Chicken Talk

[Paul Vasquez]

I'm raising chickens for eggs. I pretty much eat all the eggs that grow at least at this point. I have four Americanas I got in March which are now giving me green eggs, there are two other chickens that I think are laying white eggs and one chicken that I think is not laying eggs and a rooster. I'd like some help figuring out for sure which chickens are laying and I'd like to get rid of the any chickens that are not laying. I also want to acquire a chicken that lays brown eggs. I also would like to share how I collect food to supplement my chickens food for the food I buy if anybody is interested. I only buy about %50 of their feed the rest I collect. I'd love to hear everybody's input on thier chicken's knoledge and get some help from people who have more skills with chickens than I do please. Thanks allot. Paul.

[Meg Keoppen]

Hi Paul,
You can gauge if a chicken is laying eggs by measuring the width of their pelvic bone. One finger wide = no eggs, 2 fingers wide = laying some, 3 fingers wide = layer. Many breeds lay brown eggs: barred rock, white rock, new Hampshires, Wyandots, R.I. Reds...mostly it is leghorns that lay white eggs.
Collecting food for chickens can be a great boost to their diet. If you want steady eggs, the chickens must get a 20% protein diet from mixed grains, insects, etc. Greens are wonderful and make deep yellow yolks. Old hens can be killed, skinned and turned into chicken soup.

[Paul Vasquez]

Thanks Meg. I don't have the hands on experience of checking the width of the pelvic bone or killing and eating a chicken. I've never been that hungry, I have a hard time doing that stuff. I like feeding them and getting the eggs and even petting them is fun but everything else is going to be me stretching myself, especialy killing and eating one of my chickens. I mean you can buy a chicken ready to cook for $5 and it's delicious. I think the trauma that I'm going to inflict on myself killing, skinning, and dresing one of my own birds I would rather pay double what it costs to buy a chicken. I guess I'm a chicken when it comes to doing this stuff.