Chickens

HelpTheDogsII · June 2008

I love chickens and my family eats a lot of eggs (including my dog). I have a pen set up in the back made for rabbits but the fence is 6-7 feet high and I want chickens now. Can anyone give me some info on them? I trust your guys opinion more then the internets right now. the pen is maybe 10 and a bit feet across and 15ish wide. number of chickens approximate cost of care, etc. Thanks in advance

KiteKatsumi9 · June 2008

I recommend Buff Orpington hens, our's give us a lot of eggs

Some of our hens are Buff Orpington x Rhode Island Red cross, and they give us a lot of eggs too. Hope for no roosters unless you want to hatch out chicks...all of our roosters that are in with any hens have gotten aggressive. We've found that our hens lay better eggs if we feed them crushed/crumbled chicken feed instead of pelletted chicken feed. It costs us at least $20 per month to feed our 8 chickens. Our friendly BOxRIR rooster, Eagle: <a href="http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p311/Kite_Katsumi/Outdoor Pets/1816080.jpg" target="_blank" class="bb-url">http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p311 ... 816080.jpg</a> Buff Orpington hens, we only have one now: <a href="http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p311/Kite_Katsumi/Outdoor Pets/860841.jpg" target="_blank" class="bb-url">http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p311 ... 860841.jpg</a> Rhode Island Red rooster that we don't have anymore: <a href="http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p311/Kite_Katsumi/Outdoor Pets/860835.jpg" target="_blank" class="bb-url">http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p311 ... 860835.jpg</a> The four BOxRIR hens: <a href="http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p311/Kite_Katsumi/Outdoor Pets/1458121.jpg" target="_blank" class="bb-url">http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p311 ... 458121.jpg</a> And I don't think I have pictures of the other 3 roosters. They're all also BOxRIR crosses.

a-sap · June 2008

I had 3 hens (RIR) who were perfect for us, 3 eggs a day for 3 people were perfect. It seems about a chicken a person works, but it does depend on how often you eat eggs. RIR are very tough, and can last through cold winters/warm summers. They costed me very little, just about $7-10 per month. The pen you have seems fine for chickens, as long as you have a nice coop for then. You could have up to 10 chickens (about) in it comfterably.

Kazuko · June 2008

I have three chickens now.

All of them are mutts as far as we can tell. They haven't started laying, but we're expecting them to in the next month or two. Our chickens are cheap to care for, relatively quiet, and lasted through a cold winter and a really hot summer. As chicks, they cost about $5 a piece, and usually you can get guarantees on whether they're hens or not.

HelpTheDogsII · June 2008

oooo, I want! can anyone post pictures of their coops? my mom said I would have to build one and I would like some examples

a-sap · June 2008

Hmm, my dad's friend built mine, I have no pics, but I can kinda explain it

It is about 4 feet long, 4 feet tall, and 2.5 feet wide. It has a double door with a latch on each side. There are 8 boxes inside, each being 1x1x1. There are two layers. It has a small half oval opening on the front in which they can get in and out of when they want, with a small ramp on it. The ramp is on hinges and closes so we could lock them up at night. It is about 1 foot off the ground, with a slanted roof to keep everything dry.

Zagari Wolf · June 2008

Standard sized birds will get you better, bigger eggs. For that I suggest Rhode Island Reds or Rocks! I had two Barred Rocks and they were amazing little birds! Bantams are easier to care for though. For the most part, I think socialization with humans is KEY! I've had some "aggressive" and "wild" breeds before and I've never had an aggressive bird. They make great pets! I love mine to pieces! I also enjoy going to poultry shows. My bantam Cochins have done pretty well. Good luck! I have 5 birds currently that cost about $8 every two months. Extremely CHEAP pets! I'd recommend them for anyone! As for a coop... I'll try to find a pic of mine; or one close to it off the 'net.

