Raising Chickens

[Chris]

I want to raise chickens, not now because we don't have the room and I imagine there is going to be a city ordinance against livestock in the yard. But when my wife finishes school and we move out into the country for sure.

We had some when I was a kid, probably around 10, and had eggs for a few months, then a lynx or mountain lion got into the coop and that was the end of that. Tried a second time and the same thing happened. My dad should have built a more secure structure.

Anyways, I was curious, what is the point of a rooster? Other than waking you up in the morning, do you need a rooster to encourage laying? Obviously if you want fertilized eggs you'll need a rooster, but assuming you don't want any chicks, just a lot of omelettes, what is the point of a rooster?

[tacmedic]

You don't really have to have a rooster. I raised laying hens for years and never had one. Some of my friends had them and said that the reason they had them was for protection of the hens since the roosters are much more agressive and (in theory) will try to fight off predators. Interestingly, in the town that I currently live in poultry are not considered livestock. So technically you can have chickens and ducks in town. There are several people not far from me that have chickens, I can hear the roosters early in the morning sometimes. So, you might check with your city and see if they are allowed in your city.

[Sourdough]

Chris, McMurrayHatchery.com Is very helpful, with any questions, and they have great catalogs. I have gone to heavy chain link fencing to keep the predators out. And I use orange plastic barricade fencing on the top to keep the Bald Eagles out. You do not need the rooster for egg production. But depending on the breed older chickens will stop laying at about 4 to 7 years of age. You can eat the fertilized eggs, if you use them quickly.

[wildWoman]

I'd recommend making your set-up as predator-proof as possible, especially out in the country side, because sooner or later some critters are going to clue in that there's some rather stupid birds always hanging out in the same spot. And once they are successful and get a chicken or two, it's hard to get rid of them. I don't know what kind of predators there are where you are thinking of eventually locating to, but this is what I've learned the hard way:
-use small mesh hardwire cloth to close off any small gaps in the coop to keep ermines out
-have a fenced in run and cover the top with chickenwire to keep out owls and other birds of prey, and especially dogs
-the most problems I've had were with dogs. Listen politely to any visitors exclaiming their dog would never chase a chicken and then have them keep it on a leash or out in the car.

[trax]

[QUOTE=wildWoman;78817]...because sooner or later some critters are going to clue in that there's some rather stupid birds always hanging out in the same spot. And once they are successful and get a chicken or two, it's hard to get rid of them.... -the most problems I've had were with dogs.... QUOTE]

Fohtunately, Ah numbah my feathas foh just such an occassion.---Foghorn Leghorn

[nell67]

My chickens are free range during the day with the option of roosting in the barn,which most of them do,for now,and I have had no problems with predators,but then they also run with the goats which tend to keep most predators at bay for now. with winter coming on,that may change.

I am dabbling in the REAL stock market a little right now,buying chickens,goats,pigs,for a small amount and then selling them,for triple the money or more,nice little side income to that.

Roosters are good only for a wake up alarm,breeding,and a nice pot of chicken and dumplings.

[RangerXanatos]

Have you considered guinea fowl? We used to have turkeys, chickens, and guinea fowl. The guinea fowl were the smartest and lived the longest since they were smarter. They were also very vocal about warning for predators. Some of the ugliest birds though. Just a thought...

[nell67]

They are VERY ugly,almost pre-historic looking,but they do make one heck of a warning system,and are hilarious to watch,they are great for cutting down the number of ticks on your property.

[BraggSurvivor]

My chickens are free range during the day with the option of roosting in the barn,which most of them do,for now,and I have had no problems with predators,but then they also run with the goats which tend to keep most predators at bay for now. with winter coming on,that may change.

I am dabbling in the REAL stock market a little right now,buying chickens,goats,pigs,for a small amount and then selling them,for triple the money or more,nice little side income to that.

Roosters are good only for a wake up alarm,breeding,and a nice pot of chicken and dumplings.

My wife use to make gobs of money selling goat kids to the middle easterners when we were just starting out. (for some type of ceremony) Paid $250.00 for a 3 day old kid. They would buy up everyone we could produce. One of my Alpines dropped triplets every time. I got tired of them killing all my trees so we got rid of them.

[Rick]

Well good heavens. Alaska gets it from the ground and from the air. I sort of envision your chickens with little helmets and flak jackets gathered around a FLAK gun to ward off the eagles and trenches to keep the wolves and bears out. I'll bet chickens are chicken in AK!

[flandersander]

I've always wanted to raise chickens, but they stink too much so the wife won't let me. pigs, cows, ducks... "they all stink too much" (nag nag nag)

[Rick]

Keep it up, FL. At least she doesn't say you stink too much.

[crashdive123]

.....or does she?

[nell67]

Raise rabbits,I have never heard anyone say rabbits stink,LOL .

[nell67]

chickens today some that Tyson deemed too small to take to be processed when they picked up at a neighbors barns. Going to butcher some ,feed some for a few weeks then butcher and sell a few.

Getting them free,I like that price

[Rick]

Trax, you've got quite the entrepreneur on your hands. Well, not on your hands, per se. You know what I mean.

[crashdive123]

Whew! That's a whole lotta chickens.

[nell67]

Whew! That's a whole lotta chickens.

You're telling me

[wareagle69]

ok hopeak said you can eat the fertilized eggs if you get to them quickley enough so how to tell ifn an egg is fertilized?
2nd yup i agree that goats help keep predators away my neighbor has goats and chicken which are free range and he has not lost a one, and we do have lots of preds wolves oats and weasels plus owls and hawks and turkey vultures

[Sourdough]

ok hopeak said you can eat the fertilized eggs if you get to them quickley enough so how to tell ifn an egg is fertilized?
vultures

The trick is to isolate the egg layers for consumption and have a separate area for roosters and brood chickens. BUT, if you can't, which we could not when I was a knee'high, what you do is never break a egg into cake mix or directly into frying pan. Every egg should be considered as likely a semi-developed chick. So you break the egg into a bowl first, and if iit s not developed it is just like any other egg for eating. Be warned that you could get a chick full developed ready to hatch in your cake mix. Which would gross out my mother. The other thing is get all the eggs every day. Don't wait till it is breakfast time and you have guests to go to the hen house and fetch eggs, fetch them daily and refrigerate them. We did not have a refrigerator so we had to put them in the spring house for refrigeration.