Chicken Advice Needed

[Inor]

So now with the chicken shack about done, it is time to start thinking about chicks. We went to our local TSC, but it is a bit late in the season and they did not have many left and the ones they had did not look too healthy.

Mrs Inor got on some kind of chicken mailing list and we recently got a catalog from a hatchery. It was a really nice catalog, full color, nice glossy pages, etc. But their prices were utterly insane! The cheapest chickens I saw were almost $20 EACH! No way Jose am I paying $20 for a damn egg factory! The chicken would be long since dead by the time I saved a single dime over just buying eggs at the store and that does not even consider feed, etc.

We found another place online that seems to have more reasonable prices, not as cheap as TSC but at least they are not $20 per bird and they will ship them to us until September. (So we have a backup plan if we end up inadvertently killing some over the summer.)

https://www.cacklehatchery.com/produ...epper-special/

Since neither of us know squat about chickens, for this first batch we are thinking about just getting some kind of assortment to try and figure out what breeds we want. The "Prepper Assortment" in the link above sounds like a decent place to start. It does come with a rooster, which we really did not want initially. But on thinking about it, we can always eat the rooster if he becomes too much of a pain in the ass. The usual complaint we read about with roosters is the noise but I do not think that will be much of an issue in our case. Mrs Inor has a bunch of Guineas on order. So I am guessing we will hardly hear the rooster over their racket.

Our overall strategy is to get started with some egg chickens this year (maybe half a dozen or so) to figure out how to care for them, then next year maybe add about a half dozen or a dozen meat chickens.

Any advice that any of you experienced chicken ranchers have to offer will be MUCH appreciated!

[StratBastard]

So now with the chicken shack about done, it is time to start thinking about chicks. We went to our local TSC, but it is a bit late in the season and they did not have many left and the ones they had did not look too healthy.

Mrs Inor got on some kind of chicken mailing list and we recently got a catalog from a hatchery. It was a really nice catalog, full color, nice glossy pages, etc. But their prices were utterly insane! The cheapest chickens I saw were almost $20 EACH! No way Jose am I paying $20 for a damn egg factory! The chicken would be long since dead by the time I saved a single dime over just buying eggs at the store and that does not even consider feed, etc.

We found another place online that seems to have more reasonable prices, not as cheap as TSC but at least they are not $20 per bird and they will ship them to us until September. (So we have a backup plan if we end up inadvertently killing some over the summer.)

https://www.cacklehatchery.com/produ...epper-special/

Since neither of us know squat about chickens, for this first batch we are thinking about just getting some kind of assortment to try and figure out what breeds we want. The "Prepper Assortment" in the link above sounds like a decent place to start. It does come with a rooster, which we really did not want initially. But on thinking about it, we can always eat the rooster if he becomes too much of a pain in the ass. The usual complaint we read about with roosters is the noise but I do not think that will be much of an issue in our case. Mrs Inor has a bunch of Guineas on order. So I am guessing we will hardly hear the rooster over their racket.

Our overall strategy is to get started with some egg chickens this year (maybe half a dozen or so) to figure out how to care for them, then next year maybe add about a half dozen or a dozen meat chickens.

Any advice that any of you experienced chicken ranchers have to offer will be MUCH appreciated!

It's going to be fun. When my friend and roomie built a coop in our back yard, we didn't know squat. Here's a funny one: I didn't know chickens could fly LOL. Come home one afternoon and the neighbor is complaining about my chickens in his back yard... over a 6 foot fence. Learned how to clip the wings. Had several hens who would lay eggs anywhere BUT the dang nest too... had to walk around the yard and dig through the bushes. Also, coons, weasels, minks, and birds of prey will come to visit. Rats seemed attracted as well. But we had so many fresh eggs, we were giving them away to the neighbors... (which helps to smooth over that whole chicken invasion thing).

[Broncosfan]

So now with the chicken shack about done, it is time to start thinking about chicks. We went to our local TSC, but it is a bit late in the season and they did not have many left and the ones they had did not look too healthy.

Mrs Inor got on some kind of chicken mailing list and we recently got a catalog from a hatchery. It was a really nice catalog, full color, nice glossy pages, etc. But their prices were utterly insane! The cheapest chickens I saw were almost $20 EACH! No way Jose am I paying $20 for a damn egg factory! The chicken would be long since dead by the time I saved a single dime over just buying eggs at the store and that does not even consider feed, etc.

We found another place online that seems to have more reasonable prices, not as cheap as TSC but at least they are not $20 per bird and they will ship them to us until September. (So we have a backup plan if we end up inadvertently killing some over the summer.)

https://www.cacklehatchery.com/produ...epper-special/

Since neither of us know squat about chickens, for this first batch we are thinking about just getting some kind of assortment to try and figure out what breeds we want. The "Prepper Assortment" in the link above sounds like a decent place to start. It does come with a rooster, which we really did not want initially. But on thinking about it, we can always eat the rooster if he becomes too much of a pain in the ass. The usual complaint we read about with roosters is the noise but I do not think that will be much of an issue in our case. Mrs Inor has a bunch of Guineas on order. So I am guessing we will hardly hear the rooster over their racket.

