Raising Chickens!

[UncleBuck]

You are quite the chicken aficionado.

it's really my wife who loves the chickens, i just take care of them for her. the deal was if she bought chickens, i would build the coop and do the cleaning and caring parts. i never even really eat the eggs, just once in a while.

 

[Winter Woman]

That guys design was overly complicated for no reason. I meant Linear actuator since it only need electricity

I like to steampunk as much as I can get away with. I'm not that good but I try.

Next project is turning a old telephone into a radio.

 

[Carne Seca]

View attachment 2180180

our flock, minus the brooder.

they're currently standing in what used to be the radish/lettuce garden. but i fenced off the res of the garden which they very much resented, so i let them have the little patch where radishes and lettuce usually go.

chickens need an area of dirt because that's how they take baths. they dig holes in the dirt and then flop around in them. the best part is when they get up and shake off all the dirt, it never gets old.

the lettuce has been replanted in containers out of the reach of chickens and ducks. i had 10 good heads going and almost ready that disappeared overnight.

Have you ever had a snake or lizard enter the area where your chickens are? It's hilarious. They go batshit crazy. I tried to get to a garter snake before they did... poor garter snake... poor poor thing...

 

[UncleBuck]

Have you ever had a snake or lizard enter the area where your chickens are? It's hilarious. They go batshit crazy. I tried to get to a garter snake before they did... poor garter snake... poor poor thing...

we're not in lizard territory, and no snakes just yet. i let the dog chase them around once just for fun, but shitbird the retarded chicken stopped running and made herself available as dinner.

i managed to get to her before the dog did. stupid bird.

 

[UncleBuck]

the start of a new coop. was originally meant to be a rabbit hutch, but wife wanted to hatch an insane amount of chicks this summer, so it will be turned into a coop.

i went with slats on the bottom instead of chicken wire to keep out undesirables because the slats were free. just had them lying around.

 

[doublejj]

Nice job Unclebuck!
Our chickens are now a part of our "emergency prep plan".
You can feed them just about anything, & they give you back a daily dose of protein.
Portable, you can take them with you, if necessary

peace
doublejj

 

[UncleBuck]

Nice job Unclebuck!
Our chickens are now a part of our "emergency prep plan".
You can feed them just about anything, & they give you back a daily dose of protein.
Portable, you can take them with you, if necessary

peace
doublejj

thanks man!

our chickens are pretty much for entertainment. also, we like to give away our heaps of eggs to the neighbors, keeps us in good favor with them. my wife also bakes a lot with their eggs and sends off the baked goods as presents.

my favorite part about the chickens is throwing them excess crops. you're right, they eat just about anything. they love strawberries and blueberries, tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, watermelon....you name it. even corn.

they've had their fill of radishes for the year and are eagerly awaiting all the summer crops now.

 

[cannabineer]

Alfalfa hay is kind of expensive for that isn't it? We used straw. I had to put it all in a wheel barrow. Truck it over to the compost heap and then in the spring we would take it and spread it out over our garden. An acre garden. Gah! Mormon life is not much different than Amish life... except we have electricity... and modern clothing... and no facial hair... oh and multiple wives.

It's the Multiple Wives thing that won you over. cn

 

[curious2garden]

It's the Multiple Wives thing that won you over. cn

I was dieseling over the entire bug/feature dichotomy.

 

[cannabineer]

I was dieseling over the entire bug/feature dichotomy.

My nasty, nasty mind went *straight* to Glow Plugs. cn

 

[ink the world]

Too cold and rainy for pics today

We have a run attachd to the coop and also a movable run for them. I wasn't too excited when the wife first got them, but I'm happy we got em. Had a real problem with grubs, because of the movable pen they are slowly eliminating the grub population a few square feet at a time. I love the fresh eggs too

I think we have a retarded bird too Buck, it's way too friendly and trusting of everything including the dog....dumb bird thinks our Pit Bull puppy is it's mother, tries to get near as possible to the dof...lol I know someday that will end badly for that chicken

 

[MrFrance]

looking forward to the day i can stop and raise chickens; i'd like pigs too. have trolled through the thread and taken some good tips

 

[ANC]

I'd like chickens but was told you have to slaughter them cause they suffer when they get old (2 years). I'd never be able to do that unless I was dead hungry and broke. Is it true?

 

[doublejj]

I'd like chickens but was told you have to slaughter them cause they suffer when they get old (2 years). I'd never be able to do that unless I was dead hungry and broke. Is it true?

I don't think so!
I know people with 6 year old chckens, still laying eggs. Very healthy & happy

peace
doublejj

 

[Stonerman Enoch]

If you get a diseased chicken(could look perfectly healthy at first) then you will have to put them down so they don't spread disease. The most effective way hold it upside down to make it go unconscious then say a prayer then a quick hachet or machete to the neck. (Back in the day they would ring the necks) But I don't know about the old chicken thing. I would just let it pass on it's own unless it's in tremendous suffering.

 

[ANC]

yes but then you sit with a dead chicken in the yard for breakfast one morning.... I'm pretty sensitive, would upset me greatly.

 

[curious2garden]

There are avian vets and they treat chickens too. All animals age and die but average life expectancy is around 8 for a chicken. Some live much longer. It would be like deciding not to have an Irish Wolfhound because they tend to die around 8 years. Go for it chickens are wonderful pets.

 

[Stonerman Enoch]

There are avian vets and they treat chickens too. All animals age and die but average life expectancy is around 8 for a chicken. Some live much longer. It would be like deciding not to have an Irish Wolfhound because they tend to die around 8 years. Go for it chickens are wonderful pets.

I Use to raise badass Irish wolfhounds in AK but it truly sucks that there lifespan is so short.

 

[curious2garden]

I Use to raise badass Irish wolfhounds in AK but it truly sucks that there lifespan is so short.

ACK! The rep button is missing!! I wanted to rep you for that more than like you although I did like it too LOL. Aren't the Irish Wolfhounds so cool. They are so elegant in their movement as well and you wouldn't expect that from such a large animal.

 

[UncleBuck]

I'd like chickens but was told you have to slaughter them cause they suffer when they get old (2 years). I'd never be able to do that unless I was dead hungry and broke. Is it true?

once they get past 2 years or so their laying drops off. one of our birds has stopped laying and another of our birds is lying eggs with weak shells now (just found one this morning).

but they'll be happy as long as you keep them happy.