Chickens....My experience raising chickens for our
family and friends. Chickens....My experience raising chickens for our
family and friends.
For Eggs...
I have raised several breeds of chicken and I must admit that the very best egg layer is the Pearl-White Leghorn. It surely is possible that I haven't raised enough egg layers to make this claim, but I have seen these results so far in my hens and in their nests. This chicken is not heavy, not a good eating chicken, but it converts feed into egg production better than any other bird I know of. If it's eggs you want, then you can't beat this chicken. She's a little high strung, but one heck of a layer.
The other breed of egg layer that I like is the Barred Rock. They are probably my favorite breed of chicken. They are calm, plump, beautiful birds that lay well during cold snaps and since they are plump, they are good for eating when their egg laying cycle is finished. This is considered a dual purpose chicken in the heavy breed. Another favorite in this "heavy breed" is the Buff Orpington. She is a beautiful golden color, plump, gentle and gorgeous. She lays brown eggs and is fairly consistant, but still can't compete with the Leghorn above. The Rhode Island Red is another good chicken for both egg production as well as for eating. It is a good all-around dual purpose bird. It will lay brown eggs and will lead the way in egg laying for the heavy breed of chicken.
I have also raised Silver Laced Wyandotte, Golden Laced Wyandotte, Black Australorp. These will all lay eggs and are of the "heavy breeds group" which serve as dual purpose birds.
For meat...
The largest, best eating chickens I have raised in this category would be the Jumbo Cornish X Rocks. They convert feed into meat very well and at the fastest pace. You should get a 3-4 pound chicken in 6-8 weeks (the roosters mature the quickest). The drawback to these chickens is that you really must begin to butcher them within 6-8 weeks or else they start having heart attacks and getting so heavy that their legs begin to give out. I have raised some of these to about 9-10 pounds (and they are delicious) but they often will not live this long.
The Cornish Roaster is another good choice for meat. These don't have near the leg problems that the Cornish X Rocks do but they do take a little longer to finish. Butcher the hens first for fryers and allow the roosters to mature up to 8-9 pounds for a delicious roaster.
As mentioned before, the heavy breeds (dual purpose) will work for meat, but they certainly won't have the larger breasts and thighs that these chickens will.
Roosters or not?
I enjoy having a rooster in the coop. Roosters are usually very beautiful and are like the guard dog of the flock. He will always be among his wives protecting and watching that they are being well fed. He will also fertilize their eggs. The only way they will hatch however, is if the eggs are brooded by the hens. If the hens refuse to brood (set on the eggs) then they will not mature into chicks. Fertilized eggs are said to be very healthy. I'm not sure why. You do not need a rooster to produce eggs. The hens will gladly supply you with all the eggs you need with or without the rooster. Sometimes I find that the rooster is somewhat badgering of his harem. In this case, he is cooked into a nice roast dinner. Roosters will always mature faster when raising them for meat and some folks order straight run (mix of cock and pullet chicks) when ordering their chickens. This way they will have at least half for laying eggs and half for eating. It tends to be very economical too.
What do you need to start chicks?
Chicks: You may order them by mail order catalog or from your local feed store. I see in my McMurry Catalog (where I've ordered my chicks) that the going rate for a female chick is about $1.99 and upward and for a rooster, the price is from $.77 upward. (The Bible said that sparrows were selling 2 for $.01--- wow, inflation!)
Space: First of all you will need 1/2 sq. ft. of space per chick. The floor will need a steady temperature of 90-95 degrees for the first few weeks. I use a heat lamp (red lamps are best) or two suspended over a space which is bedded with straw. I often will surround this area with square bales of hay in a corner of my chicken coop (separate from my hens which are already laying). You could also surround this area with plank or particle board so they won't hop out and it will keep the warmth inward toward the chicks. You may reduce the heat by 5 degrees or so each week until you need not provide a heat lamp. Do consider the outside temperatures in your area. I usually don't order my chicks to be delivered until the first week or two of April due to cold temperatures here in southeastern MT.
Feed & Water: When you get your chicks home, make sure that each one drinks a little water. Dip their little heads in the waterer and soon they will be drinking on their own. This is very important to get each one started. Also you may like to put a newspaper down and sprinkle some of the feed on it so they can see where their food is and begin pecking it and eating. Fill feeders too.
