From the category archives:

Fowl Facts

Arsenic From Chickens?

by Staff March 7, 2011

The state of Maryland is considering a bill that would prohibit lacing chickens’ feed with arsenic.   If this seems so obvious as to be unnecessary, consider the details of how our commercial chicken farms routinely add arsenic (in the form of the compound roxarsone) to the chicken feed, for the belief that arsenic makes chickens [...]

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An American Woodcock Song in Virginia

by Staff March 5, 2011

Recent warm weather in Virginia will soon usher in the arrival of the male American woodcocks.  These male birds arrive slightly ahead of the females each spring, where they begin to set up singing grounds for courtship in areas of scattered woody plants under 2 feet high.   Their call is a buzzing “peent” sound, accompanied by chirps, [...]

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Charlottesville VA Farms: What Defines “Organic” Chicken?

by Staff January 28, 2011

We want to share a very interesting article about the wide range of conditions under which chicken farmers may claim that their products are “organic”.   Have you ever wondered exactly what standards are applied in order to claim that your chicken is organic?  It seems there is some debate, even inside the organic farming community, and the USDA is [...]

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Vulture Culture

by Staff January 26, 2011

We notice the vultures, especially when they’re perched in trees which are nearly overcome with kudzu.  At that time, they look like something out of a gothic novel…. creepy, threatening, fearless.  But basically we’ve conquered our Primal Child and we’ve gone on about life without being too intimidated, comforted in the knowledge that vultures actually perform vital [...]

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First came the egg. Or was it the chicken?

by Staff January 4, 2011

Many people have at least one question about chickens.   The chicken or the egg?  (Okay, sorry, … had to do it). Our new series about various Charlottesville and Virginia farm animals explores some answers to the questions we get from our clients.  One  frequent question is…. How many eggs does a chicken lay each day? So we’ve started at [...]

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