Solitary chicken - need advice

[chickchock]

I realise that Bantams are not as good at laying as larger birds but because our daughter is only four and because I love my garden and want to minimise damage (although they'd have their own area) and because we haven't kept chickens before, I do think we'd be better off starting with bantams.

 

BUT

 

Our main reason for wanting chickens in the first place is eggs. So we do need some eggs. Not loads, there are only 3 of us, but enough so that I don't have to buy any. Is this possible with a relatively small amount of birds? What do you think is the minimum I would need for, say two small eggs a day? I know it depends on the breed but just a rough idea.

 

Or should I just bite the bullet and get full size birds straight off?

 

I keep going round in circles in my head!

[The Dogmother]

Bantams are great, and can be good producers (except in the winter when you won't get eggs between November and January, weather dependent), you need to pick and choose your breeds though; Araucanas, Marans and Wyandottes are amongst the better layers, but avoid pekins and silkies as they go broody.

 

I have 13 hens at the moment, all bantams and can get between 1 a 6 eggs per day depending on how they feel. I buy eggs from a friend in the winter. Perhaps it's best to see if you can visit an Omleteer with bantams near your area to have a chat and see what you think. I am in north Oxon if that helps you.

[Purplemaniacs]

I have 2 wyandottes and 2 welsummer bantams and on average get 2 eggs per day. I also have 2 silkies and they lay 2 eggs per week if I am lucky.

 

I also have some hybrids.

 

Chrissie

[The Dogmother]

Do also bear in mind that you will end up with some non-laying retirees, and the odd broody too.

[Chortle Chook]

I've got 8 laying chooks - all banties (2silkies, 3 polands and 2breed frizzles and a poland x frizzle). I'm not sure the frizzles lay at all ; the Polands are good little layer, never go broody and are pushing out about 2-3 fair sized eggs a day, but I understand that not all Polands are like that. The silkies did lay all through the winter for 2 years running even though during the spring and summer they are apt to stop and go broody. Between them all, during the winter I had about 1 egg a day, and now I'm getting loads (enough to feed myslef with one egg every day plus 6 eggs for my neighbours about once a month, and 3 for my dogs about once a week).

[Chicken deficient]

We started with 3 Pekin pullets and a cockerel and for the 3 of us, we were fine for eggs. Not swamped with them, could have managed more, but we were happy.

Laying decreases each year and broodiness doesn't until they get really old and don't do much of either!

I tend to add 2 -3 youngsters at a time, on average probably every other year and this keeps the egg supply ticking over nicely.

I agree that some breeds are better layers than others. My bantam Wyandottes lay almost an egg each every day. I'm planning on adding bantam Araucanas to the egg laying ranks this year.

 

Have fun choosing!