For many years, Cackle Hatchery has held “Cackle’s Annual Chicken Festival” packed with events such as the Hard Boiled Egg Eating Contest, the Chicken or Poultry Costume Contest and a Clucking, Cackling or Crowing Contest! Our last festival was 2019 and those 3 contests were featured, and we plan to continue on with these fun […]
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Why Chickens and Wild Birds Shouldn’t Mix
Chickens and other poultry are birds, right? So logically you’d think it wouldn’t be a problem for your flock to mingle with wild birds. But here are three reasons why chickens and wild birds shouldn’t mix. Fowl Mites The northern fowl mite (Ornithonyssus sylviarum) is the most serious external parasite of chickens. It is the […]
Continue Reading4 Functions of a Chicken Egg’s Bloom
The final step of an egg’s formation inside a hen is the application of an invisible coating. We chicken keepers call it bloom, but technically it’s the cuticle. Bloom consists primarily of 80 to 95% proteins. It also contains polysaccharides (complex carbohydrates that dissolve into simple sugars) and lipids (insoluble oily or greasy compounds). Lubrication […]
Continue ReadingThe 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 ReadingMedicinal Herbs for Chickens
Medicinal herbs for chickens have a variety of desirable properties. Benefits include healthful nutrients that are lacking in pharmacological drugs. Herbs also have the ability to interact with drugs to reduce required dosages. And, unlike antibiotics, the active components of herbal compounds readily absorb, along with other digestive contents. They are rapidly excreted, too, with […]
Continue ReadingRhode Island Red Chicken (Exhibition Type) Hatching Eggs
Repellent Herbs for Chickens
Few scientific studies have verified the use of herbs as insecticides or insect repellents. However, using herbs in the chicken coop won’t harm your chickens. And using repellent herbs for chickens just might discourage some of the external parasites that plague them. Repellent Herbs You might, for example, sprinkle herbs, fresh or dried, on bedding […]
Continue ReadingSour Crop in Chickens and Turkeys
Sour crop in chickens and turkeys is caused by yeast of the Candida species. The condition, also known as thrush, is technically called candida infection or candidiasis. Left untreated, sour crop can have dire consequences. Signs of Sour Crop Sour crop typically affects either young and growing or aging and elderly birds, but may occur […]
Continue ReadingGarlic 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 ReadingPrepare Your Chicken Coop for Winter
“It’s time to prepare your chicken coop for winter,” reminds Jeff Smith of Cackle Hachery®. “Since there is a current shortage of some items, make a list of materials you need and buy them now. Any repairs need to be done before weather comes in.” The two biggest winterizing issues to keep in mind are […]
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