Thanks. Mine free range so they get some organic protein
Chicken/egg question
- Thread starter Robinjopo1
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Arcticdude
Top Poster
We're getting up to 3 eggs a day now from the new hens, even in zero temps. It's about time they start putting out.
We've been feeding Nutrina pellets for several years, never had a problem. There's a couple local feed mills where we can buy feed in bulk. We'll try them out this spring. Our chickens free range so we don't feed very much from spring to fall (May to October).
We've been feeding Nutrina pellets for several years, never had a problem. There's a couple local feed mills where we can buy feed in bulk. We'll try them out this spring. Our chickens free range so we don't feed very much from spring to fall (May to October).
When we had a dove, I had some hard red winter wheat left over from planting food plots, so I gave her some. She had sporadically laid a few eggs before that, maybe one every few months. While eating the wheat she started laying eggs like crazy.
I'm gonna have to break over and get a rooster or two I suppose...not taking changes on what other problems getting chickens may lie ahead..no idea what best breed is to get...I've got a wide variety of breeds of hens..
I think I'm gonna hath off several batches of eggs just because everyone is trying to get chickens right now and I get way more eggs than we can use or give away. If y'all need any eggs or chicks let me know. Can't say much for the quality, but nobody beats the price. Seriously, they will be fine. If they die on you , you're only out what you feed them.
I'm getting a rooster from my aunt. It's a rhodeisland red, she has several different breed of hens and it does fine with all of them.
Last fall I tried to give away about a dozen roosters and only found one taker. Most were to lazy to pluck them . Amazing isn't it. I had one guy who wanted me to do it.
If I were you, I would go for a rooster that forages well and produces chicks with a high feed to egg ratio. That would be a RI Red! My favorite hens are Barred Rocks, but haven’t bought any in several years. The reason is because they consume too much feed per egg they lay.
Currently have Golden Comets and these girls have not missed a beat! They all lay an egg daily! Their feed consumption is small. The only negative to them is they seriously do not lay longer than 2 to 2 1/2 years.
Do you have separate meat chickens? I can't remember anything about Golden Comets, but man RIR roos always seem so dang mean! I haven't braved them in our flock.
Arcticdude
Top Poster
There are a lot of good breeds of roosters out there. I prefer to order from a hatchery. That way we can choose the breed with the traits we want. Rather than picking up whatever someone at the feed store ordered. We have several different types of roosters, and all are friendly and not aggressive. Too bad we live so far apart or I'd give you a couple.
Chick's from the hatchery are shipped out via overnight mail, which for us is 2 days.
I'm uncubating about 20 orpington eggs now, so I should get a rooster out of it, but I have to wait until they grow out. If I don't have a good hatch, I'll order some from the hatchery you recommended.
Our roosters have all gotten eaten. I had thought coyotes but now I'm thinking hawks. We changed up the chicken yard and houses so we'll see.
I'm a little worried about whether orps have the grit needed to live in the forest. It's not as wild here as it is where you are, but we have our fair share of things that like chicken dinners!
A good roo points out the food then stands back and let's the ladies eat first. Mine are gentlemen, but I wouldn't recommend Langshan because of the feathered feet. They are always bleeding and sore because they get them caught on stuff out in nature.
You know it depends on the Roo. RIR seem to very greatly in personality. I don’t currently have meat chickens. But am highly considering them for spring. Do you raise meat birds? I was going to get some Cornish X, but I hear you can’t really reproduce them.
Arcticdude
Top Poster
You have a lot more predators where you are than we do. We have all the big predators, like bear, mountain lions, wolves, coyotes, fox and badgers. But we don't have any of the smaller predators like coon, mink, possums, weasels and skunks etc. We have hawks and eagles too but they hunt mostly in the open meadows. An owl killed all but 2 of our ducks this winter.
A good chicken to add to a free range flock is an Ancona. They are always on the look out for predators. We've had them in the past and we have a few on order for this summer.
That's really helpful. Thanks.
We have a whole family of coons that live by the creek. There are a lot of small caves and I think they live in one of them. All the locals have complained about mink, but we haven't had a problem with them here yet.
Arcticdude
Top Poster
Last summer the wife and I were sitting on the back deck taking a break. We saw a young yearling bear walking around the chicken coop, probably looking for a way in. When the Anconas spotted the bear they chased it up a tree. He was up in the tree for about an hour. When he finally came down from the tree he walked up the hill by the upper corral. One of our bulls saw the bear and chased him up another tree. I kinda felt sorry for the bear.
poltiregist
A True Doomsday Prepper
From a prepper's perspective , someone with an egg incubator and a solar system to operate it , could theoretically hatch off all the chicken they cared to eat as well as have all the eggs they cared to eat . As a google search showed it takes about 21 days to turn a egg into a hatched chicken . Feeding them worms or letting them free range if varmints allow , would potentially eliminate the necessity of depending on a feed store for their food source .--- What are you guys thoughts on hanging unwanted chicken parts or perhaps wild game on a cord above the birds so they could eat the maggots that fell off the rotting meat as a food source ?
DirtDiva
A True Doomsday Prepper
I was taught never to allow your chickens to eat maggots. Supposedly they settle in the craw of the chicken and eat the contents causing a disease my grandparents called "limber neck". My husband will throw them strip of fish when he is cleaning fish but we never allow it to stay in there long enough to get maggots.
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poltiregist
A True Doomsday Prepper
Thanks for the information and that will eliminate my thoughts on the maggot food source .
