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Chicken Keeping: A Time-Honored Tradition

Medieval Chickens

Chicken keeping has a long and successful history, dating back to antiquity. Some 19th century writers would have their readers believe that prior to the Victorian era poultry breeding was not a specialized occupation. It was certainly elevated in status once poultry shows began awarding prizes for quality and for new breeds, but the number […]

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How to Breed Olive Egger Chickens: 6 Questions Answered

Olive Egger

Olive Eggers — chickens that produce eggs with olive colored shells — are developed by mating a pure breed that lays eggs with blue shells with a pure breed that lays eggs with brown shells. Blue shells are blue throughout; brown shells have pigment only on the outside. The olive colored shell occurs when a […]

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What is Feather Sexing? Separating Fact from Myth

What is Feather Sexing? Separating Fact from Myth

Feather sexing is the ability to determine the gender of a newly hatched chick based on the rate of growth of its wing feathers. The trait is sex linked and works only if the chick’s father is of a breed that grows feathers rapidly and its mother is of a breed that grows feathers slowly. […]

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