What's it like having chickens? We were as clueless as most people who grew up many, many miles from the nearest proper farm. So we've been learning and it's been quite fun to find a new animal to live alongside.
So, of course it starts with the coop and run. They need somewhere to take cover, do a little scratching and somewhere to perch (up off the ground) at night for sleeping.
Once you have that, you have to figure out food and water. Often people tell us they eat anything (and everything) but we have had them turn their beaks up at a few things from time to time. We buy a feed pellet and supplement that with bits from the garden, spent grain from brewing and scraps from the table (I feel slightly less guilty if I don't finish my meal but we still don't have that many scraps).
The water was a drama because at first we just used a dish and they routinely stepped in it and tipped it and such. So we bought a hanging one and that helped.
But once you have shelter, food and water, you are set. We were lucky enough to have a friend taking care of them until they were laying so we didn't have to wait more than a week before we started getting eggs. They lay an egg per day each and I've noticed that when it's colder out they get a little smaller!
So, every morning one of us has to go down to the chicken house and open the top to clean out the poop. They poop A LOT in their sleep. Apparently that's when most of it is done - though our yard does tell a different story.
Usually they lay early in the morning but lately neither of them have when we first go visit. After they lay an egg they do this big cackling clucking commotion. Just for 30 seconds or so. I'm not sure if it's in pain like labour or just excitement.
If we are around the house for the day we'll let them out to wander, although for the first few weeks we didn't let them out at all just to make sure they got comfortable with us. We first only let them out for a little while and stayed near them but now we just kind of give them free reign since we sorted out the fence and put slats outside so they can't get under the house. Sure, we have had a few incidents (neighbour-garden-pecking, wandering so far afield that we thought one was gone for good, and a few threatening cats) but usually they are just happy and scratch around the grass, the dirt and the leaves. They also "bathe" in the dirt and bask in the sun. But when they sit in the sun, they still kind of peck at anything they can reach.
Often they will cluck away when we approach them so we talk to them. When they are done eating they wipe their beaks on the grass.
Watching them run is one of the funniest animal antics. It's just something about the rhythm of their steps and the balance and that they are usually chasing us because they think we have food.
We sometimes hold them but they aren't all that comfortable being handled. Maybe it just means we need to do it more so they like it.
Some people clip the bottom bits of their wings so they can't really get far but we haven't ventured into that territory.
They put themselves to bed when dusk falls. It never fails, if we leave them out past dusk and go out later to sort them out, they will both be settled up on the perch in the coop easily.
Lately they have been coming up to the patio a lot more often and hang around the back door. In warm weather we left it open and half expected them to venture into the house one day but they didn't get to that point. They are very skittish so it doesn't take much to spook them so trying to get them out of the house would be quite a show I reckon.
Overall, we like having chickens. No we still haven't named them. Partly because they are hard to tell apart and partly because we don't know what we'll do when they stop laying...
We'd highly recommend them for the eggs and the entertainment. A great housewarming gift if there ever was one!
So, of course it starts with the coop and run. They need somewhere to take cover, do a little scratching and somewhere to perch (up off the ground) at night for sleeping.
Once you have that, you have to figure out food and water. Often people tell us they eat anything (and everything) but we have had them turn their beaks up at a few things from time to time. We buy a feed pellet and supplement that with bits from the garden, spent grain from brewing and scraps from the table (I feel slightly less guilty if I don't finish my meal but we still don't have that many scraps).
 |
| That's a lot of chicken meals! |
The water was a drama because at first we just used a dish and they routinely stepped in it and tipped it and such. So we bought a hanging one and that helped.
But once you have shelter, food and water, you are set. We were lucky enough to have a friend taking care of them until they were laying so we didn't have to wait more than a week before we started getting eggs. They lay an egg per day each and I've noticed that when it's colder out they get a little smaller!
So, every morning one of us has to go down to the chicken house and open the top to clean out the poop. They poop A LOT in their sleep. Apparently that's when most of it is done - though our yard does tell a different story.
Usually they lay early in the morning but lately neither of them have when we first go visit. After they lay an egg they do this big cackling clucking commotion. Just for 30 seconds or so. I'm not sure if it's in pain like labour or just excitement.
If we are around the house for the day we'll let them out to wander, although for the first few weeks we didn't let them out at all just to make sure they got comfortable with us. We first only let them out for a little while and stayed near them but now we just kind of give them free reign since we sorted out the fence and put slats outside so they can't get under the house. Sure, we have had a few incidents (neighbour-garden-pecking, wandering so far afield that we thought one was gone for good, and a few threatening cats) but usually they are just happy and scratch around the grass, the dirt and the leaves. They also "bathe" in the dirt and bask in the sun. But when they sit in the sun, they still kind of peck at anything they can reach.
Often they will cluck away when we approach them so we talk to them. When they are done eating they wipe their beaks on the grass.
Watching them run is one of the funniest animal antics. It's just something about the rhythm of their steps and the balance and that they are usually chasing us because they think we have food.
We sometimes hold them but they aren't all that comfortable being handled. Maybe it just means we need to do it more so they like it.
Some people clip the bottom bits of their wings so they can't really get far but we haven't ventured into that territory.
They put themselves to bed when dusk falls. It never fails, if we leave them out past dusk and go out later to sort them out, they will both be settled up on the perch in the coop easily.
Lately they have been coming up to the patio a lot more often and hang around the back door. In warm weather we left it open and half expected them to venture into the house one day but they didn't get to that point. They are very skittish so it doesn't take much to spook them so trying to get them out of the house would be quite a show I reckon.
Overall, we like having chickens. No we still haven't named them. Partly because they are hard to tell apart and partly because we don't know what we'll do when they stop laying...
We'd highly recommend them for the eggs and the entertainment. A great housewarming gift if there ever was one!
haha, sounds like fun! Maybe a short video of the chicken antics soon?
ReplyDeleteBrad and I were just discussing chickens and their eggs the other day and never did look up our question...maybe you can answer it for us! Where does the egg come out?