re: Tell me about raising chickens

Are roosters even allowed in the city?

I know someone who has chickens, all are different breeds so there should be no problem there.

In Baton Rouge and the residential part of will hopefully become St. George, there is a limit on how many chickens one can have and I don't think roosters are allowed (not sure about the really rural part of the parish so check your local ordinances).

I get a dozen eggs occasionally and they do taste better than those bought at the store. My HOA doesn't allow chickens so it isn't something I can even consider.

Chicken Tractor is the way to go.

I have a buff orpington a black orpington and a rhode island red. They lay eggs on a 27 hour cycle. I get 2-3 eggs. Feed them laying pellets. I made a waterer out of PVC pipe and waterer nipples. They only time.the smell is bad is after the rain. I got some lye from the feed store and spread it when it gets bad. It kills the smell.

Be prepared if you have a chicken tractor to move it everyday. If not chickens will eat all the grass down to the dirt in less than 3 days.

They'll go in at night, but so will predators. Unless you have an automatic door on a timer.

Great information guys. I really appreciate this. How about vitamins, medicines etc...? Any kind of things like that I need to consider?

Eggs can stay unrefrigerated for a month or more actually. Couple of days are def fine! Don't wash with soap. Just wash lightly with water to get trash off. Eggs have a natural protective coating that protects from harmful Bactria like salmonella. Our good il FDA requires eggs be washed in chemicals that remove that coating. Hence the salmonella scare. In Europe there is no washing and no refrigeration of eggs.

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Is there any kind of timeline on how long they lay?

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Depends upon the breed, but generally it's related to hours of daylight. 12-14 hrs per day generates maximum egg production. Need a minimum of 8 hrs for any egg production.

They lay in declining cycles that are interrupted by molts.



Eliminate most stressors, and a good hen will lay well for 4-5 years.

Example of Stressors: Roosters, overcrowding, any period of time without water, not feeding on a regular schedule, harassment from dogs or other predators, lack of trees or some kind of cover (they're just domesticated jungle fowl)

Feed consumption is anywhere from 2.0 to 5.5 oz per bird per day. Depends on what they get from foraging, temperature, size of bird. But don't overfeed. Feed in the morning and their feeder should be empty by the end of the day.

Feed a 50/50 mix of "layer" with "scratch" feeds. Adjust according to foraging and yolk appearance...more foraging=less scratch. Less foraging = more scratch.

Large breed birds=200 eggs/yr
Commercial layers=270 eggs/yr

They'll lay year round if you have a light in their coop with a timer. Ensure redundancy (2 lights on 2 timers for when something fails (a sudden change in light hours can induce a molt and cause egg production to cease for 2 months).

I have egg production down to a science, so just let me know if you have any questions

(my oldest son sold organic eggs from 7th-12th grade with a flock of 15-20 hens...it paid for his first 3 semesters of college.)

Great information. Where would I buy chicks around Baton Rouge? What breeds should I look for and what breeds should I avoid? Are there some that do better in the south versus say the Midwest?

Also what about bedding in the coop? What is used for that and where to buy? Feed store? Self feeders and waterers where to find them?

Here's something no one tells you. They will claw and rake the grass in the tractor. Make lots of mud and kill grass. You have to move it a lot. You can let them free range (they will stay close to the coop and still go inside it at night), which is better for your grass...but they will go for the shade and shite EVERYWHERE. (Under your patio). They are mean as hell but incredible pest control.

A guy I know spent a week in the icu from inhaling dried chicken shite. You have to be careful.