Now the missus wants to have chickens. I was thinking of enclosing the deck I made half with chicken wire and half with boards .... I have a nearly dead cedar at the back of the property I could tip over and then mill into boards for the enclosed part. The question is how many chickens and what kind should I look for at what time of the year for the two of us ?? I have no idea about chickens. I raised rabbits and rats for my snakes in the past and we had hogs and a cow when I was about 3 foot tall. But other than that I either use a hook of a gun to get protein on the table. please educate this old sea dog ......


See...... that was not in the least political.

You're asking about the "best" chickens... It'll get political.

Mike

Dunno about the " best" chickens ... just some that are easy for a beginner like me. Don't want them to keel over after a week because I used the wrong hay in the coop or woke them up to early.

BTW my wife likes her Speckled Sussex... or is it Spotted Sussex... I don't know. They seem to be decent layers and have gentle temperament.

Mike

gentle temperament ????/ you mean there are vicious chickens out there ???

Boss bought chickens this spring about a dozen . They are a family of seven and they can't eat the eggs fast enough. Begging people to take eggs. Im getting some this spring. Don't think u will ever starve if u have chickens. Keep the coons away and they are pretty maintenance free from what I see

Boss has red ones and some blacks one and one Russian. Russian is smaller wilder and has smaller eggs. I like the red chickens the best.... and thats my complete knowledge of chickens

I don't know about vicious, but some are more friendly than others. My Mrs. treats hers like pets and the Sussex seem to handle being picked up and petted pretty well... At least that's what she says. I just pay for their feed.

Mike

Is that deck attached to the house? Chickens stink put them by the shed.

2 to 3 modern era layers should produce about a dozen eggs a week for their first 2 years......so plan accordingly. But I'm currently looking after neighbor's 5 birds, and this is their 2nd winter, and they have given me 3 eggs in 10 days. So it varies.

When it comes to housing, most modern era growers are clueless when it comes to a chicken house. Most are not aware, but as far back as 100 years ago, when every farm had a chicken house and they were essential to survival, a chicken house was a highly engineered structure with almost every aspect of it researched to a high degree. Good news is they are not expensive or complicated. Just need to get it right......and build it tight. Biggest predators of chickens are coons and your neighbor's dog. Coons at night, dogs mostly during the day.

True free range birds are marked for death. They don't last long.

I've seen some roosters that would fall into some people's categories of viscous

I always liked a nice assortment myself of all the brown egg layers.

My daughter and son in law raise birds, sell birds, sell eggs. I ALMOST feel bad when they load us up with eggs every few weeks. Chicken duck and goose. They all taste good. The goose eggs are huge. People that buy from them mostly want chicken eggs though. I think they are scared of the duck and goose eggs.

Welsumer are really good speckled sussix are decent Dominique are good and avoid predators better 5han the welsumer and the welsumer avoid them better than the Sussex

BTW, if a guy wanted to do some light recreational trapping just because, chickens are the perfect bait. Every varmint for miles around will come to you.

If they are penned up the Sussex are cool, really gentle

I suggest starting with black or red sex linked for brown eggs. They can be purchased from hatchery or maybe Tractor Supply.
4 H Clubs in Tn auction layers usually August. Protection from coons, foxes, dogs, etc is a must. I finally utilized electric fence.

Are you looking to get eggs, or meat birds? This would make difference in the breed of chicken you choose. Several breeds will provide one or the other, but few will do both well. Cornish chicks will grow fast and butcher in about 6 or 8 weeks, but they will not make an egg laying chicken. As for egg laying chickens the cheapest and most direct way I have found is retired hen house chickens. When a hen house rotates stock the hens can sometimes be had cheap and are laying now instead of waiting for a chick to mature. The hens I got have been laying for me for a couple of years now. When they quit earning their own way they go into a pot of noodles. Then you get some more hard working hens and start the process over. Cinnamon queens or road island reds are my two favorites for duel purpose birds. If you are choosing to raise chicks the hens can be kept for eggs and cockerels make a fryer when young. If getting retired birds these two breeds will make good crockpot birds at an old age.

Golden Comets...good layers and pets...

If you are looking for a place to order Murray Mcmurray's has always done good by me.Nice strong chicks and always some extras.