Finding eggs in the nest box is one of the joys of being a chicken keeper!
Most people decide to keep chickens because of the prospect of being supplied with fresh and delicious eggs! So when your hens don’t deliver the goods or stop laying completely, it can be worrying, baffling, and frustrating. There are several reasons to explain this behaviour, and fortunately, in many circumstances, this is no cause for concern. Here are the most common reasons as to why your chickens have stopped laying eggs:
The Age of Your Hens
When raising chickens, you’ll notice that they have a laying cycle, or how their age affects their egg production. Backyard hens typically live to around six to eight years old, but will only lay eggs for a certain number of these.
Many hens will not produce eggs until they are six months old and thereabouts, but the exact timing depends on the breed. Some breeds, such as Australorps, Golden Comets, and Leghorns, begin laying early, in fact as early as between 16 and 18 weeks. Some larger breeds such as Orpingtons, Plymouth Rocks, and Wyandottes, however, could have you waiting up to eight months for their first egg to appear!
Whilst egg production will gradually decrease every year, your hens will eventually stop laying eggs approximately around the six-year mark. Again, this is dependent on the breed and some hens can stop a lot earlier or later than this.
Another complicating factor as to why your chickens have stopped or are not laying eggs anymore, is the time of year, which is the most common answer to the “why are my hens not laying?” question.
For most breeds, hens tend to stop producing eggs, or drastically reduce their output, in the colder months. This is due to the reduced daylight hours during the winter. When summer ends, there is of course less daylight, which triggers a hormonal response in hens. For egg production, hens typically need between 12-14 hours of daylight each day and 16 for optimum egg laying, which is why they can struggle over winter. Furthermore, hens that reach egg-laying maturity in the autumn or winter may not lay again until spring.
Moulting
Moulting is an annual (or sometimes biannual) occurrence, whereby chickens shed their old feathers and grow new ones. The process usually lasts between 1 and 2 months and whilst it can happen at any time of the year, in the UK, this is usually in late summer or the beginning of autumn.
When chickens moult, most hens will take ‘time off’ from laying eggs with their physical efforts now concentrated on growing new feathers. During this time, you should continue to provide your chickens with a healthy diet, along with adding a bit of extra protein to their diet and ensuring they have plenty of vitamins and minerals. You can also add some apple cider vinegar to their water to help with a healthy, glossy, new plumage.
Poor Nutrition
This underlines another important point – a nutritious diet is vital all year round. Whilst it’s a great idea to help get your chickens some extra nutrients whilst they’re moulting, it’s also important to provide them with what they need to keep healthy and laying eggs whatever time of year it is!
Put simply, if hens are malnourished, egg production will drop, with hens either laying fewer eggs or none at all. Whilst chickens naturally forage for food, to keep producing eggs, hens need a balanced diet of enough protein and carbohydrates. A steady supply of a good quality feed and access to grit will ensure that your chickens get everything they need.
You’ve Got a Broody Hen
Sometimes a chicken will decide to sit tight and wait for her egg to hatch. This is known as a broody hen, and while she’s broody, she’ll stop producing eggs. This is handy if you want to hatch chicks, as the hen will happily sit there for the three weeks it takes to hatch an egg. It’s less handy if you want her to produce more eggs, though!
A hen can either be left for three weeks, after which she will resume normal service. Alternatively, you can gently discourage her, should your hen be nesting in an unsuitable environment (or if you find yourself in dire need of eggs!). Breaking a broody hen can be difficult, but placing a bag of ice cubes or frozen peas underneath her can do the trick. Some chicken keepers also recommend placing the hen in a wire cage or dog crate with food and water for a few days. This can be a little uncomfortable but will usually break the brooding habit.
Chickens need plenty of room to roost in their coop
Sick Chickens Stop Laying Eggs
If your chicken stops laying eggs and you have ruled out that your hen is neither too young nor too old, not moulting, not brooding, and not hunkering down for a cold winter, then the reason for the drop in eggs could be illness. In particular, parasites such as lice, mites, fleas, and internal worms can be causing bodily stress, which has a significant impact on laying. For a bit more information on illness in chickens, check out our pages on chicken health for advice on diagnosing and – where possible – treating problems.
As well as illness being a cause of stress, it can also be brought on by other factors such as bullying, too much handling, injury, noisy children and pets in the garden, or a poor environment. Making sure the hens have a space where they can stay happy and healthy is vital. A setup such as the Eglu chicken coop and run, along with suitable perches, feeders and other essential accessories can help with this.
Something Else to Consider…
It’s also very possible that your hens are in fact laying eggs, but they’re going missing before you even have the chance to collect them! However, rest assured, the mystery behind ‘vanishing eggs’ can usually be explained with two main reasons.
The first of which is that free-ranging chickens often ‘go native’ and begin laying eggs in a spot in the undergrowth, rather than in the coop. You should check under shrubs, in long grass, and any secluded corner of your plot of land. If the AWOL laying has been going on for a long time, there may be a few eggs out there in the wilderness. Check their freshness by placing them in a bowl of water. If the eggs lie on their sides, they are fresh. If they are more upright (between 45 and 90 degrees), but still resting on the bottom of the bowl, they are not fresh, but still usable. Any that float have passed their sell-by date!
Eggs may also disappear if a hen acquires a taste for them. Egg-eating amongst chickens can be a sign of overcrowding or poor diet. Once she has acquired the taste, it can be difficult to stop a hen from eating eggs, and she may need isolating to stop her pecking at her neighbours’ eggs. The isolation may also induce slight stress, just enough to interrupt her own laying, which may, in turn, break the habit.
Normal Egg Service Resumed
Don’t worry – unless a hen is very old or very ill, her egg-laying should soon resume. Owners can aid the process by making sure they’re giving the birds everything they need. The key to a good egg supply is good food, a good space – and patience!
We can learn a lot from chickens. They go to bed early, and once indoors they snuggle up together to keep warm. No messing about after hours. As a result, they’re ready for a fresh start as soon as the sun comes up.
The problem is, there’s often no early-rising human around at dawn to open the door of the coop and let the hens get on with a busy day’s scratching, foraging and laying. Equally, you might not be able to be there to lock the door behind them after they’ve headed for bed early in the bleak midwinter.
An open door in the chicken shed lets in the cold, and unless your coop and run are secure, some very unwelcome night visitors of the four-footed kind might come calling…
“Someone should invent an Autodoor for chicken sheds…”
Fortunately, the necessary security-cum-draft-excluder has already been invented. Omlet’s Autodoor attaches directly to the Eglu Cube Mk1 and Mk2 chicken houses. But it’s not exclusively for those models – the Autodoor works with any chicken coop, with a unique and clever design that enables it to be attached to whatever des res your chickens are living in.
Like many ingenious inventions – wind-up radios and wind-up torches come to mind, or solar powered garden lights – Omlet’s automatic chicken coop door opener is very simple. It’s battery powered, with both a timer and a light sensor for maximum flexibility and control. The Autodoor won’t instantly seize up when the temperature plunges, either. It’s been tested to work down to minus-20 degrees Celsius (-4 degrees Fahrenheit).
The Autodoor is also very easy to install. Its LCD control panel is separate from the door itself, so it can be placed in the best position for the built-in light sensor to do its work.
The door, once closed, is also very secure. It doesn’t use a string and pulley system, so it can’t be lifted up by hungry creatures hoping for a midnight chicken snack. Nor will they be able to squeeze through the tight seal once the door is shut.
Attaching the Autodoor
If your hens live in an Omlet Eglu Mk2 Cube or a chicken coop made of wood, the Autodoor comes with all the fittings you need. You’ll need a few extra attachments if you want to fit the door to aMk1 Eglu Cube, anOmlet Run or a set up involving traditionalchicken wire.
The control panel and light sensor attach via a robust cable, so you can choose the best spot for registering the daylight. The sensor doesn’t mean your hens have to be home before the sun hits the horizon, though. You can set it to close an hour after sunset, to suit your birds’ routine. Equally, it can be set to open an hour after first light, if your chickens are used to having a bit of a lazy start to the day. This makes sense when the days are particularly cold – the hens might want to take advantage of their cosy place on the perch for as long as possible before venturing out into the cold frosty morning.
The door will not open in the night, even if passing headlights, a security light or a torch beam shine on the coop. It has been designed to ignore these temporary bursts of light, and only open when there has been consistent light for an amount of time fixed by you via the control panel.
So basically, that’s your chickens’ winter worries sorted.
It’s possible that you have a stoical family member who is willing to be on guard at dawn and dusk every day throughout the cold winter months to open and close the coop door. Lucky you –that’s real chicken dedication!
For everyone else, the Autodoor does all the work for you when you’re not around. Or, let’s face it, it gives you the excuse and peace of mind to enjoy a weekend lie-in without having to brave the elements on morning chicken duty!
A NEW accessory for the Autodoor
Now your Autodoor can do even more to make winter chicken keeping that bit easier, with the NEW Coop Light. This practical light plugs into the Autodoor control panel and can be set to turn on automatically 5 minutes before your door is programmed to close, to encourage your chickens up to bed. So if you have some night owls among your flock who you worry about being left behind, this is the perfect solution.
You can also use the Coop Light on manual mode to supply light to your coop or run, ideal for checking on your chickens, or for those who are having to carry out their daily chicken keeping duties, once the sun has gone down. The cable between the control panel and the light is 2 metres long so that you can position the light in an optimal place for your set up.
Calling all wicked Witches! We know October has been a very busy month for you all, which is why we are offering 31% off when you upgrade your witch’s broomstick this Halloween, to the Omlet Chicken Perch. This spooktacular offer will fly past, so don’t miss out!
