Rotating chicken crop

[LeatherneckPA]

I want to build a mobile coop/yard (tractor) for 2 dozen chickens. I'll keep about 6-8 pullets and freeze the rest. But since 16-18 chickens aren't going to last the two of us through the year I came up with a hare-brained scheme.

Why not grow two crops of chickens per year? Start them, say 6 months apart. And rotate fresh layers at the end of each 18 months or so?

So are the chickens going to be harvestable size after 6 months?

[MadTripper]

I'm fairly new to chickens however your question is dependent on your breeds. There are some meat birds that can be ready in a few months (some 6-8 weeks). I'm not sure if you are using a standard one size fits all like a Red or something else. I purchased the "Special Assorted Bargain" from Murray's in August. I have a crazy assortment for sure but three or four of them are very large in size and I believe near harvesting time. I may butcher the largest one next weekend or so.

Here is a link to Murray's. You can read about their different breeds in the description.

http://www.mcmurrayhatchery.com/category/day_old_baby_chickens.html

I built a stationary coop because of my plans with the garden. The coop ended up 8x12 and I have enough room to separate sections and add fencing as needed. I may end up keeping meat birds separate or roosters if need be. I started off planning about 26 chickens per year for meat but I'm sure that will change. We do more of our meals with chicken added to rice or pasta than just straight chicken so I can get away with a pound or so per meal until the children get older.

[Deberosa]

Well, it could work - depends on the breed I think. I put my dark cornish in the freezer 4 and a half months old, but could have done it a month earlier. THe ugly white cornish you can do in 8-10 weeks but they won't lay eggs or at least not many. My buff pullets are 3 months old - they are no where near eating size.

I had a 4 by 16 tractor - by the time my 50 chickens got to be 3 months old I had to move it often to keep up with them! They would make it nasty fast. THen I simply let them out in October once the garden was over.

Have you selected a breed yet? Are you thinking the pullets will be a different breen than the meat chickens?

One possibility to serve both functions is the light Brahma. They would be ready to butcher at 6 months, they are fairly good eating and the hens are fairly good layers. They also do really well in cold weather because of their feathered legs...

[AlchemyAcres]

It's all in what you're used to.
Chickens are ready to eat at any age...from poussin size to old spent hens (or roosters).
I start a new batch of layers at least once (sometimes twice) a year....and cull the old as needed.

Debbie mentioned Brahmas which are good....my favorite all around semi-dual-purpose breed is Salmon Faverolles...they're super tame...are cold hardy....lay a reasonable number of eggs and have 'some' meat on their bones.....they don't do so good in a mixed flock though...they're too easily bullied.
If you're not used to eatin' egg-layers or dual purpose breeds, don't expect them to be anything like the broiler breeds.

~Martin :)

[LeatherneckPA]

What I had in mind was a mixed flock. 6 Barred Rocks, 6 White Crested Black Polish, 6 Blue Laced Red Wyandottes, and 6 Buff Orps. I know enough about chickens to know which end the food goes in and which end the eggs come out of. That's about it. So this flock was selected purely because I think they will all look pretty together.

[Deberosa]

What I had in mind was a mixed flock. *6 Barred Rocks, 6 White Crested Black Polish, 6 Blue Laced Red Wyandottes, and 6 Buff Orps. *I know enough about chickens to know which end the food goes in and which end the eggs come out of. *That's about it. *So this flock was selected purely because I think they will all look pretty together.

Not too bad a choice except the polish. I got some and they never survived for a couple of reasons. THey are not as sturdy as the other chickens and as chicks plain would get walked on. The other thing about them is that they can't see very well and so are very prone to predation. They are really more for pets.

[bee_pipes]

... I know enough about chickens to know which end the food goes in and which end the eggs come out of. That's about it. So this flock was selected purely because I think they will all look pretty together...


Well you go for it. You're about to learn. Some folks here were raised around chickens and know about breeds, the rest of us are left to get advice here and experience on our own. You are about to get that experience.

I got buff orpingtons because they were supposed to lay year round, but all chickens moult, and when they moult, they generally don't lay. That's experience talking now
;D Some of it is practical, some you get to do for looks. We picked up a pair of bearded silkies at a swap - they are funny little chickens, they do lay small eggs on occasion, but other than that they are useless. I understand they are good brooders but we use an incubator and brooder box. One died during the drought last summer, the other is trying to hatch a golf ball. Waste of feed? Yeah, but my nieces and a few of the other kids that occasionally visit love the little critter and she has made me and my wife laugh more than once.

An acquaintance gave us a bizarre assortment of chickens that they had gotten from McMurray. Their daughter was keeping them and when she started highschool she lost interest. The assortment included a cochin rooster, named sasquatch, a duck, a bb white turkey, a few of the polish/top hat, and other of every color and description. So far we have eaten the turkey, lost one polish (failed to thrive - just lost interest and died) and found a home for the roster.

