Quote:
Originally Posted by The Fonz
I didn't know the time period, I actually don't know anything about chickens.
|
Oh, I think we kinda figured that out
))
If you really want to get a few chickens, then at least get some heirloom variety like maybe a Rhode Island Red. Bantams are nice, and they are pretty good for getting rid of bugs, unfortunately they don't have the mental capacity to distinguish between a weed and your vegetables or flowers
((
No, chickens are not known for being intelligent, in fact, they are dumb, dumb, dumb, probably only a bit smarter than a turkey and that does not say much. But at least the heirloom varieties would be more adaptable to roaming around a yard than the modern laying chickens like those white Leghorns.
And the heirloom varieties would probably lay eggs for a slightly longer period of time. They might not be as regular about laying eggs though.
If you don't want to have at least one rooster, well then, every couple of years, you will have to find some small distributor to buy just a few chicks. Otherwise, with one rooster, you could have as many hens, eggs and chicks as you would like.
And the eggs are totally edible if you have a rooster with the hens. The hens don't brood all the time. Brood = make a nest of eggs that they sit on and incubate and hatch.
I grew up on a farm and my parents usually had around 300 chickens and it was my job to feed them and water them. That is precisely why I do not have chickens now, even though I live on a quarter section of land.
Here is some info for you about chickens, all the varieties, which are better suited for what area of confinement and the like.
http://www.ithaca.edu/staff/jhenders...ks/chooks.html
