# Chickens & S&EP



## backwoods (Sep 12, 2004)

If you have chickens, how much do you think of them as a "prep?" 
Do you have specific breeds BECAUSE of your S & EP mentality? The reason I'm asking is, I'm about to order chicks and I've had a hard time deciding on what kind to get. Previously, I've just ordered what I was needing the most at that time, such as broilers, or sex link egg laying machines. Years ago, we had dominiques, barred rocks, rhode island reds, buff orpingtons, and after awhile, I got lured into the "specialty" mentality, thus my choices of chickens for eggs OR meat, but not both. This time, I'm going for both again. So, what kind do YOU have, and WHY? How will/do they serve your purposes for short/long term s & ep?


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## countrytime (Sep 23, 2012)

We think of them as "preps"--they supplement our food supply now and in the future..whatever that may hold. I have many different breeds, everything from RIR to Eastereggers to leghorns...some heavy breeds for dual purpose and the leghorns are always our best layers and free rangers along with the banty hens. We keep 2 roosters that are a cross between the larger hens and the bantys--they do well foraging when the weather allows, and pass on good egg layer genetics too--they also seem a healthier chicken, but with more meat. I still raise CC every year for the freezer though--old hens are usually taken to auction in the fall, but this year I think I'll make them into noodles and can the broth.


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## unregistered29228 (Jan 9, 2008)

Ours are preps, too. I originally got RIRs because they're good for meat and large eggs. But they aren't good at brooding their own eggs, so I switched to Buff Orps. They are meat, large eggs, and good mothers. They're hardy in winter weather, forage for themselves half the year, and the roosters are big enough that most dogs or cats won't mess with them.


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## Ernie (Jul 22, 2007)

We've had multiple types of breeds over the past 7 years or so but after interbreeding them and culling out the traits we didn't like, we have just sort of an "Ernie Chicken" now. Good at free ranging, watchful for predators, and hardy. Their egg production is probably less than to be desired, and the meat they put on is neither plentiful or tasty, but they are probably the lowest maintenance critter around.

As far as thinking of them in terms of a "prep" ... SHTF is NOW. 

I don't know what y'all think is going to happen, but what you ought to realize right now is that people are being forced into the government's largest "labor camp" (welfare) or they're being economically starved.

We're experiencing a slow motion SHTF that ain't hitting everyone at once. There are people reading this post right now who will be homeless and holding up "will work for food" signs by this time next year.


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## backwoods (Sep 12, 2004)

I agree with what you're saying, Ernie. I know that shtf has/is occurring now. 
That's why I think it's more important than ever, for those of us that can, to have "sustainable" livestock, in this case chickens.
My point being, sex links lay a lot of eggs but only for a year and won't brood and raise reliable egg laying off spring. So in a year, you can eat the small amount of meat left on them, and they're done. You can raise Cornish x meat birds, but they won't reproduce themselves either. When you've eaten them, they're gone. What I want to do is get birds that will lay a good amount of eggs, reproduce themselves, forage well, and have enough meat on the cockerels to feed the family.
I doubt "stuff's gettin' better" anytime soon...so with that in mind, the livestock we have needs to be of a more sustainable variety.


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## Ernie (Jul 22, 2007)

backwoods said:


> What I want to do is get birds that will lay a good amount of eggs, reproduce themselves, forage well, and have enough meat on the cockerels to feed the family.
> I doubt "stuff's gettin' better" anytime soon...so with that in mind, the livestock we have needs to be of a more sustainable variety.


Agreed. We need to stop worrying about line preservation and show breeds and start worrying about not starving.

But I've been working on those goals for just a few years shy of a decade now and I still don't think I'm close. We eat mostly the old stewing hens and they're just awful. Tough, bitter old birds. Occasionally we'll kill one of the younger roosters who don't act right and eat him, but there's often less than 2-3 pounds of meat on him. Not enough to feed a family unless it's in a big old pot with a lot of other food.

We've got egg production doing ok now, and our flock is more or less self-sustaining. I have a mix of birds and there's a handful of old biddies who are too old to lay their own eggs but they'll sit on someone else's clutch just fine. And they're good mothers too. And what's more ... their CHILDREN seem to be good mothers, which leads me to believe that the mothering instinct is carried on the genetic line of the female.


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## oneraddad (Jul 20, 2010)

I raise Chantecler's because they're dual purpose and very cold hardy.

But mostly because I want to help grow the breed and I like having something nobody else does.


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## backwoods (Sep 12, 2004)

oneraddad, are the Chanteclers aggressive? I don't know much about them. With kids helping do chores around here, it's also important for us to have docile birds. I don't want the 3 yr old getting pecked or spurred. Otherwise, a somewhat aggressive chicken would be good for foraging purposes. Predators may not want to bother with them if they fight enough.


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## Ernie (Jul 22, 2007)

Alright, I want to share a funny chicken apocalypse story. 

In our chicken coop we have 6 roost bars. Now those of you with chickens know how the social structure in a coop is. The dominant rooster gets on the bar and then all his dominant ladies pile in close around him and that's how they spend the night.

Well, this rooster pulled in more and more hens and they all got bigger and fatter and things were going really well .. until the roost bar they claimed as their own BROKE under the weight of all that chicken.

