This week, the fourth-largest poultry producer in the country revealed plans to institute a number of reforms that focus on improving the lives of the chickens in their operations. Animal rights groups such as the Human Society of the United States (HSUS) and Mercy For Animals are hailing the announcement as an important step forward […]
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Protecting your flock from mites and lice can seem like an impossible problem. In fact, many poultry producers in years past didn’t even bother trying to get rid of mites, lice and similar pest infestations because it was such a common and invasive problem. Fortunately, there are now some easy things you can do to […]
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International Heritage Breeds Week is celebrated each year during the third week in May. So what exactly are heritage poultry breeds? According to The Livestock Conservancy, heritage chicken and turkey breeds share the following characteristics: They can reproduce through natural mating. They have the genetic ability to live long and vigorous lives. They […]
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If you raise chickens, chances are you’ve got more eggshells in the kitchen than you know what to do with. In an earlier entry, we showed you how to make seed planters out of discarded eggshells. In fact, this is just one of many practical uses for eggshells! Today we’ll share a few more of […]
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The term “standard breed” is often used in referring to large chickens, as distinct from bantam breeds. So what, exactly, is a standard breed? A standard poultry breed is any breed that conforms to its ideal description, as formalized (or standardized) by a central organization and compiled into a periodically updated book. The book […]
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Easter is almost upon us, which means it’s time to start the egg dyeing preparations! This Easter season, instead of doing the same old dye styles, check out these six unique styles that we love. Don’t Skip Brown Eggs If you’re plucking eggs from your backyard coop to use for making Easter eggs, you may […]
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Spring is an exciting time at Cackle Hatchery and we’re busy getting ready for the season to arrive. Pheasants and chukar are some of our biggest sellers, with chicks beginning to hatch and prepare for shipping in May. As we get ready for the warmer weather to arrive, let’s look at each species. […]
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Like the Roomba robot eternally vacuuming a living room floor, the egg collecting Poultrybot searches for and gathers eggs laid by hens on the chicken coop floor. So-called floor eggs are the bane of every chicken keeper. When Europe banned caged layers, egg producers who turned their hens loose in the coop found that some […]
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Floor eggs are the eggs your hens lay on the chicken coop floor, rather than in the nice cozy nests you provide. Floor eggs are undesirable because they easily get dirty or cracked, making them unsafe to eat and unsuitable for hatching. A cracked egg is likely to get broken, encouraging hens to sample the […]
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