Who would have chickens?

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dogmom

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considering OverthePond's thread about the new chickens, I'm curious anyone who lives in a urban or suburban area - who would have "backyard" chickens?
our city just passed a new ordinance allowing residents to have hens only in their backyards specifically and with other qualifications.

I'd be open to the possibility but I know it's some work -
 
I remember that a neighbor had a pet goat. I'll never forget my first meeting with it when I was seven! :giggle:
 
a pet goat - did they have any grass left?
did you enjoy meeting the goat?

we have a pic. of me as a little kid at the "petting zoo" feeding the barnyard animals - am with my dad and we're next to a goat - who is trying to eat the zipper off my dad's jacket.
I remember how well they climb!
 
Not allowed where I live....but I grew up with chickens....and had chickens and a goat when I lived in the Country in N.C....My Goat, "Gretchen" loved cigarettes (nicotine) and parched peanuts...The chickens, we had all kinds. I expecially loved a Bantam hen we had.
 
:lol:Gretchen and her cigarettes....that's kinda funny picture....the peanuts, yeah that's not very surprising, my <limited> understanding was that goats eat anything.
what did you like especially about your Bantam?
 
I have crows!! When they see me out side with my dog they start cawing as feed them bread! The crows once sat on my lawn and waited for me!
 
I had about a dozen chickens on a farm once. I named them all but one by one the little buggers disappeared till all was quiet on the western front.
 
whatdidyousay, your story reminds me of one time when I was little girl - my mom made my friend and I some sandwiches and chips and put them on picnic table in the yard for us for lunch - and the crows came down and took chips from the bowl and took a sandwich!

crows -and ravens - are actually supposed to be great at problem-solving!
 
We always had anywhere from 4-12 Rhode Island Reds growing up. We lived out in the country, so it was pretty easy to take care of them. All we did was let them out of the coop during the day and closed it up at night. They ate bugs and compost. They rarely wandered more than a couple hundred feet from the coop.

Every now and then we'd buy some feed and calcium flakes for better egg production.

If your family eats a lot of eggs, you'll need at least 4-6 chickens to have a comfortable supply. Always better to have more. You can just give them to neighbors
 
oh, sorry about the loss of your chickens, Beo -
from reading the article about the ordinance that was just passed, I know that they can be prey for many other creatures.
 
wouldn't mind a couple hens, it would be nice to have fresh eggs again... too bad I can't really keep a couple hens in my 400 sq ft place... or I would.
 
dogmom said:
a pet goat - did they have any grass left?
did you enjoy meeting the goat?

we have a pic. of me as a little kid at the "petting zoo" feeding the barnyard animals - am with my dad and we're next to a goat - who is trying to eat the zipper off my dad's jacket.
I remember how well they climb!
Click to expand...

Well, the goat was a surprise and I ran away from it the first time I met it. I heard it before I ran into it. There wasn't a lot of grass around my neighbor's yard. It was mostly a woodlot. I got used to the goat though.
 
I would like chickens if we were allowed to have them.
 
dogmom said:
:lol:Gretchen and her cigarettes....that's kinda funny picture....the peanuts, yeah that's not very surprising, my <limited> understanding was that goats eat anything.
what did you like especially about your Bantam?
Click to expand...

Ahhh...it's been so long...but we did have one "special" Bantam hen...she was not only "sweet"...she was very "demure"...she had "class" (haha)....very low key, and was pettable...and I made sure she got the most food.....
As for "Gretchen" the goat...she loved nicotine. If you had cigs in your shirt pocket, she would get them out...and eat the tobacco, spit out the filter and the paper.....We gave her baths outside, and along with our 6 dogs, she thought she was one....she would also bang her hoofs on the back door to get in...we allowed it time to time, and she would sit on the floor and eat peanuts from a bowl on the table. She was really sweet!
 
We had chickens before.. Will get some again after the pen is built. Will also get some pigs. :) Already got the Garden growing.
 
Urban chickens are really the newest thing. Nearest city has just passed an ordinance permitting them. In hard times definitely an advantage. No roosters, though!! LOL
 
dogmom said:
whatdidyousay, your story reminds me of one time when I was little girl - my mom made my friend and I some sandwiches and chips and put them on picnic table in the yard for us for lunch - and the crows came down and took chips from the bowl and took a sandwich!

crows -and ravens - are actually supposed to be great at problem-solving!
Click to expand...

LOL!! crows -and ravens are very smart birds!
When I lived in Berkeley and work at Organic Farmer of Berkeley we had chickens and we kept losing some and was not sure what was eating them!
We found a rat nest that had chickens feathers near it! The rats where huge!! GROSS! I would love to have a couple of chickens for fresh eggs.
 
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