Raising egg laying hens

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245

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  • mycrazy8splus1
    mycrazy8splus1 Posts: 1,558 Member
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    this is the enclosure we use when they need to be penned up. It is 3 dog kennels put together (one small one would be fine for the amount you are thinking of getting). We have a small pool for the ducks and geese which you would not need. The wooden shed you see is where we put them up at night. They have roost and laying boxes in there.
    DSCN2724.jpg

    this is the other side of the pen. You can see one area they have for laying eggs is nothing more than a dog house. Keep the straw inside clean and they will happily lay eggs there. Best of luck with your chickens.
    DSCN2719.jpg
  • amyschintler
    amyschintler Posts: 27
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    Chickens are fantastic. My parents have 3 and they have all got different personalities. They tolerate being picked up but would rather just hang around you when you sit down. When I go over I turn over some lawn tiles and the girl just love getting the worms and snails that get under them. When Esmaralda died (yes they all have names) she was buried in the garden with all the rest of our beloved family pets. They become part of the family and that is a good thing. If you can try to save the old birds, they really don't have any life and the retirement will be so good for them. We got 2 young hens and 2 old hens. The older birds couldn't walk when we first got them and they had no feathers either, but now they are happy healthy birds with full feathers and run around the back yard. Go for it!
  • Nickiii_123
    Nickiii_123 Posts: 134 Member
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    Hi :) That's cool that you want to have city chickens. My family had chickens growing up but we lived in the country so it was more of a 'traditional' way to raise chickens. I live in a city now and some people down my street have chickens and a rooster. I thought it was the funniest thing when I first heard a rooster crow in the city.

    As far as them being pets it depends what breed you get. From personal experience buff orpingtons are not friendly. We had a mixed flock and they would always beat up the other hens and peck at our hands. Americanas are pretty fun. They have good 'personalities' and are good layers. Their eggs are a really pretty bluish color.

    We also had Banty hens but I don't know what breed they were, sorry. They were all super fun and really smart for chickens. I think their smaller body size-to-brain ratio helped :p

    Good luck with your city chickens! :)
  • mycrazy8splus1
    mycrazy8splus1 Posts: 1,558 Member
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    here a couple of things for you to check out.
    http://www.livingthecountrylife.com/animals/chickens-poultry/

    http://media.photobucket.com/image/chicken coop designs/kittyd228/chicken%20pics/d7cb4159.jpg

    http://chickencoop.maxupdates.tv/chicken-coop-plans-–-tips-on-planning-the-interiors-and-exteriors/

    http://www.prlog.org/11379664-small-chicken-coop-plans-several-most-critical-facts-to-consider.html
  • slowturtle1
    slowturtle1 Posts: 284 Member
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    I have 4 hens--Freckles, Speckles, Roxie, and Henrietta and get 2-3 eggs per day and occasionally 4. I give them treats--kitchen scraps, snails I find in t,he garden, extra apples and pears from our orchard, and weeds. They also like cantaloupe, watermelon, zucchini, and pumpkins. They aren't noisy; I think of the sounds they make as singing.

    I think of them as pets, but they're not really friendly. I do love the photos I've seen of little shawls and hats that can be knit for them, but mine don't have any. LOL
    That's good to know they will eat treats like that! I love the names of your hens, also. :)
  • slowturtle1
    slowturtle1 Posts: 284 Member
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    We have 30 hens, 6 geese, and 4 ducks (and other livestock as well). The chickens are much less noisy than the waterfowl and a bit more friendly. A few of ours will come up and eat out the kids hands. They have all been hand raised from babies.
    We use Oyster shell to help them lay eggs with strong shells. We mix crumble and scratch as feed. 14 hrs of light is best to keep their production up but this can be electric light from a heat lamp or actual sunlight. If you use a heat lamp use a red light (especially with chicks as it keeps them from killing each other). We let ours free range but do have an oversized kennel to pen them in when we will be away from the house. If you get chicks you should medicate their water OR feed but not both as that can overdose them. You need to spend time with your flock everyday to keep them friendly. I would suggest 4 chickens. They will only lay every other day (sometimes every three days) and go through at least one molt a year (during which egg production is very limited).

