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Barnyard Buddies:  Cost of raising chickens?  |
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missusprim
True Blue Farmgirl
400 Posts
Karen
Fostoria
Ohio
USA
400 Posts |
 Posted - Mar 23 2011 : 08:09:28 AM
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I'm still thinking of raising a few chickens for eggs........but hubbies argument is the cost of feed, etc. and if it'd be worth it just for fresh eggs.
We have a small outbuilding (it's been painted since this pic) that we're not using that just begs to be made into a coop. Pic below. Anyone think this is doable?
Also, I will say upfront that I'm squeamish about having these cuties wind up on my dinner table - let alone how to 'make that happen.' So, if they'd be just for fresh eggs....would it be worth it?
Also, I want my daughter to learn about raising chicks and the care of them just as farm girls do!
"Animals are such agreeable friends - they ask no questions, they pass no criticisms." George Eliot
http://onceinnabluemoon.blogspot.com/
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sherrye
True Blue Farmgirl
3775 Posts
sherry
bend in the high desert
oregon
USA
3775 Posts |
Posted - Mar 23 2011 : 10:59:42 AM
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oh my goodness what a fine farm. it is so BEGGING to be a coop. how fun for you and her. i can see it now. you both out there fixing it up. yes they are worth it. i have kids that come here and the chickens are the big deal. we have baby goats etc. too but they love chickens and carrying an egg from the coop. YES for hubbie. i have 75 hens. i buy 50 pounds of feed for 10.00 it feeds them for a long time.i looked it up for you. the cost conversion table says at that cost for feed each dozen eggs cost .60 cents. now i also raise redworms in buried shower stalls. we are cold winter. by burying the stall i dont need to heat the worm box in winter. my hens get buckets of worms. they are free and they love to eat ta dah chicken poop and coffee grounds. i buy new cartons periodically. at a cost of about 10 cents each. there is no waste out the kitchen. i feed my hens out natural grass raised beef and pork trim. i sell my eggs for 3.00 out the door. i sell wholesale to a produce place for 2.50 doz. she supplies cartons. the extra 225.00 dollars helps pay farm food bill and vet calls. they are work horses.lol we dont eat them. when they are done we kill and bury. we keep new hens every 3d year. cull old flock and share old good hens with community. someone who does not mind if she only lays a couple a week. i give them away. we make money. with all that land i would do a portable chicken tractor. then use coop when needed, weather or a sick girl. they love to roam. way healthier like kris here says. they ust run around her place being happy and eating bugs. i hope this helps. your daughter and family would so benefit from the whole exp. BESIDES ALL THE EGGS happy days sherrye
the learn as we go silk purse farm
farm girl #1014
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sherrye
True Blue Farmgirl
3775 Posts
sherry
bend in the high desert
oregon
USA
3775 Posts |
Posted - Mar 23 2011 : 11:02:38 AM
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i meant to add all the girls here recommend backyard chickens. i think that is right. others i am sure will come on. what kind you thinking about. if you can sell some. your daughter could learn money finances and handling also. even young my kids were involved in money earned at home. i love the book from storey. storeys guide to raising chickens. easy read. sherrye
the learn as we go silk purse farm
farm girl #1014
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kristin sherrill
True Blue Farmgirl
11303 Posts
kristin
chickamauga
ga
USA
11303 Posts |
Posted - Mar 23 2011 : 2:52:09 PM
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I just LOVE old out buildings on farms. And that one is perfect for a coop. So all you'll have to do is get some chicken wire and some 4x4's for corner posts. And maybe some 2x4's for the door. But you probably already have some laying around there. You'll need to make sure it's preditor proof also. And if you let them out, which I do, feed is not going to be that much really. And depending on how many you get, if you sell eggs, that will pay for the feed. I let mine free range, so they get a few of those long feeders with some laying mash in the morning then a small coffee can not all the way full with scratch in the evenings. I get real bones from the slaughterhouse for my dogs and the chickens get alot of the fat and bones to peck on. Plus goat milk when I am milking. Chickens are not vegetarians. They will eat mice, frogs and baby birds that fall out of nests. And when I don't have pigs, which I do now, they will get the kitchen scraps, which they love. But then if you keep them penned up you will spend more on feed.
But you should go for it and try some. Your hubby will end up loving them too. Just wait. We can see all our animals out the dining room window and it's so fun to watch "farm tv" while eating dinner. We love it. Ya never know what you will see each day.
