Are you from Costa Rica too?

[Costa Rica Art]

Well you certainly have a good start on a diversified flock. We too have meat chicks that we are raising (just butchered 4 for the freezer). Made a mistake, one of the meat hens was laying eggs, we should have kept her for those eggs, our one silkie hen will set on them and hatch them, about 6 at a time. We didn’t think of it till after she was in the freezer. Our bantam hen, Henrietta, has 6 chicks now (they are working over Caroline’s flower beds as I type). Wow, 30 acres, that is great. Do you have a garden? I should have asked that in my last message. Oh, BTW, if you want some funny birds, get yourself some guinea hens, they are the clowns of the flock plus they eat leaf cutter ants.

 

[Finca Loca]

Hey birdies, I'm outside of Quepos on the Pacific. The hot lowlands here. Building my chicken tractor this week. Never had birds here before. Happy to be here!!!

 

[Costa Rica Art]

Raising chickens here in CR is fairly basic. The only thing that surprised me is the chickens lay eggs for one season and stop. I messed around waiting for them to start laying again, nope, ain't gonna do it. They be soup chickens after one season. I'm trying some other birds from local folks in hope that they produce more than one season. I got real lucky in that one of the new hens, large eggs and a fairly heavy bird, went broody, now have a good possibility of raising my own replacements. Take care, enjoy CR.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Hello all CR expats and other chicken owners.
I've spent enough time in CR to know that's where I want to retire.
I have a lot of friends in and around Alajuela, Puerto Viejo and Monte Verde. However, the areas I really want to live are around San Vito or up on Irazú or Poás.
Obviously I like it cool. I can always take a trip to the beach.

My question is - How did you choose to settle where you did?
The country is so small with so many micro climates it isn't far to anywhere. I was just curious.

 

[tallgrass]

Hello. I sure have enjoyed this thread. I am engaged to a woman in CR that i have known for 8 yrs and plan to move to CR in two yrs or less. We most likely will live outside of Heredia; up hill away from town.
Very interesting to learn the one season for layers. Just biding my time before i can move.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I had never heard that about the one season lay. I guess the subject never came up but I'm pretty sure it's associated with the breed.
I was wondering how day length affected the laying cycle since it is nearly the same year round compared to the north.

 

[Costa Rica Art]

I have no idea if the days (length) have any effect on the laying cycle of the CR ponedoras but the ones I had just stopped and never started again. They are a skinny chicken so not much for the soup pot. I don't know if they could be fattened, 3 of them died and the rest went to a friend, I would have better answers if my Spanish were better. I have been looking for and have got some hens that are both good layers and have good weight. It may be that the ponedoras are bred like they are due to the heat and humidity in the huge egg producers operations. We are at 3,800 feet so the heat is not a problem. We also allow the chickens to have the run of part of our backyard which is fenced with chain link. The eggs are awesome, rich, bright almost red, orange yokes plus the whites don't run all over the skillet. I plan to ferment my feed as I've been following a thread here, https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/644300/fermenting-feed-for-meat-birds which also talks about layers and the benefits of fermented feed which really makes sense. For the person who is thinking about Heredia area I would think it should be about the same heat wise. I will post back here as I find out how the chickens I have now do and if they return to laying eggs after the molt time of the year. One of the hens went broody so I will also try and put a nice clutch of eggs under her the next time she goes broody.

 

[Costa Rica Art]

Our silkie hen, Mrs. PJ continues to amaze. I've been waiting for 4 months for some new chicks, they're what Costa Rica (agricultural ministry) has been breeding to be a combination chicken. The ponedora's (CRs commercial layers)seem to be good for just one season then stop laying, I think they are bred to with stand the heat and humidity of Costa Rica's egg factories. This breed is for the home owner with a small flock so when they became available I was in line to get a few, a few turned our to be 30 which is OK as I plan to share them when they are large enough to be on their own out of the brooder. A huge surprise was they were free, CR is working hard to help those who help themselves. I have a section of my coop for a brooder area, I had placed two heat lamps in it already in preparation for some chicks when they became available. In the mean time Mrs. PJ became broody and was in a nest box in the brooder area. I got the chicks which were very healthy looking and put them in the brooder area and turned on the heat lamp. Well some of the little beggars spotted Mrs. PJ, under her they went. As the day went on more and more of them were trying to get under her, the rest shared the heat lamps. The next morning Mrs. PJ had abandoned the nest box (we tossed out the eggs) and was being the awesome momma she is. It was a laugh to see all of those chicks doing their best to get under her, there were even 4 of them on her back. They were sticking out from between her wings and her body. She, just like always, was making her momma sounds and fluffing her self up as big as she could. The chicks now share the heat lamps and her. We lost one chick but the rest are doing great. It will be fun to see her take the brood out for their first day in the yard. They will be around 4 weeks old before they are allowed out as it won't be easy to find them if they scatter around when it is time to return to the brooder area. I will take photos of that day, humor like that should be shared.

Costa Rica Art

Yes, there are 29 of those chicks under her and around her.

This is what they will look like when grown, this hen lays some awesome eggs and has a nice even disposition.
I will choose maybe 10 hens and one cockerel to keep based on their shape, weight and disposition, the rest will be shared with others who don't have Mrs. PJ or the brooder to raise chicks. Like the USA, chicken meat and eggs aren't cheap anymore but raising them not only helps cut cost but the eggs and meat is like no store bought. We have another silkie hen, hope she will take over being the great momma when Mrs. PJ is gone. I plan to hatch maybe 6 chicks every year for replacements and of course for the freezer.

Quote:

Raising chickens here in CR is fairly basic. The only thing that surprised me is the chickens lay eggs for one season and stop. I messed around waiting for them to start laying again, nope, ain't gonna do it. They be soup chickens after one season. I'm trying some other birds from local folks in hope that they produce more than one season. I got real lucky in that one of the new hens, large eggs and a fairly heavy bird, went broody, now have a good possibility of raising my own replacements. Take care, enjoy CR.

An update to CR chickens.

 

[Beamer's human]

I live in Playa Chiquita and bought Silkies called Japonesa here at Bribri, but they do not have them this moment.

 

[Costa Rica Art]

I live in Playa Chiquita and bought Silkies called Japonesa here at Bribri, but they do not have them this moment.

Not exactly sure where you are, perhaps in the southwest corner of CR? We have silkies to give away, they are the best broody hens I have ever seen. We have two sitting on eggs now, some silkie eggs and some regular layers eggs/ They keep our supply of give a way silkies and we get good replacements for our layer hens, they are awesome moms!!! Enjoy yours when you get them.