Chicken Math

[dandelionchick]

OMG! This thread is so funny. I watch this go on in my own house all the time! My DD is a chicken girl, now 22 y/o, I bought her chicks when she was little for Easter. I THOUGHT I was buying them for myself. I thought she'd grow tired of them and then they'd be mine. I never had to take care of those chickens unless she went out of town! She still has her chickie babies! They are addicting aren't they? I still get to enjoy them, I collect pest and goodies from the garden to take to her chickens. They love to see me coming! LOL

 

[journey11]

Thanks for going over some of the pros and cons for me, Ridgerunner. I can see what you mean about the long and skinny configuration. I wouldn't have thought of that, but I'm sure getting cornered is a problem for the low chicken on the totem pole.

Since my tractor can go anywhere, I suppose I could mow ahead of moving the electric fence. That might just work out for me then. I've been letting the girls out for the last hour or two in the evening if I am able to stay home and watch them. The space below the tractor is adequate enough for them to scratch around in as I move it each day, but not nearly as much fun as they have exploring the whole yard. We have the same problem with dogs. Some are dumped off, but most of them are hunting dogs that have gotten lost. It's just a matter of time before one passes through... I'd really like to fence my whole back-40, but I think the electronet fencing will be a good solution in the meantime. The price seems pretty reasonable.

Dandelionchick, I hope you get to enjoy lots of eggs from your grand-chickens too. That will be my DD someday. She is a chicken hugger if ever there was one. I am hoping to get DH to build me one more small coop so that I can get her some silkies or frizzles of her own next year.

 

[MontyJ]

Looks like I may have to do some chicken math in the spring. I thought 12 hens would be over-kill for us, but it turns out 12 isn't nearly enough. We actually have back orders for eggs :/ Seems once people try these eggs, they can't get enough. I have to study up on integrating the new chicks to the existing flock.

 

[journey11]

It can be done. I like to let them free-range together for a couple of weeks and then following that put them in at bedtime. I've never put in more than a few at a time though. If they can spread out and get away from each other, it really helps reduce picking and fighting.

Some folks prefer though that it is more hygienic to rotate out the older birds (stewing hens) and bring in an entirely new flock, disinfecting everything in between. Parasite loads can be a problem, where the older birds may have built up more resistance and a sudden heavy exposure can sicken the young birds.

They'll lay well for about 2 years and then taper off. That's another reason to switch them out, if you're wanting top production in comparison to your feed costs. You eventually may not want to feed a bunch of older hens that aren't laying.

I had a flock of 32 black stars one year, and I know what you mean...once people catch on that you have fresh eggs, you can't keep enough on hand. I did get tired of washing all those eggs after awhile though. Somedays, my whole kitchen counter would be covered in eggs.

 

[so lucky]

MontyJ, I had good luck integrating my old and young chickens by keeping them separated by fencing for a few days while the little ones had "outdoors time" and stayed in a brooder in the basement at night. I then moved the little ones to the chicken coop which was divided by chicken wire, separated from the big ones. After about two weeks, I took the wire down, and have had very little trouble. I don't know what I'll do with the old ones when they quit laying. Can't envision processing them. Just have an Old Chicks Home, I guess.

 

[MontyJ]

Our oldest aren't even a year old yet. I don't know what Dew will want to do when they finally get too old to lay. I'm sure she won't have the heart to dispatch them (she can't even kill meaties). I guess if she asks me, I'll do it for her. I won't like it though; they really are like pets after awhile. I suppose a few will be spared and allowed to retire and live out their lives, Cinnamon and Clover for sure, maybe a few others.

I could divide the coop and run for a few weeks until they get used to each other.

 

[journey11]

It is hard. You do get so attached to them! That is one good thing about having a flock of layers that all look the same and have no personality.

 

[baymule]

Monty, hens molt at about 18-24 months old. Give them a rest, some high protein food and then light up the coop for a few extra hours. You will get another decent year out of them, but after that.............I have several right now that I really need to send to the stew pot. But one of the old hens will stay-she is mean as heck and packs a bodacious bite. I just love her. She is a black sex link with a lot of red tones, her name is Robin.

I have 16 (6 red stars, 6 Silver Laced Wyandottes and 4 mixed breed) young hens from spring that are laying now. I get from 9-16 eggs a day. I have 6 Blue Laced Red Wyandottes that I convinced my DH that I really needed, so we drove 1 1/2 hours one way to go get them. We got them September 30 and they were 2-4 months old. They should be laying by spring.

If you stagger new additions, then you should always have at least some of them laying. I have gone through having NO eggs when the girls molted and had to buy store bought-YUKKY!

Robin-the top hen. She has endured such games as "chicken on a string" where a string is tied around her leg and the other end to a brick so she can join us in the garden in the front yard. She also walks on a leash with a dog harness collar on. Yep, she will die of old age around here.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I never enjoy dispatching any chicken, meanest rooster or nicest hen. But I mainly raise them for meat so that is their fate here. Im also playing with genetics a bit, trying to develop a certain chicken. That requires a constant turnover until I get where I want to go. Ill admit some are easier than others. I had a cockerel this year, drop dead gorgeous and he acted exactly as a cockerel should, real good body shape, rapid maturity, plenty of attitude to make a good flock master yet his behaviors toward the hens and people were great. But his coloring and pattern was wrong. That one was a bit rough but you do what you have to.

My basic breeding flock is one rooster and eight hens. From when hatching season started and butchering season ended I peaked at 43 this year. I still have four to go to get there from a hen that went broody late.

I usually dont stick to it perfectly, stuff happens, but my system is to keep four pullets every year and overwinter the last years four. When they molt and stop laying, the older four go to the freezer. That way I normally have some pullets laying throughout their first winter and some older hens to maintain order, give me larger eggs, and pass on flock traditions. A rooster usually gets one or two breeding seasons before he is replaced, sometimes with a son or sometimes with an outside rooster to keep genetic diversity up.

I cant argue with what Bay said at all. What she said is dead accurate. Your goals are different than mine so your strategy should be different too.

There are a lot of different strategies for successful integration. To me the two most important parts are having plenty of room and housing them side by side so they get used to each other. My brooder is in the coop and I have a grow-out pen right next to the main run. Mine grow up with the adults yet are protected from them. I have lots of room. I normally integrate at 8 weeks but if space is tight, you might be better off waiting until they are practically grown. We all have unique circumstances.

 

[Just-Moxie]

currently maintaining ongoing chicken project. Just processed 2nd batch of roosters.....we are so new to this. Found out our Plymouth Rocks don't go broody, so we are left with one game hen to hold up the broody section. Till we can grow some more from her mixes. Therefore....more 50/50 split. We've done terrible on pullet/cockerel ratio though. Out of 2 hatches this past summer.....4 pullets......8 cockerels now in freezer camp. We are trying to do dual purpose, but that still involves lots of chicken learnin'. And more chicken coop/pen building. and more processing.....