- Jun 11, 2014
- 2
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Greetings, all, from the Heartland! I don't have chickens yet, but I need them badly, the sooner the better. I do know, however, that it wouldn't be fair to the chickens if I didn't take the time to find out how to do this right. So, why do I need chickens ASAP? Because of the ticks! I, along with my beloved hound dog as well as a cat who came with the property, live outside. Yes, I know it's unusual, frought with a variety of hardships,etc., but the fact is that this is our lifestyle. Here in western Missouri, the ticks are positively ferocious, moreso this year than perhaps ever before. The state conservation department is taking it seriously. So am I. Myself, thoroughly doused in deep-woods off...still finding about half a dozen ticks a day just crawling on me and three or four more that have sunk their teeth in (do they have teeth?) The animals tend to get them much worse. I've been told that if one keeps chickens, there will be no ticks to worry about, because the chickens eat all of them. I have half an acre of land, about half clear and half timber. My questions are: 1) How many chickens do I need to eat this many ticks in this size of an area? 2) What kind/breed/gender/etc. of chicken is best suited for this purpose? 3) What are the minimum shelter requirements for these birds? (and, I guess, 3a Which things beyond these minimum requirements are most advantageous for the birds?) 4) If they're eating all those ticks (and, maybe, presumably, the vast battalions of daddy-long-legs) do I need to feed them anything else, and if so, what and how much? and 5) how much water should I reasonably expect these chickens to need each day? As I have no running water, I have to fill water jugs in town and pack them back home with me...which I've been doing for months, it's no problem, I just need to know how much water to expect to need beyond what I've already become accustomed to.
Thanks so much for your patience with an ignorant newbie who is completely clueless. I'm sure that the more I learn, the more questions I will have. It seems like everything turns out that way ;-)
Thanks so much for your patience with an ignorant newbie who is completely clueless. I'm sure that the more I learn, the more questions I will have. It seems like everything turns out that way ;-)
i have three birds and they dont drink much water but be sure to keep it up off the ground because people have told me otherwise you will be refreshing it much more often they like to play and poop in it ... my rooster even threw his toast in theee for awhile yesterday (guess it was dry lol). Anyways i hope you find all the info you need and again welcome to the site!
and Welcome To BYC! You might also look into Guinea Fowl 
