re: Teach me about chickens - laying hens

I have had chickens for a few years now. You cannot compare the eggs to the 1.50 a dozen.

The eggs them selves are a higher quality. I noticed a huge difference, they are comparable in taste and texture to the free-range eggs that run about 4 or 5 a dozen.

As far as smell, get a movable chicken coop and move it once a week. Any definable area you can provide them they will destroy all the grass, no matter how large. Once the grass is gone, there is nothing left but mud and chicken sh*t and that smells after a rain.

For noise, if you get a rooster (you cannot tell what you are getting when they are chicks) they can be loud in the mornings. Also if you got bad luck and get two roosters, be prepared to kill one off or they will be covered in each others blood everyday by the time they are a year old.

I've enjoyed having mine, but you do have to be ok with killing them yourself every now and again. Once they get older, they begin to eat the eggs of your hens that are actually laying. On the bright side, they older laying hens go great in a gumbo.

If you are not ok with killing them yourself, someone on here or craigslist will gladly take them off your hands once you are done with them.