How big should my flock be?

[Mrs. K]

I am a broody loving chicken owner. However, I have chickens for fun with eggs. I have kept a flock for the last 11 years, and sporadically before that. You want one or two good broody hens. I have had good luck with Orpingtons. Too many broody hens, and you won't have enough eggs. However, broody hens are temperamental. And often times, you do get a poor hatch. An incubator is much more predictable and works with your schedule, and often times, if you get it set up right, ( a learning curve) will out produce your broody hen.

However, you can cheat. You can set eggs in the incubator when you get a broody hen, or order chicks when you get a broody hen, and then slip them under her. And she will raise them up. This works well as a hobby. I have done both of these, and I have had them hatch out, and while I do process our roosters, I have no where come close to providing chicken meat for my family. If you are doing birds to meet your meat requirements, broody hens are just not consistent enough.

What I think you need, is a good mixed flock, some real egg layers, and some dual purpose birds (they tend to go broody). Get them up and going, for say a year, then try some meat birds.

If you have small children, and it sounds like you do, I would strongly recommend NOT GETTING a rooster. Roosters take some experience, and can go from a darling to a nightmare in a heartbeat, especially for the inexperience, which might not recognize the signals, and they are opportunist and generally will ATTACK small children first. Roosters have ruined the whole chicken experience for a lot of kids. If you have a rooster, you need to keep a serious eye on him, and your children.

Mrs K

 

[mirandalola]

Thank you for you advice! I have ordered some Buff Orpingtons and I'm excited to see how things go with them!

I have heard how aggressive roosters can be, and I have a family history of putting aggressive roosters on the table I have read that roosters are less likely to be aggressive if they're handled from a young age, and my kids are great at that I've also tried to stick with breeds that are known to be docile, but I know that each chicken is an individual. I'm new to chickens but not new to handling animals, and my college degree that I got 11 years ago is in Biology. But I will be cautious, and I am willing to do whatever it takes to keep my kids safe, even if it means giving up whatever dream I had about keeping a rooster in my flock!

 

[aart]

Thank you for you advice! I have ordered some Buff Orpingtons and I'm excited to see how things go with them!

I have heard how aggressive roosters can be, and I have a family history of putting aggressive roosters on the table I have read that roosters are less likely to be aggressive if they're handled from a young age, and my kids are great at that I've also tried to stick with breeds that are known to be docile, but I know that each chicken is an individual. I'm new to chickens but not new to handling animals, and my college degree that I got 11 years ago is in Biology. But I will be cautious, and I am willing to do whatever it takes to keep my kids safe, even if it means giving up whatever dream I had about keeping a rooster in my flock!

I actually think the opposite is more true...familiarity (can) breeds contempt.
Could depend on the bird and the people handling it.

 

[Mrs. K]

Quote: Excellent advice, a rooster is not worth much in flock control or danger assessment and warning until he is about a year old. Go to the local poultry clubs, or ask at the feed store, who else has chickens. Often times they have an extra rooster that is so nice, that is why he is has not been culled. Older roosters generally are set in their temperament, mostly. Cockerels just coming into sexual maturity are a crapshoot. One that has no fear of you can be dangerous.

As for the part of handling your birds. Chickens are a flock society, and equate niceness with submissive behavior. People tend to treat puppies and kittens nicely, and are rewarded with companionship for life. The problem with roosters are they see niceness as submissive, and often times will become aggressive to 'teach you your place.'

Just beware. A rooster should keep space between you, he should not give the stink eye, he should not crow excessively around you, should not puff up. He should move out of your way. Many people have made a pet out of a rooster to regret it bitterly. When they are the pet, they are not scared of you, and really have no respect for you.

It is not a forever, never have roosters, but if your kids are under 6 years, I would wait until you all have a bit more experience.

Mrs K

 

[lazy gardener]

I actually think the opposite is more true...familiarity (can) breeds contempt.
Could depend on the bird and the people handling it.

Agreed. Never make a pet out of a roo.

