Chickens
& Eggs Egg Laying Chickens for Beginners
New to backyard chickens?
Learn more about getting started on our "for beginners" page.
Buy Baby
Chickens All egg
laying chickens start as peeps,
and raising your own hens from the time they are baby chickens is a
great way to ensure they are gentle and familiar with you.
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Welcome
to Egg Laying Chickens! Raising
your own egg laying
chickens is a wonderful adventure. Whether your
motivation is fun, profit or superior nutrition, a backyard chicken
flock can provide meat and eggs for your family year round. There are
several chicken breeds that make the best egg laying chickens. In
general, female chickens, called pullets, will start laying eggs at
about six months of age. However, if they reach this
age during the
cold winter months, they may simply wait to lay until spingtime.
The first step to raising your own egg laying chickens is to prepare a
chicken coop, scratch yard and run for your flock.
Chickens need a safe, dry place to lay eggs as well as roost at
night. Chicken coops can be made from purchased lumber, scrap
materials, or recycled doors and scrap metal. They can also
be bought new online and at farm supply stores. Even if you
plan to let your chickens free range in your yard during the day, you
need a safe pen to contain them when you're gone or if they
face danger
from local dogs, cats or other predators.
Choosing the breed for your egg laying chickens, unless you inherit
peeps or hens from someone else, is next. Commercial egg
layers are bred for production and will lay the most quantity and often
the largest eggs. They are quite reliable, and most lay almost daily.
Other egg layers, including some heirloom breeds, are slightly less
productive but may be more fun to raise due to their varied coloring,
personalities and egg colors and sizes. In addition to brown and white
egg layers, some chickens lay green or blue eggs and others are pink
hued. When ordering egg laying chicken online, you will be able to
choose based on the color of eggs as well as the breed.
Once your chosen breed is safely housed with clean bedding in a cozy
chicken coop with ample outdoor space protected by chicken wire
fencing, and the pullets reach maturity, you will see your efforts pay
off in the form of chicken eggs laid fresh nearly daily. You should
plan to gather the eggs a couple times a day to prevent breakage by the
chickens. Do not wash the eggs, as they are protected by a thing layer
on the shell that keeps the egg fresh. If dirty, wash the eggs
immediately before use.
Egg laying chickens are quite useful as they contribute to the family
larder. Because of their gentle natures, they also make wonderful pets.
Backyard chicken flocks are reappearing accross the country as families
work to improve their diets and become more self-sufficient.
 Read more about Laying Hens
 Chicken Books and Resources
The Chicken Health Handbook
Storey's Guide to Raising Chickens
Keep Chickens: Tending Small Flocks
Chicken Coop Living
Choosing
and Keeping Chickens 
More Chicken
Resources
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