I love to watch chickens. Born and raised in L.A., I didn't have any contact with live chickens until I moved to rural Pennsylvania. We bought a few chickens and I could spend hours just watching them. Silly little creatures, but very cute.
I love to watch chickens. Born and raised in L.A., I didn't have any contact with live chickens until I moved to rural Pennsylvania. We bought a few chickens and I could spend hours just watching them. Silly little creatures, but very cute.
Apparently there is an entire underground empire in my city of people raising chickens that I never knew about. There is a woman at my job who raises them. There is even an event called the Tour De Coup where everyone goes around and admires everyone else's set-up. She didn't have the tour stop at her house because she was embarrassed about her coup for some reason. Then she find out that one of her chicks was a rooster, so she had to get rid of it because she lived inside the city limits.
I'd love to have chickens again, but I'd be afraid the predators would get them. I think a bobcat got the ones we had years ago--although people said we don't have bobcats around here. Oh, yeah? It sure looked like one.
If I could figure out a way to keep them safe I'd love to have another flock of Buff Orpingtons. They were the best mamas to their little chicks!
Am I the only one who thought this thread was going to be about chicken counting?!
I don't have any chickens of my own, but when I was a teenager I worked on a farm that did pony rides and petting zoos for birthday parties or other special occasions and one of the chickens there was my favorite. It was a Rhode Island red, and instead of caging it with the other chickens I would put a feed bag over my lap and let it sit with me in the passengers seat. You could just imagine some of the looks I would get from other people on the highway..
We also are considering a small mule does anyone have mules? If so can you provide any insight on the care and upkeep? We liked to get one and name it Flapjack.
I may be knocked down, but I sure as hell am not out of the game yet!
Red and Wild Thing are currently doing their Chicken Drama Queen routine.
Red made it to the nest first [yes, there is enough space for two].
Wild Thing is not happy. She wants the nest. She wants RED OUT. She does not want to share. For a little bit she just ignored RED and walked about poking.
RED shifted herself so her BUTT faced out -- 'no one welcome here'. Then turned sideways in the nest [which is an old wicker type launder basket on its side] making it totally impossible for another chicken to jam herself in. [except on top, that may happen...]
Now Wild Thing is squawking all over the place. Wild Thing is loud enough to be a rooster. She is doing the 'I laid an Egg' squawking, as if that will convince Red that Red has laid her egg and she can get out of that nest RIGHT NOW.
MULES -- met some nice friendly mules in my day. People who get them swear by them. They have a reputation of being 'smart'. Have you considered a good sized donkey [they come in all sizes]. They have good gentle dispositions too. And a nice reputation as 'guard' animals.
I thought about teaching some chicks we hatched to ride on the handlebars of my bicycle, I only made one trip up and down the driveway. The kids sure did think I was funny!
---------- Post added at 01:35 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:53 PM ----------
I have not heard of Tour De Coup it sounds like fun! I have seen some pictures and there are some very fancy coups out there. Maybe if become an expert turker, I will build my very own chicken dream house!
What a wild and interesting thread! Not sure what I was expecting, but this has turned out to be very eye-opening and charming about chickens! I had no idea they had any kind of intelligence at all. Maybe I'll get a couple. They sound so adorable!
I would love to raise a few chickens! We have the space in our backyard, and we are rural enough where there won't be any issues with regulations. The problem is they would not last a day with my German Shepherd mix. She has a very high prey instinct (lived 'wild' before she was picked up and put in the shelter where we adopted her).
I remember watching an episode of Dog Whisperer where Cesear taught the dog to play nice with the chicken. Hmmmm...
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