My daughter & 2yr old Granddaughter want chickens ? Advice

[tprice]

Well kind of shocked but our daughter is turning into a farm girl I guess LOL

She and her husband just moved into newly constructed house on their land back in November and now she is telling that she wants some chickens

When I was teenager we always had them and my grandparents always had chickens but I have not messed with them in years

Buddy of mine sent me pick of a big chicken pen in his back yard and said biggest issue he has is hawks/owls getting them.

Guess this will be my and my Son In Laws project after tax season is over

What type of chickens are best for eggs

How many do you need to start ?

TIA


***those that have grandkids will understand LOL***

[MolliesMaster]

We have barred rocks. Pretty docile and lay pretty consistent, also not ugly (that matters to the women folk). 3-4 chickens seem to keep our house in eggs pretty sufficiently. Anything above 6 and you better have neighbors that like eggs.

[Drakey]

Do they want chickens for pets, or chickens for laying eggs?

[Rubberhead*]

My daughter got into the chicken thing. Her husband bought her four little chicks last Easter at Tractor Supply (I think). They all survived and are constant egg-layers now. Two lay the greenish type eggs and two lay brown eggs. They got a pre-fab coup kit from somewhere and have a smaller yard with chicken wire as a cover. When she and the dogs are outside, she lets them run around in the fenced backyard but the keep an eye open for hawks and owls. They're tame enough that she can pick them up and trained enough that she just throws a handful of meal worms in the covered area to get them back inside.

My grandson loves his chickens.

[Black Bart]

You're going about this all wrong; just PM SW338.

[dmatheny21]

My wife has been asking me for chickens for awhile. Couldn’t think of anything to get her for Christmas so i got her a coop off of Amazon. That has since turned into a bigger ordeal than I imagined. She is a teacher and always hatches eggs in an incubator for the kids to see. We will end up keeping some this time instead of giving them back to the farmer.
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[Catdaddy]

If they are in a HOA, they might want to read the covenants first. That will make the decision for them.

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[skrimp]

We always had brown egg layers. We preferred barred rocks, buff Orpington, black giants and Rhode Island reds. I liked the different colors and they got along well. We ordered all hens from Murray McMurray. Personally, I'd never have a rooster. They aren't needed and can be a pain especially with small kids around.

[FULLCHOKE]

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That watering system is slick, I like that.

[dmatheny21]

That watering system is slick, I like that.

Thanks. I have the cups coming in this week. They have a 1/2” T that i have to cut in on the line.

[Silentweapon338]

Lord have mercy you have no idea.

I think these women are into chickens as pets more than a convenience store full of eggs. I am appalled at these people on face book. My wife shows me these pics and these women let chickens in their houses. In their beds. Its nuts. They Treat them like the family dog.

I like dmatheny21 coup! WOB has a slick one as well. Check out the thread I started. I'm almost through with my first house. I've got to paint it and waiting on the door to come in mount it. I went with the one I posted in the other thread. My wife didnt like the rain messing with WOB's Chinese unit. I like the price, but wife over ruled me so we went with the "cool door"

[tsigmon]

Golden Comets, docile, not flighty, easy keepers, good feed conversion and excellent layers of brown eggs.

[CWPINST]

Had lots of them over the years. Can’t beat a white Leghorn for egg production but they are a pain to put up with. Noisy, spooky, flighty, etc. For attitudes, Orpingtons, Barred Rocks, and Comets are very nice. If you handle them a LOT in their first 3-4 weeks, it will pay dividends in attitude for the rest of their lives. FWIW, I like the Cinnamon Queens for their bold personality, but they can be a touch feisty. They are the first to greet you though.

[Moose843]

Buff orpingtons. Barred rocks. Australorps. The top 3 egg layers. Docile, not flighty, easy to get along with. Now if she wants pets, silkie, or polish. Silkie bantam would be like a pocketbook chicken.

[Heybo_Hater]

My wife has been asking me for chickens for awhile. Couldn’t think of anything to get her for Christmas so i got her a coop off of Amazon. That has since turned into a bigger ordeal than I imagined. She is a teacher and always hatches eggs in an incubator for the kids to see. We will end up keeping some this time instead of giving them back to the farmer.
0C82C3FD-EA92-4932-B68F-4B247DB094EC.jpg
7C9C84E4-3D38-4252-A14F-DA71783C3A61.jpg
A30A8155-6610-44EC-A74E-EDAED372FBE0.jpg

What’s the details on that watering system?

[dmatheny21]

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It’s just a gravity fed system. Started off with 4” pvc and necked down to 1/2”. I’ll put these cups in line with the long piece that runs down the 2x6. They fill automatically. J also put a ball valve on the end so the line can be flushed.

[Heybo_Hater]

That’s great. I’ve used the self tapping waterer cups but those inline pvc ones look much better.

[hunterjw]

If they are in an HOA they can usually get away with having quail. I have coturnix quail and they are super simple and will lay. Pile of eggs.

I also have chickens and my biggest recommendation would be build a coop you can set and forget. I have an automatic door on my which leads down into the fenced run. Auto water and feeders. Laying box on side so you never have to go in.

Most importantly!- a hinge hatch door so I can easily rake out the hay of the coop to clean it.

I love having chickens and I think they are great to have for the kids as well. See importance of food, work, life and so on

[tprice]

If they are in a HOA, they might want to read the covenants first. That will make the decision for them.

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Not HOA, live on 45 acres of their own land.

[Smilee]

Watering system is too low. Chickens should drink from above.