Raising chickens

[WiseOwlKnits]

I finally talked my DH into letting us have a couple of hens so I'm turning to the Hive for help! I had chickens as a child that I cared for as a chore, but never raised them from chicks or been solely responsible for them. We want them solely for eggs and as pets...we won't be killing them for meat. Those of you with more chick experience, please help!

 

- How do I get hens? We can't have roosters in the city.

- DD *really* wants chickens that lay brown or green/blue eggs. What sort of chicken should I be looking for?

- How long (approx.) till they start laying eggs?

- Anything specific I should know about baby chicks?

- How many chickens should we get to start? I was thinking 2 or 3, but I don't want to be swamped in eggs...or do I? :lol:

 

We have a couple of feed stores near us that have big pens of chicks in the spring where you can just walk in and get however many you want. I've never asked or looked to see if they're sexed or what...is that the best place to go for chicks or should I look on Craigslist or somewhere else? (Anyone in the Austin area on here selling chicks this spring?) :D

[Heather in OK]

:lurk5:

 

Researching here too.

 

I came across this website yesterday that was pretty helpful:

http://www.backyardchickens.com/

[fairfarmhand]

1. you can purchase hens that are sexed. They are more expensive, but then you get no roosters.

 

2. Americana's/ Auracanas are the blue egg layers. Brown eggers that are gentle and quiet are Buff Orpingtons, one of my favorite breeds of chickens.

 

3. 6 months till they start laying.

 

4. Key to baby chicks...keep them warm under a brooder lamp. After that it's not that complicated.

 

5. I have 9 hens 2 roosters. We go through a 50 lb sack of feed about every 3 weeks. In the summer we will have more eggs than we use, but for winter that is about right. The non-white egg layers will lay usually an egg every other day.

[Liz CA]

farmhand said it all - just wanted to add that Australorps are brown layers and they are very gentle as well (big birds) and lay reliably.

I have been able to get hens from our local feed store. They were already mature so no problem telling a hen from a rooster.

[kokotg]

 

- How do I get hens? We can't have roosters in the city.

 

You can order them through the mail, buy them at a feed store in the spring, or look on Craigslist or somewhere and buy them locally. I've ordered from Ideal and from My Pet Chicken (I believe they get their chicks from Meyer???), and had pretty good experiences with both. I think the main advantage of ordering from a hatchery is that you can get exactly what you want as far as breeds. And they'll sex them for you; locally bought chickens are more likely to be straight run (a mix of males and females).

 

- DD *really* wants chickens that lay brown or green/blue eggs. What sort of chicken should I be looking for?

 

There are TONS of breeds that lay brown eggs. We have a Buff Orpington, two New Hampshire Reds, a Plymouth Rock, and a Cuckoo Maran for brown egg layers. Of these, the Buff Orpington is probably my favorite. She's very calm and sensible, reliable layer, good for kids. The Cuckoo Maran lays darker brown eggs. I'm not crazy about ours; she's not very friendly, and she's not a reliable layer (I have a thread on here where she wasn't laying at all; she suddenly started again a few weeks ago and now lays an egg almost every day. who knows how long it will last, though).

 

We have two Easter Eggers that lay green eggs. Easter Eggers (a lot of hatcheries will call them Ameracaunas or some variation) are sort of a mutt version of an Araucana, which is a rarer breed.

 

- How long (approx.) till they start laying eggs?

 

around 5-6 months

 

- Anything specific I should know about baby chicks?

 

they have to stay somewhere really warm until they get all their feathers. We kept ours in the basement, with a heat lamp on 24/7.

 

- How many chickens should we get to start? I was thinking 2 or 3, but I don't want to be swamped in eggs...or do I? :lol:

 

You can always find someone to give/sell eggs to! We started with 5; we have 9 now. I would definitely get at least 3; that way if you lose one (not rare with baby chicks), you'll still have at least two. Chickens aren't happy without chicken friends.

 

Have fun! Chickens are great :D

[gardening momma]

Question for anyone who does raise chickens--do they need daily care or can you go out of town for a couple of days (or more) without having someone to come check on them?

[kristavws]

:lurk5:

 

Researching here too.

