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When Will My Hen Start Laying Eggs?

When Will My Hen Start Laying Eggs?

The age at which a healthy hen lays her first egg depends, in large part, on her breed. Chicken breeds that are developed primarily for high egg production may start laying soon after they reach four months of age. Many backyard breeds start laying at the age of about 5 months. Chicken breeds that are […]

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Five Ways to Preserve Surplus Homegrown Eggs

Homegrown chicken eggs are seasonal. Sometimes you have too many, sometimes not enough. Here are five ways to extend the shelf life of your fresh homegrown eggs, to preserve the surplus for days when your hens take a vacation from laying. 1. Do Nothing You may be surprised to learn how long clean, fresh, unwashed […]

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Turn Eggshells Into Miniature Seed Planters

Turn Eggshells Into Miniature Seed Planters

Springtime is upon us, and that means it’s time to get outside and breathe new life into our gardens. Why not making some DIY seed planters next time you whip up scrambled eggs for breakfast? Eggshells make perfect planters – they’re small, biodegradable and they’ll provide your plants with valuable nutrients as they deteriorate in […]

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Egg Collecting Robot Gathers Eggs from the Chicken Coop Floor

Egg Collecting Robot Gathers Eggs from the Chicken Coop Floor

Like the Roomba robot eternally vacuuming a living room floor, the egg collecting Poultrybot searches for and gathers eggs laid by hens on the chicken coop floor. So-called floor eggs are the bane of every chicken keeper. When Europe banned caged layers, egg producers who turned their hens loose in the coop found that some […]

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How to Get Your Hens to Lay Eggs in a Nest, Not on the Floor

How to Get Your Hens to Lay Eggs in a Nest, Not on the Floor

Floor eggs are the eggs your hens lay on the chicken coop floor, rather than in the nice cozy nests you provide. Floor eggs are undesirable because they easily get dirty or cracked, making them unsafe to eat and unsuitable for hatching. A cracked egg is likely to get broken, encouraging hens to sample the […]

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Where Are All the Turkey Eggs?

Where are all the Turkey Eggs?

With Thanksgiving just around the corner, Americans all across the country are gearing up for the biggest, most beloved feast of the year. For many of these folks, Thanksgiving dinner just wouldn’t be the same without a big, juicy turkey planted firmly at the center of the dinner table. Thanksgiving turkey recipes are often closely-guarded […]

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Why Are My Chickens Laying Soft Eggs?

Chickens Laying Soft Eggs

Imagine you walk out to your chicken coop and find a soft-shelled egg, or even an egg with no shell at all. It would be a pretty disturbing sight, especially if you’ve never seen one before. Besides the fact that these eggs are pretty messy to handle, they could also be an alarm that something […]

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Studies Demonstrate Nutritional Benefits of Free-Range Eggs

Studies Demonstrate Nutritional Benefits of Free-Range Eggs

Animal rights activists aren’t the only ones concerned about factory farming; now nutritionists are shedding light on the detrimental effects the practice can have on our food as well. Research has shown that the restricted grain diets of factory-raised chickens are making their eggs less nutritious than those of their free-range counterparts. Even the USDA […]

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