By “egg ready,” we mean just that: these hens are ready to begin laying eggs immediately to within just a week or two. All of our birds are at least 18 weeks old, which means they are full grown, fully feathered and ready for outdoor weather. You still need to be mindful of predators. But, chickens develop greater awareness and the ability to detect and run from danger as they age. These hens will be at less risk for predators than the younger pullets.

Our egg ready hens are sourced from a hatchery in NC.

Our egg ready pullets have been vaccinated for Mareks, Rispen and Infectious Bursal Disease. They are also tested for avian influenze and salmonella enteritidis.

While the choice is yours, we recommend 4-6 hens. Not only will this provide your family 3-5 eggs a day, but will benefit your chicken’s health and well being. Chickens are flock animals and do best in groups. You should never have just one chicken!

Absolutely! Most farms, homesteads, and backyard chicken ventures have what are called “blended flocks,” meaning, the chickens were not all raised together but were “blended” at some point.

Adding new chickens, however, is not as simple as just placing the new birds with the old ones. Never do this unless you are mixing young pullets with similarly aged young pullets. 

What commonly happens is adding new, young birds to an established flock of adult birds. When this is the case, care needs to be taken so that the new birds are not over bullied by the older birds. 

To do this, start by placing your new birds in an adjacent coop or cage (like a large dog kennel). Make sure this is right next to (or even inside) the older flock’s coop. They need to get used to the sight and smell of the newer birds. 

After about a week, place your new chickens in the coop with the older ones at night once all the birds are asleep. For the next few days, check on your flock often. It is common to see the older birds peck and chase the newer birds. They are establishing the all-important chicken social structure called a “pecking order.” Pay attention for signs of stress or injury with your new birds. If you see blood, then you need to separate your birds immediately and give them more time getting used to each other in their separate and adjacent coops. After another 3-5 days, reintroduce them. After a few weeks, the flock should be fully mixed and you should stop noticing aggression from the older birds. 

Because blending a flock can be very stressful for younger birds, we recommend making sure they have a few companions for the process. Never add just one young bird to a flock at a time!

Within a few days of placing your order online, we will reach out to you in order to set up a day/time for you to come pick your order from our farm in Loudon County, TN or from a pickup location in the surrounding area. At this time, we do not ship any of our birds.

You will need to bring appropriate containers/cages for your birds. A cardboard box with holes for air and pine shavings on the bottom is easy and sufficient!

If you order an egg ready hen, you can cancel up to two weeks in advance. 

All sales are final. We cannot accept returns of live hens. In the event that a hen dies within 48 hours of pick up, we will assess the situation and consider issuing a full refund.