well-temperedforum.groupee.net    The Well-Tempered Forum  Hop To Forum Categories  Off Key    Chickens?
Page 1 2 

Moderators: QuirtEvans, pianojuggler, wtg
Go
New
Find
Notify
Tools
Reply
  
Chickens?
 Login/Join
 
Shut up and play your guitar!
Minor Deity
Picture of markj
posted
What say you? Yay or Nay.

Eggs are $5/ dozen around here.

Youngest says she will care for them. I build the coop, with motion sensor lights and other "security" to keep the coyotes and other predators at bay. Possibly get a Rooster to help with the security duty and for breeding, etc.

Our city permits this activity.
 
Posts: 13630 | Location: Wisconsin | Registered: 20 April 2005Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Has Achieved Nirvana
Picture of wtg
posted Hide Post
I wonder how long it would take to re-coop ( Big Grin) the startup costs for the equipment involved.

I thought it would be pretty cool to keep chickens, but my town doesn't allow it. Also not sure I'd want to take on the routine care required. But fresh eggs sure are tasty.

As for the rooster, hopefully you're an early riser. If you're not, you would become one....


--------------------------------
We are all visitors to this time, this place. We are just passing through. Our purpose here is to observe, to learn, to grow, to love… and then we return home. - Australian Aboriginal proverb

Bazootiehead-in-training



 
Posts: 37794 | Location: Somewhere in the middle | Registered: 19 January 2010Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Has Achieved Nirvana
Picture of jodi
posted Hide Post
I always wanted them, but when I finally had a farm, I didn’t want them in the barn with the horses, (and keeping chickens in that much snow and cold is difficult). I say go for it. I would leave the rooster out of it, if it were me. I have a friend who has 17 chickens and has been giving me eggs. I’ve offered to buy them, but she says selling them is too much of a pain. So she gives them to who she wants, when she wants.


--------------------------------
Smiler Jodi

 
Posts: 20415 | Registered: 20 April 2005Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Shut up and play your guitar!
Minor Deity
Picture of markj
posted Hide Post
Maybe I should look for a local farmer who sells eggs. When I was cycling, I used to see signs at various farms. They were always half price of grocery store eggs.
 
Posts: 13630 | Location: Wisconsin | Registered: 20 April 2005Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Foregoing Practicing to Post
Minor Deity
Picture of RealPlayer
posted Hide Post
quote:
Originally posted by wtg:

As for the rooster, hopefully you're an early riser. If you're not, you would become one....


Cats are easier to find and just as good at waking you up at 4:30 AM.


--------------------------------
“It's hard to win an argument with a smart person. It's damn near impossible to win an argument with a stupid person." -- Bill Murray

 
Posts: 13780 | Location: The outer burrows | Registered: 27 April 2005Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Has Achieved Nirvana
Picture of CHAS
posted Hide Post
I like birds.
Would like to have chickens. Have read that they are much smarter than thought.
But the climate here is not suitable, neither is a townhome.
Besides, who would take care of them? Smiler


--------------------------------
Several people have eaten my cooking and survived.

 
Posts: 25677 | Location: Still living at 9000 feet in the High Rockies of Colorado | Registered: 20 April 2005Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Pinta & the Santa Maria
Has Achieved Nirvana
Picture of Nina
posted Hide Post
Yes! And yes to Jodie's suggestion of getting hens only. But they will attract critters, so you'll need to make sure that their enclosure is secure, including some sort of barrier to prevent digging.

When I was a kid we had bantam chickens that laid a bazillion tiny eggs. So we'd have a dozen-egg omelet.
 
Posts: 35367 | Location: West: North and South! | Registered: 20 April 2005Reply With QuoteReport This Post
czarina
Has Achieved Nirvana
Picture of piqué
posted Hide Post
Lots of people here in Central Montana have them in their back yards, even right in town. They use heat lamps in the winter and lock them up on cold nights. You do have to protect them from coyotes and foxes.

I have never wanted to have them. We don't eat many eggs, we have foxes on our property, and it's just one more thing to take care of and worry about when it is 20 below outside (or colder!)

If I didn't have the horses, I would consider getting a couple of chickens. But I'd much rather have horses.


--------------------------------
fear is the thief of dreams

 
Posts: 21305 | Registered: 18 May 2005Reply With QuoteReport This Post
knitterati
Beatification Candidate
Picture of AdagioM
posted Hide Post
I used to buy eggs from the church music director, $3 for a dozen. But she moved away.

Have a friend that keeps hens, and I think her eggs are $4 or $5/dozen. I would get them from her on a regular basis, except it’s out of my way, so I’ve still been getting eggs at the grocery store. With my penchant for eggs from pasture raised hens (trying to be nice to animals), I may be calling her again since eggs at the grocery store are now $7/dozen.


--------------------------------
http://pdxknitterati.com

 
Posts: 9789 | Location: Oregon | Registered: 06 June 2005Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Gadfly
Picture of Lisa
posted Hide Post
My neighbor has kept chickens for years - started them as a 4H project for her daughter....who is now in college. I think she's about ready to be done. I have chicken-sat for her several times over the years and here are my thoughts:

They are a lot of work - she has built several enclosures and needs to go in them at least twice a day to feed and water them. It's usually pretty gross in there (chicken poop everywhere) so it's not the most pleasant chore. Your daughter may tire of it quickly.

They do need to get locked in at night when it's super cold. I think they've used heat lamps as well to keep the chickens and the water from freezing.

Despite your best efforts, foxes will probably get in - it may take a few tries before you figure out how to fully predator-proof your enclosure and the "murder scenes" won't be pretty. If your youngest is the sensitive sort, be prepared.

