them fixed as soon as possible.

Dispose your pet uneaten food

You are likely to attract roaches if you let your dog or cat uneaten food lay on the floor for long. So, it is advisable to use a dog food dispenser or clean the floor when your pet is done consuming it food. This way roaches will not have access to your dog food.

Keep cardboard boxes or newspapers away

Roaches like to hide within cardboard and newspapers when there are unkept. It provides shelter for them and they will multiply in number if you don’t notice and clear the spot. Hence, it is important to clear your home of all unused cardboards or newspapers littering the floor.

Keep roaches away with boric acid

One of the most popular substance for eliminating roaches from home is boric acid. It is a chemical that’s very effective in killing all kind of insects. There are different ways to use boric acid for eliminating roaches. First method is by mixing equal amount of boric acid with sugar and flour to make a dough. Set the dough in different corner of the home where the roaches can feed on them. Cockroaches will be attracted by the sugar and flour while the boric acid will eliminate them.

The second method of using boric acid to eliminate roaches is to dust small amount of boric acid powder in corners and floors of your home, especially where roaches are present, and let them come in contact with it and die.

Keep in mind that boric acid is very harmful to your pets. So, you should keep them away when you apply the boric acid or boric acid dough.

Keep roaches away with baking soda

To use baking soda, you need to mix it with sugar and sprinkle around the corners of your house. The sugar will attract the roaches while baking soda will eliminate them. It is advisable to find their hideouts and sprinkle baking soda combination there. This is an effective way to end the existence of roaches in your home. Baking soda work almost like the boric acid but it is less toxic and can be used in home with kids and pet.

Keep roaches away with peppermint oil

A lot of people will be surprise to find peppermint oil on this list. Yet, it is one of the most effective oils for keeping cockroaches away from your home and other buildings. All you need to do is to mix peppermint oil and salt water and spray on the infested areas of your building.

Keep roaches away with neem

Neem is a natural remedy known to work for pest elimination. It comes in both oil and powder form. To use neem powder, all you need to do is to sprinkle it in roaches infested areas of your home at night and repeat same process at night. With neem oil, you are to mix a small amount with water in a spray bottle and spray in cockroach infested areas.

Keep cockroaches away with bay leaves

Bay leaves is another natural substance that can be employed to keep roaches away. All you need to do is to boil the bay leaves and spray the water in roaches infested part of your home. Another way is to crush the bay leaves and sprinkle them on the infested part.

Keep roaches away with fabric softener

To use fabric softener for cockroach elimination, mix it with water and store in a spray bottle. Spray this mixture on roaches and watch them die. However, this may not be a good method for highly infested part of the home.

Keep roaches away with Cayenne, Garlic, and Onion Powder

Cockroaches and other pests hate the smell of garlic, cayenne, and onion powder and will avoid areas with this mixture. You should sprinkle these powders around your home to keep roaches away.

Keep cockroaches away with catnip

Catnip is a natural roach repellent discover by the Iowa State University. It is believed that roaches will flee if you place catnip in your home.

Keep roaches away with Diatomaceous Earth (DE)

Diatomaceous Earth is another substance that can be used to keep cockroaches away from your home. It is a powder produced from the fossilized remains of diatoms. DE makes cockroaches to dry out and die because it absorbs fat and oil from their exoskeletons. There are two methods of eliminating roaches with DE. The first method is to mix DE with flour and cocoa powder and use as bait to attract and kill roaches. The second method is to sprinkle DE in the corners of your home especially the infested areas.

Keep roaches away with tea tree oil

Tea tree oil is a natural cockroach repellent that can be made at home. Mix 2 cups of water with ¼ cup of tea tree oil and ¼ cup of vinegar and store in a spray bottle. Then you should spray on roach infested areas of your home.

Keep roaches away with lemon

The aroma of lemon is another natural repellent of cockroach. Cut the lemon into smaller parts and place them in a small basket or container. Then you should place the container in infested areas of your house.

Keep roaches away with mint

Mint is a natural product that keep roaches out. You can do this by mixing ½ cup of salt water with 8 drops of cypress essential and 10 drops of peppermint essential oil and store in a spray bottle. Spray this mixture in the roach infested parts of your home to eliminate them.

Keep roaches away with clove oil

Clove oil is another natural repellent that helps to eliminate roaches when mixed with other essential oils like peppermint oil or citrus oil. To use this method, mix a small drop of each of these oils with a liter of water in a spray bottle. Spray the result in the roach infested locations of your home.

Cockroaches are strong and don’t die easily like some other pests. Sometimes its very difficult to eliminate them from your home, especially when they’ve dominated some areas. The best thing to do to eliminate roaches completely is to employ a combination of some of the method listed above. However, consistent and deep cleaning of your home is the best way to prevent roach infestation in the first place.

buff ameraucana

All About Buff Ameraucana

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The Buff Ameraucana is one of the varieties of the Ameraucana breed. It is a friendly, happy, and beautiful chicken that lays greenish blue eggs. They are independent chickens that love to free range and find their own food. This breed of chicken has a lot of features that you’ll love to know. Today, we will look at some important facts about the buff ameraucana.

Brief history of the Buff Ameraucana

The Ameraucana breed of chickens are traced back to Chile in the 1500s. Overtime, different breeds were bred together by the natives to form what is known today as Araucana. Yet, Araucanas are the parents of the modern day Ameraucana. This started when the Araucanas were brought into the United States by audience who attended the conference held for Araucana in Chile. The Ameraucana was founded by Mr. Keller, who was part of the Pratt Experimental Farm in Pennsylvania. The Ameraucana were created by crossing different breeds to the Araucana.

The Ameraucana breed of chicken was accepted into the American Poultry Association in 1984. The name Ameraucana was coined from two words: America and Araucana. It was named to sound like American Araucana, because it is recognized in the United States as a separate breed, but Ameraucana sounds perfect, since it combines both America and the parent breed Araucana into one word. In some countries like Australia for example, the Ameraucana, Easter eggs and Araucana chickens are not recognized as separate breeds, all are categorized together as one breed.

The Buff Ameraucana breeds are able to withstand much cold and bred for dual purpose. They are popular for laying greenish blue eggs. They have both beards and muffs and their eyes are reddish bay color. Their tails are upright and at a 45 degree angle of their body. Their body are of golden buff color and their feet are blue/slate.

Major characteristics of Buff Ameraucana that differentiate it from other breeds

Buff Ameraucana is one of the varieties of the Ameraucana breed. They are a quiet and docile breed of chicken that suit family life and tolerate small kids, and enjoy living with humans. They share similar features with other breeds of chickens that lay blue eggs. So, if you are in the market for Buff Ameraucanas, you could easily get confused when trying to tell which is which.

Here are some features that clearly distinguish the Buff Ameraucanas from other breeds, take note of them so you don’t buy the wrong chickens.

  • Color of the Buff Ameraucana eggs

The Buff Ameraucana is known to lay greenish blue eggs

  • Color of the Buff Ameraucana body

The Buff Ameraucana is a variety of the Ameraucana breed that has a golden buff feather color.

  • Color of the Buff Ameraucana legs

The buff Ameraucanas are more precise when it comes to leg color, they are simply slate/blue.

  • Shape of the body

Buff Ameraucanas are known for big and full feathered chests. However, the Easter Eggers have a thin body frame, while the Araucanas have round chests, which are also full of feathers.

  • Nature of tail

The Buff Ameraucanas have tails that are upright and at a 45 degree angle of their body.

  • Nature of the face

The Buff Ameraucanas have roughly full faces with beards that are thick. They also have ear muffs.

  • Type of comb

Buff Ameraucanas have pea combs, but the Easter Eggers have no standards.

Other Characteristics of Buff Ameraucanas

The Buff Ameraucana are bred for two principal reasons; their greenish blue colored eggs and for exhibition purposes. The bantam size Buff Ameraucanas weigh between 680 to 820 grams, while the large chicken sizes weigh between 2 to 2.5 kilograms.

They are very happy birds with a healthy social behavior. They can live well around other chickens, and are naturally friendly to humans, but don’t try to hold them if they show resistance. The roosters are not as sociable as the hens, so if you’re holding a buff ameraucana that is getting aggressive, it is mostly likely a rooster and you should put it down immediately.  One thing that easily makes Ameraucanas hostile is unfamiliar situations, when they are with strange chickens or strange people, they can get aggressive and that is their self defense mechanism.

Buff Ameraucanas are known to have a low broodiness level and are easy to care for. You need a lot of space them because they love to move around.  

The eggs laid by Buff Ameraucanas are average to large in size, and greenish blue in color. According to observation, an average buff ameraucana can produce up to 200 eggs per year. When well cared for, these chickens can be very lucrative to rear. They don’t have a specified life span, but they can live for a maximum of eight years. Buff Ameraucanas are also reared for meat production purposes, and it takes about one year before it is mature enough to start producing meat.

