https://coopcompanion.com Coop Companion is a web app for US poultry breeders and exhibitors that tracks hatches (free, with candling and lockdown reminder emails timed to each species), breeding pens and pedigrees, sales with NPIP-ready exports, and show entries with per-bird points totals. en-us Wed, 07 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://coopcompanion.com/guides/selecting-show-birds-from-your-breeding-pen https://coopcompanion.com/guides/selecting-show-birds-from-your-breeding-pen How to pick show-quality chickens and choose next season's breeding pairs from records, not memory: tie every chick to its pen, grade grow-outs on one sheet at set ages, trace placings back to pairings, and write down why each bird was kept, sold, or culled. Wed, 07 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://coopcompanion.com/guides/how-to-enter-a-poultry-show https://coopcompanion.com/guides/how-to-enter-a-poultry-show How to enter a poultry show: get the premium book, check whether the show is APA/ABA-sanctioned, fill out the entry form by breed, variety, class and cock/hen/cockerel/pullet, meet the show's deadline and health paperwork rules, and keep a copy for your show record. Wed, 07 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://coopcompanion.com/guides/how-to-band-and-identify-show-chickens https://coopcompanion.com/guides/how-to-band-and-identify-show-chickens How to identify show and breeding chickens: wing-band or toe-punch chicks at hatch, move to numbered leg bands as they grow, and use a year-pen-hatch-bird numbering scheme that ties every chick to its parents. Wed, 07 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://coopcompanion.com/guides/how-to-keep-a-poultry-show-record https://coopcompanion.com/guides/how-to-keep-a-poultry-show-record A practical show-record workflow for poultry exhibitors: what to write down at every show, how to total points by bird, by breed and variety (for APA Grand Master) and overall (Master Exhibitor, Hall of Fame), and how to reconcile your tally with the official APA and ABA records each season. Includes a copy-ready template. Wed, 07 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://coopcompanion.com/guides/apa-aba-grand-master-points-explained https://coopcompanion.com/guides/apa-aba-grand-master-points-explained APA Master Exhibitor is 300 points, Grand Master is 200 points in one variety of one breed, Hall of Fame is 1,000. ABA Master Exhibitor is 20 starred wins. Sourced. Wed, 07 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://coopcompanion.com/blog/show-breeder-record-system https://coopcompanion.com/blog/show-breeder-record-system The seven records every exhibition poultry breeder should keep: bird IDs, breeding pens, hatch runs, pedigrees, show results and points, sales and buyers, and health-testing dates. What to capture in each, a paper version of each, and how they connect. Wed, 07 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://coopcompanion.com/blog/when-to-hatch-for-fall-poultry-shows https://coopcompanion.com/blog/when-to-hatch-for-fall-poultry-shows To have young birds ready for a fall or winter poultry show, count back from show day: subtract your breed's grow-out time, then the 21-day chicken incubation. Here's the step-by-step method, a worked example, and how to stagger hatches for several shows. Wed, 07 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://coopcompanion.com/blog/best-poultry-breeding-record-apps https://coopcompanion.com/blog/best-poultry-breeding-record-apps An honest comparison of poultry breeding and pedigree apps: Flockstar, FarmKeep, BroodBook, Pen & Pasture, Chicken Math, Eggtrackr, Coop Companion, and the spreadsheet. Verified prices, which ones track fertility by pairing, which warn about inbreeding, and which let you share a pedigree with a buyer. Wed, 07 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://coopcompanion.com/blog/best-hatch-tracker-apps https://coopcompanion.com/blog/best-hatch-tracker-apps An honest roundup of hatch tracker apps for the 2027 season: which ones are free, which send candling and lockdown reminders, how the reminders reach you, and whether they handle ducks and quail. Plus the no-app option: a hatch date calculator with a calendar download. Wed, 07 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://coopcompanion.com/blog/best-poultry-show-record-apps https://coopcompanion.com/blog/best-poultry-show-record-apps An honest comparison of apps for poultry show records: Coop Companion, BroodBook, Flockstar, FarmKeep, ShowBarn and a plain spreadsheet. Which ones log placings and points, which sync, and what each costs (verified October 2026). Wed, 07 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://coopcompanion.com/guides/poultry-show-calendar-2027 https://coopcompanion.com/guides/poultry-show-calendar-2027 The US poultry show season runs mostly fall through winter, anchored by the Ohio National (~November) and Northeastern Poultry Congress (~January). Here's how the season works and where to confirm current 2027 dates. Sun, 20 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://coopcompanion.com/guides/how-to-run-a-hatch-along https://coopcompanion.com/guides/how-to-run-a-hatch-along A hatch-along is a group of hatchers setting eggs on the same day and sharing candling, lockdown, and hatch updates online. Here's how to pick a