Lets talk Chickens

[FlashRedGLS1.8T]

The guy with the chickens redid his frontyard last year and I never knew what chickens could do to a yard! They will dig holes just like a crazy dog.

That's why a lot of people use a mobile chicken tractor.

[FlashRedGLS1.8T]

Chicks have been ordered! They ship on April 30th. I'll have a month from then to get the coop finished since they need to be kept under a heat lamp for the first month anyhow.

Okay, I have to ask.

How many?
What kind?
From who?

Setting up a brooder is very easy.

[synthsis]

Okay, I have to ask.

How many?
What kind?
From who?

Setting up a brooder is very easy.

Mypetchicken.com

The wife ordered them, there was a 4 quantity minimum, I know she wanted a Favorolles, a white cochin, and a brahma bantam. not sure what the breakdown of each breed was.

[synthsis]

Speaking of coops, I think this is the one I've settled on building:

http://www.thegardencoop.com/

The Garden Ark (but I'll need to make it a little bigger since it's designed for 3 hens and we'll have 4)

sorry for the small pics.

[FlashRedGLS1.8T]

Those are pretty cool.

[jerseygli]

South Jersey winter.

Vaseline type product on their combs and feets will keep the appendages from freezing.

I loved when we had chickens, but I don't have enough space/time now. Fwiw, our Leg Horn was a b***h, Rhode Island Reds were very nice, Ameriucana/Aurcana was kind of a jerk but laid very pretty eggs. Never had a rooster.

Dibs on eggs - I'm in S Jersey too

[synthsis]

Dibs on eggs - I'm in S Jersey too

I'm sure we can work something out. wink wink --->

[valfaw]

My sister keeps 4 chickens in Ca.

Now my wife and daughter and even neighbors want them for the eggs, my problem is I know who's going to have to clean the henhouse...

We're in Chicago and can have as many as we want apparently according to code.

I like the idea on one hand and don't like the long term ramifications of knowing what I will be stuck with because they want chickens... add the fact I don't eat eggs(i.e. fried, poached, etc. unto themselves).

Good luck and thanks for the link, forward that off to my sister.

[FlashRedGLS1.8T]

Fwiw, our Leg Horn was a b***h, Rhode Island Reds were very nice,

That's been our experience too.

[jerseygli]

The stupid leg horn was always giving us the evil eye.

[synthsis]

Update #1:

Chickens arrived yesterday. 10 total, 4 for us, 6 for my brother. Everything was good right out of the box then we noticed one wasn't doing so hot. Sure enough an hour later it was going into the trashcan. I guess these things happen.



Overall, it's going well. they're really funny. some are timid, some are jerks running into each other.

[KahviVW]

Nice thread. Reminds me of this: This American Life. Act Two. Ain't Nobody Here but Us Chickens.

[lojasmo]

Your neighbors are idiots. Why the F would they have 2 roosters and one hen?

MMF 3 way chicken pr0n?

[synthsis]

introducing our VERY motherly chihuahua to a chick. All she wants to do is take care of them.

[FlashRedGLS1.8T]

Everything was good right out of the box then we noticed one wasn't doing so hot. Sure enough an hour later it was going into the trashcan. I guess these things happen.

I picked up 10 of my son's chicks last Monday. The first died overnight. Then the other died sometime the next day. This was our first time losing chicks so we were shocked.

I called the hatchery and they were honest and up front, admitting that they had received a lot of calls from their customers who had lost chicks of that breed, this season.
So they credited us for those chicks. It sucks.

The other 3 don't look that good either.

[synthsis]

I think the one we lost was a White Leghorn (maybe?) but it looks like the rest are doing pretty good. We got a credit for that one. Stupid chicks keep getting the food out of the feeder and spreading it all over the pen.

[FlashRedGLS1.8T]

Stupid chicks keep getting the food out of the feeder and spreading it all over the pen.

They will never stop doing that!

[firefighterjunkie]

At first I freaking hated chickens. I've gotten past that. They follow us around like cats now. Hilarious.

I was going to comment similar to this. My aunt had some hens that she raised up for eggs and those things were just like cats. They came when they were called, and they were really gentle and cute.

[synthsis]

It's been a week since they arrived and MAN, have they really grown in the one week. I'll post up some pics tomorrow. We have one runt who is considerably smaller than the others. We've taken a shine to her out of our nature to have the runts of litters in our house.

[kritiostodd]

Haven't been in this forum in a while, so this is my first time seeing this thread. We got 3 chicks at the end of April - Ameraucana, Golden Comet, and Dominiques. The Dominiques died in the first week, and we replaced it with another Ameraucana from the local feed store. They are now almost ready to go outside, so I need to get cracking on finishing the coop!

If you haven't found it already, check out www.backyardchickens.com. Tons of info, coop designs, breed descriptions, etc.

And to add to what others have posted, local regulations vary quite a bit. Sacramento's ordinance was passed in October last year, and allows 3 hens. It also specifies the maximum coop size, nest box size, distance from residences on adjacent properties, etc.

[synthsis]

heading over to my brother's house today after work to get started on my coop. the chickens have grown so much in the month we've had them. They perch, fly a little bit, I even put them outside in a little makeshift pen for a couple hours a day so they get used to being outside.

[Mk1Racer]

Chickens in a residential area? Wait until the first time you smell wet chicken sh*t.

