I'm thinking of raising chickens for meat and eggs. I don't know what type of chickens will do well here in Ohio and have no clue about what type of pen is needed. I only need enough for a small family and do not want to invest alot of money in housing. Please,any info would be appreciated.

-- David (nelson3@bright.net), January 22, 2000

Answers

David you don't have to build a special building. Do you have any out buildings in place? Even a little garden shed would work. They don't need a whole lot. What sort of area do you live in? Are you trying to sneak a couple of hens into a suburban backyard? Or are you in a rural area? What kind a predators have you seen in your area? They don't have to be penned which would save you some money. There are some people on this board who use chicken tractos, that would be a good solution for you. I'll let them weigh in with their actual experiences and advice. But basically chicken tractors are small movable pens. Wouldn't cost much to build.

Most chickens will do fine for you. Since you are new with chickens, I'd suggest staying away from some of the crosses developed for super fast growth/meat production. They are a specialty chicken and can be hard to raise. They frequently have leg problems and need special food and supplements. Pick just about any egg/meat chicken. RI Reds, Barred Rocks, Orpingtons, what ever. I love Buff Orpingtons myself and they have the added benefit that once full grown, the raptors can't pick them up.

If you can find someone locally who will sell you just a few chickens or who will split an order with you, that could help you. Usually mail order and hatchery chicks have to be purchased in lots of 25 or more. That might be more than you want to start with. You'll also need to find a feed store near you for purchasing starter, grit, shell, and grains. You might want to check your library for chicken raising books. don't forget to check for some of the self suffciency books too. I think the name of one book is The Self-Sufficient Suburban Gardener By Jeff Ball.

Free range chickens can pretty well take care of themselves most of the year. They'll always need water, plus some feed. Penned chickens need everything brought to them, more work, but if the pens are sturdy enough there will be some predator protection. I think Ohio has relatively mild winters for North. The chickens will need some sort of shelter to roost in and get protection for wind and cold. Gerbil

-- Gerbil (ima_gerbil@hotmail.com), January 22, 2000.

Thanks for your help,gerbil!

-- David (nelson3@bright.net), January 22, 2000.

Great hatchery in Polk, Ohio. Meyer Hatchery toll free 8885689655 Most years we have them ship baby chicks. We like the Ohio Beauty or the Golden Buff for eggs and their Broiler chicken, the Cornish Rock that will weigh four pounds in seven weeks, for meat.

Some years, when we have too many irons in the fire, we will just wait until September and Meyers will sell us pullets that are just about ready to start laying. This year, they cost us $3.85 each in and order of 120 that we split with several of our friends.

-- homestead2 (homestead@monroecty.net), January 22, 2000.

There's also a hatchery just outside of Cincinnati - Mt. Healthy Hatchery. I already checked with them and they said if you come to them, you can buy as many (or as few) chicks as you want. They will sell you only pullets if that's what you want. Also, lots of feed stores sell chicks in Feb. and March. But most of the feed stores sell only straight run, which is okay if you want to butcher your cockerels, but they're higher priced than buying direct from the hatcheries, and you don't have quite the selection. Good luck.

-- glynnis (gabbycab@aol.com), January 24, 2000.

Look in the back of countryside and call all the hatcherys , most will send you a catalog for free.You still have plenty of time to decide on breeds .Ask neighbor if they will be ordering chicks ?Check with your feed stores to see if they will be getting some in .They may be the best bet for only a few chicks , remember there is always postage !

-- Patty Gamble (fodfarms@slic.com), January 24, 2000.

OOPS forgot about the pen .Can you free range ?Pallets will make a good start , then some plywood and a little chicken wire .It shouldn't cost to much .

-- Patty Gamble (fodfarms@slic.com), January 24, 2000.

My favorite dual purpose breed is the White Rock. They lay well, and as a large breed, the cockerels dress out nicely. If you're going to hatch your own they're a good choice. However, I would not avoid the "meat chickens" which are crosses. (Sorry, Gerbil!) A common one is a Rock - Cornish cross. These you're going to buy as chicks. They will require broiler feed (22%), and CAN have leg problems. I've found it to be relatively rare, however, especially if you only provide enough feed to last until late in the afternoon. The advantage is that they are ready to butcher at 6-7 weeks for a 3- 4 lb carcass. Left to 12 weeks or so, thay can dress in excess of 8 lbs, although most of ours have been in the 6-7 lb range. I have found that by far the best price I can find is through the local feed store, which orders once a year. Meat chicks for 66 cents, layers (pullets!) for 99 cents! I know they're not making money!

