AwesomeChickens, Author at Raising Awesome Chickens

How to Get Chickens to Lay Eggs Again

Sometimes chickens can be fickle, especially following their annual molting or after a long, harsh winter. These times, in particular, make chickens much less interested in laying eggs because they have been out of commission for such a long time.

If you are having trouble with a broody hen not wanting to lay eggs, the best way to help encourage them by providing the proper nutrition, fresh water, and a calm environment.

If your laying hen is uncomfortable, unhappy, or unhealthy, they are less likely to provide you with any eggs. In this article, we will provide you with why your chickens may be laying fewer eggs and how you, as a chicken keeper, can help encourage them to produce more.

How Long Can Chickens Go Without Water?

Chicken Care / By AwesomeChickens

If you have, or are considering, getting chickens to raise as pets, for meat or their eggs, it is crucial to understand how to take care of them properly. First, of course, you want to keep your chickens happy and healthy, and an essential part of keeping your chickens healthy is by making sure they are getting enough water.

An otherwise healthy chicken can go without drinking any water for about 48 hours. This will also depend on how hot and humid it is in the environment around them. After 48 hours, heat stress, dehydration, and shock will set in.

How Often Do Chickens Molt?

Chicken Care / By AwesomeChickens

If you are starting to notice an abundance of chicken feathers all over the barn floor, or your chickens are looking a bit funny covered in bald spots, this may indicate you have a molting chicken. Chickens molt to change out their old feathers and make way for the new ones, which happens at a specific time in your chicken’s life.

Chickens molt once a year. This is usually around the fall months when there is a shorter amount of daylight and chickens are preparing to keep warm during the winter months. This feather regrowth process usually lasts for about eight weeks but could go on for a few weeks longer.

The molting process and resulting feather loss is a challenging and exhausting time in a chicken’s life. Let’s take a look at the molting process, why it occurs, and things you can do to help keep your flock comfortable during such a rough time.

How Long Does It Take for Chickens to Lay Eggs?

Chicken Eggs / By AwesomeChickens

If you have recently became the owner of a flock of chickens, you may be impatiently waiting for them to lay eggs. I mean, there is nothing tastier than a breakfast made from farm-fresh eggs laid by your hens the day before. Well, luckily, you will not have to wait too long.

A happy, healthy laying hen will start to produce eggs at around 18 weeks old and, on average, five-to-six more years following. They will only stop in this timeframe if they are unhealthy or molting, or when the colder weather arrives.

How to Deworm Chickens Naturally

Chicken Care / By AwesomeChickens

It is not a topic many chicken owners like to talk about, but worms are a natural part of life in many types of animals, and poultry is no exception. If you raise chickens and are concerned they may have worms, knowing how to check for these creatures as well as how to get rid of them can be a matter of life and death for your flock.

What Size Chicken Coop For 10 Chickens

Chicken Housing / By AwesomeChickens

Raising chickens can be a fun and rewarding activity. You can raise chickens for many reasons, including easy access to eggs, meat, or to raise them as pets. However, regardless of the reason, you need a good chicken coop plan to ensure your backyard chicken are comfortable. So, if you are planning for a flock of 10 chickens, you are going to want to make sure you have a large coop size.

For a flock of 10 chickens, your hen house should be right around 30 square feet. An excellent way to determine the size you need for your coop is by adding three square feet per chicken; adding an extra foot or two, if possible, would give your chickens more room to move about, but it isn’t necessary.

How Long Do Silkie Chickens Live

Chicken Breeds, Chicken FAQ's / By AwesomeChickens

Silkie chickens are unique-looking chickens with an exciting-formed plumage. This chicken breed is relatively common across the globe and can be found in most farm stores. If you are considering purchasing a flock of silkies, you should be prepared for years of backyard flock care.

Silkie chickens are a breed of Bantom Chickens and are known to live, on average, seven-to-nine years. The life expectancy is on the higher side compared to other flocks. With sufficient and proper care, these birds could live even longer.

There are many factors in caring for a silkie to give them a long and happy life. Let’s take a look at what you can do to extend your chicken’s life and keep them comfortable throughout their years.

How Often Do You Feed Chickens

Chicken Nutrition / By AwesomeChickens

Taking care of chickens is a fairly simple job. As long as it is done correctly, it can be quick and painless. However, if you do not provide the maintenance they require, it can be just as easy and quick to find yourself with a sick or deceased chicken. One of the most crucial ways of caring for your chickens is feeding them the right foods at the right times.

The average fully grown adult chicken will require ½ cups of layer pellets per day. This needs to be provided to them in a feeding container that will allow them to graze throughout the day. In addition, they will eat as needed during the daytime in order to go to bed full, giving them all the nutrients they need to produce eggs.

When Can Chickens Live Outside?

Chicken Housing / By AwesomeChickens

Chickens are extremely resilient animals and can withstand warm and cold temperatures alike. That’s what makes them such a popular animal for people to keep. They offer great benefits to a chicken owner, such as eggs and meat, and they don’t require expensive or time-consuming maintenance. Plus, they live outside.

Chickens can live outside once they are between five and six weeks old. At this age, these young chicks are ready to be full-time backyard chicken. With the proper accommodations and a well-maintained chicken coop, they can remain outside for the rest of their lives, no matter the weather conditions.

How Old Are Chickens When They Start Laying Eggs?

Chicken Eggs / By AwesomeChickens

Chickens have many great qualities, and people love to raise them for so many different reasons. One of the biggest reasons people enjoy owning these birds is the abundance of free eggs they provide daily. So, knowing the egg-laying cycle from hatchlings to adults is very important when raising chickens.

Chickens will start to lay eggs once they hit sexual maturity, which on average, is usually around 18 to 20 weeks old. However, it isn’t uncommon for a laying hen to be a late bloomer and start a few weeks later than the rest.

Author name: AwesomeChickens