After deciding to raise chickens, the first major decision you will need to make is which breed or breeds you will raise. There are over 100 chicken breeds that have been identified, which means you could spend days researching each breed and making your selection. Before getting too caught up in the details, we recommend…
The little known fact among newbies is that you do not need a rooster in order for hens to lay eggs. It’s worth repeating… hens lay eggs just fine without having a rooster! We often get questions about roosters. The common fear for first-timers seems to be waking up to the lovely sound of a…
Professionals use a practice called vent sexing, which is one of the most accurate ways to differentiate male chicks from female chicks. Don’t underestimate the value of experience in this field though. Even the experts make mistakes, and you will more certainly gain accuracy with practice! The process of vent sexing includes the following steps:…
A straight run of chicks will be approximately 50% male (cockerels) and 50% female (pullets). If you had the ability to test a chick’s chromosomes you would be able to know the gender for sure. Since that’s not the case, you will likely have to rely on a little “art” and a little “science” to…