Woo Hoo ... we're in business now!

[criker99]

So my daughter's wanted to get chickens for a long time. We decided to bite the bullet about a month ago. So ... first we found a hen house (a shed), then we found a couple of chain link kennels to use for fencing and then my daughter and I got it all set up. Hubby cut a chicken door in and I drove about an hour away to two different farms to pick up a couple of different flocks.

From place # 1 we purchased established laying hens (6-12 months old):
1 - buff orpington
1 - black sussex
1 - golden laced wyandotte
3 - americaunas

Then I drove to place #2 where we purchased some not yet laying hens (hatched mid-August)
10 - barred rock hens

So we had about 2 weeks of only about one egg every 3rd day. and I got worried that we really wouldn't get many until spring.

So in the last week we've averaged 2 eggs a day. AND yesterday one of our barred rocks laid her first egg -- those pee wees are SOOO CUTE!

My daughter has been weighing each egg every day. The ones we've gotten the last week have been one medium and one XL each day. She's so excited!

And now I'm realizing we could actually be getting a dozen a day in the spring! She did such a cute business plan ... we're actually thinking about buying more - but this time buying strong layers instead of just pretty birds that lay.

So... we at Over the Top Farm are over the moon about our chickens!

 

[Crazy_For_Chickens]

Wow that is nice I hope you get a ton of eggs!

 

[Laskaland]

Quote:

Where are you from?
Christina

 

[criker99]

We're in Washington State - our normal business is horses - we breed, raise and train a variety of horses here. We've got 10 on site now.

 

[Laskaland]

Quote:
Great! Happy to have you here. Fill out your signature line, cuz there are a lot of horse lovers on here too and for sure you'll make some new friends!
Christina

 

[hatchaholic]

Your barred rocks will be very good layers. They lay good, even thru the winter.

I have black sexlinks and barred rocks and am easily averaging a dozen a day right now. I don't even think all of them have started to lay yet.

 

[criker99]

Thanks for the info - I found where to update our location and signature line.

My husband is proudly wearing his "my pets made me breakfast" tshirt to work today!

This is probably the only day he could get away with it at work!