Does anyone here keep chickens?

[capt_noonie]

Originally Posted by matese

I have a neighbor behind me in another complex, they had a rooster, don't know if they had chickens, the rooster would crow all day, I loved hearing him through the woods, my neighbors hated it. I would LOVE to get geese, they are like watch dogs, but to much wild life here, I would faint if one morning I found it dead in my yard.

Geese are so huge! There is a park here that has tons of them. Their poop is so big LOL. I would love a duck to get er eggs but they make too much noise and I would imagine would want to fly around.

At MIL's house, for years every summer a Mr and Mrs Duck would come into her pool and splash around. They did this for years but haven't seen them in at least five or so years. I always wonder what happened to them.

[KazzyK810]

My neighbor, three houses over, has chickens. They often roam free and end up coming to visit. They are what I think of when I think, chickens, standard big birds.

My cousin lives in a little house on a lake, and she has four chickens. She's had them for two years now, and they are still small. Less than half the size of my neighbors chickens. They produce smaller eggs too, but my cousin has no problem cooking with them. She says, she never buys eggs anymore. Her basement is a walkout, and has a deck above. She has her chickens under that decking area, and as the steps from the deck are on the side where her neighbor is, no one can see the chickens. She had her coop built for her by a local woodworker, and it has wheels on the bottom, so she can roll it around, and roll it out into her side yard on good weather days.

[matese]

Yep, Geese make poops as big as my Cody, I wouldn't let them use my entire yard, I would fence off a large area for them, IF I would get them. I also love little ducks, years ago when I lived on Long Island for Easter my neighbor's husband got her 3 little ducks, she let them splash around in her bath tub it was the guest bathroom lol, in the summer she got a little kiddie pool, by this time they were grown, beautiful white friendly ducks. It was so cute and relaxing watching them jump in and out of that pool. I like Geese cause they are fresh lol, are like watch dogs, but I won't get any, there are to many predators that kill fowl where I live.

[MauiGirl]

Originally Posted by Nancy1999

My dentist's assistant, (who I see quite a bit of) has told me about her chicken adventure. She started with I think three, and her son built her a coop. It takes a long time before they lay eatable eggs and in the meantime, you have to spend a lot of money on food and antibiotics and all sorts of stuff. Then she got another hen and found out that they are very territorial and they pecked the new hen to death. I guess you have to get them all at the same time and one becomes the alpha and any new hen upsets the balance. Also, her dog killed another one. So far, the eggs are costing her about 200 dollars apiece. I haven't talked to her in the past few months, but last time I talked to her she wasn't as enthusiastic as she once was. If you had your own yard and the chickens could be "free range", I say go for it, if you have to hide them, I think you'll end up regretting it. Are you sure you just don't want to have a baby? You won't have time for anything else. Lol, it sounds like you internal clock is insisting on a bird.

You about said most of what was on my mind after watching my daughter have 13 chickens, and she even had a nice coop in her 2 acre yard. She had several different fancy kinds, some laid blue eggs, most were brown. I was shocked at how much chickens eat.... all your scraps, peelings, and expired fruits and veggies, PLUS tons of food pellets. They must have plenty of clean water daily, which means you have to clean the container because they poop in it. Have you ever smelled chicken poop? It almost made me not want to eat eggs. Fun when they get bird mites, and you have to give them a bath in a 5 gallon bucket of treated water. And if you don't get rid of the mites they can get on you, in your house, your bedding and make life miserable. One hen got a scratch on her leg from the wire, and the others proceeded to peck her to death.

The grand finale in her chicken experience was when the neighbors dog broke into the coop and killed all by 4. Luckily her boyfriend discovered it and cleaned up the massacre before anyone else saw it. Oh, and guess what, she realized she didn't need 13 eggs a day, couldn't even give them away fast enough, and wow.... Costco sells beautiful organic brown eggs for much less than the cost of chicken feed.

Wow..... that was a rant. Guess you know what I think about chickens

[capt_noonie]

Why did she get so many?

[Yorkiemom1]

OK...my brother just arrived for his week visit....we were talking and laughing about our chicken conversation on here, and since he lives in the country, the neighbor next to him has a couple of horses and a donkey....I think a calf for meat, they are raising....chickens, ducks, guenny (sp) hens for "guard dogs".....

