Easy way to raise chickens

[JoePa]

After reading about all the problems people have with raising chickens I thought I'd pass on some information that may help some - first let me say this - from the beginning I made up my mind that the only purpose I have for raising chickens is to get eggs for myself and family - that's the only purpose my chickens have in life - I don't consider them as pets - they live as long as they are a benefit to me - I've never had a sick chicken - if one ever got sick I would cull it immediately - I won't spend my valuable time doctoring a chicken - I'm going to briefing outline how I operate -

1. As I said my chickens are not pets

2. I built a very secure coop and run - plenty of room - both in coop and run - use sand on the coop floor and in run - clean them about once a week - spread some DE around - screening is such that no animal or wild bird can get in run or coop

3. Don't free roam - that's where most of the problems come from - I have never wormed a chicken yet - never had too -

c4. If a chicken ever did get sick I would cull it immediately - no if and or buts - down it goes - I'm not going to spend time nursing a sick chicken

5. Finally - following the above outline makes raising chickens very easy and inexpensive - and no headaches or worry - just practical

Now I know many of you don't want to do as I do but that's your choice - I put this together to let people know that there is an easy way to raise chickens -

 

[aoxa]

Sorry to say, but that all sound very cold and uninteresting to me.

 

[chickmashnoon]

But free ranging even just on weekends and evening makes my egg yokes look sooooooo pretty orange!

Most of the stuff I agree with if you are just raising them for your own family production, but many people on here raise them as pets too, or somewhere in between, and if you are looking at the bottom line only . . .

Well, in that case you are absolutley right. But if you are attached to your chickens as much as any parrot owner, well, then it's not just about culling them when they are sick or hurt. They are part of your family and it's hard to just let them go.

Personally, I'm very on the fence. I plan on eating my chickens eventualy, not all of them, but if I need to cull or as hens get older . . . well, they ARE edible. on the other hand I will probably be a big blubbering baby when I have to butcher. They are sooo sweet and snuggly it's sometimes hard to remember how good they are fried.

Thanks for the info tho. It will certainly help out those in the mindset to use it.

 

[ECBW]

Different strokes...

Mine will never be sitting in the living room with diaper on.

 

[chisNchickens]

I think there is always a minimum - and most people know that. It depends, as you said, on the purpose/intent but also the individual. I am sure that down the road I may lose some of the enthusiasm. But I am a person who loves nature and chickens are just fascinating to me. I enjoy giving them treats and watching them. They are here for a reason, but that doesn't mean they can't be a joy to own.

 

[aoxa]

Quote:
Neither will mine, but that doesn't mean you cull them at the first sign of a runny nose!

ETA:
Really what's the point in raising them if you don't enjoy them?

 

[jen85]

Mine roam all over our two acres and love it! I think it's easier! I open the door in the morning, give them food and water, and close the door when it gets dark! Plus when I have scraps for them I just toss them out the door! I have only lost a couple to a opossum because I shut the door too late.

 

[Clay Valley Farmer]

A basic vet visit here is over $100, that I know from the puppy's recent visits. I certainly will never be taking a <$10 chicken to a >hundred dollar vet!

Agreed on keeping it simple, not tollerating sickly birds, but I do free range and accept that one day I may suffer loss to some preditors, however the cost of loosing the odd chicken is far less by orders of magnatude than building a thousand square foot covered run. Don't have much tollerance for preditors that can be lawfully eliminated either.

Worming I would not skip on though, nor have I found it the best practice to skimp on medicated chick starter, simply parrasites tax the birds too much leaving them open to other more serious problems as well as hurting egg and meat production.

Healthy birds are happy birds, happy birds are health birds and either are productive birds.

 

[frostbite]

They're going to be pets for me as well, but there's a practical limit to how much treatment I can spend in time and effort on a chicken that is critically injured or sick. Sometimes culling is the most humane way to treat even our pets. We had a dog once that we waited way too long before we ended her suffering. We won't do that again.

But I guess for each bird we will assess the situation when it happens.

We have a big fenced yard in which we'll allow them to free range when I'm home and able to keep an eye on them, and a smaller secure run that they can be safe in when we're not home or at night.

And yes, I think raising chickens will be pretty easy. The tough part is building the coop and the run, I think, and getting the little rascals out of the chick stage!

But then, I'm a rookie with no chickens, so coop building is the only part I have experience with at this point.

I don't have a problem with the humane slaughter of domestic food animals. If they weren't domestic food animals, they wouldn't live at all. So if a chicken lives for one or two happy years and then humanely becomes dinner, I have no problem with that.

And I have no problem with people being practical, and not treating their animals as pets. I know a lot of practical people who are also very humane, because on some levels, humanity can be very practical. It doesn't seem "cold" to me. I've also seen people who "love" their pets to the point of unhealthiness, in ways that aren't good for the animal, usually by trying to pretend that they think and react like we do. I've also seen people who really don't care about animals or humans, and treat them all with disrespect and cruelty. This is behavior that I don't find very practical. I wish they would stop.

 

[angie3881]

I agree with your philosophy although I do not feel the same about some of the points.

I got chickens because I thought it would be neat for the kids and I thought it would be a great way to get eggs. We had a chicken shed that was only being used for storage and our beagle had just passed.

I never imagined I could get so much enjoyment out of a flock of chickens. They gave me something to care about during a time when I didn't care about much. I feel so peaceful when I watch them and have even grown very attached to a few who will come and sit on my lap.

Even those that I am attached to will be culled if sick. No vet trips, here.

I think everyone has a different level of how they treat their chickens from putting pictures of themselves in the coops so the chickens don't miss them too much when they are not there to those who don't even care enough to provide basic needs regularly.

I think of myself as somewhere in the middle. And I am happy with that just as I hope you are happy. I will not fault someone for caring because you never know... that chicken might be all they have to care about.