 

I came across this website yesterday that was pretty helpful:

http://www.backyardchickens.com/

 

This is a great site. I would also recommend picking up a copy of Storey's Guide to Raising Chickens - http://www.amazon.com/Storeys-Guide-Raising-Chickens-Facilities/dp/158017325X/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1295053699&sr=8-2 . It will walk you through everything.

 

Krista

[kristavws]

Question for anyone who does raise chickens--do they need daily care or can you go out of town for a couple of days (or more) without having someone to come check on them?

 

If you have large enough feeders and waters, you can definitely go a couple of days without having to worry about feeding or watering them. The bigger issue would be predators - coyotes, coons, etc. We always let our chickens out in the morning to free-range and lock them up in the evening (they come into their house on their own). If you had a yard around their shelter that was secure, it might work, but many predators will climb fences.

 

Krista

[fairfarmhand]

Question for anyone who does raise chickens--do they need daily care or can you go out of town for a couple of days (or more) without having someone to come check on them?

 

 

I have a boy I pay to come check on them. If they had enough food and water and adequate space this would not be an issue.

[kokotg]

Question for anyone who does raise chickens--do they need daily care or can you go out of town for a couple of days (or more) without having someone to come check on them?

 

I would leave mine for a weekend, but probably no longer than that. Just because they tend to make a mess with their food and water (and sometimes manage to knock it over).

[Denise in Florida]

We bought our first chickens last spring. We got them at the feed store and they were separated by sex (90% accuracy according to the clerk).

 

We bought a heat bulb (already had the lamp), some chick starter feed and a waterer (a mason jar upside down in a dish). We kept them in at night until the weather was warm (I put them in an old guinea pig cage and put them in the family room :lol:).

 

I put the cage next to the dog's crate at night and they seemed to bond. At least the dog has never tried to hurt them.

 

When they were teen age sized chickens I move them into a rabbit hutch. They are loose in the yard during the day and in the hutch at night.

 

They did not start to lay eggs until around 6 months old I think. I also switched their feed to 'layer' feed.

 

I have 3 hens and usually get 2 or 3 eggs a day. This is just right for us, we don't eat breakfast so the eggs go into cooking and occasional hardboiled eggs.

 

I have 2 black wyandottes they lay a brown egg and a specked brown egg each day (I don't know which lays which :001_smile:). I also have a Plymoth Rock White that lays a white egg.

 

I highly recommend the back yard chicken link the pp mentioned.

 

We have had a bunch of fun with our girls but they do poop all over. It seems like chickens create their body weight in poop every day. :glare:

 

Hope this helps.

[SeekingSimplicity]

 

- How do I get hens? We can't have roosters in the city.

 

Check with your local feed store/ co-op. If they don't sell them there, they may know local people who sell chicks.

- DD *really* wants chickens that lay brown or green/blue eggs. What sort of chicken should I be looking for?

 

Easter Eggers or Americanas

 

- How long (approx.) till they start laying eggs?

 

I think if varies by breed

 

- Anything specific I should know about baby chicks?

- How many chickens should we get to start? I was thinking 2 or 3, but I don't want to be swamped in eggs...or do I? :lol:

 

A good layer (like my Rhode Island Reds) will lay about 1 egg a day. So 2-3 hens will be about 2-3 eggs a day, as long as they're producing. My birds all molt during the fall/winter, so we only get eggs in the spring and summer, with an odd egg here or there during winter. Certain breeds don't molt, and there are also breeds that are winter layers.

here's a chart for comparison

http://www.ithaca.edu/staff/jhenderson/chooks/chooks.html

 

Take predators into consideration also, and the fact that sometimes chicks just die. If you're able to get more than a couple, it might be a good idea in case you loose some.

 

 

:001_smile:

[fairfarmhand]

If you light the henhouse, the hens will lay all winter, but not quite as well.

[SeekingSimplicity]

Question for anyone who does raise chickens--do they need daily care or can you go out of town for a couple of days (or more) without having someone to come check on them?

 

During an emergency once, I had to leave mine unattended for a week. BUt they free range, and were able to hunt for food. There's also natural sources of water.