Facts About the Buff Ameraucana

  • The Buff Ameraucana was developed in the United States.
  • Buff Ameraucana lay greenish blue eggs.
  • Buff Ameraucana’s ability to lay blue eggs comes from chickens from Chile.
  • Buff Ameraucana can lay up to 200 eggs per year.
  • Buff Ameraucana lay 3 to 4 eggs per week.
  • Their bodies are of golden buff color.
  • They are able to survive in cold weathers.

Few reasons why you should rear Buff Ameraucanas

  • The Buff Ameraucana are meat producers, but majorly egg layers. It’s true that they take long time to produce meat, but the results are worth the wait, this further increases their commercial value, since they are good for both meat and eggs (dual purpose).
  • They are relatively easy to breed because of their obedient nature. They are not aggressive to familiar faces and caregivers. If you feed and treat them well, you will enjoy their cooperative behavior.
  • With respect to feeding, Buff Ameraucanas are not picky, but to get the best out of them, it is ideal to feed them organic foods, especially if you are planning to harness their dual-purpose nature.
  • They are quiet breed of chickens. You won’t hear much noise from your farm unless there is something giving these chickens discomfort. Despite being sweet in nature, they can be defensively aggressive when they feel threatened. To enjoy their quiet nature, make sure they have enough space to roam about, they will feel safe and remain quiet most of the time.
  • They lay beautiful greenish blue eggs that will be highly sought after when you let people know you have them for sale or exhibition. These eggs have the same nutritional values as the regular color of eggs. Buff Ameraucanas lay all year round.
Wheaten Ameraucana

All About Wheaten Ameraucana

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When it comes to poultry farming, there are so many types of birds to rear for different productive reasons, but we will focus on the Wheaten Ameraucana today. Let’s start with a brief history of this rare breed of chicken.

Brief history of the Wheaten Ameraucana

The Wheaten Ameraucana comes from a Chilean breed known as Araucana chickens. The original breed had some characteristics that affected the Araucana genes, but they laid blue eggs. So, the Wheaten Ameraucana was developed from it, with the aim of maintaining the ability to lay blue eggs, but without those lethal characteristics the parent Araucana breed is known for. There are different strains of Araucanas, and the Wheaten Ameraucana chickens are bred from these different strains.

From the 1960s, through the 1970s, poultry farmers in the United States have been practicing this process, but it was not until the mid-1980s that the American Poultry Association (APA) officially recognized the Wheaten Ameraucana as a breed. The name Ameraucana, comes from two words: America and Araucana. It was named to sound like American Araucana, due to the fact that it is recognized in the United States as a separate breed, but Ameraucana sounds perfect, since it joins both America and the parent breed Araucana into one word. In some countries like Australia for example, the Ameraucana, Easter eggs and Araucana chickens are not recognized as different breeds, all are categorized together as one breed.

Major characteristics of Wheaten Ameraucana that differentiate it from other breeds

We already know that the Wheaten Ameraucana shares similar features with other breeds of fowls that lay blue eggs. So, if you are in the market for Wheaten Ameraucanas, you could easily get confused when trying to tell which is which. Sometimes, you may even come across spelling variations, which will make things more complicated. Misspellings like “Americauna” for example, could have you buying Easter Eggers instead of Wheaten Ameraucanas. So be careful when you go out to find them, make sure the distributor spells them correctly. 

Here are some features that clearly distinguish the Wheaten Ameraucanas from other breeds, take note of them so you don’t buy the wrong chickens.

  • Color of their eggs

The Wheaten Ameraucana is known to lay blue, and sometimes, green colored eggs. The same goes for the parent Araucana breeds, they also lay blue and green eggs, but the Easter Eggers lay eggs in more color variety. They lay in green, blue, white and brown colors. So, judging by the color of the eggs they produce, you can narrow a chicken down to Araucana and Ameraucana breed, then use other features to strike out one and be certain of what you have.

  • Color of the legs

This is another easy way to tell which breed of chicken you are looking at. The color of the legs is not the same for Ameraucanas, Easter Eggers and Araucanas. For the Easter Eggers, they have no particular color one can use to identify their legs, so just focus on the other two breeds when using this feature to distinguish. The Araucanas have three known leg colors, so if you’re looking at this breed, you will see a pair of yellow, willow, or black legs. The Ameraucanas are more precise when it comes to leg color, they are simply slate blue.

  •  Shape of the body

From the body shape, you can tell if a chicken breed is Ameraucana, Araucana or Easter Egg. Ameraucanas are known for big and full feathered chests. The Easter Eggers have a thin body frame, while the Araucanas have round chests, which are also full of feathers.

  • Nature of tail

The Araucanas have no tails, but the Ameraucanas have. The Easter Eggers also have tails but there are no exact features for them, this is because they come in varieties.

  • Nature of the face

The Ameraucanas have roughly full faces with beards that are thick. They also have ear muffs. Araucanas have ear tufts and their faces are relatively smooth. Easter Eggers don’t really have distinct features here, since there is no standard.

  • Type of comb

Ameraucanas and Araucanas have pea combs, but the Easter Eggers have no standards here as well. From these characteristics, we can tell that the Easter Eggers seem to have less standard features when compared to the other two. It is the oldest of all three breeds, but has no official recognition from the APA (American Poultry Association) as a breed.

Other features of Wheaten Ameraucanas

These chickens are bred for two basic reasons; their blue/green colored eggs and for exhibition purposes. The bantam size wheaten Ameraucanas weigh between 680 to 820 grams, while the large fowl sizes weigh between 2 to 2.5 kilograms.

They are very lively chickens with a healthy social behavior. They can live well around other chickens, and are naturally friendly to humans, but don’t try to hold them if they show resistance. The hens are known to be more sociable than the roosters, so if you’re holding an ameraucana that is getting aggressive, it is mostly likely a rooster and you should put it down immediately.  One thing that easily makes Ameraucanas hostile is unfamiliar situations, when they are with strange people or strange chickens, they can get aggressive, it is a self defense mechanism.

Ameraucanas are known to have a low broodiness level and are easy to care for. They need a lot of space so they can feel free to move about, so you should secure enough space if you want to rear them. 

The eggs laid by wheaten ameraucanas are average to large in size, and blue or green in color. All things being equal, an average ameraucana can produce up to 200 eggs per year. When well cared for, these birds can be very lucrative to rear. They don’t have a specified life span, it is still under study, but they are generally known to have the lifespan of other birds, which is between five to ten years. Ameraucanas are also bred for meat production purposes, and it takes about one year before it is mature enough to start producing meat. 

Reasons why you should rear wheaten Ameraucanas

  • They are meat producers, but majorly egg layers. It’s true that they take long time to produce meat, but the results are worth the wait, this further increases the commercial value of Wheaten Ameraucanas, since they are good for both meat and eggs (dual purpose).
  • They are relatively easy to breed because of their obedient nature. They are not aggressive to familiar faces and caregivers. If you feed and treat them well, you will enjoy their cooperative behavior.

With respect to feeding, Wheaten Ameraucanas are not picky, but to get the best out of them, it is ideal to feed them organic foods, especially if you are planning to harness their dual-purpose nature.

  • They lay beautiful blue eggs that will be highly sought after when you let people know you have them for sale or exhibition. They also lay green eggs, which are also highly sought after. These eggs, no matter their color, have the same nutritional values as the regular color of eggs. Wheaten Ameraucanas lay all year round.
  • They are quiet birds. You won’t be hearing too much noise from your farm unless there is something giving these birds discomfort. Despite being sweet in nature, they can be defensively aggressive when they feel threatened. To enjoy their quiet nature, make sure they have enough space to roam about, they will feel safe and remain quiet most of the time.

Ameraucana chickens categorized by colors

These birds come in different colors. There are nine recognized Ameraucana colors, which are white, black, wheaten, blue, silver, brown red, blue wheaten, lavender, and self-blue. Knowing these colors and understanding each of them will make it easy for you to distinguish this breed from the others that are similar to it, like the Araucana for example.

  1. White Ameraucanas

The white wheaten Ameraucana chicken is completely white in color. No matter the size of the bird (large fowl or bantam), the white Ameraucanas do not have any other colors on their bodies. This holds true for the hens as well as the roosters.

  • Black Ameraucanas

Just like the white color variety stated above, black Ameraucanas maintain the black color all over their bodies no matter their size. Rooster and hen alike.

  • Wheaten Ameraucanas

This color is commonly seen in both bantam chickens as well as the big fowls. The hens and roosters do not carry the same appearance in this color category.

For the hens, you will notice their face and fluff have white feathers, while the tip of their wings and the feather on their heads have majorly black color with white details. The rest of their bodies are beige with white details too.

For the roosters, the colors are on the darker side. A darkish orange color covers their saddles, the tip of their wings, and their hackles. The rest of their bodies are black.