I need to check the local ordinance regarding letting fowl roam free. Someone in the area has Guinea Hens that just roam the neighborhood. I came home one day to find a flock of 14 of them in my yard. I can't tell you how many times I've almost hit one on the road.

[FlashRedGLS1.8T]

Chickens in a residential area? Wait until the first time you smell wet chicken sh*t.

4 - 5 chickens...meh...no big deal at all.

A flock of 14 would probably annoy me, if I lived in a neighborhood, though.

[FlashRedGLS1.8T]

heading over to my brother's house today after work to get started on my coop. the chickens have grown so much in the month we've had them. They perch, fly a little bit, I even put them outside in a little makeshift pen for a couple hours a day so they get used to being outside.

Starting to really look like chickens now, huh?

My son's first batch are now 4.5 weeks old.
Our second run are almost a week old now.

[synthsis]

Well......

Just got a visit from my Zoning Officer and he said no go on the chickens. He said the county had notified him. I showed him the code I found:

§ 116-4. Keeping of Animals. [Amended 5-10-79 by Ord. No. 79-4]

No person shall allow any ducks, geese, fowl, cattle, swine, goats or horses to run at large in the Borough of Clayton, and no person in a residential area shall keep or permit to be kept any fowl, ducks, geese, cattle, swine, goats or horses, except the keeping of fowl as hereinafter provided. Any person offending against any provision of this section shall forfeit and pay a penalty of fity dollars ($50).



§ 116-5. Keeping of fowl. [Amended 5-10-70 by Ord. No. 79-4]

All houses, buildings or enclosures wherein chickens or fowl are confined within the limits of the Borough of Clayton must be kept clean and free from all foul odors, and all such houses or enclosures must not be situate within fifty (50) feet of a dwelling house, living quarters or residence of any neighbor or neighbors. Any person or persons offending against the provisions of this section shall forfeit and pay a penalty not exceeding fifty dollars ($50).


http://www.claytonnj.com/claytonpoli...Sanitation.pdf


He pretty much said that this did not apply and I needed a Usage Variance, which he flat out said would not be approved. I have emailed a couple resources already, called my local 4H and the State Agricultural board. My wife found this: http://www.woodlotfarms.com/Legalize_Chicken_Hens.html so I emailed them and I'm going to try to work an angle that they are "hobby birds".

Any advice?

[spockcat]

Is your house or any other structure on your property within 50 feet of a neighbor's house?

Also, why did he visit? On a complaint from a neighbor?

[synthsis]

Is your house or any other structure on your property within 50 feet of a neighbor's house?

Also, why did he visit? On a complaint from a neighbor?

My garage is within 50ft of my one neighbor. And yea, I'm starting to think my old lady neighbor was the one who called on me. I even told her in advance I had looked up the zoning but she's an old lady busy body who has nothing better to do with herself.

I talked to the guy who runs this site: http://www.woodlotfarms.com/Legalize_Chicken_Hens.html for about 10 minutes and he said he's had his hens for 3 years and has never been fined even though the twp prohibits them since he's been fighting them on a couple different angles. His primary argument is that the word "agriculture" implies "for profit" and since we would not be making money on these that it does not qualify.

[Mk1Racer]

Any advice?

Yeah, if you want to raise chickens, buy a farm.

[synthsis]

Yeah, if you want to raise chickens, buy a farm.

[synthsis]

Well, I got served with some papers from the Zoning Officer yesterday saying I have 15 days to get rid of the chickens. I spoke with Vic from WoodlotFarms, a guy who successfully lobbied in Wayne, NJ to keep his hens and he read over the zoning code that I was given in the letter and he said I have a valid argument to keep them since the code cited is in the "agriculture" section. Since I do not plan on selling anything, the term agriculture does not apply to me. I have pics of the code if anyone wants to take a read.

[FlashRedGLS1.8T]

Well, I got served with some papers from the Zoning Officer yesterday saying I have 15 days to get rid of the chickens. I spoke with Vic from WoodlotFarms, a guy who successfully lobbied in Wayne, NJ to keep his hens and he read over the zoning code that I was given in the letter and he said I have a valid argument to keep them since the code cited is in the "agriculture" section. Since I do not plan on selling anything, the term agriculture does not apply to me. I have pics of the code if anyone wants to take a read.

Very curious how this turns out.
Good luck.

[Harv]

Who snitched?

[synthsis]

Who snitched?

this old lady who I have been nothing but nice to for the 8 years we've lived here. her backyard backs up to part of my sideyard, if that makes any sense. I told her before we got them that I looked up the zoning and everything was cool as long as they were 50ft from the property line, which we intended on doing. Well, that is the sanitation code, not the zoning code.

funny thing about her: I found out from my other neighbor that the old lady's garage which was added some time ago is not within her lot meaning it's a zoning violation as well. If I don't win the fight for my chickens I'm considering dropping a dime on her. If I have to play fair, so does she. the only difference: she would need to demo a garage.

[jerseygli]

funny thing about her: I found out from my other neighbor that the old lady's garage which was added some time ago is not within her lot meaning it's a zoning violation as well. If I don't win the fight for my chickens I'm considering dropping a dime on her. If I have to play fair, so does she. the only difference: she would need to demo a garage.

Do it

[FlashRedGLS1.8T]

if I don't win the fight for my chickens I'm considering dropping a dime on her. If I have to play fair, so does she. the only difference: she would need to demo a garage.

Do it, F her.