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Which Is Best for Meat: Cornish Broiler or Heritage Breed?

Raising chickens for meat involves first deciding which to choose: Cornish broilers or a heritage breed. The fundamental difference is the amount of time needed to grow them from hatch to harvest. The quicker they grow to the target weight of about six pounds, the cheaper they are to raise and the more tender the […]

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How to Keep Guinea Fowl from Flying Away

Guinea fowl are notorious for flying away, never to return. The problem is most likely to occur when guineas are moved to a new and unfamiliar location. Guinea fowl can be more easily encouraged to stay on the home place where they are raised. But getting them to stick around is more difficult when they […]

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Breed Spotlight: Frizzle, Frazzle, and Sizzle Chickens

Frizzle chickens are fun and funny, but are they a breed? The answer is yes and no. In Australia, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, and United Kingdom Frizzles are classified as a pure breed. In the United States they are considered to be a plumage variety in any breed. Frizzle Chickens Frizzling is a genetic condition […]

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How to Trim a Chicken’s Parrot Beak

In a natural environment, a chicken’s beak wears down as fast as it grows. Periodically a chicken wipes its beak on the ground to clean it. The maneuver at the same time sharpens the beak for pecking and keeps it from growing too long.   The upper half of a chicken’s beak is naturally a […]

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The COVID-19 Pandemic Triggers a Run on Chickens

Baby Chicks

The COVID-19 pandemic has triggered a run on chickens, causing people to ponder the age-old question: Which came first, the chicken or the egg?   The Columbia Missourian votes for eggs: “Panic-buying the eggs came before panic-buying the chickens this year, though people have been doing both.”   But Newsweek opts for chickens, saying, “Many […]

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Gathering Goose Eggs — If You Can Find Them

Freshly Laid Goose Eggs

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 […]

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How to Treat a Chicken with Bumblefoot

Signs of Bumblefoot

Bumblefoot describes a chicken’s inflamed foot with a hard, swollen abscess in the foot pad. The word bumble originally referred to the affected chicken’s unsteady gait caused by the swelling. In recent times, the core of the abscess, or the abscess itself, has been referred to as a bumble.   The abscess may start out […]

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Buying a Ready-Made Chicken Coop — 10 Things to Consider

Prefab Coop

Buying a ready-made chicken coop, instead of building one yourself, has several advantages. It doesn’t require any carpentry tools or skills. It doesn’t take up several weekends of your free time to put together. And you don’t need a PhD in all the features a chicken coop needs. But you should know enough about how […]

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Raising Pet Chickens for Your Backyard

Cackle Hatchery offers customers a diverse range of chickens to choose from, so you can find the right backyard chickens for your needs. If you are looking specifically for pet chickens and you are new to raising chickens, here is a handy guide to help you find the perfect fit and tips on how to […]

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Thanksgiving Turkey Facts [Infographic]

Turkey Facts Infographic

Gobble, gobble! Thanksgiving is tomorrow, which means we’re talking turkey! If you’re one of the many Americans who will be gathering around the table with distant relatives who come around just a few times each year, you know that conversation doesn’t always flow easily.   Looking to avoid topics such as politics, your love life, […]

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