Author: Lorraine Wade

Between 5-7 weeks, you should be able to begin visually distinguishing males from females. Compared to pullets, the combs and wattles of cockerels often develop earlier and are usually larger. What are the first signs of a rooster? General behavior is also often an indicator. Roosters will seem to “strut their stuff”, even at a […]

Generally, in the US, an Easter Egger is a bird that is understood to carry the blue egg laying gene from its parent stock (the Araucana or Ameraucana). Although primarily thought of as an egg layer, they make a reasonable dual-purpose breed. What kind of chickens are dual purpose? Popular Dual Purpose breeds include: Barred […]

Chicken that’s labeled “organic,” must be raised according to USDA National Organic Program rules from its second day after hatching. These rules include: No antibiotic use. You can’t give drugs, antibiotics and/or hormones to organic birds. (Also note that it is not legal to give hormones to any chicken.) What is the definition of an […]

In American usage, an Easter egger or Easter-egger is any hybrid or mixed-breed chicken resulting from breeding of a bird carrying the blue-egg (oocyan) gene with one that lays brown eggs. Eggs from such a bird may be any shade of blue or brown, or occasionally pink or pale yellow. What does EE mean for […]

The heaviest breed of chicken is the White Sully, a hybrid of large Rhode Island Reds and other varieties developed by Grant Sullens of West Point, California, USA. What breed of chicken is the heaviest? A Brahma chicken holds the record as being the heaviest chicken known (more on this below!), but on average the […]

Roasters: Typically more than 4 lb (2 kg), roasters are older and more flavourful than broilers. They are ideal for roasting but can also be poached for soups, salads, sandwiches and casseroles. Capons: A favourite for roasting, capons are desexed roosters and weigh from 4 to 10 lb (2 to 4.5 kg). What chicken is […]

What’s the Average Chicken Weight? Though chicken breeds vary in size and shape, with some featuring bigger plumage or weightier muscles, their average weight is around 5.7 pounds. How big is a standard whole chicken? What you’ll find in most supermarkets are broilers/fryers, roasters, and Cornish game hens. A game hen is just a very […]

So what’s actually going on with the giant chicken? It’s not a freak of nature, it’s not a genetic mutation. As it turns out, big chickens do exist, and they’re called Brahma chickens. They’re also often referred to as the ‘king of all poultry,’ and we can see why. Are there giant chickens? Giant chickens […]

Whole Chicken: The chicken with all parts intact, generally including the giblets stuffed in the cavity. Consists of white and dark meat. Poultry Half: The chicken is split in half lengthwise through the breast and back, leaving fairly equal halves consisting of the same parts. What pieces of chicken are in a whole chicken? Here […]

Most of the white eggs sold by grocery stores are produced by Leghorn chickens or by proprietary breeds that Leghorns were used to create. Leghorns are lightweight birds that start laying eggs as early as 4 to 5 months of age. They can produce nearly 300 eggs per year without going broody. What breed of […]

Broiler Chickens Broiler chickens are any breed that is intended specifically to be raised for meat. These birds grow much faster than their egg-laying counterparts so that you can use them for meat earlier than other breeds. What breed of chicken is a meat chicken? The most popular meat for people to breed in their […]

These strict FDA regulations and regular testing are designed to ensure antibiotic residues are not found in eggs in the food supply. Due to the effective use of vaccines and on-farm disease prevention, only a small percentage of egg-laying flocks ever receive antibiotics. Are chicken eggs injected? I learned that at the industrial hatcheries that […]

The cause is most often related to boiling the eggs too hard for too long. The green ring can also be caused by a high amount of iron in the cooking water. The green ring is harmless and safe to eat. Why are my chicken eggs green? What’s a green egg? The result of crossbreeding […]

Generally, Plymouth Rocks are not extremely aggressive, and tame quite easily. Some males and hens are big and active enough to be quite a problem if they become aggressive. Are Plymouth Rock chickens friendly? Plymouth Rocks have a docile, friendly nature and do well even when confined, although they will be happier if they can […]

And not necessarily harmful; blue eggs are widely eaten and the Araucana, in particular, is a very popular exotic chicken breed. Do blue eggs taste different? One of the most popular questions we get asked by visitors to our farm is about the color of our eggs: Do the different colors have a different taste? […]

Poultry classes are defined primarily in terms of the age and sex of the bird. Genetic improvements and poultry management techniques have reduced the grow-out period for some poultry classes, while extensive cross breeding has produced poultry with higher meat yields but blurred breed distinctions. How are chicken categorized? Chicken Scientific Name. The chicken belongs […]

KFC chicken is made entirely of actual chicken and is available in the form of chicken wings, breasts, and thighs. What kind of chicken is used by KFC? KFC uses real Canadian farm-raised chicken, because a local bird is a fresh bird. Chicken is delivered fresh to KFC restaurants throughout the week. Each individual piece […]

We use 100 percent real chicken raised on U.S. farms. Our chicken is USDA inspected for quality before it can be delivered to our kitchens. Is KFC fried chicken healthy? Fat, Sodium, and Cholesterol A bucket of fried chicken has 3,090 calories along with “vast amounts” of saturated fat, cholesterol, and sodium, the CSPI adds. […]

They take fresh chicken pieces, coat them in a breadcrumb and spice mix then pressure fry them. So that would be as processed as a lot of stuff in your own kitchen or in a restaurant. However apart from being killed, gutted and jointed at the abattoir, the chicken is not “processed” before delivery to […]

The best way to ensure you’re buying the freshest poultry is to look at the fat—it should be white to deep yellow, never gray or pale. Make sure the package is well wrapped and leak-free. What’s the best kind of chicken to buy? The Bottom Line In the best case scenario, you’re going to walk […]