First Time Chicken Raising And I Have Many Questions

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farmergirl@heart

farmergirl@heart

Hatching
10 Years
Jun 26, 2009
7
0
7
Ashtabula County, OH
I Started My Flock Last Monthewith 6-- 7 Week Old Rir Hens. I Have Been Reading Many Books And Articles About Chickens And Found That Getting Advice From Actual People Who Are Doing This Is Alot Better Than Any Book. One Of My Questions Is When Does A Chicken Start Laying? How Long Do They Keep Laying? What Does It Mean When A Person Says They Have A Broody Hen? Thank You For A Wonderful Site And I'm Looking Forward To Any Responses.
 
farmergirl@heart :

I Started My Flock Last Monthewith 6-- 7 Week Old Rir Hens. I Have Been Reading Many Books And Articles About Chickens And Found That Getting Advice From Actual People Who Are Doing This Is Alot Better Than Any Book. One Of My Questions Is When Does A Chicken Start Laying? How Long Do They Keep Laying? What Does It Mean When A Person Says They Have A Broody Hen? Thank You For A Wonderful Site And I'm Looking Forward To Any Responses.

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!! You've definitely come to the right place!

Chickens can start laying anywhere from 15-16 weeks or more; depends on the breed and alot of other factors. They lay until they run out of eggs
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Each female is born with a certain number and how long they last depends on how many she lays. After two years, ours are still going strong and I've read of others still laying after 10+ years (although not as many). A broody hen is one who stops laying and is obsessed about setting on eggs and hatching chicks.

Hope this helps!​
 
Thank You So Much!:d I Was Also Wondering When They Can Be Really Free Ranged? Right Know I Put Them In A 4'x8' Dog Pen That Is Covered With Aviary Netting Because I'm Thinking That They May Be Too Small Yet And A Hawk May Get To Them. I Use A Dog Carrier To Trasport Them From Their Coop To The Pen, And Then Vice Versa When Putting Them In Their Coop At Night. I Have Food, Water And Shelter From The Sun In The Dog Pen For Them And They Are Out There For About 12-14 Hours During The Day. The Set Up I Was Planning Is That Their Coop Is Inside A Penned Area, 10'x25' And Was Hoping To Just Open Their Coop Door In The Morning And Let Them Go In And Out As They Please And Then Lock Them In Their Coop At Night. What Are Your Thoughts?
 
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from SE MO! Your plan is sound. It depends on the predators in your area. I let mine alone in my fenced yard when they stopped peeping around 12 weeks. Hawks are still a possibility with adult chickens if they're an issue. The other common daytime predators are dogs and cats. Well fed pet cats won't usually bother a full grown chicken, though.
 

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