Nevadans?

[americanvalkyrie]

Welcome!

My family's focus is on egg production as well. We only have a couple "ornamental" breeds, and they're all major egg layers as well. Our experience:
#1: Sex links!!! We don't have any, but they're rated super high for eggs. Plus, there's a lot less chance of rehoming roosters.
#2: New England breeds (Rhode Island Reds, Delaware, Plymouth Rock, etc.)
#3: Australorps (and I LOOOOOOVE their temperment. Mine are so sweet!)
#4: English breeds (sussex, orpington)
#5: Production leghorns (They might be higher up there, but I'm not too fond of the plain white egg. I have an exchequer leghorn and love her so much, but she lays such small eggs.)

Silkies are sweet. I love mine. But definitely not that great for eggs. We end up eating mostly silkie eggs, though (and exchequer leghorn eggs) because we sell the big ones and reserve the small ones for our omelets.

Another thing to consider is temperment. Rhode Island Reds and Plymouth Rocks can be bossy and a tiny bit aggressive. My daughter's RIR can get a bit snippy with me. She's not bad enough to rehome, but I warned my daughter that if she gets aggressive, she has to go. On the other hand, my Australorps are so sweet. I have one that's gone broody twice, and whenever I reach under her for eggs she only coos.

 

[gooseville]

I'm in Vegas!! If anyone wants to adopt any geese, please let me know. Looking for great homes!

 

[Lacy Blues]

Hey everyone, I'm new to the forum. I live in Reno and have never had chickens before but just bought my first coop today - well two actually, it came with a free smaller coop. I'm going to look around this site but was wondering if anyone knew of any good resources for me to check out for me to get started.

I'm pretty excited...I love animals and am excited to add chickens to my mini farm, not to mention fresh eggs

Ive done a little google research and Ive read that Rhode Island Reds are pretty good for producing, so I'm leaning towards those at the moment (egg production is pretty important, my husband and I can go through 5 dozen a week). I also love silkie bantams because they look super cute and I heard they are affectionate so I'm sure I would get some of those as well. My big coop fits up to 24, and my smaller coop fits 6.

Hi BlueEyedDevil and WELCOME!

Sounds like you are passing your Chicken Math class with flying colors! You don't even have any yet and you're already multiplying!

just like the rest of us! Welcome to the chicken club.

 

[SunnyDawn]

Congrats on the eggs Seth and Missy! I need to get those lights in. I bought the solar powered lights but haven't installed them yet.

TeaFaery I'll add you now.

Hey everyone, I'm new to the forum. I live in Reno and have never had chickens before but just bought my first coop today - well two actually, it came with a free smaller coop. I'm going to look around this site but was wondering if anyone knew of any good resources for me to check out for me to get started.

I'm pretty excited...I love animals and am excited to add chickens to my mini farm, not to mention fresh eggs

Ive done a little google research and Ive read that Rhode Island Reds are pretty good for producing, so I'm leaning towards those at the moment (egg production is pretty important, my husband and I can go through 5 dozen a week). I also love silkie bantams because they look super cute and I heard they are affectionate so I'm sure I would get some of those as well. My big coop fits up to 24, and my smaller coop fits 6.

Welcome to the Nevada thread!

I agree that the RIRs are a great production breed. I've had many over the years but never had an agressive one (yet). I wouldn't keep a mean chicken around though. If I do ever get a mean one they will become soup. Australorps and Orps are also great layers. I don't care for the Leg horns. They are too flighty. Sex links are usually just a mix of Rhode Island Red or New Hampshire Red Roo and a White Rock or Rhode Island White so are, of course, great layers too. Black sex links substitute a Barred Rock hen or a similar breed.

Good luck with your new flock!

I'm in Vegas!! If anyone wants to adopt any geese, please let me know. Looking for great homes!

Hi gooseville! Welcome to the Nevada thread!

We love to see new folks here from all over but if you are looking to rehome something in your area the Vegas thread would be your best bet. There is a link in the first post or click on "All things Nevada" in my signature area and there is a link there too.

Good luck!

 

[2seth2]

Ohh a brand new coop to fill
Personally i would fill the big coop which holds 24 with
6 Black sex-links
6 gold sex-links
6 Brown sex-links
6 red sex-links
This would totally forfill productions
I would use the small coop for your silkies and for variety mix colors!!!
Remeber you can't get sexed silkies so either order more than six, Keep the roos, or get more later on
1 partridge silkie
1 white silkie
1 black silkie
1 self blue (lavender) silkie
1 red silkie
1 buff silkie
you could also get
blue and gray silkies
This is based on ideal poultries slection They have the largest of what you want that i have found
hope it helps

 

[2seth2]

Silkies are sweet. I love mine. But definitely not that great for eggs. We end up eating mostly silkie eggs, though (and exchequer leghorn eggs) because we sell the big ones and reserve the small ones for our omelets.

Same here my entire egg suppy is showgirl eggs, hamburg eggs, and sometimes my cochins double yoks

 

[americanvalkyrie]

Speaking of chicks, we were thinking that, this year, we'd just wait for one of our hens to show dedication as a broody this spring, then go to Green's Feed and buy about 5 babies of a production variety. If all the gardening space offers I've received come through, I'll have 6 gardens. Plus our Tough Mudder training, plus bringing in an actual income. So next year maybe I'll do a large load of chicks to replenish the laying flock, but not this year. We want to go on team trail runs every Saturday when it warms up, and will need to amp up the strength training even more. All last year, every single Saturday was dedicated to gardening or chickens!

 

[wolftracks]

I have a young Blue Copper Marans cockerel if anyone is interested. I'm going to the Stockton show and can get him that far. Clean legs, but came from a very dark egg.

 

[SunnyDawn]

I'm still sticking with my Black Coppers.

If anyone up here (Rancho Haven) wants to help with labor I am willing to share garden space and whatever produce comes from the garden.

 

[americanvalkyrie]

I'm still sticking with my Black Coppers.

If anyone up here (Rancho Haven) wants to help with labor I am willing to share garden space and whatever produce comes from the garden.

I'm in! You've already got me up there helping you anyway! Did you want to start your own plants, or do you want me to start them? I'll be doing about 600 or so, anyway.