-- Brad Traver (homefixer@mix-net.net), January 24, 2000.

DAVID, LOTS OF GOOD ADVICE FOR YOU, SO I'LL ADD ANOTHER THOUGHT. MY BIGGEST PROBLEM IS PREDATORS,THESE ARE USUALLY DOGS. IT DOESN'T MATTER IF YOU LIVE IN TOWN OR COUNTRY, THEY WILL FIND YOUR CHICKENS. SO I WOULD SUGGEST A GOOD STURDY PEN AND SHELTER. YOU CAN ALWAYS LET THEM OUT TO FORAGE WHICH THEY LOVE TO DO. OH, SIX HENS AND A ROOSTER WILL PROVIDE YOU WITH LOTS OF EGGS. TRY TO GET SOME THAT LAY WELL IN THE WINTER, LIKE THE HEAVY-BREEDS ROCKS,RHODE-ISLAND REDS, AUSTRALORPS,ETC. IF YOU GET STRAIGHT RUN YOU GET 50=50 PULLETS AND ROOSTERS, AND CAN DRESS OUT THE EXTRA ROOSTERS. THE CORNISH-ROCK CROSS IS ONLY GOOD FOR EATING, THEY WILL LAY BUT NOT VERY WELL AND WILL EAT A LOT. GOOD LUCK.

-- KAREN MAUK (DAIRYGOATMAMA@AOL.COM), January 25, 2000.

Some of our chickens free-range; some don't. I've had to put fishing line across the top of the run, because the hawks were using it as a diner. The free-range chickens have had much better luck avoiding the eyes in the sky, but I don't have to worry about dogs, since I have 4 who were raised with chickens and run off other dogs.

-- Sylvia (slydy@intrstar.net), January 26, 2000.

We used an old garden tool shed for our coop. Try looking in local paper or those weekly classifieds with free items. Our friends found a large dog house they use for a coop. Since we have coyotes, bobcats and mountain lions our chickens are penned and the pen has to wire top. So far we haven't lost any to predators. Wish I could say the same about my lambs. Also, if you want to keep up egg production in the winter put a light (I use a heat lamp) in the coop to simulate day light. Ours has a time to go on at 5pm and go off at 8pm. You can get the timers from Home Depot or some place like that, not too expensive. The heat lamp also helps keep them warm in winter. Our 8'X10' area houses 12 hens comfortablly and gives the 3 of use plent

-- Jennifer Schwabauer (schwabauer@aol.com), January 27, 2000.

I'M WITH GERBLE. DON'T GET A CROSS BRED CHICKEN TO USE FOR A LAYER. THEY GET FAT AND THEIR LEGS GO BAD. MANY OF THESE CROSS BRED CHICKENS ARE TO STUPID TO SCRATCH IN THE DIRT. REALLY! THEY WOULD STARVE TO DEATH STANDING KNEE DEEP IN CORN NEXT TO AN EMPTY FEEDER. ALSO, THEY HAVE BEEN BRED FOR SHORT LIVES. MANY WILL DIE AFTER 4-5 MONTHS BECAUSE THE BREEDERS HAVE DEVELOPED THEM TO MATURE EARLY, GET FAT, AND BE BUTCHERED. THEIR INTERNAL ORGANS HAVE BEEN IGNORED. THEIR HEART IS NO BIGGER THAN AN AVERAGE BIRD.

THERE ARE BIRDS THAT GROW BIG AND WILL LAY THAT ARE OLD STRAIN BIRDS. IF I WERE YOU, I WOULD GET SOME CROSS BREDS TO EAT AND SOME RODE ISLAND REDS OR NEW HAMPSHIRE REDS TO LAY BIG BROWN EGGS AND THEN WHEN YOU BUTCHER THEM AS STEWING HENS YOU WILL HAVE A POT FULL. BUFF ORFINGTONS ARE GREAT LAYERS, SETTERS, AND GOOD TO EAT BUT I DON'T LIKE THE WHITE SKIN! WE HAD A BUFF THAT LIVED NEARLY 15 YEARS!

BUT, IF YOU WANT LOTS OF EGGS AND WANT TO HAVE A THRIFTY BIRD, GET LEGHORNS! THEY WILL AVERAGE 4-5 POUNDS AND WILL AVERAGE 300 EGGS A YEAR.

ED

-- ED MUELLER (elmjem@areoinc.net), January 28, 2000.