tips for starting to keep chickens

[Kurt Crover]

I was thinking of keeping chickens because I know some people that have done it. But I would appreciate tips from people that are knowledgable about this sort of stuff.

[apathy maybe]

Well, it depends. Where are you, city, county? Do you have a lot of lands? Can you build things (carpentry)? Do you have foxes or other nasties that will eat your chooks?

Do you want them for eggs or meat? Do you want to have a rooster?


Not trying to discourage you with all these questions, chooks are great. Fresh free range eggs are far better then those from caged hens (taste, look and the chooks are treated better too).

[Kurt Crover]

City: Outside Birmingham, UK
I don't have a lot of lands, but I'd put them in my back garden, give them a pen to stop them getting out/stuff getting in. I don't think there are foxes around my immediate area, but you never know. I don't know if I want to breed chickens yet, but I may do in the future. I mainly want them for eggs.

[apathy maybe]

OK, I would say that you want at least a couple of square metres per chook, plus a couple more, of land (well for the bigger varieties anyway, bantams you could get away with less). You want a pen that can be locked up so that nothing (mice and rats included) can get in. But you have to be able to clean it and stuff as well.

I'll post more later, I can't be fucked just now.

[Kurt Crover]

Fair enough, I would obviously need a pen, not sure about foxes, but lots of other stuff can get in..

[An archist]

keping chickens is fairly easy, they eat almost anything and don't need a lot of taking care of.

[Kurt Crover]

"eat almost anything"? I thought you had to buy chicken feed or some shit like that.

[DM.]

Originally posted by An [email protected] 28, 2007 01:56 pm
keping chickens is fairly easy, they eat almost anything and don't need a lot of taking care of.

Except for orange peels, tomatoes, carrots, ptato peels and banana's.
Also, don't put them on gravel because they will swallow the tiny rocks along with the food.

Kurt, this should contain all the info you need:
http://poultryone.com/articles/feedinghens.html

[apathy maybe]

Shell grit (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shell+grit)! Unless you want them to start eating their own eggs, and/or to have eggs with thin shells, you should give them shell grit.

The Wikipedia article is rather crap. But you get that.

This page has information too. http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qi...14054942AArOYfO (http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070314054942AArOYfO)

[anarchista feminista]

just a point (you probably wouldn't) don't baby them too much :mellow: my brother brought home what we thought what a baby chicken. turned out to be a rooster. my mum let it sit in her lap from the time we got it. it grew overprotective and wouldn't let us near mum and would attack us when anyone but her fed it. oh, and it learnt to bark from our neighbours dog.

[Bitter Ashes]

/casts scroll of ressurection

Sorry for the necro, but I'm considering this too actualy. I was figuring that it'd put some (almost) free eggs in my fridge and maybe give me something to trade with the local butcher for, to get some other meat in.
I live in the far outskirts of a town in the Pennines, so there's a few things I'm concerned about:
1) There's a lot of cats nearby. Is this likely to spook my chickens and put them off laying?
2) The house is semi-detached. Is there likely to be noise that is going to get me handed an ASBO?
3) It can get REALLY cold up here. Most nights between November and Febuary were bellow zero and one night it went to minus 15 degrees. Would it be feasible, or even nessicary, to move them indoors for the winter? I'm not sure how tough they can be, so I hope this doesnt seem such a dumb question.

[Jack]

I'm from a small town, so I can probably help you out.

You want at least 5-7 square feet per chicken, they will mostly stick together though.

Your yard is going to smell horrible. Around here they use chicken manure for the cornfeilds and you can smell it miles away, the most vile scent ever. Cow manure is nothing compared to chicken manure. But you can sell it.

Check your local livestock laws. I know that around here you have to hold a permit if you want to own anything other than traditional pets (dogs, cats etc).

[Jack]

Wow, this is an old post, I'll answer Ranma's though.

1) It should not, but you are going to want a high fence made of chickenwire, and you should scare away the cats when you get a chance. Chickens don't have a long egg laying process and are relativly stupid, so they will forget all about the cats.
2) Chickens are very loud, so you might be risking it. If you get a rooster it will try to intimidate everything and will definitly get you a noise violation. If you have your chickens about 15 feet (give or take) from another house you should be clear though.
3) For temperatures that low, bring them inside. They are warm blooded so can sustain lower tempuratures, but it's tough. Build them an indoor roost where they can lay their eggs, and keep warm. Chickens are originally from the tropics beleive it or not, so they perfer warmer temperatures.

[Delirium]

If you are anywhere urban or suburban you want to check with your neighbors first cause chickens are fucking noisy!

Also a little tip... lay down boards or pieces of cardboard and let them sit for a while, lift them up when your chickens are around and you'll have lots of bugs for them to eat. It sounds simple and lame but it works, also check the local dumpster for free feed.

[Vicarious]

I think you can kill people with chicken poo

[pastradamus]

If you are living urban you can buy a thing called a "chicken igloo". It fits about 3 hens and is small and easy to keep. Its worth looking into if you want to keep chickens. Also make sure your birds get the correct medical treatment first day - otherwise your eggs, your meat and all your work will be useless.

[apathy maybe]

Ah, I never got around to mentioning the fact that roosters are noisy bastards...

Oh, and chicken poo isn't that bad. The stuff they use for fertiliser is, but I think they add stuff, or something to it.

If you put fresh hay or straw on the bottom of the cage/pen, it makes it easier to clean, and nicer for the chooks.

Make sure you have somewhere they can lay their eggs. They might also want to lay where ever, so be sure to search the yard if you can't find any eggs.

[Pogue]

apathy, what the hell is a chook?

[apathy maybe]

apathy, what the hell is a chook?

Yar an ignorant bastard.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chook
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=chook

It's a chicken.

[ellipsis]

Yah you need to give them feed but also food scraps will do as a suplement. Dumpster dive at bakeries or just ask if they throw out their bread, explain that you have chickens. Also if you have a friend who works at a store with bulk dry goods, see if they can get you all the oats, flax, flour, etc. that get swept up.

Also they break down the food and help replenish the top soil on your land, making it more fertile.

[*Viva La Revolucion*]

Chickens, yay! I like chickens.

I have nothing to contribute to this thread other than that. :blushing:

[IrishWorker]

Surprised at how much people on Revleft know about chickens.

[ellipsis]

Chickens, turkey and goats are great livestock because they are compost machine, have good dispositions/are relatively easy to deal live, chicken don't require a lot of room, they allow you to be more self-sustainable, you can always trade eggs or goat milk for other agricultural products. Why wouldn't people on Revleft know/want to know about chickens?

[Drace]

My aunt lived in a village and they kept lot of chickens.

You'll need to keep it in a secure place. Chickens can jump high so either a cage or a really high wall surrounding them.

Other than having the right environment, they're easy to keep. They eat almost anything and don't need much care.
You might have to get a lighter and burn their beaks so they dont break their own eggs.