I'm glad I stuck with my simple flip phone.
if not I'd have to leave me phone at home in a drawer to be invisible in public
Trump to Declare National Emergency Today
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I'm glad I stuck with my simple flip phone.
if not I'd have to leave me phone at home in a drawer to be invisible in public
Idahodutch
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And here I thought I was the only one that seemed to have gremlins following me around
Idahodutch
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ARC
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I just paid over 7 dollars for 2 18 packs of eggs.
Idahodutch
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Yep!
Just make sure you dont flush while sitting down
I had just commented on it and scrolled down to see your post. . . . Laughed all over again.
Idahodutch
Bronze Member
ARC,
We live in town, so the limit on having chickens is 6 max and NO roosters.
So we have 6 hens. We average about 1 egg a day in the heart of winter (between all 6), but by March we avg 3 a day - right now we are getting 4-5 a day.
Some of the best tasting eggs you'll eat. Way better than store bought.
They are fun to watch too. We gave ours names and believe it or not - they know their names and respond.
ARC
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Yep!
Just make sure you dont flush while sitting down
Water is often too cold. :P
Idahodutch
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ARC
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ARC,
We live in town, so the limit on having chickens is 6 max and NO roosters.
So we have 6 hens. We average about 1 egg a day in the heart of winter (between all 6), but by March we avg 3 a day - right now we are getting 4-5 a day.
Some of the best tasting eggs you'll eat. Way better than store bought.
They are fun to watch too. We gave ours names and believe it or not - they know their names and respond.
How much does the feed cost you ? ? ?
And maintenance ? ? ?
In other words... what is the "catch"... what goes into having them etc. ?
Idahodutch
Bronze Member
Store bought are less expensive, but only if you want really good tasting eggs. Otherwise, just let the chickens eat whatever they find and it costs almost nothing. The eggs would still taste better than store bought.
With very minimal pellets to supplement and since in Florida, you probably don't need a big heavy duty shelter that is good for both snow and scorching heat; so I think it would be about the same, except you would have great tasting eggs (think organic) and you don't have to go to the store to get them.
If there is a food shortage, at least you'll have eggs. And chicken if it came to that.
ARC
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Seee. now I heard that chickens require shots... and regular maintenance.
Idahodutch
Bronze Member
ARC,
Predators can be an issue is the girls don't have a way to get to safety. A safe place for them to Roost as night and a safe place for them to lay eggs is important if you want to be able to find the chickens and the eggs.
We close up the coop every night and open it back up each morning. But there are ways to have that be automated . . but extra $$
Another plus is that you get free chicken **** for your garden.
Or if you have a dog, they will eat a lot of it while you are not looking. And then want to come over and lick you.
There is something calming about having animals around . . . I guess as long as you are not their dinner.
Edit: Thx whoever fixed that for me. I didn't realize till I saw the asterisks
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Idahodutch
Bronze Member
No shots . . . maintenance is just food and water and safe shelter of some sort . . . .then you're set.
We got ours right about two years ago, when they were mostly pullets (teenagers not yet laying).
They started laying just weeks after we got them.
Idahodutch
Bronze Member
If you have really a lot of chickens, then disease could become an issue maybe.
- Chickens molt (lose feathers and grow new ones) yearly, although not all feathers at once, and really not all feathers that I have noticed.
- They also sometimes bruit (brute? brude? not sure of spelling) which is a time that they have hormone issue for a bit (like PMS), but is actually normal and necessary for regular flocks that have a rooster and to have chicks.
When a hen is bruting, all they want to do is sit on top of eggs. . . . all day . . .every day. they come down to eat and get water, but then go right back to on top of eggs.
The eggs we get are unfertilized (we do not have a rooster). as far as I know, there is no difference in taste - fertilized or not.
If we want chicks, we need to barrow a rooster, or go buy some at the farm store.
So really thinking about this, there is some maintenance, but not that much. The coop needs to have poop cleaned out and fresh straw or wood shavings periodically. The coop itself will need help once in a while, depending on the coop.
I would do it again.
