Author: Justin Shelton

Chickens Do Not Receive Growth Hormones: So Why All the Confusion? The truth is that no hormones are used in poultry production. Does chicken affect female hormones? It is therefore, suggested from the present study that the intake of commercial chicken feed and commercial chicken meat may be the potential cause of development of polycystic […]

In hot weather, make sure birds have plenty of water and shade. Two days before a stressful event (eg moving house, attending a show), give the birds some Imustress from Natural Farm Health. This helps calms them down before the event and then give it to them for two days afterwards. How can you tell […]

Their sense of smell helps in essential functions like navigating, foraging, and identifying individuals. While it may differ from chicken to chicken, one thing is for sure; chickens can smell and sense danger. They may be slow in tasting, but they sure are vigilant for anything smelling toxic. Do chickens recognize death? Yes, even when […]

However, it can be generally estimated that they probably smell just as well as humans. If their coop reeks of ammonia, your hens will appreciate the fresh smell of new bedding. Do smells bother chickens? Chickens don’t seem to have much ability to smell or taste. That may be an advantage. They seem to prefer […]

Chickens don’t seem to have much ability to smell or taste. That may be an advantage. They seem to prefer foods of certain colors. Toss scraps of red tomatoes into the run, and they’ll be instantly devoured, while green pepper scraps are ignored. Can chickens smell odors? Chickens use their sense of smell for finding […]

Halal Chicken: Following the Word of the Koran Dhabiha, the Islamic form of slaughtering poultry or other animals, involves the killing through slicing the carotid artery, jugular vein, and windpipe. The animal must be alive as well as healthy when slaughtered and its blood must be drained. What makes chicken halaal? Halal food is that […]

1. Place the chicken upside down in a kill cone like this (or a homemade version, like ours). Using a sharp knife, slit the artery in the throat (which runs right on the backside of the earlobe) and allow the blood to drain out and the chicken to die – this usually takes around 30 […]

Clapping hands or giving the chicken a gentle shove will waken it. One can also hypnotize a chicken by mimicking how it sleeps – with its head under its wing. In this method, the bird is held firmly, placing its head under its wing, then, the chicken is rocked gently back and forth and set […]

Traditional methods of slaughtering chickens — at a rate of 11,000 birds an hour — require workers to snap live birds upside-down into leg shackles hanging from a conveyor belt on the ceiling. The chickens are then dunked, head first, into a shallow “stun bath” designed to anaesthetize them before they are killed. How are […]

Plucking: 2 minutes by hand, 30-45 seconds with a plucker If you come across any pin feathers (partly formed feathers sticking out of the skin), just pass them over if they are hard to get out. You can get them later with pliers. Right now get out everything that is a fully formed feather. How […]