Chicken Terms/Definitions/Phrases

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 […]

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Chick Care Instructions : A Guide to the Care of Baby Chicks

Download or Print Cackle Hatchery’s Guide to the Care of Baby Chicks (Pamphlet) Download of Print “The Care of Baby Chicks” eBook Cackle’s Safe Handling of Poultry Poster  (Salmonella Safety) Table of Contents Arrival First Day Instructions Heating Feed Water Special Situations After the Chicks Arrive Litter Picking After 4 Weeks Baby Turkeys & Peafowl […]

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History of Cackle Hatchery®

 We are a 3rd generation family-owned and operated hatchery offering over 230 varieties of poultry shipped directly from our facility here in Missouri. It’s our mission to enhance your life by providing you with quality poultry for showing, meat, enjoyment, eggs or pets. We specialize in hatching purebred poultry and shipping day old chicks […]

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10 Features Laying Hens Look for in a Perfect Nesting Box

Nest Box

Furnishing the type of environment your laying hens seek when they are ready to lay an egg will ensure they lay in the location of your choice. With proper nest boxes, eggs will be laid where you can easily find them, and where they will remain clean and unbroken. Here are ten features hens look […]

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How Many Chicken Breeds Are There?

Spitz

No one knows how many different chicken breeds exist in the world, because no one keeps track. Wikipedia estimates hundreds. In her book The Behavioural Biology of Chickens, Professor C.J. Nichol of the University of London has counted more than 500 “fancy breeds” worldwide, described as ranging “from the sublime to the ridiculous.” These vague […]

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Which Chicken Breeds Make the Best Broody Hens?

Broody Hen

Some chicken breeds make great broody hens. Others are iffy. Still others are completely unreliable. And some never go broody at all. What does broody mean and why does it matter? Broodiness, in a nutshell, is maternal instinct. After a hen has accumulated a nestful of eggs, maternal instinct tells her to keep the eggs […]

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When is Chick Season®?

Chick Season baby chicken

Chick season® for most birds is in the spring. Poultry, like other birds, gear up for laying eggs and hatching them as the days start growing longer in spring. Also like other birds, most poultry are seasonal breeders.   The length of the breeding season depends largely on the type of poultry. Chickens and other […]

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Which Chicken Started Laying Eggs?

First Egg

When you raise hens from baby chicks, finding their first eggs can be exciting. Chickens don’t all start laying at the same time, so you’ll likely find an occasional small egg, then maybe one each day. Before long you’ll be finding multiple eggs daily. But since most chickens don’t lay an egg every day, how […]

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