new to the whole chicken thing......

I am thinking of getting a few chickens just for eggs. Is it worth the investment/maintenence or should I just buy my eggs from the store?

Ha! Bless you! Every person here will tell you how many hens you need and how to build 'em a coop! Start with 3 hens. It's very worth it. And welcome to DG!

welcome chicken newbie. first of all you will not stop at three. they are addicting.
secondly, hide from the chicken fairy!

Welcome Britbrighton!
I'm a newbie too. It IS very addicting.. and very fun.
I started with all intentions of just getting a few eggs.. it's grown way out of hand.. but I can tell you that home grown eggs taste so much better, once you've had them, it's hard to go back to store bought. That alone is worth it to me. I went overboard and can't calculate cost as part of my incentive... The darling chicks that love me absolutely make me forget everything.
I hope you enjoy it even 1/2 as much as I do! It will bring new joy to your life.

Welcome to Daves Garden and especially to the Poultry and Livestock! I agree start small but beware!! They are very entertaining and addicting! And well worth it! Store bought eggs just don't compare.

Sue

Okay, same questions and another few - is there a type that is easier/ non--delicate to start with? I look in our local papers and see a bewildering array of types for sale - Rhode Island Reds, Silkies - and on and on.

Also, how cold tolerant are they? Will wind protection be enough or should I be looking at a heated structure?

Should I just buy a book?

Rhode Island Reds are cold hardy.
Check out his thread listing fav websites-great info on chicken breeds
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/895814/

new hampshires are also cold hardy

Absolutely agree - it was only a few months ago that I said I wanted "a couple" of chickens and I bought an Eglu coop from www.omlet.us. Now I have 2 more coops and over 30 chickens. Very addictive and fun. I also have 3 incubators all full of eggs right now. :-)

It is DEFINITELY worth the investment and work. They are a delight to own and the eggs are marvelous - way better than store bought eggs. Brighter, more golden colored yolks, better flavor, from happy hens who are not shut in little boxes.

Pagancat - A coop with a protected area would be best. If necessary, a heat lamp can be added for very cold days. If you choose cold hardy breeds, that may not be necessary. There are some good books out there too. Just go to a Barnes & Noble for an hour and sit down with one of them in an easy chair! My chickens have coops with outdoor run areas and indoor areas. The indoor areas have ventilation that can be closed for very cold temperatures. Chickens are good at keeping themselves warm also, especially those hardy breeds.

Hi Brit,

I bought 25 silkies of various colors from Ideal Poultry last April. Today I found my first egg !!! I'm so proud !!!

I remember I was so excited when my box of chicks arrived. Oh, they are precious. They slept in a cardboard box by my bed. They grow WAY too fast. :( You'll know when it's time for them to go outside to live. :)

As adults they are just as wonderful. They put themselves in their coop when the sun goes down. Guess this is just the chicken way, I dunno. All I do is let them out in the morning and shut them up in the evening, and make sure they have food and water. They also eat grass and all kinds of things outside all day.

With the bantams their eggs are half the regular size, but people say they taste just as good. You can pick chickens that give large eggs, or white eggs, or brown eggs or whatever. One woman I met that raises chickens loves her Jersey Giants. I was reading about them last night and they are, I guess, the biggest chickens there are. They have a reputation of being gentle giants.

I admire all the chicken and duck pictures I see on here. The crested ones to0 the naked necks..... well, maybe some day I'll have more chickens. For now, this is all I can deal with, but I can tell you, it's worth it to me.

Each situation is different though. Depends on if you are in town or have a fenced yard or whatever. You have to evaluate the predator risk and what you have to do to keep them safe. It's an adventure.

I am in the process now of making some chicken tractors. I am also enjoying the challange of that, but that's just me. You can buy ready made chicken coops, or have someone build you one. Just depends on who you are and what you want.

I chose the silkies because I watched videos of them and saw many pictures online. I think they are a very pretty chicken. Their feathers are different than other chickens. They claim they are friendly and make good pets. They also do not fly, which was important to me, because in my neighborhood it just wouldn't be appropriate to have chickens flying over the fence. The lady with the Jersey Giants said they don't fly either, because they are too large.

I understand the confusion. I never knew there were so many different kinds of chickens either.

