Chickens

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AAkasha -> Chickens (1/7/2007 12:56:17 PM)
Any thoughts on raising a couple of chickens in a non-farm (read: city) home? Already confirmed the zoning/city laws. Akasha

juliaoceania -> RE: Chickens (1/7/2007 12:57:52 PM)
Depending on my lifestyle, home, and laws, I think it might be a good idea. This way you know what you are getting in your eggs

gypsygrl -> RE: Chickens (1/7/2007 1:07:33 PM)
Omg, I wanna do it! Over the summer, I was messing around making cheese and I thought my life would be perfect if I had a goat. I thought my sister was gonna hit me when I told her that. I think it would be a great thing to be able to do. :)

slavejali -> RE: Chickens (1/7/2007 1:49:05 PM)
do you have a yard?

ownedgirlie -> RE: Chickens (1/7/2007 1:52:20 PM)
My sister did this. She moved the chicken coop from time to time, because her neighbors were tired of the smell and noise. But oh how delicious the eggs were, particularly from the hens that were fed bugs as well as grain. Yum.

Real0ne -> RE: Chickens (1/7/2007 2:02:47 PM)
quote: ORIGINAL: AAkasha Any thoughts on raising a couple of chickens in a non-farm (read: city) home? Already confirmed the zoning/city laws. Akasha well you can tap the methane to heat your home. Chicks or chickens? Chicks just make a little coulpe sq ft 10" high tent and put a 25 watt light bulb under it for heat, put the feed etc on the outside of it. Chickens , you will need a rooster if you want fertilized eggs and they are tough to hide at 5 am if you want unfertilized may as well stick to what you buy at the store. Its not a requirement but you get a better yield if you make boxes for the hens about 1foot to 1.5ft square each with about a 9x 7 opening and put some straw in the bottom. you will need to get oyster shells for grit and finally a place in the garage and feed them grains. thats for egg layers if you just want meat then all they need is feed and oyster shell grit or whatever they use now a days. of course you will never get the smell out once you do this.

AAkasha -> RE: Chickens (1/7/2007 3:12:13 PM)
quote: ORIGINAL: slavejali do you have a yard? A large one, yes.

Aileen68 -> RE: Chickens (1/7/2007 5:31:43 PM)
This is a good site...McMurray Hatchery. I've been thinking of getting some chickens for a while now, You should do it.

sweetnurseBBW -> RE: Chickens (1/7/2007 5:57:20 PM)
We have a small fram. chickens cannot regulate temps of their bodies so in the summer and winter you have to cool them off and keep them warm. They smell horrible and will eat other chickens that die and their poop. They are actually very nasty birds. Thats why we call them yardbirds here in the south. If you have dogs or cats around you be careful they will kill your chickens. A few is ok, but more than that they get nasty.

proudsub -> RE: Chickens (1/7/2007 8:15:57 PM)
I won 2 chickens as a door prize at a party. We live in a rural area so we put them in a cage overnight and when we went out to feed them in the morning both of them had their heads bitten off. So don't use a cage that they can stick their heads out of it you have coyotes around.[:o]

UtopianRanger -> RE: Chickens (1/7/2007 8:29:42 PM)
quote: ORIGINAL: AAkasha Any thoughts on raising a couple of chickens in a non-farm (read: city) home? Already confirmed the zoning/city laws. Akasha AKasha...... I don't exactly live within city limits, but I had a nice pen /coop rebuilt when I purchashed my place and have had a few chickens and a few roosters over the years. I personally think they're hearty and easy to take care of. And waking up to the noise in the morning is not as bad as most think. - R

Quivver -> RE: Chickens (1/8/2007 1:59:10 AM)
one of the biggest problems with chickens is the mess they leave if allowd to free roam. if your handy you can build a cage to roll around the yard, but they also need good shelter (that's when the other critters that like the taste of chicken come out for dinner) The do like to nest, so perches and boxes are always a good idea too, neither has to be fancy. Do you plan on buying pullets, peeps or full grown hens?

Chaingang -> RE: Chickens (1/8/2007 3:01:43 AM)
Duck eggs are tasty. My favorite actually...

LadyEllen -> RE: Chickens (1/8/2007 3:50:22 AM)
I always fancied geese - the big farmyard type geese that act as guard dogs too and are more than a match en masse for the average fox/dog. How one would extract the eggs they lay given their protective ferocity though, is another matter. E

ToGiveDivine -> RE: Chickens (1/8/2007 8:45:03 AM)
quote: ORIGINAL: LadyEllen How one would extract the eggs they lay given their protective ferocity though, is another matter. E You send your sub to go get the eggs silly LOL

DomKen -> RE: Chickens (1/8/2007 9:08:59 AM)
A small number of chickens, 2 to 4, should be no problem in a decent sized fenced in yard. You will need to clip the chickens flight feathers to keep them from flying out of the yard. If you would prefer not to have to watch where you step when in your yard then a pen around the coop is the way to go. A small mesh chicken wire to keep out rats, foxes, coyotes etc and keep chicks in is what you'll need. It should be high enough that the chickens cannot fly over it. The birds will need shade, plenty of fresh water and an exhaust fan in the coop in hot weather. For cold weather it depends on how cold it gets but the birds will not like temps below about 60F. As to breeds, I would go for one of the odder ones. If all you're going to do is raise a couple of Rhode Island Reds for white shelled eggs I wouldn't bother.

Real0ne -> RE: Chickens (1/8/2007 9:20:41 AM)
quote: ORIGINAL: DomKen A small number of chickens, 2 to 4, should be no problem in a decent sized fenced in yard. You will need to clip the chickens flight feathers to keep them from flying out of the yard. If you would prefer not to have to watch where you step when in your yard then a pen around the coop is the way to go. A small mesh chicken wire to keep out rats, foxes, coyotes etc and keep chicks in is what you'll need. It should be high enough that the chickens cannot fly over it. The birds will need shade, plenty of fresh water and an exhaust fan in the coop in hot weather. For cold weather it depends on how cold it gets but the birds will not like temps below about 60F. As to breeds, I would go for one of the odder ones. If all you're going to do is raise a couple of Rhode Island Reds for white shelled eggs I wouldn't bother. yeh until you get caught LOL use a friends phone to call neighborhood services before you make this investment, i am sure they will say 1 or 2 are ok. Most cities have ordinances against that as well as hoofed animals.

Real0ne -> RE: Chickens (1/8/2007 9:22:04 AM)
quote: ORIGINAL: LadyEllen I always fancied geese - the big farmyard type geese that act as guard dogs too and are more than a match en masse for the average fox/dog. How one would extract the eggs they lay given their protective ferocity though, is another matter. E the dnr planted wolves here

amativedame -> RE: Chickens (1/8/2007 8:23:30 PM)
I don't know what your reasons behind having chickens is (and I know absolutely nothing about chickens really) but I know someone who has chinese silky chickens who are not only gorgeous but have great personalities too.

losttreasure -> RE: Chickens (1/8/2007 8:31:22 PM)
quote: ORIGINAL: LadyEllen I always fancied geese - the big farmyard type geese that act as guard dogs too and are more than a match en masse for the average fox/dog. How one would extract the eggs they lay given their protective ferocity though, is another matter. E Until a goose becomes "broody", she won't stay with her egg after it's lain.

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