Backyard Chickens?
Image by Rachel Tayse
top to bottom: sussex, australorp, orpington
Question by T.H.: Backyard Chickens?
I have recently found out that it is legal to have chickens within city limits where I live, and being something I have always wanted to have we are going to build a coop and add 2 chickens to our family. My question is what breeds are the best for this, as well as good egg layers? Is there something I can do the environment to make them better layers? Thanks for the advice!
What do you think? Answer below!
4 Responses to Backyard Chickens?
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well buff oringtons are good pets (but they get big),I would however suggest at least 3 birds or they might get lonely and depressed…(we have 50) Light brahmas are really sweet but they get big and they only lay around one egg a day…BARRED PLYMOTH ROCK! they are a good breed they live longest and are good layers…and they arent too big…
Real Deal CowGirl
July 17, 2011 at 11:31 am
here are two links for you
http://www.gomestic.com/Pets/Unusual-Pets-Chickens.76299
http://www.gomestic.com/Pets/Pet-Chickens-What-Breeds-are-Best.93603
the first is about chickens as pets. the second is about what breeds are good..
the fancy ones (silkies) lay fewer eggs..
I have Red Sussex, like in the photo on first link.. 4 hens.. we sometimes get 5 eggs a day…
feed them laying ration and chicken scratch as a snack..
CF_
July 17, 2011 at 12:21 pm
Small Bantam hens make great loyal pets and can often brood for other birds. They lay small eggs and tend to dig less than the bigger birds… the latter being a blessing for you and your neighbors.
As pets, they can be taught to hop on your head or shoulder… with ours, we call her by saying… “come on bird” and lean slightly forward… it’s fun to watch her eyes at that point and her pre-jump knee bend and then it’s up on the shoulder or head depending on her mood. The shoulder bird is such a show stopper.
As a pet, you can keep the city neighborhood from becoming a barnyard. A dog kennel or carry cage with a nesting box may be better because you might want to only have them out supervised after they have provided their egg for the day… The mailman or neighbors probably do not want a surprise in the mailbox or toolbox.
Melissa M
July 17, 2011 at 12:31 pm
Ok, right off, if you read nothing else I have written, you need to get a book called the Chicken Health Handbook. Don’t get all twisted into a worried knot because of all the diseases it talks about, but read it and keep it on hand.
Now, as for your question, first you need to ask yourself if you want the birds mainly for laying eggs or mainly for pets.
For laying eggs:
For this you need to decide if you just want the eggs for yourself, in which case, size and quantity is probably not as important. If you want to sell the eggs, then not only do you need to consider those things, but the feed to egg ratio (the weight of the feed they consume compared to the size and number of the eggs.
Now, a few facts on breeds: Australorps hold the record for number of eggs laid per year. They are related to Orpingtons. They, along with Brahmas and Rocks are heavy breeds and eat a bunch, but they are fluffy and very classical looking. They are also called duel-purpose breeds because they are large enough to eat. Most of the heavy breeds lay large eggs, which is good, because they eat so much. (and poop so much)
(disclaimer: I am not an employee of the Murray McMurray Hatchery. They just have good links and descriptions. I can not recommend one hatchery over another because I raise all my own birds)
link to heavy breeds:
http://www.mcmurrayhatchery.com/category/heavy_breeds.html
link to feather-footed breeds (also considered “heavy”)
http://www.mcmurrayhatchery.com/category/cochins_other_feather_footed_breeds.html
Most of the heavy breeds lay large, light to medium brown eggs
Despite the Australorps egg-laying prowess, commercial egg farms do not use them because they eat a LOT and take up a lot of room.
