Chicken breeds with beards came about as a genetic mutation. Chicken keepers liked the appearance, and so they continued to breed more of the same. Other than the cuteness factor, scientists have yet to find any significant advantage or disadvantage to a beard on a chicken. A beard appears as elongated feathers growing beneath a […]
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Chicken keepers often use abbreviations and assume their listeners know what they mean. Here are some of the more common chicken breed abbreviations, along with abbreviations for variety features and those used for show that may be puzzling when you see them in poultry publications, forums, and websites. Note that abbreviations may be combined to […]
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The Aseel chicken is an ancient game fowl from India. The name of this indigenous breed means trueborn or purebred. Aseels have an upright stance, square shanks, and short legs set wide apart. Their ears are red, and they have a pea comb and minimal wattles. These slow-growing chickens have well developed muscles, although their […]
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How many chicken nest boxes you need in your coop depends in part on the number of hens in your flock. A second factor is whether or not your hens one of the top laying breeds. Here are some guidelines for determining the best number of nests for your specific flock. How Many Nests The […]
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“The shredder gene in lavender chickens causes the feathers to split and the barbs to detach, resulting in rough looking feather development,” explains Jeff Smith of Cackle Hatchery®. Lavender, also known as self blue, is a plumage color resulting from an autosomal recessive gene. Let’s explore how it works. Lavender vs. Blue The lavender gene […]
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Like a lot of chicken keepers, you might want to include a variety of breeds in your backyard flock. Maybe you look forward to gathering baskets full of colorful eggs. Or, rather than all one breed of the same color and type, you prefer a more interesting variety of colors, sizes, and personalities. Or maybe […]
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Some chicken breeds are more heat tolerant that others. They typically are lightweight breeds with large combs and wattles, sparse feathering, and clean legs. Other breeds are more cold hardy. They generally are the heavier breeds with tight combs, small wattles, and dense feathering. Some breeds, however, are able to handle both warm and cold […]
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Spitzhauben chickens originate in the Appenzell district of Switzerland. They are therefore often called Appenzeller Spitzhaubens. The Swiss word spitzhauben refers to the breed’s crest of forward curving feathers, which remind Appenzell residents of their traditional lady’s bonnets. Near Extinction According to The Livestock Conservancy, Spitzhaubens have been known since the 16th century, kept in […]
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Deciding if you should vaccinate your chickens depends on how likely they are to encounter infectious diseases. You may not need to vaccinate if you maintain impeccable biosecurity, because doing so significantly reduces your flock’s risk of acquiring a disease. Unfortunately, many backyard chicken keepers either don’t know about biosecurity or just don’t think it’s […]
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Biosecurity for chickens includes all precautions you take to protect your flock from coming down with a disease. The more precautions you take, the better chance your chickens have to remain healthy. The fewer precautions you take, the greater the risk that one day some disease will affect your flock. So what are these precautions […]
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