Feed the chicks a commercial "chick starter" (18% protien) feed which you can purchase from your local feed store. I like to keep them on this for the first 4-6 weeks and gradually add other grains like cracked corn, wheat, oats. When feeding the heavy chickens for meat, you will feed a high protien feed called "grower" (22% protien). This feed is also fine for your other chicks that will lay eggs. The meaty birds will also enjoy going to cracked corn, but usually prefer the "grower" feed.
I like to add a product called "quick chick" to my chicks' water. I add this, about a tablespoon per gallon. It has some medications that keep the chicks healthy. After I run out of a packet of it, I just keep the water fresh. Always give your chicks and chickens fresh water and never let them dry out. You will need to get a watering fount for your chicks. I like to put mine on a board so it stays level and up out of the bedding. Have a 1 gallon waterer for each 50 birds. After 4 weeks provide a 5 gallon fount per 100 birds.
Keep their bedding clean. I put down wood shavings first (for absorbancy) and then a layer of straw. Check to see if any of the chicks are having trouble with their rear ends pasting up. Sometimes they have manure stuck to their bottoms which ends up plugging them up and killing them. Pull this off and make sure their bedding is clean. I usually keep adding a little new bedding (straw or wood shavings) daily until they are about 2 weeks old. Then I clean out the pen and put all fresh bedding down. (If you are raising Cornish X Rocks, they really do poop. You'll need to keep change bedding more often with them.)
Feeders: You can purchase feeders at your local farm/ranch store or feed stores. Use a 2 ft. feeder for each 50 birds. After four weeks increase the feeder to 2-3" of space per bird. You may also find containers that will accomodate your birds better than the little feeders: bottoms of 5 gallon buckets, old, short buckets, wooden boxes you could make.
Grit is something you will want to provide your chicks with. I usually don't do this until the chicks are around 4 weeks old. Ask your feed store man for the proper size for the age of your chickens.
Chicks will peck one another to death if they do not have enough space, are too hot, or do not have enough ventilation. If you notice them pecking at one another, give more space and reduce heat.
Maturing Chickens:
You will notice how very quickly your chicks will mature. They will begin to sprout their pin feathers quite soon--within a week or so of delivery. They won't stay fuzzy for very long. As they mature, they will need more space in the coop and more ventilation. It is good to have windows open during the day and slightly closed during night. The thing is to never have the chickens exposed to possible predators during night or you could lose the whole flock. I lost all but about 10 chickens of my 50 last year in 2 nights. (Someone forgot to close the door and racoons got in) Once the preditors start coming and finding those delicious chickens, they'll be back for more and bring their families with them!
When the chickens are around 6 weeks old, I allow them to go over to the adult laying hens' coop and to venture outdoors as they see fit. They will do this on their own gradually. I allow my hens to free range all day long and close them up in the coop each night before sundown. This makes for very happy chickens. I don't let them out until after 9:00 a.m. unless it is unbearably hot in summer. I don't generally turn out my hens unless it is above 32 degrees F. or higher. They don't do well at their job (laying eggs) when outdoors when it's cold and miserable.
Make sure your hens have a perch up off the ground where they can roost for the night. Allow 4" of space per bird with roost poles at least 6" apart. You will also want to have nesting boxes where they can lay their eggs. I have mine on one side of the wall in the coop. They look like little shelves with slats between and little ledges on each box so that they eggs won't fall out. You will also want to put some clean straw or hay inside these. They chickens like nesting and laying in dark places like this. If you don't have any hens to teach the new pullets how to lay, you may want to put a few golf balls into the nests so they see that there is something in them (a fake egg). They may begin laying on the floor of the coop at first, but eventually they should go up to the nesting boxes.
For the meat chickens, just continue to provide clean litter on the floor and plenty of feed and fresh water, space and ventilation. They will also enjoy being outdoors on warm, sunny days, but they also need some shade. Their heavy weight causes them to get pretty hot on a warm day. If you are raising the Cornish X Rocks for meat, then do not allow a free choice feeding for the day. Remove feed (even as chicks) in the evenings and replace it again each day. They will overeat and get sick.
Your pullets (young girl chicks) will begin to need a higher protien level when they get close to producing eggs. Continue feeding wheat, cracked corn and a laying pellet which you may find at the feed store. I don't give this "free choice" but rather I make a mash with it and a little water and feed it when I go out to feed and water and gather eggs. I give about 1/4 of a 3 lb. coffee can of pellet mixed with water to soften it per 20 hens. Your chickens will enjoy any scraps that you can bring them from your dinner table. I always keep a pail under my sink where I scrape the plates Pullets will begin to produce eggs at 4 1/2 - 5 months of age (if you get chicks in early April, expect eggs in August or September).
