The definition of black chicken breeds depends on who’s talking. The term might refer to a breed that’s truly all black — feathers, comb and wattles, beak, shanks and feet, skin, and even bones. But some chicken breeds with black skin and other body parts have varieties with alternative plumage colors besides black. Many chickens […]
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Chicken breeds with beards came about as a genetic mutation. Chicken keepers liked the appearance, and so they continued to breed more of the same. Other than the cuteness factor, scientists have yet to find any significant advantage or disadvantage to a beard on a chicken. A beard appears as elongated feathers growing beneath a […]
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Chicken keepers often use abbreviations and assume their listeners know what they mean. Here are some of the more common chicken breed abbreviations, along with abbreviations for variety features and those used for show that may be puzzling when you see them in poultry publications, forums, and websites. Note that abbreviations may be combined to […]
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“The shredder gene in lavender chickens causes the feathers to split and the barbs to detach, resulting in rough looking feather development,” explains Jeff Smith of Cackle Hatchery®. Lavender, also known as self blue, is a plumage color resulting from an autosomal recessive gene. Let’s explore how it works. Lavender vs. Blue The lavender gene […]
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Although the age at which hens start laying eggs depends on many factors, the ultimate factor is the breed. Some breeds mature fast and start laying as early as 4 months of age, while others mature more slowly and start laying much later. Below are just a few of the many chicken breeds, along with […]
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Cackle Hatchery use’s our F1 Olive Egger hens and we cross it back with a mix of males of the Black Tailed Red Marans, Black Ameraucana and Cream Legbar. This cross will produce eggs that hatch into chicks and grow up to lay eggs that will produce a wide variety of olive egger shades and […]
Continue ReadingWhere do chickens come from? Chickens are descendants of wild jungle fowl, which were domesticated thousands of years ago. Where are chickens native to? No one is really certain where chickens originated. Evidence indicates that chickens most likely originated in southern China or northern India. Chicken Characteristics Are chickens birds? Yes. Chickens […]
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Developing chickens to lay eggs with consistently blue shells requires careful consideration and attention to the breeding. Even though blue shell color is a dominant trait, developing the best blue egg layers is always a challenge. For the 2022 chick season here at Cackle Hatchery® we prepared a ranked list of the best blue colored […]
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