Oh, and the roosters .. the roosters can't live in my town, so if you buy straight run chickens, meaning that you get both male and female chicks, that becomes a problem. Some chickens can be sexed at birth, but some cannot. So, if you want eggs, you can buy pullets of some breeds and not have to worry about the rooster problem.

Well, I'm not an expert by any means but I'm learning, and thought I'd share my limited knowledge of the situation.

Karen

Oh, another thought, if you don't have a nearby barnes and noble, try your local library to check out some books. Just a couple that come to mind: Keep Chickens! Tending small Flocks, in Cities, Suburbs, and other small places by Barbara Kilarski; Storey's Guide to Raising Poultry by Leonard Mercia. These are just a couple!

Claire has been dusted by the Chicken Fairy as you can see!! lol! (me too!) I've got some more chickies coming by the end of the week! ☺

Sue

Thanks for the info, everyone... I'm going to have to explore this one some more!

Definitely worth it, if not financially then just for the smiles!

This feels like Chickens Anonymous...
Hi, my name is Kristin and I'm addicted to chickens.

They are a real kick to have around. Hilarious antics and personalities. Easy to care for and will follow you to the end of the earth for treats!

*picture caption = "Hey man, let us in!"*

PS. Don't let them scare you. I set out to have three chickens and I only have three chickens... then again its the urban lifestyle that limits me... if I had acreage I'd be in competition with all these other fine ladies with over a hundred birds!

Thanks for the great encouragement...but what can I expect from four chickens? Some say each chicken lays an egg a day and others say only for a year or so. I am trying to be more self-sufficient in my hectic lifestyle and as the economy weakens further. I have enjoyed going "natural", now moving to the country and having a small orchard, veggie garden etc. All that is left out are the chickens. I do adore chickens, although I am petrified of roosters because one attacked me as a child (terrible emotional trauma! :) Anyhow, we won't be getting any males (sorry boys!) Keep in mind I am below novice here! If I had four chickens, how much runaround room do they need?
Sorry to all of you who lost your chickens :(

Nice kid and pumpkins! Is that this year's crop? Very cool.

I've read that you get about an egg every other day per chicken. So I'm hoping to get two eggs a day with my three girls. The number of eggs is dependent on the type of bird, too. There are certain birds that are bred for being layers vs. meat vs. show or ornamental (not sure the appropriate term for chickens). Since mine are starting late in the season, I'm also planning to provide artificial light in the coop through the winter for hope of extending the laying.

I think they only lay for the first couple of years, but I've heard of birds that lay well into 3-4 years too. People that strictly have the birds for the eggs, will cull (kill) them as they become less productive. My cousin will eat her's as they no longer produce eggs. Her husband has a strong opinion about feeding only those that produce.

As far as running room, you'll probably get a lot of variation in response and it depends on the size and type of bird you get. One of my books, "Storey's Guide to Raising Chickens" addresses the amount of space needed in the coop itself as 4 sq ft for a mature heavy bird and 2 sq ft for a mature bantam for an "open house" and more for a confined house. I personally, have a coop about 3' x 4' for three hens. They have a partially secured pen to run in while I'm away that is only about 10'x6', but have run of the whole backyard when I'm around. This keeps them from becoming bored and picking at each other and its just so darned cute to see them begging for scratch through the dining room door - ha!

I'm sure others with MUCH more experience will be along to give you more advice -- that's my "NEWBIE 2-cents".

This message was edited Sep 29, 2008 7:45 PM

Last year's crop and last year's kid- he has grown much taller since! Ha ha. Thank you for your advice. Its all a little overwhelming. I am not really a meat eater and certainly could not "cull" anything...I am far too attached to creatures! Lots to think about but those baby chicks sure look adorable. Don't all babies? :)

I'm with you, I don't think I'd be able to cull anything unless it was for the birds own good, ie., injured or ill. My three girls are more like pets to me than livestock. They will live out their days fat and happy.

Good luck processing all the information. Its a lot of fun and it sounds like you have the space.

