Getting chickens in moderation

[Dilly]

Hi All,

At this time we only want half a dozen hens for laying. My concern is getting six chicks rasing them, enjoying the eggs for a few years and having the laying drop off and then having six hens all the same age. I can and will never kill something off just to make room for more. My concern is should I start with less and each year add a couple more and do with less eggs?

I really want to have a dozen eggs a week on the minimum. I will be getting buff orpington and barred rock hens. Anyone have an idea of how many hens will give us a dozen eggs a week on estimation. If we can go with less and build our numbers more slowly that would be an alternative to getting them all at once.

Thanks

 

[Buff Hooligans]

Hey Dilly, I am in the same situation as you. I wanted just a few chickens as "pets with benefits". But now that we get eggs every day, I'm hooked on them.

Since most hens' laying slows down at 3 years, in two more years, we may get three or four baby chicks, and keep the new heavy layers alongside the older, haphazard layers. But after all, we meant to keep them as pets, so sooner or later, they're all going to be free-loadin' lumoxes anyway...

 

[wegotchickens]

If you're on this site long enought, you learn that this is addicting and there's no such thing as moderation

But I would get 3 to start, then add 3 more when you're ready. That way you have some transition...

 

[rooster-red]

With 6 hens of the 2 breeds mentioned you will be getting more than a dozen eggs a week.

 

[wynedot55]

over time hens cull themselves via sickness vermitts or just plain dieing.so you shouldnt worry bout the culling issue to much.

 

[SusanJoM]

Ha Ha Ha
Moderation
That's what I thought too when I decided to start a new flock. Smaller, I said to myself, than those 8-12 EE's. WOOT !!!! I've got 16 kids in the guest bathroom and an incubator on the way.

Oh my....
I know I'm a gonna be in trouble.

Susan

 

[chcknrs]

Hmmmmmmmm, moderation........BYC.......what defines moderation in here?

 

[chickenannie]

Even though you're making calculations to get a dozen eggs, you should know that chickens lay seasonally due to the variation in hours of daylight. In the Spring, chickens will lay like crazy (for example, I'm getting 2 dozen eggs per day right now), but in the fall and winter, that may drop down to 8-10 per day depending on a variety of other things.

 

[Dilly]

Thanks everyone. Buff lady your site is what sold me on orpingtons. So beautiful.

roostered-- said I would be getting far more than a dozen a week with my six planned hens. So what would you suggest I start with?

I know they are like potato chips, but honestly we want them as pets and for the benefit of eggs.

So moderation is really our goal.

Chickenannie--- how many hens do you have and what breed to be getting so many eggs?

 

[chickenannie]

It's in my signature line, but my 15 Buff Orpington hens are great egg layers! The others are my 22 Rhode Island Red hens. Actually now that I wrote that down, it doesn't seem like I'm getting enough eggs! But sometimes i get more than 2 dozen, so that was just an estimate.