Does anyone breed chickens, and not live on a Farm??

[lux_interior]

I currently own many chickens, all hens.... But I'm really thinking about breeding some, because it's something I'd love to do... However, I don't live on a farm

So I was wondering, does anyone who breeds their chickens, also not live on a farm? But in just a regular house near a city with a lot of yard space? I definitely have the yard space, but I live in the outskirts of chicago. It's legal to keep chickens here, so that's not a problem... Just wondering if this would be a good plan or not? Any advice??

 

[Lover-of-Poultry]

I think that would be determined by your zoneing laws. I have some cousins (which mind you I am in the country) but they live in the city and own 12 chickens = 11 hens and 1 rooster and they raise them just fine and dandy.

But he does have the cage area to where they cant get out of it and get into someone elses yards, and he buys the de-scent stuff at TSC that lowers the amount of scent.

 

[lux_interior]

I am zoned to keep them here, I have a large coop and run and 14 chickens already... I was just wondering about breeding them without being on a farm... if anyone does that well?

 

[EweSheep]

I do have roosters from late fall to early spring. The rest of the time, its to a friends farm or for sale.

 

[JennsPeeps]

Thing abuot breeding chickens is that you have to be willing to get rid of a lot of them.

 

[chickenlady81]

I dont have a farm. We do have ten acres but what i consider a farm is cows, goats, ducks, geese etc. We just have a bunch of dogs two kids and some chickens...

 

[fowltemptress]

Yes. And my yard is not that big, though I keep bantams to compensate. I am growing large breeds for my mother at the moment. My main concern is trying to sex as early as possible with my untrained eyes so I can get the roosters out of my limited space as soon as possible. Multiple tractors are a must so I can have several different things going on at once (broodies, older chicks, regular chickens), and a plan to keep my lawn from disappearing, since I can't stand keeping chickens cooped up. I have a chicken garden . . . a garden grown specifically for them to pick at. It's a raised bed and consists of mainly lettuce, with wire laid across the top. They can reach every part of the plant in the garden, but the wire forces them to do a balancing act that keeps them content with nibbling the tops of the lettuce. This is the first year I've tried this, and other than a couple spots they dust bathe in my lawn is relatively untouched.

All my broodies go in one tractor together, because I don't have the space to separate them. So far everyone is fine with communal chicks. Chicks seem to attract a lot more flies than the adults do . . . I don't know why, it may have something to do with the extra protein in chick food. The flies are obnoxious, and I can't wait to get back to my original little flock. But I do so love the chicks.

 

[cybercat]

Quote:
There is breeding and there is reproducing. One is structured with a plan and goal the other is just making alot of babies. If you just want to have a rooster just so you can have chicks go ahead. If you plan on selling them that is another story. Many mixed breeding will not sell so you will be stuck with alot of unwanted chicks.

Now if you wish to go the real breeder route that takes space and time. One must have room for breeding pairs/trios/flocks and they must have their own pens. You have to be willing to hatch many chicks and to grow out so you can improve your stock. If you are just doing it to sell a certain breed, again you have to have pens set up. That way you are sure the ones you are selling are of the breed you said there were and not some other. Nothing get a buyer more upset than buying a so called breed and it hatch or grown into another.

This is why breeders have land because they need it. Be it that you call it a farm or not hobby breeding takes space no matter what the species.

 

[cgmccary]

I live in a city on a small city lot and have bred one breed for several years. There is also a law against keeping chickens in the city I live (but it is not really enforced). My chicken run takes up about half my yard and abuts my house. It is a sizeable run even though it is on a city lot. I keep smaller cages within the run, under my back deck and in my basement (where my incubators & brooders are located).

It is difficult, but it can be managed. Sometimes, I admit, I feel overwhelmed. I spend about two plus hours each morning before going to work feeding, cleaning and changing waterers.

I hatch out lots of birds but because of space issues, I can only keep a few each year. During the non-breeding season, I move the mature roosters to a friend's farm in the country. I am also going to take a break next year. Also, I have had very severe problems with a person (I won't call him a "neighbor.") on the block behind me and two houses over. He hates the roosters crowing (I have kept 2-3 at a time) & he claims it drives him crazy. He has called the police who said they were not going to do anything because he was simply making a noise complaint during daylight hourswhich they regarded as frivolous. The police also said I kept my chickens cleaner & better than most people kept their dogs. My next door neighbors specifically tell me they like the roosters.

I give away & sell a lot of birds and because of my space limitations, I have to give a large number of them away a little earlier than I'd like sometimes (I am not able to keep that many beyond a certain age & to see how they might mature in other ways).

 

[hikerchick]

I don't breed chickens but I breed goats. I don't live on a farm; just a house on 3 acres of mostly woods.