Every week at Community Chickens, we get dozens of questions from people across the world, hoping to find someone who has shared a similar experience. We try to answer them all, and forward them on to experts where we can. But many of the questions are unique, and because of this, we realize that sometimes the best people to answer the questions are precisely the people who are or have been in your shoes. This is why we often ask our guest bloggers to tackle questions – and they do such a great job!
Facebook photo by Michael Lake |
Q1: Dennis writes: What are the costs associated with raising chickens? Is it worth it for a family of two?
I am wondering how in the world I would manage dust (glass window “walls” may help; coarser, “washed” sand? I don’t know about dust bething . . ) , and if I would need to get into the clipping of wings. I would have liked them to roam (the yard is fenced well), but am not willing to risk a public escapee.
I like to work through as many potential conundrums as possible *before* venturing into such a project – so many thanks!
Q3: Mark writes: We just had 1 hen die, and another that looks as though she will at any time.
We don’t know why this has happened, and was wondering if it was safe to use their manure on our garden this Spring.
If they have a disease or a health problem of some sort, will that translate to the soil from their manure ?
I know this might be a gardening question, but we trust the info from you and your site.
We will have only 1 hen left if this second one expires and we were wondering if she should be culled for butchering, or is it best not to chance eating her ?
We are starting a new flock of 6 chicks that are 2 weeks old and were thinking of using our present coop to house them in in 6 weeks or so.
Do you recommend any specific type of cleaning of the coop that would kill any disease or other problem that might be lurking there ?
Thank you so much for any help you can give us.
God bless
Facebook photo by Dee Waters |
Q4: Linda writes: I was just asked if the eggs, in shell, you buy in the store are pasteurized and how they do it without cooking them. Not really sure how to answer that question. Would appreciate your input.
Thanks
I’d appreciate your comments/suggestions.
Thank you
Q6: Brenda writes: How do I stop Rat Snakes from eating my eggs.
at my door step. They free range over 3 acres of grass and wooded areas
and they only place I mind their poop, is at my stoop. Any ideas?
Thank YouCarol
Facebook photo by Jim Smoot |
FACEBOOK QUESTIONS:
3-part question:
1. My backyard neighbor has 3 giant german shepherd dogs that NEVER EVER shut up. the barking is constant. Will that stress a chicken or two too much?
2. My cat is a total predator. She kills and eats everything her size or smaller. Obviously if I get chickens I’ll have to keep them in a cage (probably a tractor type thing), but if the cat is always stalking them, will they be too stressed to lay?
3. Are chickens really quiet enough to get away with in a HOA neighborhood with rules against them? As long as I don’t start telling everyone I know that I have them, then they should be quiet enough to get away with, right?
What’s the earliest a cockerel will start trying to crow?
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Facebook photo by Kim Mullen |
Q16: Greg writes:
I am building a chicken tractor and want to get something straight. I am planning on buying 5-6 chickens and keeping them in the CT for a week or so and then letting them out to walk around. Shouldn’t these chickens come back to the CT toward night to roost without me having to chase them down??
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Q17: Jonnie writes:
8 Comments
Q17. I have 9 Hens. About a year ago I noticed that at least one was eating the eggs. I never caught them doing it at the time so I don’t know which one or is could have been several but I started replacing the eggs with golf balls and once they figured out they couldn’t break them it stopped. I guess they figured that all the eggs were that hard and gave up. I still find a broken egg every once in a while but it is so infrequent that I think they are mostly just accidental breakages. Golf balls worked for me so it wouldn’t hurt to give it a try!
Question 14:
Part 1–Yes. Those dogs would stress me, too.
Part 2–Maybe. One of my chickens chased my 28 pound Rat Terrier around the yard. He was so afraid of her that he would let her have his treats if she went after them. Your cat might not be so timid.
Part 3–No! Chickens make all kinds of noises and can be VERY loud if they get upset. (Like when one of mine found a baby Copperhead. Both of them wanted it and managed to kill it, but they refused to share. Such an argument ensued! When I took it away from them they fussed for the rest of the day.) At the end of the summer I gave my 2 chickens to the kennel that boarded my dogs. (They had a small flock.) Your neighbors will eventually find out you are breaking the rules. There will be repercussions that you won’t like, possibly including fines. And you will have to quickly find a home for your chickens which will probably end up being a shelter. Not worth the heartache. Plus, free ranging chickens in a small residential yard means you will have no flowers, few leaves below 2 feet on your plants, bare patches in your yard, nothing in your pots but a hole in the middle of what is left of the dirt, and poop on your patio.
Q3 I have had very few chickens die over the many years i have had them. it may be because i habitually put crushed garlic in their water year round. the garlic helps boost their immune system and also helps to deter mites as mites do not like the taste or smell of garlic. of course keeping their coop clean and making sure their water is clean and fresh is a requirement
Q1-Of course it is cost effective as your set up could be a lot smaller and you may only need 4-6 chickens which could also free-range your back yard if appropriate. Also the nutritional value of the eggs and the daily availability to fresh eggs is totally worth it!
Q9- My chickens use to be like that…now they eat every bit. I use chicken crumbles and add water to it…they seem to like it moist. Sometimes I mix in a raw duck egg or a chicken egg that got cracked and they go to town. I also have been reading on fermenting which I am anxious to try. I started to moisten the feed because I have one hen with scissor beak and it makes it easier for her to get the food, but all of the chickens wanted hers…so now I moisten all of it. There is never a bit left and they don’t scratch in it, which helps a lot with the waste issue.
Q1. It all depends on with will also enjoy taking care of them. If you have some place around to buy fresh eggs it is not worth it cost wise. I raise chickens as my hobby and everyone knows hobbies are for enjoyment of it not what you get out of it profit wise.
Q6- Rat snakes, once they find the eggs..the only way I know of to stop them is to catch them and relocate at least 2 miles away. I drop them off at a creek bed up the road. Good luck…I have relocated several…of course be aware…lose the snakes and you could gain rodents.
You can get the ceramic or glass eggs leave them in the brood box all the time. The snakes will swallow them and die in the pasture. You have to gather your real eggs as often as possible.