Backyard laying hens · US
A plain-spoken field guide to backyard hens
HenClass collects what university extension services, federal agencies and breed references say about keeping a small laying flock — how long hens lay, how light and heat affect them, how to keep water clean and parasites in check — and links every claim to its source.
How Long Do Hens Keep Laying? Egg Production by Age
Egg production by age: when hens peak, how fast laying declines each year, and what happens to older hens. Includes a year-by-year lay-rate table drawn from Oregon State, University of Florida, University of Arizona and Minnesota extension data.
Read the guide →Tools
Backyard Egg Production CalculatorEnter your hens by age and type to estimate eggs per week, per year and feed needed, with every multiplier sourced.Open the tool →Chicken Coop Space CalculatorEnter your standard hens and bantams to get coop and run square footage, roost length, nest boxes and feeder space from extension guidance.Open the tool →All guides
Chicken Keeping Rules by City
A step-by-step way to check zoning, animal codes, state law and HOA covenants before you buy birds, with five real city codes compared side by side.
BreedsBackyard Chicken Breeds Compared
Sixteen common laying breeds side by side: egg color, eggs per year, hen weight, temperament, climate and broodiness.
EggsEgg Color Chart
Shell colors by breed, from chalk white to chocolate brown, blue and olive, plus the two pigments behind them and why a hen's eggs fade.
FeedingFeeding Laying Hens
Starter to layer feed by age, protein and calcium levels, oyster shell, grit, treats, water and about how much a hen eats each day.
FeedingWhat Can Chickens Eat? Treats, Scraps and Foods to Avoid
Where the 10% treat rule comes from, what it means in grams per hen, safe treats, and a table of foods to keep away from the flock.
EggsEgg Handling and Washing
Collecting, dry-cleaning vs washing, the bloom, 40°F refrigeration and a USDA storage time table for backyard eggs.
ChicksChick Care Week by Week
Week-by-week brooder checklist for chicks: temperature, floor and feeder space, water, starter feed, litter and when the heat can come off.
Laying & ageMolting in Backyard Hens
The yearly molt: what triggers it, how long it lasts, the order feathers fall, why eggs stop and what to feed.
HatchingBroody Hens
Signs of a broody hen, the 21-day hatch timeline with candling days, and the extension methods for breaking broodiness.
Flock healthBackyard Flock Biosecurity
USDA's Defend the Flock steps as a checklist, quarantine for new birds, the warning signs of bird flu and who to call.
Flock healthSalmonella and Backyard Poultry
The CDC's Salmonella rules for flock owners: handwashing, children under 5, chicks and ducklings, eggs, and recent outbreak numbers.
Flock safetyChicken Predator ID by Sign
Read the scene after a loss: a sign → likely predator → prevention table from extension sources, wire and fence numbers, and the law on hawks and owls.
HousingChicken Coop Ventilation
Vent area per bird (and why extension guides rarely give one), ammonia levels in ppm, condensation, winter vs summer airflow and drafts vs ventilation.
Seasonal careWinter Care for Backyard Chickens
When hens need heat and when they don't, ventilation without drafts, frostbite signs and first aid, unfrozen water and a pre-winter checklist.
Seasonal careHeat Stress in Backyard Chickens
When heat stress starts, the signs to watch for, shade and airflow, cool water, what extension services say about electrolytes, and cooling an overheated hen.
LightingSupplemental Lighting for Laying Hens
How day length drives laying, the 14–16 hour rule, morning versus evening light, and the trade-offs.
Heat & safetyHeat Lamps in Chicken Coops
Why heat lamps start coop fires, the week-by-week brooder temperature schedule for chicks, and safer heat sources.
HealthChicken Mites and Lice
Northern fowl mite vs red mite vs lice: how to find them, and the treatment options extension entomologists list.
WaterDIY Poultry Nipple Waterer Bucket
Build a hanging bucket waterer with poultry nipples, why it stays cleaner than an open fount, and how to keep it hygienic.
BreedsBreeding Mille Fleur Bantams
The mahogany, black and white Mille Fleur pattern in Old English Game and d'Uccle bantams, the standards, and breeding basics.
HistoryThe 1948 "Chicken of Tomorrow" Contest and How It Shaped the Broiler Industry
The A&P/USDA breeding contest of 1946–48, its winners, the 1948 film, and why most broilers today trace back to it.
How this guide works
- Every article ends with a list of the sources it draws on, mostly land-grant university extension publications.
- Where sources disagree, we show the range rather than pick one number.
- No ads, no affiliate links, nothing for sale.