This is a link to the “best” egg layers”
http://www.mcmurrayhatchery.com/category/our_best_egg_layers.html
But, if you want something with a little more flair, here is a link to other egg-layer breeds, in particular, those that lay white eggs (ooooo, so pretty!). These are classified as light breeds. Their eggs are slightly smaller, but they eat less and take up less room:
http://www.mcmurrayhatchery.com/category/our_best_egg_layers.html
and this is for green/blue egg layers:
http://www.mcmurrayhatchery.com/product/araucanas_americanas.html
It is important to note that the Americanas/Araucanas sold by any hatchery are not generally pure breeds. They are crosses of both and sometimes other breeds, and while they usually lay green or blue eggs, sometimes they lay brown or white eggs. The picture on the page is not a good representation of either breed.
And now for something completely different:
http://www.mcmurrayhatchery.com/category/crested_breeds.html
Yes! these are egg-layers. Unfortunately, they might not be good for beginners.
So, what’s the deal with egg color? Nothing. On the West Coast, people believe that brown eggs are better, on the East Coast, that accolade goes to the white egg. And for the longest time some people believed that blue or green eggs had less cholesterol. None of this is true. Inside, all eggs are the same.
So, if you are going for chickens mostly because you like to eat eggs, these are good birds. They lay about 5-6 eggs a week, so figure how many eggs you want to eat a week and get that many birds. Hmm, backyard setup? You probably won’t be able to make a commercial venture of this, and this isn’t the place for giving you a crash course in egg handling.
Ok, take a breath *grins*
So, what about pets? They all make good pets as well, but if it’s pets you want, I would go for the bantams. They eat less, they take up less room, they poop less, and their feed to egg ratio is better! They consume 1/4 the food of a large bird, and yet their eggs can be up to 1/3 the size of those of a large bird. (so what to you do if you want to use them in baking? I weigh them)
Link:
http://www.mcmurrayhatchery.com/category/bantams_chicks.html
But here’s the rub. How do you plan to get your birds? If you order chicks from a hatchery, while you can order only pullets (girls) of the large birds, you have to get 25 of them! And if you want the bantams, they can not be sexed, so you will get about 12 pullets and 13 cockerels (boys) If you get your chicks from a feed store, again, the large birds will be sexed. The girl chicks could cost as much as $ 5 each. The bantams will not be sexed, you will be taking your chances, and they could still cost $ 5 each. Some people get the bantam chicks, get twice the number they need (or more) and then try to find homes for the boys.
But wait! It’s fair season! Go to your county fairs and hang around the poultry exhibit and see if you can connect with a breeder, or look up local 4-H clubs and contact the poultry leaders. I wouldn’t get your heart set on one specific breed, though, what is available in your area might be limited. Also, be ready to pay a fair price. If chicks cost 2.00 each, consider that a breeder has better birds than a hatchery and had housed and fed them until they are grown. I sell pet-quality bantam hens for $ 10, breeder quality for $ 25, and large hens I sell for $ 15.
Age: Birds lay the most eggs their first year, slightly fewer but slightly larger eggs their second year, and then the quantity begins to drop off. If they are pets, who cares, but if you are buying adult birds, be sure to get pullets (less than a year old). If you get silkies, be warned, you can not tell a pullet from a cockerel until the pullet lays eggs and the cockerel crows. Do not get any silky younger than 7 months, or you could end up with roosters.
If you get chicks, they won’t lay for you for another 6 months. Most of the heavy breeds are very sweet birds, the lighter breeds are known for being a little more flighty. Most Bantams, if handled a lot, and they’re small, so that’s easy, become very tame.
Now, coops.
RULE NUMBER ONE:
Make it tall enough to stand up in (6-8 feet) or short enough to reach the floor from the open top (2.5 feet). Otherwise, your back will hurt all the time.
Make it critter-proof
Make it easy to clean
Make it bigger than you think
Chicken tractors (movable coops) sound like a good idea, but unless they are small, tend to get heavy quickly.
Do not allow your birds to free-range without you there to protect them. If you want them to be able to “go outside,” build a run on one side of their coop with a good top.
Hmmm, what did I miss? Care and such is covered in the Chicken Health Handbook, and there are many many sites with that information.
Go here for a list:
feathersite.com
Cheers, and good luck!
pittisng
July 17, 2011 at 1:26 pm