Starting chicken, need help.

[RustyPocket]

Hello everybunny.

Growing up in the suburban countryside and having all sorts of animals come and go through the family, my childhood dream was to move to a city where dogs and cats would be only animals I come in contact with. But seems like my family's farmer-genes started showing up. It was about a year ago I started thinking about getting 2-3 chickens, just for fun, but that's when rabbits came in the picture and I had to put chick dreams on hold.

I am pretty much settled with what I want to do with my rabbits, I sort of got used to owning them and I feel like I'm ready to start fulfilling my dream of owning chicken. I am thinking about two hens and a rooster. Now, I basically have no idea of how the things work, so I hope someone could offer me a little help ?

-What breed to get? My first reason for having chicken would be hobby, then eggs. Also, I would prefer them to be not large, especially rooster. Seems like there are Japanese Silkies, Antwerpens, Croatians, Wyandottes, Rhode Islands, Chabos, Australorps, Brahmas and few local breeds avaliable. I would like to stick to one breed so I can simply sell them if I can't keep them anymore.

-How to house them? They can either be housed inside, along with my grandma's egg hens, in cages, or outside (the idea I prefer). Now, would a DIY coop work? Also, how big considering a specific breed? The climate is not really extreme where I live, but it goes from some 35°C (rarely it even higher) in Summer and below -10°C some Winter nights.

-What to feed them? My grandma feeds her hens with grounden corn-commercial feed mix, but I'd like something cheaper and more natural.

Sorry for so many things need explanation for, but I'm really new to this and would like to prepare myself. Than you in advance for your help and have a nice weekend.

 

[Zass]

First thing you need to think about is if you just want eggs or if you would like to hatch chicks? If you only want eggs, then you will have no need for a rooster.
Cages wouldn't be the most comfortable quarters for them. And your Grandma may not like the idea of a rooster de-feathering her egg hens.

Some breeds of chicken will hatch their own eggs and some will not. For example my australorps are docile, friendly and good layers, but they do not get broody.

There are lots of styles of DIY coops to look at online!

My 5 chickens sleep in a DIY coop made from scrap industrial pallets, an old picnic table, and a salvaged roof from an old metal shed. (which we tarred to help improve insulation) There is a roosting bar inside for them to perch on. The roof lifts off for cleaning. The eggs usually end up on my bale of hay in the rabbitry...which is kinda annoying.

The access is through the rabbitry(door on the right). They return there every night of their own free will and I simply lock the rabbitry door after dark to keep them safe from predators. I keep their food and water in the rabbitry building, so that they have access to that before I wake up to let them out. We also close them up in the rabbitry when we leave, because we live within city limits with close neighbors.

Anyway, there are LOTS of ways to keep chickens, so I just wanted to show you one that I'd been using for a few years.

 

[RustyPocket]

First thing you need to think about is if you just want eggs or if you would like to hatch chicks? If you only want eggs, then you will have no need for a rooster.

Well, I guess I'd like to have a baby chick every once in a while. I don't really like roosters, one attacked me last Spring and scared cracker out of me, but I prefer sight of hens with rooster more then only hens. Also, thanks for info on your coop.

 

[Suzy]

I wouldn't get a rooster. The novelty wears off very quickly, and then you are left with an often-mean bird who crows ALL DAY. Trust me, the don't just crow at dawn. In fact, they usually start crowing before dawn, and I bet your grandma will have something to say about that!
If you want chicks, you can buy fertilized eggs and put them under one of your hens, but you have to make sure that she has a "broody" personality. Many hens these days aren't good mothers; this trait has been bred out of them, so they will spend their time simply laying eggs, instead of trying to hatch them.
There are two city-chicken websites that I have found to be very helpful. Check out urbanchickens.org, and backyardchickens.com. I hope this helps.

 

[Dood]

I second the idea of not getting a rooster - also hens who are sitting on eggs and are broody don't lay eggs during that time.

If you don't want to use commercial layer mix you must offer a calcium supplement - we use oyster shell - or your egg production will drop.

Chickens have trouble digesting wheat but ours love our oat, corn and barley mix and scavaging off the pastures, they need quite a bit of protein which can be hard to meet on seeds alone.

