Hatching Chickens Since 1936
Nine decades of hard-won flock knowledge including care guides, breed profiles, and stories from the hatchery floor.
Angel wing in ducks and geese is a cosmetic issue more than a serious health concern. However, the deformity, which goes by various other names — airplane wing, crooked wing, slipped wing, split wing, carpal deformity — mars the appearance of an otherwise beautiful backyard duck or goose. What Is Angel Wing? Angel wing is […]
Male and female waterfowl of the same breed and variety are difficult to tell apart until they are several weeks old. Except for a few autosex breeds of geese, the only way to determine the gender of waterfowl hatchlings is by vent sexing. Happily that is not nearly as difficult as it is for chickens […]
Angel wing is a condition in which the flight feathers of one or both wings of a duck or goose twist away from the body. It occurs when either the primary feathers overlap in reverse order — over each other, rather than under, from outer to inner feather — or, more commonly, the entire last […]
Geese are not particularly prolific layers, as poultry go. The top producers might lay about four dozen eggs per year, which gives goose eggs their high value. The large white eggs are most often hatched to raise goslings for holiday roast goose. The eggs are also prized for creating craft items such as decorative […]
A century ago the goose was considered among the most desirable species of the farm yard, and while many of its traits are still apparent to those who keep them, their popularity decreased as breeding practices for marketability of poultry advanced. Why raise a goose that will be in its prime for cooking in about […]
Goose flesh makes a delightful dinner entrée and the feathers can be used to make a comfortable pillow, but the eggs are yet another reason to raise geese. When we don’t need them for hatching, we use eggs from all our flock – turkey, duck, chicken, goose, guinea and occasionally pheasant. Nothing goes to waste. […]
By: Victoria Brady Thehistoricfoodie.wordpress.com While some undoubtedly keep geese as pets or raise them just to sell, country folk and homesteaders often raise them for the table. This has not changed since the beginning of Goosedom. The noble turkey springs to mind when thinking of a special occasion meal but, while less common, the […]
The following comments are taken from “Ducks and Geese” published by Reliable Poultry Journal Publishing Company published in 1904. Varieties discussed were the White and Brown Chinese, the African, the Emden and the Toulouse, the latter two growing by far larger than the others. The Emden was described as a mammoth variety, pure white in […]
Geese can get pretty aggressive. The behavior relates to the fact that they are large, clumsy birds. They can’t easily hide when threatened, so they resort to aggression to ward off danger. The best way to avoid aggression aimed in your direction is to take time to greet your geese whenever you enter their […]
Goose eggs are delicious! Just one egg makes a formidable omelet, although goose eggs are less often used for culinary purposes than for hatching or — because of their large size and thick shells — for creating goose egg craft items such as Christmas ornaments and decorative jewelry boxes. Yet goose eggs may be used […]
Europeans raised geese for food and feathers long before they were brought to the United States by settlers. They are now used for exhibition, meat, eggs, feathers, down, and guard duty. Cackle Hatchery carries four breeds of geese: White Chinese, African, Toulouse, and White Embden. The Toulouse and Embden are the most popular breeds and […]