Advice for a newbie: Chicks or Pullets?

[chickengoggles]

It does....but not for why many think.

The 'rooster' to hen ratio of 1:10 that is often cited is primarily for fertility efficiency in commercial breeding facilities.

It doesn't mean that if a cockbird has 10 hens that he won't abuse or over mate them.

Many breeders keep pairs, trios, quads, etc

It all depends on the temperaments of the cock and hens and sometimes housing provided.

Backyard flocks can achieve good fertility with a larger ratio.

Interesting! Perhaps our cockerel's youth is contributing to his...fervor. I can still hope that adding the new 4 at the end of quarantine helps to spread the love around a bit, right?

 

[aart]

Interesting! Perhaps our cockerel's youth is contributing to his...fervor. I can still hope that adding the new 4 at the end of quarantine helps to spread the love around a bit, right?

Younger and/or multiple males always cause more problems, IME.
Can also depend on the individual birds as well as housing.

 

[cmom]

I have had started birds I have gotten from a breeder but I mostly hatch out my chicks. I have pure breeds (heritage). I don't mix the breeds or lines. A lot depends on if you are having birds for eggs/meat/pets or for exhibition. I do show my birds. I have done some experimental breeding in the past but now I only have around 5 or 6 females in with a male in each of the breeding coops and pens I want them to breed with. Sometimes the males won't necessarily breed with every female and will have a favorite or favorites. Good luck and have fun...

 

[LythrumSalicaria]

Hmmm, so many things to consider... Most have already stated good ideas and a lot of the peeps who have replied also have coop pages where you can see what they've built in their own state and with the chickens they have.

You don't mention (or I don't remember seeing) what breed of chicken you are ultimately looking to have OR for what purpose (when you mention D'Uclles, I'm thinking you want a pretty, possibly mixed, flock w/o regard to regular egg laying). Many breeds have different requirements based on size and type and there are specific breeds that do well or were specifically bred in Canada and are considered dual purpose birds (and can be VERY friendly, too).

I agree the TSC coop is too small for LF breeds. Their durability in your weather patterns is questionable. I'm surprised they even market them in your area, maybe I'm not understanding weather patterns N of the Great Lakes. Snow until MAY??? 3' of snow right now where you are looking at building? I'm figuring it is also a very wet, heavy snow, but could be wrong...

Even an 8x4 coop is too small for 2 LF birds in that type of weather - like others - ask me how I know. After 8 straight days of alternating heavy rains w/ drizzling mists and lots of wind every day, my 2 - 4x8' coops are pretty nasty and I have a very unhappy pair of Ameraucana in one and a trio of Ameraucana in the other. Ameraucana are not very big LF birds - and they aren't full grown yet. Even when I set up some small, temporary, covered pens for them to venture out in while I was around to observe - they did not. The wire covered runs aren't even started yet. I started with a quad of Bielefelders in each of these coops just 4 months ago - once they got bigger - they are too large for this size coop but 8 will fit on the roost...

As to chicks or pullets? Again different requirements... I LOVE chicks. I also LOVE eggs. I ultimately started with chicks BEFORE I even had any type of coop (Y did they need one?) since I was given 15 CUTE bantams of unknown sex or breed at Christmas 2010... They and LF production type, hatchery purchased birds "survived" our learning - while free ranging and nesting/cooping in our very large tin covered barn. It was almost 3 full years before I found BYC and learned I had done a lot of things "wrong" - yet we had lots of eggs to eat and chicken in the freezer (mostly bantam cockerels). Built our first CP hoop coop/tractor in 2014 and we go on from there...

Here on our new and much larger property - we have different predators at different times of the year. While having a lot more open space - chickens usually die here when free ranging (& sometimes in uncovered runs) - especially between 1 December & 1 March - when larger animals are HUNGRY (even domestic dogs that are allowed to run loose - their collar tags point out that they came from miles away).