Worst you can do is make a mistake, waste some feed on chickens you don't get the benefit of food from, and make a better choice the next time. On the up side, you'll also have some successes, probably find a favorite and get some preferences out of the deal.

Regards,
Pat

[LeatherneckPA]

Well you go for it. You're about to learn. Some folks here were raised around chickens and know about breeds, the rest of us are left to get advice here and experience on our own. You are about to get that experience.Well, beepipies that is the nature of experiment. Those Polish are really only in there for looks. The others are all reported to be decent dual purpose. As you say, I shall learn. It's nice to have input from experienced persons like yourself though.

As for the moulting problem, wouldn't rotating two sets of layers offset that problem a little bit? Or do they all moult at the same time of year no matter when they were hatched?

[MadTripper]

I have about 4 polish in my mix. I'm not real sure what to do with them but they seem to be doing well at this stage. I am seriously considering tying their hair up like samurai warriors so they have a better view of incoming hawks and so on. If so, I'll definately take some photos.

[WileyCoyote]

I had some Black Giants that were very prolific in the egg-laying; when I go back to chickens I think I will go back to them. I have a passion for brown eggs; they seem (to me) to have a lot more flavor and are uniformly larger in size. The winter (where I had them it was very mild - six whole weeks of winter temps) didn't bother their laying or their survivability at all.

Had some Banties that were small and very prolific; we couldn't keep up with the eggs and ended up with lots of chicks. But they laid white and small eggs and were very nervous. We had some beautiful roosters - white with black spots and incredibly black-and-green tails! I was offered $50 for one mean ol' rooster, they are very highly thought of in the practice of "root" medicine. I wouldn't sell him cause I knew what he would be used for, but still. He was a beautiful bird.

I really don't care what they look like in the yard or coop; I want something that is prolific and tastes good, both eggs and meat. When my kids asked what we were going to name our chickens, I told them "They are all named 'Dinner', cause that's what they will eventually be." :o

[MadTripper]

I really don't care what they look like in the yard or coop; I want something that is prolific and tastes good, both eggs and meat. When my kids asked what we were going to name our chickens, I told them "They are all named 'Dinner', cause that's what they will eventually be." *:o

Thats funny. I let my children each name one and told them the rest would be named, Monday, Tuesday....because thats the night we would eat them.

[bee_pipes]

... Or do they all moult at the same time of year no matter when they were hatched?...


Well there devildog, you have just pushed the envelope of my personal experience. I am new to this too. We started with chicks a year ago. They started laying in winter - saw our first egg in December. This is just opinion with no authority to back it up, but I think they all moult before going into winter. Some breeds stop laying during the winter when the daylight hours are shorter - that's where the opringtons and other year-round layers shine. Folks extend laying for other "seasonal" breeds by adding artificial lights to the chickenhouse. Me, I'll just let 'em rest. Even the guineas have stopped laying, and they're pretty prolific. Ths is our first moult. They started in October and egg production dropped off. I moved their feed up from the 16% layer to 21%, figured they could use the extra protien for the moult, cooler nights and smaller food supply available in the yard.

This last spring we hatched a bunch of eggs laid by the first batch. Most of the cockerels are in the freezer, though a few slipped through the cull and probably won't live to see Christmas before we get around to them. The pullets from the hatch haven't started laying yet, and the original batch will be on their second year. I expect egg laying to pick up again this month. This is all new to us too, and we're still learning as we go.

It really helps having a spouse that is supportive about this. She know I don't know what the hell I'm doing and is reasonable about my experimenting. We never tried butchering chicken before last year. We tried our hand at the first one, and with the experience of that behind us, got a friend that grew up doing this to show us how he does it. With our experience we knew where to watch him and ask questions, getting more benefit out of it than we would if he showed us before we tried. I get a kick out of knowing that these birds are treated humanely, have the best life possible, and are not wasted when it comes time to end that life. Even the feathers and stuff we don't eat and the manure goes in the compost bin and fertilizes the garden in the spring. The meat and eggs are better than anything we can get in the store and I know they haven't beed fed a bunch of crap. They also keep down ticks and other bugs in the yard. We are luckier than most folks - no predator problems so the birds can run loose in the yard all day. Let 'em out in the morning and call them home and lock them up before dark. If we do devlope a predator problem, we'll start using tractors - their activities and droppings are too valuable to keep locked up all the time.

So far as polish, guinea, duck or any other poultry - if they can lay an egg, I'm up to eating it. Don't get me wrong - by all means experiment! That's what keeps this interesting and entertaining. Like WileyCoyote said, doesn't matter much what they look like, but some breeds are high strung and agressive. I'd add temperament to good tasting eggs and meat.

We got our first chicks at Cackle hatchery, out of Missouri. They had a lower minimum order than McMurray - only 15 chicks. They arrived healthy and actve. I'd recommend them to anybody.

