luckymom Posted July 31, 2014 Share Posted July 31, 2014 We are considering having hens. I know nothing about hens. I need a quick education on: Which breed is best with children, harsh/long winters, inexperienced owners? What time of year is best to begin this project? What housing the chickens will need during winter (we will have a coop - is that enough?)? How do I get the chickens? Do we start with an incubator, buy adult hens, other? How many hens would we need in order to produce about two dozen eggs a week? What do we feed them? Do they require veterinary care? What am I not asking that I should be thinking about? Thank you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Χά�ων Posted July 31, 2014 Share Posted July 31, 2014 Do you want them for eggs or show or ? Do you want to raise them from chicks or get adult birds? Hand raised from chicks tend to be friendlier but if you want to start asap... Where do you live (gardening zone should be fine) Will determine wintering advice. Do you live in the city, suburbs or rural? My suggestion for coops and runs will vary based on where you live. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MotherGoose Posted July 31, 2014 Share Posted July 31, 2014 Especially if you live somewhere with cold winters, start chicks in the spring. If you want adults, now is fine. In the spring, feed stores have chicks. I would not bother with incubating eggs unless you particuarly want that experience. You can order them but you have to get a minimum of 25 or so. Ask around at feed stores, Market Bulletin, Craigs List, etc to find adults. They do not require veterinary care--it's either they live or they die. I imagine if I had one that was ill I'd try to figure out if the vet could help, but they are livestock, not pets, and once when I did have a chick with a problem (snakebite) I called numerous places before I could find anyone who could even begin to answer my question. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ewe Mama Posted July 31, 2014 Share Posted July 31, 2014 backyardchickens.com is a great place to find answers to all your chicken questions. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ann.without.an.e Posted July 31, 2014 Share Posted July 31, 2014 We are thinking about this too for next spring. I am just here to glean :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fairfarmhand Posted July 31, 2014 Share Posted July 31, 2014 We are considering having hens. I know nothing about hens. I need a quick education on: Which breed is best with children, harsh/long winters, inexperienced owners? Orpingtons are a great breed for beginners. Gentle and suited to long winters. These are the only roosters we will have around. What time of year is best to begin this project? Spring for chicks. Fall for adult birds. Why not read all winter and focus on setting up your coop. In the spring you will know more about how to get started. What housing the chickens will need during winter (we will have a coop - is that enough?)? If it's really cold, you'll want it insulated a bit. Howver, they need lots of air flow or they will have breathing issues. They are very dusty creatures. How do I get the chickens? Do we start with an incubator, buy adult hens, other? You can buy adults from Craigslist or a 4Her. Or you can buy chicks in the spring. Minimum order is like 25. Don't begin with an incubator. How many hens would we need in order to produce about two dozen eggs a week? Depends on the time of year. They are cyclic. They slow way down in winter if you don't give them supplemental light. Spring and summer, each hen of a decent egg laying breed will lay about one egg per day . In winter, my flock of 17 hens may give me a dozen eggs per week with not supplemental light. What do we feed them? Layer pellet has all that they need for egg producing. They also eat bugs, grass, seeds, etc that they find. They are also wonderful recyclers. You can clean out your fridge and they will be happy to turn the leftovers into eggs, meat, and nitrogen rich poop that you can compost for your garden. Do they require veterinary care? Usually not. I've never called a vet for a chicken. What am I not asking that I should be thinking about? Will you have them free or in a covered run. If predators are an issue, you'll want a safe place for them. Your family dog may kill them. Not to be mean, but dogs think that chasing chickens is great fun. They don't realize how fragile a chicken is. Thank you. Any other questions? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 31, 2014 Share Posted July 31, 2014 We are considering having hens. I know nothing about hens. I need a quick education on: Which breed is best with children, harsh/long winters, inexperienced owners? What time of year is best to begin this project? What housing the chickens will need during winter (we will have a coop - is that enough?)