YOUR SOURCE FOR CHICKENS

How long do chickens keep laying?

admin — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 21:00:49 +0000

There is no set time that they quit laying. The Dwarf quit laying after two
years, my crook neck is still laying after five. It just depends on the bird.
Your girl might be old enough that getting back to laying right away is just not
on her agenda.

ATTN: Moms like me, I found a way to work at home!! :-)

admin — Sun, 31 May 2009 01:04:15 +0000

Hey ladies! I just wanted to let you all know that I found a way to work from home. Its so simple I just wish I would have found it sooner..

Now I have more time to spend at home with my chickens and I make more than I did when I was employed. Anywho, I now work as a freelancer for google. Yes, GOOGLE!

Google PAYS people to work at home. To apply, click HERE

I wish you the best of luck to you and your chickens!!!

~Marie

Chicken Breeds; Delaware Chickens

admin — Sat, 16 May 2009 15:26:58 +0000

Delawares, originally called “Indian Rivers,” were developed by George Ellis of Delaware in 1940 and were used for the production of broilers. The reproduce originated from crosses of Barred Plymouth Rock roosters and New Hampshire hens.

Some off-colored sports were produced that were virtually white with black barring on the hackles, primaries, secondaries, and tail. This coloration is similar to the Colombian color pattern, but with the barring substituting for the black sections. For roughly 20 years the Delaware and the Delaware x New Hampshire cross were the most well liked broiler chickens on the Delmarva Peninsula, thanks to the Delaware’s ability to provide offspring with predominately white feathering.

Delaware males might be joined to New Hampshire or Rhode Island Red females and produce chicks of the Delaware color pattern. Delaware females paired to New Hampshire or Rhode Island Red males produced sex-linked offspring ; the males having the Delaware color pattern and the females having the solid red color of the sires.

Chicks from this second cross can even be sexed by their down color when hatched.

Is a Chicken Hen House for you?

admin — Fri, 08 May 2009 14:09:48 +0000

Jony asked:

If you have been raising Chickens, roosters or hens for any period of time then you would have realized by now just how vital a Chicken coop really can be. A coop or an ark is extremely vital to your backyard if you are serious about raising poultry for a number of reasons:

a. It shades your birds from the weather. Chicken get sick easily and also often die quickly if remain exposed for a long period of time.

b. It protects them from predators: You should already be aware of this problem. If your chickens are not well kept in dedicated Chicken house then they are prone to be attacked from a number of land and air based predators.

c. It makes managing them easier: If you install a hen house in your place then you can give your birds’ nests in them where you can collect your eggs. Also at the end of the day you will know how many birds have gone in thus knowing whether you have any birds missing or not.

d. It adds to the ambience: A nicely done Chicken hen house is something that the owners are proud of! If you live in the city then a good chicken coop will nicely compliment your backyard.

e. Your birds will be happier when they have their own home: In places where there are no other place to go, birds generally tend to seek shelter and make nests in surrounding constructions and buildings which is greatly disturbing to them. If you have a Coop, it will be easier for them and will spare them a great deal of misery.

Chicken Breeds; Rhoad Island Reds

admin — Sun, 03 May 2009 06:11:29 +0000

The Rhode Island Red is an American reproduce of chicken developed in the early 1900’s and it’s ancestry goes back to birds bred in Rhode Island, therefore the name. Depending on the variety, the Rhode Island Red can have a single or rose brush. Our Rhodes are single brushed.

The Rhode gained in recognition as it was improved by local farmers in the 1st twenty years of the 20 th century. Following the appearance of more complex selection techniques in the twenty’s and 30’s, the reproduce established its wonderful reputation as a wonderful layer.

Origin : Developed in the New England states of Massachusetts and Rhode Island, early flocks usually had both single and rose brushed individuals due to the influence of Malay blood.

Standard Weights: Cock-8-1/2 pounds; hen-6-1/2 pounds; cockerel-7-1/2 pounds; pullet-5-1/2 pounds.

