Greetings, my featherless friends. It is I, Henrietta Featherbottom, your esteemed poultry advisor. I've been perusing the internet from my favorite nesting box (as one does), and I must say, the sheer volume of cluckery and misinformation about chickens is simply staggering. The number of times I've seen "do chickens need a rooster to lay eggs?" in the comment sections has really started to ruffle my feathers!
It's time to lay these myths to rest. Read on as I debunk some of the craziest myths I've seen on ChickenTok just this week.
We’ll cover misconceptions and set the record straight on topics, like: do chickens need a rooster to lay eggs, can chickens fly, and how to make chickens friendly.
Me with my human sister, Oli. (She earned my friendship the old-fashioned way with lots of treats!)
Myth #1: Holding Your Chickens Upside Down Makes Them More Friendly
Darling, let me be clear: the only thing this will make your chicken is utterly furious with you. (And may get you scratched!) Imagine if a giant picked you up and dangled you by your ankles. Are you feeling particularly friendly?
If you really want to learn how to make chickens friendly, be patient, handle them gently, and, most importantly, give them high-value treats (I find Grub Bugs inspire profound and immediate affection). Trust is built on respect, not disorientation.
Henrietta's brother, Joey
Myth #2: Hens Need a Rooster to Lay Eggs
"Hens need a rooster to lay eggs" is perhaps the most widespread and amusing myth. Let me be clear: hens ovulate. Regularly. We are egg-laying machines, with or without a gentleman. Likewise, not all chicken eggs are fertilized! A rooster's job is to fertilize eggs so they develop into chicks.
The eggs you buy at the store, which we lay without a rooster around, are unfertilized. We're independent women who don't need a roo to be productive.
So next time, someone side-eyes your all-lady coop or asks, “Do chickens need a rooster to lay eggs?” You can answer them with confidence!
My flockmate, Hennifer
Myth #3: Chickens Are Stinky
I was surfing the web the other day, and can you believe one of my suggested searches was “do chickens smell?”
I take personal offense to this. With proper maintenance, your coop should not have a bad odor.
With regular coop cleaning (using absorbent bedding like Small Pet Select Pine Shavings or their disposable nesting pads), proper ventilation, and not letting waste accumulate, a chicken coop should have a neutral or earthy smell.
A clean coop is a fresh coop!
Myth #4: Chickens Are Vegetarians
I get asked all the time, “Henrietta, are chickens vegetarians?”.
Contrary to popular belief, we chickens are omnivores, not herbivores. In the wild, our diet consists of seeds, plants, and a delightful assortment of bugs, worms, and the occasional unlucky mouse or small snake.
A high-quality feed is our base, but we thrive on animal protein (which is why we go absolutely berserk for Grub Bugs!).
Gathering Henrietta's nutritious brown eggs
Myth #5: Colorful Eggs Are Healthier
I hate to break it to you, but the color of the egg has absolutely nothing to do with the nutritional value. A hen's breed determines the color of her eggshells. I, for instance, lay pinkish-brown eggs, whereas my olive egger friends lay olive eggs.
The health of an egg is determined by the health of the hen and what she eats. A pristine white egg from a well-fed, happy hen is nutritionally identical to a beautiful blue one. The only thing a colorful egg is better for is making your Instagram feed more aesthetic.
Myth #6: Feeding Chickens Meat or Eggs Will Make Them Cannibals
No! Chickens are naturally opportunistic eaters. They will peck at anything that looks like food. It's true that some chickens will peck at a weak or injured flockmate's feathers. This is usually a sign of stress, overcrowding, or a nutritional deficiency (often protein!).
Feeding them cooked eggs (scrambled is a favorite) or cooked meat scraps occasionally is an excellent way to supplement their protein intake — and will not give them a taste for each other.*
*The majority of a chicken’s diet should still be from a complete and balanced chicken feed to avoid any nutritional deficiencies, since these are formulated with all the micronutrients and trace minerals they need!
The Featherbottom flock gets a nutritious blend of layer pellets, scratch, grub bugs, and oyster shells.
