Table of contents for Healthy Hens 2026 in Chickens

Egg-eating hens can be a frustrating and costly problem for backyard chicken-keepers. Once a hen discovers that eggs are a tasty snack, the behavior can quickly spread through the flock. Understanding why hens start eating eggs — and taking swift, practical steps to stop it — is key to protecting your daily harvest. In this article, we’ll explore the common causes of egg-eating in chickens and share nine proven strategies to prevent and correct this behavior before it becomes a habit. TELLTALE SIGNS The telltale signs were hard to ignore. While the eggs collected from the ducks, Silkies and Ameraucanas were just fine, the ones from the main Orpington coop were not. At first, it was just one egg coming in coated with sticky, dried yolk. Over a week, the…

From her earliest days as a chick, Joan was different and just a tad — well, more than a tad — bossy and aggressive. When my wife Elaine and I would place feed in the brooder where we kept our heritage Rhode Island Red chicks, Joan would charge forward with the little cockerels to eat first. As Joan grew older, she took to rushing her female flock mates, much in the same way the little cockerels would charge at each other and engage in mock battles. By the time she was 12 weeks old, Joan was the undisputed female leader of the flock. It was around that time that this pullet received her name. We name all our chickens, and Elaine is in charge of giving appellations to the hens,…

Quality of life for poultry and waterfowl is an increasing topic of discussion amongst animal activists, scientists and breeders. These discussions about balancing safety, healthcare and happiness for birds apply to backyard breeders as well as large industrial organizations, but it can be confusing to know how to give our flocks their best lives. Research has shown that secured coops and runs result in lower levels of predation and illness in birds when compared to free-ranged birds. However, free-range birds have higher levels of nutrients in their eggs and meat, less stress-related behaviors and are — in many reports — said to taste better. Birds raised in enclosed environments, with no outdoors access, are more likely to suffer health effects from ammonia in the air and develop foot issues due…

As with most growing animals, a flock of laying hens requires different nutrients at different life stages and throughout different seasons of the year. Your flock’s extra dietary and digestive needs will largely be met by the variety of supplements provided in addition to daily feed. You’ll need to think about stimulation, too. Nothing wins over a flock of chickens like a good treat. Let’s look at how to provide a balanced daily feed ration first, allow some forage time, and then shamelessly enjoy bonding and building trust with your chickens by offering fun treats — in moderation, of course. That’s the secret every chicken-keeper knows: The way to a chicken’s heart is through her crop. FOR STARTERS Eating — that’s what chickens do best. Nature has expertly designed them…

While a magic recipe for keeping backyard chickens healthy doesn’t exist, diligent attention to their care and wellbeing will alert you to impeding illness. Birds are prey animals, so early signs of illness may be subtle and difficult to discern. Early signs of illness, injury or other issue can include the following. changes in food and water intake depression, lethargy or other changes in behavior discharge around eyes or nostrils dull feathers or dirty feathers around vent, eyes, nostrils or shoulders abnormal manure lameness The following ailments are ones that backyard chickens may experience, and I’ve included some ways to prevent them. OBESITY Overfeeding backyard birds is easy to do; as humans, we often show our love for all our critters in the form of feed and treats. The combination…

Knowing toxic plants for chickens to avoid is important. Your free-range flock loves roaming into the garden and treating the marigolds, squash blossoms and dandelions like an all-you-can-eat salad bar. An abundant supply of fresh fruits, vegetables and garden greens is part of a balanced diet, but not all the plants in your garden are good for your chickens. In fact, some are toxic. Here is a list of 15 common farmstead toxic plants for chickens. Don’t feed them these plants or confine them in an area of the garden where these toxic plants are growing, as their appetites might get the better of them. Remember, this is far from a complete list of toxic plants for chickens; there are hundreds of plants that can be harmful to your chickens.…

It seems like only yesterday, the day you brought home those day-old chicks. So tiny and cute, they quickly worked their way into your heart. Since that time, you watched them grow up and lay their first eggs. After those first eggs came along, eight years passed and your hens made another change: They entered the world of senior citizenship. As a hen ages, she has an increased risk of developing certain reproductive disorders such as ovarian cancer, egg yolk peritonitis and other deadly reproductive disorders. However, reproductive disorders aren’t the only health conditions that aging hens face: arthritis, loss of vision and hearing, and a more challenging annual molt. This article will discuss six of the often overlooked health concerns in aging hens and how you can help your…

You’ve done the research. You’ve chosen your breeds, and your coop is freshly painted and ready to go. There are egg recipe books stacked high on the kitchen counters, and if you’re anything like me with my first flock of chicks, tiny peeping noises are coming from the tub in your bathroom. So, what comes next? Getting your laying birds off to a healthy start in life sets the stage for how well they’ll lay for years to come. As you’ll soon see, those tiny fluffy chicks grow in a matter of weeks. Their bodies are designed to grow rapidly and reach maturity quickly while still meeting developmental and physical milestones. But as their keeper, their surrogate mother hen, you have a big responsibility to feed those little bodies. Because…

Flies can be a headache any place livestock and poultry abound, but even the smallest urban henhouses attract flies. Sometimes lesser species such as stable flies, blow flies or soldier flies take up residence in poultry yards, but the major nuisance found most everywhere chickens reside is the common housefly (Musca domestica). Adult houseflies are ¼- to 9 ⁄ 32-inch long; gray to black, with four narrow stripes on their somewhat hairy bodies; and a single pair of transparent wings. They have red eyes, set farther apart in the slightly larger female. Males have longer legs. They are extremely hardy and thrive all over the world wherever humans are present, including as far north as the Arctic Circle. They don’t bite humans or animals, but they do carry parasite eggs…

A backyard laying flock is one of the easiest types of livestock to care for, requiring little more than predator-proof housing, food, water and maybe an earthworm or two. In return, the hens provide the family with farm fresh eggs for breakfast, lunch and dinner. That is, until the high heat of summer kicks in and heat-stressed hens take a sabbatical and drop egg production to next to nil. Once temps reach the triple digits, you’ll be lucky if you get a single egg from a flock of a dozen hens. However, with a bit of extra attention, you can ease the stress of summertime heat and help the girls continue laying those golden eggs even during the dog days of summer. ENEMY NO. 1: HEAT STRESS Chickens are fairly…

Discovering a predator has targeted your flock is one of the most distressing things a backyard chicken-keeper can face. A single predator can cause complete chaos, wiping out numerous birds in a single assault. Danger can come from above, below and anywhere in between. It also comes in many shapes and sizes. An effective defense begins with understanding the enemy. Predators are a constant threat, so maintaining the safety of your flock is a daily concern. Understanding your potential predators and how to protect your chickens from each one is essential. Whether they crawl, dig, slither or swoop, knowing how to identify and deter various predators can mean the difference between a thriving flock and a tragic loss. The following 15 animals are known to wreak havoc in a chicken…

From shorter day lengths to nutritional deficiencies — or serious health issues — there are many reasons hens stop laying. Understanding why your flock has gone on strike is critically important — especially if you hope to get things back on track. GOING DARK Whether they’re wild bluebirds or your favorite buff Orpingtons, light triggers specific responses in all birds. “As the day length gets shorter, they think it’s time to start getting ready for winter and migrate,” says Darrin M. Karcher, an associate professor and extension poultry scientist at Purdue University. “[Chickens] are going to shed some weight by no longer producing eggs. The reproductive tract regresses and becomes very small.” They’ll also lose old feathers and grow new ones. As fall turns to winter and winter to spring,…