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| 6-10 weeks is also what I have heard, and yes it would depend on how large of a carcass that you want, ours are normally around 3-4 months by the time the fair is done and we get around to butchering. We have had Auracana's, production reds, Rhode Island Reds, Black Astralorps, plus a couple of others that I do not know what they are. My son buys some bantams every year and the breeder always throws a couple of extra chicks of what ever else is hatching that day in the box. For the past three years we have stayed with the Buff Orpington, if for no other reason than we like how they look and the seem to thrive very well both confined or free range.
Can't say that we have had any bad luck with any of them, We have been very happy with the ones from Hoovers and it has worked out well because the farm supply store gets them in and they take the risk of the chicks dying during shipping and the price is as good or better than from the hatchery. Also, no minimum order. Most catalogs will require a minimum of 25 to have enough chicks in the box to stay warm.
Pullets will start to lay between 5 and 6 months of age. They start off slow, but soon start to lay real well, I have never kept track, but would guess that they average 5 eggs every seven days if not an egg every day. It does depend on weather, feed and day length. Ours normally stop laying in November and start again in March. When I was a kid we had a laying flock and provided them with artifical light to give them the same length of day year round. I was told that it was to keep production even throughout the year. | |
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Ok, Chickens ???
