Consolidated Kansas

[ChickenCanoe]

What is the best laying chicken

Likely one of the Hy-Line hybrids. They are used on egg farms all over the world.
http://www.hyline.com/aspx/products/productinformation.aspx
http://www.hylinena.com/aspx/salesmanagers/salesmanagers.aspx#
I don't think they sell a handful of chickens, more like 10s of thousands.
There are other producers of commercial layers that produce very well.
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As someone else said, sex links are good.

As for a pure breed, leghorns for white eggs and RIRs for brown eggs.

 

[sharol]

What is the best laying chicken

My best layers (in their first year of laying) were Delawares from a hatchery. Those girls laid 6-7 eggs a week for months on end from the time they started laying in January until their first molt in the fall. It fell off after the first year, though. My little EE laid 4-5 eggs a week for the same period of time (and they were a lovely blue/green).

Like Danz says, the sex-links are bred to lay. They lay lots of eggs the first couple of years, but burn out early.

 

[Trish44]

Can anyone tell me where to take a cutting of a plant to find out if it's harmful to Chickens as I really don't have grass in my backyard I have this ground cover that has blue purple flowers on it during spring and summer. Thank you

It looks like ground ivy to me, not poisonous. I agree with danz though, my chickens never bother things that are harmful to them. I have vinca vine all over & they never even look at it.

Anyone in the Wichita area needing to reduce their flock of pullets or laying hens? I have lost 2 girls this week

that leaves me only 7 girls for my rooster. I would be willing to go the Salina area as well.

If you're on Facebook ask to join the Kansas Poultry Swap & Kansas Farm Animal Swap, there have been several groups of hens there lately.

Both the seller & I forgot that Weds. is a postal holiday so he is shipping my roosters today instead so they hopefully, fingers crossed don't spend an extra day in the system.

My best layers for white eggs have been Leghorns & for brown ones I really like Wyandottes & I agree on the sexlinks but they will quit laying sooner because of the volumes of eggs they lay. There are many breeds of good layers if you want some to lay longer. My RIRs are egg laying machines as well.

 

[chicken danz]

Quote: That is Creeping Charlie. A highly intrusive ground rooting weed that will take over everything. If I were you I'd be out there with a strong mix of roundup and spray until that stuff was long gone. Even one viable root will take over the whole area. I somehow got some in some purchased plants and now I have to continually treat to get rid of it. Kill it out as best you can then reseed with something that is fast growing but not invasive. The chickens won't eat it. It isn't toxic in small amounts but is dangerous for kidneys and livers in larger amounts. It prefers shade so if you can get more sun to the area that will help keep it in check. I'd find a grass seed that does well in shade and reseed with that. Before chickens, I ran a landscape design business on the side. My true passion for most of my life. Unfortunately my spinal issues have stopped almost all of my gardening.
Quote:

@chicken danz . Sounds like you're doing better.

. I really wish I was closer so I could have helped out with the birds. I hope you continue to improve.

I'm pretty disgusted with my slow improvement. It's driving me nuts not to be able to take care of things myself. I end up trying to do too much, then crash and feel bad for a couple more days. I am so sick of being stuck inside most of the time. My DH is off the next few days and I told him this morning I want to try to do some feeding if he will water and see how far I get. I'll probably regret that decision.

 

[Dani4Hedgies]

So i have taken my cutting to two different stores and have been told its Wild Violets and have been told its Wild Carolina either of which i have read is good for chickens to eat so im not worried anymore.

 

[Dani4Hedgies]

That is Creeping Charlie. A highly intrusive ground rooting weed that will take over everything. If I were you I'd be out there with a strong mix of roundup and spray until that stuff was long gone. Even one viable root will take over the whole area. I somehow got some in some purchased plants and now I have to continually treat to get rid of it. Kill it out as best you can then reseed with something that is fast growing but not invasive. The chickens won't eat it. It isn't toxic in small amounts but is dangerous for kidneys and livers in larger amounts. It prefers shade so if you can get more sun to the area that will help keep it in check. I'd find a grass seed that does well in shade and reseed with that. Before chickens, I ran a landscape design business on the side. My true passion for most of my life. Unfortunately my spinal issues have stopped almost all of my garden

Well Crap what do I now won't round up hurt my chickens when they go outside in 2 months? My entire back yard is covered in this and it is fully shaded and most of my backyard is in a flood plane except where I have my chicken run.

 

[chicken danz]

Your chickens will be fine. It's just that this stuff takes over every thing so there won't be much other vegetation for them to eat. They may scratch in the dirt regardless and make it disappear. Chickens are really good at that!!! Since it's getting closer to winter you could just leave it alone. They'll be scratching in the dirt so they may eradicate it on their own. If you have a tiller you could go over the surface lightly to break the hard crust on top and the chickens would be more likely to dig it up. Chickens are great gardeners given a chance. They can destroy a veggie garden pretty fast but they do great jobs weeding. One nice thing about the plant world is that it self sustains to some extent. If your chickens cultivate for you then more desirable plants might replace this.
during the drought I lost all my grass and clover that was replaced by Knot weed. But the last two years now it is slowly filling in again with clover and native grasses. By the way chickens love clover and the bee world depends on it so it's always an awesome plant to get started. I used to hate it cause it invaded the flower beds but now I encourage it to fill the other spaces.

 

[Dani4Hedgies]

Thanks Danz that it is indeed great news thanks yep will definitely break out the tiller and start to break it up to help them out and as soon as I can I will plant clover plants and seed clover all over there is a huge patch in the middle of the yard that gets direct sun and I love the clover so that's easy enough and figure I can take advantage of the chicken poo to help it to grow.

 

[Dani4Hedgies]

http://kansascity.craigslist.org/zip/5309535085.html the above ad was just posted in Kansas City craiglist he is offering free chickens due to them moving where they are illegal

 

[chicken danz]

Thanks Danz that it is indeed great news thanks yep will definitely break out the tiller and start to break it up to help them out and as soon as I can I will plant clover plants and aee clover all over there is a huge patch in the middle of the yard that gets direct sun and I love the clover so that's easy enough and figure I can take advantage of the chicken poo to help it to grow.

Great!!!