Daily home & garden tip: A few facts about chickens

chicken4.JPGChickens don't like a solitary life.

Here are some facts about chickens and online resources to help with keeping poultry.

• Chickens are social animals; one chicken is a lonely bird.

• Chickens don't fly (except bantams) but can become airborne enough to get over a 3-foot fence or onto a perch.

• They have no teeth, despite what the movie

portrayed.

• Egg-laying depends on the amount of daylight. October through January are low laying months, unless artificial lights are used.

• Chickens like to nest (lay eggs) in dark, protected spaces.

• Some breeds, such as bantams, lay in cycles.

• Fertilized chicken eggs hatch in about 21 days.

HELPFUL

WEBSITES

: Scroll down past the outdated "Tour de Coops" info to find a bunch of resources, including links to Portland's ordinance on keeping poultry.

-- Homes & Gardens staff

If you want to automatically receive a free daily homes and gardens tip, sign up at OregonLive.com's newsletters subscription site.

If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.