Chickens and Eggs - Iowa #1

 Chickens and Eggs - Iowa #1

Iowa is #1 in several categories, and noted for its pork and beef production but little did I know that every single 3.155 million Iowans could have 18 laying hens in their backyard and there would still be a few extra from the 59 million laying hens in the state.

# of Iowans x 18 = # of Laying hens in the state

Herbert Hoover (the only US President born in Iowa) promised a "chicken in every pot" during the 1928 presidential campaign -- I think even he would be astounded at the number of pots he could fill in Iowa today. Every Iowan today could have 18 chickens in their pot. There are 18 times more chickens in Iowa than there are people.

Iowa ranks #1 in the nation in egg production -- producing almost 16 billion eggs per year.

For more facts about the poultry industry in Iowa visit the Iowa Poultry Association site at https://www.iowapoultry.com/get-the-facts .

And don't miss reading these books about chickens -- to get the conversation started.

Kurtz, Jane.  (2021). Chickens on the Loose.  Illustrated by John Joseph.  West Margin Press.

Chickens on the loose.
Chickens on the lam.
Zipping from the yard,
As quickly as they can.

Chickens don’t just live on farms―they’re in the city too! In the store, on the street, they bring mayhem and excitement to all the surprised people. See where these mischievous chickens go in this brightly illustrated picture book told in verse. Also included at the back are fun facts and tips for the urban chicken farmer.

And perhaps one of these - 

Caughey, Melissa. (2017) How to Speak Chicken: Why Your Chickens Do What They Do & Say What They Say. Storey Publishing, LLC.

How do flocks establish a pecking order?

How do chickens learn from each other?

How do hens talk to their chicks?

How do chickens express their emotions?

How do chickens greet each other?

Stein, David Ezra. (2010) Interrupting Chicken. Candlewick.

Stein, David Ezra. (2018) Interrupting Chicken and the Elephant of Surprise. Candlewick.

 No matter the story Interrupting Chicken is ready to jump in and save Little Red Hen, Hansel and Gretel or whatever story character needs help.  And then she discovers the need for the element of surprise in every good story.

And the serious chicken farmer just might want to learn more about raising chickens in some of the books list on the Murray McMurray Hatchery book page https://www.mcmurrayhatchery.com/chickens.html. This hatchery is a full-service hatchery in Webster City, Iowa.