Homeowners with small backyard chicken flocks face a dilemma As hens age they gradually lay fewer eggs Eventually they decide it’s time to retire and totally stop  If a family wants to continue enjoying fresh eggs, aging birds must be replaced with younger ones  How do you know when to make the switch and just how do you do it?

Egg Laying Potential

Of the hundreds of chicken breeds and hybrids many are stellar egg layers, while some just don’t have the genetics to produce well Towards the back of the Hoover’s Hatchery catalog is a chart listing the characteristics of