Cleaning the Chicken Coop:
Keeping the chicken coop clean is very important. During the summer months this isn't so bad since they will be outdoors most of the day. I don't put much of anything down for litter in the summertime. In fall and winter, I begin to put down fresh litter. They do better if their feet aren't cold and they can walk in some clean straw or hay. If you put down some fresh every couple weeks, you should do fine. I like to clean my coop with pitchfork and shovel every fall before winter sets in and in early spring when it gets to stinking and you've added about all the litter you can. I may clean it again in April or May. Keep litter down on the floor during the cold months of the year and reduce it during warm summer months. Chicken manure is great for the compost pile, but do let it age and mellow. It is a "hot" fertilizer that you don't want to put on the garden while it's very "fresh".
Gathering the Eggs:
I gather my eggs every day. Usually I do this in the late afternoon or before dark. If you are having very cold weather, it is best to gather them in the early afternoon so they will not freeze and then crack.
How long will my hens lay?
Usually your hens will produce an egg a day for a year or a little more. After this, they will continue to lay, but will not shuck out an egg a day as before. If you keep your hens for over a year, you will get what the store calls "jumbo" eggs. These are more expensive in the store because they come from older hens which only lay an egg every other day or so. I have had some hens for 3 years. They will lay a few eggs here and there, but their egg production days are over. (I just have a few "friends" that I enjoy seeing regardless of their production) It is wise to replace your hens (or part of them) each year by raising a new set of chicks every spring. While the chicks are maturing, you are still getting eggs from your hens and when the pullets begin laying, you may decide to start butchering your old hens gradually.
What do I do with an old hen?
The best thing to do is to butcher your old hens and roast them for a LONG time in a covered dutch oven. She will not be very tender, but if you cook her slowly at a low temperature until the meat is falling off the bone, you will find it "good eating."
How do I butcher a chicken?
This is not for sissies or the faint of heart. Grab the chickens you wish to butcher in the early morning while they are still on the perch. It's easier to catch them this way. Stun the chicken first by hitting it in the head with a stick or side of a hatchet. Chop off their heads with a hatchet or place a head between a board and stick, step down on it and pull up to pop their heads off. They will run or flutter around for a few minutes. Next you may either pluck or skin the chicken. I like to skin them just because it is easier and you don't have the extra fat that the skin gives.
To skin a chicken, first make a slit in the skin with a sharp knife between the breast and wing. Next begin to peel off the feathers and skin. This happens fairly easily. When you get to the legs and wings, you will want to cut the legs off and I cut off the very end joint of the wing.
To pluck a chicken, you will need a big pot or wash tub with boiling water. Dip the chicken by the feet into the scalding water for a few minutes. Then you remove it and begin to pluck the feathers, plucking "with the grain" of the feather growth. Be sure to get all the pin feathers removed.
I do my skinning or plucking outdoors near a burning barrel or tub so I can toss the feathers/skin into it. When this job is done, you will need to gut the birds. Make an incision below the breast bone (there's a hollow there). You will see that it tears somewhat. Do not poke your knife in too far to nick any organs. You should be able to nearly break your chicken in half from the back in order to put your hand inside. Next you will reach your hand inside and pull all the entrails out. There is a clear sacklike covering over all the organs which makes it fairly nice to pull them out in one whack. But you will also want to feel around for the trachea, lungs which are against the breast bone. I like to take my knife and cut the yuk around the chicken's rear out and cut off some of the neck.
Now plop your cleaned chicken into a washtub and wash with cold water. It's nice to do some of the washing outside. Feathers and dirt will float to the top. Rinse several times. Then bring into the house and wash several more times. I do put a drop of dish soap in the water once and scrub the chickens with my hands a little. Then rinse several times until you are satisfied with the result. Now you can either cut the chicken into pieces or leave whole and sack up for the freezer or fry for supper! I usually butcher about 8-10 chickens at a time. Otherwise, it gets to be a long morning of cleaning.
Any questions about raising chickens?
Links:
Murray McMurry Hatchery lots of excellent chicks and supplies to order.
The Poultry Connection good information on "everything chickens."
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