keeping hens for fresh eggs

About (not) consuming fresh raw fish and fresh raw egg yolks
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johndela1
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keeping hens for fresh eggs

Post by johndela1 »

Does anyone here know what I should do if I want to get some hens to lay eggs? I just bought a house with a good size back yard and would like to fence off an area to have some hens.

Anyone here have hens already for fresh eggs? If so, what do you feed them and how many do you have?
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RRM
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Re: keeping hens for fresh eggs

Post by RRM »

johndela1 wrote:Does anyone here know what I should do if I want to get some hens to lay eggs?
There must be good info about this on the web.
Anyone here have hens already for fresh eggs? If so, what do you feed them and how many do you have?
I grew up in a former farmhouse, and we ate the eggs from the hens that we kept (approx. 15 hens, one rooster).
The henhouse was fixed, but we always fenced off a different part of the land, so that they could roam on fresh grass with insects and all. Once all the grass was almost pretty much gone, we fenced off a new, 'fresh' area. Supplementary, we gave them whole grains. I believe it included corn.
Novidez
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Re: keeping hens for fresh eggs

Post by Novidez »

So, I'm pretty upset with the organic eggs here in Portugal. They cost around 2.50€ - 3.00€ / 6 units and they are not that great.
Last week, the eggs I bought were terrible: the yolks seemed that didn't get any 'sunlight'. They were so pale, yellowish-white and the taste was pretty bad too...
Today I'm happy because I found a neighbor that has some hens and I tried to make business with him. He sells his eggs for only 1.50€/6 un. , and they are much more delicious. But of course, there were some bad news: they are on a fence (still, it's pretty big enough though) and he said that sometimes gave to them ration to make more eggs. Meh... There was a point I started talking to him as if the hens were mine and saying what food we should give to them (I think I realized this soon enough. because the business coulda went wrong from there ahah. After all I don't know him xD). Nevertheless, I said that I would help him getting food and rearranging the fence when needed. And of course, I want to make the better and clean eggs possible.

RRM, you talk about grains. But what grains? Corn is the classic one, but I've already read that's not the best for them (even though it was from Mercola- https://youtu.be/gfPoFS1NDVI?t=2m21s ). Does giving them seeds like sesame, chia, sunflower seeds makes sense?
Also, he said something that I never heard before: he give to them some oyster shell because of the calcium. This way, the egg shell is harder. He said that the best would be from snails' shell that were roaming around, but of course, nature doesn't work like this in a city... Do you think this is a bad thing for the hens? (Actually, I found here this information too: http://www.journeytoforever.org/farm_li ... /ppp7.html . It seems pretty common)

P.S.: he offered me some parsley, bay leaf and fennel. Herm... :roll: ;D
Novidez
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Re: keeping hens for fresh eggs

Post by Novidez »

Hmm, meat scrap too? Well, the problem is where the meat comes from... :S
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Aytundra
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Re: keeping hens for fresh eggs

Post by Aytundra »

Novidez wrote: Meh... There was a point I started talking to him as if the hens were mine and saying what food we should give to them (I think I realized this soon enough. because the business coulda went wrong from there ahah. After all I don't know him xD). Nevertheless, I said that I would help him getting food and rearranging the fence when needed. And of course, I want to make the better and clean eggs possible.
Watch out there is a new farmer in town! 8)
A tundra where will we be without trees? Thannnks!
Novidez
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Re: keeping hens for fresh eggs

Post by Novidez »

Aytundra wrote:Watch out there is a new farmer in town! 8)
Hey, don't make fun of me. Help me instead :P
I have to study this better in order to make the best 'cake'
Image

The only problem will be their lack of freedom... I have to make them to exercise somehow like make them dig (workout) to find food maybe.
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Aytundra
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Re: keeping hens for fresh eggs

Post by Aytundra »

Interesting,

"Skim milk, cottage cheese, butter milk, beef scrap, cut bones, dried blood"

Chickens are not vegetarians?
Where did you get that table from?
A tundra where will we be without trees? Thannnks!
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RRM
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Re: keeping hens for fresh eggs

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Novidez wrote:RRM, you talk about grains. But what grains?
We used to keep hens for eggs (though my father was a teacher, i grew up on a horse farm, with geeze, ducks, hens, pigeons, and a fruit yard (apples, pears, plums)), and we continually changed the area where they could roam. They mostly ate grass, worms and other insects (hardly any animal is truly vegetarian; even cows ingest lots of small animal stuff), and we supplemented them with squashed corn, if i recall correctly. And yes, we also gave them various seeds, but i cannot recall which ones.
Also, he said something that I never heard before: he give to them some oyster shell because of the calcium.
We gave them egg shells...
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Re: keeping hens for fresh eggs

Post by Novidez »

Aytundra wrote:Interesting,

"Skim milk, cottage cheese, butter milk, beef scrap, cut bones, dried blood"

Chickens are not vegetarians?
Where did you get that table from?
From here: http://www.journeytoforever.org/farm_li ... /ppp7.html
I don't know of course is this list is trustworthy, but they seem to have useful information.
Nutritive Ratio

What is called the nutritive ratio is the proportion existing between the content of protein and that of fat and heat-producing constituents. To produce eggs, what is called a narrow nutritive ratio should be fed; that is, a proportion of one part protein to four or five of carbohydrates and fat. In figuring the ratio the fat is multiplied by 2-1/4, because 1 pound is estimated to be equivalent to that amount of carbohydrates. It must be remembered, however, that a nutritive ratio in itself does not necessarily indicate the true value of a ration. Palatability, digestibility and other factors must be reckoned with. Even a proper ratio does not guarantee a good egg yield. The kinds of feed must be considered, and the feeder must be guided by results that indicate the value of the different feeds.
Maybe we should create a Wai Diet for hens too :O

Image
Ration No. 5 is, according to them , the best combo to make the best eggs regarding nutrient ratios.

