- Oct 11, 2008
- 11
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Hi guys this is my first post here at "backyardchickens.com" and I hope to post a lot more.
My Father has been raising chickens here in Nova Scotia for about 16 or 17 years now. He's two groups totally about 60 - 75 laying hens then another group of 5 hens and one rooster (Terry) which he lets roam around the yard during the day. Anyway he is taking a job in Alberta and has to leave in about a week. He will be making ridiculous money there and plans on doing that for about three or four years in which time he will be about 60 and reading to come home, retire and raise his chickens and turkeys, rabbits and whatever else he decides to get into lol. He loves it. Anyway I moved back with him and my Grandmother after living away for many years and have decided to take over his "little chicken operation" for him while he's gone. I'm kind of new to this but since being "Home" now for a few months, have really fell in love with all the "feathered ladies."
He has a list of people(mostly friends of the family) who buy the eggs from us so that kind of off sets the cost of feed, etc. I have a few ideas I want to try out too for next year after the Winter about maybe letting them "graze" outside of their pens and fenced in areas. That will give the hens a wider variety when it comes to their diet(grass, bugs, etc)and will cut down on feed costs, although it really doesn't cost that much for the feed and scratch. Plus the enjoyment I get out of it.
So that's that, I just wanted to introduce myself as I'm sure you will be hearing from me a lot lol once my Father leaves and I get going on my new "raising egg-laying chickens" hobby.
One question I do have though, that I've always wondered was: Is it possible to introduce hens and roosters to the wild at some point and have then be totally self-sufficient? Would they be able to survive as a wild brood, re-produce, forage, defend themselves(if the predator problem is not much of an issue), etc? It would be kinda cool to introduce them to the vast woodlands in my backyard, but I'd want to make sure they are totally wild and self sufficient. Are they able to survive Winters in places where there can be large amounts of snowfall for 3 or 4 months of the year, along with fairly cold temperatures?
Thanks and sorry about the long first post.
Rob aka carpetbeggar
My Father has been raising chickens here in Nova Scotia for about 16 or 17 years now. He's two groups totally about 60 - 75 laying hens then another group of 5 hens and one rooster (Terry) which he lets roam around the yard during the day. Anyway he is taking a job in Alberta and has to leave in about a week. He will be making ridiculous money there and plans on doing that for about three or four years in which time he will be about 60 and reading to come home, retire and raise his chickens and turkeys, rabbits and whatever else he decides to get into lol. He loves it. Anyway I moved back with him and my Grandmother after living away for many years and have decided to take over his "little chicken operation" for him while he's gone. I'm kind of new to this but since being "Home" now for a few months, have really fell in love with all the "feathered ladies."
He has a list of people(mostly friends of the family) who buy the eggs from us so that kind of off sets the cost of feed, etc. I have a few ideas I want to try out too for next year after the Winter about maybe letting them "graze" outside of their pens and fenced in areas. That will give the hens a wider variety when it comes to their diet(grass, bugs, etc)and will cut down on feed costs, although it really doesn't cost that much for the feed and scratch. Plus the enjoyment I get out of it.
So that's that, I just wanted to introduce myself as I'm sure you will be hearing from me a lot lol once my Father leaves and I get going on my new "raising egg-laying chickens" hobby.
One question I do have though, that I've always wondered was: Is it possible to introduce hens and roosters to the wild at some point and have then be totally self-sufficient? Would they be able to survive as a wild brood, re-produce, forage, defend themselves(if the predator problem is not much of an issue), etc? It would be kinda cool to introduce them to the vast woodlands in my backyard, but I'd want to make sure they are totally wild and self sufficient. Are they able to survive Winters in places where there can be large amounts of snowfall for 3 or 4 months of the year, along with fairly cold temperatures?
Thanks and sorry about the long first post.
Rob aka carpetbeggar
