Originally posted by Bosse de NageMine's been breeding them and turkeys and makes a fair side-living out of eggs and meat sales. They also always have christmas dinner provision abilities.
Mine constructed the coop herself as a present for her girlfriend. There was some trauma when they realised that one of the chickens they'd ordered was male, contrary to instructions. But they unsentimentally disposed of him. Now the hens are old enough to lay eggs.
Originally posted by mlpriorNah, I'd go with all the ladies. No boys.
We had chickens when I was little.
Mostly we butchered them and ate them and played with their feet.
Some hens we kept to lay eggs.
When you get them at the store, I'm not sure you can decifer male from female, but if you can and you only want hens for eggs, DO NOT GET ANY MALES! The roosters are very mean and will attack you at every chance with their talons! 🙂
I decided to just go through with it. I have a used rabbit hutch being delivered Friday. I will adapt it to a small coop and build a run off of it. I estimate a few weekends to get it to where I want it.
Chick shopping to commence in about a week.
Here's the hutch I'm getting it from a nice man for 45 bucks:
http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x202/Sunburnt13/hutch.jpg
Chickens don't need fancy homes. They can live in anything clean and dry. I will have three. In fact, besides eggs, chicken manure is rich in nitrogen so it's good for gardens, they aerate lawns and control pests as long as you supervise their activities. We have many chicken predators around here, including raccoons, hawks and the infamous coyote. I have lots of information now.
It might look something like this when I reinforce the wood, improve the roof, replace the front screen with a door, paint and build the run.
http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x202/Sunburnt13/Hutchafter.jpg
When I was two, I went to live with my grandparents for several years. They were very traditional, simple people who grew their own food, had a root cellar and canned/froze what they grew. Their cellar was dirt and stones and the house itself only a few years old at that time, built by my grandfather and my father. My grandfather did something for work, I think he was a mechanic. They also bred dogs for income. They also had chickens at one time, I recall. My grandparents eventually turned the top portion of their house into a sort of museum of all of their quality possessions and moved downstairs to their converted apartment. They had a wood stove. They didn't own a farm, just a modest plot of land in Massachusetts. I had the happiest moments of my childhood there. I think that is why I love farms and the ideal of living close to nature and growing a garden. I think every kid should have a pet or two and learn to enjoy a garden.
It's been awhile since I took on projects that I love and can enjoy. Too long.
I figure if I haven't gotten chickens out of my system, I ought to give it a shot. If they turn out to be a total disappointment, I will simply eat them. YUMMY! Stay tuned, the kids will beg for a rabbit instead.
Originally posted by SunburntI had chickens for many years. If you feed them cement they lay hard boiled eggs.
I've been thinking of owning a few chickens for years. I have read about 6 books, spent hours online and gawked at chicks with my kids at the feed stores around here for 4 years straight. I have no idea why I am so partial to chickens. I love the idea of having a chicken coop, chickens to name, and fresh eggs. I love building things, too.
Is that weird? Who owns chickens? 😠 CONFESS!!!!
Don't buy chicks. Buy 6 month old pullets that are ready to lay eggs.
You'll need a small shed for them to roost in at night. They like to be up off the ground. You'll need nesting boxes for them to lay their eggs. They have a pecking order and won't want to be too close or you'll have dead hens.
GRANNY.