Welcome Brit to Daves garden, and the poultry forum. How much room you give your chicks will depend on how much room you can afford. If your going to stick to four chicks then twenty square feet would be enough. If you could also give them a little running room out of doors besides, say a six by six at least,they will do well. It probably won't be long before your hooked and the eggs will become a by-product and the chicks will become the real focus. You should average two-three eggs a day with four chicks, and then there should be a number of times you will get four a day. The red, or black sex-links are very cold hardy and they are one of the best layers of large eggs. A real plus with them is that they are very friendly and enjoy a good social life. Good luck and have a blast. Haystack.

lazy lady, i leave right on the city limits and am up to 28 chickens with more on the way, and 6 guinnea.

hello, my name is kathy and i'm out of control

Thank you for all the great info! I am laughing. I can see how raising chickens can get out of hand. My husband and I were amused at all the people who used the term "addicting" which I, myself have ever only used for chocolate! :) We are searching out make-shift coops but I did see those Eglus CMoxon mentioned. Are they a good investment or is a coop better for my 1/2+ acre? I am afraid of predators....hmmm. My biggest concern is keeping them warm in the winter. Do they graze in the snow or stay in the coop in wintertime?

i am proud to present little cindy. 2minutes old

Britbrighton-

Welcome to Dave's garden! As for snow in the winter, it depens on their mood. Mine would come out some days and some days they would say in. Of course wit snow on the ground there wasn't much grazing, but they doget out and pradle around.

again glad to have you here and My name is Sheila and I and checking myself intoChicken Detox/Rehab with about 200 chickens and another 200 in the incubator or waiting.

Sheila

Mine stay out all the time, even in snow which they don't like to walk on but won't keep they in too much. I'd suggest black sex-link. They are good layers and the black feathers mean they do well in cold weather(absorb heat and stay warmer that way). They should also be fairly easy to get a hold of in most places. How many eggs do you want per week to feed your family? That number divided by 4 (eggs/wk/hen) should give you the number of hens you want to have. Round up! Happy young ones will produce more than this -enough for baking etc, not so much that you're inundated. If they get too hungry or hot (next summer) production will fall off.

Brit - I love my Eglu. I know they are a bit costly but if you really only plan on 2 or 3 chickens, they are perfect with a capital P! They are very predator proof and have a nice "apron" of wire around the base so predators don't even dig under. The door is easy to operate and the double wall is good insulation. If you get winter-hardy breeds, you should not have any problems with it. It's super-easy to clean and highly functional. My only problem was that I got the addiction and had to make more coops. It comfortably fits 2 to 4 standard size hens (not huge ones like Jersey Giants - that would just be 2, whereas I had barred rocks in it for a time and 4 was no problem). It would also fit up to 6 bantams. The nest box is inside and there is a window for access to the eggs that works perfectly.

Some of my hens (red star) produce an egg every day right now. Some produce every other day. Depends on the hens and time of year. Some lay better in winter than others. www.mypetchicken.com has a good section on breeds and which are hardy and which are more cold tolerant.

Interesting site... they do mention that it is not cheaper to keep chickens than to buy the eggs. Bummer.

I figured that after reading all the stories! :)

Maybe so, but it's tremendously good therapy to hold a chicken on your lap, so you save a bunch on other methods of stress management that are far more costly. :-)

LOL - like my horses?

Hmmm....maybe so, but you can't ride a chicken....just wanted to be clear on that!!

Pagancat you can hold horses on your lap?! You must be one strong person!! ;-)

britbrighton raising chickens won't give you cheap eggs but it will give you healthier better tasting eggs. Healthier because you can feed your chickens lots of nutritional stuff like veggies, meats and pasta in addition to their feed which the commercial places don't bother to. Your eggs yolks will be a darker yellow to orange color which reflect their omega level . This makes them very good for those with BP problems or other health issues where omega would be beneficial. Now 4 hens will give you 3 to 4 eggs a day when they're laying. In the winter they slow down or stop producing altogether. If you're interested in selling eggs then I would say get a lot more chickens than just what you think your family will consume.

MollyD

LOL, Molly - sorry, I missed that critical point.

No, but I cradle their heads in my arms some days .... and a butt scratch is always welcome!