? How do I get the chickens? Do we start with an incubator, buy adult hens, other? How many hens would we need in order to produce about two dozen eggs a week? What do we feed them? Do they require veterinary care? What am I not asking that I should be thinking about? Thank you. Here are my answers. I have laying hens, which I am assuming you are after, since you asked about egg quantity. We have Red Sex-Links. I am happy with this breed. They are superb layers, very docile, easy care and reasonably hardy. I live in the mid-atlantic, so they do fine with our cold, snowy winters. I don't know how hardy they are much farther north. Spring is a good time to obtain young hens (poulets), on "point-of-lay". This means they will begin laying in about a month. Their first eggs will be small, but they are still fine to eat. You do not need a rooster to have eggs for eating. I mention this because a surprisingly large number of people don't know this. You only need a rooster if you plan to breed, or you really like to wake up early. A secure coop and a wire run is enough. We put heavy plastic around the sides of our run for the winter. We also ran a heat lamp during the coldest points. The hens also get a good, deep straw bedding. Keep in mind that as winter sets in, predators will go to greater lengths to get the hens. The hens lay according to hours of daylight, so if they don't have artificial lighting, they will taper off or stop laying in winter. There are differing schools of thought on whether to "give them a break" on laying, or keep them producing with artificial light. We got our chickens by ordering them from a farm and feed store. We ordered them in March, for pick-up when they were ready. My hens generally lay an egg each, per day. I started with six chickens (but the dog killed one) and this is just about perfect. I sell or give away extra eggs. You do need, I would say, at least four. Hens are social animals and need other hens. Obtain your hens at once, from the same place, ideally. It's not for nothing that the phrases "pecking order" and "hen pecked" came about. Hens have a strong social hierarchy. It is not impossible to integrate interlopers, but it isn't for beginners. They eat layer feed, which you can get at a farm supply store, like Tractor Supply, or Southern States. I also give my hens a supplement of Flax Seed to boost the Omega 3 content of the eggs. They could need vet care, but usually don't. Some of this will depend on how much you view them as "pets" vs. how much you view them as livestock. An unemotional farmer would end the life of a chicken who has an unusual medical problem. You also need to decide (eventually) what your philosophy is when they go through chicken menopause. ;) Some end the chicken's life; others allow them to live on as a view of gratitude for the years of egg production. If you want them to free-range, first you will train them where home is by keeping them in their enclosure and feeding them there. Chickens will naturally lay in their nest-boxes if they are enclosed in the morning. If you let them out early in the day, they may start laying in strange places, which will be hard to correct. You should train them with food to come to your call. I say, "Heeeere, chickie, chickies!" while shaking a treat container. This trains them to come to you, which will be very helpful later. Good luck! I love my hens! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cera Posted July 31, 2014 Share Posted July 31, 2014 We are considering having hens. I know nothing about hens. I need a quick education on: Which breed is best with children, harsh/long winters, inexperienced owners? Browse the breeds on the Meyer Hatchery website. Each has a description of temperament, egg production and cold/heat tolerance that I have found to be pretty accurate. What time of year is best to begin this project? It is best to have them a few months old before it gets cold. What housing the chickens will need during winter (we will have a coop - is that enough?)? That is all they will need. We have hung a heat lamp in the center of our coop when it is below zero for a few days but it probably isn't necessary. How do I get the chickens? Do we start with an incubator, buy adult hens, other? I recommend ordering chicks. You can start with an incubator but you will wind up hatching roosters as well. What will you do with them (they tend to become mean and obviously don't produce eggs). Would you be willing to butcher them? How many hens would we need in order to produce about two dozen eggs a week? Browse the breeds on the Meyer Hatchery website. Each has a description of temperament, egg production and cold/heat tolerance that I have found to be pretty accurate. What do we feed them? Chicken food Do they require veterinary care? No What am I not asking that I should be thinking about? Thank you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrookValley. Posted July 31, 2014 Share Posted July 31, 2014 I think you've gotten some good information, I'll just add one small PSA: Please do not use a heat lamp for adult chickens. Unless you live in the arctic and/or have a less hardy breed, it's wholly unnecessary--but it is incredibly dangerous. Quill, your red sex links do not need supplemental heat in the mid-Atlantic. I have known so many people to lose their birds and their coops--or more--with fires started by heat lamps. Just a couple years ago a close friend lost several coops, many birds, her barn, and a beloved cat in a coop fire. She had a breed that does not do well with cold (modern game bantams) and was using necessary supplemental heat. All it took was a nosy cat, a heat lamp, and straw bedding. Poof. They're incredibly lucky their horses were not in the barn when it happened. Anyway, I know I like to spoil my birds, too, but they're hardier than you think. Heat is worse than cold for them. No heat lamps! Please. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saddlemomma Posted July 31, 2014 Share Posted July 31, 2014 There are all kinds of hens. You can get just laying hens, dual purpose hens (meat + layers), meat birds, or show birds. It depends upon the purpose for getting hens. We tried meat birds, but it just wasn't worth it, plus it was very sad to watch. Meat birds have been genetically modified to put on weight quickly. They get to be a huge size and ready to butcher at 6 months. During that time the birds become so large that their legs give out, and they can no longer walk. Some of the birds die prior to being butchered because they simply can't move to get to the feed and water. We will never do meat birds again. We stick to layers. We have tried several different breeds. We have found Orpingtons the best when we had small children, as they are more docile. They are considered a dual purpose bird, but we just used them as layers. However, we didn't consider them great layers. Bard Rocks are okay, Rhode Island Reds are better still, but we have found that the absolute best layers have been white leghorns. They start laying at 5 months (earlier than the standard 6 months) and produce heavily all year - even in winter. They have been the most prolific and reliable hens for us, since we like to sell our extra eggs. We try to keep 12 hens going all the time (depending upon the fox predation and other mishaps). We order chicks every two years (from feed store) in the spring, as two years is usually when layer hens begin to wear out and egg production drops dramatically. We then butcher the older hens. Chicks are housed in a pen in our well house under a heat lamp. They are fed a medicated mash until they are old enough for crumbles. When we get a mixture of chicks and ducklings, we DO NOT USE MEDICATED feed, as it would kill the ducklings. When the chicks have obtained their feathers, we move them outside to our mobile coop (figure on at least 2 sq. ft. per chicken for the size of your coop.) with an electric poultry fence that we can easily move as necessary: http://www.premier1supplies.com/poultry/species.php?source=google&gclid=CJ2NpOvM778CFQszaQodfJYAQQ We can't let our chickens free range due to all the foxes and coyotes, as well as the fact that I have 3 huge 60'x40' gardens they like to feast on if left out. Layer boxes are lined with straw and sprinkled with diatomaceous earth (to keep parasites at bay). Crushed oyster shells are occasionally mixed with feed to encourage strong shells in the eggs. In our area, it gets too cold during the winter to just leave them in a coop without a heat source. We therefore converted one of our 10'x11' horse stalls in our main barn into a coop and installed roosting bars and layer boxes. We built a tin roof over the stall and attached silver tin to the inside walls to reflect light. Then DH installed a hanging light with a 100w bulb capacity. He then sets a timer so the light will illuminate the stall for at least 12 hours a day (chickens need light to keep up egg production and this coop is completely enclosed and devoid of light). Next he built a light box with a hole in the top so a 5 gallon galvanized chicken waterer can sit on it, and the water doesn't freeze. (You can purchase the heat box rather than make one. We're just frugal, and I have an engineering DH who can make just about anything when he sees and studies it.) A 4 gallon hanging feeder is suspended from one of the 2x4s supporting the tin roof containing their layer pellets providing them with free choice food. We also throw cracked corn out for a treat each day when we check on them. Hay and fruit & veggie scraps are also sporadically thrown into the coop to help relieve boredom. Several times during the winter we'll go into the barn coop (we can almost stand up straight in it) and rake it out to clean it. We then sprinkle lime on the floor to help control odor and bacteria. I had 3/4" rubber mats down for the horses and just left them in there for the chickens. That way we can hose it out in the spring. Now, if you live in an area that is warmer than northern ME (many times it's -35 in the winter), you may be able to leave your chickens outside and bypass all that extra work. Edited to say: We do have lights in the coop, but they are not heat lamps. The coop is enclosed in tin and the floor is rubber mats. Plus, we are home together all day (DH works from home). We check the barn in the winter 2x a day - morning and evening. HTH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SadieMarie Posted July 31, 2014 Share Posted July 31, 2014 http://www.mypetchicken.com/chicken-breeds/which-breed-is-right-for-me.aspx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luckymom Posted July 31, 2014 Author Share Posted July 31, 2014 Thank you for all of the great replies! We do want egg-laying hens; they will not be used for meat. And we do not want roosters. The coop and fenced in area for the hens is large but not covered. It will be very cold in the winter: -20 to 40F for six months. I will skip the incubator. Thanks again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 31, 2014 Share Posted July 31, 2014 If you have no cover on your run, predators are more likely to be a problem. We have a chicken-wire top over our run. Also, it isn't good for their feet to walk on snow and ice. They can get frost bite and they are not smart about avoiding it. This past winter, I shoveled snow out of the run. Despite what was said against it up-thread, I use a heat lamp when it is less than 20F. