SUPER NEWBIE thinking about raising my own chickens for eggs and meat but I'm SO Confused!!!

[Our Roost]

You are asking all the questions I spent nearly a year asking and finding out information about while in the process of designing and building our coop! It sounds like you have a good sized yard big enough to contain a decent amount of chickens. Because of your handicaped condition I reccomend you do as much reading and research as possible to look at everything available to ease your daily maintenance. You can find everything from soup to nuts on this website just by asking and exploring and it seems you have multiple responses already! To tough on a few things you mentioned and primarily chicken breeds for both eggs and meat. I myself purchased from Tractors supply in the spring of last year. They in turn order from a breeding house in Zeeland Michigan which is one of the largest breeders in the state of Michigan. Reading up on breed selection for not only egg laying ability but also for temperment and climate is important when picking your breeds. All hens lay eggs but are not all the prettiest and best suited for egg and meat. I have 5 breeds of chickens. 5 of each breed. The best egg layers of the bunch are my Black sex links and Plymouth barred rocks. I have Jersey giants, Orpingtons and silver laced Wyandottes also. The wyandottes and giants will go to market and eventually the barred rocks will follow. It takes about 6 to 7 months from birth to the dinner table or freezer, sometimes longer for some breeds to gain their full weight. Next spring I will most likely purchase some Bhramas and Delawares for a bit of variety. Golden laced Wyandottes make for tasty tableware birds and are also good egg layers. Keep in mind that your meat birds will lay eggs until market time. Takes about 5 months before birds start laying eggs from hatch. Good luck with everything and have fun!

 

[GotCoop]

Joe, a lot of good advice on these forums. I am a relative newbie too...only doing chickens for about 3 years. I had no farm experience. Started out with the intent of raising dual purpose birds for eggs an meat. Initially, purchased 5 birds. Found that once you get the birds past the brooder stage they are some of easiest critters to take care of in terms of money or time (although they are fun to be around and watch...we call it chicken TV). After establishing their coop home they will wait patiently for you to let them out and will tuck themselves in at night (I just come by and shut the door around dark.) I started out with a 4x10 tractor, worked great...but then I liked the chickens so much I added to the flock (and eating my layers seamed to be a foul). I went with a perminent coop with a run for more chickens and also (as someone else suggested) if I don't get out to the coop for a day its no big deal. I check feed/water daily (once a day) and let them forage when possible...depending on the predator situation (lost some to foxes and hawks). I mourned and grieved over my first loses. But it a natural process and I discovered chicks are cheap and easily replaced. Don't rely just on hatcheries or TCS, there are probably lots of locals that breed chickens or have extras. I practiced raising meat chickens by buying 4 "dual-purpose" roosters as chicks (roosters are really cheap), butchered them at 16 weeks...pretty good. I now keep a layer flock of about 8 birds and get a shipment of Freedom Ranger meat birds twice a year. My last bit of fellow newbie advice...careful, poutry can be addictive...I'm adding turkeys this year!

 

[JT_KROL]

The best egg layers of the bunch are my Black sex links and Plymouth barred rocks. I have Jersey giants, Orpingtons and silver laced Wyandottes also.

I am now looking at the Buff Orpingtons and Barred Rocks too. How are the health and sexing accuracy of the TS birds? Our neighbors are pretty close and having a rooster is not a good thing.

Thank you Again!!!
Joe

 

[Arielle]

Quote: IT can happen-- you can put it on craig list as food, or process for yourself, a dry run. YOu will know it is a rooster before he is crowing.

In my first shipment, 3/26 were boys. I've had better luck since. All pullets and no cckls. Of course when I hatch my own eggs, over 50% are boys.

 

[JT_KROL]

Initially, purchased 5 birds. Found that once you get the birds past the brooder stage they are some of easiest critters to take care of in terms of money or time (although they are fun to be around and watch...we call it chicken TV).

Good to know especially since I am looking to start with the same number of birds!

After establishing their coop home they will wait patiently for you to let them out and will tuck themselves in at night (I just come by and shut the door around dark.)

How long does it normally take for them to establish their coop home?

I started out with a 4x10 tractor, worked great...but then I liked the chickens so much I added to the flock (and eating my layers seamed to be a foul). I went with a permanent coop with a run for more chickens and also (as someone else suggested) if I don't get out to the coop for a day its no big deal.

I was thinking of a tractor but that just wont work for me. I measured the run area that I am planning and it looks like it will measure out to about 9 feet wide and about 31 feet long. If I decide to get more birds how many can a run that size hold comfortably?

I check feed/water daily (once a day) and let them forage when possible...depending on the predator situation (lost some to foxes and hawks).

We have foxes, coyotes, bear, hawks, crows, the occasional owl and eagle. The bears we see about once a year or so, they come by wreck the bird feeder and garbage cans...we also have raccoons but like the foxes and coyotes we don't often see them just the messes they leave behind. That is one of the reasons I want to put the coop on my deck, the bear don't come up on the deck and the only part that would be exposed to the run is the ramp and the door.

Don't rely just on hatcheries or TCS, there are probably lots of locals that breed chickens or have extras.

Good idea I will have to check on that. Should I look on Craig's List?

I practiced raising meat chickens by buying 4 "dual-purpose" roosters as chicks (roosters are really cheap), butchered them at 16 weeks...pretty good.

