Should I buy eggs or wait it out?

[ronott1]

Sacramento and west Sacramento have the number set based on lot size. Most lots will let you have three hens. For us, six hens is plenty for eggs

 

[Wishing4Wings]

6 is not enough!
I've got at least 6 old hens that don't lay anymore. Too wimpy to make stew.

 

[ronott1]

6 is not enough!
I've got at least 6 old hens that don't lay anymore. Too wimpy to make stew.

Yes, you would need to keep them in production.

Can you sell them?

 

[Scrambles55]

I have 4 older hens now. Smoke will be 9 this year. She is one of my original hens. Rumples will be 6. The other 2 will be 3 years old. My coop and pen are good for about 6-8 hens. (need a bigger coop and pen )
I might cull 2 older hens when I find out how many pullets I have. I have 2 cockerels for sure. The Liege Fighter and a Marans

 

[Wishing4Wings]

Yes, you would need to keep them in production.

Can you sell them?

Not without overwhelming anxiety and sadness. They are all pets. All have names and personalities. The oldest three are 8 yrs. One of them, Peach (buff Orp), is my son's therapy chicken. They have a bond and she can cheer him up like no one else! Of 13 hens, only 4 of them are under 5 yrs. No more room in the hen house either, so hope those 4 will lay some eggs soon. On the bright side, I guess that means the flock is healthy. They are enjoying all the green sprouts shooting up right now. nom nom!

 

[ronott1]

Not without overwhelming anxiety and sadness. They are all pets. All have names and personalities. The oldest three are 8 yrs. One of them, Peach (buff Orp), is my son's therapy chicken. They have a bond and she can cheer him up like no one else! Of 13 hens, only 4 of them are under 5 yrs. No more room in the hen house either, so hope those 4 will lay some eggs soon. On the bright side, I guess that means the flock is healthy. They are enjoying all the green sprouts shooting up right now. nom nom!

If they are that old, then chicken math says they do not count!

Get some new chicks this spring

 

[ronott1]

I have 4 older hens now. Smoke will be 9 this year. She is one of my original hens. Rumples will be 6. The other 2 will be 3 years old. My coop and pen are good for about 6-8 hens. (need a bigger coop and pen )
I might cull 2 older hens when I find out how many pullets I have. I have 2 cockerels for sure. The Liege Fighter and a Marans

A bigger coop for sure!

Sadly some of the older ones may not make much longer anyway so you might want to hold onto them

 

[Wishing4Wings]

If they are that old, then chicken math says they do not count!

Get some new chicks this spring

Wish I could... no room at the inn! I have a small henhouse with a small run. Not enough room to keep them locked up during the day. They have about 3/4 of an acre to roam during the day. Love the automatic door.

 

[Wishing4Wings]

A bigger coop for sure!

Sadly some of the older ones may not make much longer anyway so you might want to hold onto them

I will keep them until the end. Another reason why I never got an incubator... too hard to part with any of them.
We did make some additions to the coop. Added a separate little apartment with roosting for 4 and some extra nest boxes at the end of the run. It's still a tight fit. I call it cozy.

 

[Scrambles55]

I will keep them until the end. Another reason why I never got an incubator... too hard to part with any of them.
We did make some additions to the coop. Added a separate little apartment with roosting for 4 and some extra nest boxes at the end of the run. It's still a tight fit. I call it cozy.

That’s what I need. An addition to my coop. The chicks are getting too big for the tote they are in. I really need to get their outside pen going. I’m going to put wire around the bottom of the chicken coop. Put in panic doors for the chickies to use in about a month. It’s a 6x4 area. It’s a tight squeeze for 8 chicks, but I’ll most likely be selling the cockerels.