Newbie Tip - Heavy Layer Trade-offs (it's poopy)

[sixpantsmaloney]

Think about feed and poop when you're choosing chickens. Here's our experience:

We've been doing the BYC thing for 2 years. We've had Wyandottes and Golden Buffs (or Buff Orpingtons, can't remember).

The Wyandottes layed medium/large eggs at 4-5 a week. Our new Buffs lay HUGE eggs every day. They're amazing.

We also seem to go through twice as much feed and water for the same birds.

We also seem to step in poo ALL the time. It looks like a small dog left some of the piles. The coop needs cleaned out weekly instead of monthly.

Point is, if you let them free range, you have a small backyard, and you don't like poo everywhere, then give careful consideration to the breed. A heavy layer is fun to have, you get lots of eggs, but you might be better off with 3 lighter breeds that leave less of a mess.

So we're going back to the skittish but easier Wyandottes. The buffs will hopefully make a nice stew.

 

[fratermus]

Thanks for sharing this kind of practical experience. Might help newbs like me (who currently operate on theory) make better breed decisions in the future.

 

[elmo]

It would be interesting to rate chickens on an egg to poo ratio. I know my very small bantams are about 1/5 to 1/6 of the size of a standard hen, but lay eggs only about 1/3 the size of a standard egg. Their poop is quite small, too. Most of the droppings are just a bit larger than our doves' droppings.

 

[greenfamilyfarms]

IMO, bantams poop more than large breeds compared to their overall body size. But, chicken poop is nothing compared to goose poop. Goose poop is like dog poop.

 

[Bacongirl27]

hehehe this is such a funny but true post! Thank you for making me more aware of my breeds due to poo... : )

 

[noodleroo]

Good gracious! I never thought about breed and poop. I just thought they all pooped the same. I'm only going to keep 4 buff orpingtons here at the house and the rest are going to free range in the country so I'm OK. I actually want 'quality poop' for natural fertilizer. I guess I'll just deal with big buff poop!

 

[clothdiaperingmom]

Hmm, I have thought about the heavy's as far as how much food they eat, but not how much they poop!

 

[speckledhen]

Trust me, they poop BIG. I have Blue Orpingtons. The poop is rather large, just like the birds themselves.

 

[Frogtown]

You should see broody orpington poo....

 

[speckledhen]

Quote:
Ooh, ick, don't even go there! LOL