Talk to me about backyard chickens, please!

[kristi26]

We are leaning toward getting some backyard chickens now that we've moved to a place that we can actually have space for them. I am 99% sure that we are perfectly allowed to have them here (I have a call into a township guy to make 100% sure).  We like the idea of having fresh eggs and the kids really enjoy animals (we only have two guinea pigs as pets at this point)...

 

My questions at this point:

 

1. What do you feed them? How often?

 

2. Is it better to just get pullets and be done with it or should go from chick (I believe our neighbor would give us chicks, honestly)?

 

3. If we buy chickens, what kind should we get?

 

4. Do they smell?

 

5. How often do we need to clean their space?

 

Thanks for humoring me here. I seriously know nothing and am not getting a ton of great hits on google. ;)

 

ETA: I just heard back from the township guy. We definitely CAN have chickens!

[imagine.more]

We are leaning toward getting some backyard chickens now that we've moved to a place that we can actually have space for them. I am 99% sure that we are perfectly allowed to have them here (I have a call into a township guy to make 100% sure). We like the idea of having fresh eggs and the kids really enjoy animals (we only have two guinea pigs as pets at this point)...

 

My questions at this point:

 

1. What do you feed them? How often?

 

2. Is it better to just get pullets and be done with it or should go from chick (I believe our neighbor would give us chicks, honestly)?

 

3. If we buy chickens, what kind should we get?

 

4. Do they smell?

 

5. How often do we need to clean their space?

 

Thanks for humoring me here. I seriously know nothing and am not getting a ton of great hits on google. ;)

We got backyard chickens last year and LOVE them! Seriously, same amount of work as a cat but much more useful :)

 

We buy chicken feed from Tractor Supply once a month and also let them range in the yard a bit and toss them kitchen veggie scraps and yard clippings.

 

We got day old chicks and that has been nice, ours are friendly because we've had them from so young and our 4 year old can carry them around the yard even. You just keep them inside in a warm area until they have real feathers then they can go out to the coop. A plastic kiddie pool and a little fence work well.

 

There are lots of great breeds. We like our Leghorns but when we get more we'll likely get Rhode Island Reds or Orpingtons too. If you live in a cold climate check that they are a cold hardy breed.

 

The chickens themselves don't smell, the coop can if not cleaned often enough especially in the summer. We clean ours every 2 weeks and also hose down and rake the run, which we filled with sand after they ate all the grass. I like the sand in the run, super easy to keep clean and the hens seem happy though they hated it the first 2 days and acted like we'd filled the run with hot lava, lol!

 

We have 5 hens on a double city lot and it's been great. Our neighbors like them and we get 2-3 dozen eggs a week. The 6 and 4 year olds know how to feed them and collect eggs and enjoy that. We do the bigger tasks. They're very kid-friendly i think, even for small children.

[Guest]

We are leaning toward getting some backyard chickens now that we've moved to a place that we can actually have space for them. I am 99% sure that we are perfectly allowed to have them here (I have a call into a township guy to make 100% sure). We like the idea of having fresh eggs and the kids really enjoy animals (we only have two guinea pigs as pets at this point)...

 

My questions at this point:

 

1. What do you feed them? How often?

 

2. Is it better to just get pullets and be done with it or should go from chick (I believe our neighbor would give us chicks, honestly)?

 

3. If we buy chickens, what kind should we get?

 

4. Do they smell?

 

5. How often do we need to clean their space?

 

Thanks for humoring me here. I seriously know nothing and am not getting a ton of great hits on google. ;)

 

ETA: I just heard back from the township guy. We definitely CAN have chickens!

I have them. I feed them Layer Pellets, which I get at Tractor Supply Company. The feed comes in 50# bags; I keep it in a Rubbermaid Tote so it doesn't attract pests. Some people feed a specific amount, and then take the food away after a bit. I don't do that, though. I just put about three large scoops in a chicken feeder daily.

 

I have only gotten pullets. I like this because I definitely want hens, no roosters, and I don't want the more intense care of chicks. The only sacrifice with this really is that I'm not really choosing specific birds. I'm just buying the red sex-links or Red Stars sold as pullets at a nearby feed store. I have been happy with this type of hen.