Zagari Wolf · June 2008

Dang! I couldn't find very good pics of my coop... but it's really nicely built! Just google "chicken coop" and you'll come up with some interesting designs. On one wall, it is lined with gorgeous wooden nesting boxes. On the other are some less than beautiful wire ones. Here are Elektra and her baby Suri (you can see the wire boxes) <a href="http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h239/ZagariPitBullLover/Mine/PHTO0034.jpg"; target="_blank" class="bb-url">http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h239/ ... TO0034.jpg</a> Here are the birds outside: (from left to right) Erik, Elektra, Suri, Moss. In the FAR back, behind Erik you can see Tank. <a href="http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h239/ZagariPitBullLover/Mine/DSC00370.jpg"; target="_blank" class="bb-url">http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h239/ ... C00370.jpg</a> <a href="http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h239/ZagariPitBullLover/Mine/DSC00369.jpg"; target="_blank" class="bb-url">http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h239/ ... C00369.jpg</a>

Mikey Makita · June 2008

I want chickens now!Then again,Bruiser would probably eat them XD

Harley · June 2008

I got 2 chickens as sort of a joke Christmas present a few years ago from one of my friends who breeds and shows them, and I fell in love. Now,I have about 15 including around 8 chicks with 15 more eggs in the incubator. For a coop, they don't really care. I have an old wooden rabbit hutch that we broke the legs off and set inside the shed that some of ours sleep in. The other is just a plastic dog house with a perch inside and plastic flaps covering the door. And chickens like to perch at night, and even a stick from the yard or something is fine. As for the breed and number to get, it depends on how many eggs you are wanting. They lay every 1-2 days and have off-seasons. If you aren't planning to raise chicks, try to stay away from the massive breeds, as they are usually very broody and may nip if you take their eggs. They also require more room and feed. Smaller breeds lay smaller eggs, but they also will just leave their eggs and not care if you take them.

Zagari Wolf · June 2008

Bantam Cochins lay about once every 1-2 weeks. It took Elektra forever to hatch a clutch. No matter what, her eggs would not hatch in an incubator. Finally, I just let her keep them. She had about 8 eggs and only 3 hatched. And as for roosting... There they are, husband and wife, mother and father! Snuggled closely at night!

Harley · June 2008

Your Bantams are HUGE! I have all Polish ones, and the original pair were actually 2 roosters. They grew up together and were fine, but one got sick and a few months later after he got better, they didn't recognize each other. But roosters aren't as mean as they are made out to be. They're like Pit Bulls, they have the power to fight but it's all in how you raise them. Roosters are also territorial to other animals, so they will fight back if a raccoon or something tries to get in, which protects the hens who will just run. <a href="http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a119/HarleyHvpstuff/chickencoop.jpg"; target="_blank" class="bb-url">http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a119/ ... encoop.jpg</a> Here is one of my chicken coops. And for building one, MAKE SURE IT HAS A TOP! Hawks are notorious for grabbing chickens, and opossums and raccoons can easily climb up and over the sides of a coop.

HelpTheDogsII · June 2008

So now I feel retarded. I cannot esimate what so ever. the pen is actually 25 feet by 20-21 feet. its massive. The weather here is also crazy to the point that in summer it can reach 35 celcius and -25 celcius in winter. I love your chickens.... *grabs and puts them in pen*

KiteKatsumi9 · June 2008

Ohhhh yes, make sure it has a top. Just having chickens will attract foxes, raccoons, fishers, etc depending on where you live. If they can get into the coop, they could easily clean it right out. Our roosters have only gotten aggressive when they've "claimed" hens. If they haven't ever "claimed" hens, they've been fine. Eagle's never had a hen to himself, and he's such a nice guy

Then again, I also babied him a lot when he was a chick. Swink used to have hens, and he's somewhat aggressive. Some days he's okay, other days if you just walk past him he'll attack you. Phin used to have hens...and for whatever reason, he decided he didn't like men and young boys. He attacked any man or young boy that came into the yard, whether he'd ever seen them before or not. My brother and his friends were his most frequent victims...I have suspicions that they might have harassed him at one point or another. Some of my brother's friends definitely would see that as a fun idea. In fact, we caught one of his friends chasing our goats and trying to hit them with sticks. That kid never came over again, needless to say. But that seems to be the sort of children my brother hangs out with. Poor Phin. We do know that my dad used to chase Phin and kick him when he thought he was "bad"...dad wouldn't listen to us when we said it was abusive. Thing is, this isn't what started Phin's aggression, because dad adopted this punishment system AFTER Phin got aggressive. So we took Phin out of the yard and put him in one of the coops instead. Haven't had a problem with him since. I feel so bad for him though...I hate my father sometimes. Anyway, if you do get a rooster, baby him ^^ They can be so sweet!