Oh, I think a 50 pound bag of laying crumbles is about $11.00 and the 3-way scratch is about the same. I also feed my 7 turkeys the same thing. And I have 20 hens and 8 roos. Way too many roos. They are still destined for the freezer. And I have the 4 turkey hens that are laying 2 eggs each day. So I am buying about every 3 weeks or so. I am also selling about 7 dozen eggs a week at $3 a dozen. So I am actually making a profit! Yee haw!
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
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Forrester Farm
True Blue Farmgirl
703 Posts
Ann
Belmont
MI
USA
703 Posts |
Posted - Mar 23 2011 : 3:12:58 PM
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From my limited experience of 1 year with chickens, the largest expense was the housing. We didn't have something so perfect, like you do, to work with. To me, the feed is a very minimal expense in relation to being able to enjoy fresh eggs from your own property. We let ours free range during the day. They didn't want to go outside at all in the winter, but now, they practically bump into me with excitement when I open the chicken coop door.
I also didn't expect that having chickens would have such a..... calming effect. There is something so grounding about watching them!
Ann
Forrester Farm
www.forresterfarm.com
(site, blog & etsy shop)
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batznthebelfry
True Blue Farmgirl
1257 Posts
Michele
Athol
Ma
USA
1257 Posts |
Posted - Mar 23 2011 : 4:46:17 PM
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I think it depends on how many hens you want to have vs' cost of feed....if you got with a basic good feed ($10-$16 per 50 lbs) & say 12 hens that are at a laying stage...take in large size eggs in the store run from $1.99-$3.00 a doz If only 6-8 hens are laying you still have a profit...6 eggs aday for 7 days is 42 eggs thats a bit over 3 doz a week, & about 14 doz a month...14 doz X $1.99 is about $28 dollars....14 doz at $3.00 is $42 a month...now if they have a large run or free range they will eat alot less of the bagged feed you sit out for them...so that benefit is not only less feed cost but they are getting the bugs you really don't want on your farm or in your gardens...ie ticks that are bad in your area in the summer months.....I am origanally form Missouri & the ticks are awful there when it warms up.....Plus you get fresh eggs that are not battery raised in cages to lay & then die.....If you add 1 rooster then you have a protector & a father so you can have hatched eggs that will grow to lay. They are also one of the easiest animals to care for, they need fresh water & feed daily....so twice a day you check & refresh the water....alll of maybe 15 mins of your time until coop cleaning...that will take a bit of time but that can go into a compost pile to break down for next years garden. The biggest drawback is chickens can die over pretty much anything...one day running around next day dead & you don't know why. Thats the hard part of raising chickens.....If your husband is worried about cost see if he is up for maybe 3-4 & go from there....if you have dogs & cats you are feeding you can tell him that they are getting fed to just be pets whereas the chickens are getting fed to get eggs for the table.....thats how I justified me getting chickens...I had a dog & 3 cats....dog old & blind...the 3 cats do get mice in the spring & summer but not to the amount their food cost...so....it was a good deal for me plus I was never a egg eater until I started raising my own....sure taste different that the store bought ones thats for sure....Michele'
Chickens rule!
The Old Batz Farm
Hen #2622 |
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sherrye
True Blue Farmgirl
3775 Posts
sherry
bend in the high desert
oregon
USA
3775 Posts |
Posted - Mar 23 2011 : 5:43:25 PM
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oh boy i ust love all these posts. chickens rule sherrye
the learn as we go silk purse farm
farm girl #1014
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missusprim
True Blue Farmgirl
400 Posts
Karen
Fostoria
Ohio
USA
400 Posts |
Posted - Mar 23 2011 : 7:48:11 PM
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sherrye, I'll look into that book. Haven't gotten so far as to which breed of chicken we'd get if we do, and not sure about a rooster. I don't think I'd mind hearing him in the morning but not sure hubby'd tolerate it. He's such a city boy.
I love your train of thought, Michele, on feeding your pets for just being pets versus feeding chickens. I don't think he can argue with that one!
Lots of wonderful advice, and because I had absolutely no idea of what it'd cost for even feed I knew you ladies would come through with some basics and crunch some numbers - thanks!
If we do decide to do it, it'd be a hoot to fix up the little outbuilding.
