Raising egg laying hens

slowturtle1
slowturtle1 Posts: 284 Member
in Food and Nutrition
First, let me say I'm not a farm girl. I live smack in the middle of a big city, but I know there are people in my part of town who have chickens in their back yards. We've been talking about getting just 2 egg laying hens, but we have really no idea what's involved in caring for chickens. We're envisioning something like a dog run with a cover over the top (so they can roam and other animals can't get to them) and a couple of coops. I've read a little about it, but any ideas or suggestions from anyone who has experience with this would be helpful. In addition, my husband has 2 questions in particular that we really haven't found any answers for:

1) What do you do with the chicken poop after you clean out their area?

2) Are hens able to "bond" with their keepers, or will they always be wild and aloof? (Weird question, I know, but he kindof wants them to be like pets! lol...)

Thanks in advance!
«134

Replies

  • anifani4
    anifani4 Posts: 457 Member
    Hi. What a great idea. I have niece who has laying hens and also my son and his wife have a few. The eggs are amazing! Read up online about raising chickens and investigate which kind you would like to have. There is a great variety.
    I'll bet there is a yahoo group for the subject.
    The chicken poo can be piled up and composted then given to neighbors who grow veggies or flowers (it's great fertilizer) and I get some from my neice every spring.
    Chickens have personalities just like other pet animals.
    Your idea for a pen sounds perfect. Don't know what area you live in. The climate might make a difference though.
    Mostly people start with baby chicks in the spring so you could spend the winter getting familiar with the process, stocking up on supplies and building your pen.
    All the best luck to you.
  • lyttlewon
    lyttlewon Posts: 1,118 Member
    Chicken poop makes good fertilizer. They will not be your friend, but you can knit them shawls if you want to.
  • slowturtle1
    slowturtle1 Posts: 284 Member
    Hi. What a great idea. I have niece who has laying hens and also my son and his wife have a few. The eggs are amazing! Read up online about raising chickens and investigate which kind you would like to have. There is a great variety.
    I'll bet there is a yahoo group for the subject.
    The chicken poo can be piled up and composted then given to neighbors who grow veggies or flowers (it's great fertilizer) and I get some from my neice every spring.
    Chickens have personalities just like other pet animals.
    Your idea for a pen sounds perfect. Don't know what area you live in. The climate might make a difference though.
    Mostly people start with baby chicks in the spring so you could spend the winter getting familiar with the process, stocking up on supplies and building your pen.
    All the best luck to you.

    Thank you! I didn't think about giving the poop to gardeners! I do know people who compost, so maybe they could use it! I do worry about our climate. I have a lot more research to do! :)
  • slowturtle1
    slowturtle1 Posts: 284 Member
    Chicken poop makes good fertilizer. They will not be your friend, but you can knit them shawls if you want to.

    LOL...and little hats. :)
  • therighttrack
    therighttrack Posts: 96 Member
    Hi. We have had ours for about 2yrs now and I have to say I LOVE IT! I love the fresh eggs, and we get the Omega pellets for them so the eggs are much healthier. As far as the pen goes you need a roost for them to sit, lots of fresh air, as well as a light for at night during the colder months of the year (depending where you live - I am in Canada so it gets pretty cold here in the winter) they need at least 14 hrs ( I believe it is) of daylight to produce the eggs year round. I have mine inside the hen house (insulated) along with the straw, it also helps to keep it warm for them too. Also don't forget the predators often like to dig under your fence line. You must either go deep with the chicken wire, or lay a bottom on the inside of the coop so they can not get in.
    We bought ours when they were ready to lay. That way we were not paying to feed/house them and not getting eggs in return. As for friendship...I call mine `MY GIRLS` LOL!!! I love them, and yes, they do have personalities. Some more than others, but yes.
    I too use the poop in my garden. I just mix it into the soil really good. I think that you will find that 2 will not be enough as you do not get eggs from each one on a daily basis. We bought a dozen - we are a family of 5 and it suits us perfectly!
  • hellohappylisa
    hellohappylisa Posts: 141 Member
    I have friends who have moved because their neighbors got chickens. They are incredibly loud and very smelly. Good luck...
  • therighttrack
    therighttrack Posts: 96 Member
    I have friends who have moved because their neighbors got chickens. They are incredibly loud and very smelly. Good luck...

