The hatching of a chick out of an egg — whether laid by a chicken, duck, goose, or other bird — is a remarkable process. Each chick enters the world with a built-in food supply that can sustain it for up to three days after the bird hatches. How does this happen? Starting on the […]
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With the laws that took effect in January 2017, finding a veterinarian that understands poultry becomes more crucial than ever. Not many veterinarians understand poultry medicine. Even avian specialists may be more knowledgeable about exotic birds than about backyard chickens or waterfowl. However, one of the advantages of the FDA Regulations regarding the use of […]
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A lash egg is a mess of vaguely egg-shape coagulated gunk, sometimes including bits of egg and egg shell, that results from infection somewhere within a hen’s oviduct. So, even though the thing might be laid by a hen, it’s not really an egg. Actually it’s not even a lash. The original definition of a […]
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When an egg is ready to hatch — whether chicken, duck, goose, or other poultry — the baby bird inside breaks a hole through the egg’s shell. The hole is called a pip and the process of creating the hole is called pipping. The little bird pips with the help of its egg tooth—a small, […]
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Lining your hens’ nests with something clean and soft protects eggs from getting cracked in the nest and also simplifies nest clean-out. Every chicken keeper has a favorite nest liner. Here are some poplar options: Turf Nest Liner Plastic turf nest pads have grass-like tufts on the upper side and a smooth surface on the […]
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Chick Chain is a 4-H activity that introduces youngsters, and often their parents, to the fun of growing baby chicks into laying hens. It’s called Chick Chain because participating youngsters receive baby chicks in the spring and sell some of their grown layers in the fall, with the proceeds funding the purchase of chicks […]
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Some chicken keepers deworm their chickens too often. Others don’t deworm often enough. How often your chickens need deworming, or whether they need it at all, depends on numerous factors. These factors include your climate, how your flock is housed and managed, the kind of worms that are present in your chickens’ environment, and the […]
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Europeans raised geese for food and feathers long before they were brought to the United States by settlers. They are now used for exhibition, meat, eggs, feathers, down, and guard duty. Cackle Hatchery carries four breeds of geese: White Chinese, African, Toulouse, and White Embden. The Toulouse and Embden are the most popular breeds and […]
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After handling poultry or visiting the coop, you should thoroughly wash your hands with soap and water, as recommended in “Protect Yourself and Your Family From Germs,” a poster distributed by the Centers for Disease Control. If soap and water are not readily available, the CDC recommends using a hand sanitizer until you are able […]
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Folks, we’ve officially entered the Year of the Rooster, so Cackle Hatchery went on a hunt to figure out what that really means for 2017. According to the Chinese lunar calendar, there are five types of rooster combinations, and animal signs must also coincide with one of five elements (fire, wood, water, earth, metal) that […]
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