All About Chickens
When you think of farm animals, chickens are probably one of the first things that come to mind. We have lots of chickens running around our ranch, and we love educating people about them and their eggs.
We’ve included a few downloadable freebies in this post, but you can learn even more by joining M5 Ranch School and exploring our 40+ workshops! Lets get into it!
Chicken Terms
Hen: a female chicken
Rooster: a male chicken
Chick: a freshly hatched baby
Juvenile: a young chicken (can be male or female)
Layer Breed: chicken breed raised for laying eggs
Production Breed: chicken breed raised for meat
Ornamental Breed: chicken breed for show
Yolk: the yellow part of the egg
Brood: when a hen sits on her eggs to hatch them
Clutch: the eggs a hen has laid on consecutive days
Chickens 101
Chickens have some prehistoric roots. They are known to be some of the closest living relatives to the Tyrannosaurus Rex. While these birds freely roamed the planet for a long time, they have since been domesticated and kept as farm animals. Records show that they were first domesticated in Southern China 8,000 years ago. Today, chickens are considered ‘poultry’ because they are domesticated birds raised for agricultural purposes.
There are almost 100 different breeds of chickens and there are more chickens on Earth than any other bird. Breeds are usually raised for either their meat or eggs but very rarely for both. On the farm, chickens can live between 6-10 years.
Chickens are omnivores, meaning that they can eat both plants and animals. Most will feed on small insects along with grains or any chicken feed they are given. If a hen is unsatisfied with her diet, she may even resort to eating her own egg. Chickens will eat almost anything you give them for your scrap pile except for citrus peels and watermelon rinds. However, they’ll certainly pick them clean until you’re left with a leathery melon shell. Just be aware that green potato skins, rotten food, onions, and junk food are not good for chickens. There are still many other things you can feed them though!
Chicken Characteristics
Wings
Most people believe that chickens can’t fly, but this is not necessarily true. Some chickens can reach heights of about 10 feet. They are known to be very curious and determined creatures. If the grass looks greener on the other side, or if a fenced-off garden bed is taunting them… chickens will find a way over! Flying abilities are also dependent on the breed. Heavier chickens will have a harder time getting off the ground. That being said, most chickens can fly but only for short distances.
Reproduction
When a rooster does his business to reproduce with a hen, all of her eggs will be fertile for up to 14 days. The yolks are set up like a bunch of grapes in her ovaries and many of them are fertilized at once. In order to attract hens, roosters will do a dance called ‘tidbitting.’ This is where they move their head up and down and waddle around and make funny sounds. Hens will choose their mate based on the size and brightness of a rooster’s comb on top of his head. Sometimes they mate with multiple roosters at once.
A hen will then lay about one egg a day until she has a clutch of 7 to 14 eggs. At this point, she will brood, sitting on her clutch almost non-stop for 21 days. She keeps her eggs warm and continually turns them to keep them moving. This also helps distribute oxygen thoughout the egg. Once a hen starts sitting on the eggs, this begins the process of development for the yolk to start growing into a baby chick. It takes about 21 days for them to develop.
It’s perfectly safe and very common to consume fertilized eggs. On a farm with free-ranch roosters, most eggs will actually be fertile. It does not change the taste. Eggs don’t start developing until a hen sits on her eggs for at least 72 hours, so most will not have experienced any changes yet. Here at Five Marys, we try to collect eggs every other day.
All About Eggs
It only takes about 26 hours for a hen to produce an egg and she will begin to produce the next egg 40-60 minutes after laying her last. On average, a chicken will lay one egg a day. Occasionally, there will be a day where a hen doesn’t lay an egg. Chickens also have a period of ‘molting’ where they stop laying eggs. This is regulated by the hours of daylight and will happen during the winter months. Some farmers will stimulate longer days by putting lights in the chicken’s nesting areas.
Chicken eggs have a permeable shell. This means that air can pass through the hard exterior. As a chick develops inside, it will use oxygen trapped in a membrane known as the air sack. It will then be filled with carbon dioxide as the chick exhales. The permeable shell allows for the carbon dioxide to then escape and be replaced by additional oxygen.
Chickens lay the most eggs within their first year of laying eggs. They will being to produce eggs when they are about 18 to 24 weeks old. They will continue to lay eggs as long as they are in good health.
The health of a hen will also affect the health of the egg. Chickens need a calcium-rich diet to produce a strong shell daily. If not, the shells may be weak and easy to break. As chickens grow older, they will lay larger but fewer eggs than when they were younger.
Egg Colors
Eggs come in a variety of colors. There is everything from white and brown to green and blue. Some eggs are even speckled. The color of the egg produced is mostly dependent on the breed of the chicken. Certain breeds will always lay the same color. That being said, chickens can be cross-bred to produce new and unique egg colors.
To determine what color egg a hen will lay, check the color of its earlobe. A chicken’s earlobe is located behind its eye. The color will indicate what color eggs a hen will lay her entire life. For example, hens with red earlobes will lay brown eggs. Hens with white earlobes will lay white eggs. The hue or shade of the egg may change slightly due to time and the chicken’s diet, but the overall color will remain the same.
While eggs come in all different pigments, tones, and colors, the shell’s color does not change the flavor or nutritional content of the egg. Some people prefer brown eggs because they think they are healthier, but it all really depends on what a chicken is fed. Every egg will have about the same nutritional value regardless of color.
Traditionally, commercial egg operations have preferred white egg layers because they lay eggs more frequently. They can lay over 300 eggs per year, while brown, blue, and green egg layers will only produce about 260-280.
Washing Eggs
When eggs are laid they have a natural coating called a ‘bloom.’ This is a protective layer that prevents bacteria from entering the shell. Many people prefer to wash their eggs, but if you do that, the bloom will be removed and the eggs will need to be refrigerated. In many countries, it is common practice to leave eggs out in a bowl on the counter.
Eggs can last for several weeks if the temperature and humidity conditions are just right. Some people prefer to wash eggs just to remove any dirt that may be stuck to them.
Raising Chickens
Chickens are a fairly easy animal to raise and care for. Most local feed supply stores will have chicks for sale in the spring. There are also many online options that will send the chicks by mail as well. The same feed stores will also have all of the necessary supplies for raising chicks. Be sure to purchase nutritious chick feed and a waterer.
While many people will begin raising chicks indoors, these little birds grow quickly and will soon need to be relocated. For backyard chickens, most people will opt for a chicken coop that is fenced in and covered. This will hopefully protect young chickens from any predators. Chicken coops can be bought or built depending on your preferences.
M5 Ranch School FREEBIES!
This workshop is filled with videos and activities all about chickens, raising chicks, starting your own egg business and MORE! Join our Ranch School Community (only $99 for a lifetime membership! to get access to all 40+ workshops immediately!
For now, here are a few freebies from the workshop for you to enjoy :)