McMurray Hatchery Blog
Hatchery News, Updates and Information on Raising Chickens, Ducks, Geese, Turkeys and Other Poultry
Are Autosexing Chickens and Sex Link Chickens the Same? Gail Damerow Explains
The terms "autosex chickens" and "sex link chickens" are often used mistakenly used interchangeably. Continuing our interview series with Gail Damerow, poultry expert and best-selling author, we ask her to explain the difference between autosex chickens and sex link...
2025 APA Certified Breeds
As part of our ongoing commitment to Standard bred poultry and preserving Heritage breeds, we are excited to share that we have expanded our number of APA Certified flocks for the third year in a row. This season, certification has been renewed for our Buff,...
Five Reasons I Love Keeping Ducks
My love of ducks started with my stomach. As a young girl, I vividly remember my dad, grandpa, and uncles coming home with colorful mallards hanging upside down in their hands. We’d fry up the hearts and livers in butter right away, and a few days later, we’d enjoy a...
Why Do Chickens Need a Dust Bath? We Ask Gail Damerow
Chickens always find a way to take a dust bath, whether indoors in the coop bedding or outdoors in dry soil. Even baby chicks instinctively dust bathe in the brooder. Here, we continue our interview series with Gail Damerow, poultry expert and best-selling author, we...
Nutritional Needs of Cornish Cross Meat Chickens with Gail Damerow
Cornish-cross meat chickens eat almost constantly and they grow fast, resulting in unique nutritional requirements. Continuing our interview series with Gail Damerow, poultry expert and best-selling author, we ask her to offer tips for meeting the nutritional needs of...
When and Why Would You Need to Replace Your Poultry Flock
Raising poultry, whether a backyard flock or free-range birds on a homestead or farm, does come with the fact that the flock will need to be freshened at some point. Of course, when new hens are brought on is determined based on your needs. As a small family farm that...
Top 5 Reasons Your Hens Stop Laying, Explained by Gail Damerow
Once your hens start laying eggs, it’s easy to get used to gathering fresh eggs every morning. Then gradually, or suddenly, the eggs stop coming. What happened? Continuing our interview series with Gail Damerow, poultry expert and best-selling author, we ask her to...
Coffee With the Chicken Ladies Breed Spotlight: Rhode Island Reds
The Rhode Island Red is the quintessential American chicken, and is arguably one of the most famous breeds in the world. A true dual purpose bird, they were a mainstay of homesteads and small farms throughout most of the twentieth century. Rhode Island Reds are...
Gail Damerow Discusses Eggshell Imperfections and Anomalies
Alarmed backyard chicken owners report all sorts of shell irregularities in the eggs their hens lay. Continuing our interview series with Gail Damerow, poultry expert and best-selling author, we ask her to discuss eggshell imperfections and anomalies. Why are we...
Raising Backyard Meat Birds
Last Thanksgiving, we had our first pasture raised turkey … and it was life-changing. My husband said it was the most delicious Thanksgiving meal he had ever eaten. And thus, a dream was born. Because we had moved to our small suburban homestead just a few months...
Poultry Red Mites
Poultry red mites are a type of external parasite that infests chickens. Learn how to prevent and treat poultry red mite infestations.
Breed Spotlight: Murray’s Midget White Turkey
The Midget White turkey breed was new to me last season. I had never heard of them at all before spying them in Murray McMurray’s annual catalog last year. In fact, I wasn’t even sure that I wanted to try raising turkeys again after the first time. Years ago, when we...
Coffee with the Chicken Ladies Breed Spotlight: Cochins
Cochins are the OG fancy chicken. They originated in China and were further developed in the UK and US, gradually becoming the gorgeous, super fluffy, feather-footed beauties that we know and love today. They’re foundation breeds for so many chicken breeds and color...
Ringing in Our 107th Hatching Season
One of my favorite book series is coming out with a new title. It has been quite some time since I’ve read these books, so I get to re-read them now and catch back up. These days, I find that I’m re-reading more books than I’m reading new ones. I might know the...
Gail Damerow Discusses Winter Health Considerations for Chickens
Cold stress in winter can affect a flock’s health. Continuing our interview series with Gail Damerow, poultry expert and best-selling author, we query her regarding winter health considerations for chickens. What is cold stress? "Cold stress occurs when a chicken...
Shop Day-Old Baby Chicks
Day-old baby chicks, ducks, geese, turkeys, and other poultry now available for the 2026 season!