BREEDING FOR PRODUCTION...EGGS AND OR MEAT.

[bnjrob]

Hey guys I got a question. City ordinance changed and I have to get rid of my chickens. It sucks but it is what it is. The only way I would be able to keep any is if I kept one or two Inside as house chickens. Would you guys recommend this And if so what would i need to know?

It's a pain in the butt to have chickens in the house. When we hatch during late winter/early spring, then we have chicks in brooders in the house. It's even worse when they are bigger than chick size. It's messy and noisy and really dusty. And to try to keep a few adult chickens from being bored and starting to peck at each other and possibly injure each other with their pecking - it would be a challenge.

If there is not a grandfather clause in the new ordinance, then I would say you need to get in touch with some other local chicken keepers and work to get that ordinance removed. It won't be easy, but if you really want to raise chickens, then it would be a worthwhile fight.

 

[bnjrob]

For a large flock you should be fine with keeping them in a securely fenced area with just a basic shelter for them to get under if the weather turns particularly nasty. You could setup an electric net fence around the lean-to and only electrify it when you put them in for the night. Just turn it off in the morning and open a small "gate" to let them out to graze. Or just use the electric fencing to setup your grazing pens.

We use the electric net fencing to move our goats around the property to clean up all the blackberries. I can tell you right now that it's super effective at keeping dogs out and goats in.

Which brand of electric net fencing are you using? Are you using a solar set up?

 

[bramblefir]

Which brand of electric net fencing are you using? Are you using a solar set up?

We're using the Premier 1 fencing. It works great so long as you don't try and put it into gravel. The spikes on the bottom will bend out of shape if you do that and they're a bugger to bend back.

We run ours off a marine battery. I'm not sure solar would produce enough "POP" to contain the goats and much of our property is wooded anyway. We only need to top off the charge on the battery every 2-3 days and it typically takes less than an hour on the charger.

 

[MidwestChickens]

Does the city ordinance change restrict the keeping of all poultry or just specifically chickens? Some folks get around the ordinances by keeping quail for eggs and meat. Rabbits are also very useful in these situations if meat is your goal. Although I suppose not since you mention only keeping one or two.

In all honesty, I kept pet birds in the house growing up. Parakeets, cockatiels, and lovebirds. NEVER AGAIN. There is no messier house pet than birds.

Yeah I understand. They are messy. I might get rabbits.

It's a pain in the butt to have chickens in the house.  When we hatch during late winter/early spring, then we have chicks in brooders in the house.  It's even worse when they are bigger than chick size.  It's messy and noisy and really dusty. And to try to keep a few adult chickens from being bored and starting to peck at each other and possibly injure each other with their pecking - it would be a challenge. 

If there is not a grandfather clause in the new ordinance, then I would say you need to get in touch with some other local chicken keepers and work to get that ordinance removed.  It won't be easy, but if you really want to raise chickens, then it would be a worthwhile fight.

I was thinking about just keeping one rooster. Would bathing them get rid of the dander?

 

[JRNash]

Raining again!!!aaaaarrrrrgggg

 

[bramblefir]

Yeah I understand. They are messy. I might get rabbits.
I was thinking about just keeping one rooster. Would bathing them get rid of the dander?

Briefly. You would basically need to bathe them daily and chickens just aren't the sort of animal that would benefit from frequent water baths. Also, a rooster would probably be a very bad choice if you were trying to hide the fact that you were going against your city ordinance. Too much noise, even with all the doors and windows closed.

If you are really considering keeping a house chicken I would do a search for one of the house chicken threads. They would be better able to answer any questions of that nature.

 

[misfitmorgan]

Methinks I'd heat a barn.lol

Haha it is impossible to heat loafing barns, the cows are suppose to heat it but that all depends on how many cows you have in there. Also depends on what type of cow you have, most farmers do not want to bottle feed beef calves and dont want to keep their mother in a heated barn. The trick is also you cant get them to warm otherwise they cant go back outside until it warms up because they won't acclimate to the cold until they are older. We tried to leave our kids out but we ended up with a lot of frostbit ears and one new doe kid frozen to the ground in 25 minutes. If we had bred the goats ourselves there is no way we would have let them be due in febuary and march that is insanity.

 

[misfitmorgan]

Honestly we are moving and i will be very happy to have only the smallest, youngest chicks in the house from now on because we will have a heated out building this fall/winter. Same goes for goat kids....in the house for a few days is manageable when they learn to jump...high....then its time to get out.

 

[hellbender]

We have a rather 'airy' dairy goat barn and we generally breed for Jan and Feb. kids. WE do NOT let the kids get even one suck of teat but rather bottle feed them from first breath if we can catch them. (We have monitors).

We keep the kids under heat lamps for a while but we have never had any freezing or frostbite problems and I assure you, it gets as cold and windy here as just about anywhere in the lower 48.

You dairy goat folks likely know why we bottle feed...(several reasons) but the best one for me is it makes it a simple proposition to get them to get upon the milk stand and stay there with very little coaching. Yes, they are pains in the butt however not nearly so bad as one who has been raised on the teat and will literally run up and down the walls and perhaps the ceiling when you first begin to work with it...I'd rather just shoot one like that .

 

[hellbender]

Here's a pic of our goat barn and loafing area that was posted a while back...As can be seen, it's not especially air tight...lolol

EDIT: That relic of a rabbit hutch has been long since been demolished, hauled to our 'land fill' and burned.