Any chicken experts on here?

[NM_Shooter]

How long does it take for a chick to mature and start laying?

My kids have chicken fever.   

I've been promising them chickens for awhile and may not be able to back out this time.  My wife pointed out that they are making straight A's, have been doing their chores un-prompted, and are taking full care of our other pets.  Why do they have to be so good?

Anyway, a local feed company is giving away chicks.  My daughter has done the math and found out that feed is $0.60 a pound, a heat lamp is $6, the feeder is $2, and she is clearing a place in the garage.  My other daughter is laying out a coop in the back yard.  I think I am doomed.   

So.. do they lay the first year, or are these just pets and fryers till 2009?

-f-

[MountainDon]

Fryers, Yum.

I think they start paying their keep by six months. 

Where is this place?

[glenn kangiser]

Probably about 4 to 6 months.

I have found that a compact florescent lowered to where the chicks can contact it almost works pretty good if only a few chicks -- not nearly as hot hence the lower setting and no fire danger.

[NM_Shooter]

Fryers, Yum.

I think they start paying their keep by six months. 

Where is this place?

Village Mercantile in Corrales... they sell them in the spring, and for Easter.  I think they want them gone and also do this to promote feed sale.  My kids said that there were about 30 chicks still available.  Variety of varieties.

We went through a long talk about how they would not be pets, and that non-productive hens / any roosters would become dinner.  They are practical kids and were okay with that, but asked if they could pick one chicken each that would be spared from the axe.  Some of our neighbors keep chickens, and we really like fresh eggs over store bought when possible.  My youngest kid is 11 and is already a really good cook, with breakfasts and desserts being her specialty.  She favors fresh eggs for her cooking; I think it is because of the brighter yellow yolk 

-f-

[ScottA]

Let us know how it turns out. I might want to get some chickens next spring.

[MountainDon]

How about the Corrales neighborhood Coyotes?

[glenn kangiser]

When production starts they can overwhemlm you with eggs -- probably stop around 4 months per year due to molt-- need Layena or similar laying mash -- we like pellets as they don't waste as much.

7 laying hens can give you around 49 eggs per week -- they don't take the sabbath off. 

[NM_Shooter]

We have tons of coyotes here.  Constantly running up and down the road in front of our house.  They seem to ignore rabbits and focus on the other white meat....cats.  They will be a problem, but I do have a 5' high no-climb horse fence around the property and will pen in the chickens at night.  I am not adverse to setting traps for the coyotes either. 

[MountainDon]

Thought so. We're all built up around here now, but the first 5 years we were right at the end of the developed area. Coyotes, road-runners, rabbits all over the place. Now only a couple rabbits who live in the prickly pear patch.

Back we had ducks for a couple years.

We went for a walk in the Corrales bosque today. Saw turkeys. Domestic? Wild? I know there's both.

[Homegrown Tomatoes]

NM_Shooter, it depends on the breed, but in our experience, pastured (free-range) chickens will lay several weeks earlier than those kept confined... I've had them start laying as early as 14-16 weeks when allowed to roam and forage, possibly even earlier (though I'm not sure because I've not been the best at keeping records and am just guesstimating.)  If they go into a molt, give them some dry cat food along with their chicken scratch because it will help them feather back out faster because of the high protein in the cat food.  You can't beat brown leghorns for production and dependability, but buff orpingtons are better mothers.  Aracaunas eat like horses and aren't the best at foraging.  They all taste good, and so if you are overrun with eggs, you could always cook a few.  Like I said, I'm no expert, but that's our experience with them... they're a lot of fun, too.

[Redoverfarm]

Don when I first moved to our present location I never saw a rabbit.  The foxes were lousy. To the point that I would have 3-4 at once in the evening at dusk.  Had a friend that trapped a few and then the Coyotes started moving into the area.  Don't know why but the fox population went down hill.  Believe it or not the rabbit population did go up. Doesn't make a lot of sense but this past year I have seen more rabbits than I have the last 10-12 years.  

Years ago the farmers raised sheep. The farms were kept cleaned on the higher slopes. With the coyotes beginning to populate the area most farmers have gotten rid of the sheep as many of them were loosing 1 a night.  The adjoining county in Va paid a bounty on them which has helped some.  But the farm land once grazed by sheep is growing up and resorting into unuseable property.