Roosters are freaking loud. My neighbor lives down the hill almost a half mile away from me and her rooster wakes me up regularly. Her closer neighbors must either be very understanding or very deaf.

The egg laying definitely tapers off in the winter and as the chickens get older. She has several "menopausal" chickens that barely lay at all anymore. But because they are her daughter's pets, she keeps them around. If you are more practical and will send them to the stew pot when they are no longer good producers, your cost to benefit ratio will change, but she has always said that she spent way more on keeping the chickens than she would have spent on eggs over the years. (Now, of course, the calculation will be different given the enormous increase in the cost of eggs. But still - keep in mind the cost of 1 chicken vet visit buys a LOT of eggs even at $8/dozen and hers have gone to the vet numerous times over the years.)

All that said, they are sort of cute little buggers and farm fresh eggs really can't be beat. They eat all your kitchen scraps and if you let them roam, they'll happily eat all the ticks and bugs in your yard as well. So if you are still interested after all of that, I say go for it.
 
Posts: 4390 | Location: Suburban Philly, PA | Registered: 30 April 2005Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Has Achieved Nirvana
Picture of Steve Miller
posted Hide Post
Zimmer keeps chickens. They’re in a fancy coop in his small-ish suburban back yard to keep out suburban varmints (coyotes, raccoons) that can get over the fence.

The greyhound died so the track is now mainly used for chicken scratching. He enjoys them (and the eggs) but I think his wife does most of the work.


--------------------------------
Life is short. Play with your dog.

 
Posts: 34852 | Location: Hooterville, OH | Registered: 23 April 2005Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Shut up and play your guitar!
Minor Deity
Picture of markj
posted Hide Post
quote:
Originally posted by Lisa:
My neighbor has kept chickens for years - started them as a 4H project for her daughter....who is now in college. I think she's about ready to be done. I have chicken-sat for her several times over the years and here are my thoughts:

They are a lot of work - she has built several enclosures and needs to go in them at least twice a day to feed and water them. It's usually pretty gross in there (chicken poop everywhere) so it's not the most pleasant chore. Your daughter may tire of it quickly.

They do need to get locked in at night when it's super cold. I think they've used heat lamps as well to keep the chickens and the water from freezing.

Despite your best efforts, foxes will probably get in - it may take a few tries before you figure out how to fully predator-proof your enclosure and the "murder scenes" won't be pretty. If your youngest is the sensitive sort, be prepared.

Roosters are freaking loud. My neighbor lives down the hill almost a half mile away from me and her rooster wakes me up regularly. Her closer neighbors must either be very understanding or very deaf.

The egg laying definitely tapers off in the winter and as the chickens get older. She has several "menopausal" chickens that barely lay at all anymore. But because they are her daughter's pets, she keeps them around. If you are more practical and will send them to the stew pot when they are no longer good producers, your cost to benefit ratio will change, but she has always said that she spent way more on keeping the chickens than she would have spent on eggs over the years. (Now, of course, the calculation will be different given the enormous increase in the cost of eggs. But still - keep in mind the cost of 1 chicken vet visit buys a LOT of eggs even at $8/dozen and hers have gone to the vet numerous times over the years.)

All that said, they are sort of cute little buggers and farm fresh eggs really can't be beat. They eat all your kitchen scraps and if you let them roam, they'll happily eat all the ticks and bugs in your yard as well. So if you are still interested after all of that, I say go for it.


Lisa, silly me thinking your words would change my daughter's mind about this.

Her reply:
quote:
The amount of knowledge I got from my chicken expert friend is too much to attach to this email haha
But I help Cas take care of the ducks whenever I'm up at his place and ducks are Certifiably grosser than chickens, I can guarantee I won't get tired of checking in on them twice a day because of yucks.
I'm not gonna argue that it'd be cheaper than just buying eggs because I know in the long run it probably isn't but now that this has been brought up I Am excited about the idea.
As for potential murder scenes I think I can handle that, I've never been particularly squeamish and I know death is a part of life and the food chain yada yada.
Blue says that chickens lay according to hours of daylight, so if we keep the inside of the coop well lit they could continue to lay year round.
I am confident I could tend to any surface level injuries the birds could sustain, to try and limit any vet visits they'd need, and I'd pay for all the things to take care of them once we got the coop built and ready


I think I am going to let this happen. HELP! lol
 
Posts: 13630 | Location: Wisconsin | Registered: 20 April 2005Reply With QuoteReport This Post
czarina
Has Achieved Nirvana
Picture of piqué
posted Hide Post
she does sound determined. my condolences.


--------------------------------
fear is the thief of dreams

 
Posts: 21305 | Registered: 18 May 2005Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Shut up and play your guitar!
Minor Deity
Picture of markj
posted Hide Post
Did some thinking and my daughter was trying her best to convince me to do it. In the end I decided to not do it. She promised (where have I heard that before?) she would do everything and we would not have to do anything except enjoy the eggs. Then I fired back with, who will take care of them if you go on vacation? That put an stop to it. lol
 
Posts: 13630 | Location: Wisconsin | Registered: 20 April 2005Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Has Achieved Nirvana
Picture of Steve Miller
posted Hide Post
Under the Henfluence


--------------------------------
Life is short. Play with your dog.

 
Posts: 34852 | Location: Hooterville, OH | Registered: 23 April 2005Reply With QuoteReport This Post
  Powered by Social Strata Page 1 2  
 

    well-temperedforum.groupee.net    The Well-Tempered Forum  Hop To Forum Categories  Off Key    Chickens?