McMurray Hatchery Blog
Hatchery News, Updates and Information on Raising Chickens, Ducks, Geese, Turkeys and Other Poultry
2022 Customer Photo Winners, Round One
Customer Photos to Appear in 2022 McMurray Hatchery Marketing Congratulations to photo contest winners Anna Christian and Teddi Yaeger! Their photos have been selected to be used in our 2022 marketing materials — premiering in our full page ad on the back cover of the...
Composting Chicken Manure Fertilizer
After raising chickens for a short while, you will understand the importance of composting chicken manure fertilizer. Even a small flock will produce an admirable amount of chicken manure. Some gardeners refer to this as garden gold. Once composted, chicken manure...
The Easiest Animals to Raise on the Homestead
Five of easiest animals to raise on the homestead or small acreage will depend on the layout of your property and the amount of land owned. The decision to homestead means you have decided to live a more sustainable life. Gardening and preserving the harvest is a...
How To Keep Snakes Away From Your Poultry
A frequent question about predator control that we receive from new chicken keepers is how to keep snakes away from poultry. While the method may vary, the answer is always the same ... snakes have to be kept out of your chicken coop at all costs. Not only can snakes...
Chick Days Photo Contest Winners
2021 Chick Days Photo Contest Winners Congratulations to these entrants in the 2021 Chick Days photo contest! These winning photos received the highest number of votes by our customers and will be used on our website and in our marketing materials. The following...
Gail Damerow Discusses Coccidiosis in Chicks and Turkey Poults
Coccidiosis is the most common disease in baby chicks and turkey poults, and also the most common cause of death. Continuing our interview series with poultry expert and best-selling author, Gail Damerow, we ask her what causes coccidiosis and what can be done about...
The Beauty of Bantam Chickens
Choosing Bantam chickens for your backyard flock can be an excellent choice for urban and suburban neighborhoods. In fact, anyone who wants a hardy, small chicken with a good disposition will be pleased with the Bantam chicken’s good temperament. Among the many...
Gail Damerow Discusses Broody Hens
Snuggling down on a nest of eggs until they hatch is a hen’s way of making more chickens. A hen that has decided to become a mother is called a broody hen. Continuing our interview series with poultry expert and best-selling author, Gail Damerow, we ask her about...
Incorporate These Guard Geese Breeds on Your Homestead — Protect Your Flocks
I couldn’t wait to open the box when I got it from the post office. Guard geese — these are what I had been waiting to add to our homestead for quite some time. But because guardian geese might not be a welcome wake up call for my neighbors in my subdivision, I had to...
2021 Catalog Photo Winners Announced
The 2021 Murray McMurray Hatchery catalog is done and in the mail! Copies have already started landing in mailboxes across the U.S. and Canada. We are thankful to be able to feature so many amazing photos submitted by our customers each year, and this year was no...
Preparing Your Winter Chicken Coop
Winter is here and I need to think about the things to do to start preparing my chicken coop and chickens for their winter chicken coop set up. Wait, what? I have a winter set up and check list for my chickens? Why yes, yes I do! And it might be something you...
How to Make Money Off Your Chickens
When my chicken addiction became strong, my husband gave me the stink eye. I quickly needed to find ways for my chickens to make me money! Raising chickens for meat, and learning about how to put up my chicken eggs for sale, were two of the main things I needed to...
DIY Suet Blocks for Poultry | High Protein Treats for Molting Season
DIY suet blocks for poultry are ideal during molting season. Suet cakes for chickens and other birds encourages and promotes feather growth. Not to mention, your poultry team will love this delicious treat item. Molting is a natural occurrence for poultry, wild and...
McMurray Hatchery 2021 Customer Photo Winners, Round One
Customer Photos to Appear in 2021 McMurray Hatchery Marketing Congratulations to photo contest winners Breanna Brooks, Rebekah Jaeger, and Tiffany Johnson! Their photos have been selected to be used in our 2021 marketing materials. Their photos will premiere in our...
How to Preserve Eggs Long-term with These 4 Methods
How to preserve eggs when looking for long-term storage is easy. In fact, for those who raise poultry it is a necessity. The most commonly asked question for those new to poultry keeping, do eggs need to be refrigerated, will also be addressed in this article. The...
Shop Day-Old Baby Chicks
Day-old baby chicks, ducks, geese, turkeys, and other poultry now available for the 2025 season — always with FREE SHIPPING on all full orders of baby birds!