Raising Chicken!

Hugs jkalyna, you never did, cost is a good consideration.
Like I said, I wish eggs were only 99 cents here.
I just wanted to share that sometimes it is more than money.
Thankyou also for the compament, I love building things, just wish I was able to do more.

God bless
pickles

Hugs Katy, the ginger cat is actually normal for his breed, they can get up to 25 lbs .
Ours weighs about 24 lbs, and is huge compared to our other cats.
This cat breed also has many dog personality traits.

The chickens were scared at first of the cats, but they soon learned the cats could not get to them, so now they have fun just teasing the cats.

I do believe my husband left an impression on our chickens last night, tonight they all were in the barn when we came out to put them in.
Not sure if they are learning? or if my husband scared them into making sure they were in at that time.
Either way, it was an easy night tonight.

Hugs and God bless
pickles

jkalyna, thankyou for suggesting the blessing, it is a lovely idea.
As all is from God, all should be blessed and given to Him

Hugs and God bless
pickles

Soo cute <3

Hugs jakalya!
The chickens are getting big now, Hopeful the eggs will soon be seen.
Ill try to get some pics soon and share them.
They are funny to watch, trully God's humor was made in them.

God bless
pickles

Ok, hopefully this photo worked, but here are the ladies as I call them now.
They are quite big, and getting bigger each day, we expect eggs any time now, hope hope!
With all they eat, they love fresh geens the best, its time for them to earn their keep.
Ill post when we see the first eggs!

Hugs and God bless
pickles

O.K.,......Here's the thing.
I have predatory animals of all types and flavors where I live.
Do you have to coup them at night?
Do they make a lot of noise?
How long do the eggs last?
How many will they lay a week?

Plus ten characters.

J.J, are you saying they don't need a rooster?
Guess not. Does a human egg need sperm?

Correct. You just need a rooster to have baby chicks.

Thanks bro.!

God bless your chickens Pickles!

Looks like Jimjimmers answered your questions well, as to wether you want eggs or chickes to eat?
For eggs you want layers, for eating you want another breed of chicken, you can eat layers, but the meat is tougher.
One can also extend how long an agg will remain eatable by coating the egg in oil, as this provides a barrier and lets the egg remain fresh for up to 6 months.
My chickens are very quiet, except when they see me open the back door, then they all run to the fence of their pen, wanting their greens, they expact them now when ever I go outside, a bit spoiled I guess.
We do have the chicken run covered top side and bottem, and it is a large pen, safe from preditors.
It took time to build, but was worth it, as we have peace of mind for their safety.
We also have a warming light, colored red to keep them from pecking at each other, the light goes on before dusk, and they all line up in order to enter the chicken barn, it funny to watch, as if the wrong chicken goes in before its trun, they all leave the barn and start over again.
I guess that is where the saying pecking order came from.

One quick question to any that might know the answer?
Can chickens eat honey suckle flowers? One fell into their pen, and they fought over who was to eat it.
If it is safe for them? I have pleanty and would love to give them this treat.

God bless
pickles

I have no hard data, Pickles, but I spent many a summer evening eating the nectar out of honeysuckle flowers. Very few things are actually harmful to chickens, I'm almost sure it is fine. If I find out anything further, I'll let you know. And just to be clear, these are the Lonicera flowers? I'm always careful with common names, especially on the other end of the country.

Just wanted to update the good news!
We have eggs, three brown ones in the last two days!
They are small yet, but I understand that is normal.
Soon as we have enough for breakfast for family we will enjoy.

Thankyou all who shared advice and ideas, it is wonderful to see these fruits from chickens!
Although, can anyone tell me how to tithe an egg?

God bless
pickles

JimJimmers answered most all the questions about right. My own experience with chickens is:
1. Don't put them in your garden - you'll regret it
2. Hens make noise. Anything will get them started. Where do you think "don't be a chicken" came from?
3. Roosters won't shut up. Crowing is not just a morning thing for them.
4. If you don't pen them they will get into everything and they don't care where they poo (see 8).
5. They can fly. If you clip their wings they can't and then they forget they can fly after a while.
6. Therefore, a 4' fence will do as long as you clip their wings and don't encourage them to think.
7. They will roost in trees if #5 and 6 do not take place.
8. Don't wear wingtips back in the pen. Even when you clean them, poo gets in the little holes somehow.
9. They eat practically everything and like to roll around in dirt.

10. Don't eat your chicken. You're going to be sorry you went thru the process. My own story is that I read up on the butchering of a chicken and learned to put a chicken upsidedown in something cone shaped so that their head sticks out the bottom and their wings are confined. This way, when you cut their throats (which is supposedly the quickest death). they won't flap their wings and run around like...well, like a chicken with it's head cut off. So I had a rubber cone that said "wet floor" on it so I modified it to fit a chicken and only "floor" remained. My wife called this instrument of execution the "la fleur". So, I chose two chickens to butcher - a rhode island red and a cornish hen. I did not feed them as directed for 12 hours before their slaughter and had the water hot for the defeathering process. The table had been cleaned with clorox and knives sharpened and I placed a 5 gallon bucket under the la fleur to catch the....dripppings. I gathered up my courage and went back to the pen and easily snatched the plump little cornish. I grabbed her by her feet and she went completely quiet as I eased her upsidedown into the la fleur cone. I grabbed my knife and turned back around and her head was not visible. She had ducked her head back up the cone. I put the knife down and had to reach up the la fleur to grab her head and bring it back down. When I grabbed my knife again her head was gone again. This time, I grabbed her head and pulled it way down so she would not be able to move and grabbed my knife.

All this activity was not part of the procedure I had anticipated and dreamt and thought about, so I went back to check the defeathering water to make sure it was still pretty hot and wanted to make sure my knife was sharp so I could do the deed fast. I gathered up my courage again and walked over to the la fleur and there was nothing in it. The hen was gone! Inside the lower bucket there was a little cornish hen standing on her feet looking up at me like it was wondering what kind of fun we were going to do next.

Well needless to say, we had that cornish hen for supper that night. The stupid thing sat on my right.