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At What Age Do Hens Start Laying Eggs?

chick surrounded by eggs in nest

Although the age at which hens start laying eggs depends on many factors, the ultimate factor is the breed. Some breeds mature fast and start laying as early as 4 months of age, while others mature more slowly and start laying much later. Below are just a few of the many chicken breeds, along with […]

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How to Sex a Chicken

Phoenix Bantams outside in run

A chicken’s gender may be determined by a number of different methods. Which method works best depends on the bird’s age, breed and variety, and skill of the observer. Here are the four common ways to sex a chicken. Vent Sexing Vent sexing can be done soon after a chick hatches. Also called cloacal sexing, […]

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What Is a Dual Purpose Chicken?

white wyandotte chicken standing outside

To some chicken keepers, a dual purpose breed is one that’s suitable for both meat and eggs. To other chicken keepers, dual purpose refers to a breed that’s suitable for neither meat nor eggs. So exactly what is a dual purpose chicken? Meat or Eggs Before the poultry industry developed into the behemoth it is […]

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Hens Can Grow Spurs, Too

Chicken Spur

All chickens have spur buds. Roosters are well known for their spur buds developing into full-blown spurs. But hen’s can grow spurs, too. While some roosters — notably certain strains of Cubalaya — maintain only rudimentary spurs, some hens develop long rooster-like spurs. As with roosters, the longer the spur, the older the hen. Which […]

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16 Chicken Breeds that Tolerate Warm Weather

Warm Weather Tolerant Chicken Breed

Chickens have no sweat glands, so chicken breeds that originated in hot climates have developed other features to help them stay cool. One is to grow a large comb and wattles, through which blood circulation increases in hot weather to help dissipate body heat. Another warm-climate adaptation is to avoid trapped heat by developing sparse […]

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15 Chicken Breeds that Lay Large Eggs

Jersey Giant Hen

All hens start out laying small eggs. As the birds mature, the egg size increases until it reaches the normal size for the breed. Many breeds will end up laying small or medium size eggs, while most baking recipes call for large eggs. Chicken keepers who do a lot of baking therefore prefer chicken breeds […]

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French Black Tailed Red Marans

French Black Tailed Red Marans Rooster
  • French Black Tailed Red Marans  – Sold as Baby Chicks Only
Minimums –

Not Sexed = 3

Female = 3

Male = 1

Total of 3 birds to ship

Seasonal/Shipped Feb thru mid August

Limit of 24.

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22 Autosex Breeds of Chickens and Geese

Autosex chicks have differing down colors at hatch, by which the males may be readily distinguished from the females. Autosex differs from sex-link in being a straightbred (purebred) characteristic, rather than the result of a hybrid cross between two separate breeds. Here is how to tell the males from the females in 22 autosex breeds […]

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What Is a Strain of Chickens?

Chickens from the same bloodline

A strain, also called a bloodline or simply a line, is a family of related chickens. They are distinctive in having been selectively bred by a single person or organization long enough for all the chickens to be uniquely uniform in some way. Each strain of purebred chickens has all the traits that define its […]

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Rhode Island Red Chicken (Exhibition Type)

Rhode Island Red Chicken (Exhibition Type)
  • Rhode Island Red Chicken (Exhibition Type) – Sold as Baby Chicks Only
       Minimums – Not Sexed = 3
                                  Female = 3
                                  Male = 1
Seasonal/Shipped Feb thru September
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