McMurray Hatchery Blog
Hatchery News, Updates and Information on Raising Chickens, Ducks, Geese, Turkeys and Other Poultry
4-H and Fair Champions Flock to McMurray Hatchery
Since our inception, McMurray Hatchery has supported 4-H and FFA members and clubs, as well as a host of other agricultural organizations, across the U.S.A. — from shows highlighting rare breeds to broiler projects, automatic feeder inventions, and even livestock...
Gail Damerow Discusses Her Top Three Favorite Chicken Breeds
How long have you been keeping chickens? "I started keeping chickens in 1970. While looking for my first house, I wanted a place that was zoned for chickens. As luck would have it, the place I bought came with chickens already installed," she explains. "There was such...
Black Flies (Buffalo Gnats), Protecting Your Flock and Livestock
As a poultry owner, it's important to understand how insects can pose a risk of danger or disease to your flock. While spring is an exciting time for many, seasonal rains and warm, humid weather across states, including those in Central, Northern, and even...
Coffee with the Chicken Ladies Breed Spotlight: Salmon Faverolles
This month’s breed is a chicken lady’s (or gent’s) dream come true! They’re ridiculously adorable, friendly and chatty, gentle with other breeds, super cold hardy, and an all around excellent companion. They make great show birds, and they’re pretty decent layers,...
Raising American Bresse with Erik Gordon
The American Bresse (pronounced “bress”) is one of the most sought-after meat breeds on the market today. The Bresse is a unique dual-purpose chicken breed that originated in France, where they are raised under strict protocols in order to achieve the tender, marbled...
Three DIY Chicken Projects With Janet Garman
Chicken tending naturally lends itself to DIY projects. From the time your brand new chicks walk into your heart, you will be providing for their needs. Though chickens are hardy and self-reliant, when keeping them for egg production, you will want to provide a...
Coffee with the Chicken Ladies Breed Spotlight: Leghorns
The tiny Leghorn is arguably the breed with the biggest impact on modern chicken farming. They are one of the best known chicken breeds in the world, especially of the Mediterranean class. As a group, Mediterraneans are relatively light bodied chickens known for their...
Raising Backyard Ducklings
When we moved to our new house, I knew that I wanted to bring home some baby ducklings as soon as we were set up for them. I have always loved ducks. As an avid baker who prizes their eggs, I've dreamed of having my own small flock of layers for years. Because I am...
5 Reasons to Raise Waterfowl
I have been known to swim against the current, do things my way, and voice my reasons loudly. Not in a bossy way, but in a way that makes you wonder if you should have taken my advice. This rings true for my beliefs on intentional gardening, how and what I choose to...
Gail Damerow Discusses Health Concerns for Ducks
Ducks hardly ever get sick and rarely suffer from the same body parasites as chickens. But ducks do occasionally experience health issues. Continuing our interview series with Gail Damerow, poultry expert and best-selling author, we ask her to discuss health concerns...
What do Ducklings Eat?
Baby ducks are cuter than a bug’s ear, but what should ducklings eat? There are many commercial products available that will meet the nutritional needs of ducklings. However, you must also take into consideration how to support optimal bone growth in your baby ducks...
Building Your Flock: Dark Brown Layers for Valentine’s Day
Our "Building Your Flock" blog series is designed to help you pick your perfect breeds as you peruse our catalog and scroll the website. We're getting festive for the second article of this series by focusing on our dark brown layers for Valentine's Day! If you have a...
Coffee with the Chicken Ladies Breed Spotlight: Plymouth Rock
The Plymouth Rock chicken is one of the most popular breeds in the US, and they have a strong following in the rest of the world as well. They’re a beautiful dual-purpose breed that is as much at home on a small farm as they are on the show table. The name, Plymouth...
Gail Damerow Discusses How to Treat and Prevent Frostbite
When winter weather turns cold, chickens can suffer from frostbite. Continuing our interview series with Gail Damerow, poultry expert and best-selling author, we ask her for recommendations on how to treat and prevent frostbite in chickens. How does frostbite occur?...
Raising Cornish Cross with Anna Christian
Join us as we interview Anna Christian, popular blogger, designer, and social media influencer, as she discusses her experiences with raising and processing our Cornish Cross chicks this past fall. What made you start raising and processing your own meat birds to...
Shop Day-Old Baby Chicks
Day-old baby chicks, ducks, geese, turkeys, and other poultry now available for the 2023 season — always with FREE SHIPPING on all full orders of baby birds!