What kind of hens are best for suburban egg raising?
July 28th, 2010 | 
Author: Egg Layers- (All hens will lay eggs, roosters will not. If you want a pet that is a good producer then I suggest these breeds).
White Egg layers-Leghorn- (Comes in many colors besides white. They are the best medium white egg layers you will most likely find. They do not hatch their own chicks. They tend to be very fidgety and shy away from people. If you live in a cold area keep in mind that these birds large combs and wattles can get frostbitten. Roosters can be aggressive. If you spend time with these birds when they are younger they will become friendly but not as friendly as many breeds.) Weight- 4.5 lb (Standard) 1.75 lb (Bantam) They can fly.http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/CGK/L… (for pics)
Brown Egg Layers-Black Austrop-(Comes only in color black. They are very good layers of medium sized brown eggs. They are very sweet tempered, calm, and don’t mind being confined. They will try to hatch their eggs. I highly recommend these birds to first time bird owners. They can flyWeight- 6.5 lb (Standard) 2.0 lb (Bantam)..http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/CGA/L…
Buff Orphington- (Very sweet bird. They are good layers of large brown eggs. They are sweet tempered, calm, and don’t mind confinement. They will hatch their own eggs if allowed. They are another good first time bird.) Weight- 8 lb (Standard) 2.2 lb (Bantam) Can’t fly.http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/CGK/O…
Rhode Island Red –(One of the best brown egg layers you can get. They are red with some black and green feathers in the tail. They can be sweet if you give them the attention. They don’t try to hatch their own chicks very often.) Weight-6.5 lb (Standard) 2 lb (Bantam) Can sorta fly.http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/CGP/R…
Rock- (Great layer and meat bird. Come in many different colors. They are nice birds and tend to go broody every once in awhile.) Weight- 7.5 lb (Standard) 2.2 lb (Bantam) Can sorta flyhttp://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/CGP/R…
Wyandotte- (Beautiful birds that are good layers of brown eggs. They will hatch out their own chicks) Weight-6.5 lb (Standard) 2.2 lb (Bantam) Can sorta flyhttp://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/CGP/W…
Dark Brown Egg layers
Maran- (A very good layer of dark brown eggs. Come manly in Cuckoo in American. Temperament and hardness depends on the strain that you purchases. Size- 7 lb (Standard) 2.2 lb (Bantam) Don’t know if they fly or nothttp://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/CGK/M…
Welsummer(A very good layer of dark brown eggs. Comes in partridge color. Will hatch their own chicks. Supposedly very sweet.) Weight- 6. lb (Standard) 2. lb (Bantam) Don’t know if they fly or nothttp://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/CGP/W…
Blue, Green, Pink eggs-
Americana-(A very good layer of blue, green, and pink eggs. Temperament depends on the strain of bird that you purchase.) Weight- 5.5 lb (Standard) 26-30 oz (Bantam) Can flyhttp://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/CGA/A…
Brahma-(Very sweet bird that is also big and fluffy. They are great pets and are trusted with children. They are quite and very peaceful. Good mothers. They are fair layers of brown eggs. They come in Light, Dark, and Buff.) Weight- 9 lb (Standard) 2.6 lb (Bantam) Can’t flyhttp://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/CGA/B…
Polish- (Very different looking birds. Some are said to be friendly others are said to be standoffish. My thought is that it depends on the strain and the owner of the bird. They do not brood.) Weight- 4-4.5 lb (Standard) 26-30 oz (Bantam) Can’t fly.http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/CGP/P…
After years of chicken raising I have never saved any money but rather spend more of it. I raise birds not to save money but because I hate what they do with commercial birds and I like to know where my eggs and meat comes from. I also am addicted to raising chickens. Did you know that eggs in the store are permitted to be in a carton for up to 4 months before they are sold and that it is unhealthy for one to eat an egg that is over 10 days old? Raising your own chicken and eating fresh eggs is so much better for you. But, you are most likely going to end up losing money.
