My wife has wanted chickens for quite a while.

I don't know what I don't know. Chicken folks, chime in.
Also, we have a pool, will that potentially be an issue?

How many to start?
Coop size?
Feed?

We have some friends with 9 or 10, so we're getting some info from them too, but they have a bigger yard & have about 1/3 of their back yard dedicated to them.

Just you and the wife? I'd start with two birds unless you have a place you can sell/give away the excess.

Coop size? I overbuilt. Dimensions are 6x12 I think. I currently have four girls (only two are laying...I don't have the heart to off the other two).



Feed? I just buy layer crumbles from the local feed store. In addition I toss them scraps from time to time and during the summers they get a bunch of scraps from the garden. They love apples and heads of cabbage.

Me, wife, 3 kids, and maybe a few eggs on the side to bribe the neighbors.
1/2 acre lots in our neighborhood.

Feed looks reasonable at the local Tractor Supply [$10-20/50lb], and they have decently priced prefab coops.

I kept layers for many years.

First thing to know: Your eggs won't be cheaper, but they'll be WORLDS better.

Coop size: about 2 square feet per bird. Roosts so they can get up off the floor. Bedding on floor. Wood shavings are cheapest unless you have access to cheap straw. Nesting boxes about 12x12x12. A bit smaller is okay.

CLEAN REGULARLY! Wet bedding and chicken poop creates ammonia which is harmful to the birds. Good news is that chicken bedding makes great compost.

They DO NOT need supplementary heat in the Winter.

Laying is keyed to day length. As the days get shorter, they'll lay less. You can force that to some degree by a light on a timer but I never felt that was either necessary or good for the birds.

Chicks will start to lay after about 17 weeks and lay well for 2-3 years and then production drops. People that are focusing on egg production turn their flock over annually, replacing 2 or 3 year old birds with new ones. Fresh healthy birds should lay about an egg a day.

Older birds can often be bought cheaply and will still lay, just not as many.

They DO NOT need grit if fed a commercial layer mix, it's built into the feed.

Chickens are omnivores and a great way to recycle kitchen scraps. Also makes for better eggs.

If at all possible, get them outdoors. Fresh air and sunshine plus grazing an bugs also make for good eggs. If you have predator issues, a good fence is mandatory. If you can "rotationally graze" them, they'll do best, but any way to get them outside is good. Be aware that they WILL eat any enclosure right down to the dirt. A place for them to take dust baths will help keep mites down.

They'll naturally return to the coop around sunset. Do close them up once they're all in.

quote:

Originally posted by PHPaul:
They DO NOT need supplementary heat in the Winter.

Where the OP is, I agree. Up in these parts, I've had them get frostbite and lose toes, combs, and wattles. I keep a heat lamp in the coop during the winter nowadays.

quote:

Laying is keyed to day length. As the days get shorter, they'll lay less. You can force that to some degree by a light on a timer but I never felt that was either necessary or good for the birds.

Yep. I keep a light on a timer for mine. They lay year 'round.

The chicken comes before the egg.

I think the deep litter method looks interesting know nothing about it, but looked at chicken farming some, as a way to secure an egg supply.

The tastiest eggs I’ve ever had, were from free range chickens, fed butchering scraps during deer season.

You’ll need a caretaker if you go on vacation for a few days. Maybe less.

I'll add hemp bedding instead of straw or pine shavings. It cost me about a hundred bucks for a few inches deep on an 8x8 but worth every penny. Never any kind of odor and with 6 hens I could easily go 6 months before cleaning it out. Six months without cleaning out the coop might sound nasty but I assure you, no nastiness and no odor at all.

quote:

Originally posted by PHPaul:
I kept layers for many years.

First thing to know: Your eggs won't be cheaper, but they'll be WORLDS better.

I grew up in the city. Vacationed with my wife in Vermont so she could see the dying leaves on the tree. Stayed at a bed & breakfast place recommended here.

First breakfast, I asked the lady what she did to make the eggs so delicious. She explained that’s how farm fresh eggs taste, they actually have flavor.

I tried a local neighbor’s eggs laid by chickens in her backyard. It was not the same; she was probably feeding them garbage because that’s what the eggs tasted. So, I guess it matters what you feed the hens.

quote:

Originally posted by LS1 GTO:
You’ll need a caretaker if you go on vacation for a few days. Maybe less.

