Backyard Chickens?

Dragonborn

Dragonborn

Hot Topics Subscriber
Soooo... the new house has an old pig pen which I think would be great to house some chickens (3 or 4 would be fine) and I need some advice...... on everything.

Anyone wanna educate me? Or know much about having chickens? You would be my savior!

:anyone:


Bock, Bock
 
Having had chickens for twenty years free range they are easy to take care of. Always have fresh water and food for them. Make sure they have some sort of shade in hot weather. In colder months they need a well insulated house with a light or heat lamp.

Mine are free range. They go everywhere during the day, them at dusk go into their shacks.

Have fun with them!
 
MicheleM said:
Having had chickens for twenty years free range they are easy to take care of. Always have fresh water and food for them. Make sure they have some sort of shade in hot weather. In colder months they need a well insulated house with a light or heat lamp.

Mine are free range. They go everywhere during the day, them at dusk go into their shacks.

Have fun with them!
Click to expand...

What breed would you recommend for me? Ohios weather is cold in the winter & hot in the summer.... and can change within 10 minutes flat. I want eggs :) lots of eggies!
 
Dragonborn said:
Soooo... the new house has an old pig pen which I think would be great to house some chickens (3 or 4 would be fine) and I need some advice...... on everything.

Anyone wanna educate me? Or know much about having chickens? You would be my savior!

:anyone:


Bock, Bock
Click to expand...

I know nothing about raising chickens, but I read an article recently about people who get chickens for the first time. The article mentioned that hens lay for only two years, then the owner either has to keep it as a pet or put it in the pot. Many new owners don't want to do either, so they give it to an animal shelter, who doesn't want it, either, and the shelters are full of chickens.

On the plus side, I haven't bought eggs for many years because I know enough people who raise chickens. Chickens are zucchini with feathers and you'll have more eggs than you can eat.

Good luck with your project!
 
MicheleM said:
In colder months they need a well insulated house with a light or heat lamp.
Click to expand...
When I thought I wanted chickens, I read up on it a little because of the cold months especially. One of the things read was how the comb can freeze! :shock: I really worried about that part of it, but geez, MicheleM who get really cold in Canada! You must have this down to a T, huh? Can you expound on winter with chickens??
 
MyBuddy said:
Really? I didn't know that either! :shock: I wonder why that is??
Click to expand...

I read in articles about the chicken factories that the factory hens egg laying monitored for a batch. When the laying falls off for that batch of hens, they entire batch is sent for slaughter. ISE Farms has a chicken factory near me and I once drove behind a truck full of slaughtered chickens in pens. They were laid out three on each side of the pen with their heads sticking out between the bars. Very grotesque!

(ISE Farms also caught fire once - the stench of burnt chicken feathers and s**t could be smelled for miles around.)

I found the following when Bing'ing "chicken animal+shelter". Several shelters have chickens available and one site had this about finding a chicken to rescue - "Another option is to contact a local egg producer (find out where your local co-op buys them). It is a sad fact that "free range" hens are disposed of after they are only 18 months old and are sent to slaughter when their productivity drops."
 
Last edited:
obbanner said:
I know nothing about raising chickens, but I read an article recently about people who get chickens for the first time. The article mentioned that hens lay for only two years, then the owner either has to keep it as a pet or put it in the pot. Many new owners don't want to do either, so they give it to an animal shelter, who doesn't want it, either, and the shelters are full of chickens.

On the plus side, I haven't bought eggs for many years because I know enough people who raise chickens. Chickens are zucchini with feathers and you'll have more eggs than you can eat.

Good luck with your project!
Click to expand...


Thats not neccessarily true. There BEST egg laying years are for two years.. ive heard that many will still produce past that point... Anyways, they can still stay around :) i want them as pets too.
 
I have a white chicken a silkie cross she will be about 7 as we had her a while when we got Bella as a puppy she still lays not as much as she did but still get quite a few eggs off her she is sitting on some eggs at the moment so may get one or two chicks, chickens are very easy, food and water, mine are not spoiled like Michele's they have no heating of light, I have a rooster which is real :poop: and runs after Steve and Buddy but does not bother me or Bella:rofl:, Uk does not have any battery hens now:), feed mixed corn or layers pellets
 
Judith Whelan said:
I have a white chicken a silkie cross she will be about 7 as we had her a while when we got Bella as a puppy she still lays not as much as she did but still get quite a few eggs off her she is sitting on some eggs at the moment so may get one or two chicks, chickens are very easy, food and water, mine are not spoiled like Michele's they have no heating of light, I have a rooster which is real :poop: and runs after Steve and Buddy but does not bother me or Bella:rofl:, Uk does not have any battery hens now:), feed mixed corn or layers pellets
Click to expand...

Oh thats neat! :) how did u get ur silkie? as an egg or just a chick?
 
as a chick,she came into our garden from a neighbours and just stayed,he eggs are lovely nearly all yolk and not much white this is her sitting on eggs
4527641995_971b912e2a_z.jpg

the rest of the gang
7274940986_b4b5a10061_z.jpg

this is when she hatched two chicks
5619045708_e81b973a60_z.jpg
 
MyBuddy said:
Really? I didn't know that either! :shock: I wonder why that is??
Click to expand...


It depends on the type of chicken but yes after two years they do slow down. I have leghorns that are still laying almost every day and they are three years old.

When my chickens are two I put an ad in the paper and sell them as two year old laying hens and people buy them.

Leghorns, Rhode Island Reds, Bared Rocks, Brahmas are all good Laying hens. Arichana's are also great layers and lay green eggs. I would look for pullets ( young chickens ready to lay) for your farm.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

L
gingival hyperplasia
Replies
11
Views
411
Two Dobes
Two Dobes
B
Soft stool/diarrhea
Replies
7
Views
266
Ziva23
Z
Vlad
Is this breed bravery and loyalty like it used too?
2
Replies
26
Views
2K
Hollyvenus78
Hollyvenus78
Nordika
Playing with other dogs - opinions needed
Replies
18
Views
428
Nordika
Nordika
jazzies mum
Introducing Clancy
2 3 4
Replies
63
Views
2K
GennyB
GennyB

Back
Top