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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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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Chicken keepers vary in levels of experience, from novice to expert. But no matter how knowledgeable we might be, and how carefully we manage our flocks, all chicken keepers face the same three challenges. Predators Everyone who keeps poultry sooner or later experiences that heart-stopping moment of realization that a predator has come to call. […]
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A rooster’s wattles come in flexible pairs that dangle beneath the beak, while its comb is a single structure prominently affixed to the top of the head. Researchers have determined that hens base their choice of mates, in part, on characteristics of the comb. But when it comes to wattles, they scratch their scholarly heads […]
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Brooding Cornish cross broilers is similar to brooding any chicks, with the notable exception that the hybrid Cornish broilers get bigger faster. They eat almost constantly, and rarely move far from the feeder. They also drink a lot of water to wash down all that feed. So they need plenty of room to accommodate their […]
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Eggs that are sold specifically for hatching are called, fittingly enough, hatching eggs. They cost more than eating eggs but come with no guarantee they will hatch. Too many variables are not under the seller’s control. Even eggs laid by your own hens, or otherwise sourced locally, are not guaranteed to hatch. But when hatching […]
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Starting a backyard flock with a small incubator and some hatching eggs can be fun and educational. How successful you are at hatching chicken eggs in an incubator will depend on a number of factors, some of which are out of your control — such as the inherent degree of difficulty in hatching eggs from […]
Continue ReadingSTANDARD CHICKEN BREEDS Austra White Barnevelder Barred Cochin Barred Plymouth Rock Barred Plymouth Rock Exhibition Type Bielefelder Black Ameraucana Black Australorps Black Breasted Red Aseel Black Breasted Red Phoenix Black Cochin Black Jersey Giants Black Laced Golden Wyandotte Black Laced Red Wyandotte Black Laced Silver Wyandotte Black Sex Link Black Sumatra Blue Ameraucana Blue Cochin […]
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The coronavirus pandemic has shut down businesses, closed schools, and disrupted supply chains. It has also led to a dramatic increase in chick sales. “We are totally swamped,” says Jeff Smith of Cackle Hatchery. “It’s a little overwhelming.” Indeed, at Cackle Hatchery alone, sales have doubled over the previous year as more and […]
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Every spring, Chick Season® causes a surge in shipments through the United States Postal Service. The annual increase in cargo, consisting of chicks and support accessories, creates space issues. As a result, chick shipments may get delayed in transit. Sometimes the surge in numbers of packages will slow things down to the point that chicks […]
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