 

All livestock is bound to have some earthy smell, but chickens kept on clean straw with room to roam don't get all that smelly. Over the winter, my coop did get rather stinky because it was so cold they never ranged and I didn't clean it out often. I like to replace straw every few weeks.

 

Other info: they will naturally roost at night, but it is handy to train them to come when you call. This is easy to do with treats like mealworms. Just use the same words and voice when you give them the special treat food. I yell, "heeeere, chickie, chickies!" Just like a real farm girl. :) Very handy to have them come on cue like that.

 

hth. I love my hens.

[isaac_megan]

My kids are presently ignoring their school work to play with the chickens.

 

1. We have 6 hens and a rooster. We get six eggs per day unless one is molting. We buy a large bag of layer pellets and a bag of scratch every two months or so. They free-range so they are supplementing their diet with a lot of extra stuff. The kids fill the feeders a little more often than once per week.

 

2. If you are waiting for eggs, waiting for chicks to mature enough is like watching water boil. Our chickens are first and foremost pets, tolerated by DH because eventually they became producers. The kids have really enjoyed raising them from chicks and are now incubating more so they can repeat the process. They also plan to have a covert eggs business.

 

3. Rhode Island Reds are good egg producers. Buff Orpingtons are good with kids. We have a Brahma, two reds, a silver-laced Wyandotte rooster, an Americauna who lays beautiful dark green eggs, and two Favorelles who lay the tastiest  but rather small eggs. All of our chickens tolerate temperature extremes. The favorelles enjoy cold weather and I bought them to ensure I had fresh eggs in the winter. That wasn't a problem- all 6 laid eggs right on through winter. When I was kid, I had bantam silkies. Those were fun pets, but not much in the way of eggs.

 

4. Good lord, yes. We harvest hay from our field and spread in the coops and the chicken yard to keep moisture and stink under control. I am constantly booting them off of my porch. They like to "bomb" it.

 

5. In the winter, we just keep adding hay to their coop floors. It mixes with their droppings and rain/snow and then builds up a heat layer- it keep them warm. Spring-fall, we move their coops every month or so and I spray the boxes down with bleach water. Every week, the kids scrape any droppings from surfaces and add hay to their coop floors.

 

There is a forum that is a lot of fun and quite informative:

www.backyardchickens.com

 

[kristi26]

These were very helpful posts, thank you! 

 

Now that I know we can have them, I can tell you that our neighbor across the street has chickens and actually offered to incubate some eggs for us! :) I think it'd be awesome to get his chicken's children over here. Lol. The only issue would be that I really don't want the hassle of a rooster.  I think one neighborhood rooster is enough.

 

So for the chicks, did you do the whole red light thing? Could we put them in a kiddie pool in our enclosed back porch while they grow?  Would that work?  

 

And our area does get cold winters. We're in PA. 

[isaac_megan]

Our rooster was a surprise, but DD9 was rather attached by the time we figured it out! There is another rooster near us and the two of them get started with their "crow-mail" at about 5 every morning.

 

The porch would be fine, but anything on/in it will be pooped on. Just be prepared for a good hosing afterward. They will need a heat lamp for a few weeks, and some starter/grower feed. Also, don't bother with the small waterer- go for the big one because you will need it eventually. If the tray opening is small enough, they won't be able to get in and drown.

[Spy Car]

I like having "bantam" chickens in the backyard. We have Rhode Island Reds. The bantams are much (much) smaller, lay eggs that are not that much smaller than standard sized chickens, and they feel less like "livestock" (in the bad way) than full sized chickens. I'd rather have a few more bantams than raise standards.

 

I also prefer to raise "non production" classic chickens, that retain their natural instincts (so will forage and go broody) as opposed to production strains that are designed to spend life in a tiny cage (where natural insticts are considered a negative).

 

Bill

[imagine.more]

These were very helpful posts, thank you!

 

Now that I know we can have them, I can tell you that our neighbor across the street has chickens and actually offered to incubate some eggs for us! :) I think it'd be awesome to get his chicken's children over here. Lol. The only issue would be that I really don't want the hassle of a rooster. I think one neighborhood rooster is enough.

