new guy from georgia

[childerstodd]

I have no problem killing or cleaning the meaties, been a hunter all my life. Its just something the kids will have to get used to, but I will have to ease them into it.

 

[Imp]

from Washington

Imp

 

[wegotchickens]

That's cool. A lot of people think they can until it's time to actually do it.

And a lot live around neighbors who would be shocked.

We keep our chickens as pets with benefits. The neighbors are cool with that, even about the roosters.
We feed ours a lot of table scraps and veggie trimmings, but ours also get to range the yard every afternoon. When my daughter gets off the bus she lets them out and they put themselves away at dusk (I follow up and lock them up).

 

[childerstodd]

Are hens very noisy. Technically I am not supposted to have foul on my property but my neighbors won't care. I want to keep everything as low key as possible though. Which is best for meat, hens or roosters? But since I won't be having a rooster I guess I will just have to use the chickens for eggs.

 

[childerstodd]

How many eggs to chickens usually lay per day, on average?

 

[wegotchickens]

Hens can make more noise than you'd think, especially when singing 'the egg song'. But it's not as piercing a noise as a rooster's crow.

Good layers at their peak lay an egg about every 25 hours. 'Peak' production is usually from 1-2 years of age. After that they lay fewer eggs. That's why a lot of 2-3 year old hens become stewing hens.
If you order from a hatchery, egg production is liable to decline fairly quickly after 2 years of age, and our hatchery Buff Orpingtons (a quieter hen) not only quit laying but became egg bound before they were 3. Our hatchery Easter Eggers still lay an egg every other day at 3 years old.

Buff Orps are dual purpose, meaning the lay decently and can also be eaten. If you do get hatchery birds they can usually sell them sexed (95% liklihood of hens).

 

[texasgal]

A big Texas size

 

[M To The Maxx]