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Barnyard Buddies:  Anyone Can Raise Chickens  |
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La Patite Ferme
True Blue Farmgirl
623 Posts
Jenn
CA
USA
623 Posts |
 Posted - Nov 26 2008 : 09:45:39 AM
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Just wanted to let everyone know, especially new chicken raisers, that there's a good article on the Mother Earth News website.
Article title: "Anyone Can Raise Chickens"
Happy Turkey Day Everyone |
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LivingWell4You
True Blue Farmgirl
1411 Posts
Karen
Hillsboro
MO
USA
1411 Posts |
Posted - Nov 26 2008 : 10:22:39 AM
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Hubbie loves Mother Earth News (as do I) so I picked up the latest edition yesterday. I glanced at the chicken article since reading some of y'alls posts have got me thinking again about getting chickens this spring. I gave the mag to him last night and later said, "I'm thinking about getting chickens again this spring." He said, "Really? Me too. There's a really good article in Mother Earth News about it!"
God bless -
Karen ~ Chickherder & Farmgirl Sister #311 |
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mothergoose
True Blue Farmgirl
56 Posts
Richere
tiverton
rhodeiland
USA
56 Posts |
Posted - Nov 29 2008 : 9:14:37 PM
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| I would dearly like to know why my chickens are laying less each year even when we got new chicks?They molt in oct.and then we have 3 or 4 eggs a week till spring! 4 years ago they molted for a few weeks then layed year round? |
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dkelewae
True Blue Farmgirl
1310 Posts
Diana
Saint Peters
MO
USA
1310 Posts |
Posted - Dec 01 2008 : 04:46:31 AM
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I'd love to have chickens, but alas it's against the law in my city :(
Diana
Farmgirl Sister #272
St. Peters MO
Country Girl trapped in the city!
http://farmgirldreams.blogspot.com/ |
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jumpingjuliet
True Blue Farmgirl
146 Posts
becky
oroville
CA
USA
146 Posts |
Posted - Dec 03 2008 : 08:43:25 AM
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I received chickens when they blew in from the neighbors (1/3 mile away) during a windstorm. He told me to keep them. 3 hens and 2 roosters. 1 hen lasted 2 days before something got her. the other 2 lasted a while. I could never catch them to pen them up. They lived on bugs and grain dropped by the horses. But those were the best eggs I have ever eaten. When I could find them. One even hatched 10 chicks. Something got her and her babies. and my last hen too. I had the 2 roosters until recently. Now I just have one. Still can't catch the bugger. I would like to build a coop with a closed in run so I can keep them safe. and get some new hens. I loved having them but wasn't prepared. I have been reading the forums and learning a lot. Would love to have them again and do it right. Any advice other than the obvious.
Becky
I am one with my inner farm girl! |
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La Patite Ferme
True Blue Farmgirl
623 Posts
Jenn
CA
USA
623 Posts |
Posted - Dec 03 2008 : 11:49:51 AM
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Hi All,
Just wanted to drop some more interesting poultry info on y'all. Read on the Mother Earth News website that there is a breed of miniture turkeys - I didn't know about mini's. They max out at about 13-15pounds instead of the other breeds that get up to 50. Talked with my friend who has raised a lot of birds and she said she butchered a few mini's this year. The owner said they were great, easy to raise, don't take as much time or feed as the larger breeds and easier to butcher. I think DD and will try a few next summer.
A funny side note: my friend told me to order a few turks to try and use the broiler chicks a packing material to make up the 25 min order. Thought that was cute - packing material
BTW - the hatchery is Belt Hatchery in CA. We've gotten broilers from them in the past. Good company. |
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mothergoose
True Blue Farmgirl
56 Posts
Richere
tiverton
rhodeiland
USA
56 Posts |
Posted - Dec 07 2008 : 1:03:56 PM
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| We get Backyard Poultry magazine which we like.If you have asthma as I do, you may prefer a coop where you stand outside to clean the coop and collect the eggs.Since we got our dog, a bernease mountain dog ,no varmints bother the chickens even though she sleeps in the house.We rescued her.Allthough a puppy would have been beautiful,she is great and we could afford her. |
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Buffalomary
True Blue Farmgirl
199 Posts
Mary
Caldwell
ID
USA
199 Posts |
Posted - Dec 07 2008 : 7:12:45 PM
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Next spring I hope to get some chickens. Even though I am inside the city limits, the area where I live is zoned light industry, so I can have a small flock. I have a couple neighbors who also have chickens including roosters. Not sure I will get roosters unless I raise them for the freezer, but I do miss my fresh eggs and I'm sure I will be able to find someone to take the extras, if there are any.
