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Posted: 2/7/2017 1:23:27 PM EDT
[#1]
Hmm
I've always had Rhode Island Reds or Barred Rock for hens. They are always quiet, except for mid-morning when they are making a bit of noise in their once-a-day birthing routine (that must suck...). I've also NEVER had issue with them roosting outside. Ever. If anything, sometimes they will only go outside of the coop for water (I now water them outside) and go right back in. Perhaps something is stressing them, particularly at night, particularly in the coop. Think snake or something. I know lots of folks who go for pretty and/or exotic breeds. I go with traditional farmyard breeds from the late 1800's to early 1900's. Good working chickens. I have few issues. |
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Posted: 2/7/2017 1:53:16 PM EDT
[#2]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Hmm I've always had Rhode Island Reds or Barred Rock for hens. They are always quiet, except for mid-morning when they are making a bit of noise in their once-a-day birthing routine (that must suck...). I've also NEVER had issue with them roosting outside. Ever. If anything, sometimes they will only go outside of the coop for water (I now water them outside) and go right back in. Perhaps something is stressing them, particularly at night, particularly in the coop. Think snake or something. I know lots of folks who go for pretty and/or exotic breeds. I go with traditional farmyard breeds from the late 1800's to early 1900's. Good working chickens. I have few issues. No snakes or mice that I have noticed when cleaning out the coop. It's a little too cold here in the winter for them too. |
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Posted: 2/7/2017 2:06:28 PM EDT
[#3]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
I've always had Rhode Island Reds or Barred Rock for hens. They are always quiet, except for mid-morning when they are making a bit of noise in their once-a-day birthing routine (that must suck...). I've also NEVER had issue with them roosting outside. Ever. If anything, sometimes they will only go outside of the coop for water (I now water them outside) and go right back in. Perhaps something is stressing them, particularly at night, particularly in the coop. Think snake or something. I know lots of folks who go for pretty and/or exotic breeds. I go with traditional farmyard breeds from the late 1800's to early 1900's. Good working chickens. I have few issues. There's a reason Barred Rocks, RIR's, Leghorns, etc. have developed good reputations as general laying flock hens. We've had quite a few exotic breeds, silkies, Polish, etc., but our main laying flock always seems to work back down to the old standards. We do keep a few Easter eggers, Marans, and some other dark or colorful egg layers around, because they make attractive dozens that do help sell the eggs, but overall there's a lot to be said by not trying to reinvent the wheel. |
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Posted: 2/7/2017 3:42:40 PM EDT
[#4]
Sorry, no advice but I feel (felt) your pain.
We got rid of ours a couple years ago and I am glad. We had 5-6 hens and 1-2 roosters for years but did the math and the cost of feed wasn't worth the eggs, coupled with the headaches of the noise and having someone come to look after them if we went anywhere in the summer (it is regularly over 100 degrees for 2-3 months). |
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Posted: 2/7/2017 6:57:10 PM EDT
[#5]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Sorry, no advice but I feel (felt) your pain. We got rid of ours a couple years ago and I am glad. We had 5-6 hens and 1-2 roosters for years but did the math and the cost of feed wasn't worth the eggs, coupled with the headaches of the noise and having someone come to look after them if we went anywhere in the summer (it is regularly over 100 degrees for 2-3 months). You will always find that unless you buy organically in the store, growing food at home is NOT cheaper in all but the most extreme cases. The reasons to grow food at home, from what I have found, are (in no particular order):
Example: Best I can do for raising meat chickens is around $8/bird input costs (not including infrastructure), sometimes more (sometimes a lot more), but once I start fodder this year, I'm hoping to half my feed costs, bringing it down to $5/bird, but with more labor in making fodder, and more infrastructure costs in the fodder system. You can buy cheap gold-n-plump birds already neatly packaged on sale for $4-$5. Why do I do it? Because organic chicken is $9.99 A POUND. It all depends on your priorities, but unless you eat and pay for organic anyway, consider raising food a hobby, not a money saver. |
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Posted: 2/7/2017 7:23:49 PM EDT
[#6]
I got out of them when I moved.
