1) Dual-purpose chickens are good for both egg & meat production
     "Red Sex Link, Golden Comet & Leghorns have performed well. Overall however, dual-purpose chickens either don't lay enough eggs or the meat is off flavor or there's not much of it".

2) Cornish Rock & Cornish Cross are not good chickens because they are the industrial farm standard
 "They are a standard for a reason! Cornish Rock produces the best quality and maxium quantity of meat. How it is raised determines the difference between a healthy chicken, or the industrial creation of Franken-chicken."   

By the way - using DooKashi will actually keep your chickens respiratory systems healthy as it quickly eliminates the ammonia odor. And it stands to reason that "healthy birds lay the best eggs while a healthy respiratory results in a chicken i.e.more meat".  

3). A rooster is necessary to produce eggs 

 "However, it is probably more of a misunderstanding than a myth. A rooster is not needed to yield eggs. Roosters tend to be hard on the hens, so unless you wish to try a hand at breeding, roosters are unnecessary". 

I admit, I believed this as well! Obviously, what I learned in the past is not biologically correct! 

4). Chickens are good for the garden
"this is by far the biggest myth. Chickens in the garden are actually a bit of a disaster as they disrupt carefully mulched beds, and destroy seedling with their scratching. However, the real boom comes from adding yard waste material (leaves & grass clippings) to their droppings which results in black gold!   If you add it right to their pen, the chickens will do all the mixing for you"

Another bonus for using DooKashi is the OMRI listed probiotic ingredient that actually accelerates the composting process resulting in a much more nutrient-rich "black gold"!  

Are you a chicken keeper who haven't tried DooKashi? You should as clearly - two of these four myths will always be proven wrong (and that's a good thing!).  Want to more? Click Here or watch this Poultry Testimonial by Lisa Steele of Fresh Eggs Daily.  

Dairy One-Year Herd Conversion

• Feed: Must be fed 100% organic feed for one year. 
• Antibiotics: Prohibited for 1 year prior to milking. After conversion, they are prohibited. 
• Hormones: Except for ocytocin, they are prohibited for 1 year prior to milking and after certification. 
• Vaccines: May use approved vaccines and biologics as needed. 
• Pasture: Must have access to pasture. 

Poultry (Meat and Eggs): 

• Feed: Must be fed 100% organic feed from the second day of life.
• Antibiotics: Prohibited. 
• Hormones: Prohibited.
• Vaccines: May use approved vaccines and biologics as needed.
• Living Conditions:Must have access to the outdoors. 

Slaughter Stock (Beef, Dairy, Hogs, Sheep, etc.)

• Feed: Must be fed 100% organic feed from the last third of gestation. 
• Antibiotics: Prohibited. 
• Hormones: Prohibited except for oxytocin. 
• Vaccines: May use approved vaccines and biologics as needed.
• Pasture Requirements: Must have access to the outdoors. Organic pasture is required for ruminant livestock. 

Obviously there is much more to this transition however, it was interesting to understand the steps that must be taken.  Next time in the grocery or pet store, I'll feel much more confident in my purchase.  

Don't despair - Dr. Stelow also notes "“We are not suggesting that anyone avoid having these cats in their homes,” she said of calicos and torties. “Most of them make lovely pets. It’s just information to help you understand what you might be up against.”

Curious to find out more? Award winning writer and cat expert Ingrid King,has a new book coming out called  Tortitude The BIG Book of Cats with a BIG Attitude.  Her blog "The Conscious Cat" offers more information and tidbits on this and many other facts of cats.  

Wonder if these same temperamental studies can apply to kids as well?! Hmmm - something to consider. 

Here's five quality problems and possible causes: 

• Pale-shelled Eggs: the degree of brown color in the egg shell is determined by the quality of deposited pigment in the cuticle.  Causes: Infectious Bronchitis, Bird Age (older hen), High Stress in the Flock
• Wrinkled Eggs: eggs with thinly creased and wrinkled surfaces. Causes: Stress, Defective shell gland, Overcrowding. 
• Misshapen Eggs: these eggs are too small or large, round instead of oval, or differ from normal shapes. Causes: Immature shell gland, Disease (Avian influenza, Egg Drop Syndrome 76), Stress, Overcrowding
• Corrugated Eggs: Characterized by a very rough, corrugated surface, these eggs are produced when plumping is not controlled and terminated. Causes: Heat stress, Saline water, BIrd age, Poor nutrition, especially calcium and vitamin D3
• Pimpled Eggs: Classified by small lumps of calcified material on the egg shell, the severity of pimples depends on the foreign material present during the calcification process. Causes: Bird age, Strain of bird, Inadequate nutrition

Want to read more?  Click here to see the actual information.  

" What if I told you that you don't need to clean your coop again until spring? Would you believe me?

What if I also told you that I could guarantee you FREE compost for your garden come spring? Who wouldn't love that?