    I suggest researching the types of birds that will do best for the type of weather. We live in Colorado so birds with large combs tend to do poorly. I LOVE Red Island Reds and Brahmas.

    I've heard about the Brahmas recently. They are supposed to do well here in Texas, I think. I do worry about the time involved. We used to joke about our "farm" when had 2 cats, 2 dogs, and a bird. Now that we're down to just 1 of each we've noticed how much easier it is to take care of them all. Adding chickens would certainly change that!
  • slowturtle1
    slowturtle1 Posts: 284 Member
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    www.backyardchickens.com

    I miss my 4 hens. :( Hoping I will be able to get more eventually.

    :( I'm sorry about your hens. What happened to them?
  • slowturtle1
    slowturtle1 Posts: 284 Member
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    Chickens are fantastic. My parents have 3 and they have all got different personalities. They tolerate being picked up but would rather just hang around you when you sit down. When I go over I turn over some lawn tiles and the girl just love getting the worms and snails that get under them. When Esmaralda died (yes they all have names) she was buried in the garden with all the rest of our beloved family pets. They become part of the family and that is a good thing. If you can try to save the old birds, they really don't have any life and the retirement will be so good for them. We got 2 young hens and 2 old hens. The older birds couldn't walk when we first got them and they had no feathers either, but now they are happy healthy birds with full feathers and run around the back yard. Go for it!

    Awww...see, that makes me want them even more! My husband didn't want to think about what would happen when they got too old to lay, but keeping them around in their retirement is a great idea, I think!
  • slowturtle1
    slowturtle1 Posts: 284 Member
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    My grandparents have chickens. They'll let you hold them and pet them and even fall asleep in your arms, but you usually have to chase them around a little before they'll let you pick them up :) Make sure to hold them ALL the time when they are babies and they'll turn out more friendly.

    I have a vision of my husband sitting in the yard with a chicken fast asleep in his lap! He'd love that! Not sure he'd love the chasing part, though. ;)
  • slowturtle1
    slowturtle1 Posts: 284 Member
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    some of our flock
    They are beautiful! Your enclosure is basically what I'm envisioning, only with some type of cover/fencing on the top. I never thought of using dog kennels. That's a good idea!
  • bpotts44
    bpotts44 Posts: 1,066 Member
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    We keep about 15 laying hens. They actually are pretty easy to maintain. You will just need a small coop for two hens. Very easy to make and there are tons of plans on the internet free.

    In terms of the manure, we line the bottom of the coop with shredded paper and the outside run with mulch. A couple times a year we clean both out and spread it on our garden. You could just put in on a compost pile or spread on your lawn or flower beds.

    They will get to you know, but they are not going to be like a dog. They are pleasant to be around. We also feed them all of our table scraps so you really don't waste any food anymore. There are lots of good reasons to have them. Enjoy!
  • slowturtle1
    slowturtle1 Posts: 284 Member
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    Hi :) That's cool that you want to have city chickens. My family had chickens growing up but we lived in the country so it was more of a 'traditional' way to raise chickens. I live in a city now and some people down my street have chickens and a rooster. I thought it was the funniest thing when I first heard a rooster crow in the city.

    As far as them being pets it depends what breed you get. From personal experience buff orpingtons are not friendly. We had a mixed flock and they would always beat up the other hens and peck at our hands. Americanas are pretty fun. They have good 'personalities' and are good layers. Their eggs are a really pretty bluish color.

    We also had Banty hens but I don't know what breed they were, sorry. They were all super fun and really smart for chickens. I think their smaller body size-to-brain ratio helped :p

    Good luck with your city chickens! :)

    Thank you! :drinker:
  • slowturtle1
    slowturtle1 Posts: 284 Member
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    here a couple of things for you to check out.
    http://www.livingthecountrylife.com/animals/chickens-poultry/

    http://media.photobucket.com/image/chicken coop designs/kittyd228/chicken%20pics/d7cb4159.jpg

    http://chickencoop.maxupdates.tv/chicken-coop-plans-–-tips-on-planning-the-interiors-and-exteriors/

    http://www.prlog.org/11379664-small-chicken-coop-plans-several-most-critical-facts-to-consider.html

    Great resources! Thanks!
  • Bentley2718
    Bentley2718 Posts: 1,690 Member
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    Chickens can bond with their owners, I had pet chickens as a child. They would hang out with me in the yard, let me pet them, etc.. Just don't think about what happened to their brothers, this might make you sad (and no, they generally aren't eaten). :(

    Edited to say we had Rhode Island Reds.
  • TeachTheGirl
    TeachTheGirl Posts: 2,091 Member
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    I want chickens when I finally get my own place.

