chicken chicken chicken

[kirkcudbright]

So, having done the Radio Free Chicken thing once, and signed up to do it a couple more times at Nevins, I've been requested to go on tour to Cow Hampshire, on behalf of the Animal Control Officer who came to the first one.

a) If you're not a chicken person, what would you like to know about raising chickens, where you are right now?

b) If you're already a chicken person, what would you like to have known before starting? Or, what do would you still like to know?

Comments

[kellyjmf.livejournal.com]

--how to find a vet that knows about chickens
--where to find rules about having chickens in my town/city
--benefits/drawbacks to having different breeds in one flock
--how to figure out the right number of chickens to have

[imalion.livejournal.com]

+++ to right number. What is the psychological happy flock?

[kirkcudbright.livejournal.com]

> What is the psychological happy flock?

Enough but not too many?

Srsly, this depends on who is in your flock, and who you're trying to introduce. The Pecking Order? That's a literal thing with chickens. They need to establish Who is Where in the flock, and they'll do that, regardless of when or where the new bird is added. But once it's done, it's done, and there shouldn't be too much more Blood.

[kirkcudbright.livejournal.com]

a) How to find a vet

Ask around? Pretty much any vet that will deal with say parrots or other birds will be able to deal with chickens. But as with every pet, you'll be the primary care-giver; so know how to spot and treat i) mites and body lice, and ii) scaly leg mites.

b) Rules about having chickens in my town/city

Talk to your local health dept srsly. When F. called, they said "it's easier to get along with your neighbors than to get permission". Meaning a) it's hard to get official permission, and b) if no one complains, they don't need to know (TM).

c) Different breeds

Cross-culturalism is a good thing(tm). Srsly, I don't see any drawbacks to having a mixed flockx.

[gosling.livejournal.com]

chicken social dynamics and how to manage them within a flock

how to teach young children to interact well with chickens

which breeds are better with young children, and how to work with a flock so they do well with children

[kirkcudbright.livejournal.com]

> chicken social dynamics and how to manage them within a flock

Understand that the Pecking Order is a literal thing with chickens. And every time you add a new bird to the flock, they need to figure out where that bird fits. But once they do, they're usually pretty chill.

> how to teach young children to interact well with chickens

I think animals and young children understand each other better than you might think. Also, chickens are not as submissive as household pets like cats and dogs, and are more clear about when they don't want to be handled. Actually, chickens tend to be hinky about being handled, so the kids will have to learn some subtlety and patience.

> which breeds are better with young children, and how to work with a flock so they do well with children

Cochins and silkies tend to be especially calm, but a lot depends on the individual. I think the key is to have the kids work with the birds on a daily basis (feeding, collecting eggs, counting beaks at bed-check, etc), so they get comfortable with each other.

[whitebird.livejournal.com]

I have no questions about chickens, but I truly love Chicken, Chicken, Chicken. (And so do all the speech instructors I show it to.)

[imalion.livejournal.com]

I would love to understand the normal life cycle of a chicken (in relation to taking care of one).

I kinda look at chickens as pets that happen to make eggs... for a while.

I neither know enough about their life expectancy, temperament, or needs to know if I would be a good owner.

I do have space :) Yours were lovely and friendly... or at least tolerant/resigned to handling :)

I tend to set up my relationship with pets such that they have 90+% of their needs met by the system that has been setup, and thus most of our interactions can be about mutual enjoyment and cuddling rather than caregiving, dunno if that works at all for chickens.

[kirkcudbright.livejournal.com]

> I would love to understand the normal life cycle of a chicken (in relation to taking care of one).

We've gotten all of our birds as adults (with one notable exception (http://kirkcudbright.livejournal.com/134061.html)), so it's been pretty much keep it until it dies of one thing or another. Expect 5-10 years, but also expect accidents, predators, and/or just dropping dead for no good reason (which might have been coccidiosis).

> I kinda look at chickens as pets that happen to make eggs... for a while.

Egg production does slow down after the first year, and stops entirely after 3 or 4 years. But they're still good pets.

> I neither know enough about their life expectancy, temperament, or needs to know if I would be a good owner.

From what I know of you, I believe you would be a good owner. :)

> I do have space :) Yours were lovely and friendly... or at least tolerant/resigned to handling :)

Since I'm adopting individual birds from the MSPCA, I have the luxury of picking well-tempered individuals. Also consider that ill-tempered chickens generally don't live long enough to reproduce.

> I tend to set up my relationship with pets such that they have 90+% of their needs met by the system that has been setup, and thus most of our interactions can be about mutual enjoyment and cuddling rather than caregiving, dunno if that works at all for chickens.

It sounds like you have the right idea for chickens (and all pets really).

[pywaket.livejournal.com]

CHICKEN!