Thinking About Getting Some Chickens for the Yard

[jayne]

Susanne, you and I think totally alike on these issues! I did raise my original girls from chicks, but the last new hens I got from freecycle and they were GREAT! I also see them frequently on Craig's List for $10 to $25 for young layers.

Our outdoor run is 10x30 feet. We used very sturdy hardwire cloth (I think that's what it's called) with small openings and dug it almost a foot in the ground too. We let them free-range out of this run in the afternoon and early evening under supervision (us or the dog - she knows her job).

One of the rules of our home is "We don't eat anybody we know" so our hens will retire here and hopefully lay an egg once in a while to earn their keep. But if not, they're safe here.

Breeds I like for friendliness and docile-ness (is that a word?) are australorps, barred rocks, americaunas (mutt colored egg layers) and I've heard orpingtons are nice too but I don't have any. I do have two colors of wyandottes and I do not like how they are mean to the other chickens and bossy in general. They are good layers though, but I won't miss them when their days are done. My banties are silver sebright and old english game bird. I would like more banties some day just because they're so cute and fun.

Jayne

 

[rockin r]

"WE" have never owned chickens or roosters. Our neighbor has them, and every year some of his hens come into the mare barn and give us about a dozen eggs a week. Art built 2 boxes out of milk crates for them to lay in. They really are no bother they are out more than in the barn. They go back to the neighbors house to eat and are in our barn at night. But we make sure that we get the eggs as soon as they lay them...SNAKES love eggs!!! SHIVER, NO SNAKES ALLOWED!!! But they do like our barn best in the winter, it is nice and warm in there....But this year a BIG (reddish-orange) rooster has decided that our stud barn is his roost! He roams around the barn, pastures and our yard. Horses and dogs don't mind him at all. Neighbor says the others must have ran him off...and to keep him if we wanted to..hummmm. So we decided to let him stay as long as he wants, and named him Doodle-Doo!!

He has been here for a few months now, and when we call DOODLE-DOO boy he comes a runnning!!!