 

So for the chicks, did you do the whole red light thing? Could we put them in a kiddie pool in our enclosed back porch while they grow? Would that work?

 

And our area does get cold winters. We're in PA.

Yes we didn't want a rooster either, though our neighbors said we should, haha! We are in PA too and our leghorns and Marans wintered just fine. We battened up the coop a bit more and they'd stay inside if it was very windy but overall they didn't mind the weather and started laying again in early march.

[Ottakee]

We have bought chicks and also bought older ones.  The best was buying chicks that were about 6-8 weeks old.  They were feathered out and we didnt' need a heat lamp or keep them in the house, etc. but still little enough to handle, etc.  We like Isa Brown chickens as they are friendly and good brown egg layers.  Right now we have a mix as dh took the kids to buy chicks (the 2 day old, lots of work ones) and they came home with about 6 different breeds.

 

Ours free range and then I "round them up" in the evening and lock them in their coop until morning.

[Halcyon]

we have had chickens for 4 years, but we were recently reported to the county by a mean neighbour who was mad at my DH about something trivial. The county officer was sorry, since we have almost 3 acres in the middle of the country and many of our neighbours have chickens--but she said that since it was reported, they have to deal with it. 

 

So we are sad. My DH built a wonderful, sturdy coop because we have predators around here, but we've only lost 2 in the last 4 years and one was to a neigbour dog.

 

They produce about 50 eggs a week, but lately haven't been producing at all--maybe they know they have to leave this weekend. :(

 

What sucks is that the law is in the process of changing, but not soon enough for my girls.

[Susan in TN]

If you have squirrels or other small animals wandering about, do consider storing your feed in metal trash cans with secured lids - if the squirrels discover you have chicken feed, they will go to great lengths to get into it.

 

Our chicken run mesh is buried with an underground skirt that goes outward - most animals will dig deep right next to the fencing, but won't move out a foot to dig under the skirt, if that makes any sense.

 

Our chickens are now just pets. When they were 3yo, we got 3.5 dozen eggs a week from 7 chickens all summer long, and now we get about 4 eggs a week from 5 7yo chickens, during April and May - even less the rest of the year.

 

Our Rhode Island Reds were our best layers, though the other breeds have outlived them.

[imagine.more]

The kiddie pool is not good because they grow super fast and will be jumping out of the pool in a week or two.  Also, predators at night unless it's enclosed.  I kept mine in a watermelon box I got at the grocery store.  We rigged up the heat lamp on stand over it.  They need to be able to get away from the light too to cool down if needed.  You have to make sure they don't drown in the water so keep it shallow.  They will poop and ruin the water so clean it multiple times a day...this is for babies. 

 

We like the Barred Rocks the best.  Great egg layers and friendlier than Rhode Island Reds. 

 

Go to Backyardchickens.com for advice and to learn.  I got Storey's Guide to chickens and it has not failed us.  Make sure your coop is predator proof.  That means hardware cloth to cover windows and the pen.  You have to bury it underground so predators can't get in.  They will try.  My aunt lost her whole flock and she bought a beautiful coop from one of those shed makers.  The raccoon got right in through the black mesh they had over the windows.  You need good ventilation all year.  Just get that book I referenced.  It has a lot of info that you need to know.  There is quite a bit to learn and to think about before you do it. 

 

Yes, predators are the worst! We had a skunk get into our coop through the smallest crack by the ground and it killed 3 hens before we were woken by a neighbor (apparently chickens can scream) and went out and I chased the evil thing off with the hose. We're pretty sure it was rabid because it wasn't afraid of us until I sprayed it in the face with the hose. It was traumatic for us, just awful. So no I wouldn't leave any on the porch, I'd wait until they can go straight into the secure coop like ManagerMom suggested. We blocked up our coop afterwards with buried wire under the sand so that it is 100% predator proof even if they dig. Of course then a bear came through our CITY, oy, lol! But he apparently didn't smell the chickens, I doubt our coop is quite bear-proof :)

[Pod's mum]

That backyard chickens blog (edit: Forum, not blog) is great. (edit: Forum, not blog)

I've accessed it quite a bit.