HelpTheDogsII · June 2008

lol, the main hunters we have are coyotes, halks and eagles and owls, bears, raccons, bob cats and cougars. I live in southern BC so we mainly get the big birds and it doesn't help that I basically live in a pine forest

Harley · June 2008

We just have a wooden frame with a tarp over ours, it keeps out snow and rain that isn't blowing, and also gives them shade. *can't convert celsius* But for really hot days, you can put ice cubes in their water bucket and also in a pan so they can walk in them to cool off. They will pant like dogs and keep their mouths open, but are fine if they have cold water. And for cold days, just make sure they go in their coop at night, as they stay warm by huddling together. And keep the floor covered in straw so they aren't standing on frozen ground. The only predator that I would be worried about is the bears, which probably shouldn't be right next to your house anyways. If you have a shed or barn, you can put holes in the side and stick the coop in there with the holes as doorways. I have coyotes and everything around where I live, and the temperatures are lower 20's F and up to over 100 F. But think of it this way, every place has to have eggs, so there have to be chickens.

KiteKatsumi9 · June 2008

I always seem to forget something @_@<;br> Temps here get from (F) below 0 - 85ish. Our chickens do fine in both "extremes" by, like Harley said, huddling together or drinking cold water.

Harley · June 2008

And for drinking water, if you have larger chickens a plastic bucket is fine. (metal rusts) The only chicken I ever had die was a chick only a few weeks old who drown themself in a shallow dishpan of water by lying in it. So if you plan on getting chicks to start out with I recommend one of these types of waterers: <a href="http://www.jefferslivestock.com/ssc/product.asp?CID=2&mscssid=WA17Q631S98G9MBKDL5C58TW5NDK0AC0&pf_id=0026688"; target="_blank" class="bb-url">http://www.jefferslivestock.com/ssc/pro ... id=0026688</a> But chickens are the easiest animals to take care of. Give them food and water everyday and collect eggs, and they only need the straw to be changed/added onto every month or so.

HelpTheDogsII · June 2008

Okay good, that was one of my main concerns

Zagari Wolf · June 2008

Harley wrote:

Your Bantams are HUGE!

lol Not really, I must say the males are a little over standard, but my girls do great in shows! Still the boys aren't too bad. Oh and I had a frizzle polish chick before. She was so cute! Too bad the fox/raccoon/whatever got her.

That is the ONLY bird I've ever lost to a preditor.

Harley · June 2008

I have the ugliest rooster ever, yet he won International and Grand Champion at the state & county fairs. He also got People's Choice and a trophy just because everyone liked him since he's so weird looking.

He's the big all black one in front of the chicken coop in the picture.

HelpTheDogsII · June 2008

you guys. my mom is wanting to debate me about the chickens XD if you have 1 or 100 good things about them say it! and if you have anything bad to say, say it also!

Harley · June 2008

They're actually probably cheaper than buying eggs yourself. $8 every two months versus $3 for a dozen eggs every other week or so. Great pets! And also tell her about the temperature tolerances and everything, then she'll know you've been doing your research and are educated about them and aren't going into it blindly.

Zagari Wolf · June 2008

Great bug control. Release them in your garden and you'll have hardly any bugs. They are cute and very social animals! They love company. If you imprint early enough, they will treat you as one of their own. Some of mine even know their names and some voice commands. Think of them as little, tiny, not as smart as real ones, dogs. Erik knows "up-up" which means to get on my arm. He's sooo dang cute!

Kazuko · June 2008

Zagari Wolf wrote:

Great bug control. Release them in your garden and you'll have hardly any bugs.

However, you'll also have hardly any flowers. xD They like to eat what ever's different, so I've come to realize. Freckles, grass, whatever. I can grab some pictures of the coop soon. xD

Zagari Wolf · June 2008

Kazuko wrote:

Zagari Wolf wrote:

Great bug control. Release them in your garden and you'll have hardly any bugs.

 Freckles, grass, whatever.

I have a freckle on my hand and they love to try to peck it off! :shock: I love my babies!

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Chickens

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