keep chickens

Chickens seem like such a great idea, especially since I have 1/2 acre and a large garden that could use quality compost.

On the other hand I recently checked out a friend’s backyard coop set up. She patiently answered my flurry of questions and here is what I gleaned:

chickens do not = free eggs, the costs of setup and feed will keep you in the rears on cost basis for years

chickens get sick and need to go to the vet (see above on cost)

some dogs will never get over chicken stocking and will always be on the lookout for an open gate etc.

chickens are not self maintaining, even w/ a big bin of food. it is difficult to leave them on their own for more than a day or two

it no eggs or LOTS of eggs

chickens are mean and will pick on other chickens

on the positive side:
chickens are generally friendly and good pets for children and are not that noisy.

Given this list I think I will hold off a bit!

Okay, I found plans for a small (as in only big enough for 3 hens), portable hen shelter, and in taking inventory of what’s in my garage, I discovered I have all the materials to build it (except for the roofing).

This should be a good winter weekend project, assuming I can push myself to START it.

... keep chickens. Almost as soon as we arrived here – before I knew how many chicken-lovers were here already – the idea of keeping chickens was forming in my head. The place lends itself to chickens.

Then I started thinking. Maybe it’s the idea of keeping chickens that appeals to me rather than the notion of chickens themselves? Do I actually like chickens? What about their care: do I want to be out cleaning the chicken house in the depths of winer? It dawned on me that I don’t feel any particular affinity with chickens at all. In fact – I realised on reflection – I’ve never in my life been up close and personal with a chicken. I don’t know if I like them or not!

So I determined that I must get to know some feathered friends: be around them a little bit and see what my reaction is.

On Monday I met my first batch: Bracken, Hazel and Blackberry. My dear friend C has just acquired them. They are beautiful. I was an immediate convert and fell in love within seconds. I love their noises and their beautiful soft feathers. I love their plumpness and their fragility. I love their busyness and their quirks…. I LOVE CHICKENS!

A neighbour across the road got her chickens recently too and has said I can come and spend some time with them and hold one. Next week I’m with my sister in the depths of Scotland and she has LOADS of chickens (and quail and turkeys). So I shall get to see what’s involved in their care and by the end of next week I shall have had a good, hands-on introduction to the reality of keeping chickens.

There is a hiccup. I had already intended that should we finally decide to go for it I would of course pop round to our lovely neighbour to make her aware of new arrivals. I heard the other day that she has no love for fowl at all and maintains that the deeds of our 3 houses preclude the keeping of chickens. B disagrees. If we decide to go for it we shall double check the deeds. And a delicate visit to S next door will be in order…

This is a long-term goal for me as I am living overseas right now and can’t have hens until I am settled back home in New Zealand and I have no idea when that will be.

This is a personal goal of mine I have had for so long now. I grew up with chickens, eight hens and iI loved having them around, although I think I appreciate the memory more now than when I was young, as it was normal to me then t have hens clucking in the garden.

Having chickens would make me so happy I really can’t wait til I can realise this goal.

I’m not sure why we stopped, but I really want to do it again. This will have to wait with some of my other goals that necessitate me having a piece of property to live on first. They’re just so useful for having a garden. They can help with bug problems, they enrich the soil with nitrogen, and their ability to supply eggs is just dandy!

This is a long-term goal. My garden is a little small right now but I can’t wait until we have more room and I can get me some chucks.

I’ve read up on keeping chickens for eggs, not meat for me anyway, and still have questions. First step is to get some reliable answers to the following:

1. Everyone seems to buy chicks. sorry I can’t be home 18 hours a day and devote my bathroom to this. Will young hens eventually warm up to me enough to be herded/ pickup from time to time. If not how will this work as far as getting them in the coop at night??? Do they go in by themselves.

2. I want to go free range on my 1/2 acre in the city. Will my chickens fly away or stay about the yard? Comments/ experiences on this seem mixed.

3. How do you know if your dog will eat your young chickens and avoid this? My dog is pretty laid back and would not attack a cat although he will chase one if surprised from time to time. I need a strategy for dog/ chicken socialization

4. How stinky are chickens really?
4.

I’d love to keep chickens, however, there is at least one fox in my area and I will not take any risks without minimising them first. My plan is to get an Eglu but as it’s quite expensive I’ll have to wait a while. I don’t mind though, I specifically want ex-battery hens and there won’t be any rescues in my area for quite some time.

A neighbor came to me a couple weeks ago and brought me a pair of chickens that were found wandering around town. Both are hens, one’s a red layer type, and the other is a buff feather footed banty. We’ve named them Barb and Bette respectively. They get along pretty well, Barb is brave and friendly, Bette not so much. I kept them in the coop for a week or two to get used to it, then let them out for a little bit to forage and such. It’s really nice to have chickens again, I can’t wait to order more next year!

We got our first eggs this week – 2 Monday, 2 Tuesday, 1 today… and that’s just with two hens laying so far! 10 more to go!