 

Be prepared to 'invest' a deal of time just watching them.They are hilarious, but require good predator-proof night housing.

I missed them for decades, and our 7 mixed chicks have now grown in size and number and we've added two turkeys and some Guinea Fowl.

I wanted something loud to scream at foxes.

(Other than the mad woman running outside at dawn in knickers and t-shirt.)

 

 

[Pen]

We are leaning toward getting some backyard chickens now that we've moved to a place that we can actually have space for them. I am 99% sure that we are perfectly allowed to have them here (I have a call into a township guy to make 100% sure).  We like the idea of having fresh eggs and the kids really enjoy animals (we only have two guinea pigs as pets at this point)...

 

My questions at this point:

 

1. What do you feed them? How often?

 

2. Is it better to just get pullets and be done with it or should go from chick (I believe our neighbor would give us chicks, honestly)?

 

3. If we buy chickens, what kind should we get?

 

4. Do they smell?

 

5. How often do we need to clean their space?

 

Thanks for humoring me here. I seriously know nothing and am not getting a ton of great hits on google. ;)

 

ETA: I just heard back from the township guy. We definitely CAN have chickens!

 

1) We are using an organic food--first chick food now layer.   In a feeder, refilled as needed to keep food in it.  And durning day they forage plus get veggie trimmings, bread, leftovers, etc.  

 

3) We currently have golden sex link (can be sure it will be female and very good layers), Rhode Island Reds, Americauna, Wyandotte and California Grey (also a sex link so that it was certain to turn out a hen). All are excellent layers--in theory some should be quite a bit better than others, but we are getting 6 eggs per day from 7 chickens (more than I expected) so the golden, Rhodie, and Calif. are only doing slightly better than the other 3, which is to say barely ever missing a day, while the others are probably hitting 6 out of 7 days per week.  The latter 3 are less friendly which in some ways is good since they are not underfoot and coming onto porches all the time--they are friendly in a pestering way like wanting to sit in laps and rub on legs like a cat--might be the way they were raised.  The Wyandotte is sweet and shy. The Calif Grey is fast and skittish--the only one of ours to give white eggs. The Americauna's are well behaved (meaning stay in the chicken area and do not mess on the porch), but the least prolific layers and eat a lot for the size of eggs--otoh the eggs are pretty.

 

I had buff orpingtons once in past who were more mellow and sweet, but less good layers. My fav. rooster I once had was an Auracana  who had been raised by kindergarteners from an egg and was imprinted on humans and acted sort of like a dog. Auracanas are not usually known for friendliness but he was a very very sweet friendly rooster. I had one white leghorn who was also a great layer, but her white color made her fall to predators. The California Grey is a leghorn mix.

 

4) They smelled when they were chicks in the house.  We kept them in a cardboard box within a dog crate with light hung above and gradually withdrawn until they were able to move outside.

 

5) It depends on number of chickens, size and design of space.

[kristi26]

Wow, I didn't even think about the night housing to protect against predators! Thanks for that!

 

So if we build a chicken yard in front of our coop, do we just bury the chicken wire a few feet under ground? Is that what is being said?  We are planning to clean up the old wooden shed in our backyard. It needs some repairs and to be cleaned out, plus we are going to cut the ventilation window in back to be bigger and add a small chicken-sized door to the side...does that need like a cover over it of some sort? What? Doggie door? Something else?

[Ausmumof3]

We are leaning toward getting some backyard chickens now that we've moved to a place that we can actually have space for them. I am 99% sure that we are perfectly allowed to have them here (I have a call into a township guy to make 100% sure). We like the idea of having fresh eggs and the kids really enjoy animals (we only have two guinea pigs as pets at this point)...

 

My questions at this point:

 

1. What do you feed them? How often?

Scraps every day. Scratch mix every couple of days if the scraps are light on.

 

2. Is it better to just get pullets and be done with it or should go from chick (I believe our neighbor would give us chicks, honestly)?

We had chicks and two out of three are roosters. Unless you really want chicks I'd start with pullets.

 

3. If we buy chickens, what kind should we get?

Love our ostralorp girl. isa browns are good reliable layers and gentle.

