How we raise our birds

Poultry Production

Every egg and chick from Georgia Chickens starts with clean housing, rotated pasture, and hands-on daily care. The farm is veterinarian owned and operated, and our Great Pyrenees livestock guardian dogs watch over the flock day and night.

Wooden chicken coop and mobile pasture pens with Rhode Island Red and Black Star hens foraging in green grass at Georgia Chickens

Coop setup

Our coop is built around airflow, cleanliness, and predator protection. A raised timber frame keeps the floor dry, while hardware cloth on windows and vents stops rodents and nighttime visitors. Roosting bars sit higher than nest boxes so hens sleep away from where they lay.

Deep-litter bedding refreshed weekly
Roll-away nest boxes for clean, unbroken eggs
Automatic drinkers and covered feeders to reduce waste
Outdoor covered run for shade and dust bathing

Rotation & pasture management

We move the flock every two to three weeks using lightweight, mobile tractors and portable electric netting. This gives the birds fresh grass, insects, and seeds while letting the ground rest and recover. Rotation is the main reason our yolks stay deep orange and the shells stay strong.

Regular moves to fresh paddocks
Supplemental organic feed in the morning and evening
Free-choice oyster shell and grit for shell quality
Rest periods stop parasite cycles and rebuild sod

Egg collection & handling

Eggs are gathered twice a day, once in late morning and again in late afternoon. We collect straight from the roll-away boxes so eggs stay clean and uncracked. Each egg is checked, sorted by size, and stored at cool room temperature before it reaches your carton.

Twice-daily collection keeps eggs fresh
Dirty or cracked eggs are set aside for farm use
Cartons are dated and rotated by lay date
Cool storage preserves flavor and shelf life

Hatching & fertilized eggs

Fertilized eggs come from separate breeder pens with carefully matched roosters. We collect eggs daily, store them point-down in a cool cellar, and set them in a forced-air incubator within seven days for the best hatch rates. Chicks are brooded under heat lamps until they are fully feathered and ready for outdoor life.

Separate Rhode Island Red and Black Star breeder pens
Fresh eggs stored cool and turned daily
21-day incubation with humidity and temperature tracking
Brooded in clean bedding with 24-hour heat for two weeks

Day-range & free-ranging

Our hens spend their days on pasture, foraging for grass, insects, and seeds. They are trained to return to the coop at dusk, where they are safely locked in overnight against predators. This daily routine keeps the flock fit, reduces feed waste, and gives our eggs their deep orange yolks and strong shells.

Open pasture access from morning until evening
Coop locked at night for protection from predators
Portable shade and dust-bathing areas in each paddock
Natural forage supplemented with balanced feed

Feed & supplements

We feed a 16% protein layer ration as the base diet, then supplement with fresh produce and minerals. Watermelon, corn, lettuce, cucumber, and sweet potato are regular treats, while added minerals, vitamins, and omega fatty acids support strong shells, glossy feathers, and great-tasting eggs. The same nutrition program prepares our pullets and adult hens for sale as healthy, productive birds.

16% protein layer feed as the daily base
Fresh watermelon, corn, lettuce, cucumber, and sweet potato
Minerals, vitamins, and omega fatty acids added to diet
Free-choice oyster shell and grit for digestion and shell strength

Free-range flock & garden helpers

Our Dominique, Rhode Island Red, and Black Star hens do more than lay eggs. They spend their days grazing across the farm, scratching through grass and mulch, turning compost, and clearing weeds and insect pests. That constant scratching aerates the soil and spreads natural fertilizer, making the birds a working part of our garden and landscaping rotation.