Aloha from the Big Island of Hawai'i

[007Sean]

Howdy Keith

Welcome to Backyard Chickens.
Thanks for joining us.

 

[Dawnclucks22]

Aloha, we live on the Big Island and will soon be moving down by South Point (Waiohinu area). I've been around chickens for many years (neighbors had chickens but all I did was gather eggs, also lived with chickens in our garage (don't ask) for 7.5 years in Key Largo), but I've never had my own chickens, so I'm a newbie. My girlfriend and I want to get a few chickens to run around in the yard and eat the centipedes (they get as big as 14.5" long here) and slugs (hopefully - do chickens eat slugs?). So this forum looks like a great place to learn everything chicken.

We have mongoose here (no Martha, them ain't prairie dogs!) and I think I'm first going to have to thin the population of these invasive non-native critters to keep from having baby chicks gobbled up.

Love to hear from anyone with words of wisdom, especially anyone out here on this volcanically active little rock we call home out here in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. We'd like to find someone we can get some chicks or fertile eggs from to start our flock also.

Not sure what breeds we'd like, but I think we'll need some Easter eggs, so Araucana or Ameraucana. We mostly want the chickens to eat bugs but we love fresh eggs too. Of course we like to eat youknowwhaten too.

I have tools and can build people houses, so I'll be building my chickens a house too. Really want them to run around and eat bugs, but I'm thinking they'd be happier if they have a safe house to stay at night?

Ok, I'll go lurking around the forum post now! Mahalo for everyones help!
Keith

Welcome to BYC! I've always wanted to go to Hawaii Yes, your birds will definitely need a house/coop unless you want them to end up as chicken dinner.
For breeds I would suggest ones that are best at foraging since you want them to eat the bugs. (And yes, my chickens eat slugs - when they can get them. It's pretty dry here. But I have heard they can carry parasites.) My Barred Rock is my best and always gets the treats first! @drumstick diva my chickens do like the occasional centipede.
Anyways, I'm sure plenty of other people can tell you the best foraging breeds. Best of luck!

 

[k2panman]

There are a lot of chickens that look a little too "free range". I've seen chickens with chicks along the highway far from any house, and wondered if these have just wandered far from home or if they are wild. No big flocks though.

 

[CannedMonster]

I understand from what I've heard here that centipedes are like chicken candy, they gobble them up. I hope that's true!

We have small red centipedes here in SW Idaho and my chooks love them!

 

[CannedMonster]

I should mention that my older birds were raised by a broody and so were taught what “food” is.
I’m raising chicks right now that are 6 weeks old and it’s challenging to get them to understand what’s good to eat
I have persevered however and they’re slowly getting better at eating bugs and other things.
My Silkie chick is the best forager!

 

[Yowza Wowza]

It's nice to have you here!

 

[k2panman]

Mahalo everyone!