 

4. Do they smell?

Oh yeah....

 

5. How often do we need to clean their space?

We clean it weekly; but depends how much they're out and how close to the house. i figure more often is Easier.

 

Thanks for humoring me here. I seriously know nothing and am not getting a ton of great hits on google. ;)

 

ETA: I just heard back from the township guy. We definitely CAN have chickens!

I am pretty new to this so take all that with a grain of salt (: as in... We just got our first egg today. yay!!!

 

Oh and make sure you worm them...

[kristi26]

I am pretty new to this so take all that with a grain of salt (: as in... We just got our first egg today. yay!!!

 

Oh and make sure you worm them...

 

How does one go about worming a chicken?

[Ausmumof3]

How does one go about worming a chicken?

You get drops that you add to the water. It is very easy, just something to be aware of if you are handling them.

[imagine.more]

Wow, I didn't even think about the night housing to protect against predators! Thanks for that!

 

So if we build a chicken yard in front of our coop, do we just bury the chicken wire a few feet under ground? Is that what is being said?  We are planning to clean up the old wooden shed in our backyard. It needs some repairs and to be cleaned out, plus we are going to cut the ventilation window in back to be bigger and add a small chicken-sized door to the side...does that need like a cover over it of some sort? What? Doggie door? Something else?

 

Yes we were prepared for neighbor dogs or raccoons but hadn't realized that everything thinks chicken is yummy! Oops! Basically you want to think about cats, dogs, foxes, raccoons, skunks, hawks/falcons/eagles, and larger snakes. 

 

You don't have to bury the chicken wire under the ground but it's best to go down 1-2ft on the sides and/or border it with paving stones to prevent digging. We were traumatized by the coop break-in so we just went all the way under and covered it with the sand. Any openings you will want to cover with chicken wire, that way there's plenty of ventilation but also protection. 

 

For doors our coop and run are 100% enclosed to each other so we didn't feel the need to add a door to the coop too but if the run is open in any way you will want a door. Check BackyardChickens.com and Pinterest for coop design ideas, I've seen lots of great door ideas. The most common is one that slides up and down and latches and often is attached to a string and pulley system so you can open it from outside the run more easily. 

 

Here is our coop: http://www.planningonit.com/moving-day-for-the-chickens/  If you look at the pic of my son sitting in the grassy run you will see a slight crack under the boards....that's where the skunk got in. Otherwise the rest of it is completely secure and we only changed it by adding wire along the ground and no more predators have gotten in. 

 

Keep in mind birds of prey when free ranging or if your run has an open top. We let our hens free range in the yard only when we're out there with them, they're pretty easy to catch and shoo back into the coop when we need to go back inside. But I've heard lots of people dealing with hawks snatching hens out of the yard. A rooster will protect the hens from hawks but we don't have a rooster. Our hens always have access to their run so even in winter when they never free range they still are contented and have a little room to roam about and forage. 

[Ellie]

we have had chickens for 4 years, but we were recently reported to the county by a mean neighbour who was mad at my DH about something trivial. The county officer was sorry, since we have almost 3 acres in the middle of the country and many of our neighbours have chickens--but she said that since it was reported, they have to deal with it. 

 

So we are sad. My DH built a wonderful, sturdy coop because we have predators around here, but we've only lost 2 in the last 4 years and one was to a neigbour dog.

 

They produce about 50 eggs a week, but lately haven't been producing at all--maybe they know they have to leave this weekend. :(

 

What sucks is that the law is in the process of changing, but not soon enough for my girls.

 

:grouphug: :crying:

[kristi26]

we have had chickens for 4 years, but we were recently reported to the county by a mean neighbour who was mad at my DH about something trivial. The county officer was sorry, since we have almost 3 acres in the middle of the country and many of our neighbours have chickens--but she said that since it was reported, they have to deal with it. 

 

So we are sad. My DH built a wonderful, sturdy coop because we have predators around here, but we've only lost 2 in the last 4 years and one was to a neigbour dog.

 

They produce about 50 eggs a week, but lately haven't been producing at all--maybe they know they have to leave this weekend. :(

 

What sucks is that the law is in the process of changing, but not soon enough for my girls.