So the entire chicken social structure on our farm has been upended. Boss Rooster has lost all his ladies to the younger hens and everyone is fighting and feuding. It takes half an hour now in the evening for everyone to settle down in the coop and find them a spot.

Essentially, this is a chicken SHTF. The technology that they didn't build nor understand COLLAPSED UNDER THEIR WEIGHT and now it's every bird for his/herself. Their entire chicken society has to be rebuilt because they don't have the brainpower to move to one of the unused roost bars.


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## chickenista (Mar 24, 2007)

We need to change up.
We have already sold the turkey business and are emptying out the barn. (we think we are going to lose the farm in the next 2 months and go to living in our car)
But if we don't and somehow survive we want to go to quail and guinea pigs for meat.
For the quiet of them.

And again.. more for the boy as we think it will effect him more, but so that he can stay hidden. No clucking, no crowing.. plenty of eggs and meat.


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## Ernie (Jul 22, 2007)

chickenista said:


> (we think we are going to lose the farm in the next 2 months and go to living in our car)


Dang. Well, if it comes down to it, you know where you can park that car. I've got a good spot picked out here for you and the weather in Texas ain't too terrible for Carolina folk.

Between both our families I bet we could manage to stay fed between the stock and the garden. I think it's LONG past time when families needed to have started banding together with like-minded folk to weather the storm that seems to be upon us NOW.


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## texican (Oct 4, 2003)

Get bantams.... most all of them are broody and will set/raise chicks year round... lots of eggs year round....


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## kbshorts (Dec 6, 2005)

I'm with Ernie, I have my own line of buff orphingtons crossed with a bit of game to improve broodiness and predator awareness. They are part of the plan and it is hitting the fan right now. Plenty of parking space here in VA too, might be a trick getting that car up to the house, we have the high ground here.

KB


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## countrytime (Sep 23, 2012)

Ernie said:


> We've had multiple types of breeds over the past 7 years or so but after interbreeding them and culling out the traits we didn't like, we have just sort of an "Ernie Chicken" now. Good at free ranging, watchful for predators, and hardy. Their egg production is probably less than to be desired, and the meat they put on is neither plentiful or tasty, but they are probably the lowest maintenance critter around.
> 
> As far as thinking of them in terms of a "prep" ... SHTF is NOW.
> 
> ...


I completely agree with you Ernie---prices that are going through the roof, people I know that were always "well off" now dont have a job, yet others I know think I'm nuts and the economy is "improving" ????? I plan for today and tomorrow.


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## countrytime (Sep 23, 2012)

texican said:


> Get bantams.... most all of them are broody and will set/raise chicks year round... lots of eggs year round....


Yep--at least a couple of mine set every spring, and then I switch out their eggs for the larger birds--works great! Banty moms are the best--and they teach their young to forage like nobody's business.


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## Roadking (Oct 8, 2009)

I need to repair our chicken tractor...something tore it up good and destroyed the few we kept for eggs. Thinking it was a fisher as there is one often seen at the pond.
Have all the materials ready after seeing what it did, we are beefing it up...when we can get it free of the snow. We just abandoned it this year; no heat, no shoveling it out, etc.
That is a changing soon.

Matt


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## cntrywmnkw (Jun 5, 2013)

chickenista said:


> We need to change up.
> We have already sold the turkey business and are emptying out the barn. (we think we are going to lose the farm in the next 2 months and go to living in our car)
> But if we don't and somehow survive we want to go to quail and guinea pigs for meat.
> For the quiet of them.
> ...


Wow, that's terrible news. If you need a place to stay, I've got a 2br bungalow here on our place if you need it, it's got ALL the appliances. I sent you a pm.


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## oneraddad (Jul 20, 2010)

backwoods said:


> oneraddad, are the Chanteclers aggressive? I don't know much about them. With kids helping do chores around here, it's also important for us to have docile birds. I don't want the 3 yr old getting pecked or spurred. Otherwise, a somewhat aggressive chicken would be good for foraging purposes. Predators may not want to bother with them if they fight enough.



My Chant's are very friendly. I've had 100's of chicken's and this flock is my favorite.


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## ccfromnc (Jul 23, 2011)

So I'm trying to wrap my head around sustainable chickens in shtf. My initial thought was if we have enough hens and a few roosters they will reproduce themselves over time and all will be well but this discussion has me thinking that there has to be more planning involved for that to work like it should to provide meals as they are needed.

We currently have 4 buff orpington hens and a rooster (all 1yr old) and 5 barred rock hens (3 mo old). Getting 10 buff chicks (females), 10 barred rock chicks (female), and 10 bourbon red turkey poults (unsexed) coming in July. We realize we are short on roosters but had in mind cooping the rooster with a couple of hens at a time and letting them raise their own chicks.

Any advice on what we should be doing differently? It's just the two of us now but it could end up being 6 in shtf.


Chickenista, my prayers are with you.


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## mpillow (Jan 24, 2003)

Love Buff orpingtons....the roos are great for the table, hens are hardy, friendly and broody....add in some banty hens and you will have a perpetual flock.....good steady protein source. 
Plus they pretty much feed themselves over the summer. Some red worm bins would be great supplement in winter.