Use discount code WITCHES until midnight on the 31st of October!
Give your chickens a brilliant new way to play in their chicken run with Omlet’s Chicken Perch, available in 2 lengths to suit your flock. The naturally weather resistant perch not only features an innovative bracket design – allowing it to be placed anywhere on any chicken run – but is also suitable for use by all breeds of chicken, making it the new must-have DIY chicken coop accessory!
Upgrade your chicken’s playtime with this fun accessory, and use code WITCHES to save 31% until midnight tomorrow.
Terms and conditions
This promotion is only valid from 30/10/19 – midnight on 31/10/19. Use code WITCHES to claim 31% off Chicken Perches. This offer is available on the Omlet Chicken Perch 1 metre and 2 metre only. Subject to availability. Omlet ltd. reserves the right to withdraw the offer at any point. Offer cannot be used on delivery, existing discounts or in conjunction with any other offer.
Cold weather can be a worry for chicken keepers but there are ways to prepare your chicken coop for winter. Preparations such as:
Moving you coop closer to your house
Upgrading to a plastic coop
Installing an automatic chicken coop door
Adding a chicken run cover
Adding an extreme temperature jacket
Get your chickens’ coop ready for the colder months and you will be able to and rest easy knowing that your girls are warm and healthy throughout winter. Take a look at some of our top tips for getting your chicken coop winter-ready.
Move Your Coop Closer to the House
Moving your chicken coop closer to the house is a simple step for making it easier for you to look after your girls and give them their daily health checks, which are even more important in the colder months. Choose a lightweight coop with wheels, like the Eglu, to make it even easier to move it around your garden.
Upgrade Your Wooden Coop to a plastic chicken coop
Upgrading your wooden chicken coop to a plastic coop has many benefits. The main benefit of a plastic Eglu Cube Chicken Coop for chicken keepers in winter is the twin wall insulation found in the design of the plastic house. This works in a similar way to double glazing, by creating a barrier between the cold air outside the coop, and the air in side. The air between the two walls conducts poorly, which means inside the house stays at a consistent and warm temperature throughout winter, whatever the weather is doing outside. Chickens are very efficient at keeping themselves warm, all you will need to do is make sure the coop door is shut at night time.
Install an automatic chicken coop door
Installing an Automatic Chicken Coop Door is a convenient solution for plastic or wooden chicken coops allowing you to shut your chicken coop’s door at dusk even if you are not yet home.
You can set the Autodoor to close at a specific time or light percentage to suit when all your girls have gone up to bed and the sun has set. The Autodoor runs off batteries and has been tested to work down to -10 degrees celcius so there is no worry, however cold it gets outside!
The other benefit to the Autodoor is that it will open again at dawn so you can head off to work early before the sun rises and your girls need to be let out, or you can stay in bed for even longer at the weekends without going out in the freezing cold to let your chickens out of their coop!
The NEW Coop Light also makes it easier for you to check on your girls and carry out daily chicken keeping duties if you don’t get home until after dark. This plugs directly into your Autodoor control panel, and can even be programmed to automatically turn on 5 minutes before your Autodoor closes to encourage your chickens up to the coop.
“The nights are drawing in and I couldn’t be happier knowing that my girls are safely tucked up in bed with their Omlet Autodoor closed behind them. The Autodoor has given me peace of mind, flexibility and a well needed lie in! Couldn’t recommend it enough!” – Hayley’s Lottie Haven
Add a chicken run cover
Chickens are very good at coping in cold temperatures, but don’t like getting wet, adding a run cover allows them to be protected from the elements when outside in their run. Covers are available in a variety of sizes to suit your run length, the clear run covers protect your girls from wind and rain so they can continue to play whatever the weather, whilst still allowing light into the run.
Add an extreme temperature jacket
When the temperature drops below freezing for multiple days in a row during the very depths of winter, it might be wise to give your chickens extra warmth with an extreme temperature jacket. Filled with a heat trapping recycled material that is breathable, the jackets keep your pets warm and protected from the worst that the weather can throw at them. Preparing your chicken coop for the winter will definitely benefit poorly or older chickens.
Provide Hentertainment
Prevent chickens getting bored when rain stops play with a variety of fun and interactive toys that can keep them entertained in all weathers. The Chicken Perch provides an easy outdoor perch which can be installed in their run (and protected by the run covers) for when your chickens can’t perch in their usual spots around your garden. The Chicken Swing provides hours of fun and again, can be easily installed in any run. While the Peck Toys and Caddi Treat Holder offer enriching entertainment as well as a rewarding flow of treats.
Water Heaters & Chicken Treats
Prevent your chickens’ water from freezing with a water heater to ensure they have access to flowing water at all times. It is also recommended to provide extra layers pellets and treats during winter, as chickens will need more energy to keep themselves warm and lay their eggs in the colder months.
No one wants rats hanging around — much less around areas that you frequent. One of the most common questions we receive from people who are thinking about getting chickens is: will keeping chickens attract rats? The short answer is most likely, yes. But thankfully there are several things you can do to prevent unwanted visitors in the form of rodents – here’s our best tips on how to keep rats away from your chickens.
Risks that rats pose
You don’t have to have musophobia (the fear of mice and rats) to want to avoid seeing them. Wild rats aren’t a fun surprise to happen upon anywhere, but especially not when they can wreak havoc on your flock and their belongings. In addition to being generally unappealing and startling for both you and your flock, rats can:
Carry diseases
Gnaw their way through wood and plastic
Raid nesting boxes for eggs
Rats will even go after young chicks for an easy meal. But, it’s important to note that rats aren’t attracted to your chickens — it’s their feed they’re really after. With this is in mind, here’s how to prevent attracting the attention of these ravenous rodents.
Store and dispense feed properly
Keeping your flock’s feed in airtight containers is the first step in preventing rats. Rats are clever and have an excellent sense of smell, so it’s vital that any feed containers have a good seal and made from thick material. They’re also patient and can learn routines quickly, so if you have rats that monitor your daily activity with your flock, they may learn where the feed is stored. Metal containers prevent rats from gnawing through to the feed they may have observed being stored there.
When you feed your chickens, make sure that your chicken feeders are elevated and deep enough that your hens don’t make a mess when they eat. Feeders with leftover food should be removed from the run each night to prevent opportunistic midnight snackers. Sweep or scoop up any dropped feed from the run floor, and store feeders in airtight containers.
Take care with treats
When you treat your chickens with scratch or other offerings, only toss what you’re confident they will eat by sundown. To avoid waste, feed scratch grains in chicken peck toys, and kitchen scraps in a Caddi Chicken Treat Holder. These can be removed easily at the end of the day, and help keep food from being scratched into the ground. Plus, eating treats this way provides an interesting and engaging angle for snack time that your hens will appreciate.
Collect eggs daily
Eggs are a tempting meal for rats, and if they aren’t collected regularly, they can draw rodents in. To prevent piquing rats’ interest, you’ll need to collect eggs every day. This is a good practice to maintain for several reasons, but if you’re worried about rats it’s a necessity. If for some reason you can’t collect eggs for the day, outfit your chicken coop with an automatic chicken coop door that will close at night when rats are the most active.
Employ deterrents
There are a few other things you can do to keep rats away from your chickens. Along with collecting their feed and eggs daily, you can take external measures to deter rodents. From other animals to 90s nostalgia, here are some recommendations for keeping rats at bay:
Keep an outdoor cat around your chickens’ set up
Hang reflective tape or CDs from strings around the run to catch the light and deter rats and other predators
Wrap ¼ inch hardware cloth around the bottom of your chickens’ run, and bury it a couple of inches below the ground
Set motion lights at ground level to be triggered by overnight rat raids
What not to do
When trying to avoid rats in the chicken run, there are a few things to avoid. Some of these measures can pose a risk to your flock, so be sure to never use these around your hens:
Rat poison
Sprays meant to deter rodents
Mouse or rat traps (even humane traps)
Electric fencing can be placed around the perimeter of your chickens’ area to deter rats and other predators, but extreme caution should be exercised so that your chickens, other pets, or children don’t come into contact with it.
Omlet and your flock
Keeping chickens doesn’t have to come along with the potential for rodents. By keeping your flock in a strong hen house with an Autodoor, you’ll prevent rats from being tempted to infiltrate their coop. And, by serving treats in elevated chicken treat holders, you’ll reduce waste in the run for rats to feast on later. With these measures in place, you can enjoy tending to your flock without fear of rodents laying in wait.
So, you’ve decided keeping chickens is a good fit for your lifestyle, but have you decided on what kind of chickens to keep? Chickens come in a variety of sizes and colours, with different breeds offering unique traits. Dive into the world of chickens, and discover how to choose the right chickens for you.
Which chickens are best for me?
Different breeds of chickens offer different advantages, so choosing the right chickens for you depends largely on your family and lifestyle, along with your climate and amount of space available. There’s not a one-size-fits-all option, but many types of chickens can be kept by anyone just about anywhere. And, no matter which type of chickens you choose, remember that all flocks need a weather-proof chicken coop and a space to call their own – whether it be in a chicken run, chicken fencing, or safe area to free-range.
