Anybody else have Chickens?

[cxg231]

Okay, so I don't know if this is a back-to-the-earth phase or what, but I decided to get some chickens for eggs and meat when they stop laying in a few years. I wanted to see if anyone else here has chickens! Tips would be appreciated.

Here are some pics of the coop that I built and the Chickens! In these pics they are about 3.5 weeks old, they will move into the coop when they are 5 or 6 weeks old.


~23 Day Old Chickens by cxg231, on Flickr


~23 Day Old Chickens by cxg231, on Flickr


~23 Day Old Chickens by cxg231, on Flickr


Raptor Enclosure (Chicken Coop) by cxg231, on Flickr


Raptor Enclosure (Chicken Coop) by cxg231, on Flickr

 

[seanusa]

If you want them for meat raise some fryers. Your layers would be OK to eat but not as tasty as the fryers

 

[OldSaw]

I like the looks of that coop. How much do you think it cost to build?

 

[Indigo3]

Looks like you're well on the way...I've kept chickens for a number of years and they tend to look after themselves.

Top tip - you can feed them back the eggshells which will help with calcium depletion/formation.

Wash out the remaning albumen and leave to dry out in the bottom of the oven, it'll then be very easy to crush by hand to the correct size and will make a good addition to their diet.

 

[cxg231]

If you want them for meat raise some fryers. Your layers would be OK to eat but not as tasty as the fryers

Yeah, I'm mostly in it for the eggs and the entertainment value. I'll probably eat them after they stop laying eggs, but the meat isn't a driving factor here.

I like the looks of that coop. How much do you think it cost to build?

All in, it was ~$350. I bought plans here:

http://catawabacoops.com/

Looks like you're well on the way...I've kept chickens for a number of years and they tend to look after themselves.

Top tip - you can feed them back the eggshells which will help with calcium depletion/formation.

Wash out the remaning albumen and leave to dry out in the bottom of the oven, it'll then be very easy to crush by hand to the correct size and will make a good addition to their diet.

Thanks! I've heard that you can crush the shells and feed them back to the chickens, but drying them out first seems pretty smart.

 

[VerbaVolant]

If they catch the taste, it will be difficult to convince them not to eat their own eggs. Ask me how I know...

 

[Taipan]

+1 on the egg eating. Don't encourage them!
I've kept hens for a few years now. Just got a few new pol hens to supplement my 'old girls'. If you wait to eat them when the stop laying, you could be waiting four or five years. They are most productive in their first year but then egg laying decreases gradually over time. Use wood shavings for bedding and add the spent bedding to your compost heap if you're a gardener.
Feed them on layers pellets, make sure they have access to clean water at all times, give them treats of green vegetation and get ready for the best tasting eggs you will ever have tasted.

 

[OldSaw]

Yeah, I'm mostly in it for the eggs and the entertainment value. I'll probably eat them after they stop laying eggs, but the meat isn't a driving factor here.




All in, it was ~$350. I bought plans here:

http://catawabacoops.com/




Thanks! I've heard that you can crush the shells and feed them back to the chickens, but drying them out first seems pretty smart.

Thanks for the link.

 

[KTGumby]

Looks you have a good setup. I'd be interested in hearing whether you have neighbors near by and if so whether you experience any problems with noise, etc. I'm considering a small coop but live in a subdivision and am worried about potential issues with the neighbors.

 

[cxg231]

If they catch the taste, it will be difficult to convince them not to eat their own eggs. Ask me how I know...

Ut oh...

+1 on the egg eating. Don't encourage them!

Looks like I may need to reconsider feeding them back their egg shells. More research is in order..

I've kept hens for a few years now. Just got a few new pol hens to supplement my 'old girls'. If you wait to eat them when the stop laying, you could be waiting four or five years. They are most productive in their first year but then egg laying decreases gradually over time. Use wood shavings for bedding and add the spent bedding to your compost heap if you're a gardener.
Feed them on layers pellets, make sure they have access to clean water at all times, give them treats of green vegetation and get ready for the best tasting eggs you will ever have tasted.

Thanks! Can't wait for the first eggs, hopefully sometime around Sept 1st.

Looks you have a good setup. I'd be interested in hearing whether you have neighbors near by and if so whether you experience any problems with noise, etc. I'm considering a small coop but live in a subdivision and am worried about potential issues with the neighbors.

I have one neighbor close by, the rest are at least 150 feet away from my yard. The coop I built is mobile so it will move around a few times a week to keep the chickens from destroying the grass and creating a smell by "depositing" in the same place for too long. Before getting my hens, I checked with my township on the legality of having chickens, and my closest neighbor is cool with it. So, time will tell, but I understand hens are usually pretty quiet, just don't get a rooster!

The link I posted above has some good advice on approaching the neighbors, and might be helpful to you.

 

[olschoolsteel]

At my last count, i have about 18 hens. 1 Little Bantam stud (too little to actually penetrate) And a Turkey Hen. I have a dedicated hen house. The are mostly free range, withing the fencing of my pasture. I get about 7-10 eggs a day. I have butchered my hens before and are only good for the crockpot to boil off the meat, then use the meat for soups. But they are always there for me if i get hungry. I have given my hens old egg shells with their scratch since the day they got here. I dont feed mine pellets as it more expensive than standard cracked corn and scratch, but if you ony have a few, its up to you. As far as eating their own eggs, they will anyway. Its instinctive in them. But its not like they lay an egg and turn around peck at it and gobble it down. For an example, if i find an egg on the wood pile or hidden under a trainer etc., i will throw it far and high. When it hits the ground and shatters, they will run and get it. I have had a few get cracked in their laying hutch and start to oooz and they never mess with it. They truely are raptors. Personnally, we have a large bowl on the counter labled "chicken scratch" Almost every bit of leftovers go in there including coffe grounds, cooked rice, lettuce, everything but meat. (the dog gets that) They will eat it all. It gives them more variety to eat and helps cut back on the grain bill. They mostly eat grass all day grab assing out in the pasture. Even picking the gain that passes out of the south end of my cow. There was a time not long ago that i wanted to keep my flock fresh and get rid of the oldies every yr. I quit that. I will keep them till they are old grannies now, as long as they are healthy and fit. If the bottom of that coop is not wood, they will eat the grass down in the spot it is in. And i mean down to the dirt. Then they will scratch it up to take a dirt bath, leaving small shallow holes. I would say if your intention is to move it, and id say it needs to be moved every 2-3 days, the problem with that is you will confuse them over time. It probly needs to stay in one place, shaded in the summer, warm in the winter. By the looks of those, you might not see any eggs until Oct. My anaolgy would be if you came home from work and your home wasnt where you left it...and had to drive up and down the road to find it... I didnt mean for this to turn out to be a sermon or anything, sorry if it has. Just passing on the things that i have learned. If you have any more questions, or want to know more how i deal with mine on a daily basis hit me up.

 

[john parker]

We kept chickens for eggs and meat on the farm when I was growing up. Calcium was supplied by oyster shells, precrushed.