[WiseOwlKnits]

If you have large enough feeders and waters, you can definitely go a couple of days without having to worry about feeding or watering them. The bigger issue would be predators - coyotes, coons, etc. We always let our chickens out in the morning to free-range and lock them up in the evening (they come into their house on their own). If you had a yard around their shelter that was secure, it might work, but many predators will climb fences.

 

Krista

 

They can't fly over a 6' fence, right? Our yard is fairly secure and my plan was for them to be free during the day as long as they wouldn't try to escape. :)

[gardening momma]

:001_smile:

Originally Posted by Hill Country Classical Academy

 

A good layer (like my Rhode Island Reds) will lay about 1 egg a day. So 2-3 hens will be about 2-3 eggs a day, as long as they're producing. My birds all molt during the fall/winter, so we only get eggs in the spring and summer, with an odd egg here or there during winter. Certain breeds don't molt, and there are also breeds that are winter layers.

here's a chart for comparison

http://www.ithaca.edu/staff/jhenders...ks/chooks.html

Looked at the chart...what does "brooding" mean? On that section of the chart there was: occasional brooder, non-setter, can be broody, etc...

 

Just thinking of this as a possibility, since we would like to move in the next few months, and are looking at places with land. I doubt dh would want chickens where we are now, but with a larger lot, maybe.

[LuvingLife]

We have chickens and they are amazing. I love them so much, like what they do for us and everything, not as a pet or anything.:001_smile: There are so many websites that you can go on that will definitely help you with this, and I would share my own experiences, but right now I have to get off and go get ready for bed soon. Long day for me tomorrow, maybe if I get the chance I will post my experiences with chickens!

[fairfarmhand]

Looked at the chart...what does "brooding" mean? On that section of the chart there was: occasional brooder, non-setter, can be broody, etc...

 

Just thinking of this as a possibility, since we would like to move in the next few months, and are looking at places with land. I doubt dh would want chickens where we are now, but with a larger lot, maybe.

 

brooding is when they get in the mood to sit on eggs. You can get them out of the mood by confining them in a brightly lit spot w/no nesting material. But they don't lay when they are broody and it can be a pain if you have to break their broodiness too often.

[Liz CA]

They can't fly over a 6' fence, right? Our yard is fairly secure and my plan was for them to be free during the day as long as they wouldn't try to escape. :)

 

If you live in an area where are few flying predators, i.e turkey vultures and the like you may be okay with no "roof" over the chicken area. In our neck of the woods I would not chance it.

[elise1mds]

They can't fly over a 6' fence, right? Our yard is fairly secure and my plan was for them to be free during the day as long as they wouldn't try to escape. :)

 

They *CAN,* especially if they have something - for example, a waterer - to stand on top of. I will occasionally look outside to see a lone marauder strutting around the yard and taunting the others. But it doesn't happen often and only because they don't like being in the small yard around their coop and prefer to roam my entire backyard instead. I have only found one in the front yard once, and she hasn't tried it again... and we only have a regular chainlink fence around the back yard in general.

 

All my chickens lay brown eggs. We have Australorps, Rhode Island Reds, and Barred Rock Plymouths. The BRPs are my favorite and also the tamest. One of them will come and sit on my husband's lap if he's outside. We ordered them from a web site that sexed them for us. They lived in a large aquarium with a heat lamp till they were old enough to go outside and live in the coop. I love my chicky-girls.

 

ETA that we have 11 hens and get between 8 and 10 eggs a day, even now. I do sell some of the extras.

[fairfarmhand]

They can't fly over a 6' fence, right? Our yard is fairly secure and my plan was for them to be free during the day as long as they wouldn't try to escape. :)

 

 

you might want to let them out there after they are adult sized, but as baby chicks they will get lost. My hens can perch on a 6 foot fence. But they know where their home is and they come back. Would it annoy neighbors to have hens running around? You may want bantams (miniature) chickens.

