Houston, Texas, chicken a winner in nationwide contest

ARDEN HILLS, MN - A backyard chicken in Houston, Texas, was recently named a winner in the Purina® Strongest Birds in America contest. Local flock raiser Juan Diaz entered to compete against hundreds of strong backyard birds to earn this honor.

“I feel like a kid again, winning this kind of award!” says Diaz. “We started raising backyard chickens eight months ago, so we're new to the backyard chicken raising game. We like knowing what we feed our chickens and how they are being treated. They are part of our family now.”

The Strongest Birds in America contest was hosted on the Purina Poultry Facebook page to celebrate their Flock Strong® Feeding Program. Feeds in this program include all 38 nutrients backyard poultry need to start strong, lay strong and stay strong. The contest was open to nearly 150,000 Facebook fans. Purina-fed birds of all kinds entered – from growing chicks and laying hens, to ducks and peacocks.

Diaz submitted a photo of one of their family birds, a Silkie chicken. As a winner, Diaz receives Purina® poultry feed to help keep the family flock laying strong.

“We give them the best feed plus lots of love. We collect quality farm-fresh eggs from our strong, well-raised chickens,” explains Diaz. “It's calming to sit in the back yard watching them free-range and listen to the variety of sounds they make. And, we can't forget the tasty breakfast they lay every day!”

For tips on raising a strong backyard flock, visit flockstrong.com or connect with other flock raisers on Facebook, Pinterest or Instagram.