you'll have more eggs than you would know what to do with by the first of october. 6 hens will lay 6 eggs in a week. that's 3 dozen each week. get ready.
Can hardly wait. Next year I think I'll get 12 hens. Different breeds. What the city won't know won't hurt them. Lol. Heck as much NY taxes as I pay they can kiss my grits.
So I posed the question the GF about getting chickens..answer a big NO!!! "you know how much those things poop?" brought her of the soapbox by explaining the tractor concept I think mine will be a coop/pen, that I can move around the front yard. Lots of good ideas on youtube for styles of laying hen setups. If things go well maybe meat birds next year - up on the powerline cut....no poop in the yard Then I here about all the avian bird flu knocking out chicken houses in the Northeast today, Texas rationing egg sales, and GF says the eggs are going up in their store. Do you folks buy inoculated chicks?
Talking to some guys "in the know" (waste disposal clean up crew) there is a chitstorm coming to the chicken/egg market. Not a fear monger, just first hand accounts of disposal/cleanup and disinfecting happening in at least 14 states right now.
yeah you're near about's on a 3-yr plan for chicken hoarding....except all those mouths to feed - like having 7 stoves
Wildwest, I have a friend, Dave that when I had my chickens wanted to have just one hen. So, after about 3 months I told him to come pick out what hen he wants. He selected this sorta small one. He named it and spent every minute he was home with this chicken, so it wouldn't be lonely??? After awhile this hen would follow him everywhere, it was lonely. So, I gave him two more hens. The gals then had their "alone time", so to speak. After about a month with three they all started laying some really nice eggs. Yeah, he had more eggs than he needed so he just gave them away. So, my suggestion not just one but probably two or three. Really, the same amount of work/time. Gosh, i really miss the gals, as I called them. I would usually take 8-12 hens thru the winter and as someone said they are not all one year old but a mixture of 1, 2 and 3 years old. The old gals sorta ruled the roost and kept the "kids" under control. Then going into the 4th year we enjoyed a great meal of chicken soup. judging from your post you would enjoy having hens... Good Luck.
I sure think I would enjoy having some hens... Are hens ok with a 4 y/o child? (I still have scars on the calves of my legs from a nasty rooster at the humane society I woked at in high school, I would go feed all the barn animals then run like hell but that little bugger spiked me every time on my run out funny he liked me throwing out his feed) Not sure it's the best idea, dear husband will have tend them when it's too cold for me..... I am 90% sure my dogs would be protective of them except the dogs spend most the of the time indoors. I am very tempted, thank you for the encouragement.
Wildwest, 4 years old might be too young. My daughter was around 7 when she first got involved with the chickens/hens. We had a nice laugh this morning over our coffee of your story of the rooster wanting to peck you. My daughter, who is an "animal whisperer", too did not like those roosters. At 7 she knew how to defend herself. Where with me they knew I would just give them a swift kick. However, if you don't have a rooster thru the winter for egg laying the hens tend to not be as aggressive. Whatever you decide. good luck.
wildwest : The only ornery hen that I've had was the Rhode Island with the boy. But the rest of them could really care less they were interested in bugs and eating... But search out the breeds carefully and I'm sure you'll find one to suit your weather and circumstances...