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KungFuPanda Posted August 1, 2014 Share Posted August 1, 2014 I know nothing about chickens, but DS and I saw a Jersey Giant rooster at the zoo today. DS fell in love with him. We were joking that when we get his sister off to college, we'll move to a farmette and have chickens for pets. (His sister has had an irrational fear of birds since toddlerhood.) I'm guessing that conversations like these is how this madness starts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fairfarmhand Posted August 1, 2014 Share Posted August 1, 2014 I know nothing about chickens, but DS and I saw a Jersey Giant rooster at the zoo today. DS fell in love with him. We were joking that when we get his sister off to college, we'll move to a farmette and have chickens for pets. (His sister has had an irrational fear of birds since toddlerhood.) I'm guessing that conversations like these is how this madness starts. oh yes. You are so right. My next breed of hen will be Jersey Giants. Right now, I have Austrolorps, a few Dominques (I really like these) a cross bred hen and a few Rhode Islands. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlsdMama Posted August 1, 2014 Share Posted August 1, 2014 If it's in the budget I would start with adult hens, absolutely! Look at Iowa Blues.... I'm partial. ;) We are incubating currently however it's not cost effective. we're doing it purely for fun and education. You have to plan on about a sixty percent hatch if you're lucky with home 'bator, then half those will be roosters, which you'll need to do away with or find a home for. If you want purebred chickens, eggs will cost you a lot and probably need to be shipped which will also lower your hatch. Note, if you are on Facebook, type in your state and chickens. Chances are good that there is a group around you. This is a great resource for finding hens, eggs, chicks, information, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shawthorne44 Posted August 1, 2014 Share Posted August 1, 2014 I know nothing about chickens, but DS and I saw a Jersey Giant rooster at the zoo today. DS fell in love with him. We were joking that when we get his sister off to college, we'll move to a farmette and have chickens for pets. (His sister has had an irrational fear of birds since toddlerhood.) I'm guessing that conversations like these is how this madness starts. Speaking of chicken madness ... I present ... http://www.chickendiapers.com/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cera Posted August 1, 2014 Share Posted August 1, 2014 One thing we learned the hard way, chickens will eat just about any plant if you let them free range. Ours made it through over a hundred dollars of perennials in a matter of hours the first time I left them in the yard unsupervised. You definitely need a top on the run, both to keep the chickens in and the predators out (ours can fly quite a few feet into the air). Also, we have chosen to keep one rooster to protect the chickens. He is a bit of a pain (loud and it took a lot to train him not to attack people) but he is overall worth it. Plus, nothing is funnier than watching the rooster chase the cat or neighbors dog across the yard when they get too close to the coop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Χά�ων Posted August 1, 2014 Share Posted August 1, 2014 I have free range hens and to be honest I am amazed that they are eating everything in sight. Our hens eat bugs. They do not bother our gardens, the crops next door or anything else. They did dig a small area to take dirt baths in, but that is the extent of damage. This makes me wonder how much land are your hens free ranging on? We have 20 acres. I imagine if they only had a smaller area they would cause more damage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 1, 2014 Share Posted August 1, 2014 I have free range hens and to be honest I am amazed that they are eating everything in sight. Our hens eat bugs. They do not bother our gardens, the crops next door or anything else. They did dig a small area to take dirt baths in, but that is the extent of damage. This makes me wonder how much land are your hens free ranging on? We have 20 acres. I imagine if they only had a smaller area they would cause more damage. I am not the poster you asked, but my hens do major damage to plants and flower beds. I was thinking of putting them in my veg. Garden, so they could clean up bugs, but I am afraid they will destroy my tomatoes or something. We have ten acres, though most of this is area they never cover. They have eaten up Hostas, though, and scratched up flower bulbs, and thrown mulch all over kingdom come. I also had flowers in a big pot. They destroyed them by nesting in the flower pot. None of these are big issues; i don't have priceless flowers in the yard, but it does annoy me when they go around to the front, because they trash the sidewalk.