Backyard Chickens in Suburban Honolulu

[takeo808]

In Honolulu we're allowed two chickens and no roosters. I don't really know they draw the dividing lines though cause technically the entire island of Oahu is the City and County of Honolulu, but if you head to the Windward side, North Shore, and the West side, I'm pretty sure there are areas that are not zoned for ag/farming that have a hell of a lot more than two chickens (not to mention the roosters). But then again, like Lightweight said, you've got places like Mililani that are tyrannically governed by their community associations where there are no chickens permitted. Just have to do some clandestine chicken raising. I saw a website once that had a guy's entire chicken operation inside his apartment. I like my chickens, but....

Update:
I finished the coop yesterday ( well, finished for now). I moved it in the back and had a real scare when it almost got stuck turning the corner. It took a large number of small movements (think Austin Powers trying to turn around in the underground tunnel) to get the thing unstuck and into place. I did manage it finally, and I put he chicks out. They seemed to enjoy themselves. I think I'm going to start letting them stay out during the day and bring them in at night.

Where do I get food grade diatomaceous earth?

 

[takeo808]

The three chicks have now spent the first two full days outside in the coop/run. It's pretty fun watching them in the run. They are eating all kinds of weeds and dirt (?). I put the food and water in the coop to encourage them to go into the coop. I was watching them and they seemed scared of the ramp for the coop so I moved the water down onto the ground. I was afraid that they were going to dehydrate. Then the next thing I know they are in the coop and seemed afraid to walk down the ramp. I moved the water back into the coop and left it there. It's pretty amazing to think that they are only two weeks old and they're out in the coop already.

I brought them inside last night to sleep, but I'm letting them sleep in the coop tonight. I'm kind of worried cause it might be too cold tonight and there is a feral cat that comes around the house at night (evidenced but the myna bird feathers and wing I found on the ground the other day). I have them secure in the coop and I don't really think that a cat can get in there, but still....

Since they are outside now eating vegetation and what not, do I need to start giving them grit? Someone said that if they are allowed out, they will eat rocks and things that would act as the grit. Any comments?

I'll give another update tomorrow and let everyone know how their first night went.

 

[takeo808]

Well, they survived the night. I always heard that chickens would be pounding down the door to get out in the morning, and I was not disappointed. I waited until about seven to let them out; I don't want them to get too used to getting out of the coop too early (sometimes I need to sleep in). I was also surprised because as soon as I opened the coop door, I saw two of the chicks on the perch. I was wondering what they were going to do in the coop last night. I don't understand why they like to sleep on the perch, it just seems more difficult than sleeping on the ground. I guess instincts are hard to break. I guess it's because I'm new to all this chicken stuff, but I still find it amazing that I can actually see all the stuff I've been reading about like roosting, scratching, dust bathes, etc. I feel like a child seeing something for the first time.

This experience is allowing me to feel the wonderment of the of seeing world through the eyes of a child. I think we've have become so jaded as a society, and this feeling is amazing. As soon as I opened the door, the chicks flew down the ramp and began scratching and pecking. I hope this experience never gets old.

 

[takeo808]

So I guess I'm not used to keeping chickens. I went to the movies last night. When I left, the sun was still up. I knew I had to put the chickens in the coop when it got darker, but I guess since it was still sunny, I didn't think of it. Half way through Men In Black 3 (skip it) I realized that I had forgotten to put them in. I wasn't too worried cause I saw them go in the coop when it got windy so I figured that when it got windy, cold, and dark they would go into the coop. I kind of thought (hoped) that I would come home, find them perched on their wooden dowels, and all I'd have to do is shut the coop door. Nope. I found them huddled together in the farthest part of the run from the coop. They kind of looked pathetic. I herded them up the ramp and closed the coop door and window. I know that I'm pushing them to grow up fast (out in the coop at two weeks old), but so far it's me that seems to be unable to keep up. Other than that everything is great. The chicks love being outside and love scratching, dust bathes, flapping their wings, and chasing each other around the run. That's all for today....anyone else have anything to share . . . . . . . . . . . . . anyone?

