McMurray Hatchery Blog
Hatchery News, Updates and Information on Raising Chickens, Ducks, Geese, Turkeys and Other PoultryMale Poultry Photo Contest
Description of the Contest Our second photo contest of the year is the Male Poultry Photo Contest. It is for photos of roosters, drakes, ganders, tom turkeys, and male poultry of any other type that we offer in our 2011 catalog or on our website. For the most current...
How Can I Get My Hens to Lay in their Nest Boxes?
Sometimes hens lay their eggs on the floor of the coop, which can be a problem because the eggs get soiled from their manure, and the eggs are more likely to get cracked, broken, or stepped on. Hens will also sometimes find hiding places outdoors to lay their eggs,...
Poultry Housing Photo Contest
This is our first photo contest of the year. Photos for the Poultry Housing Photo contest can include any type of housing for chickens, ducks, turkeys, geese, or any other type of poultry that we offer in our 2011 catalog or on our website. Examples include: chicken...
Which Chicken Breeds are the Most Likely to Go Broody?
One of our favorite times is when a hen in our home flock goes broody and hatches baby chicks. Some hens and some breeds have a stronger tendency to go broody than others, and some make better mothers than others. If you're mainly interested in egg production, you may...
Which Chicken Breeds Do You Recommend for Warm Climates?
A recent question from one of our blog readers was: I live in the Deep South and I am wondering which breed of chickens would best tolerate the heat and humidity? I am looking for layers, that produce well year round. For a hot climate, we recommend the Leghorns and...
How Warm Should I Keep my Baby Chicks?
When baby chicks hatch, they need additional warmth. Their body heat alone is not enough to keep them warm. Without additional heat, they can become chilled and stressed, and if it goes too long, they can become ill or die. When a broody hen hatches her eggs, the hen...
How Much Space Do My Chickens Need?
Chickens will be happier and healthier if they are let out during the day to forage. At night, they need protection against predators, so they should be kept in a chicken coop or shelter. The proper size of the coop depends on how many birds you have, what...
Our Best Egg Layers
The breeds listed below are our best egg layers. They lay large eggs, and they lay frequently and consistently. White Egg Layers Pearl White Leghorns - Excellent layers of large, white eggs. They are our most prolific layers and have an excellent feed conversion...
Breaking a Hen of Broodiness
Usually, when one of our hens goes broody, we let her continue to set so that she can hatch and raise chicks. Occasionally, though, a hen will go broody at the wrong time. Maybe we don't have space for her to raise her young, or the weather is too cold and damp. If...
10 of Our Most Popular Blog Posts from January – June 2011
Here are 10 of our most popular posts and article series from the first half of this year. 1. How to Introduce New Chickens into your Flock (series) Adding new chickens to your existing flock can cause a lot of pecking and harm to the new chickens. This series of...
17 Things to Consider when Planning your next Chicken Coop
Ventilation Easy to clean Clean, dark nesting area for layers Easy access to nesting area Coop size Heating Cooling Aesthetically acceptable Dropping board Easy to move Floor type - open to the ground, or closed? Protection against decay Sufficient predator protection...
Raising Chickens for Our Home Flock, Day 52
[scg_html_home_flock] Our chickens are about eight weeks old. Most of their adult feathers have grown in. The chickens appear to be about one third the size that they will reach as adults. They are about the size of bantams. Distinguishing Males and Females...
How to Introduce New Chickens into Your Flock, Questions and Answers
[scg_html_flock_integration_series] 1. How old should the chickens be when I introduce them into the main flock? We recommend that you wait until the new chickens are nearly the same size as the mature chickens in your existing flock. Install a temporary partition in...
How to Introduce New Chickens into your Flock, part 3
[scg_html_flock_integration_series] Below are some tips to make it as painless as possible to introduce new chickens to your existing flock. With these tips, you may still see some aggression, but hopefully it will be minimal. Side by Side Temporarily install a...
Raising Chickens for Our Home Flock, Day 34
Our chickens are about 5 weeks old now. They are growing and developing well in the chicken tractor…. This article also tells a little about the chicken’s crop and digestive tract.
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