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Χά�ων Posted August 1, 2014 Share Posted August 1, 2014 I am not the poster you asked, but my hens do major damage to plants and flower beds. I was thinking of putting them in my veg. Garden, so they could clean up bugs, but I am afraid they will destroy my tomatoes or something. We have ten acres, though most of this is area they never cover. They have eaten up Hostas, though, and scratched up flower bulbs, and thrown mulch all over kingdom come. I also had flowers in a big pot. They destroyed them by nesting in the flower pot. None of these are big issues; i don't have priceless flowers in the yard, but it does annoy me when they go around to the front, because they trash the sidewalk.. Soo I have specially trained, well behaved hens? Ours wander pretty far to be honest. They love the solar array, hanging out under the RV and hanging out under my parent front porch. And following my mom around as she mows. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 1, 2014 Share Posted August 1, 2014 Soo I have specially trained, well behaved hens? Ours wander pretty far to be honest. They love the solar array, hanging out under the RV and hanging out under my parent front porch. And following my mom around as she mows. You must have followed the program, "Growing Hens God's Way." ;) They were starting to wander rather far, when Florence wandered through a hole in the fence to the dog's yard. That was the end of Florence. After that, I stopped letting them range so far. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Χά�ων Posted August 1, 2014 Share Posted August 1, 2014 You must have followed the program, "Growing Hens God's Way." ;) They were starting to wander rather far, when Florence wandered through a hole in the fence to the dog's yard. That was the end of Florence. After that, I stopped letting them range so far. Poor Florence. :( We came close to losing DS's favorite hen that same way. I had walked outside to tell DS I was leaving when I heard the commotion and was able to get to the dogs and hen and save her. We put her in the house for a few hours to recover from her shock and then booted her back out. So far she has stayed out but it has only been a few weeks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TracyP Posted August 1, 2014 Share Posted August 1, 2014 I am not the poster you asked, but my hens do major damage to plants and flower beds. I was thinking of putting them in my veg. Garden, so they could clean up bugs, but I am afraid they will destroy my tomatoes or something. We have ten acres, though most of this is area they never cover. They have eaten up Hostas, though, and scratched up flower bulbs, and thrown mulch all over kingdom come. I also had flowers in a big pot. They destroyed them by nesting in the flower pot. None of these are big issues; i don't have priceless flowers in the yard, but it does annoy me when they go around to the front, because they trash the sidewalk.. I thought having mine in the garden was a good idea, but last week they ate an entire row of romaine. :crying: Beware letting them in the garden... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fairfarmhand Posted August 1, 2014 Share Posted August 1, 2014 I am not the poster you asked, but my hens do major damage to plants and flower beds. I was thinking of putting them in my veg. Garden, so they could clean up bugs, but I am afraid they will destroy my tomatoes or something. We have ten acres, though most of this is area they never cover. They have eaten up Hostas, though, and scratched up flower bulbs, and thrown mulch all over kingdom come. I also had flowers in a big pot. They destroyed them by nesting in the flower pot. None of these are big issues; i don't have priceless flowers in the yard, but it does annoy me when they go around to the front, because they trash the sidewalk.. How much damage a chicken does to landscaping depends on a lot of factors. Our coop is located quite a distance from the house. They aren't too bad about coming up here and eating stuff although they will from time to time. I found that the more "heritage" breeds are less likely to hang out by the house because they are better foragers. The high egg laying breeds tend to sit by the house, looking for pet food, and scratching flower beds. We put in pea gravel and it massively minimized the mulch throwing. In fact, I don't think they like it at all. Also, our area is mostly field with no big bushes and treelines for quite a ways. This keeps predators at bay and I think the chickens feel that freedom because they can see for a long way. They will completely destroy your tomatoes. I fence certain plants in the garden, tomatoes, peppers, etc. because the chickens beat me to them. I also keep the hens penned up right after I've planted until sprouting because they will scratch up every stupid corn, sunflower and bean seed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest hippiechickie Posted August 1, 2014 Share Posted August 1, 2014 My chickens also make a big mess, and we live on 5 acres. They like to eat the hostas. and dig in the mulch. When we had a garden, we had to put a "scare-crow" sensor