Anyone here grow chickens for egg production?

jorema

I recently bought six Buff Orphanton hens and am now currently looking for a good breeding rooster. Tan eggs with brown speckles and a true dark red yoke, much better than store bought.
Anyone else?

WaltBasil

That is too cool!

dr_frankenstein56

I do. Man i like your coop! thats real nice. my chickens took over an old car body. But I do love the eggs... and the meat. taste like desert and keeps the Goat Heads to a minimum.

Aj

jorema

I still have a lot of work to go on the coop. Right now it has a temporary flat roof that I plan to change to a sloped one that will cover half of the pen which is twelve by twelve. The other half will be covered with chain link fence to keep the Hawk's out. On each side, four feet off the ground, I plan on constructing two brooding boxes, each three feet wide by six feet deep, with their own light sources for chicks. When done the brooding boxes will form the sides of the main roosting-laying area. I will post photos as I go for anyone interested in doing something similar.

dr_frankenstein56

That is too cool man, I originally got them to keep the stickers down and found the eggs as a result! it was one of the best ideas the kids ever had. But I let mine wander around during the day. I been lucky to not have any hawks or coyotes get at them yet. But neighborhood dogs are a real problem.

Aj

jorema

dr_frankenstein56:

That is too cool man, I originally got them to keep the stickers down and found the eggs as a result! it was one of the best ideas the kids ever had. But I let mine wander around during the day. I been lucky to not have any hawks or coyotes get at them yet. But neighborhood dogs are a real problem.

Aj

Precisely why you see so much stacked against my fence for now. I plan on intertwining three pieces of barbed wire together and running them tightly around the bottom as a surprise for dogs and coyote's. My wire is already buried six inches in most places and I am going to install one inch by one inch foot wire two feet high all around the inside, with hutch clips, to keep the chickens from sticking their heads through the chain link fencing. This should protect my investment very well and if not..........
A twelve gage and buckshot will!

curtiscr79

We got our chickens this time last year. We have 4 Australorps and 3 Barred Rocks, both are very good at egg production. Between the winter having less daylight and they decided to start molting we were lucky to get a dozen eggs a week until recently. Now that they are fully feathered and the days are getting longer, we are back up to 5-7 eggs a day. I love fresh eggs not only because they have a richer flavor, but since I can control what they are eating the eggs are so much healthier. They make the perfect fertilizer for my garden, help keep the bugs under control. This year we are going to go completely organic.

The more I type the more I can't wait until spring/summer. I get to smoke on the deck, play in the dirt, get to eat more eggs since their production is returning.

As far as trying to find you a rooster, just put an add in the paper, a note on the bulletin board at your local feed store, find a local poultry society, something like that. People give away roosters all the time because they order straight run (Meaning unsexed chicks) because they are cheaper and end up with 60% roosters when they wanted all hens. If you are looking for a breed that has good egg production, any of the Plymouth Rocks, Australorps, the Orpingtons if you want to keep them pure breed, New Hampshire Red, Something along those lines. These breeds are good laying dual purpose (Meaning good egg laying but still big enough to eat) single combed chickens that can survive most if not all climates.

If you have any questions feel free to reach out to me. It took me 2 years to talk the wife into signing off on the chickens so I researched the hell out of them. It doesn't help I have an "All or Nothing" type of mindset.

WaltBasil

Ya'll making me want to go out and get a couple birds now.

dr_frankenstein56

WaltBasil:

Ya'll making me want to go out and get a couple birds now.

pppssh... your the one with a turtle! thats what i want!

Aj

WaltBasil

dr_frankenstein56:

WaltBasil:

Ya'll making me want to go out and get a couple birds now.

pppssh... your the one with a turtle! thats what i want!