date, align the schedule, and host one. Sun, 20 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://coopcompanion.com/guides/4-h-poultry-record-book-guide https://coopcompanion.com/guides/4-h-poultry-record-book-guide A 4-H poultry record book documents your project all year — the birds, feed and expenses, activities, and what you learned. Here's what's typically inside, how it's judged, and how to keep it current (not the night before the deadline). Sun, 20 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://coopcompanion.com/guides/washing-and-conditioning-chickens-for-show https://coopcompanion.com/guides/washing-and-conditioning-chickens-for-show Bathe show chickens 3–7 days before the show in three tubs — wash, rinse, conditioning rinse — then dry warm, clean legs and comb, condition the feathers, and coop-train so the bird poses calmly. A gentle, grooming-only prep guide from extension and club sources. Sun, 20 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://coopcompanion.com/guides/first-poultry-show-checklist https://coopcompanion.com/guides/first-poultry-show-checklist A step-by-step checklist for your first poultry show: pick an APA/ABA-sanctioned show, enter by breed and variety before the deadline, confirm pullorum-typhoid/NPIP testing rules, condition and coop-train your bird, pack your supplies, and follow coop-in/coop-out etiquette. Sun, 20 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://coopcompanion.com/guides/how-to-ship-hatching-eggs https://coopcompanion.com/guides/how-to-ship-hatching-eggs Wrap each hatching egg individually, immobilize the air cells, cushion them in a rigid box, label it FRAGILE, and ship early-week by fast service. Packing steps, handling, and the NPIP legal side. Sun, 20 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://coopcompanion.com/guides/selling-hatching-eggs-legally https://coopcompanion.com/guides/selling-hatching-eggs-legally To ship hatching eggs across state lines you generally need NPIP participation or pullorum-typhoid-clean testing. In-state and marketplace rules vary — here's the national framing, plus how to find your state's rules and sell on eBay and other platforms. Sun, 20 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://coopcompanion.com/guides/dry-hatch-method-complete-guide https://coopcompanion.com/guides/dry-hatch-method-complete-guide The dry hatch method runs lower incubation humidity (~30–40%) and tracks the air cell to about a third of the egg by lockdown, then raises humidity hard to 65–75%. When it helps, when standard 45–55% is better, and how to adjust to your climate — from university extension sources. Sun, 20 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://coopcompanion.com/guides/incubator-calibration-thermometer-hygrometer https://coopcompanion.com/guides/incubator-calibration-thermometer-hygrometer Don't trust the built-in readout. Calibrate a thermometer against a known reference and check your hygrometer with the salt test before you set eggs — a 1–2°F error can ruin a hatch. Forced-air target is 99.5–100°F. From university extension sources. Sun, 20 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://coopcompanion.com/guides/hatch-rate-expectations-shipped-vs-local https://coopcompanion.com/guides/hatch-rate-expectations-shipped-vs-local Well-run local eggs commonly hatch 75–90%+ of fertile eggs, while shipped eggs often hatch only ~50% (frequently 25–50%) because transit damages the air cells. Realistic benchmarks and how to judge your own hatch — from university extension sources. Sun, 20 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://coopcompanion.com/guides/how-many-hens-per-rooster-breeding-pen https://coopcompanion.com/guides/how-many-hens-per-rooster-breeding-pen A good breeding ratio is about 8–12 light-breed hens per cock, fewer (6–8) for heavy and feather-legged breeds, and 1:1 or small trios for bantams and low-fertility show birds. Extension-sourced guide to balancing fertility against over-mating. Sun, 20 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://coopcompanion.com/guides/line-breeding-vs-inbreeding-poultry https://coopcompanion.com/guides/line-breeding-vs-inbreeding-poultry Line breeding is a planned, closely-managed program of breeding within a family line to fix good traits; inbreeding is closer or uncontrolled mating that risks inbreeding depression. The difference is a plan plus hard culling — here's how to do it well. Sun, 20 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://coopcompanion.com/guides/breeding-pen-setup-small-flock https://coopcompanion.com/guides/breeding-pen-setup-small-flock How to set up a breeding pen for a small flock: one cock over a selected group of hens, separated 2–3 weeks before you save hatching eggs so parentage is certain. Selection, space, and trap-nesting basics. Sun, 20 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://coopcompanion.com/guides/egg-color-genetics-explained https://coopcompanion.com/guides/egg-color-genetics-explained There are only two base eggshell colors — white and blue. Brown is a surface coating painted over the base, and blue plus brown makes green or olive. A plain-English genetics guide. Sun, 20 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://coopcompanion.com/guides/how-to-breed-olive-eggers-f1-f2 https://coopcompanion.com/guides/how-to-breed-olive-eggers-f1-f2 Cross a