When you are ready to raise a batch of baby chicks, should you buy chicks or hatching eggs? Each option has advantages and disadvantages. So how different is it when you start with eggs versus chicks? Starting with Eggs When you start with eggs that you plan to hatch, the first thing you need is […]
A broody hen stops laying eggs when she starts setting. Therefore, throughout the ages poultry keepers who have raised chickens primarily for eggs have culled persistently broody hens. In other words, they selectively bred in favor of non-setters. As a result, the breeds best known for superior laying ability are less apt to brood than […]
One of the great benefits of keeping chickens is that it gives you an opportunity to expand your vocabulary. The world of chicken keeping is full of odd or potentially confusing words and phrases, like those in this mini glossary of chicken terminology. Bloom: The moist, protective coating on a freshly laid egg that dries […]
Four traditional methods are used to tell male and female chicks apart. Which method is most appropriate for any specific batch of chicks depends on their breed and variety, their age, and the skill of the observer. Vent Sexing Vent sexing, also called cloacal sexing, is a method of determining a hatchling’s gender by examining […]
All female chickens lay eggs, and all hens lay best in their first year of production. But some chicken breeds lay better than others. Hens that lay best are of breeds that have been selectively bred for egg production, rather than for fast growth or exhibition qualities. Layers of Eggs with Brown Shells Chicken […]
CACKLE HATCHERY CHICKEN BREEDING FARMS Cackle Hatchery® supplies day-old grandparent and parent stock for our own use and to a few USA poultry hatcheries. We breed, raise and provide our own proprietary selected lines of feather sexable chicks within our Feather Sexing Program. We also work on improving sex-link, auto-sexing lines and vent sexing lines. […]
A lot of chicken keepers who are unfamiliar with both barred Rocks and Dominiques have trouble telling the difference between them. Once you’ve seen both, though, you’ll have no trouble readily identifying which is which. First let’s get one thing straight: “Barred Rock” is not a breed. The breed is Plymouth Rock. The original color […]
Submit a review on our BBB here: Is Cackle Hatchery® Legit? Yes, we have been raising and selling chickens since 1936 but don’t take our word for it; read many of our reviews and testimonials from real customers: September 10, 2023 All 17 chicks arrived alive and healthy in a timely manner, would do business […]
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z – A – Addled A rotten or otherwise inedible egg. Or an egg in which the embryo died during early incubation. Age of lay The age at which a […]