Counting chickens

March 22. If your chickens (or geese, turkeys and ducks) have come home to roost, today is your day. The Pittsboro-based Livestock Conservancy has launched the 2021 Poultry Census, sponsored by Murray McMurray Hatchery.

You may have a rare poultry breeds with traits such as foraging, maternal ability, disease resistance and heat- or cold-tolerance that are beneficial to small farmers and backyard hobbyists. Even as backyard poultry-keeping becomes more popular, many of the less common or more challenging breeds are in real danger of extinction.

To participate in the 2021 Poultry Census, cluck here.