The more chickens you have, the more difficult it might be to come up with a name for each one. Some chicken names are simply traditional human names. Others are puns of various sorts. Most flock keepers prefer female names for hens and male names for roosters. Many, however, mix and match or choose gender-neutral […]
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Most bantam breeds are smaller versions of a larger counterpart. True bantams, on the other hand, are naturally small chickens. Rather than having been selectively bred for size, many of the true bantam chicken breeds existed long before the development of most of the other chicken breeds we know today. Difference between bantams and true […]
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An egg begins in the hen’s ovary, where the yolk is created. Then it travels through the chicken’s oviduct, which is about two-feet long and has five separate compartments, each with a different and specialized function. Some 25 hours later, the egg exits the hen’s body. The process through which each egg develops is nothing […]
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What you feed your baby chicks not only helps them grow and thrive, but also ensures good laying ability and fertility when they mature. On the other hand, improper nutrition can slow their development and have long-term negative consequences to their health and laying ability. Shipping causes stress. Chicks hatch with residual yolk reserves that […]
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One of the realities of breeding chickens is experiencing deformities in newly hatched chicks. Most of the time deformed embryos don’t survive to hatch, but sometimes one does. The more eggs you hatch, the more likely you are to occasionally find hatched chicks with deformities of one sort or another. Why deformities happen in newly […]
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Angel wing in ducks and geese is a cosmetic issue more than a serious health concern. However, the deformity, which goes by various other names — airplane wing, crooked wing, slipped wing, split wing, carpal deformity — mars the appearance of an otherwise beautiful backyard duck or goose. What Is Angel Wing? Angel wing is […]
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Chicken keepers who overlook the importance of the rooster-to-hen ratio may wonder why their flocks experience problems. Too many roosters lead to fighting, stressed and over-mated hens, lower egg production, and poor fertility. Surprisingly, too few roosters create some of the same issues. Let’s look at why getting this balance right matters so much. The […]
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What better way to celebrate the historic highway’s centennial than to get your chicks on Route 66! The thruway — which runs from Chicago to Santa Monica, California — opened in 1926 as one of the original roads in the United States highway system. Ten years after Route 66 opened, Cackle Hatchery® was established in […]
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Call ducks are the smallest domestic duck breed. Compact and feisty, they have tiny, round bodies, short necks, small heads, and short bills. These ducks come in numerous colors, not all of which are admitted to the American Standard of Perfection. How did this duck breed get its name? In the 1600s, Call ducks were used […]
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A baby chick’s body is about 70% water. Therefore, water is the most important nutrient for a newly hatched chick. In fact, a hatchling can’t digest feed without water. So a chick should drink water even before it eats anything. Here are the ins and outs of how to water baby chicks. How long can […]
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