livestock
The Dorking Chicken and Other Classic Breeds
Most of the 200 breeds and varieties of chickens that were once common on farms are now considered rare. Including a breed that is part of our history in your poultry operation gives your flock a role in historic preservation and genetic diversity.
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The Emotional Gauntlet of Raising Meat Chickens & Other Livestock
“You’re raising meat chickens? You horrible, heartless human.”
It’s a constant fight, isn’t it? And there are many sides on the battlefield.
Cats + Chickens = Toxoplasmosis in Humans?
If you have cats and are raising meat chickens, be aware of the potential dangers of toxoplasmosis in humans.
Anyone who has had chickens for more than a few minutes becomes aware of the devastating protozoal disease coccidiosis, which happens wherever chickens are.
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Understanding Sex-Link Hybrid Chickens
At Backyard Poultry we get questions all the time asking for help identifying the breed of various chickens. Many times the chickens pictured are not purebred chickens at all but crossbreeds / hybrid chickens hatcheries produce for very specific purposes – such as egg production.
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Keeping Guinea Fowl: Reasons to Love Them or Not
Add to Favorites Guinea fowl undoubtedly spark more debates than any other barnyard poultry species. Some people love them, others despise them. What’s all the fuss about? Here are eight great …
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3 of The Best Dual-Purpose Chicken Breeds
The best dual-purpose chicken breeds are important on the homestead because they produce both meat and eggs. Breed choice is one of those topics that every chicken keeper has definite feelings about.
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Saxony Duck Breed Profile
The most often-recognized backyard duck breed is probably the snow-white Pekin duck, closely followed by the domestic mallard, which is mottled brown with blue wing tips. However, domestic ducks come in many other wonderful breeds that should be considered if you are looking for something a bit different.
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A Few Dos And Don’ts When Winter Sets
Add to Favorites By Don Schrider, West Virginia Before I go too far, let’s take a look at how nature has prepared our feathered friends to survive and basic poultry behavior. Feathers …
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Types of Ducks For Eggs, Meat and Pest Control
Add to Favorites I’ve been raising various types of ducks alongside our chickens for years and have had ample opportunity to observe not only the interaction between the chickens and ducks, …
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12 Days of Christmas — Meaning Behind the Birds
Add to Favorites By Christine Henrichs – Understanding the 12 Days of Christmas meaning adds something special to this favorite traditional carol. Its repeating verses make it fun to learn the list …
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