  • Blue Ameraucanas

As the name implies, the major parts of the blue Ameraucana’s body is blue in color. But the feathers on their faces are not blue, instead, it is light gray. This holds true for the hens, but there are some differences between the hens and the roosters of this category of Ameraucanas.

The roosters are not covered in light blue feathers all over their bodies. Parts like the tails, saddles and hackles are black in color. They have blue colored chests, but the feathers also have some black details added to the blue. Other parts of the rooster are light blue in color.

  • Silver Ameraucanas

While all sizes of chickens in the silver Ameraucana category have the same color, there are differences to help you tell which is a hen and a rooster. When you look at the hens, you will notice that there are different colors all over their bodies. Their beards are a mixture of brown and black colors, their hackles are white and black, they have a touch of white on their feathers, while the rest of their bodies are dark brown or brownish gray. As for the roosters, they don’t have as much color distribution as the hens, just white and black strategically covering certain parts.

  • Brown red Ameraucanas

The hens in this category are the ones that do not have a lot of colors covering their bodies. Usually, they are almost totally black in appearance, but sometimes you can see a little bit or orange coloring on their necks. The hackles of brown red Ameraucanas also have orange color.

The roosters have more color. A mixture of orange and black (but majorly orange), covers their saddles and capes. While other parts of their bodies are covered in darker orange color, mixed with black.

  • Blue Wheaten Ameraucanas

The roosters in this category have a complicated color distribution around their bodies. They have blue and black muffs and beards, you will notice the color change from blue to black at the edges of the feathers. Their tails are black. While blue and orange colors cover the rest of their bodies.

The hens of the blue Wheaten have white faces. The rest of their bodies are completely beige, but the tails and tips are darker in appearance.

  • Lavender Ameraucanas

The small and large sizes of fowls in this group, as well as the hens and roosters, share the same color characteristics. This category is made up of just one color, which is blue. The entire body of a fowl in this group, including its tails and feather tips, are blue in color. The group is also known as “self blue”, which is a proper description of how the lavender Ameraucanas are colored.

  • Buff Ameraucanas

There has to be the same buff color for all the chickens in this group. The buff color should cover every single part of the body of the chicken, hen or rooster alike. It should be noted that this particular Ameraucana fowl is difficult to breed from start to finish, due to the uniform nature that has to be maintained.

Things You Should Know About Your Girlfriend

36 Things You Should Know About Your Girlfriend

Lifestyle / By

A woman would love to know that her man remembers the small details about her. For example, remembering a seemingly unimportant promise, or her usual order at the diner you usually stop by. It is the little things that gain you those extra points in a relationship. This will make her to believe that you pay extra attention and actually care for her genuinely.

How much do you know about your girlfriend? Does she wield rare qualities that help you become a better human being? Or does she possess habits that make you doubt your relationship with her? Have you ever gotten the chance to understand her good and bad sides? These and many more are questions that if answered can help you discover who the person you’re with truly is.

Nonetheless, you should place at the back of your mind that no relationship is perfect, and as a result, it is important to keep an open mind about which imperfections are worth your understanding. To achieve this feat, there’s the need for a coded questioning session. It is coded because, you are going to be employing subtle tactics to get those answers you desire. Because of this, fun and unserious questions should dominate your ask-list.

Understanding your partner, a lot more than you do can go a long way in improving your relationship with them. Discovering their habits, hobbies, and aversions that contribute to how they view life, can effect some positive changes in your relationship and help it stand the test of time. Hence, it is important that you ask the appropriate questions, and summon up courage to hear the answers.

The pointers that you will be seeing shortly are excellent for getting to know your new girlfriend, or if already in a relationship, they are perfect for asserting whether the partner you are with is truly the right one for you. By now, you should bear in mind that a good number of these questions are not serious. Serious questions should be reserved for only serious conversations, likewise fun and light-hearted questions. However, in all your doings, always note that timing is key.

So, if you are looking to know your girlfriend a lot better, it is irrefutable that there is the need to ask questions. Here in this guide, you have been provided with an exhaustive list of things you should know about that special someone. Subtle commentaries will be provided with each question to help you know what to look out for in her answer.

1. Her Favorite Things, Including People

Curate a list of the things she loves and the people that make her smile. Find a place in your heart to treasure these findings too. Ensure that you are aware of the beautiful pieces of your other half’s life. This is because, aside from just showing that you care, it is very vital that you acknowledge the reality that her happiness can come from several areas apart from just you and the relationship.

2. Her Life’s Story – The Best and Worst Moments

A lot of persons believe in love at first sight, and they assert that it can be the start of beautiful occurrences. However, many persons have learnt the hard way that love is not enough to keep a relationship standing. There are so many other factors that need to be considered, and one of the most important is, getting to know your partner for who they truly are. The quest doesn’t end there. As you unravel mysteries and stories surrounding your girlfriend’s life, you have to be prepared to accept what you find, especially the unpleasant aspects.

3. A List of The Things That Get Her Annoyed

Ever tried finding out the things that get her annoyed? Well, now’s the time to do so. Every person has an exhaustive list of things that annoy them. That is the reason why it is needful that you know everyone on your girlfriend’s list. This will help you to make the necessary adjustments and avoid the petty arguments that graduate into serious fights.

Always try as much as possible to understand that you and your partner are two different people with totally different personalities and experiences. This will help making a compromise in any argument much easier for you, hence, facilitating a much stronger connection between the both of you, especially if you are in a fresh relationship.

4. All the Things That Fuel Her Temper

What makes your girlfriend angry? Are there any events or actions that can make her explode without remorse? You might wanna check this one out. Find out what bursts her bubbles. Note that anger is an emotion embedded in every human. Identifying what triggers it is an excellent way to know your woman better. There’s a wealth of things that you can learn from how people express their anger, as well as the way they respond to the objects that trigger it.

5. What Are Her Dreams and Aspirations?

Knowing the goals and ambitions that she has decided to pursue is a great step to take when trying to understand her better. What are the things that she looks forward to? Applaud her courage and appreciate her confidence to face the future without any hesitations. It is very inspiring to know how your woman sees herself five to twenty years from now. It so undoubtedly a proud feeling to be with someone who is not scared of dreaming big.

6. What Makes Her Laugh: Things you should know about your girlfriend

Apart from just the fun of it, humor can play a very vital role in building relationships. It can serve as a means of temporary escape from life’s unpleasant surprises. Positive energy is an instant remedy to distress, so ensure that you make your partner laugh. Discover her favorite lines. If you must, Google the world’s funniest jokes and practice stand–off comedy for a change. It might just go a long way.

7. Learn About Her Frustrations

Try uncovering her frustrations and defeats. Check out those things that reminded her that people don’t always get what they deserve even if they merit it. Even the most optimistic and enthusiastic persons can be brought down by certain situations. That is the reality of life. Nonetheless, the role you can play is making sure to be there for her when she is reminded of things like this. If possible, help her to achieve those things she had given up on doing just because she failed a couple of times. Become a source of inspiration to your partner while assuring her that those defeats will not overcome her.

8. Her Favorite Foods

You might wanna get a list of her favorite foods if you want to step up your game. This one could pass off as the most underrated aspect of every relationship when infact, it should be given a lot of credit. What is your partner’s favorite restaurant, diner, or cafe? What are her favorite food picks? Would she prefer a Chinese Restaurant to a Japanese Cuisine? Is she into spices, or prefers her food bland? Don’t be scared to take her on consecutive food tours because she deserves all the good food she can get.

9. The Person(s) That Broke Her Heart

An essential step to fully understanding your girlfriend in and out is accepting her past as well as the persons who have contributed to how she sees the world now. This includes her previous relationship(s) and how they turned out. However, make sure to be careful when asking her questions relating to this, and ensure that you have an open mind towards accepting the things you cannot change. It will be easy to accept even the most unpleasant revelations when you focus on the fact that every stage in your partner’s life was necessary for her overall development and her present stand with you.

10. What Are the Craziest Things She Has Done

Even the most boring person has a crazy side to him or her, and this goes a long way in bringing fun into the relationship, especially if the relationship is new, and you are both in the stage of getting to know each other better. Asking the necessary questions will help you discover a different side to your girlfriend. You get to find that pathway within her that can only be opened for those that have the key to her heart. So, don’t hesitate in trying to know her craziest side because, you might just love what you find.

11. How They See Their Present and Future with You in It

Ever wondered if your partner sees you in her future? You should be worried if you haven’t gotten a hang of this one yet. It is important that you know whether your partner has a vision of you in her future. What would your role be from ten to fifteen years from now? Do you often discuss your life together and how you both plan on spending it? Ask questions that hit this factor. This will help develop true intimacy between the both of you. Along with that, you will both find meaning and purpose in no time.

12. What Are Your Girlfriend’s Views About A Perfect Life?

Describe in detail what your idea of a perfect life is to your girlfriend and hear her views about it. Just take out some time to breath and relax, then close your eyes to imagine what your perfect life would look like. When you’ve gotten an idea of what you want in life, try as much as possible to explain it in detail to your girlfriend and hear her out. This question is ideal for finding out what she wants out of life, as well as the life she would live if everything went smoothly.