"Animals are such agreeable friends - they ask no questions, they pass no criticisms." George Eliot
http://onceinnabluemoon.blogspot.com/
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Sweet_Tea
True Blue Farmgirl
194 Posts
Tara
Newberry
SC
USA
194 Posts |
Posted - Mar 23 2011 : 9:07:25 PM
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That building is perfect to make a coop with. Look around that big old barn I'm sure you can find supplies to use. That's what I did when I made my coop. I just bought some 2x4s and some chicken wire and that was it.. all in all it costed me like 80 bucks to build the last one i built. but I scavenge around my farm and re-use wood and I used an old feed trough as the nesting box.
be careful of that old wood.. it's harder then pine knots! I bent a ton of nails trying to nail into it.. then this past time, I bought screws, much much easier with dewalt in your hand!
I have 6 hens right now and 6 chicks. The hens on average eat a 50lb bag of laying crumbles every 2 - 2.5 weeks. I bought pellets for them the past bag and they hated them, so I bought crumbles again, but its only like 12 bucks a bag. and I get 5 eggs a day, One of the hens isn't quite 5 months yet. 5 eggs a day is more then we can eat, so you can sell farm fresh eggs to people for 2 bucks a dozen and make a little bit off of them. I don't do that.. because I just make quiches and frittatas or deviled eggs to use them up.
but, I eat 2 eggs for breakfast every morning.
I love having chickens.. they are a highlight of my morning.. And tell your husband that homegrown eggs have half the cholesterol than store bought eggs. Don't quote me on that but a friend told me that last week.
I wouldn't want my chickens to end up on the table either...... I hate the thought of eating the cows we raise.. I get attached to a few of them, They don't go to the butcher! I'd rather sell them at the sale and imagine them in a nice pasture somewhere else rather than on my dinner plate..
~ http://notsosweettea.blogspot.com/
"The air of heaven is that which blows between a horse's ears"
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missusprim
True Blue Farmgirl
400 Posts
Karen
Fostoria
Ohio
USA
400 Posts |
Posted - Mar 24 2011 : 06:48:23 AM
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Sweettea, your blog is a hoot! 'Course, I gotta follow it now beings you're a newbie at raising some clucks.
Hubby just doesn't know what he's missing. I bought a dozen eggs from a coworker of mine from chickens raised by her SIL. I cooked with them, and there is NO comparison as to how much thicker the shells were, and the yolks seemed to be so much darker. He, being a guy, didn't see this little nugget of info so he just doesn't see the appeal.
But some questions for you or anyone: We have a lot of hawks in the area, so would it be wise to also cover the top of their open area with chicken wire as well? And do they also eat grass or do we have to mow inside the wire area as well? And speaking of mowers, do they bother them? Is it too late to start?
Below is a pic of another outbuilding that's destined to be torn down, and me thinks it'd be pretty easy to recycle some of that wood for a coop...... It's on a concrete slab (but it's cracked) and I'd love to somehow (any ideas anyone) put the one I'd like the chicken coop in over onto it. They're about 20 feet apart. I thought of cutting apart a phone pole we took down and 'walking or rolling' it over there. Anyway, it's a hideous site to see when you're coming down our road - and I want that thing DOWN!
One more thing........hubby just bought me a Kitchenaid stand mixer (below) so I don't think he'd complain too much if I cranked some goodies (with eggs, of course) with it.
"Animals are such agreeable friends - they ask no questions, they pass no criticisms." George Eliot
http://onceinnabluemoon.blogspot.com/
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SheilaC
True Blue Farmgirl
1948 Posts
Sheila
Vermont
USA
1948 Posts |
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kristin sherrill
True Blue Farmgirl
11303 Posts
kristin
chickamauga
ga
USA
11303 Posts |
Posted - Mar 24 2011 : 07:45:39 AM
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Yes, chikens eat grass. And they will have their coop area stripped down to dirt in a matter of weeks. But they need all the green grass and bugs to make the yolks so orangey reddish. Otherwise thrie yolks look like store bought eggs. My turkeys are penned up inside and don't get grass so their yplks are pale yellow. I have been throwing them grass every day now. I will be letting them out some.
I wish I could catch all my chickens and pen them up during garden season. Those stinkin' birds will eat everything they can. I can't put out little cabbage or broccoli because they will eat the little leaves. And ripe tomatoes? I will be killing some chickens if I see them in my tomatoes this year. So there are lots of things to think about either wya you do it.
And if you have them penned and you have hawks, then yes, put a wire top over their outside area.
Tara, I love your blog too. It's on my list of other farm blogs now.