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## Jupiter (Dec 30, 2012)

We have mostly brahmas since they are big, lay eggs like crazy, go broody, & handle heat & cold well. They are very sweet tempered too.


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## ccfromnc (Jul 23, 2011)

We're relatively new to poultry, what would we need banty (bantams?) hens for? Are they used to incubate eggs from the other hens that aren't broody? A little confused.

Mpillow, we absolutely love our buffs and barred rocks, a perfect fit for us.


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## Ernie (Jul 22, 2007)

ccfromnc said:


> We're relatively new to poultry, what would we need banty (bantams?) hens for? Are they used to incubate eggs from the other hens that aren't broody? A little confused.
> 
> Mpillow, we absolutely love our buffs and barred rocks, a perfect fit for us.


You don't "need" them, but a lot of the more standard breeds have had the broody and mothering instinct bred out of them. Not so with the Banties. They generally seem to sit eggs a lot better than other hens.

Any hen around here who successfully incubates and raises a batch of chicks gets what we call the "stewpot pass". For the rest of her life she won't get eaten. That broody instinct seems to long outlast their egg-laying life.

We had two go broody at the same time last year. One hatched out 3 and the other hatched out only 1! The mother hen who only had one baby ended up losing hers (I think it got caught in some brush and separated from her). She followed the other mother hen around incessantly after that, calling to HER babies. Eventually she managed to snatch one away and lured it off to raise as her own.

Another hilarious event is when two mother hens with a big pack of chicks will run into each other in the yard. You'll have two mother hens standing there clucking for all their worth while a big mishmash of baby chicks runs back and forth between them, trying to figure out who is who. Eventually they all get it sorted out (or they decide they have at least the right number of babies) and off they go.


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## Maura (Jun 6, 2004)

If I had only one breed, I'd probably have Orpingtons. They take longer to mature, but get quite large. Once they start laying, they don't lay every day, but they lay for more days, hence they are still laying when the other chickens have stopped. They are very gentle. I wouldn't think twice about bringing them with me if I had to suddenly leave.

Rhode Island Reds are the best foragers, but are aggressive. I've put more than one rooster in the oven. They are excellent egg layers and a decent size for meat

I'm not sure about broodiness. I did have a couple of RIR get broody. As long as you know you have a broody hen you know you have to mark the eggs and take out any after the eighth one or she may not be able to cover them.


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## CountryCabin (Mar 8, 2007)

Years ago I got Buff Orps and EEs.
The BOs are heavy weights, good brooders and can set many eggs at one time, as well as cold hardy, plus good layers.
I selected the biggest and very friendly BO roo to cross with the EEs.

I was trying to get away from the large comb of the BO in our winters.
Turned out I not only got great EE's, they end up being sex linked!
I also wanted to improve the broodiness and size of the EEs. It worked. 
Both are all more then willing to forage. 

I keep at least 2 roos from each at all times and they must be friendly. You never know when something may happen only having one roo. If no way to get another...shall we say its insurance having a spare roo. 

I also have Chants. and Marans. They are great brooders but they seem to go broody far to often for my liking.
My favs so far are the BOs and EEs and their crosses.

Another thing I like to do is incubate chicks as they turn out so friendly and not scared at all, seeing I am their 'mom'.


I see a time coming when I may have to gather them up and get the heck out or into a secure area fast, for many reasons. 
More work but they come readily and always want to be taken.

And I get lots of goodies for the garden beds, never have had to buy any fertilizer. 

Your 'mileage' may vary due to different lines.


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## countrytime (Sep 23, 2012)

ccfromnc said:


> We're relatively new to poultry, what would we need banty (bantams?) hens for? Are they used to incubate eggs from the other hens that aren't broody? A little confused.
> 
> Mpillow, we absolutely love our buffs and barred rocks, a perfect fit for us.


Bantys are great mothers and tend to set well and defend their chicks very well. I switch out their eggs for the bigger layers leaving a few banty eggs as well. My banties also lay as much or more than our larger hens--they just have small eggs--some of our bigger banties lay a medium egg. They cost me almost nothing to feed in the winter and the summer they would rather free range than eat any chicken feed...I'm sold on the heavier crosses on the banty hens--they are doing me a great job for eggs--and like Ernie--if I have a mother hen I definitely dont eat her. Some even go broody with no eggs under them and try and set--I just put some under them and let them be.


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## Ernie (Jul 22, 2007)

Some banties just go crazy when they see a clutch of eggs. They will sit a clutch YEAR ROUND if you let them. 

I have a couple of banties which I have caught out there pushing and shoving each other trying to both sit on the same clutch of eggs.


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## bourbonred (Feb 27, 2008)

I consider my chickens less of a shtf item and more of an insurance policy that I continue to pay for and never hope to depend on. After wanting every bird in the world, I've settled down to cornish. They are heavier than they look and after butchering buff orps, I know they are much meatier. I'm keeping a small flock of these, and this year looking for a 2nd flock of another breed for hybrid vigor. I currently have white rock eggs in the bator to hatch this week. I have two pyr pups in the coop now learning that the birds are their best friends (freya's pups, ernie!) and hope one day to free-range and grow most of my own food. If the shtf, the rooster and 2 hens would become housepets in cages. They would be too valuable to leave in the barn.