When you get your partner’s answer, you can compare her views with your goals if they correspond. You can also bring up light-hearted questions about what a regular day in that perfect life would look like. So, if your perfect life is riding on a yatch while chilling off with friends, or travelling around the world with no backpack and zero cares, whereas her idea of a perfect life is building an enterprise from the scratch, then the both of you might need to do some serious talking.

13. What Does She Think the Role of a Man and Woman in A Relationship Should Be?

Asking questions of this nature will help the both of you to enter into the relationship on the same page as far as individual and collective roles are concerned. If your girlfriend’s ideas about her roles and yours in the relationship are very different from yours, then you might want to get that settled before you both go any further into the relationship.

14. What Was Her Most Serious Relationship and How Long Did It Last?

This is an important step in getting to know your girlfriend later. It might be difficult to ask her questions of this nature but it will help the both of you in the long run. You should know about her past relationships, how many she had been in, and the most serious of them all. Now is not the time to get jealous because she is talking about her ex’s. Bear in mind that you have got ex’s too, and a couple of things went down in your past relationships if you’ve been in any. 

You do not have to compare your partner’s exes to yourself. This question is only directed towards giving you information about what your girlfriend likes and dislikes in a relationship. It will also give you an in-depth knowledge about how she sees serious relationships.

15. Has Your Girlfriend Ever Cheated on Someone Before?

This one’s a gory subject, so you’re gonna have to be careful. At this stage, the questions have gotten quite serious, hence, you must try your possible best to employ strategy in the way you present questions. With that being said, it is a vital info that you should know. There’s the popular saying, ‘once a cheater, always a cheater’. While your girlfriend might not be guilty of this one, the infamous phrase is a common phenomenon, and it won’t hurt to know the possibilities.

Has your partner cheated on her previous boyfriend(s) before, and what happened when she was caught? If she did cheat, there’s a good chance she’ll do the same to you. Although this rule does not apply to only women, so check yourself too, just to avoid future hiccups in your relationship.

16. How Much Time Did She Usually Spend with Her Previous Partner(s)?

You’ve got a land mine as a question once again, so be careful when asking this one. As mentioned earlier, now is definitely not the time to be getting jealous over ex boyfriends, so make sure to stay focused. The answer to this question will give you an idea of how much time you should spend with her. 

While some guys want their women to be around them all the time, others love their personal space. It is the same with girls. Done girls want to hang around their boyfriends for as long as they can manage, while some others cherish distance and some level of privacy. It is all about personal preferences. Note that if some of your preferences don’t match with your partner’s, it is not enough reason to give her the cold shoulder.

17. Does She Prefer the Outdoor Life or Indoor Life?

Ever asked your girlfriend what her ideal schedules are like? Well, the answer to this one can go a long way in revealing to you what kind of person she is. She might just be the indoor type and you may be an outdoor person. When this is the case, do not expect her to enjoy being dragged out on excursions and trips. On the other hand, if she’s the outdoor type, you might want to start shopping for some sneakers and hiking boots. However, if you and your partner are really different in this regard, maybe try reaching a compromise and plan for eat outs and cabin trips.

18. What Properties Does She Own That She Values the Most?

You might want to read some meaning into this one. Are her most valued items sentimental? What are her three most cherished items? Are they expensive items, or products she can show off?  Or does she perhaps lack sentimental attachment to objects? The answer to these questions will let you know whether to bid your money goodbye or just worry about nothing.

Looking at it from another angle, the answers she will give you to questions of this nature will give you an idea of what kind of gift to give her. Is she sentimental? Then get her something that reminds her of the relationship you both shares. Does she lack sentimental attachment to things? Then get her something practical that will help her improve her skills and hobbies.

19. How Would She Deal with A Friend Who’s Being Insultive?

This one will let you know how she deals with issues such as conflict. Does she avoid fights, escalate conflicts, or just assumes the position of a peacemaker? The odds are that she will deal with you in the face of conflicts the same way she’d deal with her friends. She might get really angry, try to make peace, or just completely avoid you, and that’ll be it. 

20. What Are Her Favorite Movies and TV shows?

As light-hearted as this question may pose, it can go a long way in helping you know just how much the both of you will enjoy watching shows and seeing movies together. First if all, of she likes her onscreen time and you do, then you both are a lucky duo. So, what are her preferences on movies and shows? Do they fit yours? The answers to these questions will let you know if there’s the need to make a compromise when it comes to movie time.

21. What Are Her Least Favorite Movies and TV Shows?

After knowing those movies and TV shows that keep her glued to the screen, you should know the ones that she doesn’t enjoy. Is your type of movies the ones she dislikes? You might want to check that one out, otherwise, she might just be watching them with you just because you like them, amidst fake laughs and cheers. If this is the case, she’ll certainly get tired of humouring you some day, and watch the kind if movies she genuinely loves.

22. What Does She Think Is A Perfect Saturday Night?

Visualize your idea of a perfect Saturday night. Try to find your partner’s idea of a perfect Saturday night. When you get a hang of this one, you’ll have an idea of the things she finds fun, especially the things she loves to do during weekends. At the onset of the relationship, your girlfriend will probably do what you like doing for a few Saturday nights or thereabout, just to go with the flow. 

Nevertheless, how time goes, she’ll start doing her own things whether you like them or not. So, if you love partying without a care for the world, or you like playing games and chilling indoors while she loves going out, then there might be a little bit of a problem. You are both going to have to talk this one out sooner or later.

23. How Many Sexual Partners Has Your Girlfriend Had So Far?

It’s time to spice things up a little, so don’t get startled. Among the sensitive but delicate questions to ask your girlfriend for a better understanding of who she is would be how many sexual partners she has had so far. Yep, this one’s pretty basic but it is very important to take note of. She will also want to know the same about you, so be wise in throwing those questions.

While at that, you must undertake that this is not the time to be getting all worked up about her answers, especially if she has had more sexual partners than you have. It is definitely not a competition, so guard your emotions. This question is all in a bid to know if she enjoys sex as much as you do, as well as a lot of other notables, like her sexual health.

On the other hand, if she hasn’t had as much sexual partners, it could mean of lot of things, but among these things, the most common ones are; she isn’t that much into sex, she has a level of adherence to celibacy, or she’s not that experienced in the bedroom. Essentially, you want her sex drive to match yours. That’s the whole point of going towards this direction in your questioning session. Whether you’re into having sex frequently, or sex isn’t of much importance to you, it’s high time you found out her preferences. 

24. What Is Your Girlfriend’s Medical History?

It is very crucial to know the health of your partner whoever they might be. The reasons cannot be overemphasized. From occasional challenges to allergies, it is best that you know them all. To know the medical history of your partner in detail, you will both need to consult her doctor. Nevertheless, you can ask her casually to have an idea of her overall health.

Is she on regular medications for an extended time frame? Does she have any underlying illnesses? Is she on a diet? What supplements does she take? These and many more will help you know the health standing of your girlfriend, especially in the face of emergency. It will also give you an idea of the over-the-counter drugs to stock in your first aid box.

25. How Good Is She with Budgeting Money?

Finance management is a skill that every adult should possess, and your girlfriend is not excluded. At the least, one of the both of you should be good with money. If you are not that person, then it would help if your girlfriend has money management skills. Now is the time to decide who will be handling finance and budgeting, especially if you both plan on making the relationship serious and living together. 

26. What Kind of Stuff Does She Think Is Worth Spending Extra Money and Energy On?

Her answer to this question will give you a feel of the kind of things she will be spending her money on in the future. Along with that, it can also give you an idea of what she values. If a girl puts her time and effort into getting something, then that’s a clear indicator that she cherishes that item. The same comes to play here, so you might want to check this one about her.

27. What Does Your Girlfriend Think Is A Waste of Money

What item or property does she think buying or acquiring will be a waste of time, money, and effort? Is it a cream, curtain, bungalow, car model, or some kind of food? Whatever it is, just know that she’ll get annoyed if you spend your money getting it for her or yourself. Maybe she’s into duplexes, and so she’ll want you to focus your energies on building or acquiring one, instead of stressing about bungalows. In short, her answer to this question will tell you what she will get upset about if you spend your money on it.

28. What Does Your Girlfriend Think Is the Best Thing About Money

To your girlfriend, is money best because it makes people buy nice things, it provides security, or it makes it possible for people to create memories? Her answer to this question will make you to know whether she values material things, experiences, or if she’s a saver. Do her values correspond with yours. Do they match with how you see life and expect people should too? Make do with this new found knowledge of her as you wish because, it is a major pointer to who your partner truly is.

29. When Does Your Girlfriend Think A Man or Woman Should Pay for Something in A Relationship and When the Cost Should Be Split?