blue-egg parent with a dark-brown-egg parent and every F1 daughter lays olive. Breed those F1 hens back to a dark Marans and the F2 olive goes deeper. Full genetics, parent picks, and the F1/F2 back-crossing chart. Sun, 20 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://coopcompanion.com/guides/npip-certification-complete-guide https://coopcompanion.com/guides/npip-certification-complete-guide What the National Poultry Improvement Plan is, why it matters for selling and shipping poultry across state lines, the main disease programs, and how to join through your state's official agency — with official sources. Sun, 20 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://coopcompanion.com/blog/broody-hen-vs-incubator-real-numbers https://coopcompanion.com/blog/broody-hen-vs-incubator-real-numbers A broody hen manages temperature, humidity, turning, and brooding for free — but you can't control timing or numbers. An incubator gives you full control and scale, but you run everything. Here's the honest math on cost, control, and hatch success. Sun, 20 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://coopcompanion.com/blog/the-olive-egger-craze-explained https://coopcompanion.com/blog/the-olive-egger-craze-explained Olive Eggers aren't a breed — they're a blue-egg × dark-brown-egg hybrid. Here's what's driving the craze, the genetics in plain English, why they don't breed true, and what sexed chicks actually cost. Sun, 20 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://coopcompanion.com/blog/serama-the-worlds-smallest-show-chicken https://coopcompanion.com/blog/serama-the-worlds-smallest-show-chicken The Serama is the world's smallest chicken, judged on its upright 'toy soldier' posture under its own club (the Serama Council of North America), not the APA Standard. Size classes, tabletop judging, and the honest breeding challenges — tiny eggs, a lethal creeper gene, and variable hatch rates. Sun, 20 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://coopcompanion.com/blog/what-a-hatching-egg-listing-should-include https://coopcompanion.com/blog/what-a-hatching-egg-listing-should-include A strong hatching-egg listing states the breed and parentage, your NPIP status and number, how eggs are packed and shipped, collection dates, a realistic shipped-hatch expectation (~50%), and clear photos. Here's exactly what to put in each field and why. Sun, 20 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://coopcompanion.com/blog/hatching-business-math-can-you-profit https://coopcompanion.com/blog/hatching-business-math-can-you-profit A clear-eyed look at whether hatching and selling chicks or eggs can turn a profit. Work through the cost side, the revenue side, and hatch-rate reality with an illustrative example framework — your numbers will vary. Sun, 20 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://coopcompanion.com/blog/ohio-national-first-timers-guide https://coopcompanion.com/blog/ohio-national-first-timers-guide The Ohio National is the largest poultry show in the US, typically held in November near Columbus, OH, with thousands of birds and a huge junior show. Here's how first-timers can confirm dates, meet health requirements, and prepare their birds. Sun, 20 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://coopcompanion.com/blog/best-exhibition-breeds-for-beginners-2027 https://coopcompanion.com/blog/best-exhibition-breeds-for-beginners-2027 The most forgiving show chickens for a first-timer: hardy, widely available, calm birds like the Wyandotte, Orpington, Cochin, Silkie, Old English Game Bantam, and Rhode Island Red — plus the extreme, low-fertility breeds to skip at first. Sun, 20 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://coopcompanion.com/blog/incubator-buying-guide-2027 https://coopcompanion.com/blog/incubator-buying-guide-2027 How to choose an incubator for the 2027 hatching season: forced-air vs still-air, auto-turners, digital controls, and capacity — plus beginner, modular, and cabinet picks and why calibration matters on all of them. Sun, 20 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://coopcompanion.com/blog/ayam-cemani-economics https://coopcompanion.com/blog/ayam-cemani-economics Ayam Cemani command premium prices because of fibromelanosis, scarce breeding stock, and hype. Reported hatching-egg prices have run roughly $49–140 a dozen — but prices are volatile, scams are common, and they lay cream eggs, not black ones. Sun, 20 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://coopcompanion.com/blog/why-shipped-hatching-eggs-hatch-at-50-percent https://coopcompanion.com/blog/why-shipped-hatching-eggs-hatch-at-50-percent A ~50% hatch (often 25–50%) is normal for shipped hatching eggs — transit jostles and detaches the air cells no matter how good your incubator is. Why it happens, how to give shipped eggs their best shot, and how to judge your own result — from university extension sources. Sun, 20 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://coopcompanion.com/guides/how-to-store-hatching-eggs-before-incubating https://coopcompanion.com/guides/how-to-store-hatching-eggs-before-incubating Store hatching eggs at about 55–65°F and 75% humidity, small-end down, and set them within 7–10 days. Full storage, turning, and warming guide from university extension sources. Sat, 19 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT