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

[fultzie]

Ridgerunner, that's the approach I take and have had similar experience. Also, birds in the house? The dust wouldn't have a chance to kill me, my wife would.

Leah's Mom, I tell people to just use common sense, but the more I'm around some backyard people, I realize they don't have the ability.
I don't mean all of them but it seems like at least half. They were never around animals (other than dogs, cats and goldfish) or even raised a garden before they decided to "get back to the land".
Animal behavior and needs are really beyond their ability to comprehend on their own.
I've been teaching classes on BY chickens for some time at the local community college. Some have never seen a chicken. I give my students my card and tell them to call or e-mail if they need anything.
I'll get questions about things they're confused by that was covered in depth AND is spelled out in the handout I provide.
I just think that if you didn't grow up dealing with livestock and farming issues, it's the rare person that has that technology (common sense)

ill just say this ..me and my brothers were raised up at about the same time frame ..( just a few years betwist us ) and while my older brother is very book smart .( way more than me) lol, he could no more raise a chicken or hog or any live stock ..where it comes id say more natural for me ..we where both aroound the old man ..raising chickens ..hogs ..cows ..so on..some people just have it .some just have other adjectives so to speak ..i was the kind that was a pest to the old man ..trying to see how things were done on the farm ..the others ..well they ran after girls and any thing besides farm work lol ..oh yeah .guess who the old man called out frist when he needed help ..bet you cant any way ..just wanted to say that ..ty

 

[Aschenfire]

"p.p.s. aschenfire, i enjoyed and understood the chocobo reference "

Hehehehe I knew someone had to get that. For those of you who are not only chicken keepers, but also gamer nerds, Chocobos are big, ostrich-like (but cuter) birds which are featured in Final Fantasy video games. You race 'em, you breed 'em... they're Chocobos!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chocobo

It was my lame attempt at being a a little bit silly

 

[chickletteSarge]

Always wanted to get into the final fantasy games but just never did..... its my gen, just never had the time,$,or the luxury to do so..

 

[galanie]

I followed the original Final Fantasy games but never could get into the Asian inspired continuation of the series that featured chocabos. But I did play a bit and 'got' the reference. Loved it.

 

[red hen in the rain]

Quote: I can't stand that crap myself and I'm supposedly a human. I like to run around barefoot in the dirt and sleep outside. Stop jabbering, don't touch me and what's in that cup?

 

[therapydoglady]

As odd as it sounds, go to your local barber shop and ask the barber for they day's trimmings. Take this human hair and sprinkle a pretty thick line all the way around your coop. Weasels, skunks, squirrels & deer do not like the smell of human hair, and will shy away from the area. Rats and mice don't seem to mind!

Women's hair doesn't seem to work as well, probably because beauty salons always wash ladies hair before cutting, so some of the natural odor is washed off. I use this around my garden to keep the deer and rabbits out. It works fairly well, (not 100%), it's chea[, it's biodegradeable. It's worth a try!

 

[al6517]

Quote:

Yeah panty hose is great as a good lightweight cloth filter, and plentifull too LOL.

 

[al6517]

Quote:

LOL yeah I wouldn't like it one bit, I am with you on the subject. What some call human interaction is actual human interference LOL.

 

[FuzzyButtsFarm]

Quote:

 

[therapydoglady]

I finally put lighting out in our henhouse about 5 years ago...FOR ME!!! The last time I reached into a nest and pulled out a snake, it was just the last straw! The hens don't need lights for warmth, but I sure appreciate them...The twinkling lights made me smile. I may do that, just for grins! My poor Granny's bones are probably highly polished from her rolling in her grave over the "improvements" I've made over the years trying to keep it "varmit proofed!" LOL