SomeChickinTN
Songster
All you guys are telling the OP that it's better to get the whole flock at once, and now I'm thinking, "But I only bought 5 chicks". I wish I would have bought more.
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Mrs K, can I ask how you cull your flock? I think most people seem to have their chooks as pets, and I'm assuming they let them live out their lives on the backyard farm. Knowing myself, I'll likely be doing the same, but I am still curious; I have a close friend who homesteads, and has a large flock. When her hens age out of laying eggs, her husband goes out there and returns with a chicken he boils up for stew.
All you guys are telling the OP that it's better to get the whole flock at once, and now I'm thinking, "But I only bought 5 chicks". I wish I would have bought more.
I'd come up with a plan on how you want to handle this, maybe discuss with your family and see how they feel. Would they be okay eating Henny Penny?My chickens are pets first so yes they'll get to live our their lives, but that's not practical for many people because it costs money to feed birds that aren't feeding you in return. I personally don't need that many eggs, so the more older hens I have, the more excuse I have to get more chicks.
As far as the plan to get a broody and chicks I do hope someone can pipe in with their experience. I don't know how doable/difficult that would be. My own recommendation would be to just get chicks and brood them yourself, as that's fairly simple (and takes managing a hen out of the equation) and will let you get the most hands on time with them as they grow.
Chicken math hit you hard eh?I don't regret starting small (I started with 3) as it was easier to raise a small batch. Plus the little coop I started out with was never going to hold all that many. Now that I know I enjoy it I have a bigger coop and I'm glad I'm staggering ages, even if integration is a bit of work, as I know I'll get a steadier supply of eggs, plus it's fun watching the younger birds zooming around the older ones.
Yeah, and I've been swearing this is the only batch of chicks I'm going to raise, but I find myself trying to browse the hatchery site for spring chicks of a different breed. I'm such a sucker![]()
I browse my feed store's calendar every year. I keep planning for what variety of chicks I want "next time." Heck every time I'm at the store I'll take a look at what they have, or I'll visit their adult flock which is like a living catalog of what birds they can get. Thankfully I'm not an impulsive person when it comes to chickens!
Yes, if the chickens are locked inside during the day. But if they can come and go throughout the day as @Ridgerunner mentions, then the coop is basically only a roosting house where they just sleep or use the nest boxes, and their "living space" is the run or outside free ranging.Isn't a 4x4 coop suitable for 4 chooks?
Actually, I don't know why everyone would want to get an entire flock all at once... for the same reasons @Mrs. K already stated.All you guys are telling the OP that it's better to get the whole flock at once, and now I'm thinking, "But I only bought 5 chicks". I wish I would have bought more.
Why 6 chickens exactly? Does your town have a limit? Do you have space on your property for more? You say the purpose for wanting chickens is to eliminate the weeds, but goats or a rototiller and a few layers of cardboard would do the same, and in probably a more timely manner. I had my chickens free ranging for a year in my backyard, and they destroyed everything but the weeds! Is there a way you can build your coop close the area you want and attach the run over the "weed" area? Then when you're ready to plant trees, you could move the run? It just seems to me that a portable tractor would either be too small, or take too long to actually eradicate all the weeds.