And finally, what if I told you that your coop won't smell? Not one bit. All. Winter. Long.

Well it's not only possible, but simple, once you have learned the Deep Litter Method of Coop Composting. and discovered the secret ingredient: DooKashi: A Natural Solution for Pet Poo-lution.

Click here to read more from Lisa.  

Behind Mitten's is Angie Bailey, a humorist, cat lover and blogger since 2009. Talking with Mitty's creator got our creative juices flowing.  Just what would MIitty think about having Non-GMO Project Verified DooKashi in cat litter? Click here to see! 

While you're at it - follow MItty's lead and enter promo code "MITTY$5" for $5 off your total order. 

Best Suggestion to Make a Difference
Write your Congressman and ask that he/she support the ban of kitten mills and gas chambers in your state.

Best Cat Inspired Activity
Bake some cat shaped cookies for your kids, friends or office and bake some tuna cookies for your cat.

Best Suggestion to Help Someone Else
Assist an ill or elderly neighbor by cleaning their cat’s litter box and playing with their cat.

Best Recommendation for Health: (our own suggestion)
Did you know cat's respiratory systems can be compromised by ammonia fumes? Not to mention, humans with allergies and asthma can be greatly affected by inhaling odors caused by urine. Start protecting your cat (and yourself) with dust free, All Natural DooKashi. Use promo code PURR$5 and see for yourself.

Best Suggestion To Try With Your Cat
Make a window perch for your cat to lay in the sun. (Cat naps encouraged).

Tell us how you're planning to celebrate! 

Mud Bay stores are one of our favorites to visit.  Their stores are impressively laid out (especially like the toys - never leave without purchasing!) but far and away, their greatest asset is their well trained Associates. "Pets" are clearly the passion of all who work there and if they don't know an answer to a question like "my cats has a rash" or "my dog only likes a squeaky toy that isn't too loud, what should I buy" - they'll find out. 

SInce DooKashi  extends the life of litter up to 3 days, we're always interested in litter types and which is most popular  this does change frequently!).  We've tested DooKashi on every litter type imaginable (works with all types) however, there's always something "new" to try.  

After picking up Mud Bay's "How to Choose A Healthy Cat Litter" brochure, what caught our eye was an article "The Birth of Cat Litter" and wanted to pass on the information. Note: we are purposefully copying their information below and give all the credit for the research to Mud Bay!  

The invention of kitty litter is noted as 1947. Prior to that, indoor cats struggled with ashes, sawdust or newspapers for "doing their business".  In that year, Edward Lowe, who worked at his family's MIchigan building supply company, was asked by a neighbor (Kay Draper) for help in filling her cat's litter box. Lowe recalled a product his father had manufactured during WWII. That product was a baked ground clay that soaked up oil spills in factories. And guess what: it worked! 

Having packaged the clay in a paper bag, Edward wrote "Kitty Litter" in grease pencil on the outside and the industry was invented! Interestingly enough: now more than six decades later, the fastest growing segment of kitty litter has nothing to do with clay.   

According to Mud Bay: "the trend now is for U.S.litter boxes to be filled with renewable litters made from plant sources like wheat, corn and wheatgrass".  Knowing exactly what your cat is being exposed to is one reason customers use DooKashi Odor Eliminator as a Litter Additive & Extender. Made with all natural ingredients, and proudly Non-GMO Project Verified, we believe every pet owner has a right to be informed. After all, your pet is not a science project, but a treasured part of your family. 

What type of litter do you use? Let us know - we might now have heard of it! 

Founder and Publisher, The Conscious Cat
Featured as one of the Top 10 Cat Blogs Worldwide by Notey.com
Pettie Award for Best Pet Blog 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014
Best Website About Cats, 2012 About.com Readers' Choice Awards

Ingrid describes her blog as "your comprehensive resource for conscious living, health and happiness for cats and their humans" and it definitely is that: and more! 

 Knowing we've had great success with chicken blogger reviews, we reached out to Ingrid to have her test out DooKashi with her cats. After all, reading product reviews from trusted sources helps pet owners learn about new products and let's face it: makes the product's claims "true" (or not!).  

Instead of testing DooKashi in the litter box, Ingrid actually did the same "smell test" we do for customers and retail partners. We like to say, "the nose doesn't lie" and in this case, this once again proved true. Her description of the test is convincing:   

"...(Instead), I tested this product with ammonia – not quite the same as cat urine, but close enough. I put some of our clumping clay litter in a container and added the DooKashi. The product itself has a faint scent reminiscent of fresh baked bread, but that almost completely dissipated once I mixed it in with the litter. I added a splash of ammonia. The litter clumped as it is supposed to – and I was amazed how quickly the ammonia odor disappeared".

Read the whole review by clicking DooKashi Review and look for the special promo code that gives her readers $5 off a DooKashi order (hint: it's near the end).  Remember to bookmark The Conscious Cat Blog as a great resource for your cat questions!