Raising egg laying hens

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  • mustgetmuscles1
    mustgetmuscles1 Posts: 3,346 Member
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    We enjoy growing our own food. Get them and see if you like having them. They are very easy to care for and if you dont like them they are very easy to give away.

    GardenoverheadviewAug4th-1.jpg
  • PayneAS
    PayneAS Posts: 669 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?

    They are actually doing great. I found a great home for them. Due to some unfortunate circumstances this summer I wasn't home for 3 or 4 months and so I couldn't take care of them. I found a friend of mine who has acerage and chickens of his own and asked if he could take them for me and give them a good home. He sends me updates and pictures but I still miss them dearly.

    2 Barred Rocks (Una & Domino) and 2 Americaunas (Cleo & Chloe)
  • sarahrbraun
    sarahrbraun Posts: 2,261 Member
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    We have had chickens for like 9 months now--we got them at 8 days old.

    My youngest held them as often as possible until they got too heavy for him to hold on one arm. Now they walk up and squat to be petted. They also come running any time they see me or hubby coming.

    We have 5 hens in a coop the size of a car, and about 2 months ago we finally set up an outdoor run for them. We use the deep litter method in the coop, and honestly it doesn't smell much at all. They *can* squawk, but usually it is only when I have not let them out of the hen house quick enough ( we lock them up at night for their safety).

    About every 6-8 weeks I buy a 50# bag of layer feed for $16. They also get scraps from the kitchen--apple peels, strawberry tops, left over pasta, oatmeal my son didn't finish... After the first month of laying, 90% of the time I get 5 eggs...occasionally I get 4 eggs.

    Next spring we plan on getting more chickens--I would like to get 7-10 more. My ultimate goal is to get a dozen eggs per day ( so we can sell them)
  • Linda_Darlene
    Linda_Darlene Posts: 453 Member
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    I have chickens. 7 of them. Some are older than others, so it varies how many eggs I get a day. We hung their food and water containers from the top of the pen so no one ever poos in their food or water. Chickens don't need a large coop to sleep and leave their eggs in as long as they have a safe outside area during the day. Ours has a little fenced yard and the top is covered as well to keep out predators.

    It is no different than any other critter. If you keep it clean, it does not stink to high heaven. We rake and clean bedding and the poo from under the coop periodically to keep odor under control and throw it in a compost container. After a while the compost goes into the garden and is a great high nitrogen fertilizer. Chickens are not the most intelligent creatures, but each one of my birds has a unique personality. A few of them are tamer than others. I enjoy having my silly birds.

    Oh - I crush the used egg shells and feed them back to them. They also eat laying pellets (prepared food) and will eat any and all cooking and table scraps you may have (including chicken - those little cannibals). I do not find that keeping them is more expensive than buying eggs and, for me, it is a lot more fun!

    http://www.keepingchickensnewsletter.com/
  • missymuffet
    missymuffet Posts: 123 Member
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    We have hens also..........one thing we have learned that I didn't see already said is that in the winter (depending how cold it gets where you live) ........to keep them laying we put a light out there--it's just a lightbulb in a light socket....we did heat lamps when they were medium sized but when they were super tiny we kept them in the basement with heat lamps. ....but basically they need light to lay and when the days start to get shorter like right now in Utah where we live--we already see a dramatic reduction in their laying. Ours are also older so it might be some of that due to age but it's always been this way every winter. Seems like my husband also uses a horse water heater in their water too in winter so their water doesn't freeze. They ADORE the old cobs of corn from the corn patch and tomatoes!!!

    Have fun!!! ;)
  • missymuffet
    missymuffet Posts: 123 Member
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    I have chickens. 7 of them. Some are older than others, so it varies how many eggs I get a day. We hung their food and water containers from the top of the pen so no one ever poos in their food or water. Chickens don't need a large coop to sleep and leave their eggs in as long as they have a safe outside area during the day. Ours has a little fenced yard and the top is covered as well to keep out predators.


    http://www.keepingchickensnewsletter.com/

    We actually had a problem with this last year which surprised us---unbeknownst to us when we were letting them run around in the day, they were crawling completely UNDER the coop which seriously we have no idea how they fit..........and laying their eggs!! It's weird because we didn't think they had ever done it before--at night we put them away to keep them safe from predators and come to find out the little darlings were laying secret treasures! We found 35 eggs under there!! Such a sad waste.............. but FYI. Over the years we have also found eggs in the corn patch.
  • rfarinha
    rfarinha Posts: 388 Member
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    We have 3 chickens... our sons "rescued" them as tiny little chicks and now we get 3 eggs a day. Our chickens do not make noise and our backyard does not stink... otherwise, I would have made them get rid of them loooong ago, but I have heard of people saying that their chickens can be noisy. Also... our chickens totally know my husband... who is their Primary caretaker, even though our son's are the ones who "own" the chickens, and when he goes outside, they totally follow him, because they know it's time to eat!
  • fit4lifeUcan2
    fit4lifeUcan2 Posts: 1,458 Member
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    A friend of ours had chickens but had to get rid of them. They flew over into the neighbors yard and they were not happy about that. Their town has a no farm animal ordinance as does ours so we're not likely to ever have chickens here. My friends chickens used to come into her house through the dog door and would settle in on her sofa. Needless to say they tore up the sofa with their claws and pooped all over her house so she had to throw out the sofa and rip up all her carpeting as well. Not the smartest thing she ever did...letting the chickens in her house that is. Anyway, she had to find them all new homes. I don't think her chickens had many eggs. To her they were more pets than anything. Yes my friend is weird. She had all sort of strange pets. Even took her chickens with her in the car when she went out shopping. I used to joke that I didn't know her lol.
  • Linda_Darlene
    Linda_Darlene Posts: 453 Member
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    We put wire all the way around the bottom of the coop to keep them from under the coop. I figure if I ever need to catch them in a hurry, I did not want them to have a place to hide from me. My girls can go into the coop, but not under it or on it.

