Anybody keep chickens..?

CandyCook · #1 (**permalink**) 04-18-2008, 11:53 AM

Anybody keep chickens for their eggs? Just wondering. My friend who is sharing our gardening plot suggested that she would like to get chickens. So, I was just looking for some pros and cons if anyone knows about having them.

hotcouponmama · #2 (**permalink**) 04-18-2008, 02:29 PM

I don't, but I came across an interesting forum about it..... BackYardChickens.com - Raise Chickens, Build Chicken Coops, Hatch Eggs

We've thought about it a couple of times. I do know that one hen can produce over 200 eggs a year!

Mavis · #3 (**permalink**) 04-18-2008, 03:05 PM

Someday I will.

misse · #4 (**permalink**) 04-18-2008, 03:57 PM

My MIL has chickens and they come to my yard all the time, as our yards are adjoined. I CAN NOT MAKE HER UNDERSTAND her chicks are not organic because she does occasionally give them feed that is not organic. She tells everyone that her chicks are organic. They roam in the yard all day then about 5:30 they go to their coop and want in for the night. Occasionally a coon or possum might try to get into the coop to get them. MIL has reached in for eggs and found a snake so always look before reaching. YIKES!
She has 7 layers and gets about 5-7 a day. They can add up quickly if you do not cook eggs daily.
We occasionally have a problem with a flogging rooster, they drive me crazy because they scratched around my garden space when I first planted seeds and I was so afraid they had eatten all the seeds up.

frogmama · #5 (**permalink**) 04-30-2009, 03:16 AM

I always curiously entertained the thought of having chickens but wrote it off because I lived in a suburban neighborhood. My husband agreed we could get them if/once we get out to a hobby farm. Imagine his surprise when I found out that in our town the ordinace is that you may own 5 chickens in town as long as there is no rooster. LOL. Now I tease him I want chickens (but no, I really dont want my entire little yard trashed by them)

OHeather · #6 (**permalink**) 04-30-2009, 11:48 PM

I was just reading in a magazine that someone who has chickens lets them go wherever in their yard after the seedlings emerge and are off to a good start. The chickens keep the slugs/bugs/etc. to a minimum and they leave behind some good, free fertilizer. Sounds like a good idea to me. A friend told me that he could only order chicks in packs of 6 or 12, I believe. It sounded funny that way to me, but there must be a reason to it. I hope he gets some soon so that we can have some nice fresh eggs. Yummy!!

queenofthehivemomof5 · #7 (**permalink**) 07-29-2009, 03:10 PM

I am seriously researching it right now. I think I would like to keep just 2 or 3 chickens (They sell them here at the feed store as well as a hatchery in town) but right now I am just researching housing. I love the look of the Eglu Cube but it is a bit expensive and I don't know how the shipping thing would work out since they deliver by Greyhound bus and I have no idea where the nearest greyhound bus station is.

So I am also looking online to see what is out there.

kristen.c · #8 (**permalink**) 07-29-2009, 03:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by queenofthehivemomof5

I am seriously researching it right now. I think I would like to keep just 2 or 3 chickens (They sell them here at the feed store as well as a hatchery in town) but right now I am just researching housing. I love the look of the Eglu Cube but it is a bit expensive and I don't know how the shipping thing would work out since they deliver by Greyhound bus and I have no idea where the nearest greyhound bus station is.

So I am also looking online to see what is out there.

I saw a chicken coop made from hacked Ikea products that was absolutely fantastic. I know you don't have Ikea there, but it might give you ideas about how to make your own.

ikea hacker: Ikea home for chicks

wyo-helpmeet · #9 (**permalink**) 07-29-2009, 07:16 PM

I have chicks now!!! Started with them on June 4th!!!

queenofthehivemomof5 · #10 (**permalink**) 07-29-2009, 07:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kristen.c

I saw a chicken coop made from hacked Ikea products that was absolutely fantastic. I know you don't have Ikea there, but it might give you ideas about how to make your own.

ikea hacker: Ikea home for chicks

That is way cute. Too bad I don't have an IKEA

Quote:

Originally Posted by wyo-helpmeet

I have chicks now!!! Started with them on June 4th!!!

How many chicks do you have? What sort? And since you are WY too what sort of coop did you set up? I am worried about the winter weather here of course!

wyo-helpmeet · #11 (**permalink**) 07-29-2009, 08:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by queenofthehivemomof5

How many chicks do you have? What sort? And since you are WY too what sort of coop did you set up? I am worried about the winter weather here of course!

I blogged about the coop. It's recycled pallet wood & built inside of a shed that had a doggie door. Life in Small Town, Wyoming: Semi-urban homesteading You have to scroll down past all the gardening stuff, LOLOL

I have 21. I chose the breeds for the cold hardiness- buff orpingtons & rhode island reds. I also ended up with one barred rock & 4 easter eggers (Aracauna), all which are supposed to tolerate the cold well. I am about to get rid of some. I got so many, and you can read on the blog how I ended up with so many, but I initial number of 15, was to allow for a rooster & 30% mortality. I wanted 6-10 originally, LOLOL. I have 2 heat lamps that I used on the brooders, and I will be using them over the winter for heat.

Foggy · #12 (**permalink**) 07-29-2009, 09:01 PM

We have chickens. This is our 6th year keeping them (I think) may be 5.. I've lost count. lol

They are fun to watch, give us eggs, we compost their manure, and yes, we do eat them occasionally.

