THE PERFECT ENVIRONMENT The general well being of a chicken starts with the environment. While it's true that chickens adapt real well to both cold and hot weather, constant exposure to harsh climates can still get the best of them. That's why a coop or a hen house should be set up, while making sure that it's well ventilated and free from draft. The layers mash, the crumbled pellet and the pellets. These variations typically have similar composition. The different names are only to identify the grade of the milling. Layers mash for example is crushed to almost powdery consistency to make it easier for chicks to peck and digest. The crumbles are milled to rough consistency and are ideal for young chickens and the pellets for the full grown. It is also wiser to buy a few cockerels so that your hens can spawn fertilized eggs and produce the next generation of chickens that can replace the ones that are soon to be consumed. You will need to set up a coop for your flock to settle in, preferably one that has wheels, to make it easier to move around the backyard or garden. The chicks will outgrow the box and you will need additional accommodation for them. Even so, provide a lamp where they could huddle together and get heat especially in the coldest hours of the morning or and when they need it, otherwise turn the lamp off to get them acclimatized to normal temperatures. Keeping Chicken Preventing Chicken From Eating Their Eggs Chickens love to peck. Normally though they do not peck their own eggs but when it starts and nothing is done to keep them from doing it, they would develop the taste of the eggs and the habit could form. To prevent chickens from eating their eggs, try the following. A coop that is dry and free of draft (but still ventilated) is very essential to maintaining reasonable heat within the shelter. One thing to avoid is barring the door since chickens love to go outside and exercise every once in a while, even during winter. Make it a point to clear the coop's surroundings of snow in order for your chickens to have the luxury to venture outside whenever they feel the urge to do so.