He has a guest house that he rents out to a lady with 4 Yorkies....this woman is driving me crazy...she lets these Yorkies run all over that property, with hawks, owls, snakes, coyotes, etc....plus the fence down the side of the property where the horses are, is electrified to keep that cow from going thru the fence....I am loosing my mind over these little Yorkies, and worried sick about them running into that electric fence....NOW he tells me one of the Yorkies came running over to him for a visit, cute, adorable, friendly little thing....then it ran over to the pasture where the horses and the cow and donkey are.....wanting to visit with the livestock.....well, the horses and the donkey tore after that baby dog....ran its ass all over the pasture....my brother ran to the fence, yelling and hollering and trying to get that terrified little Yorkie back thru the fence...he did manage to get it to come running for its life.....and the donkey didnt get it, but it was REAL close.....my brother never says anything to people...anytime I have told him to tell that woman anything about those Yorkies, he reminds me she is a farm girl, knows all about critters running and flying in the woods, and he isnt sticking his nose in her business. She already had a beautiful boxer that got bit by a copperhead and died.... This woman is KILLING me with her stupidity and her Yorkies....

[matese]

Originally Posted by MauiGirl

You about said most of what was on my mind after watching my daughter have 13 chickens, and she even had a nice coop in her 2 acre yard. She had several different fancy kinds, some laid blue eggs, most were brown. I was shocked at how much chickens eat.... all your scraps, peelings, and expired fruits and veggies, PLUS tons of food pellets. They must have plenty of clean water daily, which means you have to clean the container because they poop in it. Have you ever smelled chicken poop? It almost made me not want to eat eggs. Fun when they get bird mites, and you have to give them a bath in a 5 gallon bucket of treated water. And if you don't get rid of the mites they can get on you, in your house, your bedding and make life miserable. One hen got a scratch on her leg from the wire, and the others proceeded to peck her to death.

The grand finale in her chicken experience was when the neighbors dog broke into the coop and killed all by 4. Luckily her boyfriend discovered it and cleaned up the massacre before anyone else saw it. Oh, and guess what, she realized she didn't need 13 eggs a day, couldn't even give them away fast enough, and wow.... Costco sells beautiful organic brown eggs for much less than the cost of chicken feed.

Wow..... that was a rant. Guess you know what I think about chickens

Well Sandy that took care of me wanting Geese. Mites I had baby robins fall out of their nest a few years ago, momma made her nest in a planter right at the front door, every time I came out a baby got pushed out, one day 3 babies plopped out, they were able to walk I was running all over the front of the house picking them up, putting back in the nest, then other were plopping out, every time I got them in the nest others were getting out, there were 5 baby robins, I realized my arms were covered in mites I ran in my bath room and scrubbed my arms, tore off my clothes threw them in the washer and jumped in the shower. I will never again pick up a wild bird, when I see a momma making a nest at the front of my house I take the nest down using a plastic bag, I never thought about geese, duck and mites. Just lost all desire for geese. Thank you Sandy lol

[MauiGirl]

Originally Posted by capt_noonie

Why did she get so many?

She wanted a variety of fancy colors, and the supplier ships them from the mainland by FedEx when they are only a few days old (hard to believe), and they ship extra in case some don't make it. They all survived.

[sandy simpson]

I raised chickens in a large coop. Had a rooster named Bill. I love the rhode island red chickens. They lay the brown eggs. One problem with chickens mice and rats. It does draw these animals. They go after the chick feed at night. So if you don't mind a few of those, chickens are really cool to keep. Friendly and they will toot around and lay eggs for you! Have to coop them up at night or coyotes get em.

[Nancy1999]

Originally Posted by MauiGirl

You about said most of what was on my mind after watching my daughter have 13 chickens, and she even had a nice coop in her 2 acre yard. She had several different fancy kinds, some laid blue eggs, most were brown. I was shocked at how much chickens eat.... all your scraps, peelings, and expired fruits and veggies, PLUS tons of food pellets. They must have plenty of clean water daily, which means you have to clean the container because they poop in it. Have you ever smelled chicken poop? It almost made me not want to eat eggs. Fun when they get bird mites, and you have to give them a bath in a 5 gallon bucket of treated water. And if you don't get rid of the mites they can get on you, in your house, your bedding and make life miserable. One hen got a scratch on her leg from the wire, and the others proceeded to peck her to death.