I had RIR and Buffs. A knew a guy that gave me two Australorps. They were strung up and eaten in about 2 months because of the reasons you posted. |
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Posted: 2/7/2017 8:27:42 PM EDT
[#7]
Our hens were making a loud fuss the other night. I thought maybe they were out of water and food, or something. Went outside and most were out of the coop. Open it up and scared a opossum. It was in the coup for warmth. Had never seen it before. It's been hanging around though, and making the dogs go nuts when it's out back. We close the coop up to keep it out, and the hens have settled back down.
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Posted: 2/8/2017 8:06:42 PM EDT
[#8]
I got rid of mine a couple years ago, 8 Isa Browns.
THey were good girls and I would get 7 eggs a day. I had so many eggs after a few weeks I was giving them away to people at work. After 2 years I started getting less and less eggs. Then I found some shells in the coop. Dammit, an egg eater. Ended up giving them to a neighbor. What he did with them, I don't know. I was thinking about getting more chicks and raising them, but right now I don't have the time or real want to do it. |
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Posted: 2/8/2017 8:14:50 PM EDT
[#9]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Our hens were making a loud fuss the other night. I thought maybe they were out of water and food, or something. Went outside and most were out of the coop. Open it up and scared a opossum. It was in the coup for warmth. Had never seen it before. It's been hanging around though, and making the dogs go nuts when it's out back. We close the coop up to keep it out, and the hens have settled back down. Kill it. It WILL get in the coop and kill all youre birds |
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Posted: 2/8/2017 9:05:19 PM EDT
[#10]
I love my chickens!
I started out with 10 straight run chicks picked by the local meth head (I kid you not) at the Pulaski, TN TSC store. 12 weeks later, it was clear that I had 6 roosters and 4 hens. Ended up butchering 5 of the roosters, leaving me with 4 hens and one rooster. Every once in a while he attempts to dominate me when I go check on he and his hens. His attempts always end up with me booting him across the chicken shack run from one end to the other until I get my point across. Other than that, plus the 4 eggs/day, it's been great! No problems with varmints or anything else bothering my chickens, due to my two Lab/Great Pyrenees LGS dogs that I have in a dog run that fully encloses the chicken shack! No snakes, no raccoons, no nothing since about a year or so ago. When the hens stop laying for good, I'll butcher them and move onto a half dozen or so new hens, but that's a year away or so. Thanks, |
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Posted: 2/9/2017 12:04:56 PM EDT
[#11]
Last count I have 26 chickens. I don't even begin to know the breeds, we have all kinds.
I get eggs, butcher at home for the meat, and they definitely help teach the kids some responsibility. Other than that it is a hobby for me. I know I lose money on them |
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Posted: 2/9/2017 6:01:38 PM EDT
[#12]
i don't understand the money thing you guys talk bad about. My wife claims her chickens pay for their feed with eggs she sells. The 25 guineas eat the food too! 9 bucks for 50 pounds of pellet food. She gets approx $3 worth of eggs a day and sometimes $4 after I eat breakfast. I know they do not eat 50 lbs in 3 days. I guess it may be too because all ours free range and don't always eat the bought food unless the snow is down. They do like that cracked corn!
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Posted: 2/9/2017 6:22:30 PM EDT
[#13]
You can always dress them in pants
http://www.google.com/search?sclient=tablet-gws&site=&source=hp&q=chicken+wearing+pants&oq=chicken+wearing+pants&gs_l=tablet-gws.3..0i131k1j0l2.3130.14630.0.15544.21.13.0.8.8.0.512.2327.0j6j3j5-1.10.0....0...1c.1.64.tablet-gws..3.18.2412.74bF6eI-k8g |
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Posted: 2/12/2017 9:36:22 PM EDT
[#14]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Kill it. It WILL get in the coop and kill all youre birds RIR is a fairly quiet and extremely hardy breed. Love mine. Australorps are demonic asshole birds. Leghorns too. Noisy and can't keep them in anything other than a fully enclosed run. If it has a hole, they will find it. I keep my RIR's in with 4' welded wire. I currently have a little bantam rooster (no idea what breed...Looks like a little crossbreed of some sort) that roosts in the barn (14' up) and the little bastard starts crowing at 3 am every night! |
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