Common Misconceptions about Chickens

I had so many misconceptions about chickens There were a lot of things I didn’t know, actually I didn’t know anything about chickens. I’m a city girl. I had no idea what our chickens needed and was clueless about how to take care of them.

I’m still learning all the time and our local feed store has been a great resource. They offered a chicken class this past weekend that was led by Texas A&M University.  Just when I thought I knew a lot, I realized there’s still so much to learn.

People are curious about our chickens and I get asked a lot of questions. And just like me, it’s mostly things I didn’t know before owning chickens. Here’s a list of the common questions and misconceptions about chickens:

Egg Laying

One of the most frequently asked questions is “You don’t have a rooster. Do you still get eggs?” Hens do not need a rooster to cycle. You only need a rooster if you want baby chicks (the birds and the bees). Egg laying is dependent on several things like the breed of chicken, how much sunlight, the time of year and proper nutrition but not roosters

The lighter breeds of chickens will lay more eggs than the heavier breeds. Last month Trudy, our Leghorn, laid 25 days out of 30. She is bred for egg-laying.

Our dual-purpose birds, Hazel, our Wyandotte, and Trixie, our Buckeye, will lay about 3-4 eggs a week.

For more on the best egg-laying chickens, check out my blog post.

Time of year

Sunlight plays a huge role in egg production. Sunlight triggers a hormone in the hen to release an egg. During the winter with less daylight, your birds will naturally slow down or even stop laying. You may even notice a decrease on rainy days.

Hot weather puts a lot of additional stress on your chickens. When birds are stressed, they will lay less frequently. Chickens do better in cold weather. Remember, they are wearing their “down jackets.”

After your chickens are a year old, they will go through an annual molt. This usually happens towards the end of summer or early fall. Their bodies are preparing for the colder weather and will spend much of their energy making new feathers instead of eggs. It can be quite hard on some birds.

Once winter is here, in addition to less daylight, their bodies will be in survival mode. Instead of laying, they will be concentrating on staying warm.

Egg production demands a lot of protein and energy so with these things happening, you will have minimal eggs.

Nutrition

Eggs are full of protein and an adequate amount is required in your hen’s diet. Additionally, your birds need plenty of freshwater each day. Don’t feed too many treats and make sure you are using a high-quality layer feed.

Calcium is also important. The shell is made up of 98% calcium. Some people will add to their feed but too much can be hard on their kidneys, so we offer free choice in a separate container.

Another common question is “How many eggs does a chicken lay each day? “

Chickens lay just once a day and maybe not every day. It takes approximately 26 hours for the entire egg-laying process. It starts when the ova is released. If it’s late in the day, it may not be released until the following day. Once it’s released it goes through an extensive process. The shell and shell color are the last steps.

Another Common Misconception about Chickens is They are Vegetarians

Now, I really didn’t put much thought into what chickens ate prior to getting them. I knew they pecked the ground a lot, ate bugs and grass but I didn’t know that they also eat meat. Chickens are omnivores.

As said earlier, protein is required for egg production. Their layer feed should be their main source of food and should make up 90% of their diet. It’s formulated to provide everything they need but they love treats and especially any kind of meat!

While foraging, they will also eat mice, snakes, geckos, lizards and anything else that moves. You should see our girls chase each other when one finds something.   

Roosters Only Crow at Dawn

Roosters crow at dawn but they crow at other times too. It’s the rooster’s job to protect the flock. He will sound the alarm anytime he feels there is danger. It could be a stranger walking down the street or a plastic bag rustling in the yard. If he thinks his girls are in danger, he will notify them. Loudly!

Chickens talk to each other all day long. It’s part of their socialization. They have different sounds for different things. Additionally, the rooster will let the girls know if he’s found a special treat.

I also hear “I don’t want to eat fresh eggs because I don’t want to eat a baby chick.”

Chicks are not made from the egg yolk. Chicks develop from two parental cells. The egg yolk is the chick’s first food and the white is the fluid that the developing embryo floats in, similar to amniotic fluid. A few days before the chick hatches, it eats the remaining yolk which sustains it for the first three days of life.

Chickens are Dirty Animals

This is the farthest thing from the truth. If you don’t maintain your chicken coop, it will smell. Chicken poop can stink just like any poop and chicken’s feet will be dirty from digging and scratching plus walking everywhere. However, if your bird stinks, something is wrong.

Everything wants to eat your chicken. They will keep themselves clean, so predators aren’t alerted to their presence. You will also see them frequently preening their feathers and dust bathing.

It’s important to have an area your chickens can dust bathe in. Wild birds carry mites and lice. Chickens will roll around in the dirt, trapping it in their feathers to smother parasites.

Check out my blog on setting up a dust bath.

Can You Eat your Backyard Chickens?

The answer is yes and no. Some of our chickens are dual-purpose which means they are a little larger than a bird strictly bred for egg-laying, but they are smaller than a “broiler”.

Broilers or meat birds are specific breeds that are bred for meat. Broilers are harvested around eight weeks of age. They grow very quickly so waiting any longer is difficult on their bodies. Usually, their heart will give out or their legs will break because they are too heavy.

We decided to get chickens to have fresh eggs, which is one of the reasons we got a Leghorn. She really doesn’t have enough muscle to make it worth our while to eat. Maybe it would be enough for a stew, but we’ve decided not to eat our chickens. The older the bird gets the tougher the meat becomes, especially if they are free-ranging like ours.

I had no idea there are specific birds for egg-laying, meat, or birds that could be both. I thought all chickens were the same. Again, this is not something I thought about prior to owning chickens.

I’ve learned a lot of things over the last few years. A lot of reading but mostly trial and error. If you’re getting chickens, check with your local feed store for any classes they may offer. Join a Facebook Group. In Dallas, there’s also a meet-up group that I may join.

If you have any questions, leave me a comment. I still have a lot to learn but maybe I can answer it. Hopefully, this helps clear up a few of the common misconceptions about chickens.