They like to take dirt baths . . I know that sounds funny, but I'm serious. If you don't provide one for them, they will dig holes to make their own. It is a good way to help your girls stay healthy, if you make a dirt bath for them to use.
We have an old galvanized water trough that we filled up about 1/2 way with a mixture of pete-moss, sand, and diatomatrous earth (spelling seems wrong). It gets rids of mites and little things that can bother the girls.
There is usually a mean one in every flock - don't kill it unless it is killing the others. If you do, one of the others will just rise to the occasion. It is just the pecking order thing.
- Chickens molt (lose feathers and grow new ones) yearly, although not all feathers at once, and really not all feathers that I have noticed.
- They also sometimes bruit (brute? brude? not sure of spelling) which is a time that they have hormone issue for a bit (like PMS), but is actually normal and necessary for regular flocks that have a rooster and to have chicks.
When a hen is bruting, all they want to do is sit on top of eggs. . . . all day . . .every day. they come down to eat and get water, but then go right back to on top of eggs.
The eggs we get are unfertilized (we do not have a rooster). as far as I know, there is no difference in taste - fertilized or not.
If we want chicks, we need to barrow a rooster, or go buy some at the farm store.
So really thinking about this, there is some maintenance, but not that much. The coop needs to have poop cleaned out and fresh straw or wood shavings periodically. The coop itself will need help once in a while, depending on the coop.
I would do it again.
They like to take dirt baths . . I know that sounds funny, but I'm serious. If you don't provide one for them, they will dig holes to make their own. It is a good way to help your girls stay healthy, if you make a dirt bath for them to use.
We have an old galvanized water trough that we filled up about 1/2 way with a mixture of pete-moss, sand, and diatomatrous earth (spelling seems wrong). It gets rids of mites and little things that can bother the girls.
There is usually a mean one in every flock - don't kill it unless it is killing the others. If you do, one of the others will just rise to the occasion. It is just the pecking order thing.
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At my previous homestead I had birds.
Coop I built was a fort nox ,(everything wants to eat chickens or eggs) but also had special features for chickens year round in this clime.
Over a decade ago and had about 800 dollars into it....
An ex. owns it now and if cared for will last much longer.
Some type birds tolerate confinement. Some don't.
Some cld weather , ect.
I kept a light on them during the winter and kept them producing.
A laying hen must never be deprived of water.
A hen also will only lay X amount of eggs in it's life.
Rather than build a proper brooder to get young chicks up to fighting weight every spring and replace the previous years(or two years) flock , I left them to age.
They were still producing well enough after a couple three years.
Also , a flock generally does not accept new birds into an established flock...Best to start with extra's and cull what's not desired after they are laying.
A coop has basic needs. Amount of room per bird. No drafts in winter. But I had air flow controlled so not to have them stuffy. Or worse ,damp.
Roosts. A dropping board to scrape clean if you do not want to go deep litter on floor.
Sunlight. Entertainment on foul weather days. Security from predators and stress.
Any outdoor run should be covered. At least by woven wire if not a roof.
A dusting area. Water .(I had water inside in winter to keep it from freezing , high enough off the floor they could not poop or stand in it.
Woven wire protecting the heat lamp.)
Access for you to enter run/yard.
Dry soil. (good drainage) Don't run birds on wet ground very long.
I built a lever to open coop pop hole into run to open/close it from outside the run.
I've seen plastic dog houses used for a couple birds.
A way to keep them from overheating would be needed come summer.
Feed costs varies with quality and source of food...
Laying mash can run ten bucks for fifty pounds ,or for ten pounds.
Oyster shells provide calcium if eggshells get too thin.
Carotonoids determine yolk colors. As can greens in a diet.
I kept a tin of small gravel from along the driveway in the coop for an at will eating of grit.
There's plenty more too it , but with a secure coop designed for birds year round and a run and or yard they are not hard to get along with.
Keeping them healthy beats having them get ill ,or bored.
I escaped having problems . But looked after them close too.
Coop I built was a fort nox ,(everything wants to eat chickens or eggs) but also had special features for chickens year round in this clime.