Our only predators during the day are hawks. The chickens are locked up at night so coyotes, fox and raccoons can't get them and our coop must be strong enough to prevent these predators from prying their way in.

Hens can lay eggs for years but there is a significant drop off in production after 3 to 6 years and they'll need replacing or won't be earning there keep and will basically be pets

 

[Marinea]

I Hens can lay eggs for years but there is a significant drop off in production after 3 to 6 years and they'll need replacing or won't be earning there keep and will basically be pets

And this is why I am going to go against the grain and recommend you have a rooster. We replace one third of our hens each year- with chicks we hatch and raise. This saves money, lessens the threat of bringing diseases into our flock, and helps us have a friendlier, easier to handle flock as they grow up used to us handling them.

 

[MamaSheepdog]

With only two hens, I wouldn't recommend a rooster. In my experience usually having 8 or 10 hens, if I have more than one rooster they mount them and pull out the feathers incessantly and I have a bunch of scraggly, unsightly looking hens running around.

It might be different if there is no competition from other roosters... maybe they wouldn't try breeding them so often- but I suspect it would depend on the libido of the individual rooster.

Japanese Silkies, Antwerpens, Croatians, Wyandottes, Rhode Islands, Chabos, Australorps, Brahmas and few local breeds avaliable.

Of those breeds, I have no idea what Antwerpens, Croatians, or Chabos are.

Silkies wouldn't do very well free ranging (at least ours don't), if that is what you have in mind as a more "natural" manner of raising them. They don't see very well because of the fluff on their heads, plus they don't really even act very "chicken like". They are very friendly and sweet birds, though. They also go broody readily and raise their chicks well.

I really like the Australorps- they are a very calm breed, and lay well. I have had a few go broody and raise chicks, but their success rate doesn't compare to the Silikies.

I've had black laced Wyandottes before too, and they laid well for me. I don't think I ever had a broody one, and they are not as mellow as the Australorps.

Hens can lay eggs for years but there is a significant drop off in production after 3 to 6 years and they'll need replacing

Huh... I thought it was 2 years before the feed costs outweighed the egg production? :? I do like to keep a couple 3 year old hens around simply because their eggs are larger (if fewer), and we usually add new hens to the flock every year, culling out the older ones.

 

[Dood]

For the commercial light weigh chickens that are strictly egg layers this can be true but I believe the breeds the OP listed are bigger birds that aren't heavy producers (have 350 eggs a year ) and don't over tax their bodies.

Some factors that cause the reduction in egg production of older birds are
- their bones are leached of calcium
- they produce fewer egg follicles
- they moult more frequently

 

[Marinea]

Only two hens? I missed that part. I would be careful about a rooster in that case- the poor girls could get torn up with a rooster around,

 

[MamaSheepdog]

For the commercial light weigh chickens that are strictly egg layers this can be true but I believe the breeds the OP listed are bigger birds that aren't heavy producers (have 350 eggs a year ) and don't over tax their bodies.

That is good to know, Dood. Thank you!

I do love those super-sized eggs!

 

[SA Farm]

Personally, I would go with the Wyandottes and buy hatching eggs for them if/when they go broody. Wyandottes are known to be good layers and good mothers. 2 or 3 hens aren't really enough for a rooster, but it's up to you. You may luck out and get a gentleman

 

[RustyPocket]

Thank you everyone for your help. I made up my mind and decided to get Buff Oprington, Silver Wyandotte, Croatian and possibly Brahma or random backyard mutt as soon as I build a coop. I was thinking 1.8 (L) x 1 (W) x 1 (H) meters for 3-4 hens, is it ok? Also, I found a hatchery that is selling fertile eggs so I will try some brooding once hens settle. Seeing flock without a rooster is a bit odd for me (grew up with them being around) but I guess that's the compromise. Anyway, thank you all once again.

 

[Zass]

My buff orpingtons are really nice birds too. Not quite as friendly as the australops, but in some ways it's a good thing. The buffs don't follow me around or hang out on the porch (leaving droppings) while waiting to see me, like the australorps do. One of my buffs is a good mother hen. The other doesn't go broody at all.

When the chickens hatch eggs, it's inevitable that some will be roosters.

Maybe you'll eventually raise one that works out really well for your flock?