Skin Color: Yellow.

Egg Shell Color: Brown

Build A Chicken Coop Cheaply

admin — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 09:35:39 +0000

Bill Keene asked:

If you’re looking to build a chicken coop right now, chances are you’d like to know how to do it in the most cost effective manner possible. Since you’re already going to be spending money on buying the chicken food and possibly obtaining the chickens in the first place, the further you can reduce your building costs for building a chicken coop, the better.

Here are some quick tips for how you can build a chicken coop cheaply.

Be Sure You Plan

Before going out and buying building materials, make sure you do some research on how to build a chicken coop. This will give you a much better picture on exactly what it is you’ll need in order to build the coop effectively so you don’t waste any money on supplies that you really don’t need.

Many people go out and buy boards or other materials that turn out to never even be used, but rather sit in their garage for years to come.

Consider Borrowing Tools

If you don’t have the necessary tools required to build a chicken coop, chances are a neighbour will. You do not need anything special to construct a chicken coop, so ask around. This can save you a great deal of money over time. Even one or two tools you don’t have to purchase yourself can mean a hundred dollars or more.

Consider Recycling Old Materials

Finally, you should also consider recycling some old materials that you may already have that you can use.

For example, for the flooring of the chicken coop some options are sawdust or sand, something that you may have. Look around and see what other materials might be kicking around in your garage or yard that can be put to good use.

Think About Having Fewer Chickens

Finally, the last thing to think about is the fact that the more chickens you want to keep, the larger your chicken coop is going to have to be. If you’re mostly just keeping the chickens for enjoyment and pet purposes, with the additional benefit of getting fresh eggs every day, then you may only need two or three chickens. This will require a much smaller coop than if you were planning on having a coop consisting of ten or more chickens, thus total costs will be reduced.

So, keep these cost effect ideas in mind as you design your chicken coop. It doesn’t have to be an expensive venture if you understand what you’re doing and put a small amount of effort into planning beforehand.

Building Backyard Chicken Hen Arks made easy

admin — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 10:14:11 +0000

Jony asked:

Building chicken arks is far easier than you think! But too many people make the mistake of buying a hen ark before doing enough study. There are plenty of readymade Chicken coops available but the problems with them is that they are very expensive, not tailored to the needs of the purchaser and finally require assembly in which case the person purchasing just pays for overpriced pieces which he could have got at a good price locally.

There are a few things you need to consider before you can make an investment:

How much money can you spend: If you have set aside about 150 to 200 dollars for such an investment then it is best that you go in for a small sized chicken ark. On the other side if you can spare anywhere between 300 to 500 dollars or more then you really need not hold yourself back and can go in for a medium sized coop or even a larger premium coop with a chicken run and plenty of nesting space. Next, how many birds you have: With a poultry of 2 – 4 birds you really need not consider anything bigger than a Chicken Ark. These are small and portable and can be moved around easily by one man. If you have something like 4 – 8 birds then a medium sized coop will be best for you. These include a nesting space for the birds as well. Lastly, with a poultry larger than 10 chickens will demand a large sized coop. The size of the coop should be determined by the number of birds at all times. Remember the standard recommended area per bird is 4 square feet MINIMUM, so keep that in mind before you make a coop.

How much space do you have to offer and where will you be making the coop: If your backyard isn’t really big then having a premium sized coop might mar the beauty of it. On the other hand if you have plenty of space to offer, a good number of birds, and a sizeable portion of your income dedicated to your poultry then nothing should stop you from making the best purchase possible.

Finally, your place of residence: If you are living in an urban place then you will probably want to go in for a good looking chicken coop to compliment your backyard. Although this is generally not required in a country setting, you can of course go in for an aesthetically pleasing hen house if you want to. Also be aware of where you place your coop. Too many times people have placed their chicken coop in wrong place only to have their relationships with their neighbors strained. Although a Chicken ark maybe moved about easily this will not be possible in the case of a medium or large sized chicken coop.

