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To Heat or Not to Heat the Chicken Coop?

Chickens outside of their coop in winter

Whether or not to heat your chicken coop in winter depends on your climate, your facilities, and your type of chickens. Here are some factors to consider when trying to decide whether to heat or not to heat the chicken coop. Avoid Frostbite Although relative humidity tends to be low in winter months, the air […]

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Cackle’s Annual Chicken Festival

Thank you to everyone who joined us for the 2024 Cackle Hatchery Annual Chicken Festival! We hope to see you in 2025! If you’ve never been to the Cackle Hatchery Annual Chicken Festival, it’s a free, family-friendly event that we’ve been putting on for more than a decade now. And we always make sure there’s […]

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Signs of Molting in Chickens

A molting hen

Molting is the periodic shedding and renewal of a chicken’s feathers. Mature chickens usually molt once a year, at the approach of colder weather and shorter days. During winter, old tattered feathers don’t provide the same good insulation as a fresh coat of plumage. So what are the signs that tell you your chickens are […]

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5 Outstanding Chicken Breeds for a Cold Climate

Dominiques in a fenced in coop

Few chicken breeds are truly outstanding for a cold climate. Specifically, three features make these breeds exceptionally cold hardy. They are: Small wattles Small cushion, pea, or rose comb Tight or dense feathering A lot of chicken breeds do well in cold weather. But they lack some of the features that protect them from extreme […]

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Chickens Are Birds, But…

Three chickens sitting on a deck

Are chickens really birds? Yes, chickens are birds. They share many features in common with other birds, including feathers, wings, and beaks. But in some ways they also differ from most other birds. Here are five features that differentiate chickens from most other bird species. Breeds and Varieties One of the things that make people […]

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Green Muscle Disease in Broiler Chickens

A diagram of a normal chicken muscle and a chicken muscle infected by green muscle

First, let’s dispense with a few myths. Green muscle disease is not a disease. It is a disorder involving muscle degeneration. Second, among chickens it affects only Cornish-cross broilers, but not other types of meat chickens. Third, it is not new, having been identified since 1968. And fourth, green muscle is highly preventable. What is […]

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9 Common Questions about Meat Chickens

A roast Chicken

Many Cackle Hatchery® customers depend on homegrown chickens to fill their freezers and feed their families. First-timers often have questions about the process. Below are 9 of the most common questions our team answers about raising meat chickens. Which chickens are best for meat? Some people prefer Cornish cross broilers. Others savor the heavyweight heritage […]

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8 Summer Strategies to Keep Your Chickens Comfortable

A New Hampshire Hen pecks at a feeder

A chicken is most comfortable when the environmental temperature hovers around 70-75°F. As the temperature goes up, so does the chicken’s deep body temperature. Fatalities occur if the chicken’s deep body temperature reaches 115°F or above. When summer temperatures start to rise, here are 8 strategies you can observe to keep your chickens comfortable. 1. […]

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12 Common Questions about Chicken Characteristics

A Naked Neck chicken

Fielding questions from customers is one of the pleasures enjoyed by our team here at Cackle Hatchery®. Below are the 12 most answered questions about chicken characteristics. Where do chickens come from? Chickens descended from wild jungle fowl, domesticated thousands of years ago. The exact origin of modern chickens is a much studied subject that […]

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