Our overall strategy is to get started with some egg chickens this year (maybe half a dozen or so) to figure out how to care for them, then next year maybe add about a half dozen or a dozen meat chickens.

Any advice that any of you experienced chicken ranchers have to offer will be MUCH appreciated!

The only thing I see that could be a problem with the "Prepper Special" is you have no idea what your getting. So if you did end up with a chicken you really like you won't know exactly what it is for sure to order again. I've had several kinds of chickens. Only use them for eggs. I haven't crossed over to butchering chickens yet and really don't want to until there is a real need during a SHTF scenario. I got Golden Comets now and they have laid well since I got them last February or March. Now it you want to raise a few chicks from eggs then don't get Golden Comets because their a cross breed and won't hatch the same. My egg size varies from medium to XXL large. I bought them just as they started to lay. I personally went that route of paying I believe $15 a bird because of the cost and the time it takes for a hen to start laying. Its usually about 6 months before they start laying so initial cost plus feed, time and loss and I always end up with 2-3 roosters when I ordered all pullets. I personally don't want the roosters so there a total loss and they eat way more than a hen from my experience. That said I always had more than $15 in a hen by the time they started to lay. I made a waterer using the nipples you can buy and installed them in a bucket or you can buy them installed already in a bucket to hang. Way cleaner then the trough type waterers. You do need to take a few minutes to tap the nipples with a stick so the chickens learn how to use them. It took mine less than 30 minutes and they were good to go. Good Luck!

[hawgrider]

This will be easy...

Screw that mixed flock is so pretty shit. These will be the most expensive eggs you eat so get chickens who lay a shit ton of eggs. ISA browns or Leghorns lay way over 300 eggs a year.

I run ISA browns 340 eggs a year.

[Slippy]

We run Golden and Red (sexed link hybrids) and they are all great layers. We are averaging close to 1 egg/day from each girl.

Stratmaster makes a great point about clipping their wings. And like Bronc mentions, you can experiment with different kinds of Waterers, you'll be amazed at how much water they drink AND feed they eat!

We started Free Ranging our hens recently under supervision of Beasley, the cattle dog and so far so good!

Check out some local Feed and Seed stores for Sexed Link pullets to ensure you get girls. I think we paid a couple of bucks per when we got ours.

Good luck Inor!

[hawgrider]

We run Golden and Red (sexed link hybrids) and they are all great layers. We are averaging close to 1 egg/day from each girl.

Stratmaster makes a great point about clipping their wings. And like Bronc mentions, you can experiment with different kinds of Waterers, you'll be amazed at how much water they drink AND feed they eat!

We started Free Ranging our hens recently under supervision of Beasley, the cattle dog and so far so good!

Check out some local Feed and Seed stores for Sexed Link pullets to ensure you get girls. I think we paid a couple of bucks per when we got ours.

Good luck Inor!

ISA browns are too fat to fly most of the time I never have to clip their wings. I have had other breeds that have to be clipped.

Wing clipping tip -

Only clip one wing on each bird. If you clip both wings they will over come the set back and fly somewhat anyway. if you clip one wing it jacks up their balance and then can't fly as good. My chicken fence is only 5 ft high and none of my birds who are not clipped fly over it.

[Slippy]

ISA browns are too fat to fly most of the time I never have to clip their wings. I have had other breeds that have to be clipped.

Wing clipping tip -

Only clip one wing on each bird. If you clip both wings they will over come the set back and fly somewhat anyway. if you clip one wing it jacks up their balance and then can't fly as good. My chicken fence is only 5 ft high and none of my birds who are not clipped fly over it.

When we clipped thier wings, I just left the clippings on the ground outside the coop and figured they would just get blown away.

A couple of days later, Son1 came by to get some eggs and called us in a panic, he thought that some of the hens had been eaten by a coyote or something, due to all the feathers on the ground!

It looked like a chicken massacre!

[Prepared One]

ISA browns are too fat to fly most of the time I never have to clip their wings. I have had other breeds that have to be clipped.

Wing clipping tip -

Only clip one wing on each bird. If you clip both wings they will over come the set back and fly somewhat anyway. if you clip one wing it jacks up their balance and then can't fly as good. My chicken fence is only 5 ft high and none of my birds who are not clipped fly over it.

What a coincidence! I think I may be too fat to fly, But I ain't lettin you clip my wings.

[hawgrider]

I'll add that I don't bother with chicks too much work and too long of wait for them to mature enough to lay eggs so I buy POL pullets.

POL - "Point of lay" I usually find them for about 10 to 12 bucks a bird. I also don't run roosters as they are noisy as hell all day long and they can be rough on the hens. The upside of a rooster is they will attempt to protect the flock.

[hawgrider]

Another tip for yard bird maintenance- Food grade D.E.






Diatomaceous Earth For Chicken Coop Mites And Bugs

https://modernsurvivalblog.com/chick...ites-and-bugs/