This knowledge is ideal for new relationships and is simply aimed at making both of you feel comfortable with outdoor spending. For some girls, a man should bear the cost of all payments, while for others, the cost should be split from time to time to ease the man’s burden. If your woman is up for paying for meals and Hangouts from time to time, it might just suggest she’s a lot more considerate than you thought.

30. What Are Some Unwritten Rules in Your Girlfriend’s Family?

This one’s some vital information you might want to take note off. Every person comes from a household, and your girlfriend is not an exception. In her household, she grew up, developed, learned skills, habits, and values. A lot of these values have been imbibed into her being even till adulthood, and as a result, such traits will be manifested during the course of her stay with you. So, now’s the time to ask away! 

What are some unwritten rules that her family adhered to? Like praying before bedtime, brushing before hugs or kisses, washing one’s dishes after each meal, or using flip-flops in the bathroom. Note that, she could get temperamental if you abandon some of these precepts during the course of your stay with her. She may just assume every person should know such rules, and fail to realize that you grew up quite differently from her. Hence, it is important that you note these things about her and maybe make out some time to discuss about it together.

31. What Is Her Idea of Being Successful?

What does your girlfriend think a successful person is? Is her idea of success a financially independent and self-made entrepreneur who has a privately-owned business? Or is her idea of a successful person one who sits behind a desk working for an already established organization? Is her idea of a successful person maybe a sports enthusiast, or a free spirited being with zero cares about life? Her answers will tell you if you fall within her admirable rank as someone she looks up to.

32. What Is the Most Romantic Thing She’s Heard Someone Doing for His Lover?

This one gives you an idea of how to show your affection for her, the little things you should never miss out, and what to expect as a display of love from her. An in-depth understanding of what she thinks is romantic will give you a feel of what she likes and the gesture of love from you that she will appreciate the most.

33. What Are Your Girlfriend’s Greatest Fears?

Is it death? Is she scared of dogs, cats, airplanes, or boats? Or does it go deeper than that?  Maybe she is not a pet person. If your girlfriend is really scared of dogs, then you might want to think twice about getting her a puppy as a Christmas present. There are a lot of other things to note about her greatest fears, it could go a long way in directing how you realtor with her, especially on sensitive levels.

34. What’s Her Story? Things you should know about your girlfriend

The story if your girlfriend’s life is paramount in your relation with her. Knowing her full name, nicknames, birth place, and family is very important. Also find out if she is allergic to anything, you certainly don’t want to kill her. 

35. Is She into Politics?

If one of you is into politics, now is the time to find out. Maybe she’s into the happenings in the political world. If you are into that kind of stuff, then you’ve got an added advantage. While it is not ideal to choose to be interested in political happenings as they help us stay in the know, some persons just don’t like it, and you might wanna check if she’s in this category.

36. Try Finding Out Her Firsts

If you really do care about that woman of yours, you should know the first times she did some things and aced certain milestones. Her first love, her first paycheck, her first job, her first relationship, her first kiss, her first time of having sex if she has, and who she did it with. Once again, it doesn’t call for any form of jealousy from you but is aimed at giving you a stronger and lasting connection with her.

Wrap-up

Knowing your girlfriend better is not aimed at causing a relationship sinker, instead it is directed towards giving you good info about your relationship with her. Asking questions and sharing personal information builds trust between the both of you. You could go the extra length and organize meetings with her family and friends, especially if you want a serious relationship, just to be in the know. Good luck on your quest! 

11 Chickens with feathers on feet

Uncategorized / By

Domesticated chickens have been in existence since time immemorial. There are hundreds of chicken breeds across the world. However, despite the numerous breeds, chickens with feathers on feet are rare. Chicken with feathered feet are known by some as chicken with boots.

A lot of people purchase and raise feathered footed chickens because they look different, lay great eggs, and do well as home pets. Whether you’re in the suburbs or on the farm, this breed of chicken will be a great addition to you.

The feather on their feet provide great warmth to them whether they’re sleeping in the coop or out walking around. Chickens with feathers on feet are adorable and have a unique look that most owners love. These chickens have different colors and pattern variations.

Below are some of the most popular chickens with feathers on feet.

  1. Booted Bantam
  2. Belgian d’Uccle
  3. Brahma Chicken
  4. Cochin
  5. Faverolles
  6. Frizzle
  7. Silkie
  8. Sultan
  9. Croad Langshan
  10. French Marans
  11. Pekin Chicken

Booted Bantam

Booted Bantam Chickens with feathers on feet

The booted bantam was developed in Netherlands and are also known as Sablepoot, or the Dutch Booted Bantam. In appearance, they are similar to the Belgian D’Uccles but they are bigger and don’t have feathers like D’Uccle. The average weight of booted bantam males globally is around 850 grams (30 ounces) and females 750 grams (27 ounces). Nonetheless, according to the United States standard, the size of male is 740 grams (26 ounces) while that of female is 625 grams (22 ounces).

The booted bantam chicken with feathers on foot comes in different colors and has fully feathered legs and foots. They are calm, friendly, and beautiful chicken that are worthy of keeping as pet. In addition, you should know that the booted bantam eggs are small in size.

Belgian d’Uccle: Chickens with feathers on feet

Belgian Bearded d’Uccle are also known as Barbu D’Uccles. They were developed in Belgium in the beginning of the last century. This chicken breed was named after the town of Uccle. They come in different color varieties have feathers on their legs and one toe, others toes are not feathered. The average weight of Belgian d’Uccle rooster is 740 grams (26 ounces) while that of Belgian d’Uccle hen is 620 grams (22 ounces).

They are regarded as an ornamental chicken as they are beautiful, small in size, and lay small eggs. The Belgian D’Uccles breed is an affectionate bird with a calm nature.

Brahma Chicken: Chickens with feathers on feet

Brahma Chickens with feathers on feet

Brahma was developed in the United States from chicken originated in India and China. They come in three color varieties – black, white, and buff. The brahmas are well known as chickens that have feathers that cover their legs and toes.

The purposed of developing the brahma was to create a chicken that produce a lot of meat and requires little in maintenance. They produce large sized eggs unlike the Booted Bantam and Belgian d’Uccle that produce small eggs. Brahmas are compliant and calm chickens that are able to handle cold better than other breeds.

Cochin Chicken

Cochin Chicken

The Cochin is a feathered footed chicken that originates in China. It is a large bird that produce a lot of meat. The eggs are also large in size. They come in different colors, the following are some of well recognized varieties: Black, White, Blue, Barred, Birchen, Brown Red, Buff, Columbian, Partridge, Red, Golden Laced, Mottled, and Silver Laced.

These cochin chicken breed may be large but are very calm and friendly. The roosters are rarely aggressive and can be domesticated quite easily. It is worthy to note that they do quite well in colder climates and would easily make themselves at home in your yard or home.

Faverolles: Chickens with feathers on feet

This feathered footed chicken originates from the village of Faverolles in France in the 19th century. They have medium-sized and compact bodies. The roosters usually weigh around 8 lbs while the hens weigh 6.5 lbs. The hens are great layers that lay medium sized eggs.

The Faverolles come in mahogany, white, and salmon colors and sport beards and muffs as well as five feathered toes. It is a good chicken for meat. However, this breed is harder to find unlike other feathered feet chickens. They are also gentle and obedient birds that do well in colder weather.

Silkie

silkie Chickens with feathers on feet

Silkie is an old breed of chickens that originated in china before the 13th century. The breed was named after their feathers that look like silk and satin. This chicken is included in this post because it has feathers on its feet. They come in different color varieties but white silkie are common and they have five feathered toes.

The silkie chickens aren’t good in laying eggs but the do well in hatching eggs from other breeds. They are docile and friendly chickens. They come in both bantam and standard. The standard are relatively small chickens, rooster weigh around 2-3 lbs while the hen around 1.5-2 lbs.

Sultan: Chickens with feathers on feet

Sultan Chickens with feathers on feet

The Sultan chicken comes from Turkey and was a living ornament in the gardens of sultans. It is a chicken with feathers on foot and comes in different color varieties but the white color is common. They have beards and muffs and huge crests of feather on their heads. Despite their feathered legs, they don’t do well in cold weathers.

They are somewhat small breed of chicken; the standard rooster weighs around 6 lb. (hen 4 lb.) while the bantam version of the rooster is around 26 oz. (female is 22 oz.). The sultan hens lay large white eggs.

Croad Langshan

Croad Langshan Chickens with feathers on feet

Croad Langshan is a chicken with feathers on the feet, it originated in China and was imported into the United Kingdom for a poultry show in 1872 by Major Croad. They are large chickens and have less feathers on their feet unlike others on this post. The Croad Langshan comes in different colors but are commonly seen in black with a gorgeous iridescent sheen of green.

The Croad Langshan lay large eggs that are normally various shades of brown but often known to lay eggs that are plum in color. It is a gentle and docile chicken that can be kept as pet.