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
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sherrye
True Blue Farmgirl
3775 Posts
sherry
bend in the high desert
oregon
USA
3775 Posts |
Posted - Mar 24 2011 : 08:00:16 AM
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wow what a blog that is. you are my mentor. i have a blog. i need to make it work. have no idea what i am doing yet. i want to tell farm stories too. well later i can post about the worms. i need to feed belle. do you have a tractor. you could pull the building with it. sherrye
the learn as we go silk purse farm
farm girl #1014
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Sweet_Tea
True Blue Farmgirl
194 Posts
Tara
Newberry
SC
USA
194 Posts |
Posted - Mar 24 2011 : 4:49:34 PM
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Karen, I don't think you need the cement pad... Make that into a grape arbor :) Plus chickens like to scratch around in the dirt..
So I would let them have a dirt bottom. I have been noticing my girls are digging around and laying in the dirt. I would put a roof over it, I heard a hawk hit the side of my coop one day, and the girls started squalling.. I was like ooooh no good. But, the hawks haven't gotten in so personally I think it is a good idea.
I'm going to start some wheat and put it in the coop with the girls.
And thank y'all for the compliments on my blog I really appreciate them :)
~ http://notsosweettea.blogspot.com/
"The air of heaven is that which blows between a horse's ears"
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amomfly
True Blue Farmgirl
658 Posts
Angie
LaGrange
IN
USA
658 Posts |
Posted - Mar 24 2011 : 6:26:43 PM
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Tara, that is a great blog!
I will only add that chcikens are the best! I love watching them, eating their eggs and them too! It is an awesome thing!
Good luck!
Come visit my blog
http://angieruralliving.blogspot.com/
God Bless
Angie-amomfly
#1038 |
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batznthebelfry
True Blue Farmgirl
1257 Posts
Michele
Athol
Ma
USA
1257 Posts |
Posted - Mar 24 2011 : 11:24:18 PM
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I bought fruit tree netting to put over the run area of my chickens to keep the hawks out in 3 yrs no bird has gotten to them......& yes they need the dirt to scratch around in plus have their dust bathes to get rid of mites.....they will have any grass gone quicker than you can blink but they will be happy to dig around looking for wardward bugs & get the grit they need to work their gizzard good & strong. If you decide against a run area but have them free range make little dog house like boxes in open areas so if a hawk shows up they have a safe area to run to..... I have a childrens plastic playhouse & one of those 2 piece dog houses that I flipped the bottom half over so they have 2 little areas to run into as well....I had to laugh about the tomatoes....I am a big fresh tomato eater so I understand that comment....with my hubby gone this year my main garden is being given to the chickens...I am planting lettuces, greens ect for them in it but will have a few tomato plants for me...I still have tons of vegs canned & frozen to eat up so I thought I would give them a nice garden of their own.....Michele'
Chickens rule!
The Old Batz Farm
Hen #2622 |
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missusprim
True Blue Farmgirl
400 Posts
Karen
Fostoria
Ohio
USA
400 Posts |
Posted - Mar 27 2011 : 6:09:08 PM
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Been doing more research. I hear differing opinions from "Oh?" to "Really? Chickens can really stink!" I think the it's the people who have a farming background will get the first reaction, and the city girls that I get the latter comment from! My coworker and her hubby are also going to try raising some chickens too, so it'll be interesting.
Had and interesting conversation with my grown kids this afternoon about chickens. Son didn't think a chicken could lay an egg without the 'help' from a rooster. He also knows me well enough to know that each and every one of them are going to have names and be treated as pets.
Daughter wants nothing to do with them, but I think when she sees how cute they are she'll have a different outlook on them.
Read a good article in the magazine called Cappors (sp.) on chickens. Some pictures of portable 'pens' so they can be moved about the yard. Thankfully we don't lack in space for them to moved around to, and the structure didn't look too difficult to build.
A few good links in this magazine that I haven't had the time to check out yet so I'll have to get online tomorrow to see what I can dig up.
You ladies rock and have so many good ideas, hints, tips and advice!
"Animals are such agreeable friends - they ask no questions, they pass no criticisms." George Eliot
http://onceinnabluemoon.blogspot.com/
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ChickieMama
True Blue Farmgirl
303 Posts
Angela
Banks
Oregon
USA
303 Posts |
Posted - Mar 27 2011 : 11:48:56 PM
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That shed looks perfect for a chicken house!!! I belong to backyardchickens.com it is a great site that is all about caring for chickens. I have 30 chickens and I sell my eggs for $3.00 dozen. People love free range chicken eggs! When you have time check out my blog...have fun!