Buffalomary
Farmgirl Sister #293
You can take the farmer's daughter off the farm but you can't take the farm out of the farmer's daughter!!
Please visit me at my blog: http://buffalomaryscorner.blogspot.com |
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mothergoose
True Blue Farmgirl
56 Posts
Richere
tiverton
rhodeiland
USA
56 Posts |
Posted - Dec 09 2008 : 11:32:45 AM
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| Well I took the time to reread my chicken books and my hens are old and they also would appreciate more grassland. I guess it is time to fence the gardens and let chickens in yard eh!So now I would like to get chicks from somewhere other then mcmurry because an old farmer friend said they were only a wholesale house.He also suggested we put a splash of apple cider vinegar in their drinking water and since we have ,we have lost only a couple of chicks/chickens. |
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jumpingjuliet
True Blue Farmgirl
146 Posts
becky
oroville
CA
USA
146 Posts |
Posted - Dec 09 2008 : 2:23:02 PM
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what does the vinegar do, Mothergoose?
I am one with my inner farm girl! |
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Buffalomary
True Blue Farmgirl
199 Posts
Mary
Caldwell
ID
USA
199 Posts |
Posted - Dec 09 2008 : 4:18:42 PM
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Hmmm, what did they mean that McMurrey was wholesale? I've bought chickens from McMurrey before, it's probably been 10 years. At that time you had to buy in groups of 25, which worked for what I wanted. I bought the mixed special. They would also add a couple extra ones. My little flock was always such a variety and lots of fun to watch grow. Now I'm lucky to have a local breeder to buy my stock from. They hatch out the basic variety of chickens as well game birds, ducks, geese, and turkeys. They are only a few miles from me, so it does make it very convenient! I may go with Bantams. They will fit my space better, but we'll see next spring. I may just go with a mixed group again!
Buffalomary
Farmgirl Sister #293
You can take the farmer's daughter off the farm but you can't take the farm out of the farmer's daughter!!
Please visit me at my blog: http://buffalomaryscorner.blogspot.com |
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happydaze
True Blue Farmgirl
136 Posts
lorraine
atlanta
ni
USA
136 Posts |
Posted - Dec 09 2008 : 6:54:24 PM
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| I raise chickens year round, and have eggs year round. I keep my henhouse above freezing and provide extra light. We live in Northern Michigan, where we have 3 feet of snow on the ground and hens are still laying and brooding. My grandsons bedroom has a brooder with next Springs hens and my sewing room has an incubator with next years show birds. I've had good luck with McMurray's, although I buy my show birds at fairs or poultry shows. |
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mothergoose
True Blue Farmgirl
56 Posts
Richere
tiverton
rhodeiland
USA
56 Posts |
Posted - Dec 11 2008 : 03:04:05 AM
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| I have had good luck with mcmurry but the old chicken farmer said that they outsource for their chicks and that their sources kept their best chickens and mcmurry got what was left.I do not know if that is true but thought I would try someone else if reccomended.As for the applecider vinegar the old man reccomended it when my husband told him we were loosing chicks (coccidiosis?) we do not have them vaccinated.Since adding the vinegar we have lost 1 or two of the meat birds per batch and perhaps 1 per layer order.Allso our broilers are more active and do not have leg problems since we have been giving them the vinegar on a regular basis.About 1 tblspoon per gallon of water.I do love the choice Mcmurry has.By the way my quietest and most friendly roosters have been Buff Brahmas and Light Brahmas.I will not tolerate a mean rooster or one that crows at 4 am...my neighbors have complained and I do not blame them.So the noisiey ones become soup. |
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mothergoose
True Blue Farmgirl
56 Posts
Richere
tiverton
rhodeiland
USA
56 Posts |
Posted - Dec 11 2008 : 03:14:59 AM
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| Oh yes ,I forgot to mention turkeys.I was going to get some(the small ones sound great) but my Dad who lived on a farm before he got married said they were so stupid that if you did not bring them in when it rained they would drown holding their beaks open to catch the rain and be too stupid to put their heads down.Perhaps they had extra stupid birds, but I figured I had enough to do with out the turkeys.I do know I have seen wild turkeys fly and it is ever so hilarious! They fly exactly like in the bugsbunny cartoons! |
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mothergoose
True Blue Farmgirl
56 Posts
Richere
tiverton
rhodeiland
USA
56 Posts |
Posted - Dec 11 2008 : 04:13:15 AM
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| I do not write often...but when I do...Ha HA At any rate the other chiken sites are very interesting allso thankyou |
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Barnyard Buddies: Anyone Can Raise Chickens |
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Anyone Can Raise Chickens
