That was very interesting. Thanks for linking to it. I would like to have chickens but we have so many wild animals around here that I would hate for anything to happen to them. I hear coyotes many nights and find possum poop on our front walkway every morning.
A neighbor up the road lost 6 goats to coyotes.
Still, maybe someday! All part of the Laura Ingalls fantasy.

We had chickens when I was growing up. If you don't want to step in chicken poop you have to keep them fenced in. If I were going to raise them it would be for their meat since supermarket chicken is tasteless and full of hormones and chemicals. Not counting they all look like turkey breasts instead of chicken. The only problem is that I can't kill things. Nope, just couldn't do it!

Bevery is right, if you don't want to step in chicken poop, you need to keep them caged. Also, the neighbor's dogs like chicken for lunch so my "girls" have their own custom made outdoor cage which can be moved and a nice snug "coop" that used to be the milk house in our old barn for bad weather. They do get to eat the potato bugs in the garden, but only if I'm there to "supervise" and make sure they're safe. Plus, they like tomatoes, so I have to be there to shoo them away from the ones that are just getting ripe, they only like the red ones.

Mine are Rhode Island Reds, I have 14 of them right now. I've been getting 14 eggs a day, but lately that's fallen off to 8 or 10 per day. This fall my "big" girls will become roasting hens and my 28 "new" girls will be old enough to start laying. I've raised them all from day old chicks and can't kill them either. Fortunately, a local Amish farmer will kill, clean and pluck them for $1 each.

Annie

I have been considering raising a few chickens. Make sure you check your local codes before you get into it.

annie, I don't have hens now, but did years ago. Surely you can't be thinking of roasting old birds (anything over 12 weeks)! Those old girls are soup birds, though you can roast one after boiling it, if you you get it before it starts to fall apart.

I've been wanting laying hens for a long, long time, but I just can't see fitting them into my current back yard. Hopefully, I'll have a place one of these days where I could have chickens.

I've heard from several sources that donkeys are a good "guard dog" for protecting chickens from coyotes.

Sally

NOoooo! You do not want a donkey. Only mating cows make as much loud noise. If you are deaf and really hate everyone within a 1/2 mile radius maybe....

: )
lyra

A farm about 2km away from us used to have a donkey. We could hear it...........

Th farm right next door to me has a donkey and 6 horses - all about 50 yards from my house and I have never heard the donkey ever.

Annie, what do you do with 14 eggs a day?

I was wondering that too!

Noisy huh....I'll keep that in mind if I ever get my dream home in the country.

Yes, Annie, inquiring minds want to know. Do you sell them? Give them away?

Sally

lacey, I do indeed roast the old hens, sometimes I fry them too. They aren't as tender as the young birds, but they're still OK, mine are about 4 years old and FAT.

Yes, I know, they're technically stewing hens and Dad will use some for chicken and dumplings and I'll can chicken stock and make chicken noodle soup but a couple are still destined for the roasting pan. Hey, I'm a farm girl, we're used to it, everything doesn't HAVE to be falling off the bone tender. (grin)

As for those 14 eggs per day, I eat a lot of eggs. I freeze some, beat up two per package and thaw them for baking during the winter when eggs are expensive. Amanda uses some, Dad uses some and Elery takes some. If there are any leftovers I give them to the boss.

The new girls, though, I have 28 of them. Yup, that's 28 eggs a day by next summer. Makayla says she's going to sell them to buy her school clothes, and I told her she was more than welcome to do that. we'll see how that goes.

Annie

I have been buying my eggs and chicken manure compost too from a local egg farm for 22 years. My neighbor had chickens and after losing half of them to coyotes, he gave them away. Also he complained it was too much work and too many eggs.

I grew up on a chicken farm and I don't want all that work and smell!!! And I use to have nightmares about holding the chicken while my dad chopped the head off. They were based on real life experiences so no way could I do it. I didn't eat chicken or any meat for 20 years because of that.
Clare

My DH has always been interested in "decorator chickens" or walking flowers. We looked into it but decided to wait until we didn't have so much other stuff going on.

We went on a tour of homes, chicken homes, that is, mostly in urban and suburban back yards. It was fun to talk to the owners and see the creative chicken houses, and all the beautiful breeds of chickens including araucanas that Martha Stewart made famous. Most of these were essentially pets that lay eggs. I don't remember any roosters, but there may have been some.

Aptosca, I had similar nightmares as a kid from seeing the chickens still running around after their heads had been cut off! Arrggh, I still hate to think about it.

Here is a link that might be useful: Tour of Chicken Homes

If you want a real thrill try collecting the eggs and not really paying much attention to what you are doing and put your hand in the nest box and grab hold of a nice sized black snake. It will certainly get your attention in a hurry. Chickens are great as long as someone else is raising them and all you have to do is buy their eggs.