Reading Time: 5 minutes December23/January24 By Kenny Coogan and Carla Tilghman World’s Oldest Chicken is 21 It’s official — it’s Guinness Record official! Peanut the chicken is now the oldest (living) chicken at age 21 years. Peanut and Marsi. Peanut’s caregiver, Marsi Parker Darwin, remembers the day when she was about to throw an egg … Read more
Reading Time: 5 minutes BREED: The German word Spitzhauben means pointed hoods and refers to the traditional ceremonial headdress of Appenzell women. The birds are known equally as Spitzhauben chickens and Appenzeller Spitzhauben chickens. In Appenzell, they are affectionately known as Tschüpperli or Gässeschnäpfli. ORIGIN: Appenzell is in the mountainous northeast of Switzerland. Despite its … Read more
Reading Time: 5 minutes BREED: The Campine chicken we know today is likely to be a blend of the old Braekel (or Brakel) with its smaller variant, the Kempen (or Kempisch) hen. ORIGIN: The Braekel has been documented in Belgium since 1416 and likened to paintings by Italian naturalist Ulisse Aldrovandi in the sixteenth century. … Read more
Now, USDA is suggesting it might abandon this 25-year-old program and put America even further behind our global competitors. Chicken companies in Canada, Europe, South America, and Asia operate the same exact equipment at up to 30 percent higher line speeds than we do, and without food safety or worker safety issues. The department appears to be … Read more
Since 1992, chicken has claimed the top consumption spot in the American protein kingdom, and consumers aren’t looking back anytime soon. When chicken first became our nation’s favorite protein over 30 years ago, the average American ate 66.5 pounds of chicken per year. Chicken consumption has steadily gained momentum—almost annually—and in 2022, the average American … Read more
Snapshots of chickens running around the great outdoors may seem picture-perfect, but in reality: The great outdoors can be blazing hot or bitterly cold There are LOTS of predators who would love to prey on chickens Chickens are more susceptible to diseases outside What’s more, broiler chickens (chickens raised for meat) NEVER live in cages. … Read more
Snapshots of chickens running around the great outdoors may seem picture-perfect, but in reality: The great outdoors can be blazing hot or bitterly cold There are LOTS of predators who would love to prey on chickens Chickens are more susceptible to diseases outside What’s more, broiler chickens (chickens raised for meat) NEVER live in cages. … Read more
“Growing up in the city, I knew nothing about farming, and started from the bottom up when I met Brian! One of the first times I came to the farm, I went into a chicken house and was blown away by the size and scope—I didn’t have any concept of what ‘raising chickens’ entailed! I’ve … Read more
Reading Time: 5 minutes Common intestinal parasite affecting poultry still being widely researched. Learn more about roundworm resistance. Story by Sue Norris Roundworms are found wherever mammals and birds are found. As the most common intestinal parasite in birds and mammals worldwide, even healthy animals — and humans — can suffer from roundworms. The chicken … Read more
Reading Time: 5 minutes Hens for Hire is a great way to have chickens available in schools and for teaching about poultry. By Susie Kearley Paul and Sandy McEvoy are the founders of Hen House Farm, a small farm in an idyllic part of Devon, England. They hire hens to schools, families, care homes, and … Read more