Firstly you need to work out how much space you are going to need or want to give to your new little friends. Under the 2006 animal welfare act the minimum space is a square meter of run space for every chicken that you own, but of course the more space you give them the happier they are in my experience.
Secondly, how many eggs would you like. If the answer is just enough for your household then 3-4 chickens should be a sensible number, but if your planning on supplying friends and neighbours etc with eggs then obviously you’ll need more egg layers!
Nearly every breed of large poultry has been created in a smaller version, known as bantams. Bantams will eat less but will also lay smaller eggs. But they are a great option if you are just starting out or have a limited amount of space. That’s how we started out, a trio of Lavender pekins.
If your main priority is to get eggs every day, then I would suggest you go for a hybrid;
Black Star will lay approx 300+ per year
Bluebelle will lay approx 250+ per year
Speckled Star will lay approx 270+ per year
Sussex Star will lay approx 260+ per year
We’ve got 2 Black Stars, 1 Bluebelle and 1 Speckled Star amongst our flock. The Bluebelle appears to lay fantastic double yolkers!!
In our next Chicken instalment we’ll cover housing, but the above information will give you something to get started on thinking about!
All the best – thanks for reading!
Claire
xx
www.cropredychickencompany.com
This is our dearly departed Buju - He was a lavendar peking bantam cockerel, he is very missed! Although he has been replaced by our rather stunning Dark lavender Peking Cockerel called Keith! Pictures will be up soon!
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