How often do you get new birds?

[Hufflefluff]

We started with 6, that quickly changed and we now have 57.[cut]

I get new chicks about 4 times a year.

Wow! New life goal: live somewhere where I can do this

 

[rosemarythyme]

My plan is to get chicks every 2 to 3 years, depending on how egg output is looking. We just need enough eggs for 2 households of 2 adults.

 

[MagpieDucks]

My plan is to get chicks every 2 to 3 years, depending on how egg output is looking. We just need enough eggs for 2 households of 2 adults.

It's nice to have smaller numbers sometimes.

 

[Spartan22]

The first 3 years I’d been buying hatchery day old chicks every spring, the 4th year, I started buying heritage hatching eggs and day old chicks. I’d been hatching eggs since then. So every year I add new chicks and every 3-4 yrs I retire the older ones. I got age range of 6 months old to 4 year old hens right now and 2 big coops.

 

[Mrs. K]

As to the original poster - don't cull them, SELL them as laying birds. Do not feel guilted into keeping birds you don't like for whatever reason. A lot of people like a mature bird that they don't have to raise up.

Once the bird is theirs, it is not your repsonsibility. Truthfully even dual purpose birds are not that great of meat birds. If you want to raise chicken for meat, get meat birds. I will never go back.

I keep a flock, have had one for years, the birds, they come and go in the flock.

Mrs K

 

[Hufflefluff]

As to the original poster - don't cull them, SELL them as laying birds. Do not feel guilted into keeping birds you don't like for whatever reason. A lot of people like a mature bird that they don't have to raise up.

Once the bird is theirs, it is not your repsonsibility. Truthfully even dual purpose birds are not that great of meat birds. If you want to raise chicken for meat, get meat birds. I will never go back.

I keep a flock, have had one for years, the birds, they come and go in the flock.

Mrs K

This is an excellent idea! I'm actually not sure why I didn't think of this- thank you for bringing it up! I'm not sure how much luck I'll have selling layers where I live, but it's absolutely worth a shot. And I've wanted to raise meat birds, but the rest of the family isn't too keen on the idea- the 14-year-old gets upset about the idea of raising baby chicks to kill (but is fine with me culling adult birds?? Someday I'll figure out how his logic pans out)

 

[Mrs. K]

Don't get too many the first time, and really until you do them it is hard to believe how fast they grow. They are not chick like when you harvest them. I bought laying chicks at the same time, and they were MONTHS behind them.

I am a middle school teacher, often times adolescents is trying so hard to make sense, that they leap to conclusions, often illogical ones. Just do a few, and I bet he comes around.

MRs K

 

[aart]

Every year I hatch chicks, every year I put the hatched cockerels and some older(2-3yo) hens in the freezer. I have sold a few but not a great area to sell birds(and/or I'm not a great seller). My space, and budget, does not afford me the luxury of pet chickens.

 

[Aunt Angus]

It's a fine balance between how often I want new chicks and how many new chicks my husband will tolerate!

Just kidding! I'm new at this, and mine are pets. I just ordered new ones for the summer, and I think that'll be it... for now.

But I am interested in others' thoughts on this, so I thought I'd follow...

 

[SomeChickinTN]

I had planned on doing a three year rotation, with new chicks every spring, but based on what I've read on this site, I'm thinking it's better to go with a two year. I have these older birds I'm supposed to process, but I'm pretty sure they are in their 4th year, so I'm wondering if they are too old to even eat if it's better to do it by 18 months.