Regards,
Pat

[Deberosa]

Yes, each person can find their own mix that works. That's the really cool thing -there isn't a wrong way!

I've gone through many experiments here with various results. Tried Geese - ate one greesy goose and then was driven nuts by their honking all night long! They went. ;-) Tried ducks - same result so got Muscovies because they are quiet. Yep they are but they jump into every water pool and make a total mess of it!!! THey are going to the neighbor as soon as I catch them, he has a 1/2 acre pond.

A mix of chickens is very pretty - I may go back to that eventually. Of course with the network of bird peopel I know around here I may be trading and swapping as I go along. Then the chicks come in at the feed store. ;-) It's not something to be overthought too much. Any way you look at it it's fun!


As for moulting - seems one starts and others follow but not all at the same time and they can do it at any time - no rhyme or reason that I've seen. But maybe that's because I have all kinds of chickens right now, not sure...

If you want any eggs in the winter you need to put a light in their coop - not a big one, just 40 watts will do. It needs to be on for 14 hours a day. It should come on early rather than go off late so they aren't all scratching around like its noon and all of a sudden the light goes out!!! I have mine go on at 3 am and off at 3 pm. That way natural sunset can happen after that.

[becomingmyself]

We've had chickens for 3 years. They free range and are primarily layers. We have had barred rocks, new hampshire reds, light brahma, black australorps, red star hybrids, and one pretty little brown leghorn.

Here's what we've learned from our flock. The first year we had straight runs of the brahma, rocks & nh reds. We found we preferred the NH reds & the Brahma. They lay very well, they flock well & they are winter hardy.

The second year we added the red stars & the australorps. Love the australorps, they lay well & are as broody as the brahma. The red stars tend to wander away from the flock, they are intent on escaping from our yard, and all around seem to desire the company of coyotes.

These 2 years worth of chickens were hatched at different times in the spring, but all moult right around the first freeze. So from around Halloween to the first weeks of December eggs are few and far between. (edited to add...) Stress can also force a moult - we had a hen get out and get hit by a truck summer of 06. She survived with just a scratched up foot, but she went into a big, fast moult. Had no effect on the other hens.

All our hens began laying at 6 months & all were decent eating size by then. But as someone else mentioned, if you're looking for fat chickens like in the grocer's freezer, then layers aren't gonna do it. These hens dress out to more along the size of a large pheasant, and being free range they tend to have a similar texture/flavor to their meat.

If I were wanting to really stock the freezer with chicken, and if I had a good walk in hen house, or lived in a warmer climate, I would do an early flock and a late flock. Perhaps start one batch of chicks in mid March to butcher in September & another started in mid May to butcher in late November... But that's because we do our own butchering & I wouldn't want to be plucking a mess of feathers in the dead of winter.

We butchered a bunch of rabbits in the last week of November & it was getting a little hard on the fingers. Having a set up for processing in a shed or barn could also make it easier to butcher on into the winter. And doing it in the winter has it's benefits - it isn't difficult to chill the meat fast and you can brine them in covered pots in your shed - the fridge doesn't have to be full of chilling chickens like it would in warmer months (that is, if you brine them).

So... That's what I've learned and that's all I've got :)

Good Luck!

Joyceb

[machinemaker]

This year my wife bought 24 meat birds from McMurray's along with replacement layers. The meat birds have been breed to eat, drink and sit, they would not even climb up on a roost, but sat around the feeder. Every time something distracted them, like another chicken, they would get up and eat. We should have butchered them at 8 weeks, but we waited to 10 weeks. Each bird dressed out to 8 to 12 lbs and we'll eat them all winter. Other than the dislike that they have had the "good" chicken behaviors bred out to gain the rapid growth, I'd do it again next year, but raise them on wire so that they don't just sit in their own poop and be filthy since they don't have a full breast of feathers to help keep them clean.
kent

[becomingmyself]

Kent -

I did not know that the meat breeds matured so quickly. If they can be butchered at 8-10 weeks, then one really could go through 3 even 4 batches of chicks and still not have to butcher in the dead of winter.

Glad you posted this. We love our layers, but that could be a good option for next spring!

Joyceb

[gardenfay]

machinemaker mentioned raising meat birds on wire. you are right, they do get poop on their breasts; but with wire; you may very well wind up with breast blisters cuz that type birds sits around on their breasts so much. So you might try what they taught us to do with our meat birds in VoAg. start increasing their bedding when they get a little size on them; about 2-3 weeks, I think. And keep adding and fluffing bedding to achieve a result of it never being matted down under them. I know this is kind of a pain; but it beats breast blisters or poopy breasts.

[LeatherneckPA]

machinemaker and gardenfay, thanks for the info, but I think I'll stick to the dual purpose birds. One of the main reasons for my getting into this is to preserve the genetic diversity of my food chain. Same reason I am planting only heirloom varieties in the garden