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## Ernie (Jul 22, 2007)

bourbonred said:


> (freya's pups, ernie!)


Freya had puppies?? Awesome! How are they? Good qualities?


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## Ozarks Tom (May 27, 2011)

After a lot of reading, we settled on Wyandottes. They're good dual purpose birds, lay large brown eggs, and have a reasonable amount of meat. They handle cold and heat well, and love to range. 

They're not very broody though, so we got an inexpensive incubator with an automatic turner that will run off a battery kept charged with a small solar panel.

They are most definitely preps.


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## Tiempo (May 22, 2008)

Ernie said:


> You don't "need" them, but a lot of the more standard breeds have had the broody and mothering instinct bred out of them. Not so with the Banties. They generally seem to sit eggs a lot better than other hens.
> 
> Any hen around here who successfully incubates and raises a batch of chicks gets what we call the "stewpot pass". For the rest of her life she won't get eaten. That broody instinct seems to long outlast their egg-laying life.
> 
> ...


Last summer we had three hens who went broody at the same time and hatched a clutch between them, sometimes they all huddled together on the eggs, sometimes they traded off. After hatch, they did the same thing, split caring duties between them..very cute to watch.

They were a splash Marans, a cuckoo Marans and an EE.


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## biggkidd (Aug 16, 2012)

We bought chicks and cleaned out the old coop 11 days ago for this very reason. Bought several different kinds of chicks to see what works best for us. My daughters went a little crazy and bought a dozen or so more than our coop will comfortably hold. So one of the things we have to do soon is build a bigger coop. Thinking we need an enclosed yard set aside for them for when they aren't free ranging. Our last chickens were eaten in the night by mysterious predators. this time I am going to tight fence the whole area including the top. It ain't happening again.

Larry


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## Peggy (Feb 14, 2010)

If I had chicken, they would be preps!


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## unregistered29228 (Jan 9, 2008)

biggkidd said:


> Thinking we need an enclosed yard set aside for them for when they aren't free ranging. Our last chickens were eaten in the night by mysterious predators. this time I am going to tight fence the whole area including the top. It ain't happening again.


That's what we did - an old shed for the coop, and a totally fenced run on one end (top too). We eventually built a tin roof over the run because every time it rained it would be a goopy sea of poop. I let them out to free range every afternoon, after the eggs are laid, and when the weather is really bad they just stay in the coop/yard. I lock them up in the shed every night, and in 6 years we've never lost one to a predator.


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## Jakk (Aug 14, 2008)

Ernie said:


> Alright, I want to share a funny chicken apocalypse story.
> 
> In our chicken coop we have 6 roost bars. Now those of you with chickens know how the social structure in a coop is. The dominant rooster gets on the bar and then all his dominant ladies pile in close around him and that's how they spend the night.
> 
> ...


My coop is in total chaos for similar reasons. I have one chicken that has deformed toes and cannot roost on a normal roosting bar. I put up a flat 4 inch wide board (about 5 ft long) for him. Several other of my chickens decided to keep him company and it collapsed. He moved over to a short 2 foot long roost that is about 2 feet off the floor and he isn't happy about it and neither are the two Buff Orps that used to occupy it. 

My coop is a 12x16 shed that I converted to a coop. There is a wire wall that goes up 6 feet high down the middle from front to back and the top of the wall is where most of the girls roost, not on all the roosting bars I put up. There is also a 2x4 that goes on top of the wall, but from side to side that braces the walls. Standing in the doorway it looks like a cross. When they collapsed the flat board my DH put up another roost going from side to side, a few feet behind the first brace. OMG, you would think it were WWIII in there at bedtime. They ALL fight over getting on that new roost. It is utter chaos in there. 

This is what it looked like before adding the second roost. That is the top of the wire wall, and the wall brace. 









As for the original question, I do look at my chickens as preps. They provide meat and eggs and are easy enough to reproduce.


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## jwal10 (Jun 5, 2010)

We have an old variety of Buff Orps that my grandmother had 50 years ago. Big, meaty and easy keepers. We have a coop, they run all day and are locked in at night. They brood all the young we need, very good mothers. We eat 1/2 a chicken each week and all the eggs we want. They lay all winter with a little warmed milk, oat mix. I don't see changing anything if/when SHTF....James


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## ccfromnc (Jul 23, 2011)

Jwal, is the milk/oat (oatmeal?) mix their only feed? I've been wondering if I need to stock up on feed to supplement their foraging and scraps from the kitchen and garden.


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## whiterock (Mar 26, 2003)

I had barred rock and RIR, got a few game hens that are settin machines, the game cross set just as well. right now i'm down to three rocks and a buff orp. Need a rooster and a few game hens. Games aren't heavy layers though. but they do get out and hustle for their groceries.


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## used2bcool13 (Sep 24, 2007)

I have to second the Buff orpingtons as the best all around breed, my hubby likes the barred rock hens best but he just names them all "Blackie", (because the barred rocks are mostly black), we have had also Rhode Island Reds, and liked them but as it was pointed out they are more aggressive.
I prefer dual purpose breeds and brown eggs. We just buy new chicks when needed and haven't kept a rooster, too loud at the old place.

