Whether you’re looking to live more sustainably or just want some feathered friends to brighten your backyard, keeping chickens is one of the most rewarding journeys you can start. It’s more than just a hobby; it’s a lifestyle upgrade that pays you back in breakfast!

From the health of your garden to the health of your mind, here are 8 reasons why adding a flock to your family is a "clucking" great idea:

1) The Eggs
Cheerful chickens will lay a fresh egg for you almost every day. You know exactly where your eggs have come from and they will be the most delicious eggs you have ever tasted. A dozen eggs from your backyard make the perfect

2) Fertilizer

Chicken droppings make ideal fertilizer. Chicken poo is high in nitrogen so will need composting first, but it makes for an inexpensive organic fertilizer which will do wonders for your vegetable patch.

3) Less Food Waste

Chickens are very fond of food scraps. They will eat a lot of kitchen waste (although not all, read our section on what you can and can’t feed your chickens here).

4) Pest Control 

Chickens absolutely love to eat creepy crawlies. 

Slimy slugs, snails and worms are their favourite and they will love to potter about your garden eating up all the bugs that eat your plants. They are great at gobbling up ticks in long grass. We think that's pretty useful.

5) Educational

You will learn lots about animal husbandry from keeping chickens and about the animals themselves.  Observe firsthand how these wonderful birds forage, respond to weather changes, keep themselves clean, and how they establish their social order.

Children absolutely love having their own chickens. You can teach your children exactly where their food comes from. They can learn bout the responsibilities of keeping pets and healthy farm animals, and - for the business minded - even selling their eggs.

6) Entertainment

You may not know it yet, but chickens are very entertaining and funny animals. You and your family will be endlessly amused with your chickens' antics. Each chicken has her own personality and quirks. You will find yourself getting rather attached to your hens without even realizing.

7) Therapy

Much research in recent years has shown that interacting with pets and with nature is great for our mental health.  Keeping chickens combines both...and it's much cheaper than therapy!

8) It's Easy

Once you get into the routine and swing of keeping chickens you will realize just how easy it really is to maintain long term.

Understanding the biological rhythm of a hen is key to managing your expectations and keeping your flock healthy. Here is the breakdown of the laying cycle, from the first "pullet egg" to the golden years.

How Often Do They Lay?

Most modern laying breeds (like Red Sex Links or Azure Blues) aim to lay one egg every 24 to 26 hours.

A chicken’s body begins developing the next yolk almost immediately after an egg is laid. Because it takes slightly longer than a day to "package" an egg, your hens will likely lay a little later each afternoon until they eventually "miss" a day to reset their internal clock.

• High-Production Hybrids: 5–6 eggs per week.
  
  

• Heritage Breeds: 3–4 eggs per week.
  
  

Do They Lay All Year Round?

In Canada, the short days of winter are the biggest hurdle for egg production.

The Role of Light

A hen’s reproductive system is triggered by daylight. To maintain peak production, a chicken needs about 14 to 16 hours of light per day. As the sun sets earlier in the autumn, most hens will naturally slow down or stop laying entirely to conserve energy.

The Annual Molt

Once a year (usually in the fall), chickens go through a molt. they lose their old, ragged feathers and grow shiny new ones to stay warm for winter. Because feathers are made of nearly 90% protein, the hen’s body diverts all its protein resources to feather growth, meaning egg production completely stops for 4 to 8 weeks.

Pro-Tip: During the molt, boost their protein with mealworms! Our Peck Toys are a great way to serve these treats, keeping them active and distracted while they feel a bit "under the weather" during their feather loss.

How Many Years Do They Lay?

A chicken can live for 8 to 10 years, but her "peak" laying years are much shorter.

Year 1 (The Peak): This is the most productive year. Eggs might start small ("peewee" or pullet eggs) but quickly reach full size.

Year 2: Production typically drops by about 10–20%. However, the eggs are often slightly larger than in Year 1.

Year 3 & Beyond: Production continues to decline significantly each year. By age 4 or 5, a hen may only lay once or twice a week, or only during the peak of summer.

The "Retirement" Phase

Many backyard chicken owners keep their older hens as "coop grandmas." Even if they aren't filling the carton, they are excellent at pest control and teaching younger pullets the ropes.

Maximizing Your Harvest

To keep your girls laying as consistently as possible, you need to minimize stress. A bored chicken is a stressed chicken!

In the winter months when they can't forage in the garden, chickens often get restless. Our Peck Toys are designed to provide mental stimulation and physical exercise. By keeping them engaged and moving, you reduce the stress that can lead to a drop in egg production.