    My husband isn't too fond of this idea. XD
  • csummer8882
    csummer8882 Posts: 34 Member
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    We have 6 chickens, got them as chicks and have had them for a year and a half. What an awesome thing! I wish we had done it years ago! Mine come when I call them, they know I always carry "treats". Best of luck!!!!!
  • jflint86
    jflint86 Posts: 74 Member
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    Nice thread! We live in the city and recently had an ordinance passed that allows us to own up to 6 hens, so we may be looking into this soon :) Will definitely be back to check out this thread again later!
  • jgm379
    jgm379 Posts: 97 Member
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    Chickens are stinky and nasty. We have to clean out the water container every day because they poo all in it. It doesn't matter how we rig up the water container, they still manage to gross it up. We keep woodchips covering the bottom of the pen, but doesn't help with the nastiness. We have 30 chickens. We have had all kinds including ones that laid green eggs! We have found that the double yokers come from the Rhode Island Red hens. After purchasing the food and oyster shell each month, it is really cheaper to go to your local farmers market and buy them. I only still have them because they are my childrens' pets. They used to be "free range" until my entire yard and porch was covered in crap. UHhh! I hate having chickens. I hate cooking the eggs. I am "chickened out". Goats are nasty too, but thats another story. Oh why does my family love animals????
  • bpotts44
    bpotts44 Posts: 1,066 Member
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    Chickens are stinky and nasty. We have to clean out the water container every day because they poo all in it. It doesn't matter how we rig up the water container, they still manage to gross it up. We keep woodchips covering the bottom of the pen, but doesn't help with the nastiness. We have 30 chickens. We have had all kinds including ones that laid green eggs! We have found that the double yokers come from the Rhode Island Red hens. After purchasing the food and oyster shell each month, it is really cheaper to go to your local farmers market and buy them. I only still have them because they are my childrens' pets. They used to be "free range" until my entire yard and porch was covered in crap. UHhh! I hate having chickens. I hate cooking the eggs. I am "chickened out". Goats are nasty too, but thats another story. Oh why does my family love animals????

    They are only stinky and nasty if their area is not properly maintained or you are housing them in too small an area. We get eggs for about 1.50 - 2 per dozen and there is no smell whatsoever 2 ft from the coop and if we smell something then we put in more bedding and the smell goes away. If you let them on your porch, then yes they are going to poop it up.
  • jgm379
    jgm379 Posts: 97 Member
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    Chickens are stinky and nasty. We have to clean out the water container every day because they poo all in it. It doesn't matter how we rig up the water container, they still manage to gross it up. We keep woodchips covering the bottom of the pen, but doesn't help with the nastiness. We have 30 chickens. We have had all kinds including ones that laid green eggs! We have found that the double yokers come from the Rhode Island Red hens. After purchasing the food and oyster shell each month, it is really cheaper to go to your local farmers market and buy them. I only still have them because they are my childrens' pets. They used to be "free range" until my entire yard and porch was covered in crap. UHhh! I hate having chickens. I hate cooking the eggs. I am "chickened out". Goats are nasty too, but thats another story. Oh why does my family love animals????

    They are only stinky and nasty if their area is not properly maintained or you are housing them in too small an area. We get eggs for about 1.50 - 2 per dozen and there is no smell whatsoever 2 ft from the coop and if we smell something then we put in more bedding and the smell goes away. If you let them on your porch, then yes they are going to poop it up.

    Hey, I'm not an animal person. We have a 20 X 20 enclosure for our hens that my husband built. Are you telling me that it's not gross when you have to go into the enclosure and trample thru all the crap and clean out all of the crap, and water containers, and food bins. I'm just saying that in my circumstance, it's nasty.

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