I would consider keeping a rooster now. Never had a broody Buff Orpington, did have a broody RIR once. I like the banty brooder idea.

All chickens are great to watch, just handle them a lot and feed them, they will love you. I would definitely consider them a prep, you don't have to buy eggs and you don't have to refrigerate your chicken.

We never lost one when we locked them up in the coop at night. We had a few taken by raccoons (I think) when we didn't get them all in.

If your chicken has deformed toes you can use a two by four, wide way up (hope you can understand that) you can even staple some old carpeting around it if you have really cold winters. We also keep the food in the coop and only water went outside. Everything was kept locked up and up off the ground, no problems. 
Good luck I love the pictures

Chickenista, prayers for you and your family, I enjoy your posts.


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## manygoatsnmore (Feb 12, 2005)

Buff Orpingtons are wonderful, but I think my favorite breed for broodiness is the Speckled Sussex. Can't hardly keep them laying, they want to set a clutch so badly. My Cuckoo Marans hens are flightier, and the rooster is just plain mean. I need to put him in the soup pot, but until I get around to it, I have to give him a beat down about once a week to remind him that I"M the alpha here!

I consider my chickens a working prep...I use them now and would expand them further if I had more family staying with me and needed the eggs and meat. My goal now is to always have 2 roosters, at least a couple hens that will go broody, and enough other hens to supply my egg needs (plus usually enough to share).


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## countryfied2011 (Jul 5, 2011)

We have game hens, right now we are getting between a dozen to two dozen eggs a day. Most of our hens will sit as long as you let them, we normally dont let them sit more than two sittings without making them get off. They make very good mothers and their meat is good. Not a whole lot of meat, but enough for DH and I. We even have hens that like to share nesting and raising..lol 

We also have some hens that will take chicks away from others..lol


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## jwal10 (Jun 5, 2010)

ccfromnc said:


> Jwal, is the milk/oat (oatmeal?) mix their only feed? I've been wondering if I need to stock up on feed to supplement their foraging and scraps from the kitchen and garden.


 
Just coarse ground oats mixed with warmed milk, sets for 10-15 minutes, then fed. I feed sprouted whole oats to the hens. Just enough warm water to cover, let set 2 days. Oats are the only grain I feed, chickens, goats and rabbits. Ground for the pigeons. Mother hen with chicks get ground oats also for 2-3 weeks, then back with the hens....James


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## Ziptie (May 16, 2013)

Ozarks Tom said:


> After a lot of reading, we settled on Wyandottes. They're good dual purpose birds, lay large brown eggs, and have a reasonable amount of meat. They handle cold and heat well, and love to range.
> 
> They're not very broody though, so we got an inexpensive incubator with an automatic turner that will run off a battery kept charged with a small solar panel.
> 
> They are most definitely preps.



Got an Wyandotte that is setting on 12 eggs now.:nanner:
Though ours our sad in the meet department but our Rooster is a Rainbow Ranger. Will be interesting to see what we get.

Funny story..Chickens were making a rukus one day went out to look. One of our mama hens was battling a small ring tailed hawk that was trying to take her chicks.  I was almost on top of the hawk before it noticed me and took off. That day she earned a free pass or life.


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## Ernie (Jul 22, 2007)

Many other cultures don't look upon chickens as food. They see chickens only as a source of eggs. They find chickens to be a disgusting bird.


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## backwoods (Sep 12, 2004)

Chickenista, So sorry for your hard times! I've seen some friends go through this, and the only advice I can give is to go ahead NOW and as hard as it is, MAKE A PLAN. I've seen friends loose their homes, and lots of the contents included because they waited until it was too late to make a plan to put their valuable belongings somewhere else. They could've at the least, sold those items to help them come up with the money for a new abode, but by denying what was about to happen, they messed themselves up even worse. Please, make plans now... will be praying for you and your family.


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## BlueRose (Mar 7, 2013)

Chickenista :angel::grouphug: I agree with backwoods. Make a Plan and get your priced belongings and preps safe.


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## ccfromnc (Jul 23, 2011)

jwal10 said:


> Just coarse ground oats mixed with warmed milk, sets for 10-15 minutes, then fed. I feed sprouted whole oats to the hens. Just enough warm water to cover, let set 2 days. Oats are the only grain I feed, chickens, goats and rabbits. Ground for the pigeons. Mother hen with chicks get ground oats also for 2-3 weeks, then back with the hens....James


Thanks! Now I have another use for all that oatmeal.


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## jwal10 (Jun 5, 2010)

Chickens love mash like hogs like slop. Both do well on it....James


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## oneraddad (Jul 20, 2010)

I soak/ferment whole oats and corn for my chickens and pigs.


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## hillbillygal (Jan 16, 2008)

Our chickens are a mixed bunch of mongrels, lol. We started with 10 chicks we bought from a flea market a few years ago and have added some Barnevelders and other mixes along the way. Now it's just a hodge podge. They are good mothers. We usually have at least 3 hatches each year. We just sold some of ours a few weeks ago to lighten the load in the coop and to make room for the new generation. I have two roosters right now. The first is 4th generation "Roy". I always name my roosters Roy and the young up and coming rooster is "Not-Roy". When Roy is sold or meets an end, Not-Roy replaces him as Roy. Right now though, the younger rooster is called LeeRoy as I already had a Roy and Not-Roy when he revealed himself as a roo. Not-Roy was sold with the group we just got rid of but I've just kept the other as LeeRoy. He's a purty rooster with lots of colors where my line of Roys are a little tamer in the color department. 

