Hello, This is your friendly neighborhood Martian. I am from Mars, PA! So I am just getting started into backyard chickens and I have a lot to learn. I am going to be working with my neighbor so we have to have enough chickens to lay eggs for two familiees I am not sure how many chickens to get at this time and that we determine how big of a coop I need. Between the two families there is currently 6 people so I was originally thinking 10-12 chickens but now after doing some reading I am wondering if 6 would be enough. Now I know there would be down production days but hopefully the other days would make up for it. The other thing I haven't learned yet is how old do the chickens have to be beforee they start producing eggs. If I bought chicks from my local store would I be half the summer with no eggs. I know production goes down in the winter as well so I need to take all this into account. Well that is a little bit about me. Time to go back to learning. Tom
Welcome to BYC! Most of us are pretty down to earth (and I emphasize on "most") you never know you might just find a fellow chicken raiser from Mars. (Kudo's for being able to raise chickens on Mars) A hen will start her reproductive life at six months or more. It sounds like you want eggs so I would recommend if you hadn't already found a breed to look into breeds like Leghorns, Andalusians, Golden Comets, Red Sex-links, Amber whites, Easter Eggers and so on and so forth. You could also get dual purpose which would be good for eggs and meat so when you are done they are ready to go be dinner someday. Breeds would include Buckeye, Rhode Island's red and white, Wyandottes, and Jersey Giants. There are probably more especially hybrid layers but I can only think of most breeds from the standard.
Welcome to BYC. Glad you decided to our flock. If high egg production is your main priority, then you should get either White Leghorns (if you want white eggs) or sex links (if you want brown eggs) as these are the best laying chickens on the planet, and the hens primarily used by laying houses for this reason. My personal recommendation would be Black Sex Links (Black Stars) which are hardy and friendly, egg laying machines. I've raised them for years (along with dozens of other breeds and hybrids), and they have been my best layers, consistently churning out more than 300 eggs per hen per year, and have been persistent layers even in cold, winter weather. Please feel free to ask any questions you may have. We are here to help in any way we can. Whatever breed you decide to get, good luck with your flock.
When I see the word MARS, I think candy bars. Welcome to BYC. I'm wondering if it would be best for you to get pullets at point of lay and chicks at the same time. Then you would have eggs coming sooner, and the young'uns might be laying at a time the older ones are taking it easy.
So if I am going to buy chicks I should probably buy them now even if I don't have a coop built as they will need to stay indoors to keep warm? Also, if I read right I will need a heat lamp for them so that they stay warm enough. My basement is about 68 degrees normally but I still think that would be to cold for the chicks. Is that correct? It would be a few months before I can put them outside in a coop and so that would give me time to build when in warmer weather if I understand everything I have read so far. Thanks, Tom
Hello there and welcome to BYC! Yes, you will keep your chicks indoors until they are about 6 weeks of age. You will need a brooder and heat lamp and will start out with 90 degrees in the brooder and lower their heat until they are 5 or 6 weeks of age. Stop by this article in our learning center on raising chicks the first 60 days...https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/...ks-the-first-60-days-of-raising-baby-chickens Lots of other great articles in our learning center as well as how much space each bird needs to keep them from hurting one another, feeding and keeping them healthy....https://www.backyardchickens.com/atype/1/Learning_Center Enjoy this new journey you are on and welcome to our flock!
Welcome to BYC! Please make yourself at home and we are here to help. The above members have given you great advice and links. Good luck!