Chickens for 10-20 years or more? Pull up a rockin' chair and lay some wisdom on us!

[Maven]

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That's priceless! Next generation....good to know.

I like the stories. It helps us gauge the mindset of folks and probable goals for their flocks. These lessons coming up are going to have to address a large cross section of chicken owners with various reasons for wanting to know and apply the information. The stories give us an idea of the demographics of the thread and try to cover the bases for the majority.

Oh, Bee, it was adorable, but it about broke my heart. He wanted to be back here helping take care of the chickens soooooo badly, poor little buddy. His mama said that is all he talks about for a solid week every time they go home.

I called her back today and said, 'you know, if he NEEDS his chickens that much, I'd be glad to give you a couple - Dad can bring them up when he comes in January.' Alas, as much as she would love that (and she really would!) the city they live in has an absolutely NO FARM ANIMALS OF ANY KIND ordinance, and since her husband is an animal control officer he could lose his job over it.

So, they'll just have to bring him down as much as possible!

 

[off-grid hen]

I have had the same problem with trying to find local "breeders". They are just hatchery chicks that have been ordered in large quantities, or a few generations removed from the hatchery stock. Few people in my immediate area have started from good flocks. I wonder where NYReds is located. Maybe could go for a drive...

 

[Maven]

Funny how life goes around. Both the Mr. and I grew up in farming communities with families that farmed. Circumstances in life also took both of us away from the farm for a while, and all that time - me down south and him up north - we were both yearning to get back to farming someday. My ex was from IL - that's how I got up here in the first place. I met the Mr. about 10 years after my divorce.

 

[al6517]

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My coops are all very big and airy but I do have a few that are well placed to draw air out not in, but that's it.

 

[al6517]

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Yes what I do is force them to deal with the heat instead of relying on me to pamper them with things they don't need, if they don't have it they don't need it LOL. All I am saying is a well treated, well fed, well housed, well watered bird has everything they need already, Big shock there uh LOL.

 

[ChickChickChicky]

Originally Posted by IvyMaeWilliams



Ain't it the truth, sister, ain't it the truth. BUT I have been lucky enough in my life to somehow stumble upon people who really know their stuff in the growing and building world. I too started from a place of knowing ZERO, but then I'd get books and magazines and read, and work it all around in my brain... and in the case of growing plants I was lucky enough to work with some of the greatest growers and propagators around, who by the way had also grown up on farms and did things "the farmer way" (as a kid my parents never made me do anything or really taught me anything about life... I didn't know one thing about doing any kind of work, let alone sun-up to sundown physical work, til I started working for these guys. They were patient and glad to teach me anything I wanted to know. As for building, I asked TONS of people many questions, tried lots of things, and finally learned who knew their stuff and who was faking it. I am so lucky to have a hardware store nearby that employs ONLY people with experience in their various fields, whether it's plumbing or fencing or heating/cooling or general building. The men and women there have been absolute treasure-troves of info.

And now I have stumbled on the "keepers of the chicken knowledge" right here on BYC and discovered that they are kind enough to let me and many others pick their brains. Thanks everyone, I'll try not to drive ya TOO crazy.

 

[Gypsi]

I don't live very far from north Texas and although the Devil himself won't live here himself due to the heat LF or any bird for that matter do just fine. I never lose birds to heat and as you know it can be unbearable. Conditioning is the key, if you do half the stuff the frilly threads tell you to do you'll kill-em faster. Train them to deal with it and they will be so much stronger for it, without so much as a hiccup.

No misters, no ice water bottles under their bum's, no fancy anything. Just some cool shade, soft wet dirt to lay in and fresh water, that'll doer.

If I am at home I can get them from the run to shade - just bring the dogs in and cut the chickens loose. But I live in open prairie, very few trees survive to get large enough to give shade. Their coop and run has a small area under run roof plus under coop (takes that much to get cool shade at 108), and I toss a hose out there sometimes. Built a coop on the other lot under my elm tree, but the weasel is going to cost me some money making it safe for birds, so I just put the goat in it for now. On average summer day I'm hotter at noon than Dallas, cooler in the evening, but still humid. So pretty miserable. And I don't do misters or fans. They HAVE to adapt.

 

[delisha]

Funny how life goes around. Both the Mr. and I grew up in farming communities with families that farmed. Circumstances in life also took both of us away from the farm for a while, and all that time - me down south and him up north - we were both yearning to get back to farming someday. My ex was from IL - that's how I got up here in the first place. I met the Mr. about 10 years after my divorce.

I met my DH in 1st grade. We went to St. Sebastians together. We had our first date in 9th grade. He pulled my wig off in the middle of the dance floor. I did not talk to him for years after.

 

[Maven]

All I am saying is a well treated, well fed, well housed, well watered bird has everything they need already, Big shock there uh LOL.

Boy howdy, and I'm so glad I've got you OTs around pounding this in all the time.

It got down to 18 or so around here last night - good grief, you would have thought the Siberian snows and winds were coming the way some people were acting - and wanted to know if I needed to borrow a heat lamp for my chickens because it was my first winter with them and they didn't know if I was ready for 'such cold' yet!

I just said no, I was fine, had a heat lamp of my own from the brooder.

I didn't bother to say that it would be a cold day in he11 before I put it out there for a bunch of fully grown, fully feathered chickens. Nope, not a word, it wouldn't do any good. You can't fix stupid.....

 

[Maven]

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Aw. It's one of those moments - I'm not sure whether

or

or

(to the hubby) is the right answer - I imagine the correct one lies somewhere in between them.