    If you keep the pen cleaned regularly and they have plenty of roaming area outside of the hen house, it will not be smelly. As for the noise - I don't find it bad at all. They squawk here and there, but its not a constant thing...granted they do wake early in the morning - usually with the sun. Just don't buy a rooster!!!! : D
  • slowturtle1
    slowturtle1 Posts: 284 Member
    I have friends who have moved because their neighbors got chickens. They are incredibly loud and very smelly. Good luck...

    If you keep the pen cleaned regularly and they have plenty of roaming area outside of the hen house, it will not be smelly. As for the noise - I don't find it bad at all. They squawk here and there, but its not a constant thing...granted they do wake early in the morning - usually with the sun. Just don't buy a rooster!!!! : D

    Ha! No, definitely NOT buying a rooster! ;)
  • todon4kids
    todon4kids Posts: 1
    I was diagnosed with MS in March and decided to try natural ways to help me get stronger along with pharmacuticals. We live in South Dakota so we do have extreme temps between summer and winter. I got some mentoring from a co-worker about breed and what I would need to get started. We decided on barred rocks, also call plymouth rocks, for our layers. They are sweet, content birds who are hardy in all temps and good layers. They lay about 200-250 brown eggs a year for around 3-5 years. We went to the "backyardchickens.com" site and it is so helpful. We got our girls in April and starting getting eggs in September. As far as them being pets, they are to a point. Hold them alot when they're chicks and when they get older they will let you pet them and hold them. They follow us around the yard and squack for attention. We cannot have a rooster in our area and personally I'm glad. They can be quite a nuisance. With they're waste we decided to compost and have a garden next summer. Do your research on the many benefits of free ranged chickens, they're habitat and the start up costs. Since we invested in the coop, food, feeders and waterers, it made sense to us to raise 20 fast growing cornish cross chicks during the summer. You butcher them after 8 weeks. They're fast growers and have melt in your mouth growth. You probably aren't looking at going that direction but thought I would throw that in.
  • llamalland
    llamalland Posts: 246 Member
    Visit backyardchickens.com

    Hens are not noisy. Their loudest, occasional squawks are no where near as annoying as your neighbors' little yippy dog, or their squalling kids. Most cities do not allow roosters, and limit the number of hens. So check your local ordinances. They do not smell unless you never clean their area. You are right that a predator-free cage and coop are essential. As you research, you'll become familiar with 'chicken tractors', a very small all-in-one urban chicken container that is easily made with basic handyman skills. They can become tame. Depends on the breed and how much its' been handled. So, pets-yes, to some degree, but not of the cuddly sort!

    Another idea is to contact your local county extension office. They will have all the answers you need for legal compliance, housing & feed, waste disposal, etc.
  • slowturtle1
    slowturtle1 Posts: 284 Member
    I was diagnosed with MS in March and decided to try natural ways to help me get stronger along with pharmacuticals. We live in South Dakota so we do have extreme temps between summer and winter. I got some mentoring from a co-worker about breed and what I would need to get started. We decided on barred rocks, also call plymouth rocks, for our layers. They are sweet, content birds who are hardy in all temps and good layers. They lay about 200-250 brown eggs a year for around 3-5 years. We went to the "backyardchickens.com" site and it is so helpful. We got our girls in April and starting getting eggs in September. As far as them being pets, they are to a point. Hold them alot when they're chicks and when they get older they will let you pet them and hold them. They follow us around the yard and squack for attention. We cannot have a rooster in our area and personally I'm glad. They can be quite a nuisance. With they're waste we decided to compost and have a garden next summer. Do your research on the many benefits of free ranged chickens, they're habitat and the start up costs. Since we invested in the coop, food, feeders and waterers, it made sense to us to raise 20 fast growing cornish cross chicks during the summer. You butcher them after 8 weeks. They're fast growers and have melt in your mouth growth. You probably aren't looking at going that direction but thought I would throw that in.

