Poultry FAQs

Poultry > Chicken FAQs

When will my hens start laying?

The term Point of Lay usually refers to a hen that is between 16 weeks old and the time she starts laying. This can be anywhere between 18 and 21 weeks depending on the time of year, weather conditions, how well she has been fed and the usual contrariness of chickens. The process is also dependent on day length so if you get your chickens too late in the year you may have a longer wait. The first couple of eggs may be very small, have no shell or an unusual shape, this is quite normal and once the hens are into full lay the eggs should be normal shape and size.

Can I mix them with my other chickens?

Chickens are famous for having invented the "pecking order". This is a means of helping the chickens to eventually live peacefully with each other as each knows who she is allowed to peck and who she has to accept being pecked by. This order is rigorously enforced throughout the day. Adding a new chicken or chickens to the flock upsets this order and so it has to be reset. Introducing the new members at night time can help but can be a bit awkward trying to get a sleepy chicken to sit on a perch without the rest of the flock flying off into the dark.

Keeping them in a run next to the old birds for a few days would allow them to get to know each other prior to the meeting, you can also lock the new birds in the house part of the accommodation with the old birds in the run for a few hours and then opening the door and letting them meet slowly which might help.

Whatever you do there is going to be some fighting until the order is restored but as long as there isn't too big a difference in the birds sizes and there is enough space for them to get away from each other it shouldn't last too long or be too nasty. Make sure that the dominant birds don't stop the newcomers from eating or drinking by guarding the food bowls.

Spraying them with scented water makes no difference as they don't have a sense of smell.

What problems can I expect?

As long as your chickens have a dry, draught free, fox proof house to go away in at night, are fed correctly (layers pellets or mash mainly, not too many treats) and have access to a large enough area to get enough exercise they are relatively trouble free.

The main problems are:

• Foxes - keep your chickens secure at night and whilst you're not there.
• Red Mite - this is a very small mite that lives in cracks in the housing and at the end of perches and come out at night to feed on the blood of the chickens. They can multiply very fast in warm weather and can cause anaemia in your birds. Treat the house with Creosote, Poultry Shield or diatomaceous earth. Affected birds can be dusted with red mite powder.
• Worms - treat your birds twice a year with a wormer such as Flubenvet or monthly with a herbal remedy such as Verm-X.

Unfortunately most Vets aren't too clued up about chickens so they are rarely of much help but perhaps if we take our birds to them more often they may get up to speed eventually.

Do I need a cockerel?

If you are just keeping hens for a regular supply of the freshest tasty eggs the answer, to your neighbours relief, is No. Obviously if you intend to breed from your birds then you will need the services of a male but please remember that at least half of any chicks you raise will be boys and you must have a plan in place to deal with that fact.

What are hybrids?

A hybrid chicken is a result of a crossing of two or more different breeds. And in the same way that a mongrel dog is generally fitter and longer lived than a pedigree dog so a hybrid chicken, bred from two highly selected strains of two breeds, is generally fitter and lays more eggs then a pure breed. This is termed 'hybrid vigour'. This also means that if you try and breed from them the results will be very unpredictable and you will just end up with a 'mongrel' flock without the first cross vigour of the parents.