Chicken Keeping - How Simple Can It Be?

[thaiturkey]

We've gone from turkeys to cooped laying chickens to geese. All have been a problem in some way. No-one cares for them the way we did so we were tied to the home, finding it difficult to take a vacation without concern for the welfare of the birds. In addition to that, we lost about 50 of them in two years to soi dogs, uncared for animals that roam the streets.

Now we have a growing stock of free range banties and they are a joy. A friend gave us a cockerel and three hens. hey are producing very well, roost in the trees, forage for what they can, eat cooked rice and other scraps and drink the medicated water that we give them. The coop stands empty and in no need of maintenance.

They cannot be easier to care for. The costs are almost nothing and we don't need to buy all of the paraphernalia usually associated with chicken keeping.

Does anyone else have similar experiences with easy chicken keeping?

 

[Toast n Jelly]

We've gone from turkeys to cooped laying chickens to geese. All have been a problem in some way. No-one cares for them the way we did so we were tied to the home, finding it difficult to take a vacation without concern for the welfare of the birds. In addition to that, we lost about 50 of them in two years to soi dogs, uncared for animals that roam the streets.

Now we have a growing stock of free range banties and they are a joy. A friend gave us a cockerel and three hens. hey are producing very well, roost in the trees, forage for what they can, eat cooked rice and other scraps and drink the medicated water that we give them. The coop stands empty and in no need of maintenance.

They cannot be easier to care for. The costs are almost nothing and we don't need to buy all of the paraphernalia usually associated with chicken keeping.

Does anyone else have similar experiences with easy chicken keeping?

I hear you about finding it difficult to take a vacation as I still can't. How long do you think they'll last out there by themselves considering the uncared for animals that roam the streets? Seems to me you'll be back to worrying about them once you get attached to them.

 

[thaiturkey]

They will be fine so long as the dogs don't get in again. We are waiting for a neighbour to finish a section of wall that we started, then we will be perfectly secure. Strangely, they recently did some land fill, clearing the hedge again but no dogs have come through the fence. Perhaps the culprits are the ones we dispatched a while ago.

The banties are breeding prolifically now so earlier losses will be recovered soon.

 

[Toast n Jelly]

They will be fine so long as the dogs don't get in again. We are waiting for a neighbour to finish a section of wall that we started, then we will be perfectly secure. Strangely, they recently did some land fill, clearing the hedge again but no dogs have come through the fence. Perhaps the culprits are the ones we dispatched a while ago. The banties are breeding prolifically now so earlier losses will be recovered soon.

Wonderful...and life goes on lol!

 

[thaiturkey]

Life goes on indeed!

It's a joy to watch the chicks grow but not be tied to the home caring for them. They love the surplus rice that we throw down and the medication in their water keeps them free from chills. Easy peasy.