    Thanks! I didn't think about how they would be more "pet like" if we got them as chicks, but that makes sense that handling them when they're young would help tame them. Your idea of rasing the cornish cross chicks for meat makes a lot of sense, but I've just learned my husband doesn't think he can kill and eat anything we actually raise! lol...
  • ashesfromfire
    ashesfromfire Posts: 867 Member
    Hello
    I've got about 20 egg hens on my farm right now.
    They need a covered area with a place for them to both roost and nest.
    The poop makes an awesome additive to your compost.
    No they don't get very friendly.
  • slowturtle1
    slowturtle1 Posts: 284 Member
    Visit backyardchickens.com

    Hens are not noisy. Their loudest, occasional squawks are no where near as annoying as your neighbors' little yippy dog, or their squalling kids. Most cities do not allow roosters, and limit the number of hens. So check your local ordinances. They do not smell unless you never clean their area. You are right that a predator-free cage and coop are essential. As you research, you'll become familiar with 'chicken tractors', a very small all-in-one urban chicken container that is easily made with basic handyman skills. They can become tame. Depends on the breed and how much its' been handled. So, pets-yes, to some degree, but not of the cuddly sort!

    Another idea is to contact your local county extension office. They will have all the answers you need for legal compliance, housing & feed, waste disposal, etc.

    Ooooohhhh!!! The county extension office! That's a good idea! Something else I didn't think of! And 'chicken tractors' sounds like a great project! Thanks!
  • slowturtle1
    slowturtle1 Posts: 284 Member
    Hi. We have had ours for about 2yrs now and I have to say I LOVE IT! I love the fresh eggs, and we get the Omega pellets for them so the eggs are much healthier. As far as the pen goes you need a roost for them to sit, lots of fresh air, as well as a light for at night during the colder months of the year (depending where you live - I am in Canada so it gets pretty cold here in the winter) they need at least 14 hrs ( I believe it is) of daylight to produce the eggs year round. I have mine inside the hen house (insulated) along with the straw, it also helps to keep it warm for them too. Also don't forget the predators often like to dig under your fence line. You must either go deep with the chicken wire, or lay a bottom on the inside of the coop so they can not get in.
    We bought ours when they were ready to lay. That way we were not paying to feed/house them and not getting eggs in return. As for friendship...I call mine `MY GIRLS` LOL!!! I love them, and yes, they do have personalities. Some more than others, but yes.
    I too use the poop in my garden. I just mix it into the soil really good. I think that you will find that 2 will not be enough as you do not get eggs from each one on a daily basis. We bought a dozen - we are a family of 5 and it suits us perfectly!

    Hmmmm...never thought about animals/predators digging UNDER the fence. :noway: That's something to think about!
  • slowturtle1
    slowturtle1 Posts: 284 Member
    Hello
    I've got about 20 egg hens on my farm right now.
    They need a covered area with a place for them to both roost and nest.
    The poop makes an awesome additive to your compost.
    No they don't get very friendly.

    So you're a REAL farm girl! That's awesome! 20 is a lot of hens! :bigsmile:
  • SweetMe1
    SweetMe1 Posts: 73 Member
    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
  • mycrazy8splus1
    mycrazy8splus1 Posts: 1,558 Member
    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.
  • PayneAS
    PayneAS Posts: 669 Member
    www.backyardchickens.com

    I miss my 4 hens. :( Hoping I will be able to get more eventually.
  • slkehl
    slkehl Posts: 3,801 Member
    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.
  • mycrazy8splus1
    mycrazy8splus1 Posts: 1,558 Member
    some of our flock
    DSCN4607.jpg
  • mycrazy8splus1
    mycrazy8splus1 Posts: 1,558 Member
    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
    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
    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
    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
    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
    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
    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
    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
    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
    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!

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