Thinking about raising Chickens

[slugmar]

We have close to 40 Acres and me and my wife have been talking about raising chickes for acouple reason fresh eggs and meat of course not all of them for meat. I have been searching for the last couple days and Iam wondering what the best type of chicken is to raise for meat and eggs ? How many eggs does an avarage chicken produce ?

I have more question just my mind is block with them right now. Thank you for any help.

 

[bigzio]

slugmar, Welcome to BYC. Raising poultry is quite rewarding, especially when collect eggs and find out how much better they are than store bought.

Meat chickens are known as cornish cross, however any of the heavy breeds work well.

Chickens lay different amounts of eggs depending on the breed, never more than one daily and some less than that.

The home page has links to read for alot of good information. Good Luck.

bigzio

 

[Barnyard Dawg]

A good laying chicken can lay an egg every 25 hours. We have had RR’s, Barred Rocks, Sex-Links, Brahma’s, Wyandotte’s, Leghorns, we don’t eat the leghorns or the sex-links because of their high production of eggs. My wife and I like a lean chicken without a lot of fat so we will feed our chickens steamed rice and let them free-range my wife tells me if we feed them grain they will have to much fat. We also like firm meat and not soft meat, so these breeds and how we feed them is our preference other may like the opposite. When you go to the grocery store all their chickens have way more fat content than what were looking for that is why we like a free-range chicken.

 

[mudhen]

slugmar,

Welcome to the site.
Sounds like your focusing on dual-purpose birds. I have read that the following 'heavy breeds':
Black Australorps; Lt. Brahmas; Dark Cornish; Black and White Giants; Buff and White Orpingtons; New Hampshire, Rhode Island Reds, Barred, White, Columbian, Partridge, Buff Rocks; Sussex, Turkens; White, Silver Laced, & Columbian Wyandottes, Red Star and Black Star, are considered dual purpose.

But I think the RIR are probably the most popular dual purpose from what I have read.

 

[slugmar]

Thanks for all the response I was thinking of going with the RIR.

know for the coop I'am thinking of an 8x8 coop with a 10 foot front and 8 foot back with a 8x16 foot enclosed pen also on the side of the pens Ill have spots for mothers and babys to be seperated from the flock.

I have more readding to do about roosting and laying size of boxes I need. I'am still not for sure how many hens I would need would like enough eggs for my family of 4 plus my mom and dads house and hopefully some to sale. so I was think about 30 total that should be able to give me enough eggs and able to sale some also at the local farmers market and give me some to raise and butcher.

Again any adivice is always welcome.

 

[TheBigWRanch]

If you want your hens to raise baby chickens, then you need to make sure you get hens that will go broody, or else buy an incubator. I'm not sure if RIR go broody. Maybe someone else will know. Most egg layers have broodiness breed out of them, so they will lay more eggs per year.

 

[shadi]

My RIR are the only broody ones outta my-leghorns-barred-araucanas(easter egg layers)

 

[shadi]

and my leghorns about 1/2 the eggs are double yolkers

 

[bayouchica]

Hi welcome to BYC !! A real good broody is a Buff Orpington, I've got a few they LOVE to set! Real good mothers too.

 

[urbanhomesteader]

Quote:
<p></p>
Never say never. I had a chicken who would often lay 2 or three eggs a day.

I didn't know that was so unusual. I think my 2 girls where Buff Orpingtons.