McMurray Hatchery Blog
Hatchery News, Updates and Information on Raising Chickens, Ducks, Geese, Turkeys and Other PoultryRaising Chickens for Our Home Flock, Day 23
Moving the chicks from the brooder into the chicken tractor.
Photo gallery.
Raising Chickens for Our Home Flock, Day 17
Cleaning out the brooder. Foraging in the yard. Friendly Americana. Photos.
Raising Chickens for Our Home Flock, Day 9
Brooder temperature. Chicks sparring. Wing and tail feather development. Foraging in the yard. Feeders. The free rare/exotic chick. Photos.
Raising Chickens for Our Home Flock, Day 4
Chick grit – making it from grower grit. Overcoming problems with pasting up. Photos.
Raising Chickens for Our Home Flock, Day 3
Moving the chicks outdoors to a larger brooder. Description of the new brooder. Quick Chick supplement. Photos.
Raising Chickens for Our Home Flock, Day 1
The arrival of the baby chicks at the post office. Basic chick care for the first day.
Dark Cornish
History Cornish, originally known as Indian Game, were developed in Cornwall, England in the 1800s by Sir Walter Raleigh Gilbert from the Aseel, Old English Game, and Malay. The Dark Cornish was admitted to the Standard in 1893, and the White Cornish, developed from...
Using Electric Poultry Netting
One of my favorite tools for containing chickens and ducks is electric poultry netting. This type of fencing goes by several names, such as "electric poultry fence," "electroplastic netting", or "electric mesh netting". One of the things I like about it is that it is...
Naked Necks (Turkens)
History The exact origins of Naked Necks, or Turkens, is uncertain, but some archaeologists believe they originated in Malaysia and spread from there. The popular name, Turken, comes from the mistaken belief that it was a cross between a turkey and a chicken, but the...
Should I Feed My Chickens Oyster Shells?
If you have laying hens, we recommend that you give them ground oyster shells. It is best to do this "free choice" by putting the oyster shells in a separate container, so that the hens can take as much as they need. The eggshell for each egg that your hen lays is...
Buff Orpingtons
History The original Orpington, a Black Orpington, was developed by William Cook, from the village of Orpington, County of Kent, England in the 1880s. In 1886 he introduced the Black Orpington at the Chrystal Palace Poultry Show, and his pullet won the grand prize. To...
Why Aren’t My Chickens Laying Eggs? | 10 Reasons Why Your Hens Aren’t Laying
Are your chickens laying fewer eggs recently? We know it can be frustrating to have a large flock of chickens and find little to no eggs in their nest boxes. There are a plethora of reasons why the egg laying rate of your flock of chickens is dropping. We've compiled...
Wyandottes
History Wyandottes were developed in the United States in New York state. They get their name from a Native American tribe known as the Wyandots (or Wendats). The original Wyandotte was the Silver Laced Wynadotte, which was first accepted into the Standard of...
Book Review: Storey’s Guide to Raising Chickens
With 40 years of experience raising dozens of different varieties of chickens on her family farm, Gail Damerow has skillfully compiled an easy to read, comprehensive guide for the family desiring to start their own backyard chicken raising experience as well as a...
Cochins
History Cochins arrived in England and the United States in 1845. Originally, Cochins were called Chinese Shanghai Fowl, after the district in China where they originated. Later the name was changed to "Cochin China" and finally shortened to "Cochin". The Cochin is...
Shop Day-Old Baby Chicks
Day-old baby chicks, ducks, geese, turkeys, and other poultry now available for the 2026 season!