    With the small amount of birds I have, they are not a problem noise-wise either. I enjoy the sounds they make.
  • mycrazy8splus1
    mycrazy8splus1 Posts: 1,558 Member
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    if you float your eggs you can tell if they are still good (just in case you don't get to collect them daily for some reason). Put the eggs in room temp water. If they float they are no good, if they stay at the bottom they are fine (you can do this with store bought eggs too)
  • zekni
    zekni Posts: 25 Member
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    I had a pet chicken once that I saved from being snake food when she was a chick. Her name was Miss America, and she lived in a cage in the house and would do just about anything for a treat. I had her trained to fly (clumsily, but fly she did) to my arm when I held it out for a piece of food. She'd sit there and let me pet her just like any pet bird. I used to joke she was like a poor man's parrot. So I guess it's how much you handle them. And probably how old they are when you start handling them. She was just getting real feathers when I got her and wasn't real keen on attention at first. Her stomach won her over though.
  • slowturtle1
    slowturtle1 Posts: 284 Member
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    I had a pet chicken once that I saved from being snake food when she was a chick. Her name was Miss America, and she lived in a cage in the house and would do just about anything for a treat. I had her trained to fly (clumsily, but fly she did) to my arm when I held it out for a piece of food. She'd sit there and let me pet her just like any pet bird. I used to joke she was like a poor man's parrot. So I guess it's how much you handle them. And probably how old they are when you start handling them. She was just getting real feathers when I got her and wasn't real keen on attention at first. Her stomach won her over though.

    That's awesome! I've never seen a chicken act like that! :)
  • slowturtle1
    slowturtle1 Posts: 284 Member
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    A friend of ours had chickens but had to get rid of them. They flew over into the neighbors yard and they were not happy about that. Their town has a no farm animal ordinance as does ours so we're not likely to ever have chickens here. My friends chickens used to come into her house through the dog door and would settle in on her sofa. Needless to say they tore up the sofa with their claws and pooped all over her house so she had to throw out the sofa and rip up all her carpeting as well. Not the smartest thing she ever did...letting the chickens in her house that is. Anyway, she had to find them all new homes. I don't think her chickens had many eggs. To her they were more pets than anything. Yes my friend is weird. She had all sort of strange pets. Even took her chickens with her in the car when she went out shopping. I used to joke that I didn't know her lol.

    OMG...I literally laughed out loud!! That's hysterical!!! :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
  • slowturtle1
    slowturtle1 Posts: 284 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!

    When you say it that way, it definitely sounds manageable! I go back and forth, worrying that it's too much work and then thinking that it's worth it. My husband is pretty stuck now on the thought that it's too much work. I will have to work on that! ;)
  • slowturtle1
    slowturtle1 Posts: 284 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!

    Yeah! Good luck to you! We still haven't made a decision, but I love all the advice and ideas here! So glad to know so many people have had success with it and actually enjoy it!
  • slowturtle1
    slowturtle1 Posts: 284 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????

    LMAO! Thanks for the honesty! And thanks for the info on goats, too! I have always wanted a goat, until I petted some at the fair and couldn't get the smell off my hands for a day and a half!
  • slowturtle1
    slowturtle1 Posts: 284 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

    Neither is my husband---yet! ;)
  • 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?

    They are actually doing great. I found a great home for them. Due to some unfortunate circumstances this summer I wasn't home for 3 or 4 months and so I couldn't take care of them. I found a friend of mine who has acerage and chickens of his own and asked if he could take them for me and give them a good home. He sends me updates and pictures but I still miss them dearly.

    2 Barred Rocks (Una & Domino) and 2 Americaunas (Cleo & Chloe)

    Awwww, I'm glad to hear they have a good home! Maybe you'll be able to get more someday.
  • slowturtle1
    slowturtle1 Posts: 284 Member
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    We enjoy growing our own food. Get them and see if you like having them. They are very easy to care for and if you dont like them they are very easy to give away.

    That's an awesome photo! What a wonderful garden and I love the little chicken enclosure! I have a lot to learn before I can create something like you have, but that's wonderful! Thanks for sharing!
  • therighttrack
    therighttrack Posts: 96 Member
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    some of our flock
    DSCN4607.jpg

    I have a mix of most of these ones too! I think the white ones and the tan ones are the best 1) for personality and leadership, 2) for their eggs.
    I didn't raise them from chicks - we got them `ready to lay`... but they love me anyway. Make sure to spend time with them, talk to them and let them out of the pen once in awhile if you can - they will love to follow you around the yard. My kids think they are hilarious!

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