Clandestine chicken owner from Texas

[Chick M]

Hi, we live in a suburb that doesn't allow chickens, but we have them anyway. Bad us! In order to make our chickens less obvious to the neighborhood, they sleep in a coup in our garage at night and during the day they run around the yard. The laying chickens ask to come in when it's time to lay an egg by clucking at the back door. I let them in, they lay their eggs, and then they go back out when they're done. Right now we have 13 chickens and 11 chicks. We hatched and are raising some of the chickens for a friend who has farm land. Anyway, the chickens were originally for eggs, but now they are pets and part of the family. Since we started raising chickens, we've had several casualties along the way, but we're getting better at keeping them safe. I'm currently trying to help a chick who's suffering from constipation and that's what brought me to the Backyard Chickens site.

 

[Pork Pie]

Hi and a warm welcome to BYC. Sounds like an exciting existence - keeping chickens where it's forbidden - do you have a moonshine still in the back garden as well?

Best of luck
Ct

 

[N F C]

How do you keep that many chickens quiet? I only have 9 and they are pretty chatty (not to mention the egg songs some of them sing).

 

[Pork Pie]

How do you keep that many chickens quiet? I only have 9 and they are pretty chatty (not to mention the egg songs some of them sing).

They give 'em a nip of the moonshine of course

Ct

 

[BantamFan4Life]

Welcome to BYC! I'm glad you joined us!

 

[N F C]

They give 'em a nip of the moonshine of course

Ct

So that's how it works!

 

[Pork Pie]

 So that's how it works!

Ah, now come! A few months ago you didn't know chickens grew in plant pots and now this? I give up

Ct

 

[N F C]

Ah, now come! A few months ago you didn't know chickens grew in plant pots and now this? I give up

Ct

Bear with me Chris, bear with me!

 

[Pork Pie]

Bear with me Chris, bear with me!

Ok, go on then, seeing as it's you

Chris

 

[drumstick diva]

That's an awful lot of chickens to try and keep under the radar. I hope you have a plan B. for when the inevitable "helpful" neighbor decides to turn you in. There is always at least one person that has to meddle. Could you move yours to your friend's farm if that need should arise?

I think its adorable that they want to lay eggs in your house and then go back out. Keeps them from egg eating and having predators steal their eggs. I would love to see a video of them lining up by your door.

There is a very good thread called "people with house chickens." but, not any use for a large number of birds.