water sprayer to keep them out of the garden. They poop EVERYWHERE. That said, I love my chickens. Last week we had a neighborhood dog get into our yard and killed two of our chickens, injured a third, and scared another really badly. It has been devastating for me. Backyard chickens forum is a great place to gather information! We have all types of chickens, but our favorites are the buff orpington and the australorps. We have EEers, marans (we had a blue and several black, but these are the ones that got killed), wyandottes (wouldn't recommend unless you are getting a roo to help keep the peace among hens, they are fiesty), barred rock, australorps, buff orpingtons, and we also have some bantams that we love as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KungFuPanda Posted August 2, 2014 Share Posted August 2, 2014 Speaking of chicken madness ... I present ... http://www.chickendiapers.com/ I learned of this site here because I am a Well Trained Mom. I informed the aforementioned zoo keeper about that website. He had no idea. The more you know . . . WHAT is with the chicken sexism? It seems unnatural. Is there no good way to deal with the roosters? In the wild (pretend that's a thing) would they just have a rooster thunderdome until only one alpha rooster is left? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Χά�ων Posted August 2, 2014 Share Posted August 2, 2014 Roosters are fryers. You eat them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori D. Posted August 2, 2014 Share Posted August 2, 2014 Just in case someone is listening in who lives in a very different climate/urban setting than most of those who have already responded… A southwestern desert dweller here. My next door neighbor has backyard chickens, and I've spent much of the last 2 summers caring for them while their family is gone for weeks at a time. We live in the middle of a good-sized city neighborhood (houses sit on lots that are about 1/4 to 1/3 of an acre in size), and City ordinances limit the maximum number of backyard chickens to no more than 12 birds per home -- and really, unless you are giving over your entire backyard to them, it is best for the chickens to limit your flock to 4-6 birds if you don't have much space. City ordinances also prohibit roosters within City limits (due to their loud noises), so you can ONLY have hens here. We are in a very HOT climate (like, 105˚ for the month at a time), and Buff Orpingtons do NOT do well with heat; however Barred Rock, Rhode Island Reds, and Leghorns do quite well, and, while they have been a little bit more "needy" of special treatment, my neighbor has also had pretty good luck with her 2 Ameraucana. Typically hens start laying at about 4 months, and lay for 2 years, with breaks in the cycle for molting or slow-down for very hot or very cold weather. In our city, you either buy chicks (from a few weeks old up to several months old) from the local feed store, or buy adult hens from other chicken owners. My neighbor currently has 6 hens; 2 are almost 4 years old and still laying -- about 3 eggs a week for each! The younger hens lay an egg a day, about 5-6 days out of every week. Here, due to our extremely hot summers, it is better to get chicks in the fall, so they are grown and laying by very early spring, as the heat does reduce egg production. And yes, if you don't fence off your garden, they will decimate it. They also turn the ground into powdery-dust with all their scratching and pecking and dust baths. Having lots of trees, vines, and bushes for shade, and drip irrigation to make cool damp spots is ideal for hens living in hot climates. The hens also like standing on bricks that are sitting in a shallow tub of clean water in the shade to cool their toes. I've had a great time with my neighbor's chickens, and hope someday to have my own little flock of 4-6 hens! I'd love to try raising them from tiny chicks. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fairfarmhand Posted August 2, 2014 Share Posted August 2, 2014 Just in case someone is listening in who lives in a very different climate/urban setting than most of those who have already responded… A southwestern desert dweller here. My next door neighbor has backyard chickens, and I've spent much of the last 2 summers caring for them while their family is gone for weeks at a time. We live in the middle of a good-sized city neighborhood (houses sit on lots that are about 1/4 to 1/3 of an acre in size), and City ordinances limit the maximum number of backyard chickens to no more than 12 birds per home -- and really, unless you are giving over your entire backyard to them, it is best for the chickens to limit your flock to 4-6 birds if you don't have much space. City ordinances also prohibit roosters within City limits (due to their loud noises), so you can ONLY have hens here. We are in a very HOT climate (like, 105˚ for the month at a time), and Buff Orpingtons do NOT do well with heat; however Barred Rock, Rhode Island Reds, and Leghorns do quite well, and, while they have been a little bit more "needy" of special treatment, my neighbor has also had pretty good luck with her 2 Ameraucana. Typically hens start laying at about 4 months, and lay for 2 years, with breaks in the cycle for molting or slow-down for very hot or very cold