Originally Posted by Tiffany

I used to raise a flock of about 50 chickens, mainly for eggs. I would use what I needed and sell the excess. Cindy covered a lot so I won't repeat any of it. Here are some of the things I learned in addition to what Cindy covered. You want to either feed them back their shells or get oyster shell bits to throw on the ground for them. The calcium strengthens the shells - And YES, you can get the shells too strong. :P I always kept a rooster simply because fertilized eggs are higher in several nutrients. And despite what many people believe, if you get an egg with a blood spot inside, it is NOT because it is a fertilized egg. It is because the hen strained too hard to lay the egg, thus causing the blood spot. Poor hen! Depending on the breed of chicken, your hen can lay 1 egg every day or 1 egg every 1-3 days. Do NOT wash the eggs as you collect them. Each egg has a protective coating on it that is natural from the hen. This protection keeps bacteria and other nasties from getting through the membrane and making the egg bad.

Interesting facts...My aunt used to sell eggs to Albertsons. You can bury eggs in cool sand and they will remain good for up to a year. What a thought! :? Of course our society consumes eggs so rapidly that such methods are no longer needed and the eggs you get in the store are usually only 1-3 months old.

If you do not have anyone local who raises chickens to talk to, check out your local 4-H. They should have someone who will be able to give you all sorts of insight into raising chickens and will be able to point you in the right direction for where to buy the best chickens and equipment/feed for your area.

One thing to consider when buying feed. If the corn inside the feed has been genetically modified (which over 80% of the corn in America is now), you should realize that tests have shown that the modifications can be passed down into the egg. It is unknown how it affects the human body but I would be cautious feeding it to small children and infants. JMO.

Originally Posted by countrymaid

Golden Comets are my favorite. I just ordered 3 dozen day old chicks through the hardware store. They come from a hatchery in Ohio. They will come in the mail on May 1st. I paid the extra for pullets rather than straight run (sexed females vs whatevers in the box). The college I work at is all about Creation Care and going green. I've been selling my extra eggs here at work for a couple of years now. Check your state Ag & Markets for regulations.

My new birds will start laying late August. Extension Office is a great resourse. You can even find online chat rooms about raising chickens. Chick starter to begin with, layer mash closer to laying time. With a good feed you shouldn't need to add extra grit (crushed oyster shell) to their diet. Layer boxes, a good perch, dry bedding, free choice their feed. My hen house is 12' x 12'. I do not let them out because of the dogs. We also have a bald eagle nesting near us and lots of hawks.

I bought 20 chicks two years ago and still have them all. They weren't happy with our long cold winter. Their egg production is coming back, about 14 eggs a day now. They'll be soup this fall.

We have one banty that came from the farm store. She's 3 and is just fun to have around.

Good luck,

Originally Posted by countrymaid

I like the colored breeds. They tend to be a quieter bird and easier to handle. Here's a link http://www.ridgwayhatchery.com/chickens.htm

Originally Posted by k3n

One thing I would caution against bantams, cute and lovely as they are - mine were always going broody, which is great if you want to hatch more chicks (obviously you must have a rooster!) but NOT if you want them for eggs. I don't keep bantams anymore for this reason.

K x

Originally Posted by ButtercreamCakeArtist

My DD has a rooster, and I'm asking for another for my son. I have also been wanting to get a few chickens, but we will have to expand our lot. I want to get some banty chickens, the small ones that lay really small eggs. My Aunt is also going to bring me a Rhode Island Red! :D
Farm fresh eggs are the best!
Do you have a local feed store? At ours, they have a yearly "chick day", when you buy a sack of feed and get so many biddies for free. Or you can order whatever kinds of chickens and roosters you want from there.
I can hear DD's new rooster crowing right now. He's white with feathers on his feet. The other one I'm going to ask if my son can have is red. They're just going to butcher them, I think, so I may save his life!