Want to understand why your hens aren’t laying as much or at all in winter? It’s not the cold - it’s the LIGHT! Let’s explore the fascinating science of photoperiod. 🪄The Magic Number: 14-16 Hours Hens need 14-16 hours of light daily for consistent egg production. Less than 12 hours? Production drops or stops completely. How It Works: Light hits the chicken’s eye → signals the pituitary gland → triggers hormone release → stimulates ovary → egg production! It’s a HORMONAL response to day length. Natural Seasonal Cycle: ☀️Spring/Summer: Long days = maximum production 🍂Fall/Winter: Short days = decreased/stopped production 🐤This is NORMAL! Wild chickens don’t lay year-round - it’s their rest period Supplemental Lighting Considerations: If You Choose to Add Light: 💡Add in MORNING (not evening - sudden darkness stresses birds) 💡Use timer for consistency 💡 Aim for 14-16 total hours (natural + artificial) 💡 Gradual increases only (never sudden jumps!) If You DON’T Add Light: 🐓Hens get natural rest period 🐓May extend productive lifespan 🐓More sustainable, less stress 🐓Production resumes naturally in spring Important: NEVER add light to pullets under 20 weeks - can cause reproductive problems! Your turn: ❓Who is excited for the increasing day length? ❓Anyone starting to see more eggs?

Ever wonder why some chickens lay 300 eggs yearly while others barely hit 150? It's heavily in the genetics! Let's break down breed categories. PRODUCTION BREEDS (High Output) 🥚Egg layers: Leghorns, ISA Browns, Golden Comets 🥚Bred for maximum egg production (280-320 eggs/year!) 🥚Smaller body size, efficient feed conversion 🥚Shorter productive lifespan (1-3 years peak) 🥚Often flighty, less broody DUAL-PURPOSE BREEDS (Balanced) 🐤Examples: Plymouth Rocks, Orpingtons, Wyandottes, Rhode Island Reds 🐤Good egg production (200-280 eggs/year) + decent meat weight 🐤Calm temperaments, go broody more readily 🐤Longer productive lifespan 🐤Better foragers, hardier ORNAMENTAL/HERITAGE BREEDS (Beauty & Genetics) 🐔Examples: Silkies, Polish, Sebrights, Cochins 🐔Bred for appearance, show quality, or genetic preservation 🐔Lower egg production (100-180 eggs/year) 🐔Unique characteristics (feathered feet, crests, bantam size) 🐔Often excellent mothers, friendly pets ⚖️The Trade-Off: Research shows intensive selection for production traits often reduces: disease resistance, longevity, broodiness, and foraging ability. High producers need more management! Matching Breeds to Goals: 🐥Want maximum eggs? → Production breeds 🐥Backyard pets + decent eggs? → Dual-purpose 🐥Conservation + unique birds? → Heritage/ornamental Your turn: ❓What breed is your favorite and why? Personality, eggs, or looks? 🏆 ❓Ever been surprised by a breed not living up to (or exceeding!) its reputation? 😲

So I have a small flock, 4 hens and 1 rooster. Three of the hens I have from the 9 chicks I raised last spring, the others were all taken by predators. One of the hens, Grace, and the rooster, Elvis, are ones I got from a neighbor a couple months ago, and they are both about a year older than my other hens. Grace disappeared a couple weeks ago, so we assumed she had also been taken during the day by a predator. She had started to isolate herself from the flock because of the other hens would bully her. But yesterday, in the middle of the day, she showed up in the coop. I was shocked to say the least. Then, later in the day she disappeared again….I looked everywhere around the coop and walked the woods behind where the coop is and I couldn’t find her anywhere on the ground or up in trees. So, where could she be going? Why is she not returning to the coop at night? Is she potentially broody and trying to hatch out eggs? Where would she go to do that? I want to try to find her and put her with the new chicks in a separate coop from the other hens to keep them from picking on her. For context, we live on 10 acres of mostly dense Florida forest, consisting of mostly pine trees, but also oaks and clusters of palm fronds. I took a video of her so my husband would believe me that she came back lol

Why do some hens lay perfect eggs while others produce thin-shelled or shell-less eggs? It’s all about calcium - and it’s more complex than you think! 🥚The Amazing Process: A hen mobilizes 10% of her total body calcium DAILY to make ONE eggshell! That’s 2-2.5 grams of calcium per egg - a massive metabolic demand! Where Calcium Goes: 🥚Eggshells (94% calcium carbonate!) 🦴Bones (skeletal structure) 💪Muscle function (contractions, including heart!)🩸Blood clotting 🕸️Nerve transmission How Hens Get Calcium: 🍲Source #1: Diet ✔️ Layer feed contains 3.5-4% calcium ✔️ Free-choice oyster shell supplements (let hens self-regulate!) ✔️ Absorbed in small intestine 🦴Source #2: Bones When dietary calcium isn’t enough, hens pull from a special bone calcium reserve called “medullary bone” - created specifically for eggshell formation! Shell Formation Timeline: ⏰Takes 20-26 hours to form ONE egg 😴Most shell calcium deposited at NIGHT ❓Why? Hens aren’t eating at night but shell is still forming! 🌑They mobilize stored calcium during darkness Signs of Calcium Problems: ❌ Many thin, soft, or missing shells ❌ Misshapen eggs ❌ Decreased laying ❌ Bone weakness/fractures ❌ “Cage layer fatigue” in high producers Critical Management: ✓ Provide layer feed (16% protein, 3.5-4% calcium) to hen only flocks ✓ Offer free-choice oyster shell separately (hens know what they need!) ✓ NEVER feed layer feed to chicks (too much calcium damages kidneys!) Your turn: 1. Do you offer free-choice oyster shell or just rely on layer feed? 🐚 2. Ever had a hen lay a rubber egg? What did you do?

Ever wonder how chickens eat without teeth? Their digestive system is FASCINATINGLY different from mammals - let's take the journey! The Route Food Takes: 1. BEAK → No teeth! Chickens tear and swallow food whole 2. ESOPHAGUS → Food travels down to... 3. CROP → A pouch that stores food temporarily (you can feel it!). Moistens and softens feed before moving on. 4. PROVENTRICULUS → The "true stomach" - adds digestive enzymes and acid like ours 5. GIZZARD → The mechanical grinder! Muscular organ uses grit (small rocks) to pulverize food. THIS is why they need grit - it's their "teeth"! 6. SMALL INTESTINE → Nutrient absorption happens here (pancreas and liver add enzymes) 7. CECA (two pouches) → Ferment fiber, produce certain vitamins. Creates those occasional extra-stinky "cecal poops"! 8. LARGE INTESTINE/CLOACA → Final water absorption, waste elimination Key Differences from Mammals: 🐥 NO TEETH - must swallow food whole or in chunks 🐥 CROP for storage - allows gorging behavior 🐥 GIZZARD does mechanical grinding - requires grit! 🐥 Very SHORT digestive time - 2.5-4 hours vs. 24+ in mammals 🐥 CLOACA - combined exit for digestive, urinary, and reproductive systems Why This Matters: 🐓Chickens need appropriately sized feed particles 🐓MUST have grit available for proper digestion 🐓Fast transit time means constant eating/drinking 🐓Crop issues = whole system backs up! Your turn: ❓Ever felt your chicken's crop? First time finding it can feel weird! ❓What's the weirdest thing you've seen a chicken try to swallow whole?