I'm in the very beginning stages of just thinking about doing this. It would be to have fun pets for the kids and to provide fress eggs for the family. We would only be getting about 4 chicks (assuming they lay about 4 -5 eggs per week). What kind should we order? Where from? Do they need to be just hatched or can we get them a little older? Thanks so much for your help. I'm sure this will be my first post of many as we get started with this process...
Well for the kids I would get some EE's - for the colors of the eggs my DH still acts like a big kid when our girl lays her green egg LOL I love my light brahmas they are great layers so far and seem to do great in the colder months and the hotter months my silver laced cochins are not a grat layer - they will lay for awhile great and than take a few days off - one of mine just went broody for the first time. I cant comment on to many other breeds yet - I am also fairly new to this whole chicken thing - but I have a brooder full of babies of kinds of breeds so hopefully next spring I will know how they all do good luck on only picking just 4 - I find it hard to only pick a few - I always seem to want them all LOL Julie
Everyone has there favorite.I like lots of diffrent egg colors.You can get them as just hatched day olds or get older ones that are allready laying.It's all on what you like.Right now i have Road island reds lay brown,Barred plymoth rocks lay pinkish brown eggs and Amaucanas or Easter eggers not sure which they are yet but they lay blueish green eggs.also where are you from.
Welcome! If you want friendly birds that lay well and don't go broody (usually), because that stops the egglaying process, then Barred Plymouth Rocks cannot be beat, IMO. They are curious and very consistent layers, even during winter most of the time. Secondly, Buff Orpingtons, but some still hold broody tendencies, even in hatchery stock. I like to raise them from chicks myself.