Myth #7: You Can Give Chickens Bread to Save Money on Chicken Feed
While we may scramble for that stale hot dog bun like it's the last ticket to a T. Swift concert, that doesn't mean it's a replacement for a quality chicken feed.
Bread fills our crop with empty carbs, leaving no room for nutrient-dense feed we actually need to lay eggs and maintain our dazzling personalities. A diet of mostly bread leads to malnourished, deficient, and overweight hens.
True savings don't come from cheap fillers; they come from investing in quality feed that keeps us healthy, productive, and out of the vet's office. A bag of Small Pet Select Layer Feed (my personal fave!) provides everything we need without the empty calories.
Henrietta enjoying a nice relaxing dust bath
Myth #8: Chickens Are Dirty Creatures
Darling… we dedicate hours to our grooming rituals. Preening and dust bathing are how we keep our feathers clean, parasite-free, and regulate oil production. We might look like we're wallowing in filth, but we are actually engaging in high-level hygiene. It's a spa day, every day.Myth #9: Chickens Are Unintelligent
We are far from bird-brained. We have complex social structures (the pecking order is a sophisticated political system), can recognize over 100 individual faces (human and chicken), and can learn tricks and solve problems.
We communicate with a vast repertoire of clucks, purrs, and alarm calls that specify different types of predators.
We are clever, social, and emotionally complex beings. If you don't believe me, check out this study from the researchers at Macquarie University, which found the intelligence of chickens rivals primates.
Henrietta's favorite oyster shell
Myth #10: Oyster Shells Are Optional for Hens
No, darling, omitting oyster shells from your hens' diet is a recipe for soft-shelled disaster. The extra calcium in oyster shells is essential for creating nice, hard shells, which won't break or cause us to have an egg rupture inside us and cause egg yolk peritonitis (a dangerous and deadly condition).
Oyster shell is far cheaper than that vet bill, featherless friends!
Henrietta enjoying her Small Pet Select Premium Oyster Shells
Myth #11: All Chickens Have Salmonella
Darling, saying all chickens have salmonella is like saying all humans have the flu! Chickens can get and transmit salmonella if we aren't vaccinated (like humans with the flu).
The good news is that most chicks from mail-order hatcheries come pre-vaccinated, or you can pay a little bit extra to have them vaccinated before shipping (money well spent, might I add).
Even if we are carriers, it is not a life sentence!
The risk is managed by watching for signs of salmonella (diarrhea, lethargy, and droopy wings) and getting us prompt treatment with antibiotics to get rid of the infection.
Likewise, having clean coops, collecting eggs frequently, and washing your hands after you interact with us or our eggs is imperative for preventing the spread.
Henrietta taking off!
Myth #12: Chickens Can't Fly
I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve been asked, “Do chickens fly?”
While it's true that not all chickens are expert fliers, we can get to where we need to go. Even larger multipurpose birds like myself can fly several feet with a running start. Bantams, Araucanas, Ameraucanas, and Red Stars tend to be the best fliers of the chicken world. (Orpingtons can't be the best at everything!)
*Mic drop*
Well, there you have it. Thirteen myths, debunked and dismantled. I hope I've managed to clear the coop of some of the most persistent and pesky bits of misinformation. (Especially that rumor about chickens needing roosters to lay eggs!)
The common thread weaving through all of these myths? A fundamental misunderstanding of our needs and our nature. We are not simple, smelly, stupid birds. We are complex, fastidious, and surprisingly intelligent creatures who deserve to be understood and properly cared for.
Remember, a happy hen is the product of:
- A clean, secure coop
- A nutritious, protein-rich diet (not bread crumbs and wishful thinking)
- Respect for her natural behaviors
The next time you hear a curious cluck of advice from a well-meaning neighbor or see a dubious fact floating around the internet, I hope you'll think of me. And now you can answer without hesitation, the next time someone asks, "Do chickens need a rooster to lay eggs?"
(Remember that we are far more sophisticated and self-sufficient than we are given credit for, darling!)
Yours in truth-seeking and treat-pecking,
Henrietta Featherbottom
