My daughter is dying to get some chickens. Need advice.

[RickM]

This started a few months ago when we spent the day at a local county fair (Sussex). Typically I'd dismiss a request like this but she has put her heart and soul into researching the subject. While I've encouraged her research I've made it clear that we may not go through with a purchase and she accepts that. I must admit I'm curious as to the realities of raising chickens as well.

I've discussed with a few friends that have (or had) them and it's pretty much 50/50 on the "experience". I've heard comments ranging from "they're filthy animals" to "It'll be a valuable and rewarding experience for your daughter".

At this point we have two sources for the chicks. The breed will likely be Rhode Island Red because of their relatively non-aggressive behavior, hearty nature and egg output. Perhaps a pair or maybe a foursome, but I'm leaning towards two. Can one purchase older, proven egg layers?

I'm aware of are lice which I believe can be addressed by dusting or bringing in Guinea Fowl/Hens....but they're pretty noisy from what I understand (not desirable).

Outside predators, such as Fox, Coons, Hawks, Rats(?), etc may be an issue as well.

Also, I'm not thinking a free range approach will work well here, rather, a coop setup that can be kept very clean. Town code allows us to do this and I've been considering where on the property to situate. Is this workable? How about dead of winter? Will they survive?

I'm sure a few here have lots of first hand experience. Please enlighten me.

[legion]

Get four.

Name them: Terryaki, Orange-Flavored, General Tso's, and Bufalo Wild.

[RickM]

LOL, good one....I'll pass that on.

[legion]

Seriously, I had a friend when I lived in SoCal who had about half a dozen Rhode Island Reds. They let them wander freely in the back yard. Even with six foot walls all around, they would still get into the neighbor's yards. I do know they didn't have much cleanup as the chickens pooped in the yard...

[The Gaijin]

My sister - new to the country - goes to the livestock auction and buys a box of young hens - they all grow up to be roosters! What an adventure - hawks, bears, & weasels. Never a dull moment.

New Jersey gets pretty cold - I would build a coop. Also, when you lock them inside at night you will eliminate 80% of predator problems.. A small coop and a caged area will keep them alive until the leaves come on the trees - then you can let them wander all over..

You don't need a rooster - they will lay eggs without one around - but if you have more than a few the rooster will stop the in-fighting and keep them busy. Also, a good rooster will be sharper eye out when it comes to predators. But the roosters make a lot of noise - starting early. You need a well built house to muffle that... They will also crow during the day.

Hens eat grass, bugs (including tics), dig for worms and catch frogs and snakes. You can feed them any leftover bread, pizza, rice, just about anything but fat and meat. They can digest meat - but it turns them canabalistic..

As far as health issues, if you keep adding plenty of clean hay and they have a perch, lice and all that is not much of a problem. All kinds of treatments are available. Mostly they take dust baths..

In this world of industrial scale farming - it is good for kids (and adults) to see some "livestock" grazing around. Collecting and eating real and natural eggs is a bonus. Not long ago, most of us were farmers and this modern life has us divorced from most of that.. Get some chickens, you will love it.

[robs944]

Originally Posted by The Gaijin

My sister - new to the country - goes to the livestock auction and buys a box of young hens - they all grow up to be roosters! What an adventure - hawks, bears, & weasels. Never a dull moment.

New Jersey gets pretty cold - I would build a coop. Also, when you lock them inside at night you will eliminate 80% of predator problems.. A small coop and a caged area will keep them alive until the leaves come on the trees - then you can let them wander all over..

You don't need a rooster - they will lay eggs without one around - but if you have more than a few the rooster will stop the in-fighting and keep them busy. Also, a good rooster will be sharper eye out when it comes to predators. But the roosters make a lot of noise - starting early. You need a well built house to muffle that...

Hens eat grass, bugs, dig for worms and catch frogs and snakes. You can feed them any leftover bread, pizza, rice, just about anything but fat and meat. They can digest meat - but it turns them canabalistic..

As far as health issues, if you keep adding plenty of clean hay and they have a perch, lice and all that is not much of a problem. All kinds of treatments for lice and stuff are available.. Also, they eat tics in your yard.

In this world of industrial scale farming - it is good for kids (and adults) to see some "livestock" grazing around and eating real and natural eggs. Not long ago, most of us were farmers and this modern life has us divorced from most of that.. Get some chickens, you will love it.

Agree 100% we have had ours for about year and a half now, I also made the kids research them for care, etc. Had them help me build the coop, it was a good experience for all, we started out with 5 Leghorn's and 4 Ameraucana's (easter egg chicken).
Here is a pic of what I did, nothing fancy just wanted to make it accessible to clean, I have expanded the fence since this was taken.
In the winter time I put in a red heat lamp, for warmth and to keep egg production up. Inside I put a feed box that hold 50lbs of feed, If I get home before dark I will usually let them out and eat the grass/bugs and when the sun goes down they make their way back to their perch.

Go for it, you and your daughter will love it.

[RickM]

Great info from all! Thanks.

Please keep it coming.

