• Will my hens lay eggs without a rooster?
    Yes, your chickens will lay without a rooster, but they may need a “tap” now and then as a “restart button”.

    - Back to Top -
  • Are Roosters noisy and aggressive?
    It has been our experience that most are not prolific crowers unless they are extremely excited or frustrated. Most city ordinances do not allow roosters in city limits but will allow a limited number of chickens for personal egg production. We only keep one rooster for our flock and only because we want to raise a few natural chickens each spring. Our rooster is not at all aggressive towards us but does not like predators and is a good guard for his ladies.

    - Back to Top -
  • Is it better to buy from a hatchery or a local feed store?
    There are pros and cons for both options. If you are just looking for a few birds for your backyard to lay eggs for your family, feed stores work perfectly. They carry the more common birds good for both egg laying and meat birds. They are a little more expensive, but they have taken the shipping losses already and, for the most part, the chicks are ready to go home and do great. Hatcheries have a wider selection and carry unusual and sometimes endangered breeds. They are less expensive but are shipped as hatchlings and some loss is to be expected upon getting them in and acclimated to their new home. There are usually minimum orders so unless you are planning on ordering with friends or relatives you may find feed stores a better bet.

    - Back to Top -
  • What does “pecking order” mean?
    All birds (as do mammals) find security in knowing where they fit into their flock (or pack). This, therefore, requires testing their limits and the head hen letting the “newbies” know exactly where they stand in the flock hierarchy. If you are planning on adding younger or new birds to your established flock you should expect some squabbling and pecking before everyone settles into their perspective position in the group. Just keep an eye to make sure no one gets seriously hurt and all should be fine.

    - Back to Top -
  • Do different colored eggs taste different?
    No, all eggs taste the same no matter the color. The taste depends completely on what the hen has been eating (you are what you eat!). Eggs laid by hens eating fresh greens, insects, and healthy grains taste much better than the eggs from the store, whose producers have been fed strictly commercial feed.

    - Back to Top -
  • Why are some so hard to peel while others have the shell come off almost as a whole?
    The older the egg is the easier it is to peel, so if you want to have hard boiled eggs it is better to leave some to age for awhile to make this chore easier. They need to be at least 2-3 weeks old before enough air is introduced between the yolk and the shell.

    - Back to Top -
  • I have heard that duck eggs taste sort of “Ducky” or “Fishy” is this true?
    Duck eggs from wild ducks or ducks raised in fish-occupied ponds do have a tendency to taste a little “ducky”. Duck eggs taste almost exactly like chicken eggs if the ducks are fed the same feed as their counterparts, but with a much richer flavor. Duck eggs have more protein and less water by volume, so the whites cook faster while leaving the yolk creamy instead of rock hard in the same amount of time. It is easy to overcook a duck egg (especially if you look at how large they are compared to a chicken egg). If you prefer hard cooked eggs, they will cook in about 1-2 minutes less than a chicken egg. For frying, we strongly recommend a steam-fry to avoid a rubbery white.

    - Back to Top -