McMurray Hatchery Blog
Hatchery News, Updates and Information on Raising Chickens, Ducks, Geese, Turkeys and Other PoultryDuck Eggs are ‘Mmmm, Good’
A lot of folks turn up their noses at the idea of eating duck eggs. When I was young, I did too. But if you've never tried them, you don't know what you're missing. We recently asked our Facebook fans what they thought of duck eggs. Over 100 people responded, and...
Why Aren’t My Chickens Laying? | Adding Lights in Your Chicken Coop
Are your chickens laying fewer eggs recently? If you haven't made any big changes to how you're caring for them, there's a good chance the lack of eggs is caused by the shorter daytime hours. Chickens need a full 14-16 hours of daylight each day to lay their best, and...
City Chickens Can Save BIG TIME Tax Payer Dollars! (Part 2)
by Patricia Foreman [If you missed part 1 of this guest article by Patricia Foreman, you can view it here: City Chickens Can Save BIG TIME Tax Payer Dollars! (Part 1).] Here's how it can work. The math is simple, so don't be intimidated by it. Step 1: Chicken Feed A...
2010 Photo Contest Winner
Too Funny for Words The final results are in for this category of the photo contest. The Winner Congratulations to Kristine Jahnke for winning first place in the contest with her photo of their family cat curled up next to a Rhode Island Red hen. As the first prize...
Preparing your Laying Flock for Winter, Part 2
[This is the second part of a two part article. If you missed part 1, you can read it at: Preparing your Laying Flock for Winter, Part 1.] Photo by Sheila Falconer Water Supply Water is important to chickens in cold weather just as it is in hot weather. Be sure that...
2010 Photo Contest: Finalists Poll
Too Funny for Words 10/14/2010 Update - Winner Announcement Click the link below to see the winner announcement for the Too Funny for Words category of the contest: Winner Announcement - Too Funny for Words 10/13/2010 Update - Finalist Poll Closed The finalist poll...
Preparing your Laying Flock for Winter, Part 1
If you have a flock of laying hens, there are several important steps you can take to prepare for the colder weather and shorter days that winter brings. These steps will help you keep your layers in the best health and encourage them to lay well right through...
City Chickens Can Save BIG TIME Tax Payer Dollars! (Part 1)
by Patricia Foreman [This is the third in a series of articles by guest author Patricia Foreman. Her previous articles are: The Chicken Have-More Plan and Chickens: The Mascots of the Local Foods Movement] There are many warm-feathery reasons to keep family flocks,...
2010 Photo Contest: Semi-finalist Poll
Update The polls are now closed, and the 2010 Chicken Photo Contest has ended. To see the winners, visit the link below: 2010 Photo Contest Winners Too Funny for Words The poll for the "Too Funny for Words" category of the Murray McMurray Chicken Photo Contest is now...
2010 Photo Contest Winner
"That's So Sweet" Category Results The final results are in for this category of the photo contest. The Winner Congratulations to Elizabeth Robinson! She won first place in the contest with her photo of the Buff Orpington hen and her newly hatched chick. As the first...
Why Raise Ducks?
Ducks are easy to raise, and there are a number of good reasons to raise them. According to Dave Holderread, author of Storey's Guide to Raising Ducks, they are "one of the most versatile and useful of all domestic fowl." As a meat bird, ducks are an excellent...
The Importance of Water
It is important for your chickens and other poultry to always have access to an adequate supply of clean, fresh drinking water. This is even more important during hot weather, when a chicken's water requirements increase significantly. When chickens don't have enough...
2010 Photo Contest Update
Update: The poll is now closed. To see the winning photos, visit the link below: 2010 Photo Contest Winners Visit the link below to rate the five finalist photos in the "That's so sweet" category of the photo contest: Finalist poll for the "That's so sweet" category...
2010 Photo Contest: Finalist Slideshow for the "That’s so sweet" Category
Congratulations to the finalists in the "That's So Sweet" category of the Chicken Photo Contest. Below is a slide show of the photos: For contest details, see: Chicken Photo Contest Details
Chickens in the Garden: The Deep Mulch System
This is part two of a multi-part series. If you missed part one, you can read it here. A second approach for keeping chickens in your garden is the deep mulch system, described in detail in Andy Lee's book The Chicken Tractor. You can begin with part of your existing...
Shop Day-Old Baby Chicks
Day-old baby chicks, ducks, geese, turkeys, and other poultry now available for the 2026 season!