French Marans: Chickens with feathers on feet

French Marans Chickens with feathers on feet

The Marans are feathers footed chickens that originated in France in the late 19th century. They come in different colors but are mainly sighted in black copper and cuckoo. The Marans are popular for laying dark brown eggs. They are friendly but don’t like to be touched or handled.

Pekin: Chickens with feathers on feet

Pekin Chickens with feathers on feet

This breed of chicken originated in Beijing, China during the Qing Dynasty. They come in 12 different colors and are known to lay small eggs. They are small in size and are feathered from head to toe. Some of the varieties of the Pekin are, Black, Blue, Barred, Birchen, Buff, Lavender, Mottled, Columbian, Cuckoo, Partridge, Silver Partridge, and White. The pekin are also know to lay brown eggs.

Frizzle

Frizzle Chickens with feathers on feet

Fizzle is a chicken (roosters and hens) with fizzled feathers. This is a recognized feather foot breed in Australia and Europe. However, In the United States, Fizzle is just any breed of chicken with fizzled feathers.

It has a single comb type and clean legs without feathers on the shanks. They have several color varieties that includes and not limited to blue, black, buff, red, Columbian, and white.

We have listed and discussed about some of the most popular chickens with feathers on feet. Generally, it is worthy of note that chickens with feathers on feet are great pets. When you take good care of your chickens, you’ll reap the benefit when they lay eggs that can be consumed or when you start using them as meat.

Below are some of the frequently asked questions on the topic.

Can chickens have feathers on their feet?

Many people are not aware of the fact that chickens have feathers on their feet. The truth is that some chickens have feathers on their leg and feet and we have discussed about some of the above. For quick consumption, the following chickens have feathers on their feet: Booted Bantam, Belgian d’Uccle, Brahma, Cochin, Faverolles, Frizzle, Silkie, Sultan, Croad Langshan, French Marans, and Pekin.

Do all Bantams have feathered feet?

Research have shown that some bantams have feathers on their feet. However, the answer to this question is No. Many bantams do not have feathers on feet. The following are bantams that have feathers on the feet: Porcelain Bantam, Buff Brahma Bantam, Mille Fleur Bantam, Buff Silkie Bantam, Blue Silkie Bantam, White Silkie Bantam, Black Silkie Bantam.

What black chicken has feathers on their feet?

A lot of black chickens have feathers on their feet. Some of them have been discussed in this post. Here are some of the black chickens that have feathers on their feet: Booted Bantam, Belgian d’Uccle, Brahma, Cochin, Frizzle, Silkie, Sultan, Croad Langshan, French Marans, and Pekin.

Do all Brahmas have feathered feet?

Yes, the brahmas are well known as chickens with feathers on feet. The purposed of developing the brahma was to create a chicken that produce a lot of meat and requires little in maintenance. They produce large sized eggs. Brahmas are docile and calm birds that are able to handle cold better than some other birds.

Do Ameraucanas have feathered feet?

No, Ameraucanas are chickens that do not have feathers on their feet.

Do Orpingtons have feathered feet?

Orpingtons comes in different varieties and most do not have feathered feet. However, research have shown that some Orpingtons have feathered.

Do lavender Orpingtons have feathered feet?

No, lavender Orpingtons are chickens that do not have feathers on their feet. However, they are a friendly, fluffy, beautiful birds with silvery-blue feathers. The maximum weight is between 6-8 pounds and they are good egg layers, sweet-natured, and good for beginners to add to their coop.

Do all Marans have feathered feet?

Not all Marans have feathered feet. The French Marans are well-known to have feathered feet while the English Marans do not have feathers on their feet.

How Often Should You Do Yoga

Fitness / By

How Often Should You Do Yoga

How Often Should You Do Yoga

Yoga has become one of the most popular and efficient forms of exercise, especially for those who spend most of their hours sitting. People with the target to lose weight, increase muscle strength and relieve stress tend to turn to yoga more these days. Yoga is laden with hidden benefits, but to reap these rewards, questions like how often you should do yoga, how many minutes you should practice yoga, and how to avoid injury during the practice pops up. These questions are what we have addressed in this article.

How many times a week should I do yoga?

Several mitigating factors are involved in the answer to this question. Those factors include time constraint, fitness level, financial capacity, set goals, and experience. The ultimate answer to the question is that doing some yoga is better than none, but if you are the type whose body tends to fall out of shape quickly, an increase in the number of times to practice yoga will do you a world of good.

How much yoga should I do as a starter?

Perseverance is required from beginners as they are liable to fall out of love with yoga due to the obstacles involved. As a beginner, you have to know your limit. You need to know when to stop as your body commands to avoid too much strain. This way, you will know which regimes suit your body. The prerequisite is to start with one class per week to acquaint you with the program.  During the process, you will know when you need more challenge; this way, you increase your workload and move to a higher class. You need to avoid overload by taking breaks between sessions. Burnout is real; if you feel uncomfortable or feel pains at any point, slow down or pull out. Do not be intimidated into doing more than your body can handle.

Can you get injured by doing yoga?

Too much of everything always have a negative impact; the same goes for yoga. You need to balance too much and too little to avoid damaging your health in the process. It is one of yoga’s ethics. Stay true! It is true that you can injure yourself while doing yoga as with any exercise. When you move too little, you tend to rest more on your muscles, and it can cause aches, and when you move too much, you can overstretch your muscle fibers, thereby causing pains. The pain experienced can be unpleasant. Therefore, instead of doing more yoga, listen to your body, and make a wise decision.

Do I need a yoga instructor?

Why not? Having a yoga instructor will serve you better and make you reach your goals quicker. They will help you to plan your schedule, and you will benefit faster than envisaged. I love home practice simply because of comfortability, but a public class will aid your development more. You will be able to get the necessary guidance from your instructor. And this is where finance comes in; yoga studios can be costly, and their spaces cumbersome. Fortunately, you have the liberty of having a home instructor from the internet or TV, and with the perfect yoga materials, you can make a swift upward trajectory. Several sessions are aired on TV and the internet all the time, making it comfortable for you to join and connect with friends and family if you follow the instructions as spelled out. This allows you to create your own schedule and at the comfort of your home.

Is 20mins of yoga a day enough?

It is safe to say that people often have the wrong perception of what yoga entails. There is simply no time too small or enough to practice yoga. In as much as you can breathe in and out, you are fit to do yoga. There are not many rules that counter how much time is needed to practice yoga, what sort of people to practice with, or what clothes to wear. You can be in front of the TV practicing yoga for 15minutes or streaming an online class on YouTube for 20mins; you are doing yoga. Even if it is just for a minute, you’re doing yoga as long as you dedicate your time, space, energy, and breath.

To what is “enough,” the answer to the question depends solely on the context. The onus lies on you; you are in charge of the situation, roll out your mat, and practice yoga for as long as you want. Nevertheless, we recommend that you pick a time when distractions are at the lowest, sit, relax, breathe, and channel your own being. It goes a long way by brightening our mood, making us feel better. A 20min less or more can impact your life positively. 

The harder aspects of yoga will command dedication and time, like touching your toes to your head while also standing on your hands. This practice requires instructions from your instructor. So, you need to find a way to determine what makes you tick, stick to the plan, and make it a point of duty to unravel new things at every practice. That’s the most important thing.

Is it ok to do yoga more than once a day?

While yoga is different from other exercises, you do not want to over-do or under-do yoga when starting out. You are at the risk of doing too much or less due to a lack of experience. You want to be careful because you don’t know the effect it will have on your body. It is detrimental to not follow instructions as a stop-start program will have a negative impact like. This is why you should incorporate a warm-up workout in your yoga program, especially before doing yoga. Whether you can do yoga more than once a day will be defined by your body. Just like every other workout session, you need to design your regime concerning what your body can take. Your physical limit is the key. It is most likely that you are not in the best physical shape as a beginner, which is why you do not have to exert too much pressure on yourself. 

When not to do yoga

This is to inform you that yoga is not a substitute for medical or therapeutic treatment. Whenever you suffer from one injury or the other, allow your body to fully heal before practicing yoga to avoid aggravating the problem. Sick people are also advised to stay away from yoga. When fully into the yoga practice, it can be addictive. Again, you need to always listen to your body. If your body tells you to take a rest, please do so because your life is precious. If you must practice within this period, then engage in a more restorative, meditative practice instead. You need to be cleared by your doctor before going ahead with practicing yoga to avoid irreconcilable damages.

Is doing yoga enough exercise?

Of course! It is an exercise that stretches and tones muscles, increases flexibility, and promotes balance. Also, it benefits the nervous system, giving you a form of deep relaxation and good for stress release. Nonetheless, you need more than yoga for the right fitness. You need more aerobic exercises to get enough physical exercise fitness. Walking, jogging, and biking will work your body enough more than yoga can do. You will release sweat more and quickly. However, a few minutes of a set of 12 powerful yoga postures need effort and can fall just short of the equivalent of a cardio workout. Yoga is trending but is definitely not the only exercise you need.

