Posted on Leave a comment

Why Do Chickens Molt?

a molting hen

Finding lots of feathers in your chicken yard is a sign that your birds are molting and will soon develop healthy coats of fresh new plumage. This annual loss and renewal of feathers is perfectly normal and is not an indication of disease. So let’s examine the question of why do chickens molt? What is […]

Continue Reading

F2 Olive Egger

F2 Olive Egger

Cackle Hatchery use’s our F1 Olive Egger hens and we cross it back with a mix of males of the Black Tailed Red Marans, Black Ameraucana and Cream Legbar. This cross will produce eggs that hatch into chicks and grow up to lay eggs that will produce a wide variety of olive egger shades and […]

Continue Reading
Posted on Leave a comment

How to Sex Poultry — Chickens, Turkeys, Guineas, Ducks, Geese

white goose standing outside

For some types of poultry, determining a bird’s gender is easy. Other times not so. Here’s a quick rundown on how to sex poultry, including chickens, turkeys, guinea fowl, ducks, and geese. Chickens Some baby chicks may be sexed at the time of hatch by differences in down color. Otherwise, the easiest way to sex […]

Continue Reading
Posted on Leave a comment

Feed Options — What Do Chickens Eat?

young boy feeding chicks

Chickens of differing ages have differing nutritional needs. Prepackaged poultry feed options therefore include rations for baby chicks, growing chicks, layers, and breeders. Which one is right for your chickens depends on their age and your purpose in raising them. Starter Ration Baby chicks should be fed a starter ration, which contains the high amount […]

Continue Reading

The Where, What, When, Why & How of Chickens

Where do chickens come from? Chickens are descendants of wild jungle fowl, which were domesticated thousands of years ago.   Where are chickens native to? No one is really certain where chickens originated. Evidence indicates that chickens most likely originated in southern China or northern India.   Chicken Characteristics   Are chickens birds? Yes. Chickens […]

Continue Reading
Posted on Leave a comment

What is NPIP? National Poultry Improvement Plan

Cackle Hatchery® and Cackle’s Chicken Breeder Farms are members of the National Poultry Improvement Plan (NPIP). But exactly what is NPIP? What is NPIP? The National Poultry Improvement Plan is a nationwide collaboration between state and federal departments of agriculture. Its purpose is to monitor member flocks and hatcheries and certify them as being free […]

Continue Reading
Posted on Leave a comment

Garlic for Chickens

The Benefits of Using Garlic for Chickens

Garlic (Allium sativum) has so many beneficial properties that researchers haven’t yet discovered them all. What is well known is that garlic has broad-spectrum antimicrobial properties, making it effective against many bacteria, fungi, viruses, and internal parasites, including protozoa. That’s why so many people are enthusiastic about using garlic for chickens. Allicin and Ajoene Garlic’s […]

Continue Reading
Posted on Leave a comment

7 Ways to Help Your Chickens Stay Cool in Summer

Chicken Drinking Water to Stay Cool

Preventing heat stress in your backyard chicken flock involves a combination of commonsense management measures. The following seven simple strategies will help your chickens stay cool in summer. Heat Tolerant Breeds If you live in a climate that’s warm year-around, you might consider keeping a heat tolerant breed. Some chicken breeds naturally tolerate warm weather […]

Continue Reading