JAVELINA RANGE
A micro-farming adventure.
The Chicken Palace
There are a variety of coop designs available. I encourage you to do a lot of google searching and find a design that best works for you. Our coop is designed for approximately 35-40 hens. You can also purchase your coop instead of building. I recommend searching craigslist.
I want chickens, what kind should I get?
To answer that questions, we first need to look at what you want to do with them. Are you wanting something for meat production, eggs, or something ornamental for the yard?Â
Next, how much space do you have? If you don't have much space, you may want to consider a bantam breed. The down side is that they lay smaller eggs.Â
I like to get a variety of hens. I like the easter eggers for colored eggs, but I also want some big layers, so I also have leghorns. Then, for the ornamental, I also have some millie de fleur, speckled sussex and golden sebrights.
Can I sell my extra eggs?
Certainly! That is a great way to help off-set some of your costs. Many people sell their eggs to neighbors, church members, or other friends and family. Each state differs into their requirements, such as cleaning or reporting, so I would look into your state requirements. Many states do not require your facilities to be inspected if you have under a certain number of hens and usually that number is pretty high.
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How many chickens should I get?
On average, a good laying breed lays 5-6 eggs per week. However, some of the more ornamental chickens can go down to about 3 eggs per week.Â
Also, it depends on age. Most chickens start slowing down production after they are 2 years old.Â
So for a family of 4, I would recommend about 6 hens.
How long are eggs good for?
Eggs are good for about 2-3 months in the fridge.
That being said, eggs will also stay good on the counter for up to 2 moths, refrigerating only increases their longevity. Now, eggs will stay better longer if kept unwashed. The outside layer of their shell, called the "bloom", helps to keep the yolk good. Many people will not wash their eggs so as to keep the bloom intact.
What do chickens eat?
Chickens are omnivores, and as such, they will eat almost anything. Including the insulation around your outside piping!
This means that they will eat small insects, reptiles and rodents that they find running around the lot. So those of you who think that chickens don't eat meat, hate to tell you, but they do.
Laying chickens will also need a good supply of calcium to keep producing eggs. Make sure they are on a good layer crumble, and you can supplement with ground oyster shell and fresh vegetables. You can supplement with regular egg shells, but make sure they are crushed beyond recognition, or your chickens may start eating your eggs!
Do chickens lay all year?
The simplest answer to this question is, no.
However, that is not entirely the case. Most chickens stop laying in the winter and resume in the spring. That being said, there are some breed that will continue to lay in the winter. You can also use a heat lamp to encourage your chickens to lay during the winter, but this can decrease their overall production life.
Common Queries
There are several designs for a chicken coop that are all appropriate. You can see our coop below or you can do some searching online.
It needs to have a minimum of 2 sq. ft. per bird.
On average 1 nesting box per 4 hens.
Plenty of roost space which should be higher than your nesting boxes.
The Coop
The main feed products you will find are:
layer crumble - for all laying hens.
chicken scratch - a corn and seed based diet. Usually not enough calcium for laying hens.
chick starter- for all chicks hatch to 8 weeks.
chick grower - 8 to 14 weeks of age.
chick finisher - 15 weeks to 18 weeks of age.
The Feed Types
The big thing about chickens is to protect them from predators. They have a habit of getting eaten, so you need to ensure that they are protected. You can do free-range, but keep in mind you will have losses, that is just how nature is.
Most chicken lots will have tops, because chickens DO fly. It is ok to go without a top, but you will need a minimum of 6 ft fencing and I suggest clipping wings.
All lots need to have a minimum 8-10 ft. per chicken.
The Lot
You do not have to have a rooster for eggs. The hens will lay eggs whether or not you have a rooster.
However, they do help protect your flock from danger and they tend to be prettier than the hens.
If you want to have fertilized eggs for chicks, the rule of thumb is 1 rooster for every 10-12 hens.
The Rooster
