Breeding chickens at home!

For over 4,000 years the chickens live next to humans by providing their eggs and meat. In villages and  towns of the past, the day always began with the characteristic crow of the rooster, the particular distinctive sound we have connected with sunrise.

Nowadays, chickens are literally making a comeback in our lives. In the United Kingdom for example, more and more families have created a small space in their yard and they breed chickens that they have as pets. It may seem strange or funny, but it is a reality.

These are the chickens we keep and breed as domestic animals, whether for their meat or their fresh eggs and their beautiful companionship. Their lifespan depends on their living conditions, their protection from diseases and predators, as well as the adaptability of the breed to the breeding area. These chickens may be of a purebred breed with an emphasis on spawning, rapid weight gain, or a combination of both. Finally, they may be native chickens, rural, than those we maybe have asked of someone who has chickens in our area.

In the first year of chickens life a usual  egg yield is about 60%, which means that for every 5 chickens you can collect 3 eggs a day. By saying daily, we count only 9-10 months of the year (spring, summer and autumn), because during winter most chickens stop producing eggs. For female chickens, daylight exposure is one of the most important factors in egg production and in addition they can produce eggs without the presence of a rooster. Rooster is only necessary if you grow chickens for their meat. In this case, you need a rooster to get fertile eggs from which newborn chickens will emerge and of course you will also need fertile female chickens.

In excellent conditions chickens can  live 5-7 years, often even more. Some records say that chickens can live near 10 years, but it is difficult for a chicken to be lucky to die from natural causes at this age. Even the most productive female chickens, after 3 years will spawn very few eggs. From this age onwards, they live in the chicken coop as retired, enjoying carving and dust baths in our yard, or become part of our diet.

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