Poultry adjustments: Further adventures of the backyard chickens
By Gina Spadafori
December 14, 2008
The make-do roofing neighbor Judy and I put over our chicken runs clearly isn’t cutting it even in a mild winter. Since we’re not handy, we tapped the contractor who has been rehabbing the two houses next door to me (both foreclosures, gutted, expanded and soon to be showpieces) to re-use some roofing leftovers for our flocks. Good idea, but he didn’t have enough scraps. He instead suggested corrugated tin.
We’ve had to wait for a break in his schedule, but it was well worth it. Judy’s roof went up yesterday and mine’ll be done Wednesday. The workmanship is great, the look kinda funky (chicken) — and the feathers and food will stay nice and dry.
To celebrate, I got grapes for both flocks. They absolutely love them. Happy Holidays, Ladies!
Meanwhile, I’m taking more of my back yard out of lawn production. For now, it’s just T-posts and field fencing keeping the dogs out of the expanded garden area, but if it works, I’ll make it permanent. My plan is to alternate the hens annually between one garden area and another, so they can keep making nice soil without munching up all the produce.
Oh, and Judy and I are also raising a bunch of chicks this spring. The idea is to sell them to other would-be backyard chicken folks as young pullets, so people don’t have to worry about accidentally killing the chicks through inexperienced care. They’ll also have some healthy young girls who’ll be close to laying eggs, for the instant gratification factor.
Chicken entrepreneurs? Not really. We just wanna have fun, and we want to spread word: Healthy eggs and lively chicken entertainment for every (legal) backyard.
(Image: Top: Lacy, the silver-laced Wyandotte Judy raised last summer. Lacey was part of the great chicken trade, when Judy and I moved chickens around for more flock harmony. Lacey now lives with my girls. Above: Hmmmm …. maybe chick-raising isn’t such a good idea after all? Seems we’ve seen this somewhere before. But where? But …. where?)
I think I might try a few chickens next spring. What is the minimum number you can have so they are happy? Is two or three enough?
I would make them a nice spot in my huge shed/barn for nesting but otherwise let them wander around eating bugs in the garden.
Will they fly away? My fence is only 6+ feet high.
I really don’t know anything about it except for what I’ve read at My Pet Chicken and through your pieces here.
Comment by Selma — December 15, 2008 @ 9:18 am
Aha! My dastardly plan is advancing!
Two or three chickens would be great. The heavy breeds (non-banty) don’t fly well, so they’re not likely to get over a six-foot fence. (Mine show little interest in getting over the four-foot one that surrounds the garden area.)
Next year, I’m going to focus on Rhode Island Reds. They’re friendly, easy-going and good producers of lovely large eggs. Highly recommend!
Check out the Backyard Chickens Web site for lots of great info. Oh, I also know where you can get some guinea fowl. ;)
Comment by Gina Spadafori — December 15, 2008 @ 9:45 am
No guinea fowl, especially if they’re Houlihan’s LOL!
I like Rhode Island Reds, they’re pretty. There are also some old-time breeds that are neat and that tolerate cold weather well - a little problem around here.
I thought of pheasants but they are even noisier than chickens, apparently.
I like ducks too, they eat a lot of bugs but the idea of getting eggs is so neat that yes, your plan is definitely advancing!
We can keep fowl here but no roosters for some reason, although my neighbours about 1/4 mile away have one he he he.
Comment by Selma — December 15, 2008 @ 12:10 pm
Hey Gina, whatcha gonna do if some of those day-old pullets start a-crowin instead of a-layin? It happens.
I got lucky this year — all 15 of my sexed chicks are the pullets they are supposed to be. I also got the super-secret mystery chick, because it’s fine for me to have a roo way out here. Henery is dandy; Ken sez he looks “like a little pimp” strutting among the ladies.
It’s a good plan, otherwise. I’ve been thinking of doing the same myself — except I want to raise a batch of meat birds (Freedom Rangers, not hideous CornishX Chickie-The-Huts), some ducks, and also get started in Buckeyes, a rare breed that interests me. Not sure I’ll have brooder space early enough in the year to make a go of the pullet-raising sideline.
Selma, go for it.
I wish I had known how easy it was to keep chickens — I’d have had them years ago in the ‘burbs.
If you don’t mind the mess, you could raise Khaki Campbell ducks — they are great egg-layers. But they do need more space and are a lot smellier and dirtier than chickens.
Or I’ve still got three tea cozies for sale.
For cold, you could try to lay hands on rare cold-hardy Canadian Chanteclers (good luck with that!) or I’m told that Orpingtons and Wyandottes do well.
It’s been much colder than normal here, but my barn coop, since it is banked, stays above freezing on all but the coldest nights.
The chooks don’t mind cold, don’t mind wind, don’t mind any but the hardest rain. But snow just appalls them. They run back into the coop and complain loudly to me about this horrible stuff I’ve spread all over the ground, and then they won’t come out until it melts.
Comment by H. Houlahan — December 16, 2008 @ 6:10 am
We had that problem covered. A friend of mine will be taking the mis-sexed boys and preparing them for the freezer. she’ll get half of the chickens for his trouble … and I’ll be helping with the plucking.
Fully a third of neighbor Judy’s chicks turned out to be roosters …
Comment by Gina Spadafori — December 16, 2008 @ 7:14 am
What’s wrong with roosters, by the way? I’ve always thought they were kind of cool, all feisty and bossy. Plus, they are beautiful.
Here in the village, pop 1500 (est 1793) we are surrounded by wide open SW Ontario farmland. I love it, our version of Big Sky country. So, keeping chickens is encouraged but no roosters.
I’m thinking of pushing the envelope and getting a couple of lambs this spring to weed and feed my turf. I figure if I clip them like poodles and put boots on their feet, nobody will be any the wiser when I take everybody for a walk.
Comment by Selma — December 16, 2008 @ 10:04 am
Some municipalities that allow chickens let you have hens only. It’s a noise issue. :)
Comment by Gina Spadafori — December 16, 2008 @ 10:24 am
For chickens that like to fly high, you can just clip a wing tip. Chicken books explain how. My friends who keep chickens would never dream of allowing them to roost in their neighbor’s trees. It’s considered bad chicken etiquette!
Comment by C.L.H. — December 16, 2008 @ 10:55 am
My roo crowing under my window after I let them all out in mid-morning: adorable.
Your neighbor’s roo crowing under your window after he lets them out at 5 am: incitement to murder.
And not all coops are as solid as mine, so keeping them in doesn’t solve it at close quarters. And some roos will crow all night if it strikes their fancy. Maybe while they’re roosting in a tree ten feet from your window.
I’m told there is no “humane way” to stop them doing it. Left unsaid — is there a way that works that is so horrible that grizzled farmers will not describe it to me? I wonder, then I don’t want to know after all.
Why not try those Southdown “babydoll” sheep? They’re cute as they sound, very small, and would wear a Continental clip very stylishly.
Bonus if you can teach them to bark.
Comment by H. Houlahan — December 16, 2008 @ 11:05 am