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Getting to Know Chicken Keepers

A man and woman hold a chicken in their yard

Chicken keepers in the United States are a diverse bunch in such things as where they live, how many chickens they keep, and what they feed their flock. A paper published in Poultry Science offers some interesting insights about who, exactly, chicken keepers are. Urban or Rural Backyard chicken keepers in the United States are […]

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An Easy and Inexpensive Boot Bath Sanitizer for Your Chicken Coop

Boots being washed after a trip to the chicken coop

Using a boot bath before and after you visit your chickens keeps your footwear clean. More important, it enhances your biosecurity measures to ensure that your flock stays healthy. The procedure for maintaining a boot bath and sanitizer is easy and inexpensive. Make a Boot Bath To make a boot bath and sanitizer, you need […]

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Cackle Hatchery’s Annual Silent Auction

Join us to benefit youth poultry groups! Every year during the chicken festival, we auction off chickens with proceeds going to organized youth poultry groups. This is a traditional silent auction with bid sheets. Come and browse the beautiful birds that we are auctioning off. Be a part of the bidding for a good cause. […]

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Standard Chicken versus Bantam, What’s the Difference?

Two chickens in a yard

What’s the difference between a standard chicken versus a bantam chicken? To understand the difference, let’s look at what a standard chicken is and what a bantam is. Standard Chicken The word “standard” when applied to chickens can be confusing. In some contexts it means that the breed has been standardized by the American Poultry […]

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12 Benefits of Keeping Ducks

A young man herds some ducks

Maybe you already keep chickens or other poultry and are considering adding ducks. Or maybe you’re thinking of starting with ducks as your first foray into the world of poultry. To help you decide whether or not duck keeping is for you, here are some of the benefits of keeping ducks. Ducks are easy to […]

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Craft Your Coop

Infographic of how to craft your chicken coop

7 Great Tips For First Time Chicken Owners Start with chicks or mature birds instead of eggs Choose dual-purpose chicken breeds (meat and egg layers) Keep your first coop simple Keep your coop clean Get a heated water bowl Use natural foods and scraps from your own kitchen Establish a daily routine for filling feeders, […]

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Best Place to Buy Baby Chicks

A baby chick stands on a Scrabble board. The tiles in the foreground spell out "Cackle"

by Cackle Hatchery What is the best place to buy baby chicks? Without a doubt, Cackle Hatchery® is by far the best place to buy baby chicks, along with everything you might need to raise them to be happy, healthy chickens. Here’s why: Largest Selection Cackle Hatchery offers 230 varieties of poultry. That’s more varieties […]

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What You Can Learn from a Chicken’s APA Class

A mixed flock of chickens in a backyard

For exhibition purposes, large chicken breeds recognized by the American Poultry Association (APA) are organized into six classes. Most of the classes represent the geographic region where the breeds originated or were developed. Knowing a chicken’s APA class lets you infer a number of things about the breed, including temperament, laying ability, climate tolerance, and […]

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Chicken Heredity and Genetic Basics

An illustration that shows a DNA strand

Heredity describes how traits are passed from a hen and rooster to their offspring. These traits are encoded in genes, which in turn are found on chromosomes. Since only the end results — but not the genes and chromosomes themselves — are clearly visible, the mechanics of how heredity works can sometimes seem rather vague. […]

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Avoid These 5 Mistakes When Cooking Chicken

A bunch of pieces of chicken frying in a pan.

Homegrown chicken can be more flavorful than any other kind. But if you make any of the following mistakes, you may end up serving something unpalatable or even unsafe. Avoid these 5 common mistakes when cooking chicken: Thawing Frozen Chicken When you plan to cook frozen chicken, thaw it in the refrigerator for a day […]

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