Raising egg laying hens

love22step

I started with a Catawba Coop (moveable, A-frame), that my husband and I built. The chickens can stay in it all the time, and, two moderately strong adults can move it, daily, to a different location in the yard. Next, I moved the coop into a 20'X20' pen I had used for breeding puppies and raised and converted the 4'X7'X4' dog house into another chicken coop. Learn the basic requirements at backyard chickens.com or a good backyard chicken book, and use your imagination to create living arrangements. Chickens are fun, and can definitely be pets. I didn't have my camera the day I saw my 3-yr-old granddaughter pick up her favorite chicken upside down. It didn't seem concerned that it's head was hanging down and it's feet sticking in the air. That chicken had been mauled by the neighbor's dog and nursed back to health in the basement. After being returned to the coop, it still ran to the back door each day to try to get into the house. Raise the chicks with a lot of handling if you want them to be pets. I've started getting replacement chickens that are almost ready to lay, so they're not real friendly. Still, they'll follow me and eat out of my hand anytime I have scratch or food scraps to offer.

I compost the chicken poop for my garden and flower beds.

I have to keep the chickens separated from my dogs, so the dogs are out in the mornings and evenings, and the chickens have the run of the yard during the afternoons. Occasionally, we've had a schedule mix-up, with unpleasant results.

My husband wasn't interested in having chickens, but he helped me build the Catawba coop once I started on it. After the chickens began laying, he decided we shouldn't have waited so long to have chickens. After the first 2 or 3 years, we added a rooster, just to see how it worked out. He was noisy, but I notice he's been very quiet after one of my dogs chased him around the yard and shook him a few times. That was several weeks ago, but I'm afraid it broke his spirit.

Currently, I have a rooster, 3 hens, and 3 pullets that are almost ready to lay eggs. Chickens are entertaining, fresh eggs are delicious, and I highly recommend having backyard chickens.

Recommendation: Chickens have a "pecking order" and it can get pretty rough. Do your research and choose docile chickens that are good layers.

Linda_Darlene

Here is another fun site:

http://www.chickenforum.com

Can you tell I like my chickies?

bpotts44

quote
`In a 20x20 area you have about 13 sq ft/ bird. Is this outside or all under roof? You should be able to spread down wood chips 2-3 inches thick. Add more if you have to. Spread around scratch grains daily and the birds will turn the bedding. Every six months or so you should be able to pull out almost pure compost. I just did this last weekend and apply it directly to our garden in the fall. Sure there is a little fresh manure mixed in, but when bedded properly it should not be gross and there should be little visible manure.

The feeder and waterer should be above ground level approximately the height of the chicken's chest, maybe 6 inches. They should not be able to roost above the feeder or waterer either. Somehow your birds are getting above the waterer and pooping in it or it is ground level where they can cause havoc. We hang the feeder over a sheltered area and we put the waterer on a stone to keep it up. These are pretty easy problems to fix. `
quote

...

Wood chips....great idea. I usually spread a thin layer of the straw all around the pen floor. This helps it to fall through to the underside so when I walk in, its not so messy on my shoes! When I clean the pen I simply shovel the straw up with the poop and turn it into the garden (very well). My veggies grow great! Everyone is commenting on the size of the Zucchini I have this year (bigger than the large butternut squash! - some were almost twice that size)

I go with the wood chips outside because it has a higher carbon to nitrogen ratio, but I do use straw inside as well. The straw also does a good job cleaning their feet as they go to the nesting boxes. Perfect compost is C:N of 20:1 and chicken manure is very high in nitrogen which is why you get an ammonia smell if there is not enough bedding. The smell is basically the nitrogen value of the manure volatilizing. The carbon traps in the nitrogen in an organic form so that it can be stored and used later. So the higher your carbon the less you have to apply. Typically there still is some woods chips left in the bedding, but this will just add organic matter to the soil where ever you decide to apply. These systems work well, are easy, and there should be no smell or you are doing something wrong.

slowturtle1

poo makes great fertilizer for gardens and flowers but be sure to let it :rest: outside in bin or something ( I live in country so not a problem to let lie) for 6 mos to year....poultry poo caustic to plants if its too "hot"

chickens are always a little standoffish but fiancee had a rooster at one point that would let himself be picked up and carried around the yard and brought into house lol though he didnt stay in lol

they need light to lay as well as laying food and dirt to help digestion....good luck and yes the eggs are awesome to eat!!!

o they will also eat whatever scraps you have from table ...just to keep them busy ours dont like some veggies but otherwise they love it!!

