Just getting my flock started- a numbers question for you

[jenn-]

I am planning on having 6 chickens total (that number is firm so no funny chicken math). I am thinking about getting 4 now and 2 next year so that I won't have a long period where I won't be stuck with a long period without eggs in a couple of years.

Would it be better to just start with the 6 and not have to intergrate the next 2 or does my plan sound better?

 

[lazy gardener]

Sooner or later, you're going to add new birds, replace the old if you intend to continue enjoying eggs! For a small back yard flock, you may actually get some of your best eggs from your hens who are in their second laying season. They'll lay slightly fewer, but the ones they do lay will be larger.

Some folks add new chicks every year, and rotate the non-productive hens out. You could bring in new birds every spring, or even every other. Some folks do an all in/all out rotation: they cull the existing flock, and then start a brand new flock. There's no one right way to do it, so you'll have to play around with it until you work out the system that works BEST for you. If I were in your shoes, I'd start with 6, because it's no more difficult to raise 6 than it is to raise 3. Then, the next spring, or the spring after, I'd remove the least productive birds, and save a few hens for summer eggs while raising up their replacements.

 

[jenn-]

Sooner or later, you're going to add new birds, replace the old if you intend to continue enjoying eggs! For a small back yard flock, you may actually get some of your best eggs from your hens who are in their second laying season. They'll lay slightly fewer, but the ones they do lay will be larger.

Some folks add new chicks every year, and rotate the non-productive hens out. You could bring in new birds every spring, or even every other. Some folks do an all in/all out rotation: they cull the existing flock, and then start a brand new flock. There's no one right way to do it, so you'll have to play around with it until you work out the system that works BEST for you. If I were in your shoes, I'd start with 6, because it's no more difficult to raise 6 than it is to raise 3. Then, the next spring, or the spring after, I'd remove the least productive birds, and save a few hens for summer eggs while raising up their replacements.

Thank you for your response. I guess I need to look up how long most chickens produce. I know I've read it somewhere, but the number has slipped my mind. I could see keeping the 6 for this year and then next year and getting rid of any that have really slowed down at the beginning of the next year. Then swap out the other ones towards the later part of the year.

 

[Bossom-hen]

Mine are in the second year and are laying better than last year. It depends how you feel about your hens. Mine are pets and I wouldn't get rid of them because they aren't laying, so I have started with with the plan of increasing my flock as they age and egg production decreases. I have also lost one to laying problems so she will be replaced this year. It also depends how many eggs you want I guess.

 

[ShockValue]

Buying 6 and still having 6 good layers in 2 years is a best-case scenario. There are a multitude of things that will attempt to thwart that plan. (Chicks are fragile, predators, sickness, hens being roosters, alien abduction, non-layers, etc.)

 

[hankbush4280]

I hate to rain on your day but no matter how you rotate stock there will be pleanty of days with out eggs, they lay 200 on average (using a good number). But they lay every day, every other day, some every third. not to mention climate, feed, moon cycle,and region. my three hens laid there 200 eggs and then all stoped laying for the summer. yup no eggs for months ( im in central florida). while my neighbor who has 100 chickens slowed to three eggs a day. it all depends on mother nature. I have found the second years eggs have been the biggest, and most consistant, after the fall my birds will go to auction. Then the 20 new girls should produce good for two years, now after the first year they lay i plan to doule flock size and rotate second year layers after each winter . But there are pleanty of days with no eggs

 

[jenn-]

I hate to rain on your day but no matter how you rotate stock there will be pleanty of days with out eggs, they lay 200 on average (using a good number). But they lay every day, every other day, some every third. not to mention climate, feed, moon cycle,and region. my three hens laid there 200 eggs and then all stoped laying for the summer. yup no eggs for months ( im in central florida). while my neighbor who has 100 chickens slowed to three eggs a day. it all depends on mother nature. I have found the second years eggs have been the biggest, and most consistant, after the fall my birds will go to auction. Then the 20 new girls should produce good for two years, now after the first year they lay i plan to doule flock size and rotate second year layers after each winter . But there are pleanty of days with no eggs

I realize that there will be days with no eggs. I was referring to the culling of the flock at the beginning of winter to getting chicks in the spring and them not producing until September.

 

[Mrs. K]

I would go for 4 this year, they will start producing before winter, if you get them soon They need to be about 5 months old before November 15 if you live in the northern part of the USA. I live in SD, and I find that the day length really does affect egg laying. I assume that where you live has a big impact, the summer months are my heaviest egg production (see above post). If they don't start laying before December, they may not start laying until January. Generally speaking, while pullets do lay through the dark days of winter (kind of, sort of) they do have some time of pretty small eggs.

Next year, your 18 month old hens will molt sometime near Novemberish, and stop laying eggs. It will differ depending on where you live, but mine generally start up again in the end of January. Now I have had days where I had no eggs, and lots of days where I just get one or two eggs, but it will depend a great deal on your breeds, but even in the dark days of winter I get some eggs.

If you add another 2 chicks, then you are good to go the following winter, and at that time you might want to cull a couple of the original 4 add chicks the following year.

A trick is to freeze some eggs when you have lots, for the times when you don't have many.

The problem is those darn predators, freak accidents, and problems that wind up with a loss of birds. I am all for a multi-generational flock. I finally have it and I have had this flock for 8 years. The best of plans often go awry.

Really it won't matter how you do it, just do it.

Mrs K

 

[ChickenDaddy523]

I was pondering the same thought you are having. I was going to get six and add two more the next year, but it can be a challenge to get just two to bond with the older flock. What I decided to do is get 8 and butcher half the flock every year and add 4 new ones hopefully from a broody that will raise some new young that will also sell, just for fun. However, I'm not sure whether I can butcher them yet because they're such great pets!

 

[ShockValue]

My goal is to add more to my flock via hatching eggs under a broody as well. We have a girl sitting on 7 eggs now, but she's gone to the wrong nest twice now and let her eggs get cold, so I'm not sure if any will hatch. Will find out next week!