(04-20-2012, 05:44 PM)βαθμιαίος Wrote: We have six hens and they produce about five eggs/day. We use a movable pen, 3' high, 4' wide, 8' long that my children and I made out of 2" x 2" lumber and wrapped with chicken wire. There is a roof on one end for them to get out of the cold and hinged lids on either end, one for getting eggs and the other for feed and water.
They have a space about 20' x 60' that we rotate them through. They move every day so they can always be on fresh dirt/grass/hay -- they love to scratch for worms and bugs.
We feed them scratch (mixed grains) and a laying ration from the farmers' coop.
We haven't had any trouble with over-wintering, but we did lose some on a brutally hot day last summer. We're in Virginia. Where are you?
We're in PA. Thanks so much, βαθμιαίος,. Great to get the kids involved. My husband hasn't been keen on this idea, I've been talking about it for a couple of years now, but when we spoke last night he agreed to help me with building a coop. I think changes just take time to sink in.
It'll give him a chance to teach my son how to use power tools!So are you saying you have a permanent space 20' x 60' and you move the coop within that space, or do you move the whole area to a different place in your yard?
(04-20-2012, 06:18 PM)Bring4th_Austin Wrote: Here's a decent breed list that gives you a good idea of what the chickens will lay. The numbers are average...they peak in the springtime and fall under in the wintertime (and most usually stop completely for a month or two while they moult). Some other things you want to consider when choosing breeds is how friendly or flighty they are (some breeds will run away from you no matter what, some will become so friendly you can pick them up), and also whether they are "sitters" or not. Sitters will turn "broody" every once and a while and sit on a nest trying to hatch the eggs. It can be a tough instinct to break and they'll lay a lot less eggs as they do this.
For spacing, inside of a coop a good rule of thumb is 2sq ft/chicken, with a foot of perching space for each chicken. For outside the coop, for a small flock, about 4 sq ft/ a chicken leaves them psychologically satisfied and keeps them from getting neurotic as long as the foraging area stays fresh. A system like βαθμιαίος's using a movable coop which has enough room for the chickens to forage and contains the chickens is great for a backyard where the chickens might tend to wander to grumpy neighbors or get somewhere they aren't supposed to be...though as long as they have plenty of grass to forage in, they're tend not to roam. Be aware that they will find favorite spots in a yard to hang out and scratch them to death. Other systems might have a stationary coop and a larger area for the chickens to roam around in. They poop a lot at night so you'd have to make sure to keep a stationary coop clean (but the manure is the best manure fertilizer there is!)
As for feeding, organic chicken feed is hard to find in most places, and a bit pricey. A local agriculture or garden supply store should have regular feed, and there's livestock feed stores pretty much everywhere. I would recommend looking for "non-medicated" feed. If it's a major brand and doesn't say non-medicated, it most likely has antibiotics and/or arsenic.
Winter shouldn't be a problem; when selecting your breeds any description should tell of any issues with cold or hot weather.
http://www.backyardchickens.com/ has some great info on coops and stuff and should help you get started. Good luck!
Great links, thanks Austin! Do they also eat kitchen scraps, or just certain things from the kitchen? Stale bread?
We have store, Davis Feed Mill, nearby. I think I can get all the supplies I need there, and the chicks. I want to be sure I just get hens...my husband reaffirmed that he does not welcome a rooster. And neither would my neighbors.
Can throw the manure in the garden, so that is a definite bonus!
(04-20-2012, 06:29 PM)Bring4th_Monica Wrote:(04-20-2012, 05:35 PM)Shemaya Wrote: ~ breeds best for eggs, how many to get 2 doz eggs per week
My dad raised Bantum chickens. They were small and the eggs were small and either green or blue. No Easter dying necessary! He always had at least a dozen or so chickens at any given time, but that included a few roosters. I remember gathering at least several eggs per day and we didn't have to buy eggs.
Thanks Monica, would love to have pretty and colorful eggs, Austin's link listed the breeds and egg color, and how many eggs per week. I would like human-friendly chickens though, because I have young nieces and nephews.