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| Shut up and play your guitar! Minor Deity  |
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. | ||
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Has Achieved Nirvana |
I wonder how long it would take to re-coop (  ) 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....
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Has Achieved Nirvana |
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.
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Jodi| Shut up and play your guitar! Minor Deity |
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. | |||
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| Foregoing Practicing to Post Minor Deity  |
Cats are easier to find and just as good at waking you up at 4:30 AM.
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Has Achieved Nirvana |
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? 
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| Pinta & the Santa Maria Has Achieved Nirvana  |
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. | |||
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| czarina Has Achieved Nirvana  |
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.
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| knitterati Beatification Candidate  |
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.
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Gadfly |
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. | |||
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Has Achieved Nirvana |
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.
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| Shut up and play your guitar! Minor Deity |
Lisa, silly me thinking your words would change my daughter's mind about this. Her reply:
I think I am going to let this happen. HELP! lol | |||
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| czarina Has Achieved Nirvana |
she does sound determined. my condolences.
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| Shut up and play your guitar! Minor Deity |
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 | |||
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| Has Achieved Nirvana |
Under the Henfluence
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