Over a decade ago and had about 800 dollars into it....
An ex. owns it now and if cared for will last much longer.
Some type birds tolerate confinement. Some don't.
Some cld weather , ect.
I kept a light on them during the winter and kept them producing.
A laying hen must never be deprived of water.
A hen also will only lay X amount of eggs in it's life.
Rather than build a proper brooder to get young chicks up to fighting weight every spring and replace the previous years(or two years) flock , I left them to age.
They were still producing well enough after a couple three years.
Also , a flock generally does not accept new birds into an established flock...Best to start with extra's and cull what's not desired after they are laying.
A coop has basic needs. Amount of room per bird. No drafts in winter. But I had air flow controlled so not to have them stuffy. Or worse ,damp.
Roosts. A dropping board to scrape clean if you do not want to go deep litter on floor.
Sunlight. Entertainment on foul weather days. Security from predators and stress.
Any outdoor run should be covered. At least by woven wire if not a roof.
A dusting area. Water .(I had water inside in winter to keep it from freezing , high enough off the floor they could not poop or stand in it.
Woven wire protecting the heat lamp.)
Access for you to enter run/yard.
Dry soil. (good drainage) Don't run birds on wet ground very long.
I built a lever to open coop pop hole into run to open/close it from outside the run.
I've seen plastic dog houses used for a couple birds.
A way to keep them from overheating would be needed come summer.
Feed costs varies with quality and source of food...
Laying mash can run ten bucks for fifty pounds ,or for ten pounds.
Oyster shells provide calcium if eggshells get too thin.
Carotonoids determine yolk colors. As can greens in a diet.
I kept a tin of small gravel from along the driveway in the coop for an at will eating of grit.
There's plenty more too it , but with a secure coop designed for birds year round and a run and or yard they are not hard to get along with.
Keeping them healthy beats having them get ill ,or bored.
I escaped having problems . But looked after them close too.
Last edited:
fistfulladirt
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Been raising birds for 20 years now. Said I was taking a break this year (I’m down to 3 old hens).
Nope, 16 y.o. home bound daughter bugged me about a duckling.
Now we have that and 6 newly hatched reds. Backyard eggs are awesome.
Nope, 16 y.o. home bound daughter bugged me about a duckling.
Now we have that and 6 newly hatched reds. Backyard eggs are awesome.
ARC
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Ok... my girl is all over this... THANKS GUYS ! ! !
arrrrg
arrrrg
Duckshot
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Ducks make chickens look like neat freaks. Ducks can also be LOUD!
The only way to make out on eggs or poultry around here is to get feed at the co-op by the ton, loose and unbagged. But most birds are very opportunistic. They can eat frogs, bugs, grass, and more. Gotta finish and fatten a duck with good feed though. When I had chickens they only needed one shot- right after they stopped laying and right before they become burritos.
The only way to make out on eggs or poultry around here is to get feed at the co-op by the ton, loose and unbagged. But most birds are very opportunistic. They can eat frogs, bugs, grass, and more. Gotta finish and fatten a duck with good feed though. When I had chickens they only needed one shot- right after they stopped laying and right before they become burritos.
IMAUDIGGER
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TEST
Ok people are now suggesting men pee sitting down...and close the lid before flushing...now I KNOW this virus is just a conspiracy!
Ok people are now suggesting men pee sitting down...and close the lid before flushing...now I KNOW this virus is just a conspiracy!
ARC
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My concerns...
My dogs... if they can get sick by farting around the birds... this is my MOST important concern... now ... I DID do a quick search on it... and saw about Salmonella... but quit reading.
My girl... SHE will become attached and WANT baby chickens from rip... I can see that coming a mile away.
Oh... she just butted in and asked me to ask some questions... hold.
My dogs... if they can get sick by farting around the birds... this is my MOST important concern... now ... I DID do a quick search on it... and saw about Salmonella... but quit reading.
My girl... SHE will become attached and WANT baby chickens from rip... I can see that coming a mile away.
Oh... she just butted in and asked me to ask some questions... hold.
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