[kristavws]

They can't fly over a 6' fence, right? Our yard is fairly secure and my plan was for them to be free during the day as long as they wouldn't try to escape. :)

 

 

Yes, they can, although I do not think they would try unless they were frightened or something. We actually had one that flew up on our roof one time. Granted it was being chased by our Bassett Hound, who does kill chickens on occasion, so I suppose it was motivated to get away. Make sure you do not have a board on the top of the fence, or they will definitely get out. They will fly up and land on it, and go from it to the ground

 

A coon would not think twice about climbing a 6-ft fence.

 

Krista

[fairfarmhand]

Yes, they can!! We actually had one that flew up on our roof one time. Granted it was being chased by our Bassett Hound, who does kill chickens on occasion, so I suppose it was motivated to get away.

 

A coon would not think twice about climbing a 6-ft fence.

 

Krista

 

 

if you want them to survive you could let them out in the fence during the day and shut them up tight in a safe place at night. Opossums and raccoons love chicken dinners.

[kristavws]

Looked at the chart...what does "brooding" mean? On that section of the chart there was: occasional brooder, non-setter, can be broody, etc...

 

Just thinking of this as a possibility, since we would like to move in the next few months, and are looking at places with land. I doubt dh would want chickens where we are now, but with a larger lot, maybe.

 

A brooding hen will sit on the eggs and hatch out chicks.

 

Krista

[kokotg]

Mine are in a 6 foot fence (well, at night they're locked up in the coop; but during the day they're free in the yard). They can definitely get over it when they're young; we only have one who tried to get over more than once or twice, though. She's one we added to the flock later, so she wasn't very comfortable with the other chickens. She flew over the fence over and over, so we finally had to clip her wing feathers (which is pretty easy; we just watched a video online and then did it). I'm hoping she'll be over her wanderlust by the time they grow back in and we won't have to keep doing it. In general, though, IME even if chickens CAN get out of their usual area, they don't want to. They're very much creatures of habit. I have a couple of hens from breeds with reputations for flightiness and wandering, and even those two are perfectly content to stay in the yard.

[zaichiki]

We have a slew of chickens -- lots of different breeds. Some breeds are better fliers than others. I've noticed that our Marans, Orpingtons, New Hampshires, and Polishes never try to fly over the 6 ft. fence (not even the 4 ft. fence). The Dark Cornishes, some of the Americaunas (mixed breeds), and a couple of the red layer hybrids fly fairly well. The bantams are fabulous fliers. We also have a couple of really flighty breeds (like the Golden Penciled Hamburg) that the kids have raised for 4H. They're over and off ranging fairly frequently.

 

The pp who mentioned clipping a few primary wing feathers is spot on. It's easy and doesn't hurt them.

 

Enjoy your new chickens!

[WiseOwlKnits]

You can order them through the mail, buy them at a feed store in the spring, or look on Craigslist or somewhere and buy them locally. I've ordered from Ideal and from My Pet Chicken (I believe they get their chicks from Meyer???), and had pretty good experiences with both. I think the main advantage of ordering from a hatchery is that you can get exactly what you want as far as breeds. And they'll sex them for you; locally bought chickens are more likely to be straight run (a mix of males and females).

 

Thanks! Ideal isn't too far from us, actually! I definitely don't want straight run since can't have boys.

 

There are TONS of breeds that lay brown eggs. We have a Buff Orpington, two New Hampshire Reds, a Plymouth Rock, and a Cuckoo Maran for brown egg layers. Of these, the Buff Orpington is probably my favorite. She's very calm and sensible, reliable layer, good for kids. The Cuckoo Maran lays darker brown eggs. I'm not crazy about ours; she's not very friendly, and she's not a reliable layer (I have a thread on here where she wasn't laying at all; she suddenly started again a few weeks ago and now lays an egg almost every day. who knows how long it will last, though).

 

We have two Easter Eggers that lay green eggs. Easter Eggers (a lot of hatcheries will call them Ameracaunas or some variation) are sort of a mutt version of an Araucana, which is a rarer breed.

 

And it's OK to mix types of chickens? So we could get 1-2 Buff Orpingtons and 1-2 Ameracaunas?

 

they have to stay somewhere really warm until they get all their feathers. We kept ours in the basement, with a heat lamp on 24/7.

