Last year, in the wake of an avian flu outbreak that forced states to cull over 43 million birds, egg prices in grocery stores throughout the country spiked to historic levels. The average price of eggs peaked at about $3 per dozen after more than doubling in a period of just a few months. For […]
An egg tooth is a tiny horn-like projection at the tip of the upper beak of a newly hatched chick. Soon after the chick hatches, the egg tooth falls off. Domestic poultry and other birds share this trait in common with most reptiles. When a chicken egg is incubated, the egg tooth begins to […]
As if you needed one more reason to grow your own chicken meat, here it is — woody breast, defined as a hardening of breast muscle, resulting in stiff wood-like fibers that make the breast meat difficult to chew. Woody breast is one of three breast meat myopathies (muscle diseases) that plague the poultry industry, […]
Wondering if you need to add a rooster to your backyard coop? The short answer is no, you don’t need to add a rooster into the mix to keep your hens occupied or to keep enjoying those tasty backyard eggs. But, there are some benefits that you’ll enjoy with a rooster that you might be […]
After devoting months to diligently caring for your baby chicks, the last thing you want is to have one become the hapless victim of a hungry hawk. Unfortunately, self-defense isn’t your chickens’ strong suit, so it’s up to you to keep them safe from harm. Birds of prey, coyotes, foxes, and even large domestic dogs […]