1) How can I raise chickens unattended for two weeks at a time? Will some kind of Automatic feeder/waterer work?

2) How many eggs per week per chicken can I expect during peak laying season?

3) If I have just a few chickens, can I make their broods out of cardboard boxes?

-- Help me (raise@my.chickens please), June 01, 1999

Answers

I have several questions. Where do you plan on raising them? In town or in the country? If in the country, will they be in a building or in the open? At what age will you get the chicks - chickens? If in the country, do you have snakes, raccoons, foxes, bobcats, cats or loose dogs?

What breed of chickens will you be raising? That will determine how many eggs you will get over a period of time.

What is a brood? A box to lay eggs in? Cardboard boxes will work as a place to lay eggs (nestbox) if moisture stays away it.

-- Like Chicken Products (Farmer@BrownChickens.net), June 01, 1999.

(1) We hire a dogsitter/housesitter who also is willing to do daily feeding/watering/picking up eggs.

(2) Best breeds, up to 10 eggs per week per chicken, during peak periods.

(3) Don't understand your question on "broods", etither.

(4) Local egg ranch went out of business. They were giving away laying chicken cages...20 feet long! We can split them into sections for those who desire less than 18 chickens... Several of us from church picked up a bunch for the "parish" families who needed them. It's surprising how much you can find if you look.

-- Mad Monk (madmonk@hawaiian.net), June 01, 1999.

1. You can't.

I know there are automated feeders and waterers - they're expensive and I never had any - but the operative word here is "unattended." Where will they be while unattended? Locked inside a chicken house with no sunlight and nobody to muck out the mess? Or with access to the outside, where any number of varments, no matter how carefully built the chicken yard is, will make them all disappear in that time? By "raise" them, do you mean leaving little chicks unattended? They won't live for 2 weeks. Raising them is a hands-on deal, every day.

2. If you are there, you can expect a lot of eggs the first laying year, but it depends on the breed of chickens you have - egg layers or multi-purpose. The FIRST peak laying season usually coincides with the beginning of winter, lets up in the coldest part and commences for real in spring. So your location has a lot to do with it. For average numbers: light laying breeds, up to 7 a week, heavy dual-purpose breeds, 3 to 6 until they get broody - and they will.

3. By "brood boxes" do you mean to raise the chicks in? This can be done quite well starting out in cartons if you have instructions. It's a 3 times a day hands on affair, minimum. If you mean for nest boxes later, yes, cardboard boxes will work in a pinch but you'll want something sturdier real soon. Hens seldom lay in the boxes you want them to anyway, not if they find a dark corner they like better.

I raised chickens for 17 years, some under pretty primative conditions. I realize it isn't just a new hobby for people this year, and would really need to know more about the mechanics of your plans and climate to offer much help. My best advice based on just what you've said is:

See first line.

-- Scat (sgcatique@webtv.net), June 01, 1999.

My advice is don't!! Unless you have a very large family, 10 chickens will provide you with all the eggs you can use. Make adeal with someone around you to raise you 10 pullets for you to buy next spring or this fall. No animals should be unattended for two weeks and especially if they are young ones. Just because y2k rolls over, all the chickens in the world are not going to roll over dead. If anything, these computerized egg production place would be the hardest hit and would be trying to get rid of chickens/layers as fast as they could.

Don't get animals unless you can care for them!!

Taz

-- Taz (Taz@aol.com), June 02, 1999.

don't leave them for 2 weeks- get a neighbor to feed, water, etc-

howmany eggs depends on the breed, age, light, weather, feed etc- young heavy producing chickens in late spring lay a lot. Older hens lay less often. As daylight decreases, so does egg numbers.

By the way- my banty hen just exhibited her newly hatched brood of nine chicks today- I was suprised ! They are so cute however- following Mom everywhere. Banties are wonderful- are small egg producers- lots but little ones, but are great foragers and mothers. I think everyone needs at least one banty. We have a banty rooster as well- proud Pop!

-- anita (hillsidefarm@drbs.com), June 03, 1999.