In 2018, I have gotten many different breeds from breeders instead of through hatcheries from TSC and the feed store that brings in chicks. Some as 3 day old chicks, some as "started birds" (both cockerels & pullets) & some fully mature breeding birds. I am still discovering which breeds I like - I know I was surprised that some of my birds didn't even start laying until they were 9-11 months old (I purchased those as "started" birds at 3 months of age - 55 Flowery Hens, Cream Legbars & Rhodebars. The first set of 11- 55 Flowery Hen incubated eggs were all fertile, but none made it to hatch). I found other birds (buff & lavender Orpingtons) that I was recommended to purchase and that are supposed to be great dual purpose birds for farms & homesteads to be unthrifty (for us - you sneezed in the brooder area and they'd keel over dead!), not very big when processed (lots of pretty, fluffy, lavender and buff feathers, though) BUT do live up to their name as VERY friendly birds - even the mature rooster. W/O predator loss, I had the most loss from that breed of birds w/ unrelated bloodlines from 2 breeders. Of 20 birds purchased over a 4 month period, the ones I'm left with today are all related lavenders, none of the buffs - a mature rooster & 1 (of 4) mature hens I purchased him with, 1 cockerel he sired & 2 pullets he sired. The two pullets are both laying - but not consistently yet. One hatched in April and 1 in June. The last mature hen was laying and is now back to not. She is the oldest and will be 3 yrs old this summer. She molted last fall.

While you wait to build - you can purchase items on sale, gather free items & take them apart (pallets, partial sheds, ??) in preparation for building or purchase supplies you may need just so you aren't having to pay for everything all at once and even build your own feeders and waters, so you spend less money on those, too. I personally LOVE Cattle Panels (CP) and we found that they do work in the snow and wind of MT (& Blooie, a member here, had hers in WY) as well as here in NC in the rain, sand and humidity. Many different styles to make with them, too. Our next one will be made using old tires as the base to raise the panels to accommodate DLM. Hopefully, I will start that one soon, but I have to start/finish the run between the 2 - 4x8 hoop coops, first. In the pic below, you can see the two 4x8 coops from our front porch (two blue tarps are the roofs w/ the big pine tree almost centered between the two) and a couple close ups showing with birds in them... I don't have pics of the Ameraucana in either of them yet - just the Bielefelders. The outsides of the pallets all now have wire attached and the bottle walls have been replaced by wire.

View attachment 1685584 View attachment 1685590 View attachment 1685591

& pics before the DLM bedding & chickens put in them

View attachment 1685600 View attachment 1685601 View attachment 1685602 View attachment 1685603



O, and I am a true novel writer in forums!!

Glad I’m not the only one!

Yes a pretty, mixed flock is exactly what I’m after. I’d like to have a colourful egg basket too, so Easter Eggers were one of the breeds I was considering (though I understand that they’re not technically a breed, but “mutts”). Along with those and the Bearded d’Uccles I was also considering Black Australorps, Blue Andalusians, Silkies, Wyandottes and Plymouth Rocks. Of course I’m not going to get all of those at once; they’re just the breeds available from a hatchery near me that I’m most interested in. Whenever I’m ready for them I’ll just start out with 2 or 3 of those breeds and then maybe add more as I gain experience and confidence. I’ve pretty much decided against getting the TSC coop at this point. My guess is they’re selling them for the suburban backyard chicken keepers. In more heavily populated areas the snow usually isn’t as bad; probably because of the heat generated by vehicle exhaust, factories, etc. Plus, the climate at the lower end of Ontario can differ wildly from what you see further North. It’s a big Province!

3 feet of snow isn’t usually the norm here, we’ve just had an especially harsh winter. The shed that I want to convert is on a hill and the drainage is pretty decent so it shouldn’t get too mucky. It shouldn’t be too drafty either because it’s got buildings and trees surrounding it to serve as windbreaks. Snow until May doesn’t happen every year either, but with how harsh this winter has been it wouldn’t surprise me if it happens this year. I’m hoping not though. It’s exciting to be back in the country and I desperately want to go hiking! We have 500 acres so I’ve got a lot of exploring to do. When I lived here as a kid I was always afraid of getting lost so I didn’t ever venture too far from the hayfields.

Whoops, got a little off topic there haha! I want to expand the shed to 8x10; I figured I’d use DLM to generate extra warmth in the winter. I also want to give them a nice big covered run for the days when I can’t let them free-range. I figure if it’s got a roof over it the chickens can still go out and scratch without having to wade through snow drifts. For the run I’m aiming for 150 square feet at the bare minimum, but I’m hoping I’ll be able to make it 200-250 if I can defeat the darn sumac bushes. Why my grandfather planted the darn things in the first place, I have no idea.

