farmer 1,075 #1 Posted December 2, 2011 Just thought I'd ask the question, Does anyone else keep livestock in their gardens ? Here's my list 6 layers ( keeps us in eggs ) 24 table birds in the spring ( for the freezer ) 2 geese in the summer, they have the same names every year ( Christmas & Easter )..... and they're starting to look nervous Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Toejam 1 #2 Posted December 2, 2011 Cooked free range goose, YUM! No live stuck here but I do get my eggs still warm from a friend. Always good to know where your food comes from. :text-merryxmas: Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sorekiwi 761 #3 Posted December 3, 2011 I'm hoping to have some chickens next year. They'll be layers though, I'm not sure I'm ready to look after a chook for 6 months then chop his head off. There are some people I could do it to without blinking an eye, but I'm not sure I can do it to a chicken! :) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AMC RULES 37,133 #4 Posted December 3, 2011 OMG! :bow-blue: Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MaineDad 85 #5 Posted December 3, 2011 I keep 5 chickens who provide us with fresh eggs daily and help me keep the compost bin filled. I plan on building a small pole barn/shed to house some goats this spring. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
farmer 1,075 #6 Posted December 4, 2011 Goats, wow they sound perfect for the garden, If you like goats milk or cheese, can't say I do but thats just me. Better make sure you have good or they'd make mince meat of your veg We plan to finish a couple of pigs each year, but that's in the future. :thumbs: Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Trouty56 567 #7 Posted December 4, 2011 5 hens and a rooster (Leghorns)...he was a mistake. I guess the person doing the sexing goofed up. We have plenty of eggs. I really like raw eggnog and raspberry custard pies, well, anything custard pies for that matter..peach, rhubarb, plain, etc..... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
6wheeler 603 #8 Posted December 5, 2011 6 layers milling around the yard. (my harem as the wife calls them) and in the spring we get 50 to 75 broilers, depending on how many we have contracted to potential buyers. And this year maybe, some turkeys again. Some of you may recall, my last foray into turkeys yielded 2 23# wild turkeys and 2 domestic turkeys 1@ 36# dressed and 1@ 48# dressed. Needless to say, we had alot of #@!$%# turkey to eat . Pat 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rooster 191 #9 Posted December 5, 2011 Personally, I find it hard to kill chickens..... Buff Orphingtons, gentle calm, healthy Layers with a great disposition! Leghorns are nuts! LOL I miss my chickens....the City Animal Control officer made me get rid of my "Livestock", lol! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
IthacaJeff 151 #10 Posted December 8, 2011 Good topic here fellas, I'm interested in how you got started. Moved the family out to the country two years ago, got a good garden going, and now we are looking for some laying hens to keep a family of 8 well supplied with eggs. Any advice on starting? Good books or websites to visit? Any and all advice appreciated! Jeff in Enfield NY Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MaineDad 85 #11 Posted December 8, 2011 Jeff: My favorite chicken site is www.backyardchickens.com - there, you will find everything you will need. My guess with a family of 8 you will need 8 to 10 chickens minimum. Go to Tractor Supply this coming spring and get their Red Pullets. They are a large brown egg laying hen and hardy for our northeast weather. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
6wheeler 603 #12 Posted December 8, 2011 Jeff, all I can say is have fun. One of the best places you could check is you local elevator or feed supplier. They will have a very good idea of what will be needed for your place. One thing to remember. A hen will lay an egg a day every day, if she is fed right and housed right. However, if she is stressed be it by environment or the other chickens she may not. Also, chickens have a "pecking" order. Meaning, someone is going to be in charge and the chckens will work it out on their own, so don't worry about hen fights. When they start to laying ( usually when they are 5 to 7 months old) you will get some weird looking eggs. Some will be small, some will be very large with double yolks (those are fun for the kids to get at breakfast). This happens at the beginning of their "laying" cycle and also typically at the end. What I mean by that is, hens only have so many eggs inside of them so they will typically lay for 18 months at the outside.Then, no more eggs. Putting a Rooster in with them is not going to hurt anything. As a matter of fact, I keep one on them so I can have some fertilized eggs in case I want to hatch some. They will lay eggs with or without a rooster. Good luck and have fun. By the way, Easter is a good time to get them as the kids get Easter presents as well (BABY CHICKS) and you're a hero.... Pat Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
farmer 1,075 #13 Posted December 8, 2011 Keeping chicken is relatively straight foward, a couple of things that may be of interest, clipping their wing feathers avoids ariel escape During long daylight hours they do lay every day so it's omelettes all round in the summer, but over winter it's every other day. :( Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rooster 191 #14 Posted December 8, 2011 Old trick for keeping track of your chickens health, whistle, humm or sing quietly when walking up to or messing with them. They will "shut-up" and listen to you, while your doing this listen for Coughs....when all the rest are quiet, the sick ones will be easy to find. Keep more than you want eggs, very soon friends and family will hear of your fresh egg supply! Like Jeff said, the reds are great layers and hearty,also Any of the Old English breeds will do well in the north. I like Orphaningtons, they are very docile. Stay away from the Mediterranean Breeds (leghorns), they are flighty and do not like the cold, go off laying very easily. As for Laying, they lay every 28 hours...give or take... You can get them to lay where you want them too with fake eggs, wooden eggs even the plastic Easter eggs. Put them in the boxes and Beware of egg eaters, once a chicken starts doing this, she usually will not stop! OK....I could write a book, lol! www.backyardchickens.com is one of the best sites out there, especially for a beginner. Lots of good info! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MaineDad 85 #15 Posted December 9, 2011 You can also put a light in the coop to keep them on a regular laying cycle. I have mine on a timer and make sure they