chickens

Chicken stocktake

by Farmer Liz
If you are losing track of the number of chickens that we currently have running around here at Eight Acres, don't worry, I occasionally have to count them again myself!  So before we start hatching more this spring, I'll give you a quick stocktake.

The White Leghorns:
In one large chicken tractor we have Boris the White Leghorn Rooster, with 3 hens from last year's hatch and 3 hens that we bought.  They are laying 1-3 eggs/day, the ones we bought are probably not quite laying yet.


The Rhode Island Reds:
In another tractor we have Wilbur the Rhode Island Red Rooster from last year, with 5 of last year's hens (and some older) and our little "Beavis Brown" cross that we hatched last spring.


The pullets:
In another tractor we have 5 Rhode Is Red and 1 White Leghorn pullet from the most recent hatch (one other RIR died of unknown causes a few weeks ago, the rest seem to be fine).  Only the eldest one is laying one eggs every couple of days, its just a matter of time though..... I already have enough excess eggs for us to eat 4 a day, and sell a few cartons a week to friends to cover the chicken feed costs.

The little roosters:
We also have a tractor full of crazy little roosters - 6 RIR and 2 White Leghorns (and its very tempting to keep one of these WLs if Boris doesn't start to grow a tail!).  They are still at an age where they can come out of the tractor without fighting each other to the death, very cute to have them running around the yard and chasing me for food :)  I think a few are going to find homes, as they are lovely roosters, and the rest will end up in the freezer.


The other roosters:
We have already killed 5 of the roosters that we hatched last spring, they are in the freezer.  See how to kill and butcher them here.  

How are your chickens laying this spring?  How many do you have?  Will you be hatching more?


By the way, my chicken eBook is now available if you want to know more about backyard chickens and using chicken tractors.  More information over at the chicken tractor ebook blog.  Or you can get it directly from my shop on Etsy (.pdf format), or Amazon Kindle or just send me an email eight.acres.liz {at} gmail.com.




What's the eBook about?
Chickens in a confined coop can end up living in an unpleasant dust-bowl, but allowing chickens to free-range can result in chickens getting into gardens and expose them to predators.

 A movable cage or “chicken tractor” is the best of both options – the chickens are safe, have access to clean grass, fresh air and bugs. Feed costs are reduced, chickens are happier, and egg production increases. 

 But how do you build a chicken tractor? What aspects should be considered in designing and using a chicken tractor effectively? In this eBook I aim to explain how to make a chicken tractor work for you in your environment to meet your goals for keeping chickens. 

I also list what I have learnt over 10 years of keeping chickens in tractors of various designs and sizes, from hatching chicks, through to butchering roosters.


Reviews of the Design and Use a Chicken Tractor


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