Q&A- Chickens
Do I Need a Rooster for My Hens to Lay?
No you don't, you would only need a rooster if you were planning on hatching the eggs.
How Many Do I Start With?
It depends on what you are planning to do with them, if you're raising them for eggs two to three hens per person would be a good amount to start with, but if you wanted to sell them or their eggs you may want a larger flock.
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How Many Hens Per Rooster Do I Need?
Ten hens per every rooster is recommended.
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What Do I Feed My Chickens?
For adult chickens we recommend organic layer pellets. If you let your chickens free range they will eat a lot less feed lowering the feed bill.
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Are Chickens Loud?
They can be, especially if you have a rooster, The hens will cluck quite a bit if they have just layed an egg or if something scares them, but most of the time they are pretty quiet. f you do have a rooster he will crow often, the more roosters you have the more they will crow, so if you want a rooster but don't want loud chickens only get one rooster.
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What is the Life span of a Chicken?
Ten to twelve years.
Should I Start With Laying Hens or Chicks?
It's really up to you which one you start with. We would recommend older chickens for beginners, since chicks are a lot more fragile and need a few more supplies.
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What Are the Benefits of Keeping My own Chickens?
For most people fresh eggs are the reason for raising their own chickens, but there are a lot more reasons you would want to raise your own chickens, they are great for scratching up orchards and keeping bugs down in gardens you also know what they are eating and how they are being raised.
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What Color Eggs do Chickens Lay?
Most will lay brown or white but a few breeds will lay colored eggs.
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How Much Does a Chicken Eat?
An adult chicken will eat about a fourth of a pound of food a day. They will also graze and eat bugs if you let them free range.
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Can I Give My Chickens Table Scraps?
Yes, chickens can have most table scraps just not raw potatoes or onions.
What Type of Fencing do I Need For My Chickens?
We recommend Premier 1 electric poultry netting. You can also use field fencing or hardware cloth. Most fencing will work as long as its predator resistant.
How Much Can I Sell Chickens Eggs For?
Usually, a dozen eggs sells for about $3-5. But if you are selling hatching eggs, they can go for $24-36 a dozen.
What Do I Need to Start With Chicks?
Here is a list of basics for starting with chicks.
Heat lamp
Thermometer (for making sure the brooder is the right temperature)
secure brooder away from the elements
Chick food
Chick waterer (one they can't drown in)
Shavings or straw for bedding
How Old Do My Chicks Have to be Before I Put Them Outside?
If the temperature is warm and you have a secure place that hawks can't get them you can put them out as early as 11-12 days old, but for keeping them permanently outside you should wait until 3 weeks.
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How Many Eggs Will a Chicken Lay In a Year?
There are so many breeds of chickens and a big difference in the number of eggs they lay, but on average they will lay 200-300 eggs a year.
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How Long do Chickens Lay For?
Chickens will lay their best between years one and two, but will continue to lay smaller amounts for a couple more years.
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When Will a Chicken Start Laying?
Usually around five months. Some will start a little earlier and some a little later.
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When Can I Tell If My Chicks are Roosters or Hens?
Usually around three weeks. The roosters will have bigger combs and fancier tail feathers. They will also get bigger legs.
What Do I Feed My Chicks?
We recommend the organic chick starter from Tractor supply. The bag will say to feed them the starter until they are five months old, but we recommend feeding it to them until they are eight months if you are going to be hatching or selling the eggs because it will make their eggs bigger.
What do You Use for Waterers.
We use commercially made waterers from tractor supply and premier 1.
Will My Hens go Broody?
It depends on the breed, season, and if eggs are left un-gathered. You can buy specific breeds that are either more or less likely to go broody.