The terms “sex link” and “autosex” both refer to chicks whose gender is obvious as soon as they hatch. But the two terms are not synonymous. Sex link chickens, or sex links, result from mating a hen and a rooster of two different breeds. Autosex chickens are the offspring of a hen and a rooster […]
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Testosterone is generally considered to be a male hormone. But hens also produce testosterone. In fact, without testosterone hens wouldn’t lay eggs. Here’s a short version of how testosterone works in chickens. Testosterone in Roosters The best known androgen steroid, testosterone is responsible for why a rooster crows but a hen doesn’t. Testosterone is also […]
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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 […]
Continue ReadingThank 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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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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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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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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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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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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