^_^ LOL

My main objective is to live off the land as much as possible! My whole family has Celiac Disease which is an allergy to wheat gluten and other glutens. So shopping for us is VERY COSTLY to begin with. I recently moved to the country and after a year of "withdrawal" from the town life I finally found myself embracing the country life-sounds cliche but its true! So I had a blissful summer with my vegetable gardens which saves on food costs and I also have a small orchard. Being more "self-sufficient" also relieves me (somewhat) of those 40 minute drives to the nearest shopping center, plus my kids have a blast helping me out. Chickens seem a sensible next step. I have always wanted chickens but never knew why- maybe its a "step-back-in-time" factor.
It sounds silly but my main hesitance for getting hens is that I figure they have very short lives and I don't take death very well! Of course, the latest chicken deaths posted aren't encouraging!
Thanks, by the way, again for all of your insight everyone! :)

Please don't take the deaths here as a indication of a chickens life a chicken can live for 30 years.
But an occasional death does come with these chickens.
If you have a closed flock which means you purchase chicks from a hatchery or a breeder and those are the ONLY chickens you have. Meaning no more chickens are brought to your property this is called a closed flock and the chances of diseases is almost nonexsistent in closed flocks.
Alot of us are constantly bringing in new eggs or chickens and in a way we can bring in a disease or virus to our exsisting flock.
It may appear we have problems and deaths but we share our experiences so if someone has the same thing they will know how to handle it. We all share our cures for things to help our fellow chicken friends and we care alot for each others chickens and want everyone to have a happy experience with chickens we all have perfectly healthy flocks i have 52 and the others have beautiful healthy chickens too.
I hope you get some chickens and we all here will be ready to help and answer all your questions.

Brit,
best of luck with your endeavors. i admire your effort to live off the land a much as possible. it is my husband's and my goal to do the same. we still live in town (don't plan to forever) and this year we had a fine garden. I made mental notes of what I still needed to buy at the store and plan to expand quite a bit next year. We're even discussing taking over the front yard... its just wasted space anyway!
With today's economy and the chemicals and crap that are put in our store bought products, I love the idea of growing as much as I can.
Good Luck!
Kristin

This message was edited Oct 1, 2008 6:35 PM

Me too, Kristin! By necessity our family lives very healthy. It is not always convenient but I am glad for it and take it as a blessing in disguise! Thank you Harmony for your reassurance...I think you took my fears away!

Brit,
I have learned things this year that I felt I should have known years ago... I got into canning.. WOW.. was that fun! I'm tickled to have a completely stocked pantry with a lot of the things from my garden.
Now I have chickens and don't have to worry about ONE MORE thing on my shopping list... EGGS! (in the future, mine are still babiez) It was also such a treat that my son is involved with the chickens with me. Those lil birds have brought joy to my life. (even with the tragedy) I am dedicated to giving them a great life.
There will be joyful days and heart broken days.. I know my chickens love me and they are happy.. all fits cause they sure make ME happy!
I look forward to your pics and posts of the fun you will have on this wonderful venture.

Seems I read that chickens can live about fifteen years. So that's really a long life, in a way.

I had Siberian hamsters about ten years ago and was so shocked when they just dropped dead at about 1 1/2 to 2 years old. Then, I read that is their normal life span.

Really, death is part of life. When something happens, I just try my best to not think about it. I have to admit though, when a pet dies, I grieve almost as if a family member had died.

One of my chickens was missing this week and I almost cried thinking how I had failed him. However, on my second look around the yard a few hours later, I heard clucking coming from under a plastic container he had somehow flipped over on top of himself. :) I was SO relieved to see him. :)

I do caution you though, you have to really take precautions. I have read so many accounts of people having accidents happen to their chickens. Sometimes their own dog kills themsometimes it's a raccon or a skunk, or whatever. I left my young chicks in the backyard once, and a cat got two of them. I had never seen a cat in our backyard before because our dog is usually out there. Guess he heard them cheeping. I felt terrible, but what can you do? You just have to forgive yourself and try to do better next time.

It's just part of the reality of this world we live in. Like it or not. I know I don't like it. I find comfort in the fact that death and hell are cast into the lake of fire. I'm never quite sure what that means, but I sure like the sound of it.

Karen

Just think of what a wonderful life you'll be giving to the chickens you get. Then think about those poor unfortunate chickens that the egg farms keep. Hands down, you'll be doing yourself and the chickens a great service-enjoyment for both you and the chicken; plus you get healthful eggs!
I just love the contented clucking of a happy hen!