Aj

They do do a good job of keeping the insect population down. But their eggs suck. Totally.

kaspera79

Wow Curtis, What a wealth of Chicken knowledge. All I know about chickens are they taste good fried, baked, roasted, broiled, boiled, Rotisserie, in sandwiches, soup, BBQ'd, and my favorite.. Buffalo style wings.

jd50ae

My wife use to raise chickens for eggs and show. We do plan in the future to do just egg layers. The problem here is foxes and the like. The guy that owned the house originally built a huge chicken house and with some repairs it would be usable again. But it is located in the worst possible place and the foxes cleaned out the chickens every time he replaced them. Need to find a location that is close enough to keep an eye on but far enough away to avoid the smell. And you are so right about the flavor (don't care what some say), it is very different and baked goods benefit a lot from the difference. For a real treat find some duck eggs and make some bread or mayo....oh yes.

curtiscr79

kaspera79:

Wow Curtis, What a wealth of Chicken knowledge. All I know about chickens are they taste good fried, baked, roasted, broiled, boiled, Rotisserie, in sandwiches, soup, BBQ'd, and my favorite.. Buffalo style wings.

What can I say, I have a problem. Someone I embrace it, but it can be a nuisance.

jorema

curtiscr79:

We got our chickens this time last year. We have 4 Australorps and 3 Barred Rocks, both are very good at egg production. Between the winter having less daylight and they decided to start molting we were lucky to get a dozen eggs a week until recently. Now that they are fully feathered and the days are getting longer, we are back up to 5-7 eggs a day. I love fresh eggs not only because they have a richer flavor, but since I can control what they are eating the eggs are so much healthier. They make the perfect fertilizer for my garden, help keep the bugs under control. This year we are going to go completely organic.

The more I type the more I can't wait until spring/summer. I get to smoke on the deck, play in the dirt, get to eat more eggs since their production is returning.

As far as trying to find you a rooster, just put an add in the paper, a note on the bulletin board at your local feed store, find a local poultry society, something like that. People give away roosters all the time because they order straight run (Meaning unsexed chicks) because they are cheaper and end up with 60% roosters when they wanted all hens. If you are looking for a breed that has good egg production, any of the Plymouth Rocks, Australorps, the Orpingtons if you want to keep them pure breed, New Hampshire Red, Something along those lines. These breeds are good laying dual purpose (Meaning good egg laying but still big enough to eat) single combed chickens that can survive most if not all climates.

If you have any questions feel free to reach out to me. It took me 2 years to talk the wife into signing off on the chickens so I researched the hell out of them. It doesn't help I have an "All or Nothing" type of mindset.

I appreciate the offer. I was raised around chickens of all breeds from Polish to Silkies to Road Island Red's to, well you get the picture here. I choose Buff's in particular because of the ease in which they raise, sell and lay. Around here a trio of two hens and a rooster of three to six months go for above twenty-five dollars. That is the reason for holding out for two pure breed roosters, raising chicks. I'll have to be careful with separating the chicks from different hens when selling but with a little banding, it can be done. A photo of a couple of eggs as they should look from this breed, tan with brown specks.

jorema

WaltBasil:

Ya'll making me want to go out and get a couple birds now.

Old fashioned American Dominique's are a good choice and will be my next acquisition because of past good results with egg production and the fact that they too are a heavy breed with a wide body. Perhaps then a few true Road Island Red's, not the newer New Hampshire or Jersey Red's, the good old fashioned heritage breed.

dr_frankenstein56

man you guys really know your stuff about birds! I got mine at the flea market for .25$ each and they are grey and black and brown. But they dont go cluck cluck like regular chickens. they sounds like wild birds.

Thats about as much as i know about chickens.

Aj

roland_7707

Eggs and meat, they are tasty.

jlmarta

Does anyone raise chickens for BOTH eggs and meat? I ask only to find out if anyone has a need for a chicken plucking machine. It will also pluck ducks, geese, or a turkey up to 40 pounds. Just curious.....

dr_frankenstein56

jlmarta:

Does anyone raise chickens for BOTH eggs and meat? I ask only to find out if anyone has a need for a chicken plucking machine. It will also pluck ducks, geese, or a turkey up to 40 pounds. Just curious.....

tell me more about this plucking machine.

Aj

curtiscr79

jlmarta:

Does anyone raise chickens for BOTH eggs and meat? I ask only to find out if anyone has a need for a chicken plucking machine. It will also pluck ducks, geese, or a turkey up to 40 pounds. Just curious.....

If you were closer I would be interested, I doubt shipping it from CA to KY would be affordable.

