The Ultimate Guide to Raising Egg-Laying Chickens

There’s something truly special about collecting fresh eggs from your backyard. Not only do homegrown eggs taste better, but they’re also healthier, fresher, and more ethically produced than store-bought options. If you’ve ever considered raising chickens for eggs, you’re in for a rewarding experience. However, getting started requires a bit of knowledge–choosing the right breeds, setting up a brooder for baby chicks, building a secure coop, and ensuring your hens stay happy and productive.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know about raising egg-laying chickens, from selecting the best breeds to understanding their care needs. Plus, we’ll share some must-have supplies, including a few affiliate links to products we personally recommend. If you decide to purchase through them, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Why Backyard Eggs Are So Much Better Than Store-Bought

Once you taste a fresh backyard egg, you’ll never want to go back to store-bought. The difference is obvious the moment you crack one open–rich, golden yolks stand in stark contrast to the pale, watery ones from commercial eggs. But the benefits go beyond just flavor.

Backyard eggs are packed with more vitamins and nutrients, particularly omega-3 fatty acids and vitamins A and E. Because your hens will have access to a more varied diet, their eggs will naturally contain higher nutritional value. Additionally, store-bought eggs can be several weeks old by the time they hit supermarket shelves, whereas backyard eggs go straight from the coop to your kitchen.

And let’s not forget about the ethical aspect. Most store-bought eggs come from factory-farmed chickens living in cramped conditions. By raising your own hens, you’re ensuring they have a happy, healthy life while reaping the benefits of their delicious eggs.

Choosing the Best Egg-Laying Chicken Breeds

Not all chickens are created equal when it comes to egg production. Some breeds are excellent layers, producing over 300 eggs a year, while others lay fewer but offer unique egg colors or gentle personalities that make them great for families.

Here are some of the best egg-laying breeds to consider:

• Rhode Island Red: One of the most popular backyard breeds, Rhode Island Reds are hardy, low-maintenance birds that lay 250-300 brown eggs per year. They’re known for their friendly nature and ability to thrive in various climates.
• Leghorn: If you want maximum egg production, Leghorns are a great choice. These active birds lay 280-320 large white eggs per year, making them a favorite among commercial and backyard keepers alike. They are white in color, a smaller breed, and tend to be a little nervous and flighty.
• Buff Orpington: If you’re looking for a calm, affectionate chicken that’s great with kids, Buff Orpingtons are ideal. They are a large breed with a beautiful golden color and lay 200-280 brown eggs per year. They tend to be incredibly docile.
• Barred Plymouth Rock: These classic backyard chickens are friendly, cold-hardy, and lay 200-280 brown eggs per year. They are black and white laced and all of ours have been incredible hunters.
• Australorp: Known for breaking egg-laying records, Australorps are large, black, gentle birds that produce 250-300 brown eggs per year. They’re one of our favorite breeds!
• Easter Egger: If you love colorful eggs, this breed is for you. Easter Eggers lay 200-250 blue or green eggs per year, adding a fun variety to your egg basket. Olive Eggers lay an olive green colored egg.
• Marans: For those who want deep chocolate-brown eggs, Marans are a great choice. They lay 150-200 eggs per year, slightly fewer than other breeds, but their stunning egg color makes up for it.

If you’re looking for a high-production breed, Leghorns, Rhode Island Reds, and Australorps are excellent choices. If you want family-friendly chickens, Buff Orpingtons are a fantastic option. If you’re interested in unique egg colors, Easter Eggers, Olive Eggers, Ameraucanas and Marans are excellent choices. If you want enormous chickens, try a Jersey Giant! But in all honesty, we love trying all different breeds and seeing what we enjoy. Even within each breed, every chicken has its own unique personality. Some are sweet, some are like little velociraptors. There is nothing more irresistible than chick season at the local feed store. Try a few of each and see which breeds win your heart!

Where to Buy Baby Chicks or Pullets

When starting a flock, you’ll want to buy sexed pullets–young female chicks that have been separated from males. This helps ensure you get egg layers rather than roosters, which can be noisy and may not be allowed in some areas.

