Chickens, and things related

vic4news · Jan 31, 2008

My wife and I like to keep 2 or 3 chickens in a small coop mainly as pets,
but with the advantage that we have all the fresh eggs we need.

We get them as chicks from Agway and they easily bond to us. We let them out
in the yard when we are outside and they like to keep close by. I'll be out on the tractor using the backhoe and in no time they'll come by and hang around where I am working. They come running when you call them. I wish our dog was as well trained.

Vic

ALBALD1 · Jan 31, 2008

I say no debeaking. The only time I ever get pecked is stealing eggs from someone wanting to be a mommy. Get breeds that are known to be docile like the sexlinks someone mentioned. Golden comets are docile, lay lots of eggs, & dual purpose(meat/eggs). The roosters feet are more likely to hurt someone. No need to even have one unless you like to hear him, which I do. Most feed stores order chicks in spring. I just ask them to order mine when they put in their order. I may pay a few pennies more per chick, but they get them delivered to their store alive. If I can't pick up for a few days, I know they're taken care of. There is a whole forum on that website I gave just for coops. Study that. Thats key to making it easy. egg access from outside is great. I took a 5 gallon bucket, drilled 4 2inch holes around it & sit it in a pan so it gravity feeds. I can fill it probably every week to week and a half in winter. In summer, i keep it full, but let them free range so it's filled less often.

silverdollar6 · Feb 1, 2008

I can`t imagine you guys cutting the chickens peckers off, How do you do it.
I mean is there a special tool or something.

Tororider · Feb 1, 2008

What I have seen for small scale is pretty much a big nail clipper. Although there are bigger contraptions that clip and cauterize at the same time I guess.

I was just wondering about it because I had seen some hatcheries do it automatically, and I was wondering if there was any need to do it. Obviously it sounds like there isn't any great need for it, especially if I get them young and they imprint.

schmism · Feb 1, 2008

mine did not like the 7" of snow we got last night

YouTube - Chickens in the snow

Bill Barrett · Feb 2, 2008

schmism said:
mine did not like the 7" of snow we got last night

YouTube - Chickens in the snow

schmism, woman has a great voice, that your wife?
She should get a job as a weather girl.

ALBALD1 · Feb 2, 2008

I have 16 hens & 6 nest boxes. Almost all the eggs go in 2 nest. there might be 1-2 in a third box. When they pile up, the next hen climbing over them is likely to break some eggs. I would definitely want to be able to check them at least once per day. we generally check twice per day.

tony123 · Feb 2, 2008

EddieWalker said:
Interesting thread. I've thought about raising chickens from time to time, but my wife absolutely refuses. She has it in her head that chickens are dirty and that we'll catch some sort of desease from them. Right now, I'm working on the turkey angle. My neighbor has released some in the area and we really enjoyed seeing them. She's hesitant about raising them to release, but that's there's hope!!

Has anybody raised or bought turkey chicks mail order?

Eddie

Eddie, don't you have ducks? My mom had ducks and chickens. The chickens were much cleaner than the ducks. Ducks poop is, well, slimey. If your wife accepts the ducks, chickens shouldn't be a stretch. How about asking her for a trial run with brioilers and in 3 months you can fill the freezer. That's an easy way to get a feel for them without a large committment.

Tororider · Feb 2, 2008

Not a bad idea Tony. Although I don't even think you need to commit to 3 months. I think in some of my research they have some that grow to size in 8 weeks, pretty incredible. But a really good idea to see if you want to do it. Only problem is you need to build the coop and stuff, although for Eddie that shouldn't be a problem, but he would have to add it to his 2008 to do list.