Managing breeding population on a small lot

[HannaKessler]

I am doing research because I think it would be fun to breed and sell chicks in the spring. Currently I have no chickens, but I have had small flocks (2-4 hens) in the past. I am about to move away from home, so I likely won't have a ton of land, just a standard sized backyard. I am aware of chicken/rooster zoning laws and such, mostly I am interested in the logistics.

With the amount of land I will have, I will be limiting my flock to only a single breed. My preference would be brahmas, but will have to see. Do different colors/varieties of brahmas breed together well? I mean by this, if a LF light was bred with a LF dark, would their offspring be some percent light and some percent dark or all a mix of the two? I am not looking for exactly perfect show birds but I don't want to advertise them as something they are not.

I have heard some mixed information about the hen-rooster ratio that is best. I have heard of keeping as low as a trio of 1 rooster and 2 hens, and as much as needing 7-8 hens per rooster to avoid overbreeding. I want to keep my chickens to a minimum at first for logistical reasons, but I don't want my poor hens to be abused and I want to be able to hatch out at least 20-30 chicks per year. What is a good number?

I have never been able to convince chickens to lay in a nesting box, and if they start laying in the same place and I clean it, they stop laying there altogether. What are some tips for making them lay where you want and keeping the nests clean so the eggs don't have to be washed?

 

[aart]

Best to stick to one variety......or you'll end up with mixes.

Not sure why your other chickens wouldn't lay in the nests,
were they free ranged?
Nests need to be easily accessed, large enough to be comfortable, and feel safe to the bird....fake eggs can help lure them.

There's no magic number for male to female ratio,
good to have a separate enclosure for male(s) if there is trouble.

The 'rooster' to hen ratio of 1:10 that is often cited is primarily for fertility efficiency in commercial breeding facilities.
It doesn't mean that if a cockbird has 10 hens that he won't abuse or over mate them.
Many breeders keep pairs, trios, quads, etc
It all depends on the temperaments of the cock and hens and sometimes housing provided.
Backyard flocks can achieve good fertility with a larger ratio.

 

[HannaKessler]

You say I should keep the males separate, but wouldn't it be better for them to be one flock? Won't the male be lonely or depressed, and won't it be stressful to introduce him again every time I want chicks?

 

[aart]

You say I should keep the males separate

good to have a separate enclosure for male(s) if there is trouble.