Vegetables are really important because of its water content. That's interesting.

http://www.cfsph.iastate.edu/pdf/fad-pr ... try-manual, here seems to have some other (too much!) information, even though they talk about soy.
Also here has some information too: http://www.nwedible.com/topics/chickens/
Water is the real thing.
RRM wrote:We used to keep hens for eggs (though my father was a teacher, i grew up on a horse farm, with geeze, ducks, hens, pigeons, and a fruit yard (apples, pears, plums)), and we continually changed the area where they could roam.
That seems to be such a beautiful past you had. I always lived on a city and actually didn't like doing not even being interested on this stuff because I thought it was just for dumb and poor people. I was raised this way...
They mostly ate grass, worms and other insects (hardly any animal is truly vegetarian; even cows ingest lots of small animal stuff)
Bugs
“All vegetarian feed” – what a stupid way to advertise “pure” eggs, huh? This egg carton slogan, designed to fool people who’ve never seen a chicken devour a worm or a frog or a plate of…well…chicken, conveniently side-steps the fact that chickens are omnivores. I watched one of my hens jump 3 feet into the air to catch a moth yesterday. So don’t let the adverts fool ya, chickens are just tiny T-Rexs with wings.

As soon as it is safe to do so, start introducing your chicks to the wonder of small worms, little buggies, and other critters small enough to be a chick meal. Don’t worry, they will figure out what to do. If your chicks have a mama hen, she will delight in teaching her babies the scratch-scratch-hop-back-and-peck dance and they’ll be catching their own bugs in no time.
Source: http://www.nwedible.com/how-to-feed-baby-chicks/
I found this tactic pretty amazing! http://www.journeytoforever.org/farm_poultry.html#flies
I think with this, going to a butchers the get some remains would be useless. This strategy seems to be an excellent way to give them good protein.
and we supplemented them with squashed corn, if i recall correctly. And yes, we also gave them various seeds, but i cannot recall which ones.
On that list, they put linseed meal (I don't know what they mean by that, but I guess just linseeds/flaxseeds should serve).

In conclusion, what seems to be important is to have the proper ratios after all. Everyone gives corn because the ratios are kinda balanced and it's cheaper.
Novidez
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Re: keeping hens for fresh eggs

Post by Novidez »

RRM wrote:We gave them egg shells...
LOL. Why I never thought about that? That's an excellent way to recycle. Although, probably the quantity of calcium mustn't be the same. I wish I had my own hens to test these kind of things and see what's better :/
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Aytundra
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Re: keeping hens for fresh eggs

Post by Aytundra »

@ Novidez
How's it going? Raising your neighbor's chickens? :wink:

I personally have never raised chickens, but from the few stories told to me about my grandma, my grandma's house gradually became a chicken barn from the neighbors taking over her house after she left that island.
A tundra where will we be without trees? Thannnks!
Novidez
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Re: keeping hens for fresh eggs

Post by Novidez »

Aytundra wrote:@ Novidez
How's it going? Raising your neighbor's chickens? :wink:
Well, don't talk to me abou that... I went to his house on the other day and meh, he has 4 chickens and some days his chickens don't put any eggs.
I asked him to feed them, that I wanted to watch. And, sadly, the food he gives to them is just corn with some ration (supplement to put more eggs) as he said in the first day. Sometimes gives them some vegetables, but the way he said it, it didn't convinced me. I guess he gives them only a few sporadically. But I could be wrong...
However, it seems that he did't take me serious when I talked about what to feed them. Knowing that he still gives that supplement kills me :| .. I can't blame him. After all, I amstill nobody that suddenly appeared in his house. I don't want to kill his hens, but there could be people having those intentions, who knows. You can't trust anyone xD. Moreover, the chickens belong to him. I will knock his door a later day...
Aytundra wrote:I personally have never raised chickens, but from the few stories told to me about my grandma, my grandma's house gradually became a chicken barn from the neighbors taking over her house after she left that island.
Seriously? Go there, grab some and send them to me :D

However, the good news, is that I find an elderly lady that has some hens too. When I met her, I saw her feeding them and, despite being only corn once a again (not that relevant), at least she has its own vegetables and use them to feed the hens too. Also, the chickens are not 24/7 closed in a cage as my neighbour's are. She said that sometimes let them go for a free run since she has conditions for it (hope those chickens eat some insects. She doesn't give any protein from animal). Well, she seems to have eggs everyday at least. I tasted them, and they were actually tasty. I still have to make business with her because she only gave my 6 eggs to first try them.
Let's see how it goes when I met her again (I still didn't have any luck to find her at home again. I've already knocked her door on three different days and still nothing -_- )
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Re: keeping hens for fresh eggs

Post by dime »

RRM wrote: I grew up in a former farmhouse, and we ate the eggs from the hens that we kept (approx. 15 hens, one rooster).
Similar here, but it was a fixed place for them. We were giving them grains, maybe soy and some "concentrate" if I remember.
But this was before the internet, one can easily find a lot of info now about what is a good natural way to keep chicken.
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