 

[paintedChix]

500 acres? swoon..... Do you or your family still do hay? I haven't been into Canada, but my mom & step dad lived outside of Shelby, MT (& all over MT for many years while I was overseas in Korea & Germany). They have both passed and our oldest daughter & her family will be going up there next year to take over the "home place". Wish I could, but I married a southern boy 31 years ago & I can deal w/ southern stuff better than he can deal w/ N western stuff, . He has been in a vehicle in 2 different areas of MT and struck by lightning... Not cool.

but then I haven't explored all of our 20 acres since we moved in 5 years ago. edges are in thorny thickets will need bulldozers or peeps on foot w/ machetes to clear enough to put up complete perimeter fence. That is our goal eventually, but right now??? We use part that is cleared and we are doing some clearing up around the house & shop & chicken areas and some around the pony pastures. When remove some of the trees this year, we will plant other trees in their place - honey locust, nuts & fruits. Clearing trails - for walking and driving ponies. 1 step at a time.

Yes, we've had strange weather for longer stretches this year then ever before (I was here from 93-94 & been here permanently since 1997) - that I can recall. The freeze in January went into double digit negatives - for several days or a week? (I don't remember that happening before for that long). 90's in February when we usually have freezing rain. Next week, if the storm marching across the mid-west does what they are predicting - I expect our area of NC to completely close down. We simply don't have all the equipment and personnel in our area to deal with ice under inches of snow. We shall see. Even w/ extra weight in the back of my 3/4 ton, 4x4 trk - the last ice under snow storm had me sliding around in several areas in the 15 miles between home & work. It was AWFUL. I hope to stay home this time to avoid that. SCARY. We did have a freeze last year in March - I lost all my strawberries I had planted (a lot of the "you pick" places did, too) and the 3 fig trees I'd purchased and planted over Christmas 2017. After all this rain we've also had (many, many inches) since the two hurricanes last fall, if we get 1/4" of ice on the trees - many will come down on power lines and across roads. Ground too saturated to hold the root systems. We actually saw a few down last weekend - after high winds following 4 days of rain.

I have about 600' of hoses to drain this weekend before the freeze hits. I'm actually very thankful I didn't start my 2nd round of eggs - we may lose power and if we do, don't know how long it will take to restore. This year, our personal goal is to get a generator installed so that we always have power. Eventually, we want to go solar power, but right now, we simply aren't able to finance the install/equipment. Hard to water critters when water can't be pumped.

With all the breeds I currently have - we have about 75 chickens right now. I think. I will have to do a recount as I processed a couple last weekend... and lost 1 to a predator over at the neighbors (those are back at home as of Monday) and 3 here (again) 3 weekends ago. I am loving my colorful egg baskets!! I took an 18 box of eggs to work - white, "pink", blu/green & brown. Folks were fascinated!

 

[LythrumSalicaria]

500 acres? swoon..... Do you or your family still do hay? I haven't been into Canada, but my mom & step dad lived outside of Shelby, MT (& all over MT for many years while I was overseas in Korea & Germany). They have both passed and our oldest daughter & her family will be going up there next year to take over the "home place". Wish I could, but I married a southern boy 31 years ago & I can deal w/ southern stuff better than he can deal w/ N western stuff, . He has been in a vehicle in 2 different areas of MT and struck by lightning... Not cool.

but then I haven't explored all of our 20 acres since we moved in 5 years ago. edges are in thorny thickets will need bulldozers or peeps on foot w/ machetes to clear enough to put up complete perimeter fence. That is our goal eventually, but right now??? We use part that is cleared and we are doing some clearing up around the house & shop & chicken areas and some around the pony pastures. When remove some of the trees this year, we will plant other trees in their place - honey locust, nuts & fruits. Clearing trails - for walking and driving ponies. 1 step at a time.