(This is in America in the Suburbs where I live) Also keep in mind that good food usually is around 10 dollars for a 25 pound sack. Your eggs are only worth 25 cents each and young good egg layers lay 4-6 eggs a week. Your hens will also stop laying when they moult (getting new feathers) and they most likely will stop laying or slow down from their laying during winter months when there is less daylight.
A problem that you may find with some hens is that they will go broody. Broodyness means that they will try to hatch their own eggs. If you don’t have a rooster then the eggs will be infertile and the hens will be sitting on dud eggs. To prevent this eggs will need to be collected daily. If you decide to let a hen sit on a nest for one day her reproductive organs will start to dry up and you will have to wait for her to lay again.
Wanting a bird that can fly- One thing that I have noticed over the years is that the skinny birds with big combs and wings held tightly to their bodies are good at egg laying but also, flying and making a lot of noise. If you do want one of these birds you will need to have a fenced in area with a roof or clip the birds wings. But, I suggest staying away form these birds because they could bother your neighbors.
Are you allowed to have chickens- If, you have a law on how high your fence can be you may not be able to have chickens. Therefore it would be best to go to the police station and ask about it before you purchase your birds.
Care for your birds-Chickens are pretty easy to care for. I feed them twice a day in the morning and at night. Night is an important feeding because you don’t want the birds going to bed with an empty stomach. I give each of my medium sized birds a small handful each feeding. I also give them fresh water every day unless there is snow. My chickens would rather eat snow then drink water. Cleaning the coop can be very difficult or easy depending on what type of coop your have. Many people like to purchase coops but I have always made my own. It is good to see something you made getting used and it is a lot cheaper then buying a hen house. But if you do want them you can find them on line.Some people do get their birds vaccinated but you most likely will not have to because you will only have about four flock members. The only thing I can really see a suburban chicken keeper having trouble with is worms. And you can buy dewormer at the grain shop if you ever develop this problem.
Nesting box- You will need one nesting box per five hens. So many people say you need a nesting box for each hen but that is rediuculouse. Hens like to lay their eggs when all the other hens are laying. Hens like their nests to be in a quite dark place that is stuffed with straw, sawdust, leaves, or has a laying mat.
Sleeping- Most chickens like to perch at night. If you do purchase large birds like a Brahma or a bird with differnt feather like the Silkie you will see that your birds would rather sleep in a corner. If you do use perches then each chicken should have 10 inches to themselves. If you use a box that will be fine. Just make sure that you hens will be safe at night from predators.
How to get your chickens- There are a few ways to get chickens and there are pro’s and cons about all of them.
Incubate them yourself- Pro- Lovely learning experience and the chicks will attach to you. Con- You will have to turn the eggs three times a day and follow other instructions that you may not have time to do. You will have to take care of the birds for awhile before they start to lay. You will have purchase or build an incubator. You don’t know how many chicks will hatch out or what sex they will be.
Have a hen do it-Pro- Nice that the hen is doing the work and that you don’t have to.Con- You have to care for the hen while she is hatching the eggs and you have to then care for her and the chicks and wait for the egg laying days. Also, finding a broody hen can be difficult and you may not want her for next year if you don’t want more chicks. Pluss you don’t know how many chicks will hatch out and their sex. The female chicks will also go broody like their mother if they are the same breed or a breed that goes broody.
Purchasing chicks-Pro- Great way to get the chicks and many hatcherys let you decide on the sex and breed you want. You get attached to the chicks. Con- You have to wait to the chicks grow up to lay eggs. Most hatcheries don’t sell less then 25 chicks to people.
Purchasing started pullets- Pro- The hens will lay in a week. Con- Very expensive if you are getting them from a hatchery. You don’t get to bond with the chicken while it was younger.
Another option would be going to a farmer and asking for some chickens or going to a farm auction and purchasing some. But, if you do this you should take along someone that knows about chickens so that they can tell you which birds are healthy and good laying stock.
Hope this helps, if you have any questions feel free to contact me via email.
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