Poultry Farming

No, not by choice but only as foisted on them by their human "keepers". A chicken free ranging in the yard/field will eat many insects, worms etc. I have even witnessed them eating mice that they encounter. That is like a fight over the last 'hot' christmas gift on Dec 24th or an active rugby game. Watching them fight over and run with the poor mouse in the beak is amazing. They will also eat their own eggs if cracked- all these are animal products.

Salmonella bacteria are spread in fecal material from all kinds of animals. Animals may also pick up bacteria from the soil or perhaps from contaminated processed feed. The organisms then live in the intestinal tract of the host and may or may not have an effect on the animal. As food animals are slaughtered and processed, there are times when some of the bacteria from the intestines have the opportunity to contaminate uncooked meat products.

Yes! Chickens will come back to the same place to sleep every night -- so you can let your chickens roam your yard during the day and when it gets dark they will return to their coop to catch up on their beauty rest. (A "roost" is a pole they perch on, which they much prefer to sleeping on the ground.)

No! Chickens take dust bathsthat keep them clean and free of pests. However, if you plan on showing your chickens in a Poultry Show, you'll want your bird looking her best, so you can wash them with a gentle cleanser and blow them dry.

Vent sexing by an experienced chick sexer can be done at one day of age. This technique is difficult and requires a great deal of experience. If a fast feathering gene has been introduced into the breeding flock, chicks can be sexed by observing the differences in the appearance of the primary wing feathers. The feathers on the wings of the female will be a little longer and in a different pattern than those on the males. Most chickens can not be sexed in this manner.

The chicks develop from the true egg, seen as a small white spot (germinal disc) on the yolk. If the egg is fertile and incubated at the correct temperature, cell division will continue. The egg white protects the developing embryo and offers some nutrition, however, the yolk is the primary nutrition source.

Take it to a veterinarian that specializes in avian medicine or farm animals.

Roosters are VERY noisy, and contrary to popular belief, they don't just crow in the morning. They crow all day long. Hens are much quieter -- you basically won't hear them until they've just laid an egg, or if they're threatened.

Certified egg production flocks are those flocks that comply with the guidelines established by the United Egg Producers organization. To be certified, flocks must meet requirements in housing and cage space allowance, beak trimming, molting, transportation and handling.

You shouldn't. Chickens are social creatures and they will not do well alone. I advise a minimum of two.

No, all eggs have the white spot called the germinal disc. It is almost impossible to determine if an egg is fertile without first incubating it for several hours.

You can get grown chickens from a local farmer, or you can get baby chicks from a hatchery.

Different muscles in the body of the bird are used at various rates. Since chickens and turkeys do not fly, the breast muscles (which are used in flight) are not used as much as the leg and thigh muscles and do not require as much oxygen. The oxygen transport mechanism is myoglobin and is present in dissimilar amounts in the muscles which results in the color contrast.

Chickens in small flocks live several years if conditions are correct. A life span of 6-8 years may not be unreasonable. Most commercial layers are kept for 2-3 years.

Generally speaking, about 20 to 26 weeks. However, there are other factors that may affect it- breed of chicken, weather, time of year, etc. I have had a spring chicken start as young as 16 weeks.