Best breeds for children
Some breeds of chickens are known for their sweet and docile dispositions, which make them a favourite among children. Each chicken’s personality isn’t guaranteed no matter their breed, but some are known to be easier to tame and handle than others. Here are the most common chicken breeds for children:
Size may be of concern for some people, but some chickens are found in miniature form. The breeds listed are “true bantams”, meaning they don’t have a full-size counterpart, but some full-size breeds have bantam versions. These compact breeds are perfect for smaller spaces, but still have big personalities to share with their keepers:
Some chickens are more voracious foragers than others. These breeds can do well in a large chicken run, but they need plenty of space to satisfy their wanderlust. They’re also large and nimble enough to evade several chicken predators, making these a good choice for open spaces:
Good egg laying breeds can produce upwards of 250 eggs per year. These breeds are known to produce eggs year round, and well into their older years. If you’re looking to supply your family with fresh eggs, look no further than these egg-laying superstars:
All hens lay eggs, but some can diversify your egg basket in beautiful ways. White and brown eggs are still beautiful, but if you’re looking for pops of colour, you may be interested in adding a breed that lays pigmented eggs. From blue and green, to shades of cream and pink, here are the breeds that lay colourful eggs.
Not all chickens can withstand the heat. In fact, most breeds fare better in the cold than in the heat, but some have natural traits that help them cope with scorching summers better than others. Large combs and light body weights are characteristics that help hens in the hot weather, which are standard features in these breeds:
Most chickens fare just fine in the cold, but just as some breeds are better equipped to handle the heat, some are more cold-hardy. Small combs aren’t as subject to frostbite, heavier builds add insulation, and feathered legs offer extra protection from the cold air. These are some breeds that are built for the cold:
Generally speaking, chickens are easy to take care of. They won’t overeat, so their feed can be left out at all times, and as long as they have access to fresh water, they’ll slake their thirst when the need arises. But some breeds may require a little extra attention than others.
Ornamental chickens have feathers that can get muddy or caked in debris. These breeds include:
The feathering of these breeds can also make them more susceptible to extreme temperatures, which is especially true for Frizzles and Silkies. This is because their fluffy feathers don’t help them regulate their body temperature as well as their sleek-feathered friends. If you live in a climate that experiences extreme temperatures, or if your property has a tendency to get extremely muddy, you might want to consider other breeds.
Omlet and your chickens
No matter which chickens you choose, they’ll be fortunate to have an owner that puts in the research to give them the best possible home. By housing your hens in safe chicken coops, spacious chicken runs, and providing them with one-of-a-kind chicken toys and accessories, you’ll be your flock’s favourite person. By providing for their basic needs, and then some, you’ll build a bond with your birds that will span a lifetime.
Ever heard the expression ‘cooped up’? It means being stuck indoors with nothing to do, resulting in frustration and boredom. We tend to lock hens in a chicken coop, and that’s where the saying comes from.
A hen kept in a shed with nothing to do will soon start to show all the signs of boredom, just like a human. She may start pecking at her neighbours, or plucking out her own feathers. If blood is drawn, the other hens will often join in the beak-attack, and hens can actually be killed in a frustrated frenzy of pecking.
With nothing better to peck and scratch at, chickens may also start to eat their own and other hens’ eggs. Once a chicken becomes an egg-eater, it’s very hard to make her kick the habit.
Bored birds will also tend to sit in the egg box all day, and may become weak through lack of exercise. Boredom also causes stress, and stress can bring egg production to a temporary halt.
Bidding Bye-Bye to Bantam Boredom
As usual, prevention is the best cure, and there are many ways of stopping boredom from becoming a problem in the chicken run. The general rule is simple enough – don’t keep hens cooped up!
Room to Roam – Give your chickens as much outdoor space as possible. If they have a garden or meadow to peck and scratch in, that’s ideal. You don’t have to worry about rounding the birds up in the evening – as soon as the sun dips in the west, hens instinctively head for the safety and security of the coop. All you have to do is close the door behind them.
Weather the Storm – A day spent indoors is a day of boredom for a chicken. They should only be confined to the coop if the weather is particularly bad. A bit of rain, snow and wind will not harm them, no matter how unpleasantly muddy the run may look to you.
Fowl Play – Chickens need stimulation, like most animals. Provide plenty of perches for roosting and resting, along with ladders, and a few pots, tree stumps or ornaments of different heights for them to clamber on and off. Many hens enjoy a chicken swing, too, as if they were parrots in a previous life.
Treats to Eat – Concealing a few tasty treats in the undergrowth or on ledges is a great way to keep hens entertained. Pack tasty titbits into a wicker ball, place it on the ground, and watch your hens enjoy a game of football as they eat. Alternatively, hang greens or a veg-filled Caddi just out of reach, so that the birds have to jump to get a beakful. Shop-bought or homemade suet-and-seed pecking blocks keep them coming back for more, too. The treats should not be overdone, though, as healthy diet is an essential part of good chicken care.
Making Hay – A pile of hay, straw, leaves or garden compost will give your hens something to scratch and rummage through, and they will find probably a few tasty worms and beetles to eat during the fun. Piles of vegetation will be levelled in no time at all – chickens remove piles, you could say!
Novelty Value – Chickens will be fascinated by anything new in their runs, even something as simple as a box or tray of straw, or an old brush. They are also fascinated by their own reflections, so an old mirror can be a good distraction. An old alarm clock or large watch with a reflective glass surface and a loud tick will intrigue them, too.
Dust to Dust – A dust bath goes down a treat at any time of year, not just in the hot summer months. If the weather is wet, you could provide a dry earth bath in a sheltered part of the run or coop.
Quality Time – Don’t underestimate the importance of interaction with your hens. Once they come to trust you they will relish your company, like any other friendly pet. Admittedly this can sometimes get a little out of hand, when hens start to flap onto the garden table to see what you’re eating, drinking or reading!
Boredom really doesn’t have to be a problem in the chicken run. As long as your hens can satisfy their strong scratching and perching instincts, and have a little fun along the way, they will remain healthy and happy.
Most flocks of chickens have a routine that their keepers can expect each day. Morning rise and shine, maybe a quick breakfast and romp around the yard, and back to the coop to lay eggs in the nesting box. But what happens when you suddenly don’t find eggs in the nesting box around or after their usual time? Or worse – several days go by with fewer eggs where they should be? There are many reasons why chickens hide their eggs, but we’ll show you how to stop them from doing it.
Why do chickens hide their eggs?
There may be an obvious reason your hens are hiding their eggs, or it may be a combination of external factors. Usually, it’s a problem with the chickens’ nesting box. If conditions are not favourable, hens will seek out alternative locations that may make them feel more comfortable – leading you on an egg hunt each day. Here are the most common qualms hens have about their nesting areas that may cause your chickens to hide their eggs.
Short on space
Each flock is different, but the safest nesting box-to-hen ratio is 1:4. Some hens may be happy to share the same nesting space as 6 or 7 other chickens though, so keep an eye on your numbers. If you notice your hens avoiding the nesting area shortly after adding new flockmates to the mix, it’s probably time for an additional nesting box.
Feeling vulnerable
Nesting areas should be quiet, secluded, and comfortable. If there’s too much commotion around the coop, your hens are more likely to go off in search of a more private area to deposit their eggs. Elevated coops with secluded nesting areas are ideal for making hens feel safe and at ease.
Unfavorable bedding
Bedding that hens can manipulate into a nest shape is a favourite among flocks. Thin straw, shavings, or wood fibre make great nesting box bedding. Hens will shift the bedding around to make a doughnut shape to keep a clutch of eggs safely contained. Stiff substrates like rubber pads, thick straw with little to give to it, or artificial turf are not ideal for creating a welcoming nesting area.
Broody hens
If you have a broody hen in the coop, it’s likely to affect all of your layers. A broody hen will fiercely protect their nesting area and the eggs they’re sitting on, which will deter any other chickens from laying there. And, if a broody hen is occupying the sole nesting box for the flock, other hens will be forced to seek alternative options. Breaking a broody hen is essential to getting the entire flock back into their regular routine.
New layers
Pullets (young hens under a year old) that are new to laying might not catch on right away that the nesting box is where they should lay their eggs. It’s not uncommon for young hens to lay their first few eggs in random locations – in fact, the urge to lay an egg might sneak up on a pullet so quickly that they’ll simply lay an egg wherever they are and continue on with whatever they were doing.
Mites
They may not be visible to the naked eye, but if all of the other conditions are right and your hens are still avoiding the nesting box, it may be due to mites. Mites irritate chickens that come into contact with them, causing intense itching and discomfort. Make sure that your nesting boxes are made of materials that are not favourable to mites and can be cleaned thoroughly. Plastic chicken coops and nesting boxes are the easiest to thoroughly clean, and do a great job of preventing mites in the first place.
Ways to get your hens laying in their nest box
Once you’ve identified and corrected any issues with the nesting box, it’s time to redirect your hens back to their designated laying area. You’ll need to seek out where they’ve been laying their eggs in the meantime. Under the chicken coop, in or under other structures like barns or sheds, between hay bales, and in areas with thick grass or bushes are common places hens will use as alternative nesting spots. If your flock free ranges, you’ll want to keep them inside of their run for a few days to reacquaint them with their new and recently improved nesting box.
Clean the nesting area out at least once a week
Keeping the nesting area clean will help encourage hens to continue laying eggs there. If you have an Omlet chicken coop, simply slide out the droppings tray and pressure wash or wipe it clean, and refresh the bedding for a clean coop in seconds. However, it’s not normal to find droppings in the nesting area itself unless hens are roosting there overnight. If you find droppings in the nesting box regularly, it’s time to add more roosting space.
Decoy eggs
Wooden or rubber eggs can be placed in the nesting box for pullets to get an idea of where to lay their eggs. It can also serve as a reminder to more seasoned hens that the nesting box is where eggs should be laid. You can also place a fresh egg that your flock previously laid in the nesting box to serve as a decoy. Be sure to only use one decoy egg, as a full nest can serve as a deterrent to hens rather than motivation.
