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How Long Can Chickens Go Without Water?
Chickens are foragers, and they do best when they have free access to food and water throughout the day. The amount of time a chicken can go without water depends on several environmental factors. During periods of extreme heat, a chicken may begin to suffer after just a few hours of not having any water. […]
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What Are Baby Chickens Called?
Baby chickens are most commonly referred to as “chicks.” This is a gender-neutral term that applies to both male and female chickens. Because it can be difficult to sex a chicken at birth, having a catch-all genderless term for the baby birds makes sense. Informally, chicks are sometimes also called “peeps.” This term is used […]
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How Much Do Chickens Weigh?
Chickens vary in size depending on breed, age and gender. The average adult chicken weighs between 5 and 10 pounds. Roosters are usually larger than hens, and egg-laying chicken breeds are usually smaller than meat or mixed type breeds. Chickens often appear larger than they are thanks to their feathers. A broody hen may fluff […]
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How Long Do Chickens Take to Hatch?
A chicken egg takes an average of 21 days to hatch after incubation has begun. This means that if you start with fertilized eggs, you can have chicks within three weeks. Of course, animals don’t operate on strict schedules, and some eggs may hatch a day or two early or late. On average, though, plan […]
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Chicken Genetics: Fun Facts About Chromosomes and DNA
Chickens have 39 pairs of chromosomes, or 78 chromosomes in total. These chromosomes house the genetic makeup of a chicken, and the composition of genes on these chromosomes determines everything from a chicken’s sex, size, coloration and more. Every living thing has chromosomes, and the number of chromosomes varies from one species to the next. […]
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11 Methods to Protect Chickens from Raccoons
Of all the natural predators that chickens have to deal with in the wild, there are few that are as determined as the raccoon. A raccoon’s clever nature and manual dexterity make them as much a threat to a coop as larger, stronger predators, and the fact that they carry diseases like rabies makes them […]
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6 Methods to Keep Chickens Safe from Dogs
Whether you’re worried about strays or worried about your own pet or farm dogs developing a taste for chicken, protecting your flock from predators like dogs is an important part of making sure that your chickens are safe and healthy enough to live long, egg-laying lives. When dealing with your own dogs, the main priority […]
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How Do Chickens Sleep?
Chickens can sleep sitting down, curled up in a little ball, or stretched out on the ground with their legs and necks extended. No matter how your chickens may choose to sleep, so long as their coop is built to accommodate their preferences, they should be able to sleep through the night and wake up […]
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The Chicken Coop: Complete Guide for Beginners
A chicken coop, at its most basic, is simply a structure where your chickens can sleep or roost during the night. While your brooding hens will usually have a nesting area inside the coop to lay their eggs, the main purpose of the building is to protect both your male and female chickens during the […]
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How to Protect Chickens from Hawks and Other Predators
Keeping your chickens in a secure fenced area with a roof is the best way to protect them from hawks and other predators. Other tactics include decoys and guards, including roosters, turkeys and even trained dogs. Chickens are large, relatively slow-moving and meaty. We bred them selectively for all of those qualities. Unfortunately, the things […]