Our chickens haven't offered to flog anyone unless it's the momma hens and then it's drop the food and run. 

We do think of ours as preparations. They lay well and the roosters get some pretty good size on them. We don't enjoy the meat so much but it would do fine if we had to eat it.


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## Spinner (Jul 19, 2003)

Many years ago I ordered a 50 chick mixed special. I got it cause the price was great. I don't have a coop, they free range and roost in trees, barn rafters, or wherever they want. I let them run and let them forage for themselves. Over the years the strongest survived. Now I have a great flock of survivors. I toss them some cracked corn every now and then to get them to gather so I can get a count. They are good layers, good mothers, good foragers, and good meat birds. I have no idea what breeds they are cause like I said in the beginning it was a mixed batch that the hatchery sent cause they hatched more than they sold so these were tossed into a special deal. My only requirement was that they be bantams.


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## countrytime (Sep 23, 2012)

my oh my haha! Went out yesterday and there was my little banty mix hen in one of the nest boxes making a racket when I went in to check for eggs---shes broody! This little wisp of a thing is named and a favorite... "raven" was hatched out last summer from a banty hen mother and banty/Aracunna (sp?) mix rooster. Shes a tiny wisp of a thing--so I put 5 eggs under her--3 banty or game hen (they look the same), a banty arracunna egg (banty crossed with an easter egger thats small and lays blue eggs), and a leghorn....and moved her to our brooding hen hutch with her "nest" box..If I dont separate my broody hens out of the nesting boxes in the coop--the other hens chase them out, or lay eggs on top of them or fight...so this works out well--they are released day 3 after hatch. I'm ecstatic!!! and surprised she went broody so young.


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## Ernie (Jul 22, 2007)

I've got this one little black bird. She's all fuzzy looking and weird. People always ask me, "What kind of chicken is that?" I answer, "I'm not even sure it's a chicken."

Despite being a silly-looking little thing, she's thrived out here. Every now and then she'll disappear into the brush and we'll finally decide she's been eaten by some predator. That's when she'll waddle out with a couple of chicks (normal looking ones) in tow.

We call her "the Nanny Bird".


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## unregistered29228 (Jan 9, 2008)

Spinner said:


> Many years ago I ordered a 50 chick mixed special. I got it cause the price was great. I don't have a coop, they free range and roost in trees, barn rafters, or wherever they want. I let them run and let them forage for themselves. Over the years the strongest survived. Now I have a great flock of survivors. I toss them some cracked corn every now and then to get them to gather so I can get a count. They are good layers, good mothers, good foragers, and good meat birds. I have no idea what breeds they are cause like I said in the beginning it was a mixed batch that the hatchery sent cause they hatched more than they sold so these were tossed into a special deal. My only requirement was that they be bantams.


Are you able to collect any eggs, since the chickens are totally free ranging? That's why I don't let mine out until afternoon - when they've put their eggs conveniently in the nesting boxes for me.


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## countryfied2011 (Jul 5, 2011)

Mom_of_Four said:


> Are you able to collect any eggs, since the chickens are totally free ranging? That's why I don't let mine out until afternoon - when they've put their eggs conveniently in the nesting boxes for me.


Most all of ours are totally free range....you just have an Easter egg hunt everyday..lol If you watch them once or twice you will figure out where they are laying and you just go get them....We do have nests all around or places they want to lay in. I have one right now that lays in the rabbit dog house..

Some lay out in the woods those usually end up hatching chicks.


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## Ernie (Jul 22, 2007)

We keep count of the eggs we get every day. When the count drops by 4 or 5 for a day or two we know then that some of them have a secret nest.

But generally they are proud of their laying and will make a racket when they do, so you just got to stick your head out of the door and look to see where they're at.

Most of them go to the prepared nest boxes for their laying, but a couple lay eggs in my workshop and there's another strange one who INSISTS on laying eggs in an old barbecue grill.


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## countrytime (Sep 23, 2012)

Ernie said:


> I've got this one little black bird. She's all fuzzy looking and weird. People always ask me, "What kind of chicken is that?" I answer, "I'm not even sure it's a chicken."
> 
> Despite being a silly-looking little thing, she's thrived out here. Every now and then she'll disappear into the brush and we'll finally decide she's been eaten by some predator. That's when she'll waddle out with a couple of chicks (normal looking ones) in tow.
> 
> We call her "the Nanny Bird".


That's funny!


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## mpillow (Jan 24, 2003)

I couldn't resist a new breed at TSC today called "tints" RIR/white leghorn cross....I think they'll be Buff but maybe PINK! LOL
6 peeping in the living room much to the dog and husband's dismay....(I asked him to stop at TSC for grain after work and he refused)....its his own fault!:nana:


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## oneraddad (Jul 20, 2010)

Ernie said:


> We keep count of the eggs we get every day. When the count drops by 4 or 5 for a day or two we know then that some of them have a secret nest.
> 
> But generally they are proud of their laying and will make a racket when they do, so you just got to stick your head out of the door and look to see where they're at.
> 
> Most of them go to the prepared nest boxes for their laying, but a couple lay eggs in my workshop and there's another strange one who INSISTS on laying eggs in an old barbecue grill.



