Healthy, happy, well fed hens should lay lots of eggs. Let's go through this one by one starting with health. All chickens need a few things to be healthy, they need to be dewormed regularly, they need grit every day to digest their food properly, and they need lots of calcium to make eggs and their muscles need it to push the eggs out so they don't get egg bound.

The second thing to think about is nutrition, the food the eat every day. Hens need tons of animal protein to make eggs. Chickens are meat eaters. When you let them free range, they run straight to the woods to dig up bugs. When you keep them in a smaller yard or in a coop you need to feed them the animal protein they need. It is up to you. You can buy dry meal worms in a bag at feed stores like Tractor Supply and Rural King. You can feed some grain free cat or dog kibble. Make sure it’s not large dog kibble because the pieces will be too big. Canned meat like sardines and tuna work good and are perfect for a winter boost. Table scraps are a great way to use up food so you don't have to throw it away.

Last but not least is the comfort of the hens in the henhouse. They need a roost, clean nest boxes and really, really important is not to have too many chickens in your coop.

Get my new book “Becky’s Guide To Raising Backyard Chickens” here: https://beckyshomestead.com/portfolio...

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