Like all reproductive qualities of poultry, fertility has low heritability. However, many factors other than inheritance come into play. Most of them are related to either mechanical issues or faulty management. Let’s look at the 12 most common reasons for low fertility in chickens and other poultry. Mechanical Issues 1. Comb Style Single […]
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Placing a value on chickens killed by a dog is not always easy. To start with, most backyard chicken keepers value their chickens much more than the birds’ economic value. However, anyone wishing to obtain compensation from the dog’s owner must set aside emotions and try to make the best case for the chickens’ monetary […]
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Successfully transitioning young poultry from their brooder to permanent outdoor facilities requires following a few common-sense guidelines. First determine that the birds are ready to move from their brooder, taking into consideration such factors as how well feathered the birds are, and outdoor temperatures during both daytime and nighttime. Degree of Feathering Fully-feathered poultry are […]
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Production chickens are efficient producers of eggs or meat. “Efficient” means outputs are maximized, while inputs are minimized. In other words, production chickens are bred to produce more eggs or meat while eating less feed. The main difference between production chickens and show chickens is that efficient production is not a consideration in breeds developed […]
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Geese are not particularly prolific layers, as poultry go. The top producers might lay about four dozen eggs per year, which gives goose eggs their high value. The large white eggs are most often hatched to raise goslings for holiday roast goose. The eggs are also prized for creating craft items such as decorative […]
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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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If one of your hens lays a super big egg, it likely contains another egg inside. Such an egg is called a double egg or a double-shell egg and is the result of a reverse peristalsis contraction. How an Egg Is Laid To understand how this happens, you need to know how an egg […]
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Based on discussions and photos circulating online, there seems to be a bit of confusion about the difference between a blue laced red Wyandotte and a splash laced red Wyandotte. Since the two varieties are related and look somewhat similar, the confusion is justified. Another issue of confusion is the origin of blue laced […]
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Bumblefoot describes a chicken’s inflamed foot with a hard, swollen abscess in the foot pad. The word bumble originally referred to the affected chicken’s unsteady gait caused by the swelling. In recent times, the core of the abscess, or the abscess itself, has been referred to as a bumble. The abscess may start out […]
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Guinea fowl are notoriously independent, often preferring to roost outdoors at night. They are more likely to perch high on a tree limb or on top of the coop roof, than to sleep inside, where they would be safe from owls and other night prowling predators. Getting guineas to go inside at night is the […]
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