Author: Elvira Bowen

Undercooked! Simplest answer. If it’s stringy it’s undercooked, if it’s tender and dissolves. It’s perfect, if it’s hard and tough, overcooked! Why is raw chicken stringy? Scientists believe this is caused by the quick growth rate of commercially farmed chickens. This occurs because the breast muscle tissue doesn’t receive enough oxygen from chickens’ developing circulatory […]

Hens often cackle when they lay an egg and this is known as the egg song. Not all of them make this peculiar noise after laying an egg, and some breeds cackle more than others. It is a “buck-buck-buck-badaaack” sound, repeated often for up to 15 minutes. Why does a chicken cackle after laying an […]

A hen separated from the flock will make an alarm call. The sound is similar to the ‘cackling’ that announces a new egg. It is thought to be an SOS call to the cockerel to come and save his lost hen. There will be a strong element of danger if there are predators around, so […]

Heavies/Heavy Breeds – Heavies are what you would think of as a “normal sized” chicken. They may also be called standard breeds. Common breeds include barred rock, rhode island redsrhode island redsThe Rhode Island Red is an American breed of domestic chicken. It is the state bird of Rhode Island. It was developed there and […]

You can either have someone hold the chicken upside down, pinning her wings, or use a kill cone. Slice the knife across her throat directly under the chin on either side of her larynx. Make one cut parallel to her jaw bone on each side. This slices the arteries rather than the trachea. How do […]

The second most common sound you are likely to hear is the alarm cry. In the wild chickens needed some sort of early warning system to warn each other of danger. There are two different alarm calls that tell the chicken where the danger is: ground or air. Why is my chicken making a crying […]

Studies Show: Backyard Chickens Better Pets Than Backyard Dogs. New scientific evidence shows that chickens are much more than egg-layers and nuisances to your neighbors—they may even be smarter than dogs! Why are chickens better than dogs? After accounting for food, veterinary care, and ongoing supplies, etc., our one dog costs the same amount as […]

It is quite likely that you will hear a rattling, congested (phlegmy) sound when they breathe. If chickens are having difficulty breathing (stretching their neck and coughing, or panting) but do not display other symptoms they may be suffering from gapeworm. How do you treat respiratory problems in chickens? If you have a bird that […]

All animals have their own unique way of communicating with each other. For chickens, that communication is mostly vocal. Hens and roosters like to make themselves heard, and they use a variety of sounds to indicate different thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Do chickens know each other? Chickens can recognize up to 100 faces. Chickens don’t […]

In Western Chinese cuisine Chicken balls (Chinese: 鸡球; pinyin: jī qiú) are a type of modern Chinese food served in Canada, Ireland, United States, and the United Kingdom as a staple of Chinese take-out. The dish consists of small chunks of fried chicken breast meat covered in a crispy batter coating. What is Chinese chicken […]

The heat is too high or too low. The skin won’t be crispy, and it won’t be a memorable eating experience. To make sure that your oil’s temperature remains steady at around 350 degrees F, keep an instant-read kitchen thermometer nearby so you can continually monitor the oil’s temperature. How do you crisp up fried […]

A piping-hot rotisserie chicken from the grocery store is a quick and tasty meal—just be sure to eat it while it’s still hot. If you leave it on the counter for a couple of hours, any bacteria on the bird could begin to flourish. (This is true if you roast your own chicken, as well.) […]

Though rare, it can occur if children eat specific bacteria or a toxin produced from a bacterium. It is usually easier to keep a food cold than hot. For chicken strips, cook them thoroughly the night before and place them into a sealable plastic bag and directly into the refrigerator. How do you keep chicken […]

When a hen that has broody instincts lays an egg, she is forming a ‘clutch’ of eggs. She does nothing to care for these eggs other than hide them in a secure place until she is ready to sit on them. Will chickens try to hatch unfertilized eggs? Hens raised without roosters can’t lay fertile […]