Do you have chicken questions?
My husband and I have raised chickens for a few years now. Most people are curious about chickens and how difficult it is to raise them. Here’s 5 common chicken questions we’ve been asked over the years.
- Does the hen need a rooster in order to lay eggs? No, hens can lay eggs without a rooster. The eggs are not fertile without a rooster so there will be no baby chicks. We don’t keep a rooster unless I want to incubate eggs.
- Why is there a blood spot in my eggs? This does not mean the egg is fertile. According to the egg safety center: Blood or meat spots are caused by the rupture of a blood vessel on the yolk surface when it’s being formed or by a similar accident in the wall of the oviduct in the hen’s reproductive tract. Blood spots and meat spots do not pose a risk to human health when prepared properly.
- Why don’t you wash your eggs? Eggs contain a natural coating called a bloom. The bloom seals the eggshell pores to keep bacteria out. So unless your farm fresh eggs are really dirty, it’s best to leave them be and clean them right before use.
- Do chickens smell? Not really, I use a deep bedding method in my coop so it keeps the smell down pretty well. Now, when I clean the coop, yes, there is a slight smell but it’s the dust that bothers me more than the smell.
- Is it hard to raise chickens? No, not in my opinion. They are one of the easiest animals to maintain on a farm. The hardest part is setting up the coop. Once you have a good setup, the maintenance is easy. You’ll love the benefits of fresh farm eggs!!
Learn More
If you are interested, make sure to check out the Homesteaders section on Amazon. Here, you can find books and guides on how to easily homestead and tips on how to do it better.