Want to know answers to those frequently asked chicken questions? Read on!
1. What is the average life span of a chicken? 6 - 8 years. In rare occasions you will have one that will make it up to 10 years. Egg production slows as they get older.
2. How long does it take for a chick to hatch? 21 days.
3. What is the difference between white and brown eggs? Color. There is no other difference as far as taste or quality. The care and feed of chickens is what makes a difference. Generally speaking, the darker the yolk, the better as far as taste and healthiness.
4. Will chickens come back to their coop at night? Yes, chickens will always come home to roost.
5. Are chickens noisy? Hens are actually pretty quiet unless they are alarmed or being attacked, but roosters can be very noisy. If you have close neighbors, a rooster will probably be quite annoying.
6. What type of danger do other animals pose to chickens? Everything seems to love the taste of chicken. The most common predators of backyard chickens are raccoons, dogs, foxes, owls, hawks and coyotes. Any of these predators will make a meal of your chickens if they get the chance. It is always a good idea to shut up your coop at night to prevent your chickens from being attacked. If you live want to let your chickens out to forage on grasses, worms and bugs, I recommend using electric poultry netting and a pastured approach to raising your chickens.
7. Do I need a rooster for hens to lay eggs? No. The hens will lay eggs, but they wont be fertile.
8. How many chickens do I need for eggs? 2 hens per person is about right. If you do a lot of baking or have a family that really likes eggs get 3 hens per person.
9. Can I get just one chicken? It is best to have a minimum of 2 hens as chickens are social birds and do best with at least one buddy. Avoid having just one hen and one rooster as the rooster will probably wear out the hen with his sexual habits. A rooster is best kept if you have a flock of at least 8-10 hens so he can "spread the love."
10. Can I have more than one rooster? Yes, as long as they were raised together and you have the correct hen-rooster-ratio, you should be fine. If you get an order of chicks that has a higher ratio, just be sure to cull out the cockerels before they reach sexual maturity which is at about 4-5 months, sometimes a bit longer.
11. Can I save money raising my own chickens and eggs? Probably not. Mass producers have the meat and egg production thing down to a science. Although, if you want healthier meat and eggs, raising your own is the way to go.
12. How long before my chickens begin to lay eggs? Generally speaking, they will begin to lay eggs at 5-6 months of age.
13. What is a capon? A capon is a castrated rooster. A capon will usually grow larger and will have a higher fat content than a normal rooster at butchering time. They are raised to be roasting chickens and because of the larger size and higher fat content, they are self basting.
Contact us with any questions you may have and we will post them here.