Fresh Eggs Daily® | Lisa Steele

French  Marans lay some of the darkest brown eggs in the chicken kingdom. They look like chocolate! But they are also a fascinating breed, eggs notwithstanding. French Marans chickens are the official "dark chocolate brown egg" layers of the chicken world. They lay those super deep dark brown eggs that you might have seen gracing Instagram on various backyard chicken keepers accounts. But did you know that the French breed of chicken called the Marans (named after the French town  of Marans where they  originated) lays some of the darkest eggs of any chicken breed?

Olive Egger chickens, a cross between a Marans and an Ameraucana, lay gorgeous olive green eggs, as their name implies. If you have been following the blog you know that I back in 2012 I  hatched my very first chicks. It was such an amazing experience. To think that an egg hatches into a living, breathing chick in just 21 days and then that golf-ball sized chick grows to be a robin-sized pullet over the next 21 days or so is just amazing. 

Duck, chicken, quail, turkey and goose eggs are other interesting, less common options to regular chicken eggs. Most of you reading this probably raise chickens. And most of you, like I, probably thought that chickens only laid brown or white eggs before you started raising your own flock and discovered breeds like the blue egg-laying Ameraucana or the chocolate brown egg-laying Marans .

What kind of chickens should I raise? There is no one best breed. Choosing a breed or breeds comes down to your ultimate goals for your flock. I get asked all the time what is the 'best' breed for a new chicken keeper. Well, that's a tough question to answer because there really IS no one best breed. There are best-laying breeds, best-looking breeds (although beauty IS in the eye of the beholder), most cold-hardy , most heat-tolerant , prettiest egg layers , best foragers, best breeds for kids ...and the list goes on.

If egg production is your primary goal from your backyard chickens, then you can't go wrong with any of these breeds that are known for their egg laying prowess. I think most of us raise chickens for several reasons. Of course fresh eggs are a part of it, but some choose breeds that lay different color eggs , some choose family-friendly breeds .  Others are interested in breeds that will do well in hot climates , or those that thrive in cold climates . 

A day-by-day egg hatching tutorial to hatching chicken eggs in an incubator. Ever since starting to raise chickens, I had in the back of my head to try hatching eggs one day.  I have had a few broody hens each spring and figured that was the way I would go.  But then  Brinsea  agreed to donate a Mini Advance incubator to me and in return I agreed to chronicle the hatch via Facebook and here on the blog.

Use cheap vodka as the base for your all natural chicken coop cleaner and get the cleaning power of bleach without the harmful chemicals. My latest all natural chicken-keeping concoction takes its inspiration  from the James Bond franchise: Vodka (Shaken not Stirred) Natural Coop Cleaner. Yup. Vodka. Turns out that vodka is a wonderful natural cleaner.

Choosing from the more than one hundred chicken breeds can be confusing, but it will help to ask yourself these simple questions. Choosing which breeds of chickens you want to raise can be overwhelming, since there are more than one hundred different breed to choose from.  Do you want good layers? Friendly hens? Different colored eggs?  Let me help guide you through the process.

Chicken eggs come in various colors including white, brown and different shades of blue. But have you ever wondered what makes a egg blue? Our first batch of chickens we started with back in 2009 all laid brown eggs. I had grown up eating brown eggs from my grandparent's and our own chickens, so that was my normal. It wasn't until I was watching Martha Stewart's show one day in early 2010 and she had her chickens on the episode that I saw first hand that some chickens lay BLUE EGGS!

Whew! This week we had a lot of excitement going on here on our farm! Not only did we welcome new baby chicks and duckings, but we had a really special visitor.

Have you seen photos of colored chicken eggs and wondered what breed of chicken lays which color egg? Here is your answer! When we first decided to try raising chickens, the breeds we chose were based solely on what types of chicks the local feed store had that spring. We just said "we'll take two of whatever you have" and ended up coming home with two Buff Orpingtons, two Silver Laced Wyandottes and two Rhode Island Reds. Cute chicks, beautiful chickens, wonderful layers...and they all laid brown eggs.  Which was fine with me.

There are as many reasons and ways to raise chickens as there are breeds. What kind of chicken keeper are you? There are as many kinds of chicken keepers as there are breeds of chickens. And often the breeds you choose to keep can be a clue as to the type of chicken keeper you are. Read these fun, tongue-in-cheek profiles to figure out which kind of chicken keeper you are. Or maybe you already know....

Here are 7 important questions to ask yourself before choosing chicks for your backyard flock. Each spring I attend various feed store Chick Days events, helping people pick out their chicks, teaching them how to raise them and answering any questions they have. Early education really is the key to a successful, healthy flock, so I'm really excited to be involved in this event as part of being a spokesperson for backyard chickens, and be able to get even more people started out raising their chickens naturally for the best start in life.

Losing a pet is hard - and losing a backyard chicken is no different. So how to deal with that loss? If you raise chickens long enough, you will end up losing one - and I suppose eventually all - to old age, if nothing else. But realistically, old age won't be the cause of their demise. Shockingly, your loss will be quick, unexpected and heartbreaking.

Chickens generally don't lay eggs in the winter because there's not enough sunlight to stimulate the ovary to release a yolk. New chicken keepers usually start with baby chicks in the spring. The excitement of the chicks growing into adults, then that first egg in late summer or early fall is undeniable. And the eggs keep coming all through that first winter, right into the following spring and summer. But that next fall, all of sudden egg production drops and the hens stop laying eggs. What's up with that? They laid through their first winter.

Several breeds of chickens lay blue eggs including Ameraucanas, Araucanas, Cream Legbars, and Easter Eggers. Most chicken breeds lay brown or white eggs, but there are several kinds of chickens that lay blue eggs.  And ever since Martha Stewart appeared on television years ago holding a basket of blue eggs laid by her chickens, the demand for the blue egg laying breeds has skyrocketed.

Here's a simple, effective, natural treatment for scaly leg mites on backyard chickens. Mites come in all shapes and sizes. Some feed on the host's blood, others, like scaly leg mites, burrow up under the scales on a chicken's legs.   Like other types of mites, scaly leg mites can be successfully treating in a natural way that won't be harmful to your chickens.

Frostbite in backyard chickens can be a problem in chicken coops in the winter, but using these simple tips you shouldn't have to worry  about it. Frostbite can occur in the cold months in your chicken flock if you're not careful.   Although usually not life-threatening, it can be painful for the chicken and also in extreme cases lead to infection and/or loss of the frostbitten appendage (usually combs, wattles, toes or feet).  

For my first "fancy" chicken I didn't choose Frizzle chickens, Polish chickens, or even Silkie chickens - all popular breeds. Instead I chose a White Sultan chicken. Back in 2009 when I first started raising chickens, I made a deal with my husband.  He was okay with us having a backyard full of chickens, but he put in the "contract" no fancy chickens. None of the breeds with funny topknots, or crazy hairdos, no floufy or frizzled feathers, no feathered feet...

If you live in the warmer climates, choosing heat-hardy breeds is important. Here are some suggestions. Chickens are far more likely to suffer heat exhaustion in the summer than problems relating to the cold, so if you live in a warm climate, choosing breeds of chickens that are heat-hardy is a good idea. If you live in a place that experiences both extremes - bitterly cold winters as well as hot, humid summers - you should still consider the heat-hardy breeds, since nearly all chickens are cold-hardy to a great extent.