How To Raise Laying Hens / Layers

Before buying chickens, first, check with the town hall or subdivision because it happens that in some urban areas chicken farming is regulated. Do not worry, this is rare and you can have some chickens without harming good neighbourly relations! Provided of course to respect some basic rules that we will explain to you …

Are you ready to raise laying hens?

The laying hens, unlike other animals, does not require special skills. Nevertheless, it requires regular maintenance: give them a rich and diversified diet, clean water, ensure the hygiene of the hen house … here are some common-sense principles! To read also: well feed his chickens for a good laying.

And although hens are not strictly speaking pets, be sure to keep in touch with them, you will be surprised to see that you can create real interactions with them! It will also provide once a week a complete cleaning of the chicken coop. All of these operations will not take you more than a few minutes a day. A few minutes of happiness, you will say most small breeders …

How to choose your laying hens?

There are different breeds of laying hens. Hens laying, ornament or competition. You will find them in the markets, in the garden centres or directly with the breeders. Poultry fairs, which regularly gather enthusiasts, are a great way to find beautiful subjects that can eventually be used for breeding. You will participate in the preservation of certain breeds that have become rare because they are considered less productive than industrial strains.

Ordering your chickens on the Internet may be a good way to stock up on live breeding. As long as you know the origin of the animals!

On Laying Hens, I’m going to introduce you to some breeds known for their laying talent. You will also see that they have other assets! Go to the “Breeds of Chickens” tab to learn more. It should be known that in terms of laying, not all hens are equal. There are indeed races that lay more than others. If your goal is to raise chickens for their eggs, it is better to choose them.

How many layers do you need?

Breeding of 2 chickens seems ideal to start a small production of homemade eggs. You should know that a hen can lay up to 200 eggs per year, or even the first year. As a result, two hens will provide enough eggs for a family of four. Finally, you will not need much space, at most twenty square meters.

Need a rooster for my chickens?

According to an urban legend, it would take a rooster to have eggs. This mainly reflects a poor knowledge of our friends’ chickens! Ladies are in fact rooster to spawn. This last work on the other hand to impregnate them. So no cock, no chicks. If you live in an urban area, I strongly advise you to take one, you would put all the neighbourhood back! And on this point, the courts are unanimous: in town, the morning song of the rooster represents a nuisance. It remains to invent the urban cock …

What is needed for a hen house?

To accommodate your laying hens, it will, of course, be necessary to provide a well-designed hen house and a piece of small adapted equipment, essentially a drinking trough and a feeder with reserve. With that do not forget a complete grain-based food, ideally crushed, which will serve as a food base for your chickens. The litter will consist of crushed straw for the nesting part and wood chips for the resting part, where the chickens sleep. Above this rest area is the main perch where the hens love to go for the night. The droppings fall below and aggregate with the chip. The set is removed at least once a week. Most hen houses have a removable drawer that is convenient for picking up used bedding. Be careful not to throw away this litter, which mixed with green waste will be fantastic manure for your garden! You will only have to compost it to obtain a valuable amendment for your plantations.

Should I buy hens or chicks?

Avoid the chicks. Although very endearing, they are very fragile. Given the low cost of buying a chicken, we advise you to opt for a chicken ready to lay. By 16 weeks, chickens reach their adult size and are robust enough to live independently in the hen house. They begin to lay around twenty weeks usually. Chicks must be given constant attention because they are very sensitive to changes in temperature. And above all, important detail, on most breeds, it is almost impossible to distinguish chickens from roosters at this age. Imagine your head when you discover that you bought two cocks!

How many eggs can a laying hen lay?

A good laying hen will lay you up to 220 eggs a year. Be aware however that from the age of 3, your hen will become less productive. A trick to have a regular production:

Take chickens of different ages and renew the breeding by half every three years. Thus, you will keep a regular production. This technique is inspired by the French institutions, especially the Senate, which renews its old parliamentarians every three years!

Choosing your henhouse and its location

The installation of a hen house requires a space of a few square meters. Ideally, there are ten square meters of outdoor space per hen. Prefer an isolated location to a location too close to your neighbourhood. The henhouse will be sheltered from the weather and prevailing winds, its entry will be ideally oriented to the east.

The henhouse will consist of two separate areas: the walkway, allowing access to the land, essential for your chickens. The shelter will be used mainly for sleeping and laying. During the day the hens go there very little. Space can, therefore, be restricted, between 1 and 2 square meters for 4 hens.

The ideal is to install the set in a mixed location (sun on one side and shade on the other). Some tips will improve the comfort of your tenants. Discover them in our section  “henhouse”.