I am about to embark on poulry ownership and have already spent hours on this site and am addicted. The more I read the more indecisive I feel about the size of our first flock. We are sectioning off a corner of our barn 10 X 15 with an attached run 6X20. We have 3 acres and I'd like them to free range daily if they'll stay in the yard. I had decided on 12-14 2EE, 3BO, 2BPR, 2 CM, 2 RIR and my daughter insists on 1/2 Polish (Thought I should get 2 since they look so different worried they'll get picked on). I was reading yesterday a poster delaring the benefits of fewer birds with more room. Secondly, I didn't realize egg production diminished so quickly so I was wondering if I should get the RIR's next year to spread out production. I know this is a lot but I only wrote a fraction of the questions I have. My kids(4) and I are doing this together and are SO EXCITED. Beth
12 is how many your run holds. So 12-14 seems like a good number. My suggestion, buy only about 5-6. Then do you like those breeds, or want something different. Then get what breeds you like. I got all standards when I got my first hens, then found out there were bantams. CUTE BANTAMS.
They are addictive. We have 5 hens, 3 buff Orpingtons. 1 Black Cochin and 1 Australorp. All are now laying and keeping us in eggs. Soon will be giving them to the neighbors as well. I have a coop/shed that could easily handle 15/20 hens. And we have the space to make a larger run for that many as well. This year we are adding one more standard size layer and are hoping for at least 2 Self Blue D Uccle pullets Some breeds and individual hens start laying earlier than others(Australorp) and some lay longer. My barn owner has a flock of over 40 and she has some that are 3+ years that still lay. That said. Ours are pets, so even when they stop laying they will be here til they go of natural causes. Then we will replace for eggs.
i wasn't sure how many to get for my first time so I got 5 RIR 6EE and 2 silkies. They are only 7 weeks old but I am already thinking about getting more, and more, and more, and more! I can't help myself! so be careful!
Addicting? I should say so. We started out with one Barred Rock and one RIR hen that a lady I worked with was trying to find homes for last April. We had no clue what we were doing. We now have four seperate coops, 9 Buff Orpingtons, 10 RIRs, 10 Barred Rocks, 3 Old English Game Bantams, a "petting zoo" coop with a hodgepodge of 10 different bantams including one Polish Top Hat, two Frizzles, two Silkies, two blue cochin bantams, and some cochin bantam/frizzle mixes, a brooder with 9 black sex link hatchlings, and one americauna hatchling, one Royal Palm turkey, and an incubator with 40 eggs. Yea...is there a "Chickens Anonymous" meeting soon? Oh yea, and two Mandarin ducks.
Is there a vaccine for this chick disease. I've got it too. Just got our first batch this week and already talking about what to get next spring.
I agree about getting a variety. I think 12-14 is a fine number to start with given your space. They really are addictive as everyone has said. I started with three, added a couple more... lost one of those (feral cat), so added two more, lost another one (dog), so now I am picking up 15 (five layers, 10 broilers) this week!
I was right there with ya! I thought i had my list ready, then..... read some more then added some more........ in the end I just finially pushed the buy button! But still want the ones I didn't order! hence i got 2 more orders coming 1 later in the month and 1 in april! and was going to get some ss eggs but can't right now! Even got a incubator already for the eggs. Good luck with whatever you decide.
