Fresh eggs coming up soon!
Chickens in a hurry... it's been a big Week!
So, the other day, a good friend of mine called to tell me he had nine fully grown chickens to give me. I said ok, but of course this great opportunity came at a time when we were all crazy busy! I even forgot to pick them up when I got home from work, completely exhausted.
Opportunity often comes at a most inopportune time, but if you really want it, you'll make it work!
So between film sets, learning a new skill-set, taking care of a garden, and a wife that was pretty pissed at me for bringing home chickens when we were clearly not ready for them, I had to build a chicken coop fast!!!
Our new chickens spent their first night in an old dog pen the previous owners had for hunting dogs in the back yard. I only set up a corner of it with a couple perches and a tarp to give them some shelter. That's all I could do really, because we had a previous arrangement that evening, at our local farm (little picnick and live music).
The next Morning...
Our chickens survived!!!!
We're in a zone that doesn't allow us to have a rooster, I assume it's because of how loud they can be.
I was kind of banking on the fact that the predators don't know these chickens are here yet. Unless one happened to be roaming around, hunting that area, we would be safe...
...And they were! That morning I checked on them, counted them and they were all good, and doing their chicken things, pecking and scratching the ground. I had to go do some tree work, and when I got home I managed to build them a small coop right before it got too dark.
Don't worry, I put a door on this thing too... I just couldn't find my hinges, it was still 90 degrees, and I was tired, so I screwed it shut!
We all slept much better that night, knowing that at last the chickens were safe, because I'm sure that by that night, some hungry something was planning its dinner!!! It doesn't take too long to spot a new flock of birds, unable to fly away, in your neighborhood!
Anyhow, here begins a new story for us, a new page in the book of our little suburban homestead life.
Let me know your chicken adventures please.. do you remember your first flock? Have you been saving money at the shop? Are you getting enough eggs, where you don't need to buy them anymore?
| Hive | Presearch | Odysee | Minds | Hipcamp |
Find me on Social Media:
LBRY: https://lbry.tv/$/invite/@MugwortExpress:5
Odysee: https://odysee.com/$/invite/@MugwortExpress:5
Minds: https://www.minds.com/register?referrer=NoMansLand
Raccoons love chicken wire and chain link, easy to reach through and pull parts off birds... Don't forget foxes can dig and climb and will... And then there's the aerial predators...
Don't make the coop without sufficient ventilation. And do make it easily cleanable, as fumes from chicken manure are bad for their health. And it's the very most volatile and strong of most manures.
Good luck!
Wow thanks, yes I have been reading about predators pulling chickens through the fence... well parts of them. I have to work on all the reinforcing everything. We have an truck tarp over the top for now, it's pretty much like a shade cloth, anyone can rip right through if they wanted to.
And the coop has a
bit of ventilation, one side is made with a pallet. But that's to be made better as well.
Thanks again!
Posted Using LeoFinance Beta
That’s amazing man! I love it! I’m looking forward to getting a couple myself but we have to wait a little bit before we can do that. That’s absolutely one step closer to food freedom! How much land do you have? Just curious.
Posted Using LeoFinance Beta
Definitely a good step towards food freedom! Our house sits on a quarter of an acre, not very much land at all but between a good veggie garden, chickens and eventually some fruit trees we should do alright for a few months of the year.
I hope you can get started soon with your chickens... just like everythingelse, there's a learning curve.
Posted Using LeoFinance Beta
Nice that gives me hope! Lol the places we are looking at are quarter acre lots!
Posted Using LeoFinance Beta
You may want to look into the regulations... we cannot have a rooster for example.
You can really do quite a lot on a quarter acre. And you might even inspire some of your neighbors to get on the Self-reliance Train too!
In Winter, I don't get enough eggs, so I just don't bother eating them. No way will I eat eggs from caged hens. In Australia now 50 percent of eggs come from free range chooks which is huge given a few years ago it was like 25 percent. However, it means sometimes there's an egg shortgage, but that's because chooks don't lay all year round if they're free range!
It also depends on the breed - australorps I think can lay an egg every day, thoiugh I don't find mind are that courteous even though I threaten to eat them (and never do).
What I really like about chickens though is that it's all about closed systems - you feed them, they shit and fertilise the garden - and eat bugs, and turn that into eggs and poo. They can be destructive, but they're also very good listeners.
Don't forget to put apple cider vinegar and garlic in their water - it's good for their immune system.
Hey thanks for that tip!!! I just heard about apple cider vinegar, I'll add garlic too. But is it garlic oil or something?
We have free-range in the US too but I think there are minimums the bigger companies only do to have the lable attached to the packaging. It's crazy corporate shit we don't have any influence over... but anyhow, I'm starting that chicken journey now and that's exciting!
They really are cool creatures.
Posted Using LeoFinance Beta
Nah, I just add the cloves and they break down and get washed out when you change the water. You can soak the garlic in ACV for a few weeks as well before using.
You guys have the crazy corporate shit down pat.
Hahah yes yes big American Corporations do what they do really well for sure!!!
Posted Using LeoFinance Beta
Congratulations @senorcoconut! You have completed the following achievement on the Hive blockchain and have been rewarded with new badge(s):
Your next target is to reach 89000 upvotes.
You can view your badges on your board and compare yourself to others in the Ranking
If you no longer want to receive notifications, reply to this comment with the word
STOPTo support your work, I also upvoted your post!
Support the HiveBuzz project. Vote for our proposal!
Welcome, new chooks!
Thanks!!! It's a little stressful when it come to protection against predators but over all it's been fun!
Posted Using LeoFinance Beta