Collect eggs regularly
While fresh eggs can be left in the coop for several days and still be edible, it’s good practice to collect eggs every day or two, depending on your flock’s laying frequency. Too many eggs lead to a crowded nesting area, which can deter hens from laying there. Gathering eggs regularly helps reduce the chance of them getting stepped on and broken by other chickens, decreases interest from predators, and ensures optimum freshness.
Your hens and Omlet
Keeping your hens on task with their nesting routine doesn’t have to be difficult. With our large, innovative Eglu Cube Chicken Coop, your flock will have plenty of room to roost without encroaching on the nesting area, an elevated station to feel more protected, and privacy while laying thanks to a dividing partition. Our chicken products foster the natural urges and patterns that drive hens to lay their eggs – taking all the guesswork out of keeping your flock healthy and happy.
Read this account from a British Hen Welfare Trust volunteer and Omlet customer who recently rescued two ex battery hens. If you want to volunteer or rehome hens, please visit the BHWT website.
As I watched my flock potter about in my garden leading the blissful life and giving me so much in return, from their glorious eggs to laughter at their non-stop antics, I knew I wanted to give back something to these wonderful creatures.
That evening I registered my interest at the British Hen Welfare Trust to become a volunteer. I’d heard stories and seen posts online about ex-battery hens but I don’t think I really had any idea what I was going to face, and the life I was about to see thousands of beautiful ladies live day in and day out.
Picking up my new hens
Volunteer day saw an early rise at 6:30am to get to the farm. The first sight I had was a row of massive windowless barns and I could hear the faint whisper of thousands of voices inside.
I rallied off with the other volunteers who were already carrying out bewildered little faces and loading them into the crates that would be taking them onto their forever homes, where they would finally be loved and get a name.
Upon entering the reality was far worse than I could’ve imagined. So many cramped bald fragile bodies lined in cages five high, as far as the eye could see. Dust and ammonia filled the air, andall I wanted was to get them all out from the dark, away from the bare wires cages as quickly as I could.
Working with other like-minded volunteers was an inspiration, everyone worked so hard. I knew I had to be strong so that I could get some of the girls out of there; that day we got two thousand out of their prisons, all who’d seen nothing but that life for 18 months. At this young age their bodies are nutritional depleted causing them to no long produce eggs to the standard or frequency the industry wants, therefore they are not deemed commercially viable. The harsh reality is that they are then sent for slaughter. Yes, the sad truth is we had to leave some girls behind and really we only make a small drop in the ocean but for those few that do go on to a loving family its means the world.
I personally carried out my two hens, and they happened to be two of the baldest of the lot. One girl, who I called Tess, only had a few feathers on her entire body. I cuddled her in my arms as we drove home, where she shut her little eyes after such a long day realising she could now finally rest.
First few days at home
Once I got Tess and Gloria (named after the song ‘I will survive’) home I let them settle in the cat carrier until the evening with some food and water. They were terrified of me as the only human touch they’d ever previously had was never filled with love.
Even though I have a large walk in run for my flock I knew the girls needed to adjust to every day life at their own pace. They’d never even seen daylight before, instead having 20 hours of artificial light and four hours of darkness to get them to lay as many eggs as possible.
I treated them to their own luxury apartment with a view – a lovely new Eglu Go UP with a 2 meter run and wheels so I could easily move it around the garden and they could snack on as much fresh grass as they wanted. The Eglu is so easy to clean, and another main factor was to keep the dreaded red mite at bay as I did not want anything hindering my precious girls recovery whilst so weak. Looks trendy in the garden too.
Later that evening I gently placed them into the Eglu coop with the door closed so that they could get used to it and get a good night’s sleep. It’s important to allow them time to imprint on their sleeping area, as this will encourage them to go to bed at night on their own.
In the morning I let them out and even though not the most gracious of the descents both came out to explore and dive straight into the Glug and Grub containers. And so began my bonding, greatly helped by their appetite for yummy grapes.
I think my favourite sight in the first few days was them laying in the sun completely at ease and finally acting out natural behaviours like having a dust bath.
They both adapted better each day and I marvel at their ability to take on new situations. It took a little while to understand the concept of a ladder, more so due to the fact they had to build up the strength in their fragile legs, but now that they understand night and day they run up and I find them both snuggled in the coop before lock up when I say sleep tight.
Getting better
Now six weeks on in their freedom journey they are flourishing. They have massive personalities which continue to shine each day: Tess is bold and Gloria is cheeky. Both are growing lots of feathers each day and they fill my heart with such love that I know they feel back.
As I write this both are running around enjoying summer with my other girls in the garden, casually going back to their Eglu run for a bite to eat and a drink before stepping out and having more adventures, because they know thats their forever home.
I want to thank Omlet for giving my girls such an amazing coop to grow old in and enjoy retirement – they love it!
For more information on battery hens and maybe opening up your home to some check out the ‘British Hen Welfare Trust’ for upcoming rehoming dates.
Red mites are a sure way to put a damper on your flock’s coop life. Learning how to protect your chickens from red mites is essential for their overall health and happiness. While pesky and persistent, red mites can be prevented and treated – especially when you have the right setup.
What are red mites?
Red mites, or Dermanyssus gallinae, are small, red parasites that lie in wait in your chickens’ coop, ready to strike during the nighttime hours. Often known as one of a chicken keeper’s worst foes, these tricky little bugs can prove challenging to locate and eradicate. Being nocturnal, they hide in the nooks and crannies of wooden chicken coops and roosting bars, and sneak their meals of chicken blood while your flock sleeps.
How do I know if it’s red mites?
Red mites are most active in the warmer spring and summer months. The first symptoms of red mites infiltrating your flock will be distressed or lethargic behaviour. Bites from red mites are itchy and uncomfortable, and since they prefer to feed through midnight snacks, your hens won’t be getting their required beauty rest. Your flock may appear sleepy, or display scratching or excessive preening behaviors.
As the infestation progresses, your hens can become anemic through losing too much blood to the parasites. Their combs and wattles may appear pale rather than red. You may also notice a reluctance to go to roost at night, as they will have come to associate roost-time with painful bites.
How to remove red mites from your coop
If you’ve come to the conclusion that your flock’s coop is under attack from red mites, you’ll need to take quick, aggressive action against them. Clean the coop thoroughly, removing all bedding, nesting material, and all detachable components like roosts or racks. Scrub the coop thoroughly with warm water, and clean any feeders or waterers. If possible, use a pressure washer to clean the coop and its components.
Once the coop is cleaned, leave it to air out in a well ventilated, sunny area. If you see mites making their escape, wait 10-15 minutes before pressure washing again. After any repeated washings, allow the coop to dry fully, and then treat it with a red mite product that is safe for chickens. There are powders or concentrates to mix with water and spray onto affected areas, so choose which you’re most comfortable working with. Diatomaceous Earth (DE) is also an excellent choice for preventing and treating red mite infestations, and it’s perfectly safe for your flock. You can add this ingredient to your chickens’ dust baths, or sprinkle it directly into their feathers.
How to treat chickens for red mites
If your flock has been infested with red mites, you’ll need to treat any affected chickens along with their coop. DE will kill the existing red mites, but your chickens’ skin will likely be raw and sore from the bites. There are other homemade remedies like garlic or other herbal sprays that will kill mites, just be sure that all of the ingredients are safe for chickens. Apple cider vinegar and electrolytes in your flock’s water will help boost their energy and healing, as well as promote healthy feather growth. If your flock appears to be anemic, ask your veterinarian for advice on any other supplements that might be beneficial. Treat bare areas where feathers have been preened out with anti-peck and healing topicals for chickens.
Preventing red mites
It’s far easier to prevent red mites than it is to treat them. Choosing a plastic chicken coop eliminates the fine cracks and crevices that wood allows for red mites to hide in, and they can be pressure washed and cleaned in mere minutes with little dry-time afterward. Wooden chicken coops have far too many opportune hiding spots for red mites, making them hotspots for the offending parasites.
In addition to having a plastic chicken coop instead of a wooden chicken coop, you can treat the inside of the coop and the ground around the coop with DE to act as a natural deterrent for red mites. Regular cleanings will help keep parasites of all varieties at bay, and will ensure that your flock stays comfortable during peak-pest season. And, unlike wooden coops, plastic chicken coops don’t need to be treated with sprayed insecticides to prevent red mites.
Omlet and your flock
The smooth surfaces of Omlet’s plastic chicken coops prevents red mites from setting up shop, and will keep your flock comfortable all summer long. Worried about outside of the coop? Our chicken toys and perches are all made from mite-resistant materials to ensure that your flock can have their fun without the threat of parasites. Combined with a walk in chicken run for plenty of outdoor space, your chickens’ setup will be perfect and parasite-free for the summer, laying the groundwork for those leisurely days together.
Keeping your pets warm in winter and cool in summer is one of the best ways you can help them stay healthy. But this is often easier said than done. Traditionally chicken coops and rabbit hutches have been made from wood. This has its advantages: it’s an easy material to work with, it’s customisable and it looks attractive. However, when it comes to coping with the weather, it can leave a lot to be desired. Wood is not a very good thermal insulator, meaning if it’s hot outside the temperature will transfer through to the inside quickly.
Air as a Thermal Insulator
Perhaps surprisingly, a much better thermal insulator is air. But how can something so thin that you can’t even see keep our pets comfortably insulated from the elements? It’s precisely because it’s so thin that it’s so effective. Heat is conducted between an area of more heat to an area of less heat by one of three processes: conduction, radiation or convection. In conduction warmer molecules vibrate rapidly and collide with other nearby molecules passing on that energy. If the material that the heat is trying to pass through has few molecules in it then it will be harder for the heat to transfer through it. This is precisely what happens if you have a warm surface separated from another surface by a layer of air.