 

This is the part DD is most excited about. Chickens! In our house!! LOL!

 

You can always find someone to give/sell eggs to! We started with 5; we have 9 now. I would definitely get at least 3; that way if you lose one (not rare with baby chicks), you'll still have at least two. Chickens aren't happy without chicken friends.

 

Have fun! Chickens are great :D

 

That's a great point. I wasn't thinking about losing one, but we should definitely get an extra or 2. If they all make it, we can consider ourselves blessed.

[WiseOwlKnits]

1. you can purchase hens that are sexed. They are more expensive, but then you get no roosters.

 

2. Americana's/ Auracanas are the blue egg layers. Brown eggers that are gentle and quiet are Buff Orpingtons, one of my favorite breeds of chickens.

 

3. 6 months till they start laying.

 

4. Key to baby chicks...keep them warm under a brooder lamp. After that it's not that complicated.

 

5. I have 9 hens 2 roosters. We go through a 50 lb sack of feed about every 3 weeks. In the summer we will have more eggs than we use, but for winter that is about right. The non-white egg layers will lay usually an egg every other day.

 

How much does a 50 lb sack of feed cost you?

[WiseOwlKnits]

A good layer (like my Rhode Island Reds) will lay about 1 egg a day. So 2-3 hens will be about 2-3 eggs a day, as long as they're producing. My birds all molt during the fall/winter, so we only get eggs in the spring and summer, with an odd egg here or there during winter. Certain breeds don't molt, and there are also breeds that are winter layers.

here's a chart for comparison

http://www.ithaca.edu/staff/jhenders...ks/chooks.html:

 

That's a great website! Thanks!!

[WiseOwlKnits]

We have a slew of chickens -- lots of different breeds. Some breeds are better fliers than others. I've noticed that our Marans, Orpingtons, New Hampshires, and Polishes never try to fly over the 6 ft. fence (not even the 4 ft. fence). The Dark Cornishes, some of the Americaunas (mixed breeds), and a couple of the red layer hybrids fly fairly well. The bantams are fabulous fliers. We also have a couple of really flighty breeds (like the Golden Penciled Hamburg) that the kids have raised for 4H. They're over and off ranging fairly frequently.

 

The pp who mentioned clipping a few primary wing feathers is spot on. It's easy and doesn't hurt them.

 

Enjoy your new chickens!

 

Thanks!

[MamaSheep]

We don't have chickens (we're still in the kicking the idea around stage), but my kids and I have had a lot of fun with the breed selector at this site:

http://www.mypetchicken.com/chicken-breeds/which-breed-is-right-for-me.aspx

[Heather in OK]

So I have read that when they are older they slow down in egg production (don't we all..lol). I don't particularly want to use them for meat after they stop laying....so what would I do with them??

 

I would also recommend picking up a copy of Storey's Guide to Raising Chickens

Oh yes, I meant to link to that as well. Someone mentioned it to me and I have it on hold at the library. :)

[kokotg]

And it's OK to mix types of chickens? So we could get 1-2 Buff Orpingtons and 1-2 Ameracaunas?

 

 

Definitely. We have 7 different types--not a problem at all.

[kokotg]

So I have read that when they are older they slow down in egg production (don't we all..lol). I don't particularly want to use them for meat after they stop laying....so what would I do with them??

 

 

 

Well, either you eat them or you have some retired chickens roaming around. Or you could give them away to someone who doesn't mind doing the eating (older chickens, FWIU, aren't good fryer chickens; they're tough and are only good for stews and that type of thing). We're not really there yet with any of ours--our older hens just turned 3, and they're still laying very well--but we plan to just keep them around indefinitely. We figure we'll get 2-3 new chicks every few years so that we always have a good number that are laying well. My understanding is that they usually don't stop laying entirely until they're pretty old; they just slow down. So if you used to get 5-6 eggs a week from a 2 year old hen, maybe you'd get 2-3 from a 6 year old hen. It's pretty hard to get accurate information about how much older chickens lay and about chicken life expectancy (I've heard everything from 7-8 years up to 15 or 16) for obvious reasons--it's a fairly rare chicken who gets to die from old age.

