2015 Poultry Solutions by Premier 1 Supplies

3 / 56

03
Reasons to keep poultry…
• Enjoy truly fresh and flavorful eggs
(and meat, if preferred)—every day.
• Small flock needs only a backyard or
green space, plus a shed or coop.
• Inexpensive to get started, feed and
maintain (although predators can be
a problem in some areas).
• Birds dispose of kitchen scraps and
give compost material in return.
• Helping to preserve heritage breeds.
What poultry do we keep?
Premier’s birds tend to change over
time, as some “depart” and new ones
replace them. Here’s what we have (or
had this past year):
• Chickens: Wyandotte, Delaware
• Ducks: Blue Swedish, Cayugas,
Khaki Campbell
• Geese: Buff
Turkeys (mixed heritage) and Emden
and Tufted Roman geese (in photos, pp.
46-49) are on an employee’s farm.
Backyard Poultry FAQs
Q. How many chickens should I have?
A. For a novice we recommend 2 to 4
hens. They will provide you with
experience and a supply of eggs
spring through fall.
Hens lay fewer eggs during the
chilly, short-daylight winter months.
Q. Do I need a rooster for my hens to
lay eggs?
A. Hens will cheerfully lay eggs without
a rooster. Their happy clucks are
infrequent and seldom loud. Few
hens are as high strung as roosters.
Obviously, a rooster is essential for
fertilized eggs. If this is your choice,
be prepared to hear crowing from
predawn to dark.
Some roosters make life difficult
for hens, injuring them over time
with their spurs and beaks.
A caution: Roosters can become
territorial and aggressive, especially
to visitors and children.
Q. How many eggs will a hen lay?
A. A young hen can lay 5 eggs/week
during peak laying season, depending
on her breed. As hens age, they lay
fewer eggs per week/month/year.
Q. Do chickens fly?
A. That depends on how you define
flying. If motivated, lighter breeds
and bantams can easily fly over a
fence or up to a tree branch or rafter.
But they lack the ability of true flight
that wild birds have.
Most heavy breeds (Orpingtons,
Brahmas, Rocks) are content to stay
on the ground—which makes them a
better choice for backyard flocks.
Photo above:
• Chicken Coop, we do not sell.