Yes, we've had strange weather for longer stretches this year then ever before (I was here from 93-94 & been here permanently since 1997) - that I can recall. The freeze in January went into double digit negatives - for several days or a week? (I don't remember that happening before for that long). 90's in February when we usually have freezing rain. Next week, if the storm marching across the mid-west does what they are predicting - I expect our area of NC to completely close down. We simply don't have all the equipment and personnel in our area to deal with ice under inches of snow. We shall see. Even w/ extra weight in the back of my 3/4 ton, 4x4 trk - the last ice under snow storm had me sliding around in several areas in the 15 miles between home & work. It was AWFUL. I hope to stay home this time to avoid that. SCARY. We did have a freeze last year in March - I lost all my strawberries I had planted (a lot of the "you pick" places did, too) and the 3 fig trees I'd purchased and planted over Christmas 2017. After all this rain we've also had (many, many inches) since the two hurricanes last fall, if we get 1/4" of ice on the trees - many will come down on power lines and across roads. Ground too saturated to hold the root systems. We actually saw a few down last weekend - after high winds following 4 days of rain.

I have about 600' of hoses to drain this weekend before the freeze hits. I'm actually very thankful I didn't start my 2nd round of eggs - we may lose power and if we do, don't know how long it will take to restore. This year, our personal goal is to get a generator installed so that we always have power. Eventually, we want to go solar power, but right now, we simply aren't able to finance the install/equipment. Hard to water critters when water can't be pumped.

With all the breeds I currently have - we have about 75 chickens right now. I think. I will have to do a recount as I processed a couple last weekend... and lost 1 to a predator over at the neighbors (those are back at home as of Monday) and 3 here (again) 3 weekends ago. I am loving my colorful egg baskets!! I took an 18 box of eggs to work - white, "pink", blu/green & brown. Folks were fascinated!

We lease out the hayfields to our neighbor down the hill, and we sustainably harvest lumber to pay the property taxes. As it stands we aren’t doing much with the property but I’m hoping to change that. My dream is to turn it into an animal sanctuary, but in the near future I’m going to plant gardens and sell herbs, fruits, vegetables and preserves at the local Farmer’s Market. I’d also really like to get a horse or two somewhere down the line. We’ve got a couple of barns; one is just a big steel bunker, the other is wood. Both of them are still solid, the wood barn just needs a few small repairs to be usable again. But as you said, one step at a time.

I’d like to get this place running on solar power as well; for a while the government here was offering to pay landowners to put solar panels on their property to generate power for the province. I tried to get my mother and my uncle to look into it (they have joint ownership of the farm) but they never got around to it. I’m going to look further into it myself and see if the program is still happening though; if it is I’m going to push harder for Mum and Uncle to apply. The extra money would be a big help toward bringing some life back into this big old patch of land; at the very least we’d never have to worry about paying the taxes again!

I’d love to go to Montana. In my opinion it’s home to some of the most beautiful scenery in all of the US. To be able to go to Glacier National Park and paint those gorgeous mountains would be a dream come true for me. Honestly gorgeous isn’t even the right word for them. They’re beyond gorgeous. They’re magical!

It seems like intense weather has been happening everywhere the past few years. It’s getting scary. We got a lot of flooding in Southern Ontario. Last spring the river in the town I just moved from flooded so badly the parks nearby had to be closed for people’s safety. Any houses by the river had water 2’ deep in their back yards. Normally the water level does rise significantly, but nowhere near THAT much. The world is changing, that’s for sure. Hopefully people will be able to adapt and find long-term solutions. Personally I just want to cultivate a simple, comfortable life on the land that my ancestors tamed and try to make them proud.

...and maybe get some of my work into a gallery some day. If I can ever get to a point where I stop falling into the depths of despair and turfing my pieces before I even finish them.

 

[PhilSanchez]

Raised chicks. raised pullets bought full grown hens, advice always buy pullets. Expect losses if free rang if you are looking for your rooster for protection prepare for his loss also. Everything loves to eat chicken, however, opossum and raccoon simply love to kill them. I have even lost hens in a varmit proof coop. Never have figured how that opossum got in there, he is no longer with us and has gone to opossum heaven.

 

[greenwos]

Any updates? I'm also in Northeastern Ontario (more North than East) and would love to know how you made out. We were too late this spring in our decision to get chickens, but are on the ball this year. Currently planning out the chicken coop and which direction to go in regards to chicks, started, or pullets.

 

[Katie386]

cuddley chickens