The chick will also need layers mash or starter mash inside the box and clean water. Provide the water in a shallow dish weighed down with pebbles to keep the water from spilling as chicks would scratch and walk about in the box. You would know if the chick in uncomfortable or hungry when they peep loudly, when not, the chick chirps contentedly. There are specific reasons on why chickens suddenly stop laying eggs, and owners need to be aware of the signs so that they will know when to act accordingly or when to let things take its natural course. MOLTING Molting is the process by which chickens shed their feathers so they can grow new ones. This normally happens during the autumn/fall, and takes about a month. The internet is chock full of information about breeds, so it is imperative to do a bit of research to decide on what type of chickens you want to keep for its meat. You have two choices when purchasing chickens. Either you go for the full-grown ones (after checking the vaccination records to ensure that there's less risk of disease) or you can go for the newborn chicks. Keeping Chicken Chicken Feeding Worries For people who are getting started with raising chickens one of the main issues is the right chicken feeding proportions, the heating of some of the feeds, the kind and the quality of the feed. Another worry considered seriously is the chicken actually starving because the feeding failed in one way or the other. Normally though they do not peck their own eggs but when it starts and nothing is done to keep them from doing it, they would develop the taste of the eggs and the habit could form. To prevent chickens from eating their eggs, try the following. Feed your chicken grits. Grits are purchased in your local farm supply store or you could make your own. You will need to have extensive knowledge of which breeds are most suitable to your preference. A bit of visual appeal can also go a long way into sparking and maintaining interest. A chicken can have a variety of colors and styles to choose from - red, gold, brown, spotted, dappled, high-tailed, bushy tailed, feather-legged, the list goes on.