baby chicks have arrived!

[Homegrown Tomatoes]

Woohoo!  Got a call at quarter to six this morning from the post office.  My chickens were in!  So, by a few minutes after six, they're in their box in the sunroom wriggling and chirping.  All except one  (out of the nearly 40 we ordered) are very perky and healthy-acting.  One of the little aracauna pullets doesn't look so good and isn't acting OK.  She's not pasty or anything, but not active.  My uncle's already been here and picked up his dozen.  We got two extras... one was an extra light Brahma pullet, and one was an extra Buff Orp.  The brahmas were my uncle's, so I sent the extra with him and we kept the extra Buff.  I love spring!

[Windpower]

pictures please

[StinkerBell]

I love chickies.

[MountainDon]

BBQ?

[StinkerBell]

BBQ?

Mean, mean man!

[MountainDon]

Not today; several months from now. Like, how many eggs can one eat?

[Don_P]

Ours came yesterday. since its out first foray into chicken bits... ummm bitty chicks, we got a batch of mixed freebies from the farm supply to learn on. So far we haven't cooked any and they survived a curious coon hound sticking his head down amongst them to say hey.

[Squirl]

Mine are supposed to hatch today.  If any do I will post a pic.  I have 23 in a home built incubator.  Barred Rocks.

[peternap]

 http://news.oldva.org/blogroll/raise-chickensprivate-property-rights/

Raise Chickens..Private Property Rights
Update:
After catching up on the local gossip today, I found that the Harrisonburg City Planning Commission, is considering allowing chickens in residential neighborhoods. While many want this, other residents are far less enthusiastic about the idea.
Urban chicken movement taking roost in KC area

Chickens could be coming to roost in a backyard near you.

Across the country and the metropolitan area, people are joining the national urban chicken movement, sometimes turning outlaw to raise the birds.

The movement started with the rationale that raising chickens fits in with efforts toward local and pure foods, supporters say, and the eggs are fresh and flavorful. The animals also are entertaining pets, many say.

Today, Overland Park homeowner David Crupper will seek a special-use permit to house up to four chickens, even though he already has the birds and a homemade coop in his backyard.

No disrespect for the law was intended, he said, but he had to buy the chicks before a farm supply business stopped selling them for the year. Crupper, 25, a financial adviser, is far from a hippie, he said, but he wants to get great eggs from "the girls."

"It's a nice little hobby people can get behind," he said, and he thinks his neighbors will support him.

Crupper has mailed certified letters to all of the neighbors within 200 feet and has posted a sign in his front yard advising them of the Planning Commission meeting.

But precedent isn't on Crupper's side. Four years ago, another Overland Park family tried to get such a permit. By a vote of 7-5, the City Council wouldn't allow it.

Opponents said then that chickens did not belong in Overland Park. Some said the birds were unsanitary.

Overland Park City Councilman Jim Hix, who voted against the chickens in 2005, said this week that he would probably do so again.

"Wanting eggs is not unique," he said. "It's not a good idea to have chickens in a suburban area under normal circumstances."

In Mission, the City Council recently sent to committee a proposal to change its law to allow urban chickens. Jerritt Dayhoff requested the change because her family would like to raise five or six chickens. She is a former Jackson County public defender who grew up on a farm, she said.

"Chickens are a heck of a lot quieter and cleaner than dogs," said Dayhoff, 33. They make interesting pets, she said, and "It's nice to tell your kids your breakfast came from Myrtle or Madge."

But Councilman John Weber, 77, said he has seen the city grow out of farmland and sees no reason to go back.

"If we're going to be residential, we ought to be residential," he said.

Some cities on board

In 2004, Madison, Wis., was among the first of several cities to change laws to allow limited numbers of chickens, but usually not crowing roosters. New York City has long allowed chickens. The birds live in urban areas in Chicago; Albuquerque, N.M.; Portland, Ore.; Seattle; and other cities.

Many Web sites and Backyard Poultry magazine support the effort, which they say is still growing in this country, Great Britain and Canada.