[Homegrown Tomatoes]

We have tons of coyotes here.  Constantly running up and down the road in front of our house.  They seem to ignore rabbits and focus on the other white meat....cats.  They will be a problem, but I do have a 5' high no-climb horse fence around the property and will pen in the chickens at night.  I am not adverse to setting traps for the coyotes either. 

I recommend a good, shaggy, bearded collie for the protection of your chickens.     When a stray dog or coyote threatened ours, they would all run into the dog house, the dog would flop down in front of the door of the dog house with the cat sitting on his shoulders and the rooster would take his post on top of the dog's house crowing like mad.  Grover would growl and show his teeth and generally speaking, that's all it took to keep strays and coyotes at bay.  The only time it didn't work was when someone's blue tick hounds came into the yard one day when the chickens were out.  I'd brought Grover inside to give him some scraps.  All the sudden he started barking like he was in a total panic, and I looked out the window to see one of those hounds with one of our chickens in his mouth, just shaking her to pieces.  I let Grover out, and DH ran outside and grabbed a big stick that'd fallen out of the pecan trees and took off chasing the dogs.  The hound dropped the hen as soon as Grover cleared the back door, but it was too late to save her. That's the only time we ever lost a chicken to another animal, even though there were too many strays and coyotes to keep track of around there. 

[StinkerBell]

I highly suggest getting Sex Links for your chicks. I am partial to this breed
We started out with 3 over a year ago. One was murdered about 5 months ago. They are excellent egg producer, gentle with my kids and ding wonders for my garden. NetHog built me a lovely coup. I let them loose to roam the back yard everyday. They are wonderful for spider and bug patrol and weeding. I can also keep them in the coup for a long weekend if we need to go away. No problem. I have even taken my "girls" camping with us on our property. They are funny to watch when they chase bugs. Oh yes...they love the taste of ticks.

Fresh Eggs are very nice too!

[glenn kangiser]

I highly suggest getting Sex Links for your chicks.

OK Stink.  I searched Froogle for a pair of these and came up empty, so I took my rooster a little pair of chicken handcuffs and a piece of rope.

[NM_Shooter]

Maybe Sussex?

-f-

[StinkerBell]

http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/CGP/Sex-links/BRKSexLink.html


I bet in your search you said sex link chick.....On the WWW that could be scary!

So above I give you a link.....

Oh yes I forgot the the "-".....

[Homegrown Tomatoes]

We've also had red sex links, and they are good layers and have a pretty calm disposition.  That was what the chicken killed by the hounds was... and she was pretty, too.

[NM_Shooter]

Hmmm...I'm only finding Rhode Island Reds and Bard Rocks here.  I can get pullets for $2.35 each, which seems to me to be a good deal.  My epicurean 11 yr. old like brown eggs over white for some unknown reason.  Maybe they hide dirt better?   

-f-

[peternap]

I did a search for you Glenn. I found this one:
ht tp://www.hoes.com/black.html


    Too scary, Peter.

[Mo]

A great site to find out about Chickens and there ways is http://www.omlet.co.uk/breeds/breeds.php

The Naked Neck is purdy. 

[StinkerBell]

Dunno if the Naked Neck is pretty. It kinda reminded me of a Disney Villain like Cruela De Vil.....

Thumbs up on the website!

[Homegrown Tomatoes]

Cackle Hatchery in Lebanon, MO has a great website, too.  If you go into the pictures of the different breeds, they'll tell you a little more about each breed and what is so special about it.  If you want the dark brown eggs, get Cuckoo Marans or Dominiques... they both lay dark brown eggs.  If you want blue or green, get Aracaunas or Americaunas.  Rhode Island Reds are good birds too...  I  like Cackle Hatchery's  "hungry man special" under the bargain deals...

[MaineRhino]

We started with 5 different types for a total of 25. The girls took 6 months plus before they started laying. Their cross-breed offspring started laying much sooner.
We raise bantams, mostly for bug control, with the eggs just being a year-round bonus!

This is my oldest rooster, he will be 5 this summer.

[MountainDon]

Handsome dude! 

[NM_Shooter]

My kids started cutting brush for a run today.  I have to admit that they are working hard at this.  Now to find a way to exclude coyotes, hawks, owls, cats, etc. 

-f-