Because air is not a good conductor it is commonly used as an insulator in everything from buildings (double glazing, cavity walls) to cooking utensils, drinking flasks and even the high tech chicken coops.
Eglu chicken coops have a unique twin wall system that takes full advantage of air’s great insulating property to keep your pets comfortable all year round. Within the walls of the Eglu is an air pocket which acts as a barrier, stopping hot and cold temperatures penetrating into the inside of the house, so your chickens can stay warm in winter, and cool in summer.
The Eglus also feature a draft-free ventilation system designed to increase the air flow throughout the coops, keeping chickens at a comfortable temperature. These air vents are discretely located around the coop, and specifically designed so they do not allow drafts over the nesting box. A well ventilated coop is not only beneficial for keeping chickens cool, but it is also extremely important for preventing your hens from suffering with respiratory issues.
For evidence of the Eglu’s cooling properties, take a look at this video showing how much slower an ice lolly melts when inside the coop…
As an Omlet Ambassador I’ve heard that line hundreds of times at trade shows and expo halls all across the United States. However, as a former DIY luxury chicken coop builder and longtime Omlet Coop owner I would like to set the record straight and explain why on Omlet Coop is the best purchase a backyard chicken tender can make.
This was my pride and joy:
A luxury coop that is Pinterest worthy and constructed of the best materials I could get my hands on. It has a radiant barrier roof that I shingled! It has a skylight in the middle that is UV blocking and tinted so as to only protect against the harsh and hot Texas sun. We used metal bracing on every corner to make sure we were squared up and secure. There are hundreds of screws holding up the double layer of hardware cloth. Literally, hundreds of screws. I used pressure treated wood that was rated for ground contact and further sealed with deck sealant. I used fiber cement siding that was rated to withstand hail impact and wind thrown objects. No expense was spared in building the Fort Knox of chicken coops that I thought would last a lifetime. I even ordered special chicken shaped handles for the coop doors:
Why is an Omlet Coop a better buy than building a DIY coop?
Experience should not be underestimated when lives are on the line
Omlet was founded in 2003 and has been innovating since. That is over 16 years of experience in building chicken coops. That is 16 years of predicting and preventing predators from getting chicken dinners. The average DIY’er that I meet at trade shows or talk to on forums such as BackYardChickens.com is a first-time chicken owner who hasn’t witnessed the creativity and determination of predator animals such as raccoons, foxes, and even neighborhood dogs.
Included in the price of each and every Omlet coop is 16 years of research and development to give us chicken tenders the best possible home for our flocks. That is 16 years of perfecting the Omlet Coops that get delivered to front doors all across the World. I cannot emphasize this enough because it is the most important factor in why I chose Omlet over DIY’ing another coop. It is not 16 years of making the same old coop over and over again like you’ll find at Tractor Supply or the local hardware/feed store. It is 16 years of constant innovation and stalwart dedication to making the safest coop on the market. While you read the rest of this please ask yourself whether you think a few google searches, a Facebook group, or in my case a Pinterest post can compete with 16 years of on the ground experience with thousands of models sold and tested across not just the US but the world at large. Think about the chickens you will soon be bringing home to live in the coop. Do you trust their lives to a weekend DIY project? Also, if you have kids and they are involved with the chickens then please consider the trauma of them waking up some day to find that a raccoon has turned their favorite hens into a recreation of a CSI episode with a headless hen as the victim. The cost may be steeper up front, but I can personally assure you that it will be more than worth it in the end for the peace of mind, the portability, the cleanliness, and so many other reasons.
DIY may seem like the cheaper route but I can assure you that the first time you wake up to find your favorite hens dismembered by a racoon or de-feathered and half eaten by a fox the last thing on your mind will be how you saved a couple bucks here and there. Why go through the heartbreak of losing hens and then spend the next couple days having to drain your wallet to renovate and repair the coop? Also, once a predator gets into your coop once they will keep coming back for more. They will poke, pull, and attempt to gain access in any way possible since they now know that an all you can eat chicken dinner is just inside. Why not stop them the first time so they never even consider coming back?
Materials
The most commonly encountered coops on the internet are constructed of wood. Wood can either be treated or untreated. Treated wood is wood that has been infused with copper products under extreme pressure in order to give it a few extra years of protection against Mother Nature.
However, treated wood does not protect against the ammonia rich droppings left behind by fluffy chicken butts. Chickens do not urinate and defecate separately like us humans do. Instead they combine the two acts and their droppings are highly concentrated and highly corrosive to many materials. This results in an accelerated rate of decay and decomposition of any and all wooden components of a DIY coop. This is a hugely important point to consider because decaying wood is similar to rotten wood in that it is incredibly fragile, and fragility is not something any chicken owner wants when it comes to their coop. The only way to circumvent this is to be diligent in replacing decaying panels as soon as you notice the first signs of decay. Mind you, this requires purchasing more materials, expending more of your time performing the labor to remove the decaying parts and reinstalling the new parts, and adds undue stress to your flock as you tinker with their home.
Of note, there are various sealants and paints that can be used on both treated and untreated wood, but my firsthand experience showed that these only served to prolong the inevitable as they too decayed. Furthermore, I would caution against their use as they can become a health hazard for your flock. Chickens will eat just about anything they can fit into their beaks so as the paint and sealant begin to crack, chip, and flake off the chickens will pick at the cracking paint or sealant and will quickly eat any flakes they can knock off or catch on the ground. I am not a veterinarian, but it certainly doesn’t take one to warn against the well-known dangers of ingesting paint.
Omlet coops are made out of a high-density plastic polymers that are non-porous and designed to be durable against both Mother Nature and any mother hen. The corrosive droppings from your chickens do not affect the durability of the Omlet coop and will not cause it to degrade or deteriorate with wood. It will stay strong for decades or more without any need to repair, replace or renovate.
Chicken wire, I would like to just say to stay as far away from this as possible because every week I hear from people who used chicken wire only to discover their coops broken into and flock decimated. Chicken wire is good at containing chickens but is absolutely worthless for keeping predators out. Raccoons can reach their hands through it and can pull it apart in under an hour. Coyotes, foxes and neighborhood dogs can easily bite and pull it apart. Snakes slither right on in without trouble.
The other wire that people commonly use is hardware cloth. This is what I used when I first built my own coop and it does work for a while. However, over time it will sag, and it is not meant to bear weight well. It can prevent predators most predators for a while but it is far from impenetrable and without proper installation and constant checks it can easily fail and need replacing.
The run components are made from welded steel panels. I could go further into detail about these, but I think the picture below is worth a thousand words:
Portability
It was a sad day when I had to leave behind the Pinterest quality barn-inspired coop because we sold the house and couldn’t haul off the coop without hiring a forklift and crew to load it onto a flatbed.
Thankfully, that will never happen with Omlet Coops. They are portable when fully assembled and they are also so easy to disassemble and flat pack that I can now fit our multiple coops and run attachments into the bed of my pickup truck with ease. In fact, I had to do just that when we moved from Tulsa, Oklahoma to Austin, Texas.
Modular and Expandable with ease
One of the hardest parts about designing and building a DIY coop is that you have to know how many chickens you want from the start. That may seem like an innocuous task but there is a phenomenon known to chicken owners as “chicken math.” It is something I have encountered first hand and been a victim of. In what started with 3 chickens has now since expanded to 31 chickens and counting. Our barn inspired chicken coop was meant to house 5-6 hens at a time and any sort of expansion would be extremely costly and require cutting into, and compromising the structural integrity of the original coop to attach any expansions on it.
Our Omlet coop expanded with us and we are already saving up for another full-size WALK-IN-RUN to add. Attaching any sort of expansion or add on is literally a 10-minute job. Due to the modular structure of the Coop and the Walk-in-Run all that has to be done is clip on the new expansions to the existing ones.
Cost
The total cost of the Pinterest coop that I build was around $1600. It fit 5 chickens comfortably and held up for just short of 2 years before we started to have to replace parts and deal with decay.
Chicken coops from Tractor Supply range from $250 to over $1,000. However, most of these have wooden components that will break down and need replacing so you will have to throw money at it regularly to keep it functional.
There are a handful of plastic polymer options at TSC but none of them allow for attaching a run, or any sort of modular upgrades that will allow you to grow your flock or custom tailor your coop to your yard. Therefore, you will end up spending well over the cost of an Omlet coop for something that is not designed to fit together and is not as adaptable and flexible as a product from Omlet’s ecosystem.
Peace of mind knowing all of the “What if’s” have been accounted for.
As stated above, Omlet has more experience in this field than any DIY’er. They have answered all of the if, and, buts, and what ifs with first hand experience. The peace of mind that comes with being able to purchase an all in one coop that will last for decades, keep the flock safe, and be adaptable to your future needs is worth more than saving a few bucks by risking all of that.
It’s a lovely summer day – the sun is out, the colourful flowers in your garden are in full bloom. The bees are buzzing, the vegetables are thriving, and raspberries are just waiting for you to pick and eat them straight from the bush. A nice, refreshing breeze blows lightly through the rustling leaves – and carries a different kind of sound with it.
Cluck, cluck.
Years ago almost everyone knew this noise from their own garden.
Cluck.
Nowadays, a lot of people have only heard it in movies or maybe at the petting zoo.
Cluck, cluck.