The grand finale in her chicken experience was when the neighbors dog broke into the coop and killed all by 4. Luckily her boyfriend discovered it and cleaned up the massacre before anyone else saw it. Oh, and guess what, she realized she didn't need 13 eggs a day, couldn't even give them away fast enough, and wow.... Costco sells beautiful organic brown eggs for much less than the cost of chicken feed.

Wow..... that was a rant. Guess you know what I think about chickens

Ha ha, it sounds like something you really have to be committed to before you can really do it, kind of like owning a Yorkie! One of my best friends in high school, lived on a chicken farm and I helped her wash eggs, so yes I smelled a lot of chicken poop. They washed them in something like cascade dishwasher detergent, at least that's what it smelled like, and that mixed with the poop was very unpleasant. Does she even know what a good friend I was? Raising chickens is definitely not cost effective, antibiotics, worming medicine, lice dusting, straw, food, it all adds up.

[Cha Cha]

Originally Posted by matese

Well Sandy that took care of me wanting Geese. Mites I had baby robins fall out of their nest a few years ago, momma made her nest in a planter right at the front door, every time I came out a baby got pushed out, one day 3 babies plopped out, they were able to walk I was running all over the front of the house picking them up, putting back in the nest, then other were plopping out, every time I got them in the nest others were getting out, there were 5 baby robins, I realized my arms were covered in mites I ran in my bath room and scrubbed my arms, tore off my clothes threw them in the washer and jumped in the shower. I will never again pick up a wild bird, when I see a momma making a nest at the front of my house I take the nest down using a plastic bag, I never thought about geese, duck and mites. Just lost all desire for geese. Thank you Sandy lol

LOL, We raised geese growing up, even incubated our own eggs (in the house). I played with those baby goslings a lot and we never had a case of mites that I remember. They were a lot of fun, and become quite attached if you spent the time with them, but they were definitely mean when they were laying. I got attacked by one that left a pretty good bruise on my behind where she clamped down. Best guard dogs we ever had. LOL

[Maximo]

Originally Posted by MauiGirl

Wow..... that was a rant. Guess you know what I think about chickens

Martha Stewart made it look so easy and wonderful to keep chickens. I see now that she wasn't giving the whole story.

[MauiGirl]

Originally Posted by Maximo

Martha Stewart made it look so easy and wonderful to keep chickens. I see now that she wasn't giving the whole story.

It is easy for Martha because she has a whole staff to do all the dirty work, haha. Just like how she makes cooking look so easy on tv, her crew behind the scenes does all the prep and clean up.

I will admit that my daughter and granddaughter did have some fun with the chickens, but after a while the fun wore off and it was all work..... lots of dirty work. Forget ever taking a vacation or getting sick, tending to chickens is a daily chore, and not many people are willing to assist. Of course I had to help many times, which is why I was so glad to see them go. We paid someone to tear down the chicken coop, and the funny thing is that a whole patch of grape tomato plants popped up there and was thriving because of the chicken manure.

[Nancy1999]

Originally Posted by MauiGirl

It is easy for Martha because she has a whole staff to do all the dirty work, haha. Just like how she makes cooking look so easy on tv, her crew behind the scenes does all the prep and clean up.

I will admit that my daughter and granddaughter did have some fun with the chickens, but after a while the fun wore off and it was all work..... lots of dirty work. Forget ever taking a vacation or getting sick, tending to chickens is a daily chore, and not many people are willing to assist. Of course I had to help many times, which is why I was so glad to see them go. We paid someone to tear down the chicken coop, and the funny thing is that a whole patch of grape tomato plants popped up there and was thriving because of the chicken manure.

That's funny, I heard that chicken poop is the best manure in the world.

[MauiGirl]

Originally Posted by Nancy1999

That's funny, I heard that chicken poop is the best manure in the world.

It is the best, and they sell it at nurseries, and even that stinks. Have to say though that the 15x10' patch of grape tomatoes were the best ever, and there were thousands, started from feeding leftover tomatoes to the chickens. I'm surprised that watermelon didn't pop up, as that was their favorite.

I do have to giggle as it was cute to see my granddaughter at about 6 years old walking around with a big fat hen under her arm.