Farmgirl Sister#2808
"Happy Hens make Happy Eggs"
http://lazyjoranch.blogspot.com
http://etsy.com/shop/lazyjoranch
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Edited by - ChickieMama on Mar 27 2011 11:50:54 PM |
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chickenladycris
True Blue Farmgirl
77 Posts
Cris
Prairie Farm
WI
USA
77 Posts |
Posted - Mar 29 2011 : 6:02:26 PM
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Honey, you gotta get yourself some chickens.
Seriously, chickens stink no worse that what some humans do in the restroom after a good meal at a the best Mexican joint in town. And their feed? Less than the cost of that good meal at the Mexican joint.
Hee hee! Honestly, I just hate it when people say "oh ewwww. Don't chickens stink?" well, so do dogs in the backyard, but we don't sneer at our friendly pups, do we?? I've had chickens for the past four years here on my 3/4 acre farm. My neighbors don't mind (I do believe that the free eggs and occasional roaster for their freezer helps), and in fact send their grand-children over to visit all the time. There have been zero complaints of smell or chicken noise--in fact, the ONLY animal related neighbor visit was when one grumpy old man came to complain about my cat...but it wasn't one of mine causing the problem. Ha ha!
As long as you make the chicken house secure from predators (sturdy wire and doors that shut tight at night do the trick) and have a secure run area (well, if you have close neighbors that is a MUST), chickens are very easy to maintain. Their feed is very inexpensive. I make my own mix, out of a 50 lb bag of layer crumble, a 50 lb bag of scratch grains, and a bag (don't know how much that one weighs) of crushed oyster shell, stir it into two large garbage tins, and it lasts me a good couple of months for my 6 layer hens. Feeders and waterers cost a bit at the beginning, but no more than $10 or so a piece at a good feed store in your town.
I also raise meat birds, which grow very fast and are butchered at 6-7 weeks old. They go through a lot more feed, but if that isn't your intent with raising backyard chickens, you don't even have to worry about those costs!
Another thing to consider, if you will be starting with day old chicks, you need to invest in gear for your brooder set-up (like, a heat lamp, special little waterer and feeder,etc), and decide where your brooder will be. I keep mine in a shed near to the house, but it is insulated a bit and keeps very warm. If you are only going to do a few chicks, starting them in a large box in a spare room is a great option. If you need book ideas, feel free to send me an email. I teach the occasional backyard chicken class! cris.cantin@yahoo.com
"A farmgirl can never have enough chickens!"--me |
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missusprim
True Blue Farmgirl
400 Posts
Karen
Fostoria
Ohio
USA
400 Posts |
Posted - Apr 02 2011 : 4:47:04 PM
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Am still thinking, and talking to lots of people. I love animals and think that, even though they're 'just' chickens, they still deserve the proper care so I want to do this right. More people than not think I'm off my rocker, but I really do want to try this and see how it goes. Worst case scenario I can give them to a local farmer who also raises chickens.
Cris, I sooooo like your attitude! Yeah, dogs or any outside critter can get to smellin' but then so can we humans!
Another concern of mine is that we have 5 indoor cats that are awfully curious, one was very recently a barn cat that'd probably take the most 'interest' in my little feathered friends. So, I'm thinking that I'd have to keep them in the basement so they're kept apart from our kitties.
"Animals are such agreeable friends - they ask no questions, they pass no criticisms." George Eliot
http://onceinnabluemoon.blogspot.com/
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chickenladycris
True Blue Farmgirl
77 Posts
Cris
Prairie Farm
WI
USA
77 Posts |
Posted - Apr 02 2011 : 6:40:18 PM
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Karen, I have lots of cats too. I worried that they would eat my tiny chicks, and I don't have a basement (well, I have a ultra-scary, horror-movie-waiting-to-happen-dirt-cellar-thingie) so I had to get creative. Lucky me, the previous owners of the house I bought never threw anything away (hooray for farmer folk!) and I found a giant old window screen that fit just perfectly over my giant rubbermaid tub serving as a brooder. I set the tub on top of my crafty room desk (which is a large hallway, really), suspended the heat lamp from the ceiling (but a clamp one on a 2x4 would've worked too, come to think of it), stuck the screen over the tub and weighed down a couple corners with chunks of broken bricks from a path my dogs dug up. I did have some interest in the peeping box of wonders, but no one got eaten and nothing got knocked off. When the chicks were big and moved outdoors, I did have a couple of cats get too close...and then they got HAMMERED by the chickens' hard beaks, and now avoid them like the plague. The dogs, however, are in a fenced portion of the yard away from the chicken run (drooling over the fence does happen on occasion...) Anyway, hiding them away safely in the basement sounds like a great plan, but having backup measures is always a good idea, too!