[Peela]

I have 3 chooks and I have been considering getting more. I love them.

After opening this thread, I decided to track down some more chickens and have now spent the last hour on the computer and phone. I am off this afternoon to go and pick up some more chickens.

So, thanks for the inspiration.

[fairfarmhand]

How much does a 50 lb sack of feed cost you?

 

9 dollars and something at the co-op. Almost twelve at TSC.

[WiseOwlKnits]

I have 3 chooks and I have been considering getting more. I love them.

After opening this thread, I decided to track down some more chickens and have now spent the last hour on the computer and phone. I am off this afternoon to go and pick up some more chickens.

So, thanks for the inspiration.

 

Awww, post pics! :)

[SeekingSimplicity]

So I have read that when they are older they slow down in egg production (don't we all..lol). I don't particularly want to use them for meat after they stop laying....so what would I do with them??

 

 

Oh yes, I meant to link to that as well. Someone mentioned it to me and I have it on hold at the library. :)

 

 

One thing you can do is get chicks, raise them, but make sure you're hatching more chicks for later (or buy more for later). When flock 1 gets to be 18 mos you sell/give them away. But you have a new batch of chickens that are old enough to start laying. Start another batch of chickens. When flock 2 get to be 18 mos you sell them. Like rotating your stock.

[anneofalamo]

city girl here and chickens looked fun!

 

I was scared?

 

We found 4 free ones to be given away.

 

Hubby made chicken tractor out of an old crate and speaker boxes (for coops), and covered with chicken wire. Stuck some wheels off an old shopping cart and that served all year!!

Covered with tarp when it rained!

 

Rhode Island Reds-brown eggs, 3-4 a day all year round.

Come spring hubby is making a full fledged coop!

We are gonna have 10!

The roam free (lots of chicken poop in yard) we hose it down every other day in summer...:D

I can sit and talk to the girls they always agree with you, cluck at you like a best friend, and will eat the end of anything you have!

I love them!

[Heather in OK]

One thing you can do is get chicks, raise them, but make sure you're hatching more chicks for later (or buy more for later). When flock 1 gets to be 18 mos you sell/give them away. But you have a new batch of chickens that are old enough to start laying. Start another batch of chickens. When flock 2 get to be 18 mos you sell them. Like rotating your stock.

 

That is actually one thing I wondered about. Thanks!!

[Peela]

I have 3 chooks and I have been considering getting more. I love them.

After opening this thread, I decided to track down some more chickens and have now spent the last hour on the computer and phone. I am off this afternoon to go and pick up some more chickens.

So, thanks for the inspiration.

 

Awww, post pics! :)

 

I am home from picking up 4 new chickens! We have 3 isa browns already. I had such an adventure- the guy didnt turn up for an hour because he got caught in a traffic jam, so his parents showed me around the farm then fed me. It was fun! Chickens everywhere- all free range, all different types. Some chicks that had literally hatched a few hours before. One huge black and white hen with 15 chicks following her around!

So I got 2 black Australorps, 11 weeks od, a pretty brown bantam cross and something else I don't know, also brownish. They are gorgeous and i was lucky enough that when I got home there were teenage guests who helped me cart feed, chickens and hay to the backyard and made the new chooks very welcome.

So, thanks for the thread :001_smile:

[kristavws]

So I have read that when they are older they slow down in egg production (don't we all..lol). I don't particularly want to use them for meat after they stop laying....so what would I do with them??

:)

 

We just let ours retire here, but we have a large coop, and they free-range on 34-acres, so we have the space. I get a lot of enjoyment out of just watching and listening to the chickens, so I figure they are still earning their keep. I love waking up on a summer morning, and sitting out on my deck with a cup of coffee, watching the chickens running about.

 

Krista

[justamouse]

Just jumping onto say I'm jealous! I had to get rid of all my ladies last year when we moved. What a grand, wonderful adventure you're embarking on.

 

have you checked out www.madcitychickens.com ?

 

(I had Delawares and they were the sweetest, most gentle chickens I had had. And *prolific* egg layers. Not so much on the meat, but crazy amounts of eggs from them.)

Edited January 15, 2011 by justamouse