You can find chicks at:

• Local farm supply stores: Places like Tractor Supply, Shopper’s Supply, and Higley Feed often sell chicks in the spring.
• Online hatcheries: Many reputable hatcheries will ship live chicks to your door, including Murray McMurray Hatchery, Cackle Hatchery, and Hoover’s Hatchery. There are often minimum order requirements, so you may want to find neighbors or friends to join in on your order.
• Local breeders and farms: Many small farms sell chicks and pullets directly. Check Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist.

Setting Up a Brooder for Baby Chicks

For the first six weeks of life, chicks need a warm, safe space called a brooder. A large galvanized trough or stock tank makes an excellent brooder, as it keeps chicks contained while allowing for easy cleaning. Ensure you cover the top with something that won’t burn, like hardware cloth, to keep your chicks safe and from flying out.

Your brooder should include:

• A heat source: Chicks require warmth until they are fully feathered (around 95 degrees). A reflective heat lamp with clamp and 150 Watt bulb to screw into it works well. Getting two bulbs is an even better idea, as you never know when you may need a backup bulb. A brooder without a heat source can mean death for your delicate chicks.
• Bedding: Use pine shavings, which absorb moisture well. You can get a bulk pack here.
• A chick feeder and waterer: Spilled water can lead to dangerous conditions like “pasty butt.” This chick feeder and waterer is a great investment.
• Chick starter feed: Baby chicks need high-protein feed for strong growth. This chick starter is a great choice.

Moving Chickens to the Coop

By 6-8 weeks old, your chicks will be ready to transition to an outdoor coop. Before making the move, ensure nighttime temperatures are mild and your coop is secure.

Building a Predator-Proof Coop

A strong, secure coop is essential to keep your chickens safe from predators like hawks and coyotes. We’ve even had coatimundis try to steal our chickens as a tasty snack! Here’s some tips when deciding on a chicken coop and/or run:

• If your predator load is intense, use hardware cloth instead of chicken wire, which predators can tear through.
• Choose a coop with proper ventilation to prevent respiratory issues.

Here is a well rated enclosure suitable for 10+ chickens that is ventilated and made with hardware cloth. It should take around half a day to build and keep your chickens safe at night.

Once your chickens are old enough to lay eggs, you’ll want to provide them with nesting boxes to lay their eggs in. This one is super cute!

Feeding and Watering Your Flock

• Layer feed is essential once hens reach 16 weeks old. It contains extra calcium for strong eggshells. You can choose between crumbles or pellets. We prefer pellets, as there is more substance and less dust. You can buy a 50-pound bag of layer pellets here.
• Provide clean water at all times. Here is a top rated 5-gallon waterer.
• We also love letting our girls free range and eat goodies from our garden for extra nutrients! To keep them safe during the day, we got a Karakachan Livestock Guardians Dog for our farm. Learn more about this amazing breed in our recent blog post.

Checking Local Laws and Joining the Community

Before getting chickens, check your city’s ordinances on flock size, coop placement, and whether roosters are allowed. Even when you purchase pullets, there is always a small chance you’ll end up with a rooster (ask how we know, LOL). Speaking of, you do not need a rooster for a hen to lay eggs, but roosters are beautiful and can be a nice protector for your flock. They are loud and can sometimes be aggressive though! Some are more docile. Roosters make a farm truly feel like a farm with their crowing. If you end up with a rooster and can’t have one, you can often find them a home online or by taking them to your local feed store for rehoming. If you keep your rooster and don’t want chicks, make sure to collect eggs daily and don’t allow the mama hen to incubate them.

We’d love to see your chicken-raising journey! Follow us on Facebook and Instagram to learn more, ask questions, and share your experiences.

Raising backyard chickens is a fun and fulfilling experience. With the right setup and care, your hens will provide you with fresh eggs for years to come. Happy chicken keeping!

If you’d still like to learn more, we can highly recommend the Kindle book Storey’s Guide to Raising Chickens!