Posted on — 4 Comments

Does a Hen Lay an Egg Every Day?

Does a Hen Lay an Egg Every Day?

Rare is the hen that will lay an egg every day, year round. Most hens lay in cycles. Depending on the hen’s breed and age, one cycle may last for 12 days or as long as a year. The total number of eggs laid within one laying cycle is called a clutch. Eggs per Clutch […]

Continue Reading
Posted on — Leave a comment

More Places Using Chickens as Therapy Animals

More Places Using Chickens as Therapy Animals

Since they were first domesticated in China roughly 10,000 years ago, Chickens have been kept almost exclusively as livestock, rather than companion animals. Sure, we might appreciate their unique personalities and distinctly comical behaviors, but that’s not why we typically raise chickens. For the vast majority of people, it’s all about the meat and eggs. […]

Continue Reading
Posted on — 1 Comment

United Egg Producers Pledges to End Male Chick Culling

United Egg Producers Pledges to End Male Chick Culling

Currently, male chicks hatched to egg-laying hens in factory farms have pretty bleak prospects. Within a day, these chicks are sorted from their female counterparts and tossed unceremoniously into what amounts to a very large blender. It’s a practical consideration for egg producers, but it’s all pretty grisly and dystopian. Roughly 100 million male chicks […]

Continue Reading
Posted on — 3 Comments

What Do You Call the Place Where You Keep Your Chickens?

What Do You Call the Place Where You Keep Your Chickens?

Chickens need to be confined to protect them from the elements and from predators, but what do you call the structure in which they live? Chicken coop is a common term for a stationary structure. The word coop derives from the Old English word cype, meaning a small structure for confining birds. Hen house is […]

Continue Reading
Posted on — 3 Comments

Protecting Your Flock From Mites and Lice

Protecting Your Flock From Mites and Lice

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 […]

Continue Reading
Posted on — 1 Comment

Heritage Chicken Breed: The White Chantecler

Heritage Chicken Breed: The White Chantecler

The heritage Chantecler chicken is a dual-purpose breed suitable for the backyard production of both meat and eggs. It is the only breed of chicken originating in Canada, developed to withstand the rigors of bitter cold winters.     The Chantecler hen has a gentle temperament, lays brown-shell eggs, and tends toward broodiness as she […]

Continue Reading