 

Somehow, I missed this post. :( I'm sorry to read it. Do you have to get rid of them because you aren't allowed to have them?  So sad. :grouphug:

[Susan in TN]

How does one go about worming a chicken?

We have never given our chickens any medical care, but we do mix diatomaceous earth (DE) into their feed and sprinkle it in the henhouse and run to help prevent worm problems.

 

Our city requires that the chickens be contained at all times, so they have a 6'x4' run with a 4x4 henhouse. There is a covered area in the run to get out of the rain, and it is shaded by a large tree for most of the day during the hot summer. It's smaller than usually recommended, but they have been happy, safe, and healthy.

[MotherGoose]

I would encourage you and your children to NOT view them in the same way as pets as they do the guinea pigs. Something will eventually happen to one or all of them, despite your best efforts to protect them. They are vulnerable and stupid creatures (but I love having chickens!!) Let me think of all the ways mine have died...hung by the mouth on a protruding nail (that was a guinea hen), eaten by various critters with feathers strewn across the yard, had to be euthanized due to illness, got tangled in some netting and died, chick eaten by a snake (enormous snake, I thought they were too big), chicks eaten by raccoons in broad daylight when the raccoon tempted them to the side of the pen and pulled them through the wire in pieces. I have a one legged chicken that survived that attack. My dachshund died last May, and it was one of the most horrible things that I have ever gone through (I have had a blessed life, I know). But when these chickens died I, and the children, were sad, we had a funeral for some of them, but there was no terrible mourning like there was with the dog and there probably will be with the guinea pigs. Get chickens! I love having them, but just try to protect your and your children's emotions by telling them and yourself that they will die sooner rather than later. I have the Fort Knox of chicken pens, and I have electric netting. I'm very careful with them, but still, they die. They don't have much of a sense of self-preservation, and all the cliches you have ever heard about chickens are all true!!

[imagine.more]

MotherGoose, that's so true! And even aside from the accidental deaths cause chickens are cute but stupid, we have to move unexpectedly now and you don't just bring 5 chickens 500 miles on a moving trip so they're going to another family. We repeat the "they are livestock" refrain to ourselves and the kids all the time.

[idnib]

Ok, hopefully this can be filed under the "no dumb question" file:

 

I took care of a bird once (conure) for my friend while she was on vacation. It bit me really hard (drew blood) and after that I have to admit I was nervous to pick it up. Additionally, a really good friend of our family's was raised on a farm and had "chicken duty." He still remembers one really mean chicken that would try to bite him. These couple of items have kept me from moving forward with chickens. I don't want animals we're scared to handle.

 

Do chickens bite much? If so, do they just nip, or bite hard? Any experiences with anything like this?

[Cottonwood]

Loving this thread. So jealous of all of you ladies living my chicken dream. I grew up with chickens but now live in a city that doesn't allow them in city limits. Not even just hens! But we are moving in July, then its on! I'll be digging up this helpful thread...

[MotherGoose]

Ok, hopefully this can be filed under the "no dumb question" file:

 

I took care of a bird once (conure) for my friend while she was on vacation. It bit me really hard (drew blood) and after that I have to admit I was nervous to pick it up. Additionally, a really good friend of our family's was raised on a farm and had "chicken duty." He still remembers one really mean chicken that would try to bite him. These couple of items have kept me from moving forward with chickens. I don't want animals we're scared to handle.

 

Do chickens bite much? If so, do they just nip, or bite hard? Any experiences with anything like this?

Mine have never bitten me.  I have been scratched by them, but it was not out of meanness on their part, but because I was inexperienced with them and trying to catch them to move them or put them up at night when they didn't want to be, and they were in a panic.  Basically, I don't try to handle mine unless they squat (which they do as a submission thing, like they do for the rooster to mount them), or it is after dark and they are asleep.  (Chicks are an exception to this rule, but they are small enough that it doesn't matter).  If mine get out during the day, or something happens to them and I need to handle them, unless they allow me to catch them and are then docile and calm, I don't try.  You will learn how to hold them and how to herd them.  They are also calmer for me than for my dh because they know me.  They also don't like running, loud children.  A broody hen might bite if you are trying to get eggs out from under her (or peck, don't think chickens bite).  There are also mean roosters that might attack, but there's not much you can do to prevent or cure that except the stewpot :)  Chickens go into a "chicken coma" after dark, where it's impossible to make them stir much.  Their eyes might open, and they might look around, but they have the coordination of an extremely drunk person then.  It's easy to deal with them.  If they are scared they generally try to escape, and if you allow the escape and don't corner them, they'll be fine.

