In June the fourth largest poultry-producer in the country, Perdue Farms, announced that they would begin implementing a variety of reforms designed to improve the lives of the chickens in their operations. Animal rights groups hailed the move as a milestone for an industry that has recently faced serious ethical concerns. Now GNP Co., the Midwest’s […]
Continue ReadingSearch Results for: chicken
What Is an Egg Tooth?
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 […]
Continue ReadingHave Fun Showing Poultry with Less Stress to You and Your Birds
Showing poultry is fun, interesting and educational. It’s also a great way to meet people of all ages from all walks of life who share a common interest. But it can be stressful, especially for the first time exhibitor. It can also be stressful for the birds. In his book Showing Poultry, veteran poultry judge […]
Continue ReadingFive Ways to Preserve Surplus Homegrown Eggs
Homegrown chicken eggs are seasonal. Sometimes you have too many, sometimes not enough. Here are five ways to extend the shelf life of your fresh homegrown eggs, to preserve the surplus for days when your hens take a vacation from laying. 1. Do Nothing You may be surprised to learn how long clean, […]
Continue ReadingUnited Egg Producers Pledges to End Male Chick Culling
Currently, male chicks hatched to egg-laying hens in factory farms have pretty bleak prospects. Within a day, these chicks are sorted from their female counterparts and tossed unceremoniously into what amounts to a very large blender. It’s a practical consideration for egg producers, but it’s all pretty grisly and dystopian. Roughly 100 million male chicks […]
Continue ReadingPerdue Announces Sweeping Animal Welfare Reforms
This week, the fourth-largest poultry producer in the country revealed plans to institute a number of reforms that focus on improving the lives of the chickens in their operations. Animal rights groups such as the Human Society of the United States (HSUS) and Mercy For Animals are hailing the announcement as an important step forward […]
Continue ReadingProtecting Your Flock From Mites and Lice
Protecting your flock from mites and lice can seem like an impossible problem. In fact, many poultry producers in years past didn’t even bother trying to get rid of mites, lice and similar pest infestations because it was such a common and invasive problem. Fortunately, there are now some easy things you can do to […]
Continue ReadingEgg Cartons – 10 count
In Celebration of Heritage Poultry Breeds
International Heritage Breeds Week is celebrated each year during the third week in May. So what exactly are heritage poultry breeds? According to The Livestock Conservancy, heritage chicken and turkey breeds share the following characteristics: They can reproduce through natural mating. They have the genetic ability to live long and vigorous lives. They […]
Continue Reading5 Creative Uses for Your Eggshells
If you raise chickens, chances are you’ve got more eggshells in the kitchen than you know what to do with. In an earlier entry, we showed you how to make seed planters out of discarded eggshells. In fact, this is just one of many practical uses for eggshells! Today we’ll share a few more of […]
Continue Reading