weather. In our city, you either buy chicks (from a few weeks old up to several months old) from the local feed store, or buy adult hens from other chicken owners. My neighbor currently has 6 hens; 2 are almost 4 years old and still laying -- about 3 eggs a week for each! The younger hens lay an egg a day, about 5-6 days out of every week. Here, due to our extremely hot summers, it is better to get chicks in the fall, so they are grown and laying by very early spring, as the heat does reduce egg production. And yes, if you don't fence off your garden, they will decimate it. They also turn the ground into powdery-dust with all their scratching and pecking and dust baths. Having lots of trees, vines, and bushes for shade, and drip irrigation to make cool damp spots is ideal for hens living in hot climates. The hens also like standing on bricks that are sitting in a shallow tub of clean water in the shade to cool their toes. I've had a great time with my neighbor's chickens, and hope someday to have my own little flock of 4-6 hens! I'd love to try raising them from tiny chicks. :) You sound like a wonderful neighbor. If you ever want to try intense heat, with humidity, you can move into my neighborhood. (I live in TN) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PollyOR Posted August 2, 2014 Share Posted August 2, 2014 They poop EVERYWHERE. That said, I love my chickens. This! Lol! We only have three girls and I adore them. Shortly after bringing them home, I bought gardening clogs just to wear in the backyard. I call them my "poop shoes." I kick them off by the back door so I don't track poop through the house. If only the rest of the family were so careful. Definitely check out backyardchickens.com forum. There are threads for different states which can give you a good idea of how folks in your area deal with the weather, etc. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PollyOR Posted August 2, 2014 Share Posted August 2, 2014 We've only had our girls for three months, so I don't have much advice except this ... have a plan for re-homing roosters. We started out with five chickens with a guarantee that 90% would be female. Two out of the five ended up being roosters which we aren't allowed to have. One of our boys started crowing quite early 7/8 weeks. It was super stressful trying to find homes for them. We were able to find a home for our ornamental Sebright, but I had to beg our adult daughter to butcher our very sweet Dominique. She knew he was a favorite and it made it super stressful for her. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
imagine.more Posted August 2, 2014 Share Posted August 2, 2014 Backyard Chickens is a great site for information! We just got hens this spring and love it! We got 6 day-old chicks at Tractor Supply, kept them inside until the temperatures were consistently above 40 degrees night and day (around early June) and then put them in the coop my DH built under the kids' playhouse. It's got a big covered coop with doors and windows and a perch for roosting at night and 2 nesting boxes. Then the run is under the playhouse and is about 7 x 7. We got White Leghorns and so far they are great with our 4 kids (ages 1-12). A skunk got in and killed 3 of them (horrible traumatic, make sure your run is 150% animal proof!) and so we replaced some with 2 Maran hens, which are nice and lay eggs regularly already since they are older. We fed them chick feed for the first 16 weeks and then switched to laying hen food since our two older ones are laying. They also eat grass, bugs, etc. We throw grass clippings and some vegetable leftovers to them and occasionally hang a head of lettuce from the top of the run and they love to munch on that. Very cheap and easy to feed! We also have a waterer hanging from the ceiling of the coop so it's away from the shavings. Our coop has a linoleum floor on the bottom so we can scrape it out easily and we fill it with shavings. The run was grass but that turned to dirt so we added sand and now it's all sand, which they hated for a few days but love now. They roll around and take dust baths daily :) With 2 hens we get 10 eggs a week. Once they're all laying (the Leghorns should be slightly more prolific) we should get 2-3 dozen a week. The Marans cluck when they lay, as if to show off, lol! So we always know when to check :) We haven't even successfully kept a garden but the chickens are so easy to keep. We love them, the kids love them, the neighbors love them. We live in a city on a typical city lot but they fit in just fine. They're cute, friendly, no noisier than the song birds in our yard, and pretty low maintenance. Our 3 year old picks them up, our 1 year old tries but they run away from her, lol! We feed and water daily, pet daily, and once every 2 weeks we clear out the shavings and rake up the sand in the run and hose it down. If we ever get land I'd happily have a dozen hens and let them free range more too. If you want to see our coop on the day we moved the hens outside here it is: http://planningonit.blogspot.com/2014/05/moving-dayfor-chickens.html I have a few more blog posts on the chickens and at least one with pics of our two newest additions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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