Although I have put these things in a sequential manner, please don’t think any are more important than the other. Any lax on your part can frustrate yours and other people living within your vicinity. Above all use your common sense to dictate the course and everything will work out fine.

Advantages To Small Chicken Coops

admin — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 03:06:40 +0000

Bill Keene asked:

Looking at some of the small chicken coops out there, you can easily see how there are some significant advantages to going this route with your building process. While some individuals will definitely want to avoid small chicken coops simple because of the purposes they have for the coop, in many other cases it’s a very smart idea, especially if you’re new to the whole process of raising chickens.

Here are some of the top advantages to small chicken coops.

Cost Effective

The first big advantage to using a small chicken coop is the fact that they are going to be a very cost effective option. Using a small chicken coop will mean less money will need to be invested in the building supplies for the coop, which significantly reduces costs.

Some people are also able to get really creative with smaller chicken coops, building it out of some of the supplies they already have around the house and the garage.

Less Upkeep

The second big advantage to small chicken coops is the fact they are much less work to maintain. When you have a large chicken coop the cleaning process will be much more intensive, plus with more birds living in the larger coop, there is definitely going to be a larger mess that is created.

Mobile

Moving on, yet another major advantage to small chicken coops is the fact that they are mobile. Movable chicken coops are becoming increasingly popular, especially among people who are only housing two or three chickens and who want to keep them more as pets than anything else.

Creating a small chicken coop that’s mobile allows you to transport them around the yard, giving you the flexibility to place them wherever you choose.

Mobile small chicken coops are also easier to clean and maintain as well, since then you can just transport the chicken coop to wherever your cleaning supplies are, really making the whole process quick and simple.

Easier To Place

Finally, the last major benefit to a small chicken coop is that they are easier to place while going about the construction process.

With the larger chicken coops you will have to find a wider area of land that is level and free from divots in the ground, while with a smaller chicken coop you only need a small area that’s a good location for building the coop on.

So, be sure you’re keeping these points in mind as you go about choosing what size of chicken coop you wish to build. Small chicken coops are a very nice way to get started with raising your chickens so something you should really put some consideration into.

What chicken breed is for you?

admin — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 22:06:54 +0000

Are you trying to decide what breed you should get? Ask yourself these 6 questions!

1. Do you need a breed that’s does well in winter?

2. Do you care if the breeds are rare or unusual?

3. Do you want birds that will rear chicks?

4. Do you want colorful eggs?

5. Do you require docile birds?

6. How important is the rate of egg laying?

Chicken Breeds; Wyandotte Chickens

admin — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 00:13:50 +0000

The Silver Laced Wyandotte is the parent variety of the Wyandotte family.

It originated in the Big Apple State. It was first known as ‘American Sebright’ and ‘Sebright Cochin.’ The true origin is wrapped in puzzle. The Dark Brahma and Spangled Hamburgs were employed by the originator of the ‘American Sebright’ was proven by the cropping out of the Hamburg brush and Dark Brahma color markings in some of the earlier Eastern strains.

Wyandottes are tolerably sized birds. They appear in several color varieties, the first of which were the Silver Laced Wyandotte. Other varieties include Golden Laced, White, Black, Buff, Partridge, Columbian, and Silver Penciled. Even more varieties exist in the Bantam class, including Birchen, Black Breasted, Blue, Red, Blue Red, Brown Red, Buff Columbia, Lemon Blue, Splash, and White Laced Red. Without reference to the variety, though most critical in the white variety, Wyandottes have smooth, broad feathers that produce smooth, contoured lines of the body.

Most Wyandottes have rose brushs. Though single-combed Wyandottes exist, they aren’t desired. They have tolerably long wattles and a short head and neck. The back and the tail of the Wyandotte are short. Wyandotte cocks often weigh around 8.5 pounds and hens are about 6.5 pounds.