Chickens! (Someday)

[W.Lynn]

They're some of the most comical critters on God's green Earth, and some time ago I bought a book about different chicken breeds and popular crosses. This weekend, we stopped into a bookstore - ok, more than one - and the RP pointed out a "for dummies" about building your own chicken coops.

Don't let the name of that line of books put you off, a lot of good info goes into them. Knowing this, I was willing to look at it. Now I have it at home, some good old non-electric, dead tree version of some info that could be vital if we manage to work ourselves back to a mostly non-electric world.

Wasn't it Einstein who said that he did not know what kind of weapons might be used to fight World War Three, but he was certain that any wars after that would be fought with sticks and stones? So I gather the books, and hope to have chickens, ducks, rabbits, etc, as soon as I can move.

[kickstand]

Chickens! (Someday)

They can also be REALLY frustrating. About a month before my accident, the eggs from our two Rhode Island Reds just quit. I don't know if they quit laying or if there was a snake/other predator getting them. After feeding them for 4 months and getting 2, yes, two eggs, we came up with a solution. I didn't feel right about killing them since we didn't know if there was a predator, but I didn't want to keep feeding them if they weren't weren't going to produce. I was going to post on Craig's List and give them away. Well, what do ya know, two days before I was going to make my CL post, we started getting eggs again after four months of nothing.
Stupid chickens...

[uncle fester]

Chickens! (Someday)

I bet that they lost some feathers too .
Chickens go through a period called molt ,a natural thing .
They stop laying eggs, loose tail feathers ,but start laying after a couple months ,only not as regular .
We have some chickens that are three years old and still laying .
The neighbor hatched 14 chickens for a school project so we got those .
I know that we got some roosters in the flock ,they are starting to crow and try doing the things that roosters do.
We let them out of their run to eat bugs and stuff when the weather permits .
They rip up flower beds and gardens when they can (bad chickens ) so gardens must be fenced .

[uncle fester]

Chickens! (Someday)

There was a cat that came to my house the other night for a chicken dinner .
This cat was an unfixed male about 10 lbs .
This cat didn't know that my dog was out on the deck when it came for dinner.
I heard the ruckus and went outside to see the dog take nine lives away .
I wish that the neighbor would keep his cats at home ,all fifty of them .
I may have to change the dogs name to curiosity . :littlefrien

[Bobby Lloyd]

My 22 pistol is nicknamed kindness... because of such incidents with cats stray dogs and the occasional wild predator.

[JulieNY]

Hi Kickstand,

Did you try putting fake eggs in your nester boxes? Sometimes chickens need to be reminded of what they are doing? My Rhode Island Reds have been consistent layers and I keep plastic eggs (the kind with silly putty in them) in their nesters.

[Tex]

That does work. The Hostile Native evenutally had to put a mark on the fake egg though. I kept bringing it in with the real ones.


Tex

[southernmom]

our chickens are finally laying like crazy. Thankfully. We have some gorgeous Australorps and some regular old chickens. I need to get rid of a couple Australorp roosters-they are beauties but I don't need 3 of them. I may take on to the critter sale next week.

[W.Lynn]

You've been feeding them, send them to freezer camp.

[Patriotmuso]

I concur with lynn.. If they are not specifically pets then off with their heads, lol.... Mmmmmmmmmmm Chihcken.......

[JulieNY]

Hahaha I have pink and purple fake eggs so nobody gets confused.

[W.Lynn]

Hmm, makes me wonder if those big silver or blue pantyhose eggs would get a turkey hen to brood some eggs? You could put a LOT of eggs under one of those.

[Mr.]

I've heard ducks and geese make great brooders (I keep chickens and have friends that keep damn near everything) but you best want them to hatch, because once they go broody you are going to have a hell of a time taking the eggs back from them if you try to!

If you have "dud" eggs you can try and sneak them away while your broody sleeps. Or risk your hands and do it while they're awake!

[AD]

When our little Chine Goose gets broody, she gets catatonic and I can lift her off the nest and she will stay in the setting position.

Its the males that will wack the shot out of you if your not watching your back.

[dangerdan]

Gloves stop the little peckers from breaking skin .
They don't do much for the Eagle that has been coming for dinner .
I'll have to put netting over their chicken run.
DD