McMurray Hatchery Blog
Hatchery News, Updates and Information on Raising Chickens, Ducks, Geese, Turkeys and Other Poultry
Q&A on Preparing Your Chickens for Winter
Photo by Vera Ting 1. Should I heat or insulate my coop? With their thick coat of feathers, chickens are naturally much better insulated people. As long as they can stay dry and out of the wind, they can tolerate very cold temperatures. If you live in an area with...
Keeping Eggs Fresh
Obviously, the freshest eggs are the ones that come straight from your chickens without being stored at all. But often, you do need to store eggs for a few days, or even a few weeks. So, what's the best way to store them so that they'll stay fresh the longest? Should...
How to Tell if an Egg is Fresh
When your chickens are laying well, sometimes you can start to get more eggs than you're able to use. When you go to use the eggs in your recipes, it's good to be able to tell which ones are getting old and which ones are still fresh. Although it's not obvious to the...
An Interview with Joe Claborn, Part 3
Background: Joe Claborn has worked with McMurray Hatchery for many years and currently raises started chicks and started pullets for McMurray. Joe is also involved with a project that Bud Wood, president of McMurray Hatchery, initiated to start backup flocks for many...
An Interview with Joe Claborn, Part 2
Background: Joe Claborn has worked with McMurray Hatchery for many years and currently raises started chicks and started pullets for McMurray. Joe is also involved with a project that Bud Wood, president of McMurray Hatchery, initiated to start backup flocks for many...
Moving Chickens to Texas
As Avian Influenza (AI) has continued to spread in the United States and Iowa, in particular, we began making arrangements in May of this year for how we could start some backup flocks. Although the strains of AI found in the U.S. have not affected or posed any direct...
An Interview with Joe Claborn, Part 1
Background: Joe Claborn has worked with McMurray Hatchery for many years and currently raises started chicks and started pullets for McMurray. Joe is also involved with a project that Bud Wood, president of McMurray Hatchery, initiated to start backup flocks for many...
My hen is broody. Now what?
It's normal for hens to go broody. Some breeds -- such as Buff Orpingtons, Cochins, or Silkies, and many breeds of bantams -- are more prone to go broody than others, but even production breeds can, on occasion, go broody. Black Stars are a production breed that...
Why Do Chickens Eat Their Own Eggs?
Sometimes you may be getting fewer eggs than you expect, even when your hens are laying well. This can happen if they develop the bad habit of eating their own eggs. Egg eating can start by accident, sort of. Maybe a hen stepped on an egg and punctured the shell. Or...
Why Do You Raise Chickens?
Most of us reading this article have probably already made the decision to raise chickens and have raised them for at least a few years, but occasionally, questions like this come up, perhaps in the form: Raise chickens? Why would I ever want to do that? to which my...
Don’t Let Your Chickens Run Out of Water
Your chickens need to always have access to plenty of clean, fresh drinking water. This is especially important in hot weather when their need for water increases significantly. Problems Caused by Lack of Water Dehydration - When chickens don't have enough water,...
Keep Your Chickens Cool in Hot Weather
With summer approaching, you’ll need to help your chickens stay cool, at least in the warmer parts of the country. Unlike humans, chickens don’t sweat, but like humans they depend on evaporation to stay cool – by panting. As they pant, moisture within the chickens’...
4 Excellent Egg Recipes
In spring and summer, sometimes your chickens may lay so well that it's hard to come up with ideas for what to do with all the eggs. Here are a few tasty recipes that will help you out: Chile Relleno Casserole - This makes a hearty dinner that's simple to make and...
Murray McMurray Hatchery Chick Selector
Note: 03/09/2020 - The chick selector has been replaced by our new Chicks Page. The information below has been retained for historical purposes. With so many breeds and varieties of chickens to choose from, sometimes determining exactly which breed you want can be...
Feeding Your Chickens Table Scraps
Chickens like to eat table scraps, and most of the leftovers from your meals are safe for them to eat. Table scraps alone don't form a balanced diet for your chickens, so feed them and moderation and use them as a supplemental treat, not the main course. Most table...
Shop Day-Old Baby Chicks
Day-old baby chicks, ducks, geese, turkeys, and other poultry now available for the 2025 season — always with FREE SHIPPING on all full orders of baby birds!