Lapeerian - I know you are experienced - but I see a possible danger ... when chickens come out early in the morning - even in electronet - some owls are still hunting ! So beware that you have that danger that the netting won't prevent.
I will have a decent amount of hatching eggs for chickenstock -
pure Marans (for the egg color -they will NOT be show quality in feather color - may be white, splash or black? Totally up in the air, but all pure Marans w/feathered legs and typical body shape).
pure AB (Arkansas blue) lays light blue egg, medium size, but production numbers (lots of eggies). Bodies are splashed (white or grey base) and lean like a leghorn - so easier on the feed bill.
Mix - mostly medium brown color in large or extra large eggs, some olive eggers
I can't wait to close my breeder pens and get back to one big flock again .... what a pain for so many multiple feed and water chores !
They get let out of the coop at 6am, except for the barn rafter chickens during the summer, they go whenever they please. Right now they are confined to the side yard with the electronet, have access to the horse barn and pine trees for cover. They can also go out to the back yard and walk around the other side of the house if they were smart enough to, but usually don't. And occasionally they will range out to the horse pasture. The flock size now is manageable in that space, but to increase the chicken numbers... I still want a nice looking lawn. We have an area behind the horse pasture I could utilize, we call it no-mans land. It is mostly overgrown grass, hoping to get my brother over with his bulldozer to clean the old diversion ditch and clear out the sumac and other undesirables. That could be a good place to pasture the chickens, but will require electrifying the fence and a bigger coop. And no electric or water up there, would be difficult to get to in winter. Lots of thinking to do.
I'd be interested in 6+ AB.
