- Apr 10, 2012
- 3
- 0
- 7
Hello! I'm new to this site (joined today, as a matter of fact), so if this post doesn't belong in this place, I'm so sorry!
I started to think this morning that it would be really awesome to raise hens and use their eggs, but I really know next to nothing about chickens. I'm a huge animal lover and especially enjoy having unconventional pets/companions (my ratties can attest to that!). I've been browsing around this site all day (when I really should have been paying attention in class - oops). I checked my county ordinances and am allowed to have between 4 and 6 hens, no roosters. I believe I have a structure in my backyard that I can convert into a coop. I was thinking about going with 3-4. Even with all the reading I've done, I still have a few specific questions that I either couldn't find answers to or wasn't clear on the answer I found. I hope this is the right place! I'm also asking for a couple relatively specific answers before I run this idea by my mom (still live with my parents for a bit longer) - she tends to say no to anything right off the bat unless I provide her with compelling evidence!
1) A couple of chicken questions.... I was looking at the plymoth rock breed mostly (just from my one day of research...haha). I haven't had a chance to read through all the breeds on here, so I was wondering if there are any particular breeds that are good for beginners?
2) As far as coops go, I think I have a pretty good idea of where to build and how to build it. I noticed there was something that said you could use sand for the "bedding" (river's best, but playground sand would work). If I was to use sand for bedding, how often would I need to do a complete bedding change? I figure that I'd probably need to scoop up waste daily, which would be no problem, but I couldn't find anything that talked about how often it's necessary to do complete coop cleans.
3) Kind of on the same vein, I'm not going to be able to give them any free-range time. In fact, I'm not even sure it's allowed where I am. Even if it was allowed, I wouldn't feel comfortable - I live right next to woods so we have an atypical amount of hawks, snakes, and the occasional coyote and fox. I read a bit about supplements, but wasn't sure exactly what supplements they were referring to...
4) About how long do chickens live? How long do hens produce eggs? These two are mostly just curiosity questions. Haha..
Again, if this is in the wrong place, I apologize! I didn't see any rules about specific places to post threads...
I started to think this morning that it would be really awesome to raise hens and use their eggs, but I really know next to nothing about chickens. I'm a huge animal lover and especially enjoy having unconventional pets/companions (my ratties can attest to that!). I've been browsing around this site all day (when I really should have been paying attention in class - oops). I checked my county ordinances and am allowed to have between 4 and 6 hens, no roosters. I believe I have a structure in my backyard that I can convert into a coop. I was thinking about going with 3-4. Even with all the reading I've done, I still have a few specific questions that I either couldn't find answers to or wasn't clear on the answer I found. I hope this is the right place! I'm also asking for a couple relatively specific answers before I run this idea by my mom (still live with my parents for a bit longer) - she tends to say no to anything right off the bat unless I provide her with compelling evidence!
1) A couple of chicken questions.... I was looking at the plymoth rock breed mostly (just from my one day of research...haha). I haven't had a chance to read through all the breeds on here, so I was wondering if there are any particular breeds that are good for beginners?
2) As far as coops go, I think I have a pretty good idea of where to build and how to build it. I noticed there was something that said you could use sand for the "bedding" (river's best, but playground sand would work). If I was to use sand for bedding, how often would I need to do a complete bedding change? I figure that I'd probably need to scoop up waste daily, which would be no problem, but I couldn't find anything that talked about how often it's necessary to do complete coop cleans.
3) Kind of on the same vein, I'm not going to be able to give them any free-range time. In fact, I'm not even sure it's allowed where I am. Even if it was allowed, I wouldn't feel comfortable - I live right next to woods so we have an atypical amount of hawks, snakes, and the occasional coyote and fox. I read a bit about supplements, but wasn't sure exactly what supplements they were referring to...
4) About how long do chickens live? How long do hens produce eggs? These two are mostly just curiosity questions. Haha..
Again, if this is in the wrong place, I apologize! I didn't see any rules about specific places to post threads...