By 16 weeks are they crowing? I can't have the noise, I have great relations with my neighbor and want to keep it that way.

 

[Arielle]

To find birds locally, try the secretary of the local poultry club. THat will get you some well bred birds; if you want to enjoy the eggs and hatchery birds fit your needs, CL or TSC.

I personally almost never buy from just anyone. BIrds can pick up diseases and pass them around as they go flock to flock. I only buy from NPIP flocks to help improve my chances of not bringing anything home. THe chicks from big hatcheries are tested for MANY diseases, far beyond the NPIP testing, so perhaps as this is your first time with poultry, you would prefer those sources; then as you learn more and understand the risks, venture to other sources.

Up to you.

 

[Our Roost]

Well Joe! Out of the 25 that I purchased, 3 ended up roosters. One I kept and the other two are in the freezer to be consumed at a later time. Too mean to be around children and were really nasty with our hens. Even though they all had sex link markings to suggest they were hens, nature isnt perfect and neither is the guarantee. The odds are better than 95% that if you order hens, you will get hens. The birds were shipped same day direct mail delivery from the Zeeland Hatchery in a sturdy cardboard box needing picked up at the local post office. They call you immediately upon arrival! These birds were only 2 days old at the time of shipping! I was definitely scared that some would die before I got them home and set up. Fortunately I never lost a one. In my mind, Tractors supply and the hatchery they use did a good job of assisting me and coordinating arrangements for delivery and pickup. Just for your information, Tractors supply has horse troughs full of chickens for sale in the spring. They do not carry all breeds in the store. This is why I had mine delivered. I had to special order them. I have yet to have any health issues with my birds from the supplier they used. The Black sex links are a cross between a rhode island red and a rhode island white or leghorn. They are beautiful in color and will surprize you on how docile and friendly the hens can be. They get pretty good in size and can be used for eggs and meat. Read up on them and look at some pictures. Good luck. Here to answer any questions I may be able to help with.

 

[GotCoop]

Joe,

Arielle makes a good point about starting off on the right foot with healthy birds...my orginal birds were from Ideal. I picked up some more after I got networked locally (even let a hen hatch some in the spring). My meatbirds come direct from a hatchery. Any new birds you bring on to your place need to be quarantined for about 30 days before mixing (I use my old chicken tractor). My layer flock fluctuates from 5 to 8 birds,,,I always add 3 birds when I decide to increase the size of the flock, evens out the odds between the old and new, I've never had any pecking order drama.

To coop train, I just lock them in the coop for a day or two...after that they have always know where to roost at night. ( I also always introduce new chickens into the coop at night after the old heads are settled in to roosting, just keep them all in for a day, then the newbies will act like old pros after that.)

My roosters have croaked some after 10 weeks, started to actually crow probably closer to 15 or 16 weeks.

 

[gg706]

Alot of great advice on this thread. I am relatively new to chickens but have learned a few things already. Build a coop bigger than you planned on. I built a chicken tractor and now I need more chickens for more eggs and I want to add some dual purpose for meat and my coop is now too small. SO I am now looking at building a big permanent coop. Also be careful letting the kids play and get friendly with the chickens....butcher time could get really tough. I got my dual purpose chickens in just a plain white and have told the kids NOT to get attached to them as they are destined to get to the table. My egg layers are pretty colors and I let the kids get attached to them as we keep our layers. I am getting my dual purpose from Meyer. They are white rocks...I will be getting them this spring so I do not have personal experience with them yet, but on the website it lists the weights as 6-9 lbs. So I am hoping the roosters will get close to 8-9 lbs before butcher time. I plan to hatch out eggs from the dual purpose. It will require a large coop and free ranging to raise as many as I will need yearly to close my flock. But that is my plan eventually. You can always start out and then add to your plan as time goes on.

 

[JT_KROL]

Allot of great advice on this thread. I am relatively new to chickens but have learned a few things already. Build a coop bigger than you planned on. I built a chicken tractor and now I need more chickens for more eggs and I want to add some dual purpose for meat and my coop is now too small. SO I am now looking at building a big permanent coop. Also be careful letting the kids play and get friendly with the chickens....butcher time could get really tough. I got my dual purpose chickens in just a plain white and have told the kids NOT to get attached to them as they are destined to get to the table. My egg layers are pretty colors and I let the kids get attached to them as we keep our layers. I am getting my dual purpose from Meyer. They are white rocks...I will be getting them this spring so I do not have personal experience with them yet, but on the website it lists the weights as 6-9 lbs. So I am hoping the roosters will get close to 8-9 lbs before butcher time. I plan to hatch out eggs from the dual purpose. It will require a large coop and free ranging to raise as many as I will need yearly to close my flock. But that is my plan eventually. You can always start out and then add to your plan as time goes on.

Yeah I'm learning a TON too. Everybody has been so helpful and generous with their time!!! I am already thinking about a bigger coop. My planned run is about 280 sqft so if I build a larger coop than I originally was planing on I can accommodate more birds. I Believe I read that for roaming you need a min. of about 10 sqft per bird. Since I am looking at the larger bird breeds I'm thinking the run can handle about 10 birds comfortably. So if I were to expand I could. But to do a coop that can handle 10 birds I'm looking at about 45 to 50 sqft, plus the nesting boxes. Still trying to wrap my head around that.