New member - no chickens yet but getting there

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boisewalker

boisewalker

Hatching
8 Years
Nov 26, 2011
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Hello, we have been thinking about getting chickens for a while now and are moving that way next Spring. Found this site and looking forward to learning more. Thinking we are going to get banthams (the smaller chickens) but want to find ones that lay good/healthy eggs. A little worried about our 2 dogs but think they will get used to the chickens after while. For 2 adults and 2 kids, is 2 chickens enough, or should we go for 3?
 
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from Ohio
 
I think you should go for about 8-10 chicks or 5-6 hens to start off. You may lose a couple along the way and they may not lay everyday. It would be wise to buy chicks from a local store/hatchery or grown birds from an NPIP inspected flock. Never just go out and buy chickens from the first place that sells them. I suggest Rhode Island Reds or Leghorns, if you just want eggs.
 
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Bantams lay very small eggs, I think I was told 2 to 3 of those eggs equal 1 regular sized egg from Large Fowl chickens (not really so large but thats what you call a normal chicken compared to bantams). If your looking for enough to eat a few eggs a days I would say get 4 or 5 you wont always have everyone lay an egg a day.

All eggs are healthy if you feed your flock a healthy balanced diet. If you mean lower cholesterol well thats a myth about green/blue eggs
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All eggs will have the same nutrition you just get to control what goes into the food you eat and how they are treated compared to the poor birds at the places grocery store eggs come from.

Oh and I heard you should get 3 hens per person in your household to keep your family in eggs
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Keep your hens caged and build it well, hardware clothe not chicken wire to keep the dogs and other predators out!

Oh and one last comment
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from Texas!!!!
 
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Can't wait to see how this works out for you! I've never heard of anybody wanting just 2 bantams. Are they to be house chickens? My neighbor keeps a silkie hen as a house chicken, because that hen refuses to live with real chickens.

Our bantams lay average eggs, not tiny eggs; Rosecomb/silkie crosses. For size comparison, here's a photo of one:



Here's what they look like:







But the eggs are average size, not huge but NOT tiny, and from 6 laying hens I get 2 to 5 eggs per day, even now right after their moult:



Just right for "eggs in toast":

I recently read here on BYC about Norwegian Jaerhorns, they seem like a neat bantam to keep. They're small and friendly and lay lots of good sized eggs. Good Luck!
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S.L.Swope :

Bantams lay very small eggs, I think I was told 2 to 3 of those eggs equal 1 regular sized egg from Large Fowl chickens (not really so large but thats what you call a normal chicken compared to bantams). If your looking for enough to eat a few eggs a days I would say get 4 or 5 you wont always have everyone lay an egg a day.

Oh and one last comment
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from Texas!!!!

But depends on what you're using the eggs for. We find the smaller eggs are perfect for baking. Fresh eggs from sunshine-lavished, green grass-eating hens behave differently in baked goods. The yolk is brightly colored (don't need to add cheddar cheese anymore to biscuits for flavor or fats or color) and the eggwhites add LOTS of oomph to rise. Be careful of the rise, remember to reduce the amount of backyard eggs in recipes by about 25%-30%, or use same amount of bantam eggs as recipe calls for "regular" eggs.

My personal experience is that the bantam eggs work great in our kitchen. So much of American life is based on hugeness, really I think the bantam eggs are just right.

Maybe even; eating a little bit less of a great thing can be healthy?

Oh! and
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