Facts and nuggets of wisdom about chickens and the variety of ways they provide food for us.
- Chickens are raised either to provide meat (broilers) or lay eggs (layers).
- Broilers go from hatch to harvest in about six weeks. Wow, that’s fast! And it is all due to selecting a type of chicken that converts feed into protein quickly. The feed is usually a mix of grain, soybean meal, and vitamins and minerals that give the broiler exactly what it needs.
- If you see “no added hormones” on the label of a chicken at the store, that’s all marketing hype. No poultry in the United States has added hormones.
- Broilers are generally raised inside where the climate is perfect for them and they can move about and eat and drink whenever needed.
- Here is a great website that explains broiler production in more detail: https://www.chickencheck.in/farm-to-table/
- Layers are breeds of chickens selected because (SURPRISE!) they lay lots of eggs. The top egg-laying breed can produce nearly 300 eggs per year.
- Layers are generally five months old before they start to lay eggs.
- The most productive years for a layer are the first and second. Hens can still lay eggs when they are older–they just lay fewer of them.
- Hens can live up to 20 years. If you are thinking of having a backyard laying flock, make sure you have an exit plan.
- You can harvest a layer for meat, but there is less meat and it has a slightly different taste and texture when compared to a broiler.
- Here is a great site that has more than just a nugget and gives you the whole egg story: https://www.aeb.org/
