Lets talk yardbird

[FireInTheWire]

So....

I want to build a chicken coop.

1) how many chickens I need for 2 dozen a week?

2) What's the significance of a rooster? My wife can't eat eggs that have been fertilized. It gives her a stomach ache for a few hours. Is that all a rooster is worth having for?

3) will I get eggs in the winter? My MIL egg production reduces greatly in the winter. Why is this?

Pros and cons of this hobby?

Thanks

 

[m5215]

I know one con. When I would visit my aunt that had a chicken coop, that damn rooster will wake you up early in the morning.

 

[Dad_Roman]

Sorry champ. I live out here now, but Im a city boy.

I can help ya with your tile or your taxes or shit like that but I got nothin on the barnyard!

 

[jordanmills]

If you're eating two dozen chickens a week, your neighbors are going to hate you.

A rooster is a mean annoying bird who helps your hens make more chickens. They make good target practice, and they are tasty when you're done.

If your mother in law produces any eggs in winter, let alone fewer, you have bigger problems than I can help you with. But I wish you great luck.

Got chicken coop plans? I've built a few. They're not hard. Chickens aren't very picky about stuff like that.

 

[deemus]

rooster is only needed to fertilize eggs. Buy young chickens NOW and they may produce by summer. I would buy 10 or 12 young hens (pullets?). A couple will end up not laying (you can eat those) and the others will give you at least a dozen a week. If you have extra you can give them away.

Every area is different and has different hazards. We let ours roam during the day and shut the coop at night. Know a couple folks that keep theirs penned constantly.

Buy you some of those metal laying boxes (2 x 5 or 6) to put on the wall, put a little hay in there for them, and when the chickens are ready to lay they will lay eggs in those boxes. Beware of snakes eating eggs, and snake proof the coop if possible.

 

[Dad_Roman]

Beware of snakes eating eggs, and snake proof the coop if possible.

Yotes......

 

[deemus]

https://www.amazon.com/Brower-410B-...argid=aud-800703102928:pla-375155202954&psc=1


https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81aL6OqzoDL._AC_SL1500_.jpg

 

[ZX9RCAM]

Yotes......

I bet this is his real ulterior motive....

 

[Whistler]

Raccoons, hawks and many other varmints love a chicken dinner, build a coop they can't get into.

Roosters are only good for fertilizing eggs and protecting hens otherwise they're a pain. Add a little ground oyster shell or other calcium supplement.

For purposes of calculation on average chickens will lay an egg every 1.5 days. Stress will make them stop laying for a day to a week. Egg production falls off when they molt.

If you can buy local pullets they'll usually do better than the ones they have shipped in from a producer.

Keep waterers CLEAN and add a couple drops of medication occasionally. Sick chickens suck.

Change bedding (laying box) material fairly frequently because they are not particularly clean creatures.

Make sure they have some way to get out of direct sun in the summer.

 

[baboon]

I'd do Guinea fowl for meat & find a local egg seller.

 

[Whistler]

Wouldn't have one of those loud, messy fowl on my place! Hate guineas! Damn near as bad as geese and peacocks.

 

[BillFairbanks]

We had chickens for a few years

You definitely don’t want a rooster

Our chickens laid about an egg per day per chicken

My wife bought them from Tractor Supply

I killed several possums trying to get into the coop


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[FireInTheWire]

Ok sorry for the confusion.

2 dozen eggs is what we're after

 

[ZX9RCAM]

Seems like 4, just to be sure.

 

[smittyb]

Amount of eggs laid depends GREATLY on diet.
Free range chickens will generally lay more eggs than those cooped up all the time, due to variety of diet.

 

[Whistler]

About 6-8

A half dozen hens laid 3 some days, 5 other days 1 some days. Had a coop with a 20×20 fenced yard. Fed laying mix, mixed grain and a handful of meal worms.

ETA: yard was made from 10' fence panels (about $50 ea) covered with bird netting and fixed math

 

[BRD@66]

Rooster helps keep the flock calm - fewer girl fights & warns the girls when there's a hawk about. Other than that, he's unneeded. I've got 4 hens (& a rooster) & we get 3 or 4 eggs daily for all but the hottest & coldest months. One or two eggs daily during that time. I give 'em all the lay crumbles they can eat & waste. If you're looking for 2 dozen eggs per day, do the math = lots of damn chickens needed. ETA Ah 24/week ->probably 6-7 hens. Mine are free range dawn to dusk & locked away from predators at night. If you have free range chickens in the yard & want to keep to keep chicken sh$$ off the front porch, you have to get rid of the front porch.

 

[smittyb]

I currently have 8 that are only producing 2-3 a day.
I have had 6 that produced 4-6 a day.
There is no set answer here.

 

[Dad_Roman]

1) how many chickens I need for 2 dozen a week?

Heh...

 

[Vaquero]

3.5