DO HENS NEED A COCKEREL TO LAY EGGS? No. This is a big misconception. Cockerels fertilise the eggs but don't have any impact on if the hens lay. If you want chicks though they are are must!

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HOW OFTEN DO HENS LAY? This purely depends on the breed of the chickens. Some breeds can lay as many as 320 eggs per year and some lay 80. If eggs are a priority for you then make sure you research your chicken breeds. Leghorns and sussex hens are renowned layers.

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WHAT DO HENS EAT? Here's the great thing about chickens they eat anything! Never throw a household scrap out again. They adore vegetable peelings, fruit, rice, pasta, mince, potatoes and bread. You name it they'll probably love it! They also eat wheat, maize and corn if you are buying them food. If they are free ranging and finding their own food you'll probably find household scraps are enough without buying corn.

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HOW OFTEN DO YOU FEED CHICKENS? I often feed mine first thing on a morning but there is no set time. If they have land to free range they can simply eat when they find food.

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HOW LONG DO CHICKENS LIVE? A healthy chuck can live 8-15 years!

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WHEN DO HENS START LAYING? Normally when they are between 6-8 months old depending on the breed. You may have heard the term 'point of lay'. These are female chickens who are just on the brink of laying for the first time. They tend to be the most expensive as they are young and should be at their most productive.

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ARE CHICKENS NOISY? Cockerels tend to be nosier than hens as they crow to attract the ladies! Hens tend to be a lot quieter but do cackle when they lay an egg or are under threat.

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WHAT DOES BROODY MEAN? You may have heard the saying that a hen has gone 'broody' or is 'clocking' . These are both terms for when the hen doesn't want to leave the nest and wants to incubate eggs and hatch babies. When this happens the hens tend to stop laying and stay in their nesting box for most of the time.

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CAN YOU STOP A HEN GOING BROODY? Unfortunately no as it's just natural urge for most chickens, for some breeds more than others. A broody hen will tend to sit and not want to leave the nest. If you don't want chickens make sure you remove the eggs once or even twice a day.

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HOW LONG DO CHICKEN EGGS TAKE TO HATCH? On average 21 days. Ducks on average 28 days.

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ARE CHICKENS EXPENSIVE TO KEEP? No they are really low maintenance. They need a secute dry building to roost in on a night. This must be secure from predators such as foxes. This doesn't need to be an expensive chicken coop, a second hand child's wendy house or something similar will do. Then they need fresh water and food and somewhere to roam.

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TO BUY HATCHING EGGS IN THE UK PLEASE CLICK HERE.

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