[imagine.more]

Ok, hopefully this can be filed under the "no dumb question" file:

 

I took care of a bird once (conure) for my friend while she was on vacation. It bit me really hard (drew blood) and after that I have to admit I was nervous to pick it up. Additionally, a really good friend of our family's was raised on a farm and had "chicken duty." He still remembers one really mean chicken that would try to bite him. These couple of items have kept me from moving forward with chickens. I don't want animals we're scared to handle.

 

Do chickens bite much? If so, do they just nip, or bite hard? Any experiences with anything like this?

 

I've been chased by roosters so this is why we don't have a rooster, I'm scared of them, lol! Overall I'm not scared of birds though, I raised cockatiels. A Conure can bite harder than a Cockatiel for sure and is going to bite more, um, aggressively? than a chicken. Not that Conures are aggressive, I love them and they're very good birds but they are smart so they can get feisty if not handled enough. Chickens are just too dumb to be vindictive. They'll nip, nothing awful. My 13 year old was nipped once on the hand and it drew a spot of blood, she was trying to grab the chicken from behind because the hen wouldn't go in the coop. That is our one mean hen, she's scary looking and quite frankly I don't handle her much though my DH insists she's fine. I will pet her but only pick her up if necessary. We got her as an adult though and she's a Maran hen, which is a breed I honestly don't know much about and while fine I wouldn't recommend as the best.

 

If you're concerned about temperament I'd get a friendly breed (Rhode Island Reds are usually touted as one of the most kid-friendly and for good reason), get them young, handle them often, and you will never have a problem. I've never been bitten/pecked and I cuddle our Leghorns often, they are super friendly and my 2 year old also chases and pets them. The 4 year old picks them up and carries them around the yard like it's no big deal. 

[Pod's mum]

What did the chicken say to the duck about to cross the road?

 

"Don't do it mate. You'll never hear the end of it."

[PollyOR]

I have had 3 hens for a year.  Love them!  Only the Rhode Island Red will let me pick her up willingly and she is a consistent egg layer (daily).  Our Buff Orpington is a bit slow ;) and the Sicilian Buttercup is small and feisty.   They free range during the day in our small yard (house sits on 1/3 acre) and are locked up at night.  Because they poop in the yard, I wear a pair of garden clogs outside and leave them by the back door so I don't track chicken poop into the house.  I call them my "poop shoes."  I also try to wear long pants when I'm around the girls.  They tend to peck my shoes and pull at my pants because I'm the source of all food.  I pretend that they come running because they love me not because they associate me with food.  Lol!

 

I was always afraid of chickens and so it surprised me how much I've grown to enjoy them.  Watching their crazy antics relieves stress and they are great gardening buddies.  If I try to work in the yard they are right beside me scratching up the ground.

 

This book is a gentle introduction and my then 12yo enjoyed reading it: Chick Days:  An Absolute Beginner's Guide to Raising Chickens from Hatching to Laying

 

Edited to add:  We can't grow any flowers in the back yard.  You do have to keep them out of your garden, but they are good for turning the compost.

[Pen]

We have never given our chickens any medical care, but we do mix diatomaceous earth (DE) into their feed and sprinkle it in the henhouse and run to help prevent worm problems.

 

 

 

We also use DE.

[Wabi Sabi]

When we first got chickens they were doted upon pets. We got them as chicks, the kids gave them names like Lois, Florence, Mildred and Martha, kept them in a big rubbermaid box in their bedroom, played with them daily, set up their toy wooden barn and let the chicks run around it.
 

