These are the winners of the 2017 Cackle Hatchery Photo Contest: Runner ups:
Continue ReadingUK-Based Startup Is Turning Chicken Feathers Into Insulation
According to the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization, there are nearly 26.56 billion chickens being raised as livestock worldwide. Chickens are the most populous farm animal in the world, and every day they shed thousands of tons of feathers. In some cases, these waste feathers are converted into low-grade animal feed. In others, they’re simply […]
Continue ReadingA Beginner’s Guide to Raising Chickens for Eggs
It’s no secret that farm fresh eggs are tastier and better for baking and cooking than the store bought kind. Raising chickens for their eggs can be a very rewarding endeavor, but there’s a lot of preparation that goes into it. So what do you need to know to get started? Prep Before […]
Continue ReadingHeritage Breed: The Narragansett Turkey
A picture-perfect Pilgrim-era turkey, the Narragansett was developed by early settlers as a cross between Norfolk Black turkeys brought from Europe and local wild turkeys. Having its origins in Rhode Island, the turkey was named after the state’s Narragansett Bay. It was once a common feature in farmyards, but eventually lost favor to more cost-effective […]
Continue ReadingIs It Better to Feed and Water Chickens Inside or Outdoors?
Debate rages over whether it’s better to feed and water chickens inside the coop or outdoors in the run. The right answer depends on a number of factors, including how big the coop is in relation to the flock size, whether or not the chickens are confined indoors overnight and for how long, how secure […]
Continue ReadingIs Permethrin a Safe Treatment for Poultry Lice and Mites?
All insecticides are toxic to some extent, or they wouldn’t work. Permethrin is a synthetic version of pyrethrins — natural insecticides that are extracted from daisy-like flowers. Compared to natural pyrethrins, synthetic versions persist longer in the environment and therefore need to be applied less often. Permethrin comes in the form of a dust […]
Continue ReadingWhat is Feather Sexing? Separating Fact from Myth
Feather sexing is the ability to determine the gender of a newly hatched chick based on the rate of growth of its wing feathers. The trait is sex linked and works only if the chick’s father is of a breed that grows feathers rapidly and its mother is of a breed that grows feathers slowly. […]
Continue Reading20 Terrific Reasons to Keep a Flock of Chickens
Chicken keepers have many different reasons for having a backyard flock of chickens. Here are 20 of the best reasons put forth by people with a passion for poultry: Chickens lay eggs. Keeping your own flock of hens ensures a ready supply of freshly-laid eggs right outside your back door. Chickens eat insects. […]
Continue ReadingHow Do Chickens Get Lice?
The most common ways chickens acquire lice are from wild birds and other chickens. Once a chicken is infested, lice spread by crawling from one bird to another. Contact with infested feathers, especially during a molt, also helps spread lice. Lousiness is usually worse in fall and winter. Suspect lice if your chickens are restless, […]
Continue ReadingHow to Handle Baby Chicks, Ducklings, and Goslings
When those fuzzy little chicks, ducklings, or goslings arrive in the mail, the first thing you want to do is pick them up and cuddle them. Young children, especially, can’t resist snuggling those cute little fluff balls. The more time you spend with your baby poultry, the friendlier they will become. However, among the important […]
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