I didn't know that about letting the poop "rest."' Good to know! Thanks!

slowturtle1

Here is another fun site:

http://www.chickenforum.com

Can you tell I like my chickies?

LOL...That's awesome!:bigsmile:

slowturtle1

I started with a Catawba Coop (moveable, A-frame), that my husband and I built. The chickens can stay in it all the time, and, two moderately strong adults can move it, daily, to a different location in the yard. Next, I moved the coop into a 20'X20' pen I had used for breeding puppies and raised and converted the 4'X7'X4' dog house into another chicken coop. Learn the basic requirements at backyard chickens.com or a good backyard chicken book, and use your imagination to create living arrangements. Chickens are fun, and can definitely be pets. I didn't have my camera the day I saw my 3-yr-old granddaughter pick up her favorite chicken upside down. It didn't seem concerned that it's head was hanging down and it's feet sticking in the air. That chicken had been mauled by the neighbor's dog and nursed back to health in the basement. After being returned to the coop, it still ran to the back door each day to try to get into the house. Raise the chicks with a lot of handling if you want them to be pets. I've started getting replacement chickens that are almost ready to lay, so they're not real friendly. Still, they'll follow me and eat out of my hand anytime I have scratch or food scraps to offer.

I compost the chicken poop for my garden and flower beds.

I have to keep the chickens separated from my dogs, so the dogs are out in the mornings and evenings, and the chickens have the run of the yard during the afternoons. Occasionally, we've had a schedule mix-up, with unpleasant results.

My husband wasn't interested in having chickens, but he helped me build the Catawba coop once I started on it. After the chickens began laying, he decided we shouldn't have waited so long to have chickens. After the first 2 or 3 years, we added a rooster, just to see how it worked out. He was noisy, but I notice he's been very quiet after one of my dogs chased him around the yard and shook him a few times. That was several weeks ago, but I'm afraid it broke his spirit.

Currently, I have a rooster, 3 hens, and 3 pullets that are almost ready to lay eggs. Chickens are entertaining, fresh eggs are delicious, and I highly recommend having backyard chickens.

Recommendation: Chickens have a "pecking order" and it can get pretty rough. Do your research and choose docile chickens that are good layers.

Oh my! Yes, I told my husband the dog cannot mix with the chickens. Our dog has a history of killing birds already. Good to know your husband came around once the chickens got there. I think mine will do the same. I just have ease into this, I think. Thanks for the info!

slowturtle1

The difference between store bought and fresh is amazing. If you feed them right, the fresh eggs will have harder shells, thicker whites and much yellower (actually orange) yolks. We will never go back to store bought eggs. I did bring home a store bought egg from my Mom's house (not sure why she had it because they live next door and we give them eggs) and I could not believe the difference. The store bought egg was so pale and runny! We have about 25 hens and get about 16 eggs a day right now (in Indiana). We have white leghorns (large white eggs) and black (almost blue) Australorps (large brown eggs). I can't say much about personality because I'm afraid of birds and refuse to get in the pen with them!

I do love the taste of a fresh egg! :drinker:

slowturtle1

I think this is a great idea. I just don't think my husband would be on board. He would think I'm crazy. Why buy the chicken when you can get the eggs for (almost) free?


ETA: I get the benefits though; healthier eggs and cruelty-free.

My husband is not too hip on the idea yet, either. He thinks I've lost it, but he does prefer the fresh eggs to store bought and he loves animals, so I'm hoping he'll warm up to the idea. :bigsmile:

slowturtle1

I'm from the south and my memaw rasied chickens all my life. I'm not too sure about the chicken poop question, maybe use it as fertilizer? But the chickens do bond with their care takers. My mawmaw's chickens would follow her anywhere. Along with the goats and ducks, etc. It was a sight to see, my little ole grandma walking around the barn yard and all the animals following her around, including the dog. She could barely turn around. Haha.

LOL...I can see the scene.

slowturtle1

chicken poop that has been left for a while is great fertiliser for your garden, fresh poop will burn your plants, if your into gardening that is

Good to know! Thanks!

AimersBee

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aumf2r2tT98

my parents chicken barn... ideal for 2 chickens... cute isn't it?

slowturtle1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aumf2r2tT98

my parents chicken barn... ideal for 2 chickens... cute isn't it?

That's so awesome! It makes it look so easy!