If you could only keep 3-5 chickens

[Criticalicious]

Chicken math is a fickle thing. Are you sure 3-5 is enough to feed your family? With 3-5 chickens, depending on what breed(s) you pick, you may not get enough eggs to make breakfast every morning for two people - and less during the winter. Right now I have 10 black copper marans of laying age, vary from 8 to 18 months approximately - one is molting, two trying to go broody and it's winter with shorter days. Today I got 2 eggs. Yesterday there were 4. Being a dual purpose breed, BCM are not the most prolific layers but they do OK. My coworkers rarely turn down free eating eggs when I have too many in the fridge.

 

[Conan]

I'd have five cream Brabanters. I love mine to pieces. SO friendly, from the day I picked them up at the feed store. They are hands down my favorite standard chicken ever. They are my only chickens that are smart enough to get out of the fence every single day, yet always remember how to get back in. They are friendly. They swarm me whenever I go visit. They love a shoulder or arm to sit on. They are calm, and tolerate being held without struggling. Oh, and they are dead sexy.

 

[21hens-incharge]

I have one Starlight Green Egger and she is the absolute sweetest bird ever. She hasn't started laying yet but today I noticed her comb and wattles getting more red and growing, so I believe she'll start laying within a month or so. She 17 weeks old. I've never had a chicken that adores her human like this girl. Unfortunately, as sweet as she is, she is near the very bottom of the pecking order. My Midnight Majesty Maran is at the very bottom and then my Starlight Green Egger. I am a huge fan of Barred Rock Pullets as they're also total sweethearts, but honestly, the Starlight Green Egger seems to like humans more than any chicken I've ever seen. Do you have the same experience with yours?

Mine are in my bigger flock of 21 birds. We also have had a rough year with our dogs so my time with my birds has been very limited. It bums me out that I don't have time to hang out with them.
I think mine are skittish because of that. They are very pretty birds though.

 

[twendt]

I initially was going to get a ton of chickens untill my first go around I realized we don’t eat that many eggs. If you could choose 3-5 different chicken breeds to have which ones would you choose. I would prefer some colored eggs so I know I want one Maran. And maybe some that lay blue or green. I’ve had Easter eggers that lay teal eggs but that was one mean chicken lol

I'm an illegal chicken keeper, I started with 3 RIR, got 2 SLW chicks (Hand raised ,so pretty, not friendly), Rescued another 2 SLW from a farmer (NOT FRIENDLY), Gave away the rescues SLW to my family in Escanaba, MI, raised 3 Barred Rock chicks this past spring( they are my favorite hens!!!) Now I have 7 hens, 2-RIR, 2-SLW and 3-Barred Rock. I think I have the perfect Suburban Flock. I LOVE them All!!

 

[410farmer]

Chicken math is a fickle thing. Are you sure 3-5 is enough to feed your family? With 3-5 chickens, depending on what breed(s) you pick, you may not get enough eggs to make breakfast every morning for two people - and less during the winter. Right now I have 10 black copper marans of laying age, vary from 8 to 18 months approximately - one is molting, two trying to go broody and it's winter with shorter days. Today I got 2 eggs. Yesterday there were 4. Being a dual purpose breed, BCM are not the most prolific layers but they do OK. My coworkers rarely turn down free eating eggs when I have too many in the fridge.

I knew someone was coming with the u sure you don’t want more lol. The only thing I’m dead serious on limiting is the cows. Before when I had chickens I think space was why having my 9 was a hassle. Couldn’t move the coop as much, predators, etc etc. I usually raise a number a bunch if chicks and sell the older ones I don’t want. Are you suggesting go Pokémon mode and get all the ones I’m interested in raise them to pulley/or egg laying age and determine then how many I want to handle lol..giving me bad ideas

I'd have five cream Brabanters. I love mine to pieces. SO friendly, from the day I picked them up at the feed store. They are hands down my favorite standard chicken ever. They are my only chickens that are smart enough to get out of the fence every single day, yet always remember how to get back in. They are friendly. They swarm me whenever I go visit. They love a shoulder or arm to sit on. They are calm, and tolerate being held without struggling. Oh, and they are dead sexy.View attachment 1979499 View attachment 1979500 View attachment 1979501

No those are drop dead gorgeous how bright the pattern and color remind me of leopard...added to my list....

look you guys/girls if I end up with 20 chickens some of should contribute to the feed bill lol

 

[410farmer]

I'm an illegal chicken keeper, I started with 3 RIR, got 2 SLW chicks (Hand raised ,so pretty, not friendly), Rescued another 2 SLW from a farmer (NOT FRIENDLY), Gave away the rescues SLW to my family in Escanaba, MI, raised 3 Barred Rock chicks this past spring( they are my favorite hens!!!) Now I have 7 hens, 2-RIR, 2-SLW and 3-Barred Rock. I think I have the perfect Suburban Flock. I LOVE them All!!

Been there, chickens was legal ducks wasn’t lol

 

[Criticalicious]

I thought 5 was the perfect number and now, after 18 months or so, I have a dozen. The most recent 3 are because one girl went broody and wouldn't give up. I don't move the coops, but I do plan to expand the run in the spring and I free range in the evenings after most of the predators have eaten for the day. The whole setup is surrounded by moveable electric poultry fence to protect against ground predators. My worst enemy to date has been mice or the occasional rat or snake.

 

[HeatherKellyB]

I've heard that Welsummers are actually intelligent chickens, so there's another positive for that breed. Unfortunately I didn't get one of those but I'd like to.

Like I posted as a reply to someone else, I love barred rock pullets! Out of my 17 chickens, I have 2 BR pullets. They started laying first (one of them started laying at 18 weeks) and lay a nice brown egg very often, are beautiful with the tiny bit of white to offset all of that black, and are very friendly. My BR pullets are in a flock of 5 pullets (2 SLWyandotte's, 1 Buff Orpington, and 2 Barred Rocks - this is the pecking order as well) all hatched on the same day. One of my BR's will actually fly up and land on my shoulder to get an up close and personal visit. My daughter was a bit jealous so I put her on my daughter's shoulder once and she learned right away to jump up for her too. My SLWyandotte's are the leaders of their flock. They don't enjoy human attention unless it's giving them treats and often they seem a bit harsh to the other girls in their flock. One of them is a total Tomboy and anytime my daughter picks her up she hackles stand on end. I love them all so much. In my younger flock, my Starlight Green Egger is my favorite, obviously. My Calico Princess Pullet is also super sweet and my most curious bird. She doesn't like to be held but a little stroke here and there is OK. I do believe she'll be my first to lay in my younger flock as she's gotten red and a larger comb and wattles overnight. My Midnight Majesty Maran (Hoover's name for a maran mix) is gorgeous but she is really timid and shy and always has been, but she is a sweetheart.

 

[NatJ]

I usually raise a number a bunch if chicks and sell the older ones I don’t want. Are you suggesting go Pokémon mode and get all the ones I’m interested in raise them to pulley/or egg laying age and determine then how many I want to handle lol..giving me bad ideas

Yes! Just remember to be real picky about which ones you don't want to keep! And you may not have to raise some of them for that long--there will probably be one cockerel, and might be one with a crossed beak or other such problem, and there will be the one that's just a nuisance because she flies out all the time, and there will be either a bully or a victim in the group... So you can choose to keep the ones that make a pretty, friendly, peaceful group.

 

[Conan]

No those are drop dead gorgeous how bright the pattern and color remind me of leopard...added to my list....

look you guys/girls if I end up with 20 chickens some of should contribute to the feed bill lol

If you need further convincing... Cutest chicks too.