McMurray Hatchery Blog

Hatchery News, Updates and Information on Raising Chickens, Ducks, Geese, Turkeys and Other Poultry

Translating Fowl Language – Gail Damerow Offers Tips

Chickens make a variety of different sounds while engaging in specific activities. Continuing our interview series with Gail Damerow, poultry expert and best-selling author, we ask her for tips that might help us in translating this fowl language. Do the sounds...

Falling in Love With Backyard Geese

  I grew up in a family of bird lovers. From hunting to bird watching, filling humming bird feeders and listening for birdsong over coffee, birds have always been a huge part of my life. Geese have long been a favorite of mine; I love listening to their calls and...

Turkey Housing Options

Turkeys instinctively want to roost up high with a good view of their surroundings. They often prefer to sleep out in the open and tend not to like sleeping in enclosed spaces. If you design a turkey shelter with their preferences in mind, you’ll have a better chance...

Pecking Order in Chickens with Gail Damerow

Many beginning flock keepers are surprised and dismayed when they discover that chickens peck each other while establishing their social hierarchy. Continuing our interview series with Gail Damerow, poultry expert and best-selling author, we ask her to explain the...

What to Expect When Raising Turkeys

One of the most common reasons people raise turkeys is to provide a holiday centerpiece or a nutritious source of meat for the freezer, but there is so much more to turkeys than simply providing a meal. Turkeys are incredibly charismatic birds that are enjoyable to...

Using Broody Hens With Gail Damerow

One way to increase your backyard chicken flock is by using broody hens. Continuing our interview series with Gail Damerow, poultry expert and best-selling author, we ask her about using broody hens to hatch and raise baby chicks.  What are the advantages of using...

Top Tips for New Chicken Keepers with Gail Damerow

Every chicken keeper has a list of “things I wish I’d known” before getting those first chickens. Continuing our interview series with Gail Damerow, poultry expert and best-selling author, we ask for her top tips for new chicken keepers.  What is your top tip for...

Raising Turkeys for Beginners

Raising baby turkeys, also called poults, can feel intimidating for beginners. There are a few important differences to be aware of when raising turkey poults as compared to raising chicks (baby chickens). Heritage turkeys are very healthy and hardy as adults, however...

The Pros and Cons of Keeping a Rooster With Gail Damerow

Whether or not to keep a rooster in the flock can be a challenging decision for first-time chicken owners. Continuing our interview series with Gail Damerow, poultry expert and best-selling author, we ask her to discuss the pros and cons of keeping a rooster. What is...

How to Brood Guinea Keets With Gail Damerow

Most poultry keepers know how to raise chicks in a brooder. But brooding guinea keets is a little different from brooding chicks. Continuing our interview series with Gail Damerow, poultry expert and best-selling author, we ask her to explain how to brood guinea...

Iowa State Student Chicken Coops

Last week I took a ride down to Ames, Iowa to see the creations of many students from Iowa State University.  As reported on KCCI: "Chicken coops designed by new architecture students at Iowa State University are on display. The 20 coops, with names ranging from "The...

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INTEGRATED SYSTEMS by Joel Salatin

Today's food and farming system is distinctly segregated.  Following the local food tsunami, however, urban and back yard poultry rearing are on the upswing.  City poultry ordinances are popping up everywhere, a welcome sign toward self-reliance and better food....

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Baked Eggs

There are so many things that Grandparents pass along to us - the many life lessons, the calm gentle suggestions derived from years of experience and the sweet perfections from tried and true experiments in the kitchen.  The last category is of course where the baked...

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“How Do You Chicken?” Video Contest Winners

We just concluded a very fun and entertaining video contest entitled "How Do You Chicken?".  I'm happy to announce the three top video winners!   Thank you to everyone who submitted videos.  If you would like to see all the finalists, check them out at...

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2013 Easter Photo Contest Winners!

What an amazing photo contest showcasing some adorable and downright heartwarming photos during this past Easter season. Thank you to everyone who participated by submitting photos and/or rating the photos to determine our winners. Without further delay, here are the...

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Where to Begin?

With so many developments and activities going on at Murray McMurray Hatchery it's hard to know where to begin. Our 2013 season has been going very well!  We feel so blessed to hear the positive feedback from our thousands of customers as they receive their baby...

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Shop Day-Old Baby Chicks

Day-old baby chicks, ducks, geese, turkeys, and other poultry now available for the 2026 season!