Egg Laying Chickens

It's become popular to raise and keep a small flock of hens for eggs, as a hobby for many families. It's part of the "back to basics" and healthy eating trend.

Most hens can be expected to lay 5 eggs a week. So 4 to 5 laying hens will mean about two dozen eggs a week. Check the breeds that you are interested in and make sure they have the qualities you want. Most good layers will not brood eggs (sit on them), so if you're interested in raising a new generation of chicks, you will need to consider that in your plans.

If you are purely interested in egg production, a rooster will not be required. Roosters can be aggressive and downright mean. So unless you get a really docile breed of hens (even then the rooster will not be as nice as the hens), your rooster will be trouble.

Choosing Your Chickens

The White Leghorn is the best laying breed. They usually begin laying at about 5 months of age and then lay an egg almost daily for the next 3 years or more. Leghorns lay large white eggs.

Red and Black Stars are not only excellent layers, but they are also very friendly and often kept as pets. They will lay large brown eggs almost daily.

There are hundreds of chicken breeds, so before you choose, think about this:

Make sure your choice of chicken will do well in your climate.

Enough space for the flock is critical, so be sure you have a minimum of four square feet of space per hen. This means 16 feet of space per 4 chickens. More is always better. They need exercise, close confinement increases stress in hens that can cause them to stop laying.

A docile breed will be best if children will be involved.

Small Business Ventures in Chicken Eggs

Selling fresh eggs can be a great family passtime or even a small business.

Eggs can command a high price if you have the room to free range or go organic.

Fertilized eggs can be sold as incubation projects for students or you can hatch them yourself and sell the chicks.

This becomes even more profitable if you have a breed of hens that is rare or endangered. Sales on the Internet for eggs or chicks can take place all year.

Learn how to pack eggs safely for shipping. It is not as difficult as you might imagine. It requires a lot of bubble wrap for each egg and a snug fit in a double box. Many have shipped and received eggs this way without a mishap. If you would like to save money, a DIY chicken coop may just be the thing you are searching for.

If you are going to incubate or sell eggs for incubation, then you should know that you should not wash the eggs. Just brush off any loose dirt. Washing the egg removes a protective layer on the outside of the shell.

Chicken keeping or eggs can be both fun and profitable.