Mother Hen: A New Chicken Mom’s Guide

If you had asked me when I was little if I wanted chickens, I would have giggled and said absolutely not. I was deep in my fashionista era, dreaming of city life, runways, and busy streets, even though I grew up in a small town. Funny how life changes.

After living and working in the city, I craved the wide open spaces and family life. Once I had babies and started paying closer attention to what we were eating, I became more aware of how much junk is hidden in our food. That’s when the idea of raising our own food, and yes, chickens, started to feel necessary.

Life as a New Chicken Mom

We’ve had chickens for almost seven months now, and four of them we raised from chicks.

I can honestly say I’ve enjoyed every part of it. Being a chicken mom isn’t nearly as hard or intimidating as I once thought.

My routine is pretty simple:

• Every other day, I check their food and water

• I toss them a few treats (they love this part)

• I let them stretch their legs and roam the yard for a bit

• Every couple of weeks, I do a coop clean-out

That’s it. Nothing overwhelming, just small, consistent care.

The Eggs 🥚

We get about 2–3 eggs a day on average, though I’ll admit I haven’t been great at keeping track, since I don’t collect them daily. I use the cutest little egg basket because I learned the hard way that trying to carry too many eggs at once is a recipe for cracked shells.

Cleaning eggs is surprisingly easy. A quick tip I learned early on: you can do a float test to make sure your eggs are still good. Just place them in a bowl of water, and if they float, they’ve gone bad. One important thing to know: don’t wash your eggs until you’re ready to eat them. Unwashed eggs don’t need to be refrigerated. Once washed, they should be stored in the fridge. I have started washing about a dozen at the beginning of the week and keeping them in the fridge.

The Rooster Situation

We did accidentally end up with a rooster. He was supposed to be a hen, but as he grew, his looks and behavior told a different story. Sadly, we couldn’t keep him, but we found him a great home. If you’re new to chickens, here’s something helpful to know: you don’t need a rooster for eggs. In fact, if you’re not planning to breed chickens, roosters can cause more problems than benefits.

What You Need Before Getting Chickens

Before bringing chickens home, make sure you’re prepared with the basics:

A Secure Coop & Enclosure

Your chickens need a safe, secure space to protect them from predators. A good coop should include:

• Proper ventilation

• Roosting bars

• 2–3 nesting boxes (we have 4)

And just a heads-up that some chickens will lay eggs anywhere but the nesting boxes. That’s normal.

Nesting Materials

I line our nesting boxes with nesting pads I order from Amazon. They’re easy to clean and keep eggs from cracking.

Bedding/ Flooring

We currently use pine shavings, which have worked well so far. I’m thinking about switching to hemp bedding next and will definitely share an update once we try it. The run is covered with sand, but during these chilly months, I've added some hay to keep their feet warm.

Supplies

We get most of our supplies and food from Tractor Supply, along with a few favorites from Amazon. I’ve put together an Amazon shopping list to make it easier if you’re just starting out.

You will need food pellets, grit, oyster shell, treats, food and water containers, and a scoop for cleaning the coop.

Vacation

A lot of people ask what we do with our chickens when we go on vacation. The truth is, our girls do just fine for about a week. It really comes down to how you prepare and how secure your setup is.

We use a large pipe feeder that holds plenty of food and two 5-gallon waterers for our five hens, so they have more than enough to get through the week. Our chicken run is predator-proof, which gives me a lot of peace of mind while we’re away.

Before leaving, I always do a full coop clean and make sure everything is fresh and stocked. I also try to let them roam the yard a few extra times leading up to our trip. With the right setup and preparation, taking a vacation as a chicken mom is totally doable.

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Final Thoughts

Raising chickens has been such a rewarding experience for our family. If you’re on the fence about getting chickens, I hope this encourages you to take the leap. You don’t need to know everything to start. You’ll learn as you go, just like I did.

Welcome to your Mother Hen era 🤍