ShotgunJohn

I keep chickens in the backyard.
We have 8 total and 7 varieties.
We have 2 Black Australorps, 1 Auracauna, 1 White Plymoth, 1 Barred Plymoth, 1 Rhode Island Red, 1 Buff Orpington and 1 silver laced wyanodotte.
At peak production I get 56 eggs a week.
Last year my wife and I gave away 102 dozen eggs, we were getting inundated.
My 4 year old loves his "Chicken Ladies" and it teaches him responsibility.

ShotgunJohn

dr_frankenstein56:

man you guys really know your stuff about birds! I got mine at the flea market for .25$ each and they are grey and black and brown. But they dont go cluck cluck like regular chickens. they sounds like wild birds.

Thats about as much as i know about chickens.

Aj

backyardchickens dot com is a good place to learn about chickens

jlmarta

curtiscr79:

jlmarta:

Does anyone raise chickens for BOTH eggs and meat? I ask only to find out if anyone has a need for a chicken plucking machine. It will also pluck ducks, geese, or a turkey up to 40 pounds. Just curious.....

If you were closer I would be interested, I doubt shipping it from CA to Khttp://whizbangplucker.blogspot.com/?m=1Y would be affordable.

It isn't that I have one for sale, I just have info to pass along.
Click Here
Have a look at this link. I have a brother who has chickens and he's going to build one of these. I just thought it was interesting and that some of you guys with chickens might also.

And No, this isn't an April Fool gag.... :-/)

timtom

jorema:

I recently bought six Buff Orphanton hens and am now currently looking for a good breeding rooster. Tan eggs with brown speckles and a true dark red yoke, much better than store bought.
Anyone else?

My first chickens, sadly, were killed by one of my dogs, since that incident my pen has gone through some rather radical changes. I now have two layers of chain link fencing, one concreted into the ground with spikes sticking outwards from the concrete, and the addition of a steele roof enclosed with chain-link fencing over the entire top. just for added security I added five runs of barbed wire under the building at a forty-five degree angle as this was my initial weak spot. New chickens, this time Araucana mixes for green and blue egg production.
Perhaps I can sneak in a photo or two later today before I am caught.


Rodney

kaspera79

Beck ?

timtom

kaspera79:

Beck ?

Yes, my convictions would not let me continue this ruse any longer. Sorry for misleading everyone.
Rodney.

timtom

Mods.






A lot of work but for the safety of my new chickens completely necessary.

Rodney.

Hays

I haven´t yet, but I´ve spent a lot of time by now working with various small inns and ranches that raise their own chickens. We don´t have the space for it just yet - and my wife is far from signed on - but she knows that once we have the space for a coop I´m looking to put together a handful of hens. I love eggs and can eat them any time of day, and I think chickens are freakin adorable too so I´d love to see my future kids playing and learning with ´em too! Here´s a picture from when I was working in Wales - this guy was literally following me around all morning (and I was quite bleary-eyed lol):

timtom

Hays:

I haven´t yet, but I´ve spent a lot of time by now working with various small inns and ranches that raise their own chickens. We don´t have the space for it just yet - and my wife is far from signed on - but she knows that once we have the space for a coop I´m looking to put together a handful of hens. I love eggs and can eat them any time of day, and I think chickens are freakin adorable too so I´d love to see my future kids playing and learning with ´em too! Here´s a picture from when I was working in Wales - this guy was literally following me around all morning (and I was quite bleary-eyed lol):

Nothing quiet as tame as a Rhode Island Red. Great brown egg layers too.

I, just a few minutes ago, acquired what was supposed to be two brother Araucana roosters but turned out, to my benefit, to be one hen and one rooster. Can't beat that. Now I can finally set my green, blue and turquoise eggs.

timtom

After a closer inspection of my two newest chickens I found that they were not as I first expected but as it turns out they are Americana's not Araucana's. Better for me because the resulting mix will allow for chickens with longer tail feathers, both male and female, which will add a little something to the chicks that will hopefully make their appearance more appealing. Either way the eggs will still be of colors. Some blue, some green, some turquoise and hopefully a few more variations as well.

Rodney.