Chickens - First year experience with them

I explain my first year experience with my chickens and which breed is better for my needs.
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[@servihomestead4324]

Great info on these two types of chickens. We've enjoyed having RI Reds in the past. You must have been taking good care of them because almost 1 egg a day from each hen is great. Thanks for sharing!

[@joshsbackyard1645]

I have 2 Leghorns, they lay huge white eggs and they lay a lot! Some are apparently skittish but mine are very friendly. I have raised many chickens and my top ones for eggs and not going bloody are Rhode Island reds, New Hampshire reds, Leghorns, Barred rocks and Black Australorp.

[@petebeasttexashomesteading]

Thank you for the information

[@farming50s57]

We started with leghorns they were very skiddish, I don't remember how they produced(8 years ago) our flock consists of Rhode Island red, barred rock, buff orphington, black australop, speckled Sussex, and ameraucana. All together there's roughly 30 hens. Our best layers are the Rhode Island red and speckled sussex.

[@alfilkemper9240]

I enjoy my ISA layers, who are free roaming most afternoons, hoping the hawks, coyotes have already had their breakfast by that time. They stopping laying for a few days when our summers hit the mid-90 even with a misters for cooling down, but they avoided it & low 30's for a few days, otherwise they lay eggs daily. Besides what they scrounge up when outside their pen, I feed them meal worms or worms from our worm farm & have a continuous flow feeder of non antibiotic layer mash, oyster shells & grit in the winter when everything is snow covered.They have 2 old lg. dog crates with large roofs to keep the rain out, filled with a combo of dirt, sand, Diatonicious Earth, for their dirt baths in the pen, replenished every 2 months or so. Q

[@sylviaharris7404]

We are in year 4 of keeping chickens here in SW Michigan. We have two Buff Orpington and three Lavender Orpington, awesome egg layers, not very broody at all. We also have one Plymouth Barroock, two Easter eggers and an Australorp (broody) . We also have ducks, two Pekin and two Ruen, very good egg layers and the eggs are amazing for baking. I prefer to add to the flock every 2-3 years or the flock gets stressed and that worsens the pecking order. We also have an orchard of 15 apple trees, 8 cherry, 8 peach and six grape vines as well as blueberry bushes, raspberries and blackberries. Our corn crop was great the first two years then nothing would grow. We need to use the fertilizer from the ducks and chickens to enhance the soil. Good luck with your place and "Keep on Clucking"! 😄👍

[@petebeasttexashomesteading]

Sounds like you have a nice place. It's a lot of work but well worth it.

[@LetsFaceThis]

They are definitely being picked on by the Reds; as a result, probably not eating enough and stressed which could be one reason they aren’t laying often. Love your coop set up.

[@petebeasttexashomesteading]

Yep makes sense, thanks

[@mekon1971]

If you are just raising for the eggs get rid of the rooster and try Golden Comet chickens. We have 6 Golden Comets and get 5-6 eggs/day. To extend their laying season in the winter, put on a light for a couple of hours in the evening (I use a solar light) the extra light "tricks" them into thinking it's still summer.

[@petebeasttexashomesteading]

👍

[@lunaflamed]

Rooster helps keep order amongst the hens, predator protection ( if anything gets into the run/roost, he will fight to the death to protect his hens). Buy an incubator or BETTER YET, buy a Silkie hen or two and hatch your own next generations.

[@tylersadler6726]

It seems like you're in a pretty cold climate so I would recommend Wyndotts. They lay really good eggs. But they also have Rose Combs so they don't get frostbite on their combs easy. I've enjoyed watching your birds. I've had wine dots multiple times and we get down to -10 here and they handled it just fine.

[@petebeasttexashomesteading]

Actually I'm in east Texas so it might get to freezing now and then but we don't get any snow. It does get over 100 deg. Fahrenheit during July through September and I would be worried about the Wyandottes over heating. But I will definitely check them out. Thanks

[@MrsLaytonClassroom]

I have had awesome luck with my leghorns. They are amazing egg producers. They lay large to extra large and often double yolker eggs. The birds are on the skinny side but they have all been quite good natured and fun to be around. Great egg producers, not broody, and mine have all been watchful of the other girls. I have ISA browns, Americaunas, silver laced cochin, Wyandottes, and others and my leghorns and Isa brown girls produce the most and best eggs. Wish ya lots of luck!

