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  • Raising chickens

    After getting into aquaponics a friend of mines suggested I get a pair of hens. I asked her about laws and she told me that by law you can have 2 chickens.
    I asked her about noise and she said roosters make the cockle doodle do crowing, hens are very quiet. I had mines for a few months and only when I gave my neighbors some eggs they told me they didnt know I had chickens.

    I was surprised when I called the hatchery to order my chicks that they had a wait list and that egg laying chicks are only $5 each.


    Now its been 2 years and I get an egg a day from each hen, for 6 days out of the week. Feed is about $1/week, so I get a dozen eggs for about $2.

    Does anyone else here raise chickens?
    Aquaponics in Paradise !

  • #2
    Re: Raising chickens

    Not currently, but I have in the past. Chickens can be very tame, and if the chickens are allowed to roam in the yard free, make a fun "yard pet" for children. They (the chickens) will come running when someone tosses feed, can be carried and petted, and free roaming chickens require minimal care. Plus, as you say, FREE EGGS.
    Now run along and play, but don’t get into trouble.

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: Raising chickens

      I don't raise chickens, but Paul Wheaton has an article on different ways to raise them:

      http://www.richsoil.com/raising-chickens.jsp


      He favors a rotating paddock system and poo-poo'es the idea of chicken tractors.
      "By concealing your desires, you may trick people into being cruel about the wrong thing." --Steven Aylett, Fain the Sorcerer
      "You gotta get me to the tall corn." --David Mamet, Spartan
      "
      Amateurs talk technology, professionals talk conditions." --(unknown)

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      • #4
        Re: Raising chickens

        I love the responsibility you're taking for raising/growing some of your own food. Are the eggs organic? IOW, is the chicken feed organic? If so, then the $2/dozen cost for the eggs is really a great price.

        What do you do with the chickens and fish when no one will be home for an extended period of time, such as a vacation?

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        • #5
          Re: Raising chickens

          Originally posted by MyopicJoe View Post
          I don't raise chickens, but Paul Wheaton has an article on different ways to raise them:

          http://www.richsoil.com/raising-chickens.jsp


          He favors a rotating paddock system and poo-poo'es the idea of chicken tractors.
          interesting take. it seems to be more about feeding the chickens for free/yard/bug control but i dont think itd make your yard look very good. for a few dollars a week, i like my chicken coop/tractor run. chickens will scratch up your whole yard. perhaps on an empty lot in the country i would try that.


          Originally posted by tutusue View Post
          I love the responsibility you're taking for raising/growing some of your own food. Are the eggs organic? IOW, is the chicken feed organic? If so, then the $2/dozen cost for the eggs is really a great price.

          What do you do with the chickens and fish when no one will be home for an extended period of time, such as a vacation?
          feed and water may come out to maybe $2-5 dollars a week i suppose. i dont really keep track. the funny thing? im slightly allergic to eggs, so its really for my family members and neighbors.

          is the feed organic? not sure. probably not, i think the organic food costs more.

          i have my chickens setup so its very low maintenance. i have these feeders that i dont have to change for 2 weeks at a time. the eggs would have to be harvested every other day at least though.... as for the fish, i feed them twice a day, i dont really go on vacations (got 2 young kids) but if nothing else, i would ask a neighbor to feed the fish, i suppose.
          Aquaponics in Paradise !

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: Raising chickens

            I got the chickens for the eggs, and after the last salmonella scare with the infected eggs, im glad i have them. did you hear how 2000 people got sick from those eggs? they traced the eggs back to an egg farm that keeps racking up ticket and fines... they reported 8 foot tall piles of manure next to the feed and coops...

            the chickens lay eggs from 6 months to 2-3 years... it remains to be seen if i will have the fortitude to make 'chicken soup' after they stop laying. =)
            Aquaponics in Paradise !

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: Raising chickens

              Originally posted by Hellbent View Post
              interesting take. it seems to be more about feeding the chickens for free/yard/bug control but i dont think itd make your yard look very good. for a few dollars a week, i like my chicken coop/tractor run. chickens will scratch up your whole yard. perhaps on an empty lot in the country i would try that.
              Whatever works for you, your property, and lifestyle Producing a portion of your own food puts you ahead of most Americans, regardless of how you do it.

