# Which breed



## Firstman (Aug 7, 2020)

Help me please .
Also is it better to raise mixed breed or pure breed.
My whole idea to raise chicken is for eggs..


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Mixed or not doesn't make a huge difference. Many hatchery birds are bred to be either egg layers, meat birds or both. Hatchery birds also are shorter lived than birds purchased from private breeders where the birds were not bred for one of the three above reasons. 

Are those large fowl or bantams?


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## Firstman (Aug 7, 2020)

Honestly speaking I purchased them from market . The seller said they are average size chicken which will weight around 5 lbs. So it makes them large fowls. There age is around 2-3 months right now. Am curious when will they start laying


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

About four months, give our take. Watch for combs getting pinker. That's a sign they're knocking on the door to start laying. 

You said market, does that mean you're not in N. America? That would mean your birds are not hatchery birds if you're not.


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## Sylie (May 4, 2018)

They should start laying anywhere from 16 to 24 weeks old, it's hard to tell because every chicken is different, every breed is different etc. Just try to be patient 

I would imagine you will never get eggs from the dark one with the red/gray/black markings, it appears to be a rooster. You should start hearing first attempts at crowing soon. It will sound like he has a sore throat or like he's being strangled for awhile until he learns to do it well.

Also, just a tip here, that pen is not predator proof at all. Many critters could easily dig under that. You might think about taking some of that wire fencing I see in the outside of the pen corner and attach the fencing to it then bury a good bit of it under ground so that digging creatures can't get in there. (dogs, raccoons, opossums, etc), you wouldn't want to lose any of your birds to a predator attack.

Here are a couple of articles on predator proofing:
https://www.farmandfleet.com/blog/predator-proofing-your-chicken-coop/#

https://www.thespruce.com/predator-...owing invaders like rats or raccoons... More 

https://www.thespruce.com/protect-your-chickens-from-predators-3016834

Here is a video on how to install a predator apron (bury the wire underground is known as a predator apron)





I'm sorry that I can't help with the breeds, I'm better at gender lol


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## Firstman (Aug 7, 2020)

Thank you so much for the good news about the rooster. So o can look forward for baby chicks as well. 
And abot this pen. This is just an extension of main pen and still under construction. Even though the whole area is surrounded by talk wall. I will still get the wire layed to make it more safe. 
Also where can I find some simple but effective ideas about nesting boxes.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

I'm picking up that you are not in N. America. Some of what we have to deal with predators you may not face in your country. Ask around, I'll bet there are others with birds that can give you a lot of useful information.

Maybe on the chicks. Some breeds don't sit on their own eggs and since we don't really know what yours are only time will tell if they will sit. I get the impression there is game bird in some of your birds. They are good Mommas but you might have to rehome some if you hatch any males. Game bird boys do not get along.


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## Sylie (May 4, 2018)

most people just make nesting boxes as rectangles just large enough for 1 chicken to be in at a time. Usually there is no door on the front (some people get fancy and put curtains up but that's just for looks) and the nest boxes are always inside the coop so when you are building the coop make sure that you have enough floor space (4ft x 4ft per bird) plus extra for the nest boxes. Most chickens share the nest boxes (meaning that one will lay an egg in the box and then leave then a different chicken will go into the same box and lay her egg next to the first one) so you only need 1 nest box for every 2 or 3 chickens.


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## Firstman (Aug 7, 2020)

robin416 said:


> I'm picking up that you are not in N. America. Some of what we have to deal with predators you may not face in your country. Ask around, I'll bet there are others with birds that can give you a lot of useful information.
> 
> Maybe on the chicks. Some breeds don't sit on their own eggs and since we don't really know what yours are only time will tell if they will sit. I get the impression there is game bird in some of your birds. They are good Mommas but you might have to rehome some if you hatch any males. Game bird boys do not get along.


You are right I am not living in north America. 
In fact I live in Kashmir. And we don't have predators like wolf,foxes here. We may get a dog or so once a while, but my chicken are locked in there coop which is strong enough for dogs to break.. and in case any gets broody I can assign a separate space for the hen inside to coop only.. talking to people around I don't agree to the way they keep their chicken.. chicken around are left free range in the day and then stuffed in a box in the night which is at max 3x3x2 ft.


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## Firstman (Aug 7, 2020)

Sylie said:


> most people just make nesting boxes as rectangles just large enough for 1 chicken to be in at a time. Usually there is no door on the front (some people get fancy and put curtains up but that's just for looks) and the nest boxes are always inside the coop so when you are building the coop make sure that you have enough floor space (4ft x 4ft per bird) plus extra for the nest boxes. Most chickens share the nest boxes (meaning that one will lay an egg in the box and then leave then a different chicken will go into the same box and lay her egg next to the first one) so you only need 1 nest box for every 2 or 3 chickens.


A box or 2 will suffice me for the 4 hens I got . But i wanted to know if such boxes have to be on ground or at height and can they be above the perch ?? And do I need to make any special specific box for the broody hens or the same size as nesting box will do ?


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

So you're someone that recognizes they are not just chickens and want to do things that also makes them happy. 

Hens will lay their eggs in the oddest places and decide they like that spot. 

Chances are high your girls will all use the same box. How high is the perch? If it's several feet off the ground then the nest box should be down on the ground or closer to it.


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## Sylie (May 4, 2018)

Firstman said:


> A box or 2 will suffice me for the 4 hens I got . But i wanted to know if such boxes have to be on ground or at height and can they be above the perch ?? And do I need to make any special specific box for the broody hens or the same size as nesting box will do ?


nest boxes should be no higher off the ground than the chicken can jump without a running start. Remember, they have to jump down after they are done laying their egg, jumping from a high place risks injury to their legs, feet, toes and can actually cause a small impact cut on the bottom of their feet which can easily become infected leading to a condition known as bumble foot. Trust me, you don't want to have any bumble foot.

The broody hen does not need a special box, if she goes broody she'll pick a nest box and do her thing there. If you build her a special box she may or may not use it.

so to put it as simply as I can, nest boxes should not be higher off the ground than 2 feet.
For 4 hens, 2 or 3 nest boxes is plenty. Robin is right, they will lay in places you never thought they would. When my girls started laying it was like an Easter egg hunt every day. Now at 18 months old they all lay in 2 of the 8 nest boxes (my flock has diminished over the years lol)


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## Firstman (Aug 7, 2020)

Hi All. Thank you so much for the information.
Now I am facing one more issue with my 40 day chick. One of them has fallen from 20 inch height and hurt it's left leg ( I suppose) because it is sitting at one place and not able to stand up on left lens. What shall I be doing with it.


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## Firstman (Aug 7, 2020)

robin416 said:


> So you're someone that recognizes they are not just chickens and want to do things that also makes them happy.
> 
> Hens will lay their eggs in the oddest places and decide they like that spot.
> 
> Chances are high your girls will all use the same box. How high is the perch? If it's several feet off the ground then the nest box should be down on the ground or closer to it.


Yes I do recognize them as chicken but what them to be happy. 
My perch is around 4ft hight from ground but has a 2ft step on one side from where they climb.. I am yet to make nesting box for them. I am thinking to make half a dozen of them and give them a choice.. 
My 40 day old baby chick got hurt . Donno what to do with it now ?


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

You need to examine that leg. You want to make sure that's it's not broken and is a simple sprain or bruise. 

And keep it from getting high for a while.


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