This time though, the clucking is the most relaxing noise you could imagine, turning this beautiful day into perfection. Your little flock of chickens, happily clucking away in your beautiful garden, supplying you with fresh, tasty eggs every day.
Does this picturesque scene sound somewhat too good to be true? A beautiful garden with flowers, vegetables and berries that are not completely pecked and ruined by the chickens living with them? Is that even possible?
Yes, it is! And we will tell you how to chicken-proof your garden so that you can make your dream of keeping chickens and still having a beautiful garden a reality.
A secure chicken run
The easiest way to keep your garden in a pristine condition is to keep your chickens in an enclosed area. With a spacious chicken run, you’re able to keep the chickens in that space so that they won’t dig up your precious vegetables.
This might not be an option for everyone due to the garden’s shape, size or sloped areas. If this is the case, consider a mobile chicken coop. These coops allow you to move your entire flock quickly and easily in order to give them access to different areas of your garden or garden.
Garden size
The most important thing to consider is how much room you have in your garden that you would like to offer to the chickens. That determines how many chickens you can keep – without overgrazing your garden.
The more space you can offer your hens, the less damage they will cause. Their scratching will not be limited to a small area, but instead, they will be able to forage across your garden. Chickens will happily weed-eat for you, as well as rid your lawn of pests like slugs, snails and caterpillars. With enough space, your flock won’t destroy the lawn but will actually help keep it healthy.
Chicken breeds
Another important factor to consider is the breeds of chickens you choose.
Hybrid breeds usually cause the most damage, as they are constantly looking for food as an energy supply due to the demand of producing an egg almost every day. Hybrids are generally hardy birds that are easy for first-time chicken keepers. However, a better choice for a beautiful garden are purebred chickens.
Depending on what you look for in a chicken, and if the eggs are not the most important part of your chicken parenting journey, bantam (miniature) or ornamental breeds are generally easy birds to keep in the garden. Their small size and lower energy requirements often prevent them from doing too much damage. Some popular breeds to keep in a garden are:
These chickens make beautiful, friendly pets and are known to be gentle with your garden. Their eggs are generally very small, and laying is infrequent (2-3 eggs per week).
Securing flower beds and veggie plots
An easy way to keep plants safe is a homemade hoop house covered in plastic or netting to keep your hens from sneaking a taste.
If that’s not an option, you could install raised beds in your garden. Most chickens aren’t interested in foraging for food above their head level, so they tend to leave plants in raised planters alone. And, raised garden beds make for easy, back-friendly, and more enjoyable gardening.
If you don’t have raised beds or want hoops around your plants, we’d recommend a mobile fencing option to allow your chickens to roam freely, yet not show off their landscaping skills on your veggie plot. Mobile Chicken Fencing from Omlet is ideal to keep chickens out of certain areas. Our fencing blends into your garden and is available in 12, 21, 32 & 42M rolls. This movable chicken fencing is much easier to install than chicken wire and features many benefits such as tangle-proof netting, adjustable poles and reflective badges to help you find the gate at night.
Omlet’s flexible chicken fencing comes with an inbuilt gate which features a strong catch that is comfortable to use. You can also set the width of the gate opening to your preferred size, making it easy to get in and out to feed your chickens. The gate can be positioned wherever you want within the layout you have chosen. You can put it at either end, the middle, or anywhere else.
Taller than most chicken fencing, Omlet’s chicken fence has an overall height of 1.25M. With that height, you can be confident that even the most determined of your feathered friends will be prevented from making a great escape. The poles of the fence are adjustable to ensure that the netting remains tight and secure at all times.
Offer a “chicken spa” area
Chickens love to dig up dry soil under bushes to enjoy a dust bath in the sheltered, shady area. Allow them to find their favourite spot, or plant some chicken-friendly bushes in an area you are happy to devote to your chickens, and they will most likely not think about any other plants. A chicken spa like that will not only keep your hens’ feathers in beautiful condition, but will also keep them in good spirits and health.
Keep an eye on your chickens
The best and safest time for your chickens to free range is usually when you are with them and can keep an eye on them. This allows you to keep them from causing too much mischief, and from getting into plants they shouldn’t. Throwing a handful of tasty corn in an area as far away as possible from flowers and veggies will quickly distract your flock from your flora.
There may be plants you want to keep your flock away from to keep them producing and looking their best, but there are some plants that are downright dangerous to chickens. Plants that are toxic to chickens include:
Daffodils
Azaleas
Rhododendron
Raw beans
Ferns
Rhubarb
Raw potatoes or onions
Tulips
This is not an exhaustive list, so be sure to check all of your plants that your hens may come in contact with to verify whether or not they’re safe.
Many other garden plants are perfectly safe for chickens, and even nutritious for them. Plants that your flock can safely snack on include:
Herbs such as oregano, parsley, or rosemary
Dandelions
Clover
Sunflowers
Pansies
Nasturtium
Lavender
Marigolds
Squash blossoms
Omlet and your garden flock
At Omlet, we want you to enjoy your chickens as a valued part of your family. And as part of your family, we want them to be able to enjoy your garden along with you. With eye-catching accessories like the Freestanding Chicken Perch or Chicken Swing, you can incorporate fun for your flock into your garden decor. With Omlet, your chickens can cohabitate with your garden in ways that were never possible before.
How do chickens lay eggs? Chicken keepers and egg eaters alike often ask this question. This fascinating process is complex, but occurs daily within laying hens. Take an in-depth look at the egg-laying process from start to finish – it’ll make you give your laying hens a round of applause.
Egg-laying frequency
Eggs are amazing feats of nature. Not only are they considered a superfood due to their nutritional value, but laying hens can produce over 300 eggs per year. A small flock of laying hens can easily provide your family with fresh eggs.
Ovulation takes place every 24-36 hours for most laying breeds of chickens. This results in an egg being laid roughly every day and a half. Some laying breeds can lay an egg every day or more. The world record number of chicken eggs laid in a year is 371 eggs in 364 days, set by a White Leghorn hen in 1979.
The process of laying an egg
Chickens ovulate like other animals, but instead of eggs the size of small cells being released, hens lay the nutritious, tangible orbs that we enjoy for breakfast. The process of laying an egg takes around 24 hours, and hens as young as 18 weeks old can begin laying. We’ll break down each step of the egg-producing process.
Step 1: it starts with light
Egg laying actually starts with your chickens’ eyes. Sunlight enters through a hen’s eye and activates a photosensitive receptor called the pineal gland – located behind the eye. Once the pineal gland is stimulated, it triggers a string of events that releases an egg, or oocyte, from the hen’s ovary. This light sensitivity is one of the reasons chickens lay fewer eggs in the winter.
Step 2: formation of the yolk
Hens are born with two ovaries, but the right ovary becomes dormant after a female chick hatches. The left ovary is the one that will produce eggs throughout a hen’s lifetime and contains thousands of ovum, which will become future eggs.
If you were to look inside a chicken, these undeveloped ova can be seen at the start of the spine. When the chicken is old enough to start laying, some of these ova begin to mature into what will later become the yolk. At this stage, the ova are separated and contained within their own follicles, but when one is ready to move on it releases its follicle and moves out of the ovary and down the reproductive tract, the oviduct.
This process, called ovulation, occurs approximately every 25 hours, and normally starts again about an hour after the previous egg has been laid.
Step 3: egg white surrounds the yolk
Up until this point in ovulation, all chicken eggs are unfertilized. Hens can lay eggs with or without the presence of a rooster, but they can be fertilized if you keep a cockerel in your flock. Fertilized eggs are edible, as long as you collect the eggs daily.
Via the infundibulum, the yolk enters the oviduct, and it is here that the egg is fertilized if a rooster has courted your hen. You might have noticed that egg yolks have a small, white spot on them. This is the blastodisc, the single female cell that together with the sperm will develop into an embryo through cell division.
The journey of the egg is, however, the same regardless of whether it’s been fertilized or not. The yolk travels through the magnum and isthmus parts of the oviduct, and this is where the egg white (also called the albumen) is created. It works as a thin membrane around the yolk that holds everything together. The chalazae, two spiral bands of tissue, make sure that the yolk is evenly positioned within the albumen, and the whole thing starts looking like an egg – without its hard covering.
Step 4: the shell is formed around the egg
The egg receives its shell in the uterus, through the shell gland. It takes roughly 20 hours to produce the shell, and is the most time-consuming part of the process. Before the egg moves on for the last time, the outermost layer, known as the bloom or cuticle, is formed to create an antimicrobial layer around the shell. When the egg is ready, the shell gland pushes the egg out of the oviduct and into the cloaca or vent, the part where the reproductive and excretory tracts meet. Hens excrete all eliminations through the vent, but the hen’s uterine lining actually wraps around the egg until it is completely free from the hen’s body – keeping it nice and clean.
Egg laying the Omlet way
And there you have it – the amazing journey an egg makes before being laid by a hen. Our chicken coops offer your hens a safe and comfortable place to deposit the fruits of their labour. And to store those labours of love, try our Egg Skelter, which will proudly display your hens’ amazing, natural works of edible art.
Using a steam cleaner to clean any Eglu can be a very effective way. It will not affect the plastic, whereas all surfaces are cleaned, disinfected, and all killed mites, insects and dust are blown away by the power of the steam. As a bonus the surfaces will be dry in no time, because the plastic is warmed up.
Deep-cleaning an Eglu Go once or twice a year is extra easy if one follows these steps:
1. Take of the top panel (lid)
2. Unscrew both side panels and bumpers, and take these off as well. For a complete cleaning you may want to disconnect the run as well.
3. You now have access to all inner and outer surfaces. Clean them thoroughly with the steam cleaner, if required using an old dish brush as well.
