PM the site owner and see if we can have a little something extra in our pay check.
Walt.
Chickens for 10-20 years or more? Pull up a rockin' chair and lay some wisdom on us!
- Thread starter Beekissed
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PM the site owner and see if we can have a little something extra in our pay check.
Walt.
- Thread starter
- #5,052
Chicken feed! We're working for chicken feed, here!!!
And with the price of feed going up, that might actually be a pretty good wage. ;-)
Sounds like great info here! Marking it to follow
Bee... I am a used car dealer. That comment about breeders and used car salesmen saying anything.... hurt my feeling..... but only if I had one.
You ought to try to buy a car off of a private individual.... They won't lie to you
I would much rather buy at a dealer only auction rather than the general public. Dealers as a whole are more trustworthy.
You ought to try to buy a car off of a private individual.... They won't lie to you
I would much rather buy at a dealer only auction rather than the general public. Dealers as a whole are more trustworthy.
I worked at a used car lot run by several different dealers. I rebuilt wrecked cars, repainted them after straightening etc and made them look better than new. I assure you I "shined poop" that was sold as gold. Shiny pretty gold that covered poop. Since then I never bought a car at a used car dealer again.Bee... I am a used car dealer. That comment about breeders and used car salesmen saying anything.... hurt my feeling..... but only if I had one.
You ought to try to buy a car off of a private individual.... They won't lie to you
I would much rather buy at a dealer only auction rather than the general public. Dealers as a whole are more trustworthy.
- Thread starter
- #5,057
Of course, YOU are a used car salesman with integrity, so it doesn't really apply to you. Right?
The only breeders or car salesmen that would take umbrage with that commentary would be those who are a little shady....the first one that yells is the one that got their toes stepped on.
- Jul 19, 2012
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Question from a total newbie: how many chickens could comfortably "free range" on an acre of land. In my case this would be in PA. During the winter I expect that I will need to provide most of their food, but I am just looking for some ballpark estimates of how much space they would need during the rest of the months?
Additionally, any suggestions on what to plant to make the land more chicken friendly? I've heard a lot about mulberry trees, for example. And I just have to say thank you to all of you who have spent time offering advice on this thread! It has been so very helpful.
Additionally, any suggestions on what to plant to make the land more chicken friendly? I've heard a lot about mulberry trees, for example. And I just have to say thank you to all of you who have spent time offering advice on this thread! It has been so very helpful.
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- #5,059
Some pages back we had this very discussion about space per bird and range capabilities. The truest answer is this...it depends. If you are wanting them to get benefit from your pasture/forage areas, you need to evaluate how much protein and greens you can provide, realistically, and realize that this all changes with drought, early or late snows, the quality of your range from year to year, etc.
No one can give you a realistic answer because we cannot see the area of which you speak. Is it all grass? What types? Any woodlands? Active insect life? Those are the questions you need to ask yourself to determine how much benefit your chickens will get from free range.
If you are free ranging just to give them space, freedom, fresh ground underfoot and a healthier environment but not necessarily to gain most of their nutritional value from, then you have to look at the health of your soils/grass as the key to how to stock the land.
I can tell you that I kept a flock of 30 on one acre with ease and no harm to the soils or plant life but that was on the type of land I had and not the land you may have. Many will tell you about the recommended bird per acre ratio but it won't necessarily work with your land/weather, etc.
The best I can tell you is start low for the first year and see how things go, watch the flock, evaluate their action on the land you have, how much you've had to feed to keep them in condition, etc. You should not see any loss of grass at all except in areas of high foot traffic and in dusting areas along fence rows, buildings, etc. High foot traffic areas are right outside the pop door but shouldn't extend much further than about 3-4 ft. out.
Any bare ground besides those areas showing before or by the first year and you have overstocked your land. A year won't yield too much damage and can be corrected easier than if you had done it for longer.
You also need to evaluate your proteins...bugs, worms, etc. How quickly can a flock decimate your local bug life and will they overwork it until it no longer can recover?
My final answer? I'd say start with 20-30 birds and just watch what happens. If you see the things I've mentioned, I'd thin it down. If you don't, add slowly and watch carefully. It is sooo much easier to keep land in good balance than it is to try to recover land after it's been overstocked. By far.
No one can give you a realistic answer because we cannot see the area of which you speak. Is it all grass? What types? Any woodlands? Active insect life? Those are the questions you need to ask yourself to determine how much benefit your chickens will get from free range.
If you are free ranging just to give them space, freedom, fresh ground underfoot and a healthier environment but not necessarily to gain most of their nutritional value from, then you have to look at the health of your soils/grass as the key to how to stock the land.
I can tell you that I kept a flock of 30 on one acre with ease and no harm to the soils or plant life but that was on the type of land I had and not the land you may have. Many will tell you about the recommended bird per acre ratio but it won't necessarily work with your land/weather, etc.
The best I can tell you is start low for the first year and see how things go, watch the flock, evaluate their action on the land you have, how much you've had to feed to keep them in condition, etc. You should not see any loss of grass at all except in areas of high foot traffic and in dusting areas along fence rows, buildings, etc. High foot traffic areas are right outside the pop door but shouldn't extend much further than about 3-4 ft. out.
Any bare ground besides those areas showing before or by the first year and you have overstocked your land. A year won't yield too much damage and can be corrected easier than if you had done it for longer.
You also need to evaluate your proteins...bugs, worms, etc. How quickly can a flock decimate your local bug life and will they overwork it until it no longer can recover?
My final answer? I'd say start with 20-30 birds and just watch what happens. If you see the things I've mentioned, I'd thin it down. If you don't, add slowly and watch carefully. It is sooo much easier to keep land in good balance than it is to try to recover land after it's been overstocked. By far.
I'm reading through the thread, and it's great! I had no idea that you could can and preserve chicken in glass jars. Question: Would it be possible to can and preserve chicken and dumplings? If so, how would you go about it? I looove chicken and dumplings.
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