Oft moved is the key. Chicken ****, when used in moderation is a very good thing. Now you're in the realm of chicken husbandry. I wish you the best. It's going to be a bumpy ride. Yep, you've crossed the line Jethro.
And if you give the well behaved chickens yard privelidges(sp) which I'm sure you will, you'll start finding eggs in the strangest places.
Chickens won't live by your so called "rules", Man.
Chickens won't live by your so called "rules", Man.
We have chickens. A Rhode Island Red and a White Rock. Both are docile, let me walk over and pick them up when we loaded, and grabbed them out of the crate to put in the coop. That's promising, since my kids will certainly be curious about them. They only got a bit irritated when my Italian Greyhoud barked a bit too close - they pecked at her a bit through the cage.
They are laying as far as we know, so by the end of the day tomorrow we shall see eggs hopefully. They found the food and water within 20 minutes, and hopped into the nest box within an hour. I hope they find it comfortable, and it looks like they are getting the hang of it.
One of the three neighbors has seen it so far, and he (being in his 80s with fond memories of his farmer grandparents in Iowa as a kid) is totally cool with it. We'll see how the other take when they notice
HMFIC said:Too cool!
Next ... raise some quail too.
Yup, pickled quail eggs!
My dad kept a rabbit for quite a while in our backyard and the amount of pellets that thing generated was amazing. He moved the hutch around every couple days but you'd think there were 10 rabbits on a fiber diet that lived there. The grass grew about 50 times faster than normal too...
Yea! Good for you!! I'm looking for my first egg come August or so ... (I got baby chicks.) Our chickens do have run of the backyard (I clipped their wings). Haven't had to mow yet but I'm getting real tired of putting dirt back where it belongs ... I rake it up, they scratch it out, I rake it up, they scratch it out! LOL
And I can certainly attest to the manufacture of rabbit poo ... sheesh ...
I like the rabbits better than the chickens. GC likes the chickens better than the rabbits. Duke the Boxer LOVES them all equally! He plays and plays and plays ... The chickens will come take his dog treats away from him and peck him on the foot when he tries to nap. He just looks at me like "Good grief Mom! Stop laughing and DO SOMETHING!!"
I want some quail but I'm not sure I'm gonna have room. Wonder if GC will let me put them in the front yard with the "covert" beehive I'm gonna stick up there?? Shhhh ... it's a secret (the beehive) ...
ETA: CardsFan -- when we were keeping the chicks in a little run we moved it once a week. That was just enough for the chicks to keep the weeds under control and not destroy the bermuda grass. In the places where the run sat the grass has no weeds and is green beyond belief. The rest of the yard ... ehhh ... not so much ... Maybe I should coop the hens back up and move them strategically through the summer but I'm afraid they'd revolt after having tasted freedom! LOL They have a routine now ... I can look out in the back and tell you what time of day it is by where the chickens are in the yard. It's a hoot!!
And I can certainly attest to the manufacture of rabbit poo ... sheesh ...
I like the rabbits better than the chickens. GC likes the chickens better than the rabbits. Duke the Boxer LOVES them all equally! He plays and plays and plays ... The chickens will come take his dog treats away from him and peck him on the foot when he tries to nap. He just looks at me like "Good grief Mom! Stop laughing and DO SOMETHING!!"
I want some quail but I'm not sure I'm gonna have room. Wonder if GC will let me put them in the front yard with the "covert" beehive I'm gonna stick up there?? Shhhh ... it's a secret (the beehive) ...
ETA: CardsFan -- when we were keeping the chicks in a little run we moved it once a week. That was just enough for the chicks to keep the weeds under control and not destroy the bermuda grass. In the places where the run sat the grass has no weeds and is green beyond belief. The rest of the yard ... ehhh ... not so much ... Maybe I should coop the hens back up and move them strategically through the summer but I'm afraid they'd revolt after having tasted freedom! LOL They have a routine now ... I can look out in the back and tell you what time of day it is by where the chickens are in the yard. It's a hoot!!
B
Bill Mac
Guest
Anything we start in life has to include an exit strategy!! Yours is built in! When the kids get bored with the chores, instant KFC with a little work!
If you're still worried about too much nitrogen burning the lawn, blocked sun light will be a bigger problem. I had thought you were getting seriously into the chicken biz. When you finally break down and get thirty or forty chickens, you'll need a permanent stationary enclosure.
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