At one time, we had 40+ chickens. Raccoons and Opossums are a nuisance when you have chickens. Snakes go after baby chicks. Snakes as well as rats will eat the eggs and occasionally you'll get an "egg eater" in the hen house in the form of one of the hens. You can't cure that when they start.

queenofthehivemomof5 · #13 (**permalink**) 07-30-2009, 03:46 PM

Thanks for the link to your blog Michaela, I am off to read! I would like to have Aracauna for the pretty colored eggs more than anything. At least that is how I am leaning.

I have never seen any Raccoons, Opossums or snakes where I live. I think our biggest predators are going to be the cats (mine and neighborhood). The only wildlife we get in our neighborhood are deer, antelope and bunnies (which my cat eats), the occasional field mouse too.

I gotta figure out the coop before I figure out the chickens. Do you guys feed organic feed? If so what brands are you feeding your chickens.

Foggy · #14 (**permalink**) 07-30-2009, 04:07 PM

We had a few Aracaunas one year. They were so pretty and their eggs came out pastel colors in blue, green and then our Black Star Rooster came into the scene and created some chicks who later grew to lay pretty pastel pink shelled eggs. (Black Star hens lay pretty brown eggs)

wyo-helpmeet · #15 (**permalink**) 07-30-2009, 05:18 PM

I can't afford org feed, but at least it's a start- knowing where my food comes from & being GH, AB & pesticide-free KWIM? I am however researching MYO feed. I'll start a thread & get some info going on that as I find it soon!

wyo-helpmeet · #16 (**permalink**) 07-30-2009, 05:20 PM

Oh I forgot to mention, a couple I know, came by to take 2 of my cockerels- YAY!! They're going to a good home for breeding purposes, so I'm happy!

Foggy · #17 (**permalink**) 07-31-2009, 03:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by queenofthehivemomof5

...Do you guys feed organic feed? If so what brands are you feeding your chickens.

We don't because we can't afford to at the current time. But like Michaela said, I know at least what my chickens are eating (more or less) and they aren't being pumped up with hormones or injected with antibiotics, etc.

The Food Inc movie made me never want another pack of chicken from the store.

wyo-helpmeet · #18 (**permalink**) 07-31-2009, 03:32 AM

A friend of mine, a few of her family & friends & myself ordered meat chicks on Tues night. Welp called me yesterday to inform me they were shipping yesterday!! We weren't expecting them til next month, so they should be here tom. or Sat. 222 total!!! EGADS!! They're staying on her land at the edge of town, but the coop's not done. I'm keeping half of them in my garage, she's keeping the other half at her house (she lives in town until they build on the land) for a couple weeks til the coop's done.

40 of those babies are OURS! I can't wait til butcher day!!!

Foggy · #19 (**permalink**) 07-31-2009, 05:12 AM

222?!?!

Whoa Momma!!

I thought the time I order the baby chicks (about 20 or so I think it was) was a lot. The p.o. called me very bright and early that day to come get the chicks at the post office. lol

queenofthehivemomof5 · #20 (**permalink**) 07-31-2009, 02:11 PM

That is a lot of chickens! I KNOW that I only want a few chickens for eggs. I am actually considering getting full grown chickens too and not chicks. Any thoughts on the pros and cons of starting with chicks versus grown chickens that are ready to lay?

How much more expensive is organic feed vs conventional?

queenofthehivemomof5 · #21 (**permalink**) 07-31-2009, 02:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hotcouponmama

I don't, but I came across an interesting forum about it..... BackYardChickens.com - Raise Chickens, Build Chicken Coops, Hatch Eggs

We've thought about it a couple of times. I do know that one hen can produce over 200 eggs a year!

I registered there a few days ago. I am Green Eggs And Ham over there. LOL

Foggy · #22 (**permalink**) 07-31-2009, 02:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by queenofthehivemomof5

That is a lot of chickens! I KNOW that I only want a few chickens for eggs. I am actually considering getting full grown chickens too and not chicks. Any thoughts on the pros and cons of starting with chicks versus grown chickens that are ready to lay?...

You would need a brooder, a heat lamp and trying to keep the little buggers from drowning in the waterers. been there done that.

wyo-helpmeet · #23 (**permalink**) 07-31-2009, 05:41 PM

I would get layers at around 5 months, if I were getting ready layers. They've just started laying & you still have a good probably year of GOOD laying. They'll lay for several years, but after 1-2 years, they drop off. They can always go t the stewpot after their laying days are over though.

queenofthehivemomof5 · #24 (**permalink**) 08-03-2009, 11:17 PM

That is good to know about the age of the layers. My research got put on the back burner there for a while. I need to decide on a chicken coop! LOL

wyo-helpmeet · #25 (**permalink**) 08-05-2009, 04:57 AM

Saturday evening I took 9 of my babies over to a friend's land. It was sorta sad :( I miss them, but can focus on the smaller group now of 10. We banded my Buff Orpington roo so I can breed him down the road. *sniff*

Foggy · #26 (**permalink**) 08-05-2009, 02:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by queenofthehivemomof5

That is good to know about the age of the layers. My research got put on the back burner there for a while. I need to decide on a chicken coop! LOL

You could go here and enter to win one:

CommunityChickens.com - How to Raise Chickens - from GRIT and MOTHER EARTH NEWS there's a banner on the right side to click and then enter. Good Luck!