- Aug 31, 2014
- 8
- 1
- 16
Hiya,
I'm new here, and located in Vegas. Many decades ago, I used to have a large flock of ladies and a couple of roosters, but that was when we lived in CA. Now that we are in the desert and suburbia, I don't have any - yet. But I want to raise them again and duckies, too. Maybe even rabbits, but I don't want to raise the rabbits in cages, so I am still studying and learning better ways for that.
My coup was large and had about 12 nesting boxes above ground. Had several really good brooders. I had reds and barred rock and whatever the neighbors didn't want anymore. The floor was hay on dirt (the land) and I really don't remember ever having a big mess that needed cleaning. We just would rake it out when it started to smell and replace the hay. The birds had a huge covered run (turkey vultures loved to roost right above them) that I would section off and water different sections to grow grass for them, too. So they had their grain, fresh lawn clippings that we always spread out so they would not heat up and their pasture areas.
When the garden got bugs, I would pick a chicken from the coup, tie a string to its leg and stake a few in the garden for them to catch all the bugs. They used to fight to be in the front so I would pick them. LOL. The veggie garden was on the other side of the property, and these chickens were not the friendliest bunch cause I didn't spend a lot of time with them. Just like Soap on a Rope, I had Chicken on a Rope. They loved it.
I had so many eggs every day that I used to give them away all the time to the local food bank. We were giving eggs to the dogs, a dozen eggs a day each to the horses when they were shedding, eggs everywhere! This was before the whole "organic" and "grow your own" popularity started.
So now that I am old and need to move again, I want to find a place with the right zoning so no neighbors can't complain and I can have as many chickens and ducks as I want. There is one goose that I would love to have a pair of (I used to have geese, too). The Sebastopol. They are gorgeous! I would have them just as pets, not for meat. They don't lay many eggs anyhow. Geese make GREAT watchdogs!
I get a kick out of reading what you guys feed your ladies as treats and staples. If I have a garden, the prime fruits and veggies are for my family, not the birdies - LOL. I'd want to give them the leaves of the plants (those they can eat) and perhaps grow some duck weed for them, too, space permitting. I still need to find out how much duck weed a bird needs in a day along with meal worms (I would do a meal worm farm, too), cause I really don't want to buy grains that I don't know if they are GMO or whatnot. Also, alfalfa flakes are much better for them than the cubes, and they love it. Never had a problem with it before, so I would get some alfalfa from a neighbor for them. Put a piece of a flake in each of the nesting boxes, and they will fight over who gets to sit on the eggs - LOL. Maybe that's why I had several good brooders.
If anyone has any good tips or links on learning what it takes regulation wise and site wise to be able to sell the meat to restaurants and the public, I'd love to read them. There are so many more regulations these days than there were then.
Ops, sorry this became a novel! Anyhow, hiya! Just call me CS. Have fingers, will type.... LOL
I'm new here, and located in Vegas. Many decades ago, I used to have a large flock of ladies and a couple of roosters, but that was when we lived in CA. Now that we are in the desert and suburbia, I don't have any - yet. But I want to raise them again and duckies, too. Maybe even rabbits, but I don't want to raise the rabbits in cages, so I am still studying and learning better ways for that.
My coup was large and had about 12 nesting boxes above ground. Had several really good brooders. I had reds and barred rock and whatever the neighbors didn't want anymore. The floor was hay on dirt (the land) and I really don't remember ever having a big mess that needed cleaning. We just would rake it out when it started to smell and replace the hay. The birds had a huge covered run (turkey vultures loved to roost right above them) that I would section off and water different sections to grow grass for them, too. So they had their grain, fresh lawn clippings that we always spread out so they would not heat up and their pasture areas.
When the garden got bugs, I would pick a chicken from the coup, tie a string to its leg and stake a few in the garden for them to catch all the bugs. They used to fight to be in the front so I would pick them. LOL. The veggie garden was on the other side of the property, and these chickens were not the friendliest bunch cause I didn't spend a lot of time with them. Just like Soap on a Rope, I had Chicken on a Rope. They loved it.
I had so many eggs every day that I used to give them away all the time to the local food bank. We were giving eggs to the dogs, a dozen eggs a day each to the horses when they were shedding, eggs everywhere! This was before the whole "organic" and "grow your own" popularity started.
So now that I am old and need to move again, I want to find a place with the right zoning so no neighbors can't complain and I can have as many chickens and ducks as I want. There is one goose that I would love to have a pair of (I used to have geese, too). The Sebastopol. They are gorgeous! I would have them just as pets, not for meat. They don't lay many eggs anyhow. Geese make GREAT watchdogs!
I get a kick out of reading what you guys feed your ladies as treats and staples. If I have a garden, the prime fruits and veggies are for my family, not the birdies - LOL. I'd want to give them the leaves of the plants (those they can eat) and perhaps grow some duck weed for them, too, space permitting. I still need to find out how much duck weed a bird needs in a day along with meal worms (I would do a meal worm farm, too), cause I really don't want to buy grains that I don't know if they are GMO or whatnot. Also, alfalfa flakes are much better for them than the cubes, and they love it. Never had a problem with it before, so I would get some alfalfa from a neighbor for them. Put a piece of a flake in each of the nesting boxes, and they will fight over who gets to sit on the eggs - LOL. Maybe that's why I had several good brooders.
If anyone has any good tips or links on learning what it takes regulation wise and site wise to be able to sell the meat to restaurants and the public, I'd love to read them. There are so many more regulations these days than there were then.
Ops, sorry this became a novel! Anyhow, hiya! Just call me CS. Have fingers, will type.... LOL
) We visited my aunt in Las Vegas several times before she passed away. The lights at night on the strip and in glitter gulch are just amazing. As far as raising meat chickens and selling the meat to restaurants, you can find the answers your looking for at 
and Welcome To BYC!
