My Other Hobby (Warning - It's quite fowl!)

yearofthenick

yearofthenick

Active Member
Okay, sorry for the pun.
Yesterday was my wife's birthday. I asked her what she wanted for her birthday and she said "chickens!" I was sure she was joking. So I put on my facebook status that my wife wanted chickens for her birthday and I got about a dozen comments from different people (even our pastors wife) saying that I had to grant her wish.
So, after speaking with the landlord and referring to the city municipal code, we went down to the feed store and picked up some chicks. Pretty cheap, too - $2.50 a chick.
I figured when you're wife is as great as mine, you give her everything she asks for:

We bought 8 chicks total - 5 Rhode Island Red's and 3 Barred Rock's.

I've been researching all day about how to build a chicken coop. Pics of that to come!
 
lovethesea

lovethesea

Active Member
so cute. Your wife is pretty. My daughter has a friend that has chickens and a few roosters for years. A couple of them are quite exotic. His chicken coup is pretty fancy. i remember when he and his dad built a new fancy one, I asked what the pipe was that ran across the back. "oh thats where they go at night to sleep". I do know he has problems with racoons. They will reach into the chicken wire (and the chickens arent the brightest) and snatch the chickens and chew them up. Also high heat summers, he has to "water" them. A few years ago we were at the neighborhood pool and I hear him ask my daughter (he is a friend that happens to be a boy) do you want to come home with me and help me water the chickens. Me =
I kind of flinched and said what the hellz does that mean? He said "my chickens, they get over heated this time of year and have to be watched and watered" Looking at me like I'm crazy.
go figure.....what else could that have meant?
 
t316

t316

Active Member
Originally Posted by stdreb27
http:///forum/post/3266691
Shoulda got a plucker to go with em...
That's the funniest thing I have seen in a long time. Wish I had that contraption when I was coming up. My Dad made me pluck them feathers one at the time. With this gizmo you not only get the feathers plucked but you get a very tenderized chicken...:)
 
speg

speg

Active Member
I used to be big into raising chickens. We had a bunch just before I moved out. I had some really cool polish chickens.. I don't really know what it is about the polish ones but they'll actually come to your feet and squat down so you can pick them up/hold them.
 
teresaq

teresaq

Active Member
watch those rhode Island Reds. I was spurred by one as a child. My mother found my dads pistel and shot it thru the heart-one shot
 
al&burke

al&burke

Active Member
Year of the Nick, Great hobby as well, we have a few chickens as well, got them as chicks, make sure you handle them alot they will become very friendly with you, ours my son can pick up all the time. They sit on my arm like a parrot. Nothing like fresh eggs in the morning. When they get bigger you can feed them all your vegetable scraps, great for composting. Good luck, great fun for everyone.
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
Originally Posted by Al&Burke
http:///forum/post/3266727
Year of the Nick, Great hobby as well, we have a few chickens as well, got them as chicks, make sure you handle them alot they will become very friendly with you, ours my son can pick up all the time. They sit on my arm like a parrot. Nothing like fresh eggs in the morning. When they get bigger you can feed them all your vegetable scraps, great for composting. Good luck, great fun for everyone.
LOL...I had a pet chicken as a kid, it ws a bit one sided. I don't think the chicken cared at all one way or the other. I grew up and got a parrot.
 
al&burke

al&burke

Active Member
Originally Posted by Flower
http:///forum/post/3266728
LOL...I had a pet chicken as a kid, it ws a bit one sided. I don't think the chicken cared at all one way or the other. I grew up and got a parrot.
I guess the chicken is the farmer in me. Something I always wanted to get as well a parrot.
 
stdreb27

stdreb27

Active Member
another good thing about chlckens is that they'll take care of any snakes and bugs (and grass) in your yard...
 
yearofthenick

yearofthenick

Active Member
Okay guys, just finished the chicken coop. Here's a pic at the very beginning... just three of four walls...

Then I moved it into place and started putting the siding on for the back half which will be the roost/nesting area on top and a shaded area for the bottom...

I built my own trusses!

Here's a pic with the wood pretty much done, just need to put the wall up where the roost is. I've made the wall with hinges, so you can actually tilt the entire roost wall up inside the coop to clean more easily in there.

We bought a some shingles at home depot but I didn't get enough so when I went back the next day to get more, the entire pallet was GONE! Man, just my luck!!! Thankfully it was just moved to the front of the store because someone bought a large quantity of them and it was easier to load in their truck. I found the left overs and got what I needed. Still thought it was funny to go back and find this...

THE FINISHED PRODUCT!
 
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