How often should you do yoga for the best result?

As stressed above, it’s not about how often you do yoga but how well you do it. You can practice yoga 7 days a week without getting the desired result because you do not do it right. You need to understand some basic principles of the mind and body to practice yoga successfully. When done correctly, you will see the results within a couple of weeks. Most people do not have the time to practice yoga, but whenever you have the opportunity for a 60-minute yoga workout a day, start with simple stretches for about 5 minutes and synchronize your breath in the process.

Conclusion

Yoga is the way when it comes to healthy living. Yoga not only helps you improve your physicality, but it also boosts your inner peace and relaxes your mind. Thus, yoga helps in every way because it is a commitment that lasts for a long period. Yoga is not just a routine practice; there is a lot more to it and many benefits involved. It benefits you for a lifetime. To practice yoga, you need both physical and mental strength to push through yoga’s barrier and daily practice. It is worth noting that whatever effort you put in has a corresponding result. And to know how often you need to do yoga, you need to set realistic goals for yourself, have consistency, and you will surely exceed your limits.

How often should you get a pedicure

How often should you get a pedicure?

Lifestyle / By

How often should you get a pedicure?

No matter how busy you are, finding time to take care of your feet is very important. In fact, the busier you are, the more you stress your feet, so you of all people, should take pedicure more seriously. The best way to take care of your feet is by engaging the services of a qualified technician for a cosmetic treatment, also known as pedicure.

To go about this the right way, you should have a pedicure schedule. This schedule will not only keep your routine more organized; it will also protect you from the mistake of getting a pedicure too often or not often enough. So, how should you plan your visits to the technician? How do you know the right intervals?

The answer is not the same for everyone, because we all have different types of feet, different aims, as well as different lifestyles. With these differences in mind, you can study the cases below to know what is more appropriate for your personal needs. You will be able to make the perfect schedule after using these points to determine how often you should get a pedicure.

Pedicure to improve the appearance of your toenails and feet

If you have calluses or other issues like bruises from tight shoes, broken toenails, bent toenails, painful soles from standing too long, and any other imperfection at all, your visits to the technician should be a monthly affair. 

When you visit the technician for the first time, they will examine your feet and recommend the best treatment routine for your needs. It is important to know that things will not change immediately if your feet have serious challenges, some processes take more time than others, but no matter the condition of your feet, you will see improvements and feel better with each visit to the technician. That’s the beauty of pedicure.

Depending on the nature of your feet and how fast you want things to go, you can discuss with your technician to arrange a special home service for you. This can be synced with your monthly schedule for the best results. It will cost you more, but you will be getting great value for your money.

Pedicure to maintain an already healthy pair of feet

All feet need pedicure, including the seemingly perfect ones. If you already have a nice set of healthy-looking feet, your visits to the technician will have longer intervals compared to the people who have need for special improvements. 

If you fall into this category, six weeks is enough gap to give in between every pedicure appointment. The procedure for maintenance is not long or rigorous, but it is important that you only give your feet to a qualified professional. You wouldn’t want to patronize a quack and invite a problem for your feet that wasn’t there before.

One of the reasons why you should only let a professional handle your feet even if it’s healthy, is because things can change at any time, and only a professional would be able to spot impending issues on time and take the right steps to prevent a problem.  

Though with proper maintenance every six weeks, you will hardly experience any issues, but there are situations beyond your control, like the weather for example. Depending on your skin type, a harsh weather condition could affect your feet and force you to require special needs, which means you will have to visit the pedicure technician more frequently. If you have such sensitive skin, adjust your pedicure appointments to every four weeks.   

Situations like moving to a new environment, changing jobs, a new skin care routine, a change in your diet plan, medical issues, and any other significant changes in your lifestyle, are factors that could affect how often you should get a pedicure. 

If you find yourself constantly missing pedicure appointments due to reasons you can’t control, don’t give up, you can still get a pedicure as often as you should. All you need to do is to contact your technician and have them examine your feet at home. Thereafter, you can be having personalized pedicure sessions at adjustable intervals, tailored just for your needs. If you have a good understanding with your technician, and can pay the money for this kind of service, your busy or unpredictable work schedule will have no effect on how often you should get a pedicure. 

Frequently asked questions (FAQs) related to ‘How often should you get a pedicure?’

Are pedicures worth it?

Yes, pedicures are worth more than we even acknowledge. It is not only about polishing and beautifying your toenails with a wide variety of designs, but also about caring for your dear feet that carry your entire body all the time. Yes, there is a lot of beautification associated with pedicure, but it is also a healthy practice.

If you get a pedicure as often as you should, your feet will never be infected with any disease, because the professional pedicure process involves treatment and exfoliation, which scrub out any dirtiness and leaves your feet as healthy and smooth as possible. You also get very good advice from the technician on things like the best products for your feet, the best routine practices, and general skin maintenance. 

The best part of pedicure process has to be the relaxation. It is such a fulfilling experience to spend some time outside the stress of the world, surrounded by professionals who are bent on pampering your feet with royal cosmetic treatment. 

What are the benefits of getting a pedicure?

When it comes to the benefits of pedicure, most people only know about the improved appearance of the toenails and feet, but there is more to it than enhancing your appearance. Some of these other benefits include:

  • Improved mental health

Pedicure usually involves massaging of your feet and entire legs. This is a practice that reduces stress and helps you relax, which is good for your mind and mental wellbeing. 

  • Confidence

If you have some imperfections on your feet that make you feel embarrassed, getting a pedicure will correct them and even enhance your feet. This will boost your confidence and you will be able to show off your feet and wear any shoe you like.

  • Good flow of blood and lymph

Many people don’t know this, but the foot massages you get during pedicure help to improve the flow of blood and lymph in your body. This eventually improves heart health because there is a clearer flow of blood to the heart. Pedicure is more than just polished nails!

How often should you get a pedicure in winter?

Harsh weather is no friend of your feet, so during winter, you and your technician need to make adjustments because you should be getting more pedicure treatment. If you were getting your pedicure every six weeks, make it every four weeks during winter. This will help you smoothen the dryness that will definitely take over your feet during winter season. 

If you were getting pedicure every four weeks, make it three weeks during winter season. Apart from the dryness and calluses, you are more susceptible to infections like fungus, and the only way to protect yourself is by getting more frequent care for your feet. When you see your technician more often during winter, they will be able to tell if you will have an issue with the weather and quickly recommend the solution, which could include referral to a Doctor, depending on how sensitive your skin is.  

The weather can be so harsh that some people may even need special attention in addition to the monthly meetings. If you are one of such persons, the technician could be visiting you every two weeks to see how your feet are doing. This is usually for people who already have serious issues before the winter season.

Why are pedicures so expensive?

Yes, pedicures are expensive, and the more personalized your routine is, the deeper you will have to dig into your pocket, but why is this so?

First of all, the feet are not the same as the hands, that is why manicure is more affordable. The feet are the most overworked part of the body, they need more skill and more time to treat. That’s why you pay more for pedicure. 

The professionals that handle pedicure have more training than those who do only manicure. Their skills are worth more, so you have to pay them well for their services, which include massaging, filing, polishing, exfoliating, trimming, and so much more.  

How much is a regular pedicure?

Thanks to the different pedicure options, the prices will always vary. Even if pedicures are usually expensive, you can always go for a less expensive option until you can afford a more luxurious plan, it will still give you a lot of benefits, and is definitely better than doing nothing at all.

A regular pedicure costs less than $35, but if you want to go for more personalized or luxurious treatments, you can spend $60 or more. It is always good to tip your nail artist, so include that in your plan when budgeting for a pedicure.   

Reasons to See an Endocrinologist

8 Reasons to See an Endocrinologist

Lifestyle / By

8 Reasons to See an Endocrinologist

Endocrine glands are present in every part of your body to regulate hormones and help coordinate and control the activities that go on within the body, such as growth, mood, metabolism, reproduction, and the like. There are over 50 hormones in the body, and the correct functioning of each of the hormones means the body is at an optimum level. Due to the complexity of the roles hormones play in the human body, we require a specialist to help us manage situations when issues arise. This is where the role of an endocrinologist comes into play. Endocrinologists deal with the hormones. Their job is to diagnose and treat health conditions linked with the body’s hormones, glands, and other related issues. They can help tackle hormone imbalances and endocrine gland issues with the aim of making your body feel better.

What do the Endocrinologists do?

As stated above, endocrinologists’ area of specialization is to treat complications in the endocrine system and the structure of glands producing hormones in your body. They are qualified to diagnose and treat cases like diabetes, thyroid diseases, osteoporosis, infertility, cancers, growth issues, metabolic disorders, and disorders in the hormone-producing adrenal glands and pituitary glands. Conditions and diseases that surface in other parts of the body can complicate the endocrine system, especially when they are not working properly. This might cause unforeseen damages in the long run, and collaboration between your doctor and endocrinologist will be required to solve the issue. 

