Posted on 1 Comment

Archaeologists Find Possible Origin of Chicken Consumption

Archaeologists Find Possible Origin of Chicken Consumption

Scientists believe humans first started coexisting with chickens thousands of years ago in Southeast Asia and China. For much of that time, however, chickens weren’t used as a common food source. Chicken bones from this early period of human civilization are scattered and sparse, suggesting that they were used in sports and rituals rather than […]

Continue Reading
Posted on 2 Comments

Here’s How Roosters Know When to Crow

Here’s How Roosters Know When to Crow

Have you ever wondered what makes a rooster crow? Well, some scientists Nagoya University have recently made it their mission to prove once and for all how all of this crowing business works, and it might not be what you think. One widely accepted belief is that roosters crow at the first sign of daylight; […]

Continue Reading
Posted on Leave a comment

What is Broodiness and Why Does it Matter to Farmers

What is Broodiness and Why Does it Matter to Farmers

Birds (chickens, in particular) are very social creatures. They exhibit behaviors deeply engrained in their genetic code that maintain social order and promote the propagation of their species. One such behavior is broodiness, or the tendency for birds to sit on clutches of eggs to incubate them after they’ve been laid. This might be beneficial […]

Continue Reading
Posted on 39 Comments

Why Are My Chickens Laying Soft Eggs?

Chickens Laying Soft Eggs

Imagine you walk out to your chicken coop and find a soft-shelled egg, or even an egg with no shell at all. It would be a pretty disturbing sight, especially if you’ve never seen one before. Besides the fact that these eggs are pretty messy to handle, they could also be an alarm that something […]

Continue Reading
Posted on 2 Comments

Understanding Your Chickens’ Pecking Order

Understanding Your Chickens’ Pecking Order

If you have chickens in your back yard, you may have begun to notice that they’ve formed their very own clique with certain chickens exhibiting specific behavior and other chickens reacting or reciprocating. Ever wonder why? It’s all about the pecking order! First of all, you should know that your chickens are social creatures, so […]

Continue Reading
Posted on Leave a comment

Why Are Chickens Getting Bigger?

Why Are Chickens Getting Bigger?

Back in the 1950’s, broiler chickens were, on average, about one fourth the weight of today’s broiler chickens. They’ve gotten bigger, bulkier and meatier. A recent article in the Huffington Post illustrates this point with photographs comparing broiler chickens in 1957, 1978 and 2005. The difference is striking; the broiler chicken from 1957 looks like […]

Continue Reading