4. Clean the bumpers, panels and top lid in the same way.
5. Re-assemble the run and the coop.
This cleaning method has been used for several years now by our Dutch team-member and is guaranteed to keep your Eglu in a top condition, without damaging any parts!
Here at Omlet we often receive calls from aspiring chicken keepers who are seeking chicken keeping advice before getting their first birds. Some of the most popular questions we get asked are, what should I feed my chicken with or how can I protect my chickens from predators? One question that keeps coming up is, do I need to shut the Eglu door at night?
Often people ask us this question because the idea of adding another task to their daily routine might be one of the reasons which puts them off chicken keeping. Much like you wouldn’t like to sleep with your front door open, unfortunately for chicken keepers, nor do your chickens, therefore most nights we would recommend you close the chicken coop door.
But having to close the door doesn’t necessarily mean that it would need to be done by the chicken keeper themselves! Have you ever thought about automatic door system? Well luckily for chicken keepers, Omlet has recently launched a new Autodoor which will solve all of these problems.
Even though our Eglus are specially designed to keep your chickens warm in winter with a unique twin-wall insulation system which works in a similar way to double glazing, leaving the door open overnight would let the cold enter inside which might result in having frozen eggs after a freezing winter night and could make your chickens feel unwell. Therefore, we strongly recommend you use the handle on top of the Eglu and simply lift and twist it to close the door in one convenient motion each evening after having make sure all your flock are inside.
As important as it is to close the door to protect your hens from the cold, it is also important to do it to protect them from potential overnight predator attacks. Most predators would wait for the night to attack your chickens therefore by simply closing the door it would protect your flock from being attacked by predators such as racoons, foxes and coyotes.
Having said how important it is to close your chicken coop overnight we understand that not everyone has the luxury of being at home every night to close the coop door especially for people working late shifts that are often home well after the sun sets. That is why we recently launched an automatic chicken coop door that can be attached directly to any wooden chicken coop, wire or the Omlet Eglu Cube Mk1 and Mk2.
Much like a personal chicken coop concierge, the Autodoor will always make sure your chicken’s coop is securely closed at night even when you’re running late. Whether you decide to use the light or time mode, the Omlet secure and safe Autodoor will either open and close at dawn and dusk or at specific times that you have programmed it to. In addition to being designed to be used in different modes the Autodoor has a unique safety sensor detecting any blockages to prevent your chickens from being injured when they decide to stop half way through the door.
Benefits of the Omlet Automatic Chicken Coop Door:
Easy to install, no maintenance required
Operated by light sensor or timer
Powered by battery
Works with all wooden chicken coops
Improves coop security and insulation
Compatible with the Eglu Cube
Reliable in all weather conditions
Built-in safety sensors
Can be used with any chicken run or mesh
To summarise, closing the coop door is definitely the recommended action for every chicken keeper in order to protect their chickens from the cold and predators however this task can easily be completed by an Autodoor. Check out the review below to see what one of our Autodoor owners thinks of this new product:
“Thank you Omlet for a wonderful product and great service. The door arrived quickly, very well packaged and my concerns over fitting it were unfounded as I was able to complete the task completely unaided. The door is easy to operate and means my girls are safely tucked up at dusk and I do not have to get up ridiculously early to open the coop and stop them hollering!” – Wendy
You’ve seen it on some TV programmes or driven past small-holdings and seen canines and chooks living in harmony.Maybe they’re a working dog? Maybe they’re a family dog? How do they do it?We’ve put together 7 expert tips to help you introduce your new dog to a flock of chickens.
Understand how dogs and animals learn
Our canine companions, on the whole, are super intelligent and trainable, providing we know how they learn and what we need to do to train them.Introducing them to our chooks can be done and co-habiting harmony does exist. It’s through this small thing we call desensitization. Stay with us for a short Psych 101 and we promise it’ll be worth it.
Desensitization is a process where, through graded exposure, an emotional response is diminished and adapted to a specific stimulus. Now, what the heck does that mean I hear you yell?
In short, you expose your dog to your chooks, from a distance.As they behave how you expect them to, you gradually move them closer to the chooks.You eventually get to the stage, that through the gradual exposure, they’re not that interested in the chooks after all.Their emotional response has diminished, and they have adapted which results in a calm response.
Stay safe
Start with your chooks in their chicken coop or a fenced in area.Keep your dog on leash and feed them treats, providing they are ignoring the chooks.If your dog is paying too much attention to them, move to a greater distance.The aim is to find a distance where they are not having any emotional response towards them.
Grade the exposure
Providing your dog is ignoring the chooks at a certain distance, you can move gradually closer to them.Say you start at 50 feet away, slowly reduce to 45 feet, 40 feet and so on.Continue to praise and reward them for ignoring the chickens. Remember, you want their emotional response to diminish. Keep training sessions short, you don’t want to over tire your dog.Some dogs get hyper-aroused just by being over-tired.
The big moment!
You’ve finally made it to near the coop or chicken fence, providing they are still pretty chilled out in ignorance of the chooks, ask them to sit next to the fence or coop. Praise and reward.If they behave how you expect them to, lengthen the leash, so they can move around the border of the coop or fence, and they can sniff and explore.If they’re calm, the chooks may even come over to investigate. Stay calm. If they start getting excited or lunge/bark at them, remove your dog to a safe distance where they will ignore them again. You may need to do this a few times. What they learn is that to be around the chooks, I must stay calm. If your chooks will stay in a coop or fenced area, this may be where you spend the time repeating the behaviour and praising and rewarding. You may sit with them with a chew or just work on some commands. Again, the aim is to encourage them to ignore the chooks.
If you plan on having free range chickens, and canine and chooks will be mingling daily, read on.
The great escape
When you feel confident that your dog has so far, happily ignored the chooks and not shown any aggression or heightened arousal towards them, you can let them out of their coop/area to roam freely.Keep your dog on their leash. Ask them to sit or lay down if this makes you feel more comfortable. As the chooks are roaming, providing your dog shows little interest, praise and reward them. Again, you may want to give them a chew or even a slow feeding puzzle game for dogs. Your dog just needs to learn than they can co-exist with the chickens without interacting with them a great deal.
Patience is a virtue
You may have to spend a significant amount of time working through these steps, but done in the right way, it will be worth it. Whilst on leash you can walk them through the chooks, they may sniff, and the chooks may also show interest too. The only behaviour you don’t want to see is aggression, lunging or chasing. If this happens, go straight back to the beginning and work on the gradual exposure again.
Riding solo?
The most nerve-wracking part will likely be when you feel they’re ready to be let off leash to mingle on their own. Again, take your time. You may pop the chickens back in the coop and let them explore off leash around a fence. You may prefer to put your dog on a long line (50ft) when in with the free-range chooks. This way, they feel like they have more freedom, but you still have control if it goes pear-shaped. Be realistic though, some dogs just never quite make it to being able to mingle unsupervised with chooks, so watch the behaviour of your dog and make the call.
Conclusion
Chooks to dogs are super interesting, like most things. The long and the short of it, successful introductions mean the chooks are no longer that interesting and your dog learns that to be around them, they simply just need to be calm.Arm yourself with some high value dog treats, chews and any other slow feeder puzzles; start from a distance and encourage the behaviour you want to see.Praise and reward when you do. Grade the exposure. Always stay calm and in control and don’t be afraid of going back to square one if things don’t go as you’d hoped. It may take time, but it will be worth it when you have canine and chooks living in harmony.
Wondering how to convince your family (or roommates) to let you get chickens? You aren’t alone. There are many misconceptions about chickens and their care that cause many people to baulk at the idea of owning them. But, like most reservations, most of these concerns are unfounded. Here is our best advice on how to get others on board with the idea of getting chickens. Bust common myths and put care concerns to rest — and you’ll soon have your entire household clamouring to keep chickens.
6 myths about keeping chickens
Debunking some common myths about keeping a flock will be your first step in convincing your family to let you get chickens. While this is not an exhaustive list, these are the main concerns raised when families consider keeping chickens.
Myth #1: Chickens smell bad
While it’s true that hens’ droppings smell, hens themselves have no odour. If their coops are kept clean there will be virtually no stench from your chickens’ setup. Our easy-to-clean chicken coops ensure that your hens’ home stays fresh and clean from just minutes of cleaning each day.
Your hens will keep themselves clean by preening their feathers and taking chicken dust baths. Choose odour-absorbing material like pine pellets, sand, or finely crushed rock for the base of your chickens’ run to eliminate any outdoor odours. Finally, use a pressure washer or soap and water on the interior surfaces of your chicken coop once a week, and you should experience little to no odour from your garden flock.
Myth #2: Chickens take up a lot of space
Depending on the breeds of chickens you keep, most of them don’t require much space. Of course, your flock will be happiest with the most space possible, but there are options that will make the best use of the space available. Mobile chicken coops allow you to move your hens’ home to the most convenient spot, or relocate them whenever you need to. Your flock can help you mow your grass, control the bug population, or enjoy shady areas through the use of a mobile chicken coop.
Don’t want your flock to have access to the entire garden? Chicken fencing or a walk in chicken run enables you to customize your flock’s area within the space available in your garden.
Myth #3: Chickens are noisy
Most of the time, when people think of noisy chickens they conjure up the image of a crowing cockerel. While cockerels are in fact quite loud, hens make quiet noises that are not likely to disrupt the neighbourhood. Occasionally, hens may make louder sounds, but these are usually reserved as warning cries. When they “sound the alarm”, it’s usually because of a perceived threat.