BTW, I love the shed/run. Perhaps I could do something on a smaller scale.

[vash]

my SO and the local racoons really want some chickens too. i am holding fast.."NO!" my next door neighbor thought it would be cool to get some roosters. from the looks of it, they looked like fighting birds. stange that they didnt kill each other. anyways, they were crowing all day long. then silence. they told me, they ate them. i would get all hens.

[Moses]

You can build pretty amazing coops with side panel access to the nests to protect eggs. Some coops are beautifully designed to be easy to clean. Look around or buy one on line. I had chickens for many years. Love 'em.

Your daughter would love fancy bantys. They have feathered feet and are really friendly.

[RickM]

No Roosters in my future. Just too noisy.

[RickM]

Originally Posted by Moses

You can build pretty amazing coops with side panel access to the nests to protect eggs. Some coops are beautifully designed to be easy to clean. Look around or buy one on line. I had chickens for many years. Love 'em.

Your daughter would love fancy bantys. They have feathered feet and are really friendly.

I've seen some nifty looking coop designs. I'll post some later for feedback.

Those fluffy footed chicks are nice. FWIU their egg production is low and they're real small. Might be nice to add some variety.

[berettafan]

be sure to save the capes for your fly tying buddies!

[The Gaijin]

The coop does not need to be cleaned that often - as they spend most of their time on perches..if you have two houses - they will come and pick through each others poop. Yes, they can be filthy buggers.

Otherwise, keep adding fresh hay and every couple of months clean the whole mess out. We compost it - but it is strong stuff an takes two years to break down. As the days get shorter in winter, they will stop laying. My sister says - "they need a break". But as the days get longer in spring, they start laying again. A few hours of extra light will keep them laying year 'round.

As for coop designs - you need to keep drafts and water out - but ventilation and a window for light are key. You need a door to clean the coop and feed and water them. If you put a hatch, you can reach into the nesting box and grab the eggs..

[MRM]

They are disgusting animals and they do spread disease. But they can be fun and rewarding to raise.

The deal is that unless you go to the extent that Rob did, and really do a lot of work with them, they will be nothing but messy, noisy, and smelly.

I grew up on a farm where we had them from time to time and went more the free range route. My mother would buy RI Red chicks and we would raise them. They were supposed to live in the barn. They ended up wandering out in the yard by the house and they would always eventually discover that the garage was the ideal place to poop. The roosters always got aggressive and would chase the younger kids and would bite the legs of adults. You could kick them pretty hard without any apparent ill effects and they'd come back for more.

From my experience I'd recommend not doing it, but if you were willing to do a nice coop like Rob and you were able to dispose of the waste, you could have a nice experience.

[ckissick]

Get some hens, but not roosters. They're too loud. We've kept chickens for a few years and enjoy them very much. As others have said, they're great for the kids. The eggs taste great, and the hens are fun. They actually have personalities. Buffy, out buff orpington, likes to sit on our dog's back.

When I do weeding in the garden, they come around to keep me company. In reality, they just want the grubs I dig up.

We have a nice coop and run, and have never found them to be disgusting or too messy. For that, get ducks. You ain't seen poop until you have a couple ducks. Nasty creatures.

Build a coop with hatches for the nesting boxes so you don't have to walk through chicken poop to collect the eggs. Build the coop/run like Fort Knox to keep the critters away. We've lost a lot of chickens to raccoons, foxes, bob cats, and the neighbor's dog. You need thick wire to keep the big animals from ripping through, and small-mesh wire to keep the raccoons from reaching through and wringing the hen's neck.

We buy 1-2 day old chicks and raise them in a box with a heat lamp in the garage, then transfer them to the coop when they get the adult feathers, about 6-8 weeks. The kids love the cute little chicks and hold them a lot. This is good, as it tames them.

We have a "chicken bowl" in the fridge for all the scraps we give the hens. They are two-legged garbage disposals. I could go on. Bottom line, get 4 hens, and you'll never go back to store-bought eggs.

[Moses]

We had a rooster that was unbelievably mean at my dads ranch. If you walked into the barn it was "game on!" That rooster would come at you with spurs flying. My dad thought it was funny that the rooster terrorized kids, dogs, geese and everything that ventured near the barn.

The bird pretty much left my dad alone. One day my dad went out to the barn barefoot and wearing shorts. The rooster saw his opportunity and attacked. We heard a commotion and some cursing. The next thing we saw was the rooster flying out the barn door tumbling 30 feet through the air. It landed like a ruptured feather pillow. My dad had kicked the bird so squarely it was like kicking a field goal. The bird gathered itself then charged back into the barn for round II.

[varmint]

get ducks.


better/easier than chickens in every way.

[911Rob]

Go for it Rick; maybe you can teach them that Chicken doesn't come from Safeway?

We tried this in our family and all the chickens died of old age and were buried; say no more.
The eggs were delicious though.

If you want to eat them, don't name them, imo.
farming is biblical too.

[legion]

Originally Posted by 911Rob

If you want to eat them, don't name them, imo.

Or, as I suggested, name them for their purpose...