 

[abbey808]

I spoke with a guy (Mr. Yogi?) at Kaneohe Farm Supply, he told me about an order that he put in (I was too late to get any chicks from the order) for heritage breed chicks. I wonder where he gets his chicks from, I didn't think to ask. Anyone here ever got chicks from Kaneohe Farm Supply?

Aloha! Welcome to BYC!! Glad to hear that more people in Hawaii are starting to raise backyard chickens (for eggs and pets) instead of the more common cockfighting. I live in Kaneohe and buy my feed and chicks from Kaneohe Farm Supply. Mr. Yogi is great! He and the other guys that work there are very nice and knowledgeable about the care and feeding of chickens. I believe that he orders his chicks from Texas, Ideal Hatchery I think?? I got my first chicks, a Rhode Island Red and a Barred Rock from him last February. You can see their pictures in my Avatar.

Abbey and Harley are pets that provide me with not only a lot of brown eggs, but so much affection and entertainment. I never thought that chickens could be so much fun! I've been raising them for a little over a year now. I am by no means an expert on chickens, but if you have any questions about care, feeding and housing you are more than welcome to PM me. When it comes to diagnosing and treating diseases and injuries, I take a drive to Kaneohe Farm Supply and the guys there are great at directing me to the right meds and how to use them. I've even brought my chickens there for them to take at look at when they were ill and I couldn't verbally explain what was wrong with them.

I had a question for you as well. I was wondering what it was like to raise chickens in suburban Honolulu? One thing that I can tell you is that chickens can get pretty loud at times, especially around the time they start laying. I guess I am fortunate that there are a lot of feral chickens around my area. They sort of drown out my girls when they start getting carried away with their egg songs, lol. My BR makes this sort of whining noise that can go on forever (or so it seems at times), and my RIR honks like a goose at the top of her lungs after she lays her egg. Are there others around your area that have chickens as well so they sort of blend in? Having understanding neighbors, or neighbors that love animals as well also helps a great deal.

Best of luck with your new girls!! I know you'll get a lot of joy from raising them.

 

[abbey808]

Where do I get food grade diatomaceous earth?

Kaneohe Farm Supply sells it by the pound.

I am sure you can also find it at any other feed store as well.

 

[takeo808]

From Texas? Wow, it's pretty amazing to think that the chicks can survive being mailed all the way from Texas. I would imagine that the shipping would be expensive. When I went to Kaneohe Farm Supply I didn't think the prices for the chicks were unreasonable. I guess the added charge for shipping isn't as noticeable cause it's spread out to everyone that gets a chick.

I am actually worried about the noise the chickens are going to make when they start laying. My father laughs at my having "pet" chickens. He actually spent a lot of time on his grandparents' farm and likes to countermand all my decisions regarding chicken rearing. I want to keep them warm with the heat lamp; he tells me that I'm being ridiculous. I want to rebuild/fix part of the coop; he tells me that the house is for chickens and to leave it be. I told him that it was too early to let them out of the house; he tells me that on a farm the mother chicken would have them out one day one. When he told me to go on YouTube and listen to a chicken laying an egg, I did and I am not looking forward to the reactions of my neighbors...it's going to be bad.

I know what you're talking about the feral chickens in Kaneohe. When I used to work in Kaneohe you couldn't go anywhere without being able to hear the roosters crowing. Can you compare the noise a laying hen makes to a rooster crowing...louder, longer, more irritating? I read somewhere that a lady had afternoon layers. Any chance of that being the norm? Probably not. Well, thanks for responding. I know there are more of us here. Let's hear from the rest of you.

 

[takeo808]

Don't know what happened to the post above this, but here's what I had written:

From Texas? Wow, it's pretty amazing to think that the chicks can survive being mailed all the way from Texas. I would imagine that the shipping would be expensive. When I went to Kaneohe Farm Supply I didn't think the prices for the chicks were unreasonable. I guess the added charge for shipping isn't as noticeable cause it's spread out to everyone that gets a chick.


I am actually worried about the noise the chickens are going to make when they start laying. My father laughs at my having "pet" chickens. He actually spent a lot of time on his grandparents' farm and likes to countermand all my decisions regarding chicken rearing. I want to keep them warm with the heat lamp; he tells me that I'm being ridiculous. I want to rebuild/fix part of the coop; he tells me that the house is for chickens and to leave it be. I told him that it was too early to let them out of the house; he tells me that on a farm the mother chicken would have them out one day one. When he told me to go on YouTube and listen to a chicken laying an egg, I did and I am not looking forward to the reactions of my neighbors...it's going to be bad.


