Extension Agent learning alongside you :)

[lazy gardener]

You are starting out well.

 

[drumstick diva]

What do you have in the order of predators in your area? That's something that always needs to be addressed. Also the fact that household pets- dogs & cats can be predators as well.

 

[EverythingButTheSink]

What do you have in the order of predators in your area? That's something that always needs to be addressed. Also the fact that household pets- dogs & cats can be predators as well.

We face problems with opossums, raccoons, foxes, household/stray cats & dogs, hawks, owls, and sometimes rats. We go over predator proofing, like using hardware cloth, making sure all gaps/holes greater than half an inch are covered, covering the run, and burying hardware cloth to deter digging predators.

 

[007Sean]

Howdy Happy to have you here! Glad you decided to join the BYC community.

 

[pennyJo1960]

I am an Extension Agent with the University of Florida (Go Gators!) working in Jacksonville, FL. I currently teach a backyard poultry seminar twice a month as Jacksonville requires the course in order for residents to keep chickens. I also own a farm and have 9 chickens and two ducks with more on the way I am getting very good at chicken math and have the mentality that my farm will be everything but the kitchen sink! Two of every breed will just about satisfy me!
Currently I have 4 Australorps (two were supposed to be golden laced wyandottes but the tractor supply boy goofed), 1 black maran, 2 blue marans, 2 barred rocks, and waiting on 1 blue laced red wyandotte, 1 blue laced silver wyandotte, and 3 ayam cemani and two khaki campbell ducks!

It is a two hour seminar that attempts to scratch the surface of chicken keeping. After attending the course residents apply for a permit from our city planning department ($25 fee) and once they acquire the permit they can have from 5-15 hens depending on how much land they own. No roosters, no slaughtering on the property, and no selling of eggs/manure/etc.

I am self taught from working with PhD poultry scientists and owning chickens for much of my life Learning something new every day!

As far as advanced chicken math goes, I had everything else before I got the chickens, I like to work backwwards. I already have horses, dogs, & pigs. I lease pasture space to my neighbors cows

Hey great to have you Welcome to Backyard Chickens, everything you have said I agree with but the sale of eggs kinda how dare you many of us sell ours to help pay feed cost cutting off the nose in spite of the face in my view there

 

[Kiki]

We are glad you joined our flock.
Jump right in and make yourself at home.
Please stress feeding a complete poultry feed and limited treats.

This video will help you learn how to navigate this site:

Official BYC Coop Page Contest - Fall-Winter 2017

 

[Teila]

G'Day from down under EverythingButTheSink Welcome!

 

[EverythingButTheSink]

Hey great to have you Welcome to Backyard Chickens, everything you have said I agree with but the sale of eggs kinda how dare you many of us sell ours to help pay feed cost cutting off the nose in spite of the face in my view there

Unfortunately our city determines the rules of the ordinance. With 5 hens they wouldn't be able to make much money on eggs, plus Florida has some pretty strict laws on selling eggs so they are pretty limited anyways, The main function of not being able to sell eggs is to 1. not flood the market, and 2. People aren't allowed to run business's out of their home where clientele come to their home to pick up the goods, this increases too much traffic on our residential streets. I agree, it is kind of a rotten idea but they didn't ask me first (Also, this only applies to those zoned residential, anyone who is zoned agricultural etc does not need a permit and is free to sell eggs as long as they adhere to the state laws )