Chicken tips

We are moving soon to a place out in the country and we want to keep some chickens not many probably four or five just for eggs/a new hobby any tips for first timers and tips on what kind of chickens ? They don't have to lay a ton of eggs we already have the plans for a fenced in coop area

We like Rhode Island Reds, New Hampshire Reds, Barred Rocks, White Rocks, Mahrans, Golden Comets, Domineckers, Wyandots, Buff Orpingtons, and Americaunas. All these lay brown eggs except for the Americaunas, they lay either blue or green eggs and the Mahrans lay very dark brown eggs. We don`t keep any roosters.

The choice is really endless and depends on the colors and breeds you prefer. Chickens are good to have around. Everybody should keep a few.

Check out the forum at www.backyardchickens.com

I've had golden comets, barred rocks, and buff orphingtons. The golden comets were the best. Great layers. Really friendly. About 5 lbs or so. Didn't eat near as much feed as the others.

Im partial to Buff Orphingtons, but that's not really a tip. Keep your coop clean. If youre gonna pen them up, youre gonna have to clean poop and lots of it.

Keep fresh, clean bedding in the nest boxes.

Give them oyster shell or egg shell along with 16-18% laying pellets and a little scratch feed every now and then.

Don't forget to worm them. I use Wayzine. It mixes into their water.

Keep fresh clean water for them. They don't like, and will hardly drink dirty water.

Try and find some chicks that were hatched "free range". They tend to be smarter than incubator hatched chicks.

If you add birds to your flock (and you will) put them in a cage inside the pen and let the rest of the flock get to know them before you turn them out. If you don't, they'll beat the fool outta each other.

Be prepared to loose a few. Chicken is on every predators menu.

If your situation allows, after they've grown accustomed to their coop and know its home, let them out a few hours every day. They tend to produce better and stay healthier. (for me anyway)

Get rid of any egg eaters you come across. Ive not found a surefire way of stopping them once they start other than a meal of fried chicken.

Chickens are addictive, heed the warning.

have em a place to stay secure at night...

rule #1 everything eats chickens

rule #2 EVERYTHING eats chickens

Rule #3 add eats eggs to Rule #1 and #2

a 20# coon can crawl thru a 2" hole and kill every chicken you have!!

GAGE said:

Check out the forum at www.backyardchickens.com

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This.

There is a Georgia chat group under the social forum. (Where am i where are you) look for Yo! Georgians. Plenty of other forumd to help with any questions you can think of.

Thanks guys we ended up with one barred rock one golden comet and an arucana

I did the same thing yall are doing. Moved from a subdivision to asmall farm. Chickens were our first adventure. We free range our chickens. I haven't shut their run door in months. Free range eggs taste better, to me at least. Free ranging costs less in feed. Free ranging chickens are at risk of arial attack. I have a rooster with my 13 hens. Used to have 16 hens. They learn fast and a rooster once he's connected to his girls takes really good care of them. I've personally witnessed my rooster jump on top of a hawk that came down on a hen and spur it. Hawk flew off hen survived the attack but not the wounds. A rooster is a great protector but makes a bunch of noise if you don't like it (I enjoy hearing him). He will let me know what's going on in and around the coop by his noises without me having to go down to the coop. And my kids really loved hatching our own eggs. I did have to trap a bunch of coons a opossums at first, but I feed the deer which keeps the coons in the woods and out of my coop.

bucktail said:

I did the same thing yall are doing. Moved from a subdivision to asmall farm. Chickens were our first adventure. We free range our chickens. I haven't shut their run door in months. Free range eggs taste better, to me at least. Free ranging costs less in feed. Free ranging chickens are at risk of arial attack. I have a rooster with my 13 hens. Used to have 16 hens. They learn fast and a rooster once he's connected to his girls takes really good care of them. I've personally witnessed my rooster jump on top of a hawk that came down on a hen and spur it. Hawk flew off hen survived the attack but not the wounds. A rooster is a great protector but makes a bunch of noise if you don't like it (I enjoy hearing him). He will let me know what's going on in and around the coop by his noises without me having to go down to the coop. And my kids really loved hatching our own eggs. I did have to trap a bunch of coons a opossums at first, but I feed the deer which keeps the coons in the woods and out of my coop.

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We are going to have ours penned because of dogs and such they are getting big

3 ain't enough!

Believe me! They are addictive! 3 will turn into 12 before you know it. Golden comets have been the best for me. Smaller so they eat less & are friendly. Will let you pick them up. Great layers!! We let our's out about every day but lock the gate at night. I've lost 1 to a coon & 1 to a possum.