Beginners Guide To Chickens
 

any good books out there on getting started with this project? i know we have a gardening thread on here somewhere can we start a chicken thread??

what are some MUST KNOWS before getting involved in building a coop, buying chickens???

Re: Beginners Guide To Chickens
 

Tanner - there was a great thread on this yesterday... with great links.

I'm thinking about going with ducks. I raised them as a kid from abandoned eggs found during the floods and the ducks were very carefree. Plus the eggs were very tasty. My cousin the chef says they make the best cakes.

There might be some legal issues with the DNR once the waterfowl season opens .... I'm gonna need to talk to the CO's about it. (My grandfather used them as decoys to great effect prior to the banning of market hunting)...

Re: Beginners Guide To Chickens
 

Here is link to a site I like. Lots of good folks with plenty of knowledge.

http://http://www.the-coop.org/cgi-bin/UBB/ultimatebb.cgi

Doug

Re: Beginners Guide To Chickens
 

A GIMer David Bissette (spelled right?) has plans for a small coop...... I think if you google "catawba coops" you might find his site. I was just gonna plan and build my own, but since he's a GIMer I'll likely try to support the cause by sending him some $$ when I have some extra and use his plans.

Re: Beginners Guide To Chickens
 

Re: Beginners Guide To Chickens
 

These two have been invaluable for me. The first gives detailed info on chickens, chicks, feed, etc.

The seconds has a lot of really practical advice for small lot chickens.

Re: Beginners Guide To Chickens
 

Good info. All bookmarked. Thanks

Re: Beginners Guide To Chickens
 

Chickens in Your Backyard ( ) is considered to be the best resource for urban chicken keeping. I have this book and it has been a treasure trove of information for me.

My chicken coop plans are going to be highlighted in the next edition of Storey's Guide to Raising Chickens ( ). I thought that was kinda cool.

Re: Beginners Guide To Chickens
 

I've thought about getting some chickens again one of these days. Used to have a bunch when I lived in Central Oregon but it was a major pain to take care of them during the winter months.

Definitely doesn't save you any money on eggs, but the eggs you do get will taste better and you know where they came from and what the chickens were fed.

You should be able to find chicks at any feed store/ag supply when they're in season. I always raised from chicks. Only problem with that was that some grew faster than others and we'd lose a few due to fights over the "pecking order". Chickens can be nasty mean to eachother sometimes.

Re: Beginners Guide To Chickens
 

we don't save any money ether on eggs because my wife views them as pets!:bear_cry:
for example;
When she makes a salad for us at supper the hens also get a salad, not the left overs I tell ya!, the good stuff I would eat! when she makes spaghetti she now cooks extra noodles for the hens. She also noticed that they love the fine powdered food left at the bottom of the
laying feed bag;
so,
now she has been grinding them "snacks" in the blender!
The eggs are great though and worth every penny,
I think you could save $ egg wise if you treat them as live stock and not as pets!
our hens are Very spoiled, when you open the coop door they all run up to you and want to be held!, wives can do this to them!.... LOL:rofl: my dad's hens run away from people.