One day, on my way to work, I had customer call me at our family pet store and say, “I have all these chickens I don’t want They are young, do you know anyone who could take them!?” My only thought was ME ME ME! Annnndddd that is exactly what I said My husband had mentioned that in the future he would love chickens and I took that as in, today was the future! Hehe, so on my way home for $10, I got a box
Perhaps the greatest joy that comes from keeping backyard chickens is the wonderful gifts hens leave in their nests Some are huge Others are small One may be long and skinny, while others are nearly round They might have light or dark brown, white, or even blue or green shells An occasional one may sport speckles Those eggs are beautiful, diverse, fresh and nutritious
Providing clean, safe and comfortable nests encourages hens to lay where eggs are easy to collect That involves putting enough nests in the right places and collecting eggs often
The majority of people that own chickens get chickens so that they can have fresh, wholesome eggs That’s a wonderful reason to have chickens However, for many new chicken owners, the whole idea of your chicken laying eggs can bring up a bunch of new questions One of the most common questions that I get from new chicken owners has to do with the nesting box and whether or not you need anything in it Let’s talk about the purpose of the nesting box and whether you need anything in it or not
The purpose of the nesting box
Hens are
At what age will my hens start and stop producing? Is there a breed that produces best? Is there a breed that produces best? How can I help my flock produce to the best of their ability? Do the seasons effect my hens? These are all such important questions to ask yourself as a flock owner We all want our flocks to thrive and honestly, what is the point in a chicken (besides a pet) if they aren’t producing to the best of their ability? Though they
You’ve decided that you want to raise backyard chickens Now, the question of what you need to get comes up Many people are quick to choose a breed, but often overlook a very important question- “How many hens and roosters do I need?” You may be surprised to know that you don’t need a rooster at all if you’re just looking to have fresh eggs Hens will produce eggs even when a rooster isn’t around!
But, if you’re set on having a rooster and you dream of a backyard farm, baby chicks, and being woken up by the crow of
With Easter fast approaching, many of us backyard chicken owners are ready with baskets full of fresh eggs!
Hens really start laying on overdrive when the weather warms up and the sun decides to hang around later each evening Those eggs we waited for all winter, may now be arriving in droves! Easter is the perfect time to use up lots of those delicious eggs!
No Easter would be complete without dying Easter eggs, and when you have your own eggs fresh from your hens, it makes it all the more enjoyable
White, cream, blue, green, and dark brown- many of us
Chickens are farm superstars They produce eggs almost daily Some chickens have even been known to lay multiple eggs per day They don’t require much food in order to produce those eggs, either One thing that many chicken owners quickly realize is that some chickens tend to slow down or stop laying eggs in the winter
Why is that? Keep reading to learn more about why chickens may stop laying in the winter
Hens and Daylight
The hen’s body and egg production is a complex cycle that is impacted by the amount of daylight
My lovely assortment of chicks have officially made it to the one month mark! At about 3 weeks old, they graduated to the handy-dandy chicken tractor to receive some much needed fresh air and more space They also are now eating pellets, instead of crumble It is important to always keep youngsters away from older hens If you put them together too soon, you’ll quickly see nature’s “pecking order” in full swing It is best to keep your babies separate until they are almost equal in size to full grown hens (about 4 months of age)