Hi! We've had chickens and ducks for about 5 years now. We raise them primarily for the eggs, although this year my daughters will be taking a couple to our county fair for 4H showmanship. We have production reds, barred rocks, black sex links, Easter eggers, Ameracaunas, and magpie ducks. Our chickens free range in our pasture and come running whenever we come outside. Super funny to watch them run for treats! ;-D love our feathered friends!
Welcome to BYC! Glad you decided to join us. At one time or another over the years, I've had all of your breeds (except the Magpie ducks), and you have some really good layers. I've raised Black Sex Links for years and they are hardy, friendly, egg laying machines. They have been my best layers, consistently churning out more than 300 eggs per hen per year. Please feel free to ask any questions you may have. We are here to help in any way we can. Good luck with your flock.
Thanks all! :-D. So how do you keep track of who lays what? My chickens are not broody at all. We have a community nesting box and everyone just does their thing...most of the year we get an egg/day per chicken and in winter every other day or so. So how do you know which chicken lays which egg? (Other than the Ameracaunas ;-) )
So glad you joined us. With so many breeds, don't know how to tell those eggs apart. I have only BR and BO…and can tell by shape which breed. My BR eggs are rounded on one end and slightly elongated, kinda a point on the other. They are so funny running and jumping for treats, but I think just watching them walk from behind viewing or scratching for whatever is hilarious.
Hello there and welcome to BYC! Sometimes it is hard to tell who is laying what. I know most of my birds eggs, but I am still confused on a couple eggs. Just watch who goes in one day and come back about 45 mins later and check the box. Take a good look at the egg. Each hen will lay a different color, shape and size. Some people use lipstick on the vents so when a chicken with the lipstick on her goes in to lay an egg, her egg will have lipstick on the egg. But I am not sure I want to "doll" up the vent of a hen. Ha! Enjoy your flock and welcome to ours!