 

[mirandalola]

Wow, thanks for the advice yall! I have two chicks that I strongly suspect to be roos. They are significantly bigger than their siblings and have red combs and wattles (teeny little wattles!) while their siblings still have pink or gray combs and no wattles. Those two also are much more standoffish than the others, and begin their mornings with a chest-bump squabble before they go about their peck-and-scratch business. (All these chickies are about 5 weeks old, so I know it's too early to tell but it is so much fun to speculate! We also speculate which of the two will end up being king of the flock and which will end up being enchiladas!)

I will now stop trying to make pets of them and instruct my kiddos to do the same!

I got my first experience this weekend what it will be like to dispatch the extra chickens. I separated out the sick chicks from the well ones, and then was able to see just how sick they were. They hid it (or I just couldn't see it) when the healthy chicks were around, but when they were by themselves they seemed much sicker. My husband and I used the gas-chamber method to euthanize them as humanely as possible, and it was hard to do. I have no regrets except that I waited so many days to do it, they were sick for over a week and now another one of my chicks is sick, and this chick was one of my favorites So we are now down to just 4 healthy chicks, and 2 of them I suspect to be roosters! I'm getting some from some local people within the next week, but for future reference, what is your favorite source for getting new chickens and/or hatching eggs?

 

[aart]

Redder combs and wattles at 5-6 weeks is my go to for IDing cockerels....I've found it to be pretty darn accurate.

Sorry you had to euthanize, but good on you for going thru and taking are of it. Most unfun part of chickeneering, but it must be done.
Cervical Dislocation is this quickest, and thus most humane, death, IMO. Tricky tho, until you know how.

Hatch most my own chicks, but get a few from local grain mill(hatchery chicks) each spring....timed to arrive when mine hatch.
Do have a set up to integrate these new chicks you are going to get?
High risk of transmission of disease, both ways.

 

[rebrascora]

If you are going to be processing chickens for food then you need to learn to despatch them more appropriately. Gassing them is contentious at best and as far as I am concerned, it is done because it is easier on the chicken owner than the chicken. People like to convince themselves that it is humane, when that is not necessarily the case.
As aart says, cervical dislocation or decapitation is the quickest way to kill them. I use the broom shank method. Hold their feet, lay them on the ground, on their chest.... they will normally spread their wings to keep upright, place a broom shank over their neck, quickly place feet on the shank either side of the head and pull sharply upwards and forwards with the legs snapping and stretching the neck. I like to sooth the bird as it is lying on the ground to relax it before I lay the broom over it's neck. The broom head keeps the shank from putting any pressure on the windpipe until you step and pull. I find this method fool proof as long as you give a good hard tug. Better to pull too hard and the head come off than not hard enough. Or of course there is also the axe and the tree stump. For young chicks you can use scissors or for older chicks, pruners/loppers. It is no good being squeamish about such things if you intend to raise birds for meat. I know it is hard and I cried the first few times and still do, if it is a sick chick that I have been caring for for weeks. It's hard not to get attached to them but you owe them a quick death even if it means getting a bit of blood on your hands. You also need to be prepared for the nervous spasms that occur after death and it is not uncommon for headless chickens to jump up and run off, so best to keep them contained. I have a cone made of carpet off cut that I place them in after necking them to contain the thrashing to prevent bruising.

I mostly hatch within the flock but I have also sourced birds from friends, neighbours and auction. Aart is right that you need to quarantine....I made the mistake of not doing so when I got started and that is how I got Marek's disease in my flock.

Good luck with your 4 remaining chicks. I hope they stay healthy and thrive.

Best wishes

Barbara

 

[aart]

At one minute into this video shows the best way I have seen a how cervical dislocation(with a broomstick) is done.
It's the only one I've seen that doesn't also remove the head.

Note the bird is slowly and fully stretched out (legs and neck) before the motion that breaks the neck is applied.
Also note the small divot on the ground that prevents the bird from being choked when the stick is put in place.

I used this on a sick bird I had to euthanize...I have slaughtered before but didn't want to use the jugular slit.
It was very effective and instantaneous.

 

[rebrascora]

I use a broom with an angled wooden head, so that keeps the broom shank off the ground at one end to stop asphyxiation rather than a divot in the ground. I have to say though, I thought the woman in the video was rather slow and I felt the chicken was stressed, so I personally didn't feel it was a very good example of how to do it, but you get the gist of what's required.