              I hear ducks are an egg alternative. They don't tear up the yard and they eat slugs. Don't think I've ever eaten duck eggs, though; dunno if I could get my kids to eat'um.
              "By concealing your desires, you may trick people into being cruel about the wrong thing." --Steven Aylett, Fain the Sorcerer
              "You gotta get me to the tall corn." --David Mamet, Spartan
              "
              Amateurs talk technology, professionals talk conditions." --(unknown)

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: Raising chickens

                Originally posted by MyopicJoe View Post
                Whatever works for you, your property, and lifestyle Producing a portion of your own food puts you ahead of most Americans, regardless of how you do it.

                I hear ducks are an egg alternative. They don't tear up the yard and they eat slugs. Don't think I've ever eaten duck eggs, though; dunno if I could get my kids to eat'um.
                They're kinda rubbery; duck eggs.
                Grab some goggles and answer to nobody.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: Raising chickens

                  perhaps after i move i may get ducks.. duck eggs are used in chinese cuisine (salted duck eggs anyone?)
                  i think its higher in chloresterol however.
                  Attached Files
                  Last edited by Hellbent; April 28, 2011, 07:50 PM.
                  Aquaponics in Paradise !

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: Raising chickens

                    I’ve been raising chickens in Kaimuki for over 10 years now. You can get egg layers from Kalihi Pets or Mr. Yogi in Kaneohe pet supply. If you can get them as new born chick and play with them every day they will remain tame throughout their lives. My kids just love helping them find bugs.

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                    • #11
                      Re: Raising chickens

                      I had two (now one) Arakana chickens. They lay those coveted blue eggs (once a day).

                      If you don't like chicken poop all over your driveway/walkways/patio/patio furniture or any high roosting perch on your property, keep them cooped up.

                      Free ranging chickens will take care of themselves foodwise foraging for centipedes, geckos and other crawlers. They will scratch up your lawn searching for bugs, they will eat your cat/dog food and they do squawk when laying eggs.

                      For the most part they cluck cluck cluck most of the day and if trained early (yes they can) they will stay in your property. Mine do.

                      If cared for by hand from the moment you get them as weeks-old chicks, they will take to you like a mother hen. Mine seem to mimick the family dog, getting excited when the family van comes home, chasing it until we park it. We can pick it up and cradle "Fudge" on her back and rub her belly. She teases the dog and cat. She tries to come into our home like the dog and cat but get's chased out like the cat.

                      Can you domesticate a chicken? Sure, mine thinks it's a dog.
                      Life is what you make of it...so please read the instructions carefully.

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                      • #12
                        Re: Raising chickens

                        Craig is correct you can domesticate chickens if you get them very young. We keep our in their coop most of the time but try to let them out when we are home. We are afraid the loose cats or dogs will kill them. This has happened twice. We had three Silkes that do not fly and don’t stand a chance against dogs or cats. So far these have been the tamest of all the breeds we had. They are considered “show” chickens so they are inherently domesticated.

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                        • #13
                          Re: Raising chickens

                          I'm the guy who sells chicken coops on craigslist, I made a tractor for my chickens when I got them and have been making them since. Its been a great way for me to practice my carpentry.

                          My tractor has wheels and I can move it around the yard. I let the chickens out once or twice a week before sundown and they run around the yard before they retreat back into the coop.

                          Have you guys who have chickens heard of a treadle feeder? I built one as well as a watering bucket and it makes raising my chickens super low maintenance. I dont have to refill feed or water for 2 weeks at a time!
                          You can find the plans online for the feeder and order the watering nipples online.
                          Attached Files
                          Aquaponics in Paradise !

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                          • #14
                            Re: Raising chickens

                            Originally posted by 808Dad View Post
                            We keep our in their coop most of the time but try to let them out when we are home. We are afraid the loose cats or dogs will kill them.
                            Why can't dogs help get rid of the wild chickens on Kauai? Those chickens are humbug when they eat the bananas and alvacados still on the tree.

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                            • #15
                              Re: Raising chickens

                              https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/cd...nYl?li=BBnb7Kz

                              Does this need to be a warning? Who are the warning aimed at?

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