I also have one that likes an old BBQ grill


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## Guest (Mar 19, 2014)

mpillow said:


> I couldn't resist a new breed at TSC today called "tints" RIR/white leghorn cross....I think they'll be Buff but maybe PINK! LOL
> 6 peeping in the living room much to the dog and husband's dismay....(I asked him to stop at TSC for grain after work and he refused)....its his own fault!:nana:




Lol..I have some of those tints too..I cant wait to see what mine are going to look like when they are older!:bouncy:


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## Ernie (Jul 22, 2007)

Isn't a RIR and Leghorn cross just a Red sex-link?

I've seen some breeders call them a Cinnamon Queen and others call them something else, but it's the same bird, isn't it?

Sounds to me like Tractor Supply figured out if they named it something else then people would figure they just had to have some.


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## Oldcountryboy (Feb 23, 2008)

I'm going with the Black Austrolop. I only have one black Austrolop hen but she is a excellent layer of big brown eggs and last summer she hatched and raised two broods. Excellent mother hen. So, I'm going to order Black Austrolop chicks this spring and when they get big enough to start laying I'll be replacing my older hens with them.


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## Tiempo (May 22, 2008)

Ernie said:


> Isn't a RIR and Leghorn cross just a Red sex-link?
> 
> I've seen some breeders call them a Cinnamon Queen and others call them something else, but it's the same bird, isn't it?
> 
> Sounds to me like Tractor Supply figured out if they named it something else then people would figure they just had to have some.


Tetra tints are from RIR over white leghorn, here is the scoop on red sex links..

*Common Red Sexlink Crosses *

Red sexlinks are the result of crossing a Rhode Island Red or New Hampshire Red male over White Plymouth Rock, Rhode Island White, Silver Laced Wyandotte, or Delaware females. 
Specific crosses: a New Hampshire male is crossed with White Rocks with the silver factor to produce the Golden Comet. New Hampshire males crossed with Silver Laced Wyandottes gives the Cinnamon Queen. Two other crosses are obtained with Rhode Island Red x Rhode Island White, and Production Red x Delaware. These two crosses are simply called Red Sexlinks. 
Generally, red sexlink males hatch out white and, depending on the cross, feather out to pure white or with some red or black feathering. Females hatch out buff or red also depending on cross, and they feather out in one of three ways: buff with white or tinted undercolor (such as Golden Comet, Rhode Island Red x Rhode Island White); red with white or tinted undercolor (Cinnamon Queen); red with red undercolor (Production Red x Delaware).


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## mpillow (Jan 24, 2003)

more on tetra tints: http://www.babolnatetra.com/pdfek/tint_szulopar.pdf


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## ArmedNDangerous (Nov 8, 2005)

Absolutely they are considered part of the preps, of course I consider it a lifestyle so everything I do is. 

I chose RIR for their dual purpose and good fit for my climate. I certainly don't have any trouble with a lack of broodiness as an earlier post mentioned, if anything it's been a fight to keep them off when I don't want them. They're also a little stingy, always finding new places to lay in hopes I won't find the eggs!

I also don't have any agression issues with the roo's, I can only assume it's an enviromental trait. 

Good luck!


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## altair (Jul 23, 2011)

Since my husband ordered me rare chickens last year as a wedding gift we have been raising breeds, mostly European in origin, with low global populations. Barthuhners, Bielefelders, Swedish Flower Hens, Hedemora, adaptable breeds suited to our location and very good homestead specimens. In addition to promoting their genetics, we value eggs above meat (though several of the breeds like the bielefelder have very large bodies perfect for the table). I like most of all contributing to the overall genetic "stewardship" of these birds.


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## Sumatra (Dec 5, 2013)

IMO, prepping is just getting _a few things together_ for a possible emergency so they aren't affected by it as much. Homesteading is the _lifestyle_ for anyone who doesn't want want to be effected by it as much either. The first leads to the second, so yes, chickens are a prep. But even if SHTF was not a reality, I would keep them anyway.


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## Ernie (Jul 22, 2007)

Here's some math.

We have 45 chickens. Right now we are receiving between 12-16 eggs per day.

Based on the weekly cost for feed and the cost of eggs available to us in the grocery store, _the first 11 eggs each day cover costs_.

Some factors:

-Our chickens free range so they gather a larger portion of their own food, but since it is just now March there is not a surplus of available forage for them.

-About a third of our flock are over 2 years old, some as much as 4 years old. This slows down their egg production, but we find it wasteful to cull your entire flock every 2 years in order to maximize egg production. The cost of new hens would then have to be factored into the equation, whereas in the more natural flock we have now, the older hens reproduce on their own without increasing our costs.


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## mpillow (Jan 24, 2003)

Ernie said:


> Here's some math.
> 
> We have 45 chickens. Right now we are receiving between 12-16 eggs per day.
> 
> ...