Education Level and Training involved

Endocrinology is a versed part of internal medicine. The medical school follows four years in college. After that, they will spend an additional six years of training specializing in endocrinology. This will qualify them to get a certification in internal medicine and then get another one in endocrinology-board certified. This makes them highly revered in the medical world as per the number of years spent in gathering knowledge. They have been well equipped with sufficient techniques to diagnose and treat internal conditions, especially endocrine disorders.

A highlight of the processes involved on an average:

  • Four years in medical school
  • Three-year residency in internal medicine 
  • Two to three-year fellowship in endocrinology, diabetes, and metabolism
  • Exam to become board certified in internal medicine. 
  • Additional Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism exam and certification

What awaits you at the Endocrinologist’s?

Endocrinologists provide consultations in settings where patients do not require surgery. Although many issues that arise with the hormonal glands are often chronic, they do not require surgery. At any suspicion of hormonal problem as discovered by your primary doctor, you will be referred to an endocrinologist. You will be asked some questions regarding your ailment as the first process, to collect information about your health habits, symptoms, other medical conditions, medications, and family history of hormone-related problems. After this, they will assess and compare your medical records and perform examinations on your body, including physical exams, heart rate, checking your pulse, and blood pressure. They will also assess parts of your body that include the skin, hair, mouth, and teeth to check the influence of the hormones in those areas. Additionally, they may collect urine and blood samples for further examinations like urinalysis, biopsy, or if necessary, perform an ultrasound or imaging tests like MRI scans and computed tomography.

After a proper diagnosis, a treatment plan will be designed for you either personally or in association with your doctor to proffer a solution to the problem, which might involve paying a regular visit to the endocrinologist. This might be for a short time or otherwise. This is a necessary process to manage the situation better and to avoid further complications of the symptoms.

What an Endocrinologist is worth?

You might ponder why you need to visit an endocrinologist as suggested by your doctor concerning your diagnosis, especially in chronic hormonal conditions like diabetes or thyroid disease, thinking that it is just a way of extorting you. It’s not! A doctor and an endocrinologist have their different needs at different times. Here are the reasons why you need an endocrinologist to take care of your diagnosis:

  • They have an area of specialization- An endocrinologist is versed with the latest and specific treatments for different hormonal conditions. It is what he specializes in; it is what he has been drilled in. This is why when conventional treatments fail; they are the ones to go to. While most general practitioners are often right with their diagnosis but a specialist’s help is employed because of their specialty.
  • They are there to help everybody including the Non-Traditional patients- Different situations call for different methods of approach. A patient might respond well to treatment using oral or injected medication or otherwise in even extreme cases. This sort of treatment does not have much negative impact on their daily routine. But in some patients, despite following the laid protocol holistically, they still encounter problems one way or the other. The mixed results beg for the interference of an endocrinologist to help explore all possibilities. 

Cases that have to do with genetics are often tricky to combat, like cystic fibrosis that affects how they react to different treatments. Thus, proper care and dedication are needed by such patients. Although they are the ones that need their help the most for the treatment of hormonal conditions, ignorance will prevent traditional-path patients from truly appreciating the worth of endocrinologists. Those that do not follow the traditional-path know their importance.

  • They know what treatment is in vogue- Endocrinologists are vastly knowledgeable and updated because their world requires them to be conversant with patients’ latest treatments. The world is constantly evolving, raising the benchmark almost every time. This makes it easy for the patients that use the endocrinologists. They can gain easy access to the latest treatments and applications as they unfold.
  • They collaborate with your primary care Doctor for the betterment of your health- One’s jobs does not disturb the other. Rather, they work hand-in-hand to the benefit of their patients. Your health is in good hands with the two of them only that you allow yourself to be on the safer side of things when you employ the services of an endocrinologist. Your health is of utmost concern to you, and that is why diagnosis related to hormonal disease should be made by specialists.

Reasons to See an Endocrinologist

An endocrinologist can attend to patients in an outpatient setting or consult them at home as the situation warrants. Patients order for the services of endocrinologists for different reasons that have to do with underlying hormone-related disorder. When your doctor’s diagnosis is past his jurisdiction, the next step he takes is to refer you to a specialist, especially with concerns about the following:

1. Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis is a condition that involves the bones. The patient will have a low bone mass and also a declining bone structure as its characteristics. The bones from the hip down become feeble and susceptible to fracture. However, it’s a different entirely from osteoarthritis. It is a very silent killer when not properly managed because the symptoms are subtle and misleading. And unless there’s a fracture, the victim mightn’t be aware of what has happened to him. An endocrinologist will diagnose and do the required screening and prescribe the best, safe, and effective treatment plan to prevent and reduce fracture risk.

2. Thyroid

The thyroid has its location at the front of the neck and is butterfly-shaped. It has two hormones -T4 and T3 present. The thyroid hormone can affect almost every organ in the body, including the brain, heart, gastrointestinal system, and bone, and could have a devastating effect. This condition can be caused by low (hypothyroidism) or high thyroid level (hyperthyroidism). The common causes of hypothyroidism range from Hashimoto’s thyroiditis to toxic adenoma. Other causes include Graves’ disease and toxic multinodular goiter. Endocrinologists can diagnose and manage the disorder and other related conditions like the thyroid gland’s irregular structure, such as thyroid nodules and thyroid cancer.

3. Diabetes mellitus

One of the most common endocrine disorders in the world is diabetes. Diabetes can be grouped into three categories- type 1, type 2, and gestational. In 2018, over 10% of the United State’s population had diabetes.

Type 2 diabetes has the highest account between 90%–95% of all diabetes. Elevated blood sugar levels occur because of the lack of proper insulin supply by the pancreas.

Type 1 diabetes occurs due to the activation of autoimmune destruction. It happens because the body destroys the available insulin-producing cells in the pancreas, leaving the body insulin-deficient. To treat this deficiency, insulin supply via injections or an insulin pump is required.

Gestational diabetes is the kind of diabetes that develops during pregnancy. An examination is done by obstetrician/gynecologists (Ob/gyns) between 24-28 weeks of pregnancy to check for gestational diabetes.

4. Calcium level

Calcium serves important functions other than its presence in bones. It is one of the most important minerals necessary for existence. Hypercalcemia deals with the presence of calcium in the blood, often elevated. However, for calcium level regulation, the Parathyroid glands secret parathyroid hormone tightly to do the job. The parathyroid glands are four and are located beside the thyroid gland.

To treat hypercalcemia, you first have to know the cause of an elevated calcium level as there can be underlying causes that can influence other parts. The causes of hypercalcemia include too much of the parathyroid hormone level (primary hyperparathyroidism), vitamin D intoxication, certain cancers, medications.

5. Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)

Polycystic ovary syndrome affects reproductive-aged women at a percentage between 8% and 13%. The causes can be hard to determine, but studies suggest that likely causes include altered hormone action, insulin resistance, and abnormal selection of a dominant follicle in the ovaries.

For the diagnosis of PCOS to take place, some criteria must be met, which will be listed below:

1. Unstable or absent menstrual periods

2. Elevated male sex hormone determined by physical examination or blood test

3. Polycystic ovaries on ultrasound

6. Male hypogonadism

Male hypogonadism is the failure of the testes to produce the normal concentration of testosterone. It is now common amongst men. This has increased the number of hospitals and products that counters the disorder. It can be obvious and symptoms can include reduced libido, erectile dysfunction, decreased spontaneous erections, low sperm count, and poor concentration. Inappropriate treatment can cause more damages that will eventually cause more harm than good to the body.

7. Adrenal

The adrenal glands are two in number and pyramidal in shape. Each one is located above the kidney, and the hormones they produce are essential for human survival. It is the gland that secrets hormones such as cortisol and aldosterone essential for existence. But an abnormal level of the steroid hormones causes a disorder. Insufficient cortisol (adrenal insufficiency), excess cortisol (Cushing syndrome), and excess aldosterone (hyperaldosteronism) can be damaging to our body system. These problems can be detected through CT and MRI scans and evaluated by an endocrinologist for the right diagnosis.

8. Obesity

Obesity comes as a surprise on the list. This is because of a general misconception; that obesity happens due to lack of discipline or poor decision making. However, obesity influences to give room for the development of other health issues making it a dangerous customer. Obesity’s treatment can last till death, and its active treatment involves nutrition, physical activity, medications, and surgery.

Conclusion: Reasons to See an Endocrinologist

One good thing that will serve you well in the long run is to include an endocrinologist in your healthcare team, either you are suffering from an endocrine disorder or not. You can’t predict the future, by having an endocrinologist; you get to familiarize yourself with him eliminating the phobia associated. This way, you can receive an accurate diagnosis and suitable treatment plan. Conditions might not be as complicated as you think. An endocrinologist could be your best bet and could offer the solution you have been seeking for.