Few things are as frightening to chicken keepers as a snake in the chicken coop. These slithering pests will go after both baby chicks and adult chickens, which can stress even the healthiest of flocks. Even though only a small percentage of snakes are venomous, they can still deliver a nasty bite that’ll require treatment.

In today’s blog from Freedom Ranger Hatchery, Inc., we’ll explore why snakes go into chicken coops, whether or not they’ll eat your birds, signs that you may have a snake in your chicken coop, and what you can do to keep your baby chicks safe from these cold-blooded reptiles. Continue reading “How to Keep Snakes Out of a Chicken Coop”

We may be biased, but at Freedom Ranger Hatchery, we believe owning chickens is one of the most rewarding pastimes you can have. Whether you have a few backyard chickens as pets or rely on your chicken egg production as a means of income, these birds always seem to have a way of making a day brighter. This is why it’s so important that your birds stay happy and healthy!

You could have one or several dozen egg-laying chickens in your flock, but you likely want your birds at optimum egg-laying capacity. Having your hens lay eggs regularly may not be a requirement depending on your situation, but we want to share a few tips that have helped our birds. From our chickens to yours, here’s the rundown on maximizing chicken egg production in your coop. Continue reading “How to Maximize Chicken Egg Production—3 Things to Know”

We’ve talked about this on our blog in the past, but starting your own chicken or egg production business can be daunting. Whether you’re looking to do something small out of your backyard or you’re thinking about expanding to a large facility, there are a lot of factors to consider.

Like the age-old question of “which came first, the chicken or the egg?” you may be asking yourself a similar question. We’re here to tell you that it’s the chickens that arrive first, but you’ll have to start by choosing the best egg-laying chickens for your flock. Not all chickens produce the same amount of eggs or meat, which is why you need to research which egg-layers will be right for your backyard flock.  Continue reading “Choosing the Best Egg Laying Chickens”

At Freedom Ranger Hatchery, we’re advocates of free-range chickens and letting birds do what comes naturally to them. That sometimes means going the extra mile to ensure your birds stay happy and healthy all-year-long—especially when cold weather starts kicking in!

Whether you have two chickens or 200, there are many tips for keeping your birds healthy, no matter your flock size. Read on to learn our top five tips for keeping your chickens and baby chicks healthy throughout the winter. Continue reading “5 Tips to Keep Your Chickens Healthy Throughout the Winter”

Raising backyard chickens has become a trendy hobby in recent years, but what about backyard geese? Keeping and breeding a variety of goose breeds has a long tradition in the United States. We know that George Washington had geese on his farm at Mount Vernon, and records indicate that he was given three Chinese geese in the time he lived there.

But why keep geese instead of or in addition to chickens, whether it be the graceful and exotic-looking Brown Chinese Geese or other breeds? Well, backyard geese are incredibly versatile. They can provide meat and eggs, though they are also extremely good at “guard dog” duties and even weeding gardens! In fact, the Brown Chinese Goose breed can also be referred to as “Weeder Geese.”

Read on to learn just a bit more about Brown Chinese Geese, which we hatch and ship across the USA!  Continue reading “Breed Spotlight: Brown Chinese Geese”

In a previous post, we talked about the common bacteria known as Salmonella, and more specifically, how it could affect your chicken flock. We discussed how you can identify it in your flock and what you can do to prevent it. And while the details of that post haven’t changed, there is some new information that has come to light about the bacteria.

During a recent study published by Penn State College of Medicine, it was found that “meat from conventionally raised poultry was twice as likely to contain multidrug-resistant Salmonella compared to poultry labeled antibiotic-free or organic.” In layman’s terms, that means organic poultry is half as likely to have Salmonella contamination than its non-organically produced counterpart.

While we are strong supporters of healthy, naturally raised chickens, we also know that organic poultry farming is not for everyone. Regardless, no one wants their flock to be infected with Salmonella. In today’s post, we want to break down some of the information presented in this study to help you and other poultry businesses alike better understand how to take care of your flock. Continue reading “Organic Poultry is Half as Likely to be Salmonella Contaminated”

If you are an experienced poultry producer, you likely already know that a debate has been heating up in the past few years over the growth rate of chickens raised for meat. And if you’re newer to growing broilers, or are considering jumping into the business soon, you may also be familiar. Of course, you probably still have questions, starting with, “what are the issues and arguments in this broiler chicken growth rate debate?”

As with many things in our culture at this moment, concerns about long-term sustainability and safety fueled by information (and perhaps some misinformation, too) made available online likely created the debate. However, some broiler producers had also begun questioning whether the idea that “faster growth is always better” when it comes to their chickens was totally right.

Today’s blog post highlights a few things broiler producers should know now as they look to the future of their business with regard to growth rate concerns. Continue reading “What to Know About the Broiler Chicken Growth Rate Debate”

The age-old question, “Which came first—the chicken or the egg?” may forever go unanswered, but when you’re looking for the best brown egg-layers, we suggest starting with the chicken. And in this instance, it’s the Novogen Brown!

In today’s post, we’re highlighting one of our favorite (and best) egg-layers that we have in stock here at Freedom Ranger Hatchery. Keep reading to learn more about the Novogen Brown chicken, and what owning a few of these could do for your egg-laying business. Continue reading “Breed Spotlight: Novogen Brown”

When you’re first starting out raising chickens, you may not think you’ll get to the level where you’d be turning a profit. Most farms start with only a few chickens, and then slowly turn into a broiler farm over time, or at least start to entertain the idea.

If you’re reading this, you may be thinking about taking the next step in your broiler business. But there are a few things you should consider before you spread your wings and think about leaving the coop. We’re here to talk you through those considerations and the steps you should take before purchasing your Freedom Ranger chicks! Continue reading “How Many Chicks to Order to Fit Your Broiler Farm”

It’s all in the name—our Freedom Ranger Chickens are the reason our hatchery has the name it does. These birds are the crème de la crème, the cream of the crop—or should we say, the “cream of the flock”—when it comes to high-quality broiler chickens.

There’s a reason our Freedom Ranger Chickens are one of our top-selling birds, and in today’s post, we wanted to shine a light on why that is. So keep reading to learn more about this month’s chicken breed spotlight—Freedom Ranger Chickens! Continue reading “Breed Spotlight: Freedom Ranger Chickens”