Common chicken myths: true or false?

There are a lot of chicken myths out there. But are they all true? let's look at some common and not so common
myths and see which are true and which are false.

• Blue and green eggs are more nutritious then brown or white eggs.

False: The shell color has nothing to do with the nutritional quality of the egg. Since colored eggs are rarely fond in
stores, it is generally assumed that, since they usually come from small flocks, the eggs are better then the regular
brown or white eggs that come from the sure market. This is true, but it has nothing to do with shell color.

• Fertile eggs are more nutritious then non fertile eggs.

False: There is no shore way to tell if an egg is fertile or not. You will not be able to tell a difference in taste,
texture or smell.There are no nutritional benefits to fertile eggs. This myth was started for similar reason as
the colored eggs myth, since fertile eggs would rarely be fond in a store.

• Eggs from backyard chickens are healthier.

True: Homegrown eggs have 2 times more omega-3 fatty acids, 3 times more vitamin E, and 7 times more beta carotene.
Not to mention they taste so much better.

• Hens must have a rooster in order to lay eggs.

False: Hens will lay just fine with out a rooster. The eggs just will not be fertile, so no chicks.

• Hens will lay an egg a day.

False: It actually takes a hen roughly 26 hours, depending on the hen to develop an egg.
They will lay later and later every day then skip, and start the cycle over again.

• Chickens are vegetarians.

False: Chickens are omnivores. In a natural environment, they will eat anything from bugs to steaks left unattended.
Despite this, many chickens are still fed a vegetarian diet.

• Chickens only dust bathe in the summer.

False: Chickens will dust bathe all year around, but things such as weather and environment
often keep them from doing so.
For further reading on this subject, check out my other article:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/healthy-dust-bathes-for-your-flock

• Chickens smell.

False: Healthy chickens smell no more then the average dog or cat. A poorly cleaned coop can smell
from the ammonia build up, but a healthy flock and coop should not smell.

• Bigger eggs are better.

False: Bigger is not always better. like shell color, size does not have anything to do with quality.

• Chickens that have white ear lobes lay white eggs, and those with red ear lobes lay brown eggs.

True and False: This myth is only true in some breeds. for example, most breeds that have white ear
lobes, such as leghorns, Andalusian, etc, do lay white eggs, but then you have the Penedesenca,
which lays dark brown eggs. It varies breed to breed.

• Hybrid breeds and broilers are genetically modified, and should not be consumed.

False: Hybrid only means a cross between two breeds that Will not breed true. It does not mean genetically modified!
Broilers have been bred for fast growth in a short period of time. As disgusting as they are, they have not been
genetically modified.

• Old eggs float.

True: fresh eggs sink and old eggs, due to the larger air cells, will float.

• Pointy eggs will be roosters and blunt eggs will be pullets.

False: Egg shape and size have nothing to do with the chicks gender.

• Chickens are jungle birds, putting them on pasture, is harmful.

False: Many people like to pen their birds up in the woods, with the excuse that '' chickens are jungle
fowl, that's were they belong''. While letting your chickens have access to safe woods can be very beneficial,
pasture is also beneficial. It is in fact good for them to have some kind of greenery and vegetable matter in
their diet, which can not be fond in most Forest's. (depending on were you live). Also, though chickens will
eat leaves when nothing else is available, they are hard for them to digest and do not have the same benefits
as Grass and weeds.

• Feeding Dried kelp to your birds will increase egg shells and yolk color.

False: Kelp though, an excellent supplement for your birds, does not have the calcium it takes to
increase egg shells, or enough of the right nutrients to make orange yolks.


Turkey, chicken, and goose eggs.

These are only a few of the many chicken and egg myths out there.

~ Hope you enjoyed this article! Thanks for reading!!