From: james@rchland.vnet.ibm.com (James White)
Subject: Re: Chickens
Date: Mon, 14 Sep 1992 14:17:48 GMT
Distribution: na
Reply-To: JamesWhite@vnet.ibm.com
Disclaimer: This posting represents the poster's views, not necessarily those of IBM
Organization: IBM Rochester

In article <1992Sep12.155032.26085@spectra.com>, gurley@spectra.com (Jim Gurley) writes:
|> Vaguely remember seeing a thread on this subject...
|> 
|> My wife and I are considering acquiring some Hens (for personal egg
|> consumption) and are complete chicken-rookies.  Assuming the real technical
|> issues can be answered later, there are a few simple questions:
|> 
|> We live in an area (S. Oregon) that has mild seasons.  It's regularly over
|> 100 deg in July/August (no rain) and gets below freezing about 75-100
|> nights.  It rarely gets below 20 degrees, and almost always hits 40-50
|> during the coldest days.  We have 20 acres of 'forest' with a few clearings
|> including a 1/3 acre fenced garden/orchard.  There are no predators to
|> speak of (not counting our dog, whom I assume we can train to leave them
|> alone).
|> 
|> 1) Can chickens 'survive' without daily care?  Can we leave for a few days
|> without needing chicken sitters?
|> 

Chickens seem to be quite self sufficient when allowed to "free range".
The only problem I have encountered is with coons and mink at night. 
They will eat the birds if they can get to them.  I often just let the
birds roost in the rafters of my buildings and try to protect the brooding
hens.

|> 2) Do they need a 'pen' or can they range free?  (I guess we'd never find
|> the eggs)

A small building that can be closed up at night is ideal.  Free range is fine
but night time prowlers just love chicken.  You should be able to establish
a number of nests in a familiar place and put in some fake eggs.  This will
cause the chickens to use those nests since they like to accumulate eggs for
hatching.  My children like it when they have an Easter egg hunt every day. 

|> 
|> 3) Whats the 'laying life' of a hen?  Are we going to be butchering them
|> all the time?  (We don't eat much meat, but there's a wildlife center
|> nearby whose raptors just love chicken)
|> 

They should lay for best for the first 3-4 years, production will probably drop
off after that.  We really like to eat our home raised chickens.  Lots of real
flavor.  My kids like it almost as much as venison and rabbit.

|> 4) Can they tolerate occasional freezing weather, or do we need to build
|> them a heated coop (anybody have any solar-coop plans?)?
|>

They will take that wimpy weather that your area will throw at them.  (I live
in Minnesota)
 
|> 5) Could we just keep them in the garden/orchard?  Do they eat vegetables
|> (assuming they have the choice of other food)?
|> 

They may decide they like the leaves on your pepper plants, or all your
strawberries.  They will pick at alot of things.

|> 6) How many (or few) chickens could supply a modest supply for a two person
|> family (dozen a week)?

Except during molting (which is rare) they should either lay an egg a day
(for really good chickens) or an egg every other day.

|> 
|> 7) What other deep/dark secrets are there we should know?  We already know
|> they are loud and create manure (for the garden).

They can be a marvaleous teaching experience for your children.  We just
incubated eggs and ended up with 30 really beautiful multicolored chickens.
We are also raising 10 turkeys.

|> 
|> 8) Maybe most important, how do eggs measure up as an efficient
|> energy/resource consumer (e.g. how much 'energy' of feed/water makes an
|> equivalent measure of eggs?)?  For example, we wouldn't raise beef for that
|> reason. [please no anti-environmental flames over this one!]

Depends on how much you feed them.  If they are free ranging, you should only
have to suppliment a little corn.

|> 
|> Thanks in advance for the no doubt forthcoming expertise...
|> 
|> 

-- 

James White 
Newsgroups: misc.rural