I know what you're talking about the feral chickens in Kaneohe. When I used to work in Kaneohe you couldn't go anywhere without being able to hear the roosters crowing. Can you compare the noise a laying hen makes to a rooster crowing...louder, longer, more irritating? I read somewhere that a lady had afternoon layers. Any chance of that being the norm? Probably not. Well, thanks for responding. I know there are more of us here. Let's hear from the rest of you.

 

[abbey808]

Don't know what happened to the post above this, but here's what I had written:

From Texas? Wow, it's pretty amazing to think that the chicks can survive being mailed all the way from Texas. I would imagine that the shipping would be expensive. When I went to Kaneohe Farm Supply I didn't think the prices for the chicks were unreasonable. I guess the added charge for shipping isn't as noticeable cause it's spread out to everyone that gets a chick.

I believe that chicks can survive up to three days after hatching without food or water. I know that the guys at Kaneohe Farm Supply pick up their chicks from the nearby post office and they arrive packed neatly in a large cardboard box. When their shipment arrives there are a LOT of baby chicks in the store, so I am guessing that they place a fairly large order. The babies keep each other warm during transit.

I am actually worried about the noise the chickens are going to make when they start laying. My father laughs at my having "pet" chickens. He actually spent a lot of time on his grandparents' farm and likes to countermand all my decisions regarding chicken rearing. I want to keep them warm with the heat lamp; he tells me that I'm being ridiculous. I want to rebuild/fix part of the coop; he tells me that the house is for chickens and to leave it be. I told him that it was too early to let them out of the house; he tells me that on a farm the mother chicken would have them out one day one. When he told me to go on YouTube and listen to a chicken laying an egg, I did and I am not looking forward to the reactions of my neighbors...it's going to be bad.

It's funny how we chicken owners tend to coddle our pet chickens. I have the opportunity to watch the feral hens raise their babies and the wild moms have their young walking around on day one. They forage with their new babies in the pouring rain and cold wind. The babies seem to tolerate the elements pretty well and just squeeze under mom when they start to get chilled. Mom is pretty hard core and doesn't tolerate misbehaving or chicks lagging behind. The ones that tend to straggle are usually left abandoned in our yard. It's pretty sad how many dead chicks I find in our yard that were probably left behind by their mom.

I know what you're talking about the feral chickens in Kaneohe. When I used to work in Kaneohe you couldn't go anywhere without being able to hear the roosters crowing. Can you compare the noise a laying hen makes to a rooster crowing...louder, longer, more irritating? I read somewhere that a lady had afternoon layers. Any chance of that being the norm? Probably not. Well, thanks for responding. I know there are more of us here. Let's hear from the rest of you.

Try doing a search on You Tube for the egg song. It is the typical bawk... bawk... bawk sound that hens make... just very loudly and can go on for a while. Abbey and Harley were pretty quiet up until about 22 weeks of age. I freaked out when I first heard Harley start yelling at the top of her lungs. They started getting pretty vocal about two weeks before they started laying. They've quieted down a lot as they've gotten older and tend to be noisy mostly in the early morning, after they lay their eggs and in the evening. I don't hear much from them during the times in between. They both make soft clucking noises throughout the day communicating with each other, but individually make unique sounds. Like I mentioned before, Abbey whines and Harley honks, lol. Abbey (BR) tends to lay her eggs earlier in the day, Harley (RIR) seems to lay closer to noon. They both have a cycle of laying three or four eggs in a row, then taking a day off.

I would also be curious to hear other people's experiences with their chickens and their unique personalities. I only have two breeds, so I don't know how they compare to other types of chickens. Looking forward to hearing from other Hawaii chicken owners.

 

[takeo808]

I spoke with a friend of mine that has brown production layers from Asagi Hatchery. He told me that his hens don't make that much noise when they lay their eggs. I know that "not that much noise" is relative (especially since he raises game birds for sale), but I'm hoping. Does anyone else have any experience with quiet layers (is that an oxymoron)? Do they even exist?