[@petebeasttexashomesteading]

Thank you, I've been interested in the leghorns and ISA browns. Thanks for the information.

[@peterfehr7441]

My favorite chickens are the ISA browns and the Plymouth Rock. Right now we have 13 browns in far northern Canada and still getting 9 to 12 eggs a day. We have had a very cold winter, chicken house goes down to -15 C (5 F) on the coldest nights and they are fine and still laying eggs.

[@petebeasttexashomesteading]

👍

[@GregsWorkshopOregon]

I have no experience with such things, but did that rooster "fertilize" that hen at the end of the video?

[@thewex7616]

Always have had good success with Buff Orpington’s

[@petebeasttexashomesteading]

👍

[@jameshack485]

My suggestion would be Australorps or Barred Rocks. Egg production from Barred Rocks might be a little less but they are hardy and may forage better. I'd try them out and if they don't work you can harvest for their meat. I wouldn't wait on harvesting your unproductive birds. Best to cull early, no point in wasting feed if you can use on better producers.

[@petebeasttexashomesteading]

Thank you

[@lucasvass2539]

Black astralops and barred rocks are good layers. Red and black sex links are good layers too.

[@ctglockguy743]

I have eleven ISA Browns. Had them for about a year also. Here in Connecticut with cold temps and short days in December, we are still getting 10 to 11 eggs a day. In fact for the past 5 days they producing 11 eggs. Frankly, I am surprised that they are still laying so many each day. I thought by this time of the year I would be getting half as many..

[@petebeasttexashomesteading]

Great info thanks I will check them out.

[@rebeccaweible7854]

I would look into the austra white. Friendly, non broody, and good layers. Leghorns as you're looking at are a good bet for eggs, but they can be a bit skittish, if that matters for you. I see a lot of people recommending Australorps here, and they're great birds (love mine) but they ARE broody. Best of luck!

[@petebeasttexashomesteading]

I'll look in to the austra white, Thank you

[@TheRhnda1225]

I have RIR, Leghorn and Australorp. I love them all! Great foragers and producing in winter with a day or two skip. The Leghorn can be skittish but the other two are very friendly.

[@KaltrinaDemiri]

I have a couple of the reds , good chickens.

[@petebeasttexashomesteading]

Yes I agree, my RI are still laying eggs while my blue Andalusian stopped.

[@samuelwall4034]

In my opinion, black australorps are one of the best they lay daily and don't go broody very often.

[@petebeasttexashomesteading]

Thank you, I'll check them out.

[@farming50s57]

Agreed we have one black australop that gets broody about twice a year and she doesn't care that we pick her out of the box as we have a Roll away box

[@suloman5845]

thanks

[@petebeasttexashomesteading]

👍

[@margaretjenkins1625]

Australorp chickens would be my choice! They are great layers and Beautiful. I have one Silkie, she is sweet but always goes broody and doesn't lay many eggs. Read about Australorp chickens.

[@petebeasttexashomesteading]

Thank you

[@MrRbrgrn]

Lol I’m KZbin experienced and starting now (1 month into chicks) I have 6 ASI’s 2 Rhode Island Reds 2 buff Orpingtons & 2 leghorns

[@bighurk30able]

Nice video Bud. golden comets

[@petebeasttexashomesteading]

Thanks

[@bengaldz256]

Keep going am from Algeria👍👍👍👍

[@petebeasttexashomesteading]

Thank you

[@jakeschisler7525]

Pete, watch this You Tube channel called Stoney Ridge Farmer he lives in north Carolina. He has many chickens, some for the eggs and some for eating. He tells how to get chickens to produce the eggs.

[@petebeasttexashomesteading]

Yep he's got a good channel. Thanks

[@pag8591]

Ohio Buckeye and Black Australorp

[@dollyperry3020]

I've found it's pretty individual.I have had good luck with Leghorns and Australorpes as well as Easter Eggers. But I've had others tell me that their Easter Eggers and Astralorpes went broody all the time.

[@petebeasttexashomesteading]

Thank you good info.

[@rd4469]

@DollyPerry I have a month 1/2 old Australorp who hasn't developed a lot of feathers on her neck. Is that normal? I'm new to raising chickens...my first time actually. I have 4 different breeds of chicken's but I got an extra Barred Rock in the mix. Why doesn't my Australorp have missing feathers on her neck in certain places when my other chicken's don't? What has been your experience?

