Did you know most chickens take a break from laying eggs in the fall and winter? Shorter days signal their bodies to slow down, and many people try to keep them going with artificial light or even cayenne pepper in their feed. But here on our farm, we take a different approach—one that keeps our egg baskets full without any tricks!

Our secret? We get new chicks every spring! Young hens lay consistently through their first winter, so by staggering our flock each year, we ensure a steady egg supply. Right now, we’re still collecting 20 dozen eggs a week!

We order about 30 new chicks annually, always choosing a different breed so we can easily track their ages. Once our hens reach their third year, they don’t lay as much, so we retire them to a friend’s farm, where they get to enjoy a peaceful life, even if they aren’t producing eggs every day.

Now, it’s time for the fun part—picking this year’s breed! There are so many great ones to choose from, and I’d love to hear your favorites. What breed of chicken do you love most?