Some breeds are more vocal than others, so if noise is a concern, it’s best to do some research beforehand. Faverolles, Polish, and Wyandottes are among some of the more boisterous breeds that you may want to avoid if noise is of concern. There are also some hens that will loudly proclaim that they have laid an egg. The ruckus is short-lived, but they will often get the entire flock going for a few minutes in a celebratory cheer. This behaviour is most common in young hens that are just beginning to lay.
Myth #4: Chickens will fall prey to predators
Chicken predators are a real threat, but the reality is that if you keep your flock in a predator-resistant setup, you can greatly mitigate the risk they pose. Heavy-duty wire weld chicken runs with anti-dig skirting will help protect your flock from the most common predators that would make a meal of your hens.
If you have dogs or cats that patrol your garden, your risks of dealing with chicken predators are greatly reduced. And, for those that would strike your chickens’ coop after dark, an automatic chicken coop door can be added to your hens’ house to help keep them safe from nocturnal intruders.
Myth #5: Chickens will prevent me frotravellingng
Chickens are surprisingly self-sufficient, especially compared to other types of pets. Their main needs are:
Safe housing
A secure run
Free-choice feed
Fresh water
An established roost-to-rise routine
Assuming these are met, you can safely leave your flock overnight. If you’re going to be gone longer than a day or two, it’s a good idea to get a chicken sitter. This is especially true if weather conditions are below freezing or uncomfortably hot to make sure your flock’s water remains palatable.
Daily chicken care doesn’t take all that long, and usually, chicken sitters are happy to be compensated in eggs for their time. A neighbour or local friend or family member are great resources when looking for someone to check in on your flock while you’re away.
Myth #6: Chickens need a cockerel in order to lay eggs
This is one of the most common misconceptions that exist about chickens. But to put this notion to bed: hens do not need a cockerel in order to lay eggs. Most hens ovulate every 24-36 hours, which means they can produce one egg roughly every day and a half — with or without a cockerel.
Winning your family over
Next, it’s time to present all of the ways in which chickens benefit their owners. Many hens are social and bond with their owners — some even capable of learning tricks. But personalities aside, there are several other reasons to own chickens.
Fresh eggs
Probably the most obvious reason for keeping chickens is the prospect of providing fresh eggs for your family. The difference between store-bought eggs and fresh eggs is startling. Many families need only to see the difference between the two eggs to be fully convinced of the higher nutritional value of fresh eggs.
To show your family the difference between the two, simply crack a fresh egg into a bowl next to a store-bought egg. Eggs bought in a store are lighter and thinner in appearance, while fresh eggs have a deep, rich colour to their yolks and a thicker consistency.
Strategically placed chicken fencing or chicken runs can allow your chickens to prune overgrowth and provide weed control in your garden. And, mobile chicken coops let your flock graze different sections of your garden to help with mowing.
Chickens as family pets with Omlet
Like other pets, chickens require time and responsibility, and it’s right that families take owning them into careful consideration. But with quality chicken-keeping products from Omlet, you’ll be able to start out strong and enjoy keeping chickens for years to come. Our chicken coops, chicken toys, and chicken runs are all designed to last a lifetime and bring joy to both flocks and their families.
As long as your chickens are laying and there’s a cockerel in your flock, you can hatch and incubate chicks all year round. However, traditionally the most popular time to breed your own chickens is in the spring. Hatching and rearing your own chicks from eggs is an incredibly exciting and rewarding process. There is nothing better than seeing your tiny chicks grow up in the knowledge that they are getting the best possible life from start to finish. The incubation period for chicken eggs is usually 21 days. The most reliable way to incubate your fertilised eggs and maximise the chance that they will hatch into healthy chicks is to use an artificial incubator. Here’s our step-by-step guide to hatching chicks:
1. Long Term Plan
Before the hatching starts, you will need to have a plan in place as to what you are going to do with the chickens once they hatch. It is a safe estimate that 25-50% of eggs will not hatch due to either not being fertilized or due to some mishaps during incubation. Among those which will hatch, approximately 50% will be cockerels and 50% will be hens. Everybody wants hens and hardly anyone needs cockerels, so there is a question of what to do with the latter. In many breeds, cockerels do not tolerate each other and they will fight vigorously unless they are completely separated.
2. Eggs
First of all, you need to be as sure as it is reasonably possible that the eggs are fertilized, so getting them from a good breeder / farmer is crucial. Eggs of some breeds are quite expensive, so every egg that will not hatch costs you money. A breeder can never give you a 100% guarantee that the egg is fertilized, but an experienced one can be quite confident they are.
The eggs should not have any deformations or bear any other visible defects. Any cracks in the eggshells are a no-go. Any defect of the eggshell might result in the chick having difficulty in hatching, being deformed, or not developing at all.
Once you have the eggs, it is a good practice to wash them with an egg disinfectant. Eggs are porous and the embryos get oxygen and water through their eggshells. If there are any toxins or bacteria on the eggshells, that might endanger the embryos.
3. Keep a Diary
It is a really good idea to keep a diary of hatching. This includes numbering the eggs and keeping a daily record of each eggs weight. A developing egg will gradually lose weight in its 21 days of incubation. It will lose about 10-15% of its original weight over time. When the egg in the incubator is not losing weight it usually means it is not developing.
4. Incubator
Turning
Choose your incubator carefully. Some incubators, such as the Brinsea Mini II Incubator have an Auto-turn mechanism built-in. Auto-turn saves you a lot of time and effort. Every egg during the incubation time needs to be turned every 90 minutes in order for the embryo to be positioned perfectly in the egg. A broody hen naturally turns all the eggs she is sitting on as she moves around the nest, so the turning simulates what naturally happens when a hen takes care after eggs. If the incubator does not have the Auto-turn option, you will need to turn the eggs manually. It is therefore a good practice to mark all eggs with a non-toxic marker just to be sure that every egg is being turned every time you visit them.
Temperature control
A good incubator will be able to keep a steady temperature within. One that we recommend is the Brinsea Mini II Incubator. The optimal temperature for hatching chicks is 37.5 degrees Celsius. A good incubator will set its alarm off if the temperature within drops below or rises above a certain threshold. Temperature in the room where the incubator is placed is crucial here, as it heavily influences the temperature in the incubator. You will be opening the incubator during routine controls of the eggs, so it is really important the eggs don’t get a temperature shock in the process – such a shock might kill the fetuses. We advise keeping a steady temperature of approx. 25 degrees Celsius in the room with the incubator. The room should also be draft free.
Humidity control
A good incubator will be able to provide a good humidity inside. Optimal humidity for the eggs during hatching is around 40-50% but needs to be increased on Day 19 in order to soften the eggshells and help the chicks to hatch out. With some Incubators such as the Brinsea II Mini Incubator, there are two water containers inside. Fill one up every day, and fill both of them from Day 19 onward. You can fill up the water container in the Brinsea without the need to open it which is very useful, since you generally don’t want to open the incubator too often. It is perfectly normal that some condensation starts to build up in the incubator after a few days due to high humidity.
5. Daily routine
Cooling
Day 7 is an important threshold. First of all, you need to start cooling the eggs for half an hour a day. It’s best to do this around the same time each day. A good incubator has a fan and you can set an automatic cooling time. If not, you need to cool the eggs down manually by taking them out of the incubator. The cooling temperature should not be shockingly different – a difference of 2 to 5 degrees Celsius will do.
Developing eggs keep their own temperature when exposed. That is how a hen tells the difference between a developing and a dead egg. When the hen gets off the nest to eat and drink, the dead eggs will go cold almost instantaneously. The hen will then get rid of the dead eggs from the nest.
Candling
You also need to start candling the eggs on Day 7 at the latest. Candling will show you which eggs are developing and which are not. If an egg does not show any signs of development on Day 7, it will not hatch. It is essential to take out any eggs which stop developing as they will start to decompose if left in the incubator. From Day 7 onward you should continue candling on a regular basis. It’s not necessary to do it every day, as you won’t see any significant progress on day-to-day basis, but it is a good practice to do it every third or fourth day. Weighing and candling combined are usually good indicators if the egg is developing or not.
From Day 7 up to Day 19 tasks should continue in a routine manner: daily cooling, weighing, and occasional candling.
6. Hatching
Day 19 marks the next important stage. You need to stop turning the eggs and cooling them, and lay out a hatching mat in the incubator (so the chicks won’t slip on the incubator’s surface on their first day of life). You also need to increase the humidity inside up to at least 65%. When using the Brinsea Mini II Incubator you can achieve this by filling up the second water container inside.
At some point during that period the eggs will start wiggling: the chicks will be moving around the egg to position themselves perfectly to hatch out. You might feel the temptation to check on the eggs often, but at this time it is best to leave them be and inspect the eggs every 6 hours or so.
Around Day 20 the chicks should peck out a small hole in their eggshells to catch their first breath of fresh air. It’s best to leave them be. Do not help them by making the hole bigger or breaking the shell apart. They will do it themselves in their own time. In that time they will also consume all the nutrients in their eggshells, so it is vital for them to stay inside for the time being.
Most of the chicken breeds hatch on Day 21 with only a handful of breeds hatching on Day 20 or 22. Do not help the chicks in hatching, they should be able to do it themselves – it’s their first test of strength. Only give a helping hand when a chick is really late (in comparison with its companions in the incubator) and/or the eggshell is really thick and the chick is evidently struggling to get out for a prolonged period of time.
Once the chicks hatch out, leave them in the incubator for another 24 hours. They should be well fed having eaten all the nutrients from their eggs. Apart from that, the incubator provides them with the optimal temperature and humidity.
Now watch our eggcellent egg hatching video to see how easy it is to hatch chicks!
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