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

[Beekissed]

Exactly how he needs to feel...anyone that darn ignorant needs an abrupt and complete education on the real purpose of chickens and ducks.

 

[Roxannemc]

It's "water with body", my mother always says. Dogs and chickens appreciate water that has been sitting.
I can't be classified as an OT yet, but I'm loving reading what the rest of you have to say. And Walt has chicken groupies. Who knew? (Had 12 pages to catch up this morning.)

Love It!! water with body

 

[Roxannemc]

Amen! I live out in the sticks. We have city folks moving out here and first thing they do is buy chickens. Then they make friends with you and just "Have" to go look at your set up. I don't let anyone but family in my yard/coop. We had a friend lose all his chickens because they let them in the coop and the newbie had sick chickens and did not tell him. Just off their dang shoes! I don't care how pissy they get. They are not going out to my chickens! Sorry hit a nerve...keep your chin up. Nothing wrong with owning real chickens.

Dont mean to hijack... but YOu brought up disease by shoe...someone has eggs i might buy ...their chicken he says are free range but says most have a lot of feather off their back .I get the impression bare as he didnt show a photo but one of the breed not his.
Says its from pecking on the weaker ones but they are free range so ?? didnt sound right thinking mites or something. So.. if i get eggs would it be a good idea to have him meet me ? Or forget him.
I am looking for local fertile eggs and only found 2 ppl. maybe ihavent hit the "egg vein" of my county yet...

 

[loanwizard]

I moved my girlfriend and her children to the farm last year. When I first got them there.... let's just say, even today, my girlfriend plans to dress our runt pig that she wangled out of my buddy, for the Christmas parade. One of her sons loves animals, but would only sell them, not want them killed. Throughout the summer he has evolved. He now loves to use the hatchet, plucks and cleans for me. Heck, it's gotten to the point where if he runs out of bait, he asks if he can butcher a chicken.

I don't know whether to be proud or be scared that he will turn out to be a serial killer

 

[chickencowranch]

There's nothing I hate more than a to tame chicken or livestock period. My 9 chickens I have now follow me around a bit when I'm outside. I don't pick them up or plan too unless they got something stuck on their foot or they're dead. The roo is the one I'm most weary of, but I stay out of his way.

I have a nosy question of those who have more than 20 chickens. How do you know which hens are laying eggs and the ones that aren't? Just curious. Mine are all laying. i knew who was laying and who wasn't.

 

[Nomibear]

Waterfowl will "imprint" on whatever/whoever broods them. When that happens they no longer know that they are a duck/goose and that can cause them problems.

Walt

Am i an exception?

We received 9 Mallards with our chicks back in May. We kept them in the tub for about 2 months... Cared for them at least twice a day, but prob only held them for a few min every few days. They don't freak out when we are in the run, but they do keep their space. We don't chase them down to hold or expect them to behave as pets..

.

 

[fowlman01]

Am i an exception?

We received 9 Mallards with our chicks back in May. We kept them in the tub for about 2 months... Cared for them at least twice a day, but prob only held them for a few min every few days. They don't freak out when we are in the run, but they do keep their space. We don't chase them down to hold or expect them to behave as pets..

.

I have over 200 waterfowl here. None of them know who I am until they are hungry and then they are everyone's friend. Chickens are very interesting, but waterfowl make me laugh.

Walt

 

[Roxannemc]

I have read this thread for months now off and on and find half of it is making fun of newer chick owners..

.This thread is called"Old timers lay some knowlege on us." Isnt it or am i wrong??
90% of the ppl on BYC are newbies Want to learn the RIGHT way from ppl with the know.YOu should be flattered we CARE what you say...We want old timers who have experience to help

I dont think making fun of the ubanites getting a new house & chickens is the way to help We newbies of aLL kinds get it that you know it all and WE dont ..but hey this thread again is LAY SOME KNOWLEGE ON US not ABUSE US for being new.
AND the "newbie urbanite" will be the ones to buy your chickens, fertile eggs, hand made coops, and feed, all you make for chickens and have the money to do it. so if you dont like the new wave of chicken keeping you are missing the boat.... Write a book,build a coop advertise in some rich suburban neighborhood instead of turning your nose up.

Some of this reminds me of the seniors in a high school giving the freshman the once over
.
To someone not wanting to kill their chickens they just bought by being stupid .. why is that so funny?Why would you laugh at them b/c they are applying what they know about animals usually dogs and cats to chickens and act like they are pets?they are not farmers. use to utility animals.They have to learn
And repeating the answers all the time.?..Have you looked at all the new ppl who join daily here?Add more to the learning center, it sure doesnt give ALL

And Go to another website???????
.
WHAT is THIS website for then? Why should i go to another?

This doesnt apply to everyone here but some it does.

By the way i am 67 not some kid, NOT in the city but on my 10 acres in the country and not new to it.....sure still a newbie to chickens though wasnt born here . Im widow on social security .worked a factory all my life lifting steel into machines with mostly men doing the same job so.Ive heard whatever you want to say as a retort before.
.JUST got chickens this spring for a bad spring tick problem every year.
I DO spend a lot of time a LOT on here for an enjoyable common interest and to learn more and more.... no money for much else,,kids grown,just dogs so sue me.
I am probably one of those you are laughing at for all my questions i have an inquiring mind about everything . ..what can i say.? your problem not mine,So Yes dont answer my question.

Yeah lots of questions are dumb but you were a newbie once too remember?.OR MAYBE NOT.

My opinion... .If yo"old timers "arent interested in helping out with answering chicken questions then why you are you all here on THIS thread ?

Start an " Old Timer ONLY Chicken Club" thread. Then you can run down newbies to your hearts content and not offend others and make them afraid to ask questions
I can take straight talk and common sense.but some of this is just making fun of ppl who dont know anything yet.. and is just plain rude to some since its an open thread. and its SURE not being any kind of "HELP" with KNOWLEDGE
Go ahead with you smart retort and NO i am not leaving this site or thread boohooing. over it.

 

[loanwizard]

I have about 80 layers. Without separating into groups, with the resulting stress... I don't know when they are laying, only to count upon a certain average number of eggs per day.

As far as "tame" waterfowl, in my very limited experience, we raised 4 mallards... They stayed at the farm but wouldn't be petted for nothing and the kids tried.

We rescued a Canadian Goose earlier this year and until she/he met with an untimely demise, she imprinted on me and followed me in the canoe, walking on the farm etc... and I did not encourage that behavior. I didn't discourage it, but didn't ask for it either.

 

[rosewolf22002]

If you NEED eggs and can't find someone else you trust I would have him meet you somewhere. They could also just be moulting. I can't see his birds or his set up. I would try someone else before him if I could. To each their own I guess is what I am saying. I have had chickens for about 25 years so I don't have to go get eggs.

I am looking for a rooster in a breed that lays brown eggs. If I find one I will go see where he lived, what he ate, what his flock mates look like before I buy him. I just lost my roo that I cross over my Easter egg pen about a week ago. The heat was just to much for him. So in my eyes he is not what I want to breed anyway because I want chickens that can handle the heat. I have shade, water, and plenty of room for them so he should not have failed.

It really depends on what you want out of these eggs. Are you wanting babies or food? If your wanting babies you need to see these birds. They might be sick or not made for living in your area. They might be just fine but in to small of a pen or they might just be moulting. I would look before I buy. Again just my opinion. Make sure to wear shoes you can wash or trash.