I haven't read all the posts but the best chickens I've had for egg production were golden sex-links. They call them that cause their color pattern at hatching makes it very easy to sex hens from roosters,so you're almost guaranteed a hen. They lay very large eggs and are a medium sized chicken. I got some mail order once. They ship minimum 25 in a box, with just enough room to stand, to keep each other warm. chicks have about 3 days after hatching that they don't need any food or water so they usually make it alive. You'll get 1 egg per day per chicken for the first year ,year and a half. Bout 5-6 chickens would be plenty for a small family and sell the extra eggs for $3.00-to $4.00 per doz (easy to do for fresh eggs) and yours are free. good luck Jim
Raising Chickens
- Thread starter straightlinespeed
- Start date
-
If you want to have a look at some breed options, grouped by best layer, best for meat, etc., have a look at McMurray (we've ordered a lot of chicks from them - they come in lots of 25, if we only want a few, we pick up whatever is at the feed store)
https://www.mcmurrayhatchery.com/standard_breed_chicks.html
https://www.mcmurrayhatchery.com/standard_breed_chicks.html
I have a friend whose dad used to raise fighting chickens. Although it is against the law to fight them in Georgia, you can raise them. He SAID he never fought them in Georgia. Yeah, uh huh. But I know they went to other states and did. He had some champions too. He kept them in houses he made from plastic 55 gallon drums. Had them tethered by cables tied off from one leg to a stake in the ground. At one point years ago, he had well over 300. I thought the plastic drum idea was pretty good. He gave them probably 15 feet of cable. They seemed fine.
famous bob
mopar misfit
had a friend that had fightin chickins. couldn`t get into it myself, same thing happened every time, one chicken killed the other!-lol--bob
Ex gf and I let her daughter raise some. Bought them as chicks for about 0.25 apiece. She raised them in her room with a heat lamp till they were old enough to go outside. We built a makeshift coop and were able to keep varmints away for the most part. One thing I didnt see mentioned here is the cleanup. Pretty much has to be done daily as gravity dictates their **** will hit the ground and they will eat it.
Stupid fecal eating chickens. Im thinking of doing it again once Lori n I get situated
Stupid fecal eating chickens. Im thinking of doing it again once Lori n I get situated
saves on the feed bill!!!!! adds protein to the eggs!? ours free range, they poop and look for another bit of grass, weeds, bugs, whatever a stupid bird etas!!? LOL
the pen that is moved around in the yard would solve lots of problems, they fertile the grass, graze, and you move them along.
the poo stacks up under the roosts in the coop, clean it once a year, but we live in the country! LOL
mrtires24
Well-Known Member
We are in the middle of finishing our chicken coup. Bought 6 chickens
Getting the kids involved. It's fun.
Getting the kids involved. It's fun.
Exactly what the 'chicken tractor' coop design is about.
Ours go through the horse poop and eat the maggots - keeps the fly population down some, and free protein for the chooks.
its an enclosed pen with wire sides and top, made out of say 2 x4 's that you can move around the back yard. a wire bottom would help keep any dog or critter out too. something that is movable by yourself or a lawn tractor. instead of a chicken yard that is in a fixed location. this way you get the grass fertilized, the birds get fresh "pickens" every so often. they can go into the coop at night.
After thinking about it, that rooster that kept charging everyone, must have been a bad egg....
in the city today, stoped to get feed at 2 places, then to Orscelens ( farm supply store). everyone was hawking baby chicks, turkeys, etc. chicks were $ 3.25 ea!! she sees some Black Sex-links, I tell her a neighbor has a pen full ( I really don't know if they have a rooster, BUT>>>>), if fertile buy a doz at $2 and put them under a broody hen!! LOL
Nope - they're almost all jerks...when you get one that doesn't charge the family, you let it stay
the rooster we have now , we raised, a mongrel!!!! part Easteregg chicken, ( Anna coooooooo something), part feather legged chicken called ?????, part barred rock, and part production red!!!!!
not mean, but one horney bird. I think he's shooting blanks, or he has a LOT of ammunition!!
you can have him free come get him........
not mean, but one horney bird. I think he's shooting blanks, or he has a LOT of ammunition!!
you can have him free come get him........
You gotta get them these! Help preserve chickens by preventing cannabalism
here is a few tips that has worked for me . if you raise meat kings they grow that fast that they will go off there feet put a handful of brewers yeast in there food everyday this will keep them up on there feet u can get it at the feed mill . and for layers easy on the laying mash to much will cause blood spots in there eggs . i always liked Rhode island reds for hens .
as a little kid, they would butcher the roosters. ( tip in boiling water, to pluck), YUK. stick! boil the bird, my job was to grind up the meat in the little hand operated meat grinder. for chicken salad. YUM good stuff!
the modern young woman that doesn't cook, if she went first thru this rooster deal, she would love to cook and let someone just bring here the meat from the store!!! LOL
the modern young woman that doesn't cook, if she went first thru this rooster deal, she would love to cook and let someone just bring here the meat from the store!!! LOL
-