Go get those chicks, now.
"A farmgirl can never have enough chickens!"--me |
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missusprim
True Blue Farmgirl
400 Posts
Karen
Fostoria
Ohio
USA
400 Posts |
Posted - Apr 03 2011 : 7:16:46 PM
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Lots of good ideas, Cris. Even though our basement is heated, I'd feel much better keeping them up here where I can keep tabs on them (where my daughter can keep peeking at them when I'm not looking and try to pretend that they're just ugly little things). I think I can come up with something similar to what you had that would work in keeping even my big 16 lb.'boy' orange tiger Pumpkin from getting at them. I don't think he'd eat them, just play with them. Again, most would be just curious but my barn cat probably will have that hunting instinct in her for a good long time.
I was tempted to check out the local co-op while coming home from the store today. But I don't have the set up for them......yet!
BTW, this woman was even telling me how to butcher them in the most humane way. Of course, I scowled in horror through her telling me about it, but she was adamant in getting it through to me that if it's not done right they'll suffer. Yikes, still not sure if I can do it......if at all!
"Animals are such agreeable friends - they ask no questions, they pass no criticisms." George Eliot
http://onceinnabluemoon.blogspot.com/
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kristin sherrill
True Blue Farmgirl
11303 Posts
kristin
chickamauga
ga
USA
11303 Posts |
Posted - Apr 04 2011 : 07:26:03 AM
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I had some new chicks out in the milkroom several years ago in a brooder. I had 25 Barred rock and 25 of something else I can't remember right now. SO I had them in 2 different brooders with screen on the top. One day I went in to feed them and it looked like a chick massecre. It was horrible. I think I lost over half of them. And I do believe it was one of my cats that did it. He was still in there. So ever since I have kept them in the laundry room. I have 6 cats now. But when the chicks are bigger, they don't bother them. And when I have a hen that hatches chicks, nothing messes with the chicks.
And I seem to be using up a 50 pound bag of scratch in about 1 1/2 weeks now. It's the turkeys that are eating so much. Because they are in coops and not outside. That makes a big difference. So I have got to make some runs for them if I am going to keep them.
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
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Tammyb
True Blue Farmgirl
511 Posts
Tammy
Bluffton
Ohio
USA
511 Posts |
Posted - Apr 05 2011 : 06:18:26 AM
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keep researching and then I hope you can "go for it" !!
We have a small flock of 20 and sell the eggs until fall then we
start hoarding them for the winter months.
Tammyb
Live to leave a legacy
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sherrye
True Blue Farmgirl
3775 Posts
sherry
bend in the high desert
oregon
USA
3775 Posts |
Posted - Apr 05 2011 : 07:27:06 AM
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i thought i would mention too, i was going through a lot of feed till i figured out the mice were eating it too. i am allergic to cats. so i always have mice challenges.this time of year i have to fight the mice population or i spend way too much on feed. sherrye
the learn as we go silk purse farm
farm girl #1014
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missusprim
True Blue Farmgirl
400 Posts
Karen
Fostoria
Ohio
USA
400 Posts |
Posted - Apr 05 2011 : 09:19:18 AM
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Oooooh, I'll be sure to keep the feed in something mouse proof! Thanks for the heads up Sherry.
I'm going to go ahead and get a few chicks by this weekend. Am also going to see about getting some books from the library on them, or see what all I need just to start with.
But, I have another question/concern that the books might not cover: Will the sprays that our local farmer uses on his crops harm our little friends? Or their eggs and our eating them? Their coop will be about 25 ft. from the surrounding field that will be corn this year (yeah! more privacy!) and I hope to also move them around the yard in a portable enclosure so they get some fresh grass.
And as far as giving them table scraps - is there anything they won't/can't or shouldn't eat?
I'm AM SO EXCITED!!!!!!! I'm going to have to take some pictures.
"Animals are such agreeable friends - they ask no questions, they pass no criticisms." George Eliot
http://onceinnabluemoon.blogspot.com/
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Barnyard Buddies: Cost of raising chickens? |
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Cost of raising chickens?
