Of all the chickens in the world, the Ayam Cemani is one of the most unusual and interesting breeds. These chickens are instantly recognizable thanks to the pitch-black color that covers them from head to toe. This rare coloration is due to a genetic condition called Fibromelanosis that causes hyperpigmentation in the chickens. In fact, […]
Most eggs sold at the supermarket have white shells. So where do brown eggs and blue eggs come from? The color of the shell is determined by the breed of the hen that laid the egg. Most white eggs sold at the supermarket are laid by Leghorn hens. Many other breeds lay eggs with white […]
A picture-perfect Pilgrim-era turkey, the Narragansett was developed by early settlers as a cross between Norfolk Black turkeys brought from Europe and local wild turkeys. Having its origins in Rhode Island, the turkey was named after the state’s Narragansett Bay. It was once a common feature in farmyards, but eventually lost favor to more cost-effective […]
Feather sexing is the ability to determine the gender of a newly hatched chick based on the rate of growth of its wing feathers. The trait is sex linked and works only if the chick’s father is of a breed that grows feathers rapidly and its mother is of a breed that grows feathers slowly. […]