Showing poultry is fun, interesting and educational. It’s also a great way to meet people of all ages from all walks of life who share a common interest. But it can be stressful, especially for the first time exhibitor. It can also be stressful for the birds. In his book Showing Poultry, veteran poultry judge […]
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Homegrown chicken eggs are seasonal. Sometimes you have too many, sometimes not enough. Here are five ways to extend the shelf life of your fresh homegrown eggs, to preserve the surplus for days when your hens take a vacation from laying. 1. Do Nothing You may be surprised to learn how long clean, fresh, unwashed […]
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As if you needed one more reason to grow your own chicken meat, here it is — woody breast, defined as a hardening of breast muscle, resulting in stiff wood-like fibers that make the breast meat difficult to chew. Woody breast is one of three breast meat myopathies (muscle diseases) that plague the poultry industry, […]
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This week, the fourth-largest poultry producer in the country revealed plans to institute a number of reforms that focus on improving the lives of the chickens in their operations. Animal rights groups such as the Human Society of the United States (HSUS) and Mercy For Animals are hailing the announcement as an important step forward […]
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Protecting your flock from mites and lice can seem like an impossible problem. In fact, many poultry producers in years past didn’t even bother trying to get rid of mites, lice and similar pest infestations because it was such a common and invasive problem. Fortunately, there are now some easy things you can do to […]
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International Heritage Breeds Week is celebrated each year during the third week in May. So what exactly are heritage poultry breeds? According to The Livestock Conservancy, heritage chicken and turkey breeds share the following characteristics: They can reproduce through natural mating. They have the genetic ability to live long and vigorous lives. They […]
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If you raise chickens, chances are you’ve got more eggshells in the kitchen than you know what to do with. In an earlier entry, we showed you how to make seed planters out of discarded eggshells. In fact, this is just one of many practical uses for eggshells! Today we’ll share a few more of […]
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The term “standard breed” is often used in referring to large chickens, as distinct from bantam breeds. So what, exactly, is a standard breed? A standard poultry breed is any breed that conforms to its ideal description, as formalized (or standardized) by a central organization and compiled into a periodically updated book. The book […]
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Easter is almost upon us, which means it’s time to start the egg dyeing preparations! This Easter season, instead of doing the same old dye styles, check out these six unique styles that we love. Don’t Skip Brown Eggs If you’re plucking eggs from your backyard coop to use for making Easter eggs, you may […]
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