Advice needed!

[wjallen05]

I wasn't sure which forum this belonged in... but... I need help!!

I want to raise chickens for three purposes: eggs, meat, and to sell.

I want my main breed to be Buff Orpingtons. They are great egg layers, good meat birds, good mothers, and sell like crazy.

I'd like to have some Red Stars as well, thinking just hens for egg laying.

So my question is this... is it best to house hens (not sure how many?) with a rooster and let them raise up chicks to sell, keep some for future egg layers, slaughter some, etc. OR would it be best for me to collect the eggs, eat some, and incubate some, and raise the chicks that way.

My main concerns with roosters are... I want the egg-layers close to the house so that it's easier to collect the eggs every day. I also do not want a rooster close to the house because I know the crowing will drive me crazy... especially with three little ones. Which is another reason... not sure if they'll be aggresive or what.

Any advice would be much appriciated. Thanks!

 

[Frizzledhen]

You will need a rooster either way.

 

[MandyH]

whether you want to incubate or the broody to hatch your eggs, you will have to have roosters to have babies.

 

[banter]

You can have just hens and buy more fertile eggs or chicks each year. I for one love my two roosters! I hand raised them and they are very sweet. I love their crowing and don't find it offensive. Their in the barn at night anyway so the crows are not loud (to me)-and I have an attached barn. Research your breeds well before you buy. And I have to tell you getting back to the crowing, I lived in the city for a long time and nothing is more obnoxious than a stinky rumbling truck at all hours!

 

[Frizzledhen]

Buff Orp roos are generally pretty nice birds. Not aggressive and can be handled easily. If you don't have a certain date that you have to have chicks, letting the broodies raise the chicks is much simpler than a bator. If you need lots of chicks on certain dates, a bator is the only way to go. Get a good bator though because if you don't, you will just buy one later on anyway. I personally like to hear my roos crow in the morning, afternoon, late afternoon and evening.

 

[Tuffoldhen]

Yup, gotta have that rooster to fertilize eggs for incubation..

 

[banter]

DUH They're in the barn at night lol!

 

[DouglasPeeps]

Yes, you will need a rooster either way. The only way to have fertile eggs, is to have a rooster. I think that it is great to have your hens hatch out chicks. That being said, you must first have a "broody" hen. Not all hens will go "broody". So, if you don't get one, then the incubator is your only option.

The rule of thumb is 1 rooster for every 8 to 10 hens.

As far as roosters go, you are right, some of them can be aggressive. I am not sure which ones are more aggressive than others, so maybe someone else can advise you on that.

Hope this helps!

 

[MissPrissy]

A layer flock and a meat flock are two different things. A meat flock is butchered at 8 weeks. Layers have to be about 18 - 22 weeks old to even lay an egg. Birds older than 12 weeks are tough and not worth using for anything other than stewing. You need to check your local and state laws and regulations on selling meat chickens.

If you think this will make you any extra money - it won't. Grain prices are high and chickens do eat plenty of feed. You have to feed a layer almost 6 months to get anything out of it. Honestly, you won't make a dime of profit off of a few chickens.

Even doing this for your family table is expensive. the only real value is in knowing your family is being responsible with raising healthy birds and eggs and the best source of nutrition is being placed on your table. Hands down it is cheaper to buy grocery store meat and often eggs since it takes 6 months of feeding a hen to even see an egg.

As far as raising chicks - a lot of hens NEVER go broody in their lifetime. They won't sit on eggs, they won't raise chicks. They just eat.

Seriously.

 

[wjallen05]

okay people... I am WELL AWARE that I need a rooster to hatch eggs.

What I am saying is that I'd rather keep the ROOSTER down by the barn so that I don't have to hear it crowing right outside my window. But then at the same time, I do not want to walk 1/2 mile to collect eggs every day and carry them back up. That is why I'd like to just let the hens raise the chicks. But I'm not sure how that works or how successful it will be.