Re: Can someone give me some info on hens?

Larry Caldwell <larryc@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in
news:MPG.1da2ed105afde0f298b836@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx:

> In article
> <1127764682.752387.263010@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>,
> celiza80@xxxxxxxx (celiza) says...
>> My husand and I just bought a house on 2.25 acres. We are
>> thinking about getting a couple hens for eggs. I have no
>> idea where I need to start. Can anyone give me some advice
>> or a direction to go in? I really don't know the first
>> thing about raising chickens. I know I don't want a
>> rooster because I don't want little chickens running
>> around. :) I am assuming I will need coop, I know the area
>> has had coyote sightings before. Our land is almost all
>> wooded. Any help/links would be appreciated.
>> Christina
>
> You need a brooder to keep chicks warm until they fledge.
> Usually you buy several chicks, and when they get old
> enough to tell the difference between the roosters and the
> hens, you eat the roosters.

you can rig a brooder with a box & a heat lamp. that's what
we do with the 2-7 day old chicks. after 7 days, we cut a door
in the box & put it in a larger screened area (in our
woodroom, which is pretty empty by spring chick time). we use
the window screens from the basement windows hooked together
with hook & eyes. usually they don't start hopping/flying out
over that barrier (about 13 or 14") until they're pushing 8
weeks, at which point they get booted out to the chicken run
(an old chainlink dog run). after a month or two of that, we
let them free range our yard. if you only have 2.5 acres, you
might want to see how your neighbors feel about chickens in
thier yard before you let them free range. i have 62 acres &
the chooks still like to go visit next door. fortunately, they
don't mind (especially when i give them extra eggs).
you do need a solid predator-proof house to put the chickens
in at night, because sleeping hens are a a yummy target.
i get my chicks at the local farm supply store & haven't
gotten any surprise roosters. they gave my 5 year old a bantam
Black Cochin rooster chick, but we knew it was a rooster & it
was free... OTOH, the Silkie chicks my kid's classmate gave us
ended up being 3 roosters & 2 hens (hey, Janet! they *weren't*
all roosters! what happened?) Silkie roosters are, um,
strange. they also have double clawed spurs... so i really
hope they stay as laid back as they are now.

my Aruacunas seem to fly more than the others, but the Barred
Rocks have no problem getting to the top of a 6' fence to
roost.
lee
--
war is peace
freedom is slavery
ignorance is strength
1984-George Orwell
.

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