Over time, however, the newness wore off. A neighbor's dog killed one. A possum killed another. We got new chicks. We gave some old ones away. After a point, they stopped getting names, stopped being pets, and now are simply seen as a means to yummy eggs. I stopped getting chicks that take 4-6 months before they lay their first egg and just started finding full grown laying hens on Craigslist. 

As for their care, it's not too bad. We have 7 hens and get 6-7 eggs/day. A 40 lb bag of feed costs me $11 and lasts about 3 weeks. I gather eggs daily and the kids top off their feed and water every day or two as needed, and they take out a bucket of kitchen scraps once a day. Every couple of weeks I toss in a little more straw or pine chips to freshen up the coop and do a big clean out just 2-3 times/year. 

Also, I'll admit that I'm a fair-weather backyard chicken hobby farmer these days. I enjoy having the chickens and we all love the fresh eggs, and I don't mind the work at all, but in the winter it's a different story. I don't like dealing with frozen water, frozen eggs, lack of electricity to keep everything thawed, having to haul heavy buckets of water from the house due to frozen hoses and water spigot, trudging through the snow, etc. For the first time,  last year I sold and gave away most of my chickens in the fall. In March I found someone with 10 month old hens on Craigslist, at the age where they're laying daily, for $8 each. They've already paid for themselves in eggs, and I'll probably sell/give them away again in October/November. As long as I'm not picky about breeds and if I'm willing to drive an hour or so in any direction from my home, I'll have no problem finding new ones that are already laying next spring. 

[Ottakee]

 

Also, I'll admit that I'm a fair-weather backyard chicken hobby farmer these days. I enjoy having the chickens and we all love the fresh eggs, and I don't mind the work at all, but in the winter it's a different story. I don't like dealing with frozen water, frozen eggs, lack of electricity to keep everything thawed, having to haul heavy buckets of water from the house due to frozen hoses and water spigot, trudging through the snow, etc. For the first time,  last year I sold and gave away most of my chickens in the fall. In March I found someone with 10 month old hens on Craigslist, at the age where they're laying daily, for $8 each. They've already paid for themselves in eggs, and I'll probably sell/give them away again in October/November. As long as I'm not picky about breeds and if I'm willing to drive an hour or so in any direction from my home, I'll have no problem finding new ones that are already laying next spring. 

WINTER is a big pain if you live in an area where it is below freezing for days/weeks/months on end.  They MUST have thawed water at all times.  We don't heat the coop but it does have hay/straw in it.  We have to DIG out the coop door after the big snow falls, etc.  It is a pain.

 

I was SOOOO frustrated this past winter when I worked so hard during our coldest months on record to keep them alive......only to have some wild animal kill 5 of the 6 in one night as soon as the snow melted.

[Ausmumof3]

Our roosters attacked my three year old ):

 

I think it's a dominance thing because they don't pick on adults or bigger kids. They are currently confined to the coop, and one is being rehomed shortly. They were constantly fighting so I'm hoping having only one will reduce the aggression, but the rooster will have to stay confined to the run. The chooks have free range and even hop up on the windowsill to eye off what's being made for dinner. Pretty sure they are thinking about what kind of scraps are coming out!

 

The chooks have never bitten but if I'm ever unsure I'll use a towel to pick them up. They tend to make a fuss when you grab them but once you fully hold them over the top of their wings they go really quiet.

[idnib]

Our roosters attacked my three year old ):

 

I think it's a dominance thing because they don't pick on adults or bigger kids. They are currently confined to the coop, and one is being rehomed shortly. They were constantly fighting so I'm hoping having only one will reduce the aggression, but the rooster will have to stay confined to the run. The chooks have free range and even hop up on the windowsill to eye off what's being made for dinner. Pretty sure they are thinking about what kind of scraps are coming out!

 

The chooks have never bitten but if I'm ever unsure I'll use a towel to pick them up. They tend to make a fuss when you grab them but once you fully hold them over the top of their wings they go really quiet.

 

Hmm.

 

We're not allowed to have roosters. It's too urban. They definitely sound more aggressive.

 

Grabbing a chicken with a towel. I have a feeling this is not going to end well.  :o

 

DH saw this thread and is all excited though. I think he's in it for the eggs.