[@dollyperry3020]

@@rd4469 No. That's not normal. Is there a possibility it could be a Naked neck instead? Or have you checked for mites or other parasites?

[@rd4469]

@@dollyperry3020 Thank you for responding. I've checked for mites and any other bug but I haven't seen any. They've only been outside 4 or 5 times because they still don't have all their feathers. She has feathers but I can see a bare spot on both sides when she extends her neck. I guess I'm going to have to take her to the vet.

[@dollyperry3020]

@@rd4469 Fingers crossed it's nothing serious!

[@bouadiayoub1534]

Nice video

[@petebeasttexashomesteading]

Thanks

[@cjflyer]

We have had White Leghorns for 4 plus years. Can’t beat the egg to feed ratio! They are a bit skittish but I really don’t care. We have Buff Orpington's that produce well but they do get broody off and on. We currently house about 50 layers. Consider going bigger with the coop and using the coop clean outs for garden fertilizer/compost and selling your eggs to pay for the feed. We have steady customers at $3.50/doz. We also order our chicks from Murray McMurry and rais 40 or so meat birds every year.

[@petebeasttexashomesteading]

Wow that's a good amount of birds. Thanks for the information.

[@clp6743]

What door did you buy? Has it worked ok ?

[@petebeasttexashomesteading]

The door that I use is from Ladiesfirstchickendoor.com and it's been working great

[@MyFamilyGarden]

Nice set up, have you tried chicken composting?

[@petebeasttexashomesteading]

Not yet, I've been tilling the manure in the garden in the fall to compost in ground. But I will start a compost pile soon using the manure with leaves and grass from my property.

[@MyFamilyGarden]

@@petebeasttexashomesteading I use my chicken run like a compost pile, I put loads of woodchips and leaves in and let them break it down, makes some really good compost

[@petebeasttexashomesteading]

@@MyFamilyGarden Absolutely, I'll start doing that as soon as I build up more material in the chicken run.

[@davidsimental7154]

Did u poor concrete for your chicken rung

[@JupiterSun-888]

Do your chickens use those swings? If so do you have footage of it? I'd like to see it :)

[@petebeasttexashomesteading]

In the beginning they did but not anymore.......I guess it's not enough excitement for them 🙁

[@unicornbunny6190]

Black Australorp r better ...

[@carolinaprepper540]

White Leghorn

[@petebeasttexashomesteading]

Thanks 👍

[@bosheek8632]

Won't you get chicks with the rooster around?

[@petebeasttexashomesteading]

Yep, I would need to get an incubator and put some eggs in there and check them under a strong light to see if they are developing veins under the light. That would mean they are fertilized.

[@mikelink8094]

White rock ?

[@petebeasttexashomesteading]

No, she's actually a blue Andalusian. I have one that's white-ish and one black hen and a black rooster. I had a grey blue Andalusian but she died.

[@easter543]

You should look for kakhi Campbell ducks bigger eggs and lay way better than Rhode island reds.

[@Gmoneygrip1960]

Why does your wife leave 1 egg when she collects the eggs? Just curious...

[@petebeasttexashomesteading]

The ones she left were ceramic eggs.

[@robinstout1748]

Australorpes

[@petebeasttexashomesteading]

Thank you

[@dennismott9183]

🤔confused? You said that your getting more eggs now then you need, then you said you wanted production egg layers which are leghorns for white eggs or road island reds for brown eggs. I’m not far from you , Huntsville, and I had 150 leghorns and 150 road island giving me 12 dozen a day but I also had the customers. So what are you wanting to do? You do know the oldest and largest hatchery in the USA is located in Cameron Texas. They send out over 5 million chicks a year.

[@petebeasttexashomesteading]

Wow that's a lot of chickens and eggs per day. We started raising them for our own egg use. But was thinking later on down the road I might want to raise more chickens to sell the eggs. Thanks for the hatchery information, I'll be ordering from Ideal hatchery next time so the chicks don't have to spend much time in a box.

[@larrybaker359]

I just love your run idea. I want mine exactly like that this spring when I have time. Do you have a detailed print for your run? Thank you and keep the videos coming