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gentle temperament ????/ you mean there are vicious chickens out there ???
ask any young lady without the good sense to carry a stick to smack the rooster with.
why do you think c-0-c-k fighting works
haven't you heard of Pecking order , it really is a thing dominance decided by brutal and even deadly picking and pecking
a dozen is a nice number because and they will fit in a 4x8 night coop a nesting box per every 2 chickens is recommended but a few more isn't a bad idea
I think your going to want them 10 yards from the house or so they get an odor
Make sure your wife's shotgun is empty
Nevada bound
Re: Not political ( i think )
[Re: Scuba1]
#7127566 01/08/2109:27 PM01/08/2109:27 PM
gentle temperament ????/ you mean there are vicious chickens out there ???
Oh yes, there's some you have to kick daily and others you can ignore. And that's just the roosters. Theres hens that will ride on your shoulder like a parrot and hens that are neurotic and some that are cannibals. Actually all chicken are potential cannibals.
Beginners breeds, imo.
Orpingtons Sussex Delaware Wyandotte Australorps
Breeds to avoid for first timers
Any Mediterranean breed Any rare, novelty, feather footed or other special care breed (except silkies everyone should have some fuzzy chickens)
Breeds not allowed on my place
Rhode Island Reds (daily kicker and cannibal) White Leghorn
Re: Not political ( i think )
[Re: Scuba1]
#7127591 01/08/2109:36 PM01/08/2109:36 PM
I was talking with a nurse while my mom was dying years ago. She said her dad went to work one day and left her to cut the weeds under the electric fence that kept some steers up. She said that the steers liked to butt her so she carried a 3 ft. shock prod for protection. All of a sudden her dad's old rooster was flogging her and she zapped him on the head with the shocker. Old rooster did the death flop, she picked him up and laid him in the chicken house so when her dad would find him in the morning, he would just think he died of natural causes. She went to bed and couldn't sleep all night. Before daylight she heard the old rooster crow. She knew then that there really was a God that hears little Catholic girls prayers, lol.
Re: Not political ( i think )
[Re: Scuba1]
#7127631 01/08/2109:54 PM01/08/2109:54 PM
Free range hens are about as good as it gets so long as they lay in the boxes instead of hiding eggs in the weeds. I like a jungle fowl (fighting rooster) running on them and if he gets "too vicious" for an old guy like you then just make some dumplings up to go with him.
“What’s good for me may not be good for the weak minded.” Captain Gus McCrae- Texas Rangers
Do you just want layers or do you want dual purpose which lay fairly well but are larger and provide a good source of meat as well? If the two of you use a dozen a week you would not need more than a half dozen decent layers and a dual purpose hen would be able to do that. If you get layers you can keep them and get some pretty decent stewing chickens for soup etc. when their done. We have several layers and we don't have any trouble finding buyers at about double the typical store prices. Ours are mostly brown and green egg layers and we free range them most of the year. Been lucky not to have predators taking them. Having two dogs in a big pen in the yard helps a lot, keeps the coons out of the sweet corn too. Bryce
Re: Not political ( i think )
[Re: Scuba1]
#7127662 01/08/2110:07 PM01/08/2110:07 PM
Looking forward to getting birds this spring. I miss having a layer flock. Thinking about barred rocks. Have room for 16 birds. Wife and I use about 3 dozen eggs a week. Had RIR's last time, want something different this go around.
Re: Not political ( i think )
[Re: Scuba1]
#7127687 01/08/2110:19 PM01/08/2110:19 PM
Michael. 40 years ago the arrival of the Stromberg catalog was one of my yearly highlights. There are lots of breeds to do one or both purposes and hopefully this website has some good information for you and the misses.
gentle temperament ????/ you mean there are vicious chickens out there ???
Chickens don’t get ornery unless they have chicks. And then it’s not all of em, just like with cows, some will let you pick up their chicks, some would rather claw you to death than look at you if you get too close to their babies.
Roosters do get pretty feisty though. As long as you wear long pants they can’t really hurt you though.
"I have two guns, one for each of ya."
Re: Not political ( i think )
[Re: Scuba1]
#7127876 01/09/2112:05 AM01/09/2112:05 AM
Thank you folks. there is a lot to learn again ...... darn it Pelicans are easy in comparison But they don't supply eggs for breakfast. As the deck is attached to the side of the boat, I will now have to build a separate chicken house. have to find another cedar to add to the other one to cut the lumber out of then. So for from what I am reading here and its eggs the missus is after I guess that half a dozen birds will be plenty for us two. How big should I make the house for that number of birds?? I'll have to find some plans some place or will end up building something not fit for purpose. isn't it great to have a better half that keeps springing ideas like that on one .... I'll never get bored. She will probably want goats next lol
Let's go Brandon
"Shall not comply" with morons who don't understand "shall not infringe."
Re: Not political ( i think )
[Re: Scuba1]
#7127882 01/09/2112:10 AM01/09/2112:10 AM
Not a cost effective move. Cost of feed and etc will be more than eggs from the store.
Some one will need to be there every day to feed them, collect the eggs, and take care.
Noise, smell, upkeep, clean up, fencing ---- on and on...
That said, the eggs are better than from the store, and the birds can be fun to work with.
We keep about 20 ISA Red hens and two Rhode Island Red roosters. Local feed store sells them in the spring, and will give you ten Rock Cornish meat chicks if you buy a bag of feed. A little work to raise, but a very enjoyable task.
Several times we have put eggs in the incubator in late summer to raise new chickens for the next year. Takes about 25 weeks for hens to start laying, so spring chicks don't lay till fall. Late summer hatch chicks will start to lay in the spring. The young roosters are fine to eating.
Good luck!!
Re: Not political ( i think )
[Re: Scuba1]
#7128184 01/09/2111:48 AM01/09/2111:48 AM
Sine when do women think about cost effectiveness when they make any decisions. ut to be honest, I am ok with this idea of hers, I like the thought of fresh eggs and it will give her something to do that she likes. i think she is missing the pelican, great egret and the herron that we had when we were still on the water. So I guess she needs some birds in her life again. And chickens are way more cost effective then the other three ever were. They cost me 5 bucks a day on fish if there were no bait fish around I could get with the cast net.
Let's go Brandon
"Shall not comply" with morons who don't understand "shall not infringe."