10 Amazing Things About Chickens

1.  When young, chicks are very difficult to sex, so it took about all of my patience to wait and see what we ended up with.

2.  Hens don't lay eggs until they're about 20 weeks old, and most breeds only lay eggs for 2-3 years.  They can live longer but often don't because a chicken that costs money to feed but that doesn't produce something of value usually gets eaten. Also, the amount of daylight affects how many eggs a hen will lay, which is especially important to keep in mind during those short days of winter.

3.  Chickens eat constantly, and if they consume feed at a quick place, they store it in their crop.  A chicken that has just gorged herself on pellets will have what looks like an enlarged right breast because she's storing the food for later digestion.

4.  Pullets lay small eggs.  The eggs will get bigger as the birds age, but they will then also produce fewer.

5.  The establishment of the pecking order is very obvious and fascinating to watch.

6.  Chickens can (and maybe even should eat) yogurt for better health.  Who knew?!

7.  In fact, chickens can and will eat just about everything.  We don't have a garbage disposal at our house, but once the chickens are fully grown, I'm sure they'll consume any scraps we give them.  That combined with their bug-eating prowess makes them extremely helpful pets.

8.  Hens sing an "egg song" when they're laying.  It's sounds the way the bunny does on Cadbury Creme Egg commercials.  I'm waiting to hear it from the hens because that will mean they're old enough to lay.  5 more weeks . . .  (Patience is something I'm always working on.)

9.  Some chickens have feathers on their feet!  And looking at a bird's feet always makes me wonder about the evolutionary connection between birds and dinosaurs.

10.  Chickens are stupendously fun to watch.  Seriously.  I wouldn't have believed it either, but I now find myself sitting in the lawn chairs we've placed outside the "barn" and having to talk myself into getting back to work because it is so fun and relaxing to just hang with them.  I also have to admit that John and I even catch grasshoppers (of which there are plenty!) to feed to the chickens.  Watching the chickens nab one feels like a small victory -- the chicken is happy and well-fed, and we have one less grasshopper running around the place!