- Jul 25, 2008
- 6
- 0
- 7
i know this is a frequently asked question, but i just don't get it. i've read that because of peaks in laying, it's best to add new hens every year, rather than all at once replacing your flock. but from what i've read here about introducing chicks, it sounds like at best a huge hassle and at worst like it just doesn't work..... what's the deal?
i'm looking at getting my first flock. i'd rather start small, and add more later. but kinda seems like maybe i'd better do it the other way round.
another thing is, if i get chicks now, they'll start laying in 18-22 weeks, right, just in time for winter, when they don't lay...? ought i just to wait and time it where they'll be 18 weeks old in say, february? march?
and what about timing for getting chicks outside to learn to forage? i read one post where someone hadn't gotten chicks onto forage till they were quite old, and because they didn't learn at the right time, they never really learned and were bad foragers. is this normal? is their a prescribed timing on learning to forage?
better get used to me, i live in a teeny remote town, and our local library doesn't have any chicken books, so i'll be asking a lot of questions for awhile.
cj
i'm looking at getting my first flock. i'd rather start small, and add more later. but kinda seems like maybe i'd better do it the other way round.
another thing is, if i get chicks now, they'll start laying in 18-22 weeks, right, just in time for winter, when they don't lay...? ought i just to wait and time it where they'll be 18 weeks old in say, february? march?
and what about timing for getting chicks outside to learn to forage? i read one post where someone hadn't gotten chicks onto forage till they were quite old, and because they didn't learn at the right time, they never really learned and were bad foragers. is this normal? is their a prescribed timing on learning to forage?
better get used to me, i live in a teeny remote town, and our local library doesn't have any chicken books, so i'll be asking a lot of questions for awhile.
cj
