For those of you that have been following the blog on a regular basis, you all know that there has been a goal for this family since getting our own home. That goal is to one day have laying hens to supply us with eggs for cooking, baking, and possibly selling. The only thing holding us back really, aside from money, is waiting to see how my cholesterol numbers look before we think about an egg-heavy life style.
That being said, one can hope for the best. In an attempt to educate myself (and possibly the husband, even though he grew up with them) about chickens and the various sorts, I introduce to you a series of posts entirely about chickens. This is in no way meant to be a tutorial on chicken husbandry. This is simply my way of sharing what research I find. By writing I increase the amount of knowledge I retain and have the added bonus of passing that knowledge on to others.
The articles in mind will look at the following:
- General chicken information (history of chicken raising, reasons, ability…)
- Small coop designs (for flocks of up to ten)
- Initial coop set up (including a cost break down)
- Ways to obtain chicks (Murry McMurry, local stores, local farms…)
- Bantams vs. standard size hens (pros, cons)
- The necessity of a rooster (to have or not to have)
- Posts on different species of chickens
- Chicken health (illnesses, immunizations, controversy)
- Chicken feed (natural, pellets, misc.)
If you have ideas, thoughts, and information about chicken raising, by all means, feel free to share!