BackYardChickens.com has 30,000 members — up from 20,000 last December — and it grows by 100 members a day, said its owner, Rob Ludlow.

KT LaBadie, an Albuquerque graduate student who started urbanchickens.org, said people are tearing out lawns to grow vegetables, and chickens are a natural next step.

Some cities have changed their laws because so many people were keeping chickens illegally, she said.

Afoul of the law

In Kansas City, residents are allowed to have chickens only if they are 100 feet away from the nearest home or business, and the birds are not allowed to roam.

That hasn't stopped two women in different Kansas City neighborhoods from raising chickens illegally, and they say they are doing it for the fresh eggs.

source

[StinkerBell]

They are also good at eating bugs. Ever since we got our girls we have not have the exterminator come out and spray at all. Plus the dig up the garden for me and supply manure. They are quieter then a dog (hens, not roosters). They are entertaining.

I think it is better to have a few hens then have pesticides used to keep the bug population down. I personally would use the argument they are eco friendly for the yard.

[fishing_guy]

Today, Overland Park homeowner David Crupper will seek a special-use permit to house up to four chickens, even though he already has the birds and a homemade coop in his backyard.

No disrespect for the law was intended, he said, but he had to buy the chicks before a farm supply business stopped selling them for the year. Crupper, 25, a financial adviser, is far from a hippie, he said, but he wants to get great eggs from "the girls."

"It's a nice little hobby people can get behind," he said, and he thinks his neighbors will support him.

Crupper has mailed certified letters to all of the neighbors within 200 feet and has posted a sign in his front yard advising them of the Planning Commission meeting.

But precedent isn't on Crupper's side. Four years ago, another Overland Park family tried to get such a permit. By a vote of 7-5, the City Council wouldn't allow it.

Opponents said then that chickens did not belong in Overland Park. Some said the birds were unsanitary.

Overland Park City Councilman Jim Hix, who voted against the chickens in 2005, said this week that he would probably do so again.

"Wanting eggs is not unique," he said. "It's not a good idea to have chickens in a suburban area under normal circumstances."

Doesn't surprise me with the Overland Park area.  My sister lived there for many years.  Pretty yuppish...  HOA's and all.  Not what I'ld expect from Mousourri at all.

We had a city here in Minnesota, Mankato, broach the subject.  They decided they were too urban to allow it.  Sad.

[Homegrown Tomatoes]

If you can find the documentary "Mad City Chickens" it is a humorous documentary about how Madison, WI residents got the laws changed in order to raise chickens... kind of poultry renegades.  There's nothing unsanitary about chickens raised properly.  Ours are very cute and busy and seem to all be doing great.  Will be glad when they are big enough to get out of the sunroom, though!  Speaking of which, I need to go put down fresh litter in there and give them some more clean water.  Now the guineas... they're quality entertainment, too, plus tick control.

[Squirl]

6 barred rocks so far.  3 more in the bator still hatching.

[Redoverfarm]

www.cnn.com/video/#/video/us/2009/05/16/wolf.backyard.chickens.cnn?iref=videosearch

[firefox]

'Don't Get Personel With a Chicken' by H. Allen Smith

If you have chickens and children, you need to read this book!
(very funny and short. kids book)
Bruce

[Q]

I have to get my order in by June 12 at the latest so the'll be ready by July 19. Late in the year but it'll be fine. The last of our chickens kicked off this winter unfoutinitly so we need more.

[akemt]

We're going to order our first chickens (going with a bunch of bantams for varous reasons) this week.  YEHAW!

For anyone that ordered from a hatchery that ships, which did you use?  We were looking at Sandhill Preservation, I like what they're about, but right now we're thinking we'll do Murray McMurray since we can buy the chicks sexed.

I scavanged the supplies for our coop (we're planing either a 6x8 or 8x8 "triplex high-rise" with a large run http://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=2127-Bantam_Coop to get the idea), picking up a ton of lumber at a garage sale, some foam board insulation (we'll need it come winter if we still want eggs), and lots of free, used metal roofing.  Even matches the house!