We've housesat for some friends with some layers. Ended up with about 3 dozen eggs after almost 2 weeks.
Could probably count on them do reciprocate.

They have personalities.

Prefab coops won't last as long as a built coop.

They're fun to watch.

You'll likely end up with a rooster at some point unless you buy them old enough to know what you're getting.

They love to free range.

They are a lot tougher than you think.

Diatomaceous earth (food grade) sprinkled lightly over feed will help when eggs start getting more "dirty."

Diatomaceous earth is a good dust bath material as it will help reduce mites etc..

You can train them. Many are very food motivated.

You'll learn about chicken chores.

If they go broody and you have no rooster, take the eggs. If you have a rooster wait about a month if you want more chickens. Mamma will be VERY protective of her chicks and seeing them huddle in her feathers is cute.

There's lots more, but they'll help you learn...

edited to add:

Eggs don't need refrigerated unless they are being laid in refrigerator temps.Just don't wash the protective bloom off them. If you wash, you must refrigerate.

quote:

Originally posted by Rey HRH:

I tried a local neighbor’s eggs laid by chickens in her backyard. It was not the same; she was probably feeding them garbage because that’s what the eggs tasted. So, I guess it matters what you feed the hens.

Very true. Ours got all the commercial layer pellets they could eat, a little extra cracked corn in the Winter for energy/heat and FRESH kitchen scraps/leftovers. Cobs from sweetcorn and watermelon rinds were a favorite (they're drawn to anything red) and they would absolutely lose their little feathered minds over lobster bodies.

My brother had 4 chickens for a bit.
Then he had 3.
Then he had 2.
...

If you're not sure if you have predators around, you'll find out.

He would let them roam free while he was around and would take a shovel and turn over soil in the back yard to reveal grubs. The chickens would go berserk.
When not around they would be in a wired coup area but he did not do it properly.

Neighbor's dog, hawk, possum, and possibly a weasel put an end to it.

Worst chicken farmer around.

I don't remember if it was PHPaul that showed his build and how to run chicken wire vertically into the ground and then horizontally so many feet to prevent burrowers from getting in.

We have had chickens for the last 3-4 years. They will eat and enjoy many leftovers..but not all. There are wonderful vids on YouTube that will help tremendously. We heat our coup as needed to prevent frostbite. Different breeds do better in heat, others tolerate cold better. They all have different personalities. We supplement their feed with crushed oyster shell. They can also be fed recycled egg shells. They need to be baked first. Have fun with them.

My neighbor at the lake cabin has a dozen or so. He lets them roam the property during the day and puts them in the coop in the evening. They are curious and social birds. Anything new in the yard gets immediately inspected. If I go over there in my side by side or golf cart they are all over it. I was over helping him split 9 cords of wood for a couple days. The wood had been laying on the ground for a year. The chickens would be constantly underfoot every time you picked up a chunk to split they would be right there looking for a grub or scratching the dirt. The noise of a gas powered log splitter did not bother them in the least.

They will go in any open door even the house if you don't close it right away. They have a schedule. Right around 3 every afternoon all 12 of them would gather under the picnic table you could almost set your watch by it. I always have farm fresh eggs!

I get fresh eggs from a couple of different sources. It seems chickens are popular right now. My ex kept them (we've been divorced for over a decade now) but they left when she did.
One thing I noticed, and this is in jest (a bit)...Don't do the math on profitability.
I know more than one chicken farmer that has about $11 worth of inputs tied up in about $6 worth of eggs.
Not trying to discourage you at all. I say, get after it.
Right now, I'm busy enough with the cows.

quote:

Originally posted by Gustofer:

quote:

Originally posted by PHPaul:
They DO NOT need supplementary heat in the Winter.

Where the OP is, I agree. Up in these parts, I've had them get frostbite and lose toes, combs, and wattles. I keep a heat lamp in the coop during the winter nowadays.

You're playing a dangerous game. They get used to the heat so if you lose power, they'll freeze. And more importantly, you're at an extreme risk of fire. Chicken coops burn down every year from heat lamps placed in them.

I bought this book when I was toying with the idea. I since gave it to my SIL. it seemed to have a wealth of good info.

https://www.backwoodshome.com/...ackwoods-home-guide/

quote:

Originally posted by PHPaul:
If you have predator issues, a good fence is mandatory.

And may need more than that. A fence alone won't keep coyotes, eagles, hawks, possums, or snakes out. They'll just go over it.