This worked for me(5years) until a couple of foxes moved in...I shot one fox but they got most of the young banties....so I bought 6 last year and six this year...hoping to get a broody banty from someone soon!


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## Ernie (Jul 22, 2007)

mpillow said:


> This worked for me(5years) until a couple of foxes moved in...I shot one fox but they got most of the young banties....so I bought 6 last year and six this year...hoping to get a broody banty from someone soon!


We do a head count every evening when they go into their coop and we shut the door. If any show up missing, we know there is a predator on the loose and it will call for an all-day stakeout.

Often my method has been to keep them penned up to bring the predator in closer. Sometimes I will take a spare rooster and put him on a 30' lead rope tied to a stake out in the pasture near the brush. That way I don't have to scan 360 degrees constantly looking for a predator. I know that they'll be coming for their "free meal" of tied-up rooster.


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## mpillow (Jan 24, 2003)

We caged an injured roo in a dog crate...those metal folding type... for a bait...but it was always hens that were taken!


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## crazytenn (Aug 25, 2013)

Any of the American Poultry Association's 'American Class' breeds will do fine as a dual purpose and sustainable homestead prep. However, broodiness has been selectively bred out of most large fowl over the years. 

So far, my favorite breeds are the Black Australorp from Australia and the New Hampshire. The New Hampshires were derived from a bloodline of Rhode Island Red and they get quite big if bred to standard.


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## Aintlifegrand (Jun 3, 2005)

Ive been looking into a fairly new breed..dual purpose breed..called pioneer. The growth rate on the roos is 5 lbs in 12 weeks and the hens lay nice big brown eggs according to the information on them..just wondering if anyone has tried these birds..i am wondering mostly about broodiness and the ability for them to set...thats a must have for me


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## Ernie (Jul 22, 2007)

Aintlifegrand said:


> Ive been looking into a fairly new breed..dual purpose breed..called pioneer. The growth rate on the roos is 5 lbs in 12 weeks and the hens lay nice big brown eggs according to the information on them..just wondering if anyone has tried these birds..i am wondering mostly about broodiness and the ability for them to set...thats a must have for me


Well, I don't believe broodiness and setting has been bred out of every strain completely. I've seen leghorns and RIR go broody. Now certainly it's less of an occurrence than in a Bantam, but there are throwbacks to the behavior.

Also, you have to keep the hens longer. If you get rid of them at the 2 year mark because their egg production is dropping, you may not see the broody behavior which shows up in the 3rd year. 

Once you do get a broody who can successfully sit, KEEP HER. Her offspring will be more inclined to go broody as well. At this point in our chicken-breeding scheme, during certain points in the year, we just about have to run a dozen broody hens off of any nest in order to have any eggs to eat.


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## Guest (Mar 29, 2014)

backwoods said:


> If you have chickens, how much do you think of them as a "prep?"


 No. 

If I lived out somewhere where I could grow or gather their food, they could be considered a prep animal. *IF* I were in that situation, I would definitely have some games, because they can take care of themselves so well.

But I live in the edge of town and have way too many neighbors. In a desperate SHTF situation, I wouldn't have a way to feed them, if I could even keep them safe from hungry people. 



hillbillygal said:


> The first is 4th generation "Roy". I always name my roosters Roy and the young up and coming rooster is "Not-Roy". When Roy is sold or meets an end, Not-Roy replaces him as Roy. Right now though, the younger rooster is called LeeRoy as I already had a Roy and Not-Roy when he revealed himself as a roo. Not-Roy was sold with the group we just got rid of but I've just kept the other as LeeRoy. He's a purty rooster with lots of colors where my line of Roys are a little tamer in the color department.


 That sounds like an Abbot & Costello comedy routine.


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## mrs whodunit (Feb 3, 2012)

I like Dark Cornish. They lay really well and they are a heavy meat bird. Sweet hens.


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## Aintlifegrand (Jun 3, 2005)

ladycat said:


> No.
> 
> If I lived out somewhere where I could grow or gather their food, they could be considered a prep animal. *IF* I were in that situation, I would definitely have some games, because they can take care of themselves so well.
> 
> ...


I agree lady cat..if your buying feed then they cant be survival..i rarely buy feed as mine forage..we have so many worms..bugs..crickets etc here..not to mention weed seeds grasses etc..i dont have to buy food unless they are on lockdown due to predators..hopefully the big dogs will start keeping predators out now that they are older...we have a oppossum (pete...lol) that comes to the back door to eat every night with the cats and the worthless dachshund.


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## Guest (Mar 30, 2014)

Aintlifegrand said:


> i rarely buy feed as mine forage..we have so many worms..bugs..crickets etc here..not to mention weed seeds grasses etc.


 My Freedom Rangers and some miscellaneous leftovers and mix breeds are running loose and do find most of their own food. But if SHTF I would have to lock them up to keep them safe in which case I couldn't feed them; it's an unresolvable catch 22.

I guess I would have to eat them before the zombie neighbors got to them.


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## sparkysarah (Dec 4, 2007)

After commenting last week that it was silly we didn't have chickens since our town does allow them, I went and purchased 10 chicks. We are working on getting the coop and enclosure built. Very excited that we finally went for it. We've only been talking about it for ten years


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