Now I need to find a non-local place to buy feed, preferrably a feed store in Washington.  I can buy feed here at the two hardware stores or the one pet store, but it is about $25 for a 10lb bag...and it ain't organic either!    I'd rather buy a year's supply and barge it up, even if it ends up costing about the same, which it shouldn't.  Hmm...may have to make a new thread to ask for suggestions.  If you know of any nation-wide feed companies or ones in the Seattle area, please let me know.

We're on to building our coop.  So excited!

[Homegrown Tomatoes]

akemt, I recommend Cackle Hatchery.   It is also in Lebanon, MO.  They are less expensive than McMurray, and you can order most breeds sexed.  Also, all of our chicks arrived very healthy and in great shape on the day they were supposed to arrive.  Their website is easily navigable, too, which is a plus.  They have a lot of rare/unique breeds.  They also had fewer negative reviews online as compared with McMurray.

[Redoverfarm]

[phalynx]

Our last batch of hens are coming online now.  We have a total of 30 hens.  Current daily egg production is 19 per day.  I expect that to be about 24-28 per day shortly.

[Homegrown Tomatoes]

Red, what a cute picture...
The chicks are growing like crazy.  Yesterday DD stuck a big moth in the box with them.  One of the Dominiques grabbed it and ran for the east end of the box.  Halfway there, a Buff Orp stole it back and headed back west.  We watched for fifteen minutes or more.  It was like chicken football, and very entertaining.  They eventually got it all eaten, tearing bits off between them.

[akemt]

We got 24 banties in 4 different breeds (partridge Rocks, New Hampshires, Ameraucanas, and Partridge Wyandottes).  Hopefully we'll get more females than males in each variety.    They'll be arriving the week of June 8th.

I'm thinking about spending some of our homeschooling money (we can get a partial reimbursement of our school tax dollars through state programs) on getting an incubator.  Then we could order some eggs (or hatch our own) and do some embryology for science with our girls.  Of course, I'd like to be able to hatch 10-20 bantie eggs or roughtly 6 duck and 4 turkey eggs...and the incubator would have to be under or very close to $200 for reimbursement purposes.  Anyone have a suggested brand that would fit the bill and experience to say it is a decent contraption?  I'm totally new to this chicken business and don't want to spend that much on junk, even if it isn't really my money.   

Our science this year will consist entirely of raising chickens, gardening, and if we move to our own piece of land before next summer, possibly goats or rabbits.  Dang, it sure is great to homeschool in this state!  We've debated going completely off-radar (totally legal here) but for now the hassle of a quarterly progress report I fill out myself is worth the money we get for lessons and materials.  Any suggestions on favorite how-to or kids learning books about raising chickens and/or embryology?  Sorry, I'm the queen of long-winded tangents!

I'm hoping the banties go well.  Should we get our own place and like them, we might get a "rare assortment" along with those hatching eggs...

[Homegrown Tomatoes]

Akemt, Barnyard in Your Backyard by Gail Damerow is a good overview of pretty much any kind of critter you'd want to keep, and it is a pretty kid-friendly book.  Backwoods Home magazine online has an article about how to butcher a chicken in five minutes, a good read if you plan on eating any of your chickens.  I don't have any experience with incubators... as far as I know, a good mama hen makes the best one.  I like Oklahoma's homeschooling laws for some of the same reasons.  We never have to report to anyone.  I still keep records, but they're really for my own information than for the state's.  If you decide to keep turkeys, you'll need to build them separate housing for disease control. 

Sounds like a good science program to me.    How old are your kids again?

[akemt]

Emma is 6 and Lara will be 5 this Summer...Ian will be two this Summer and Hyrum is 8 months, of course they aren't "in school" but they'll enjoy the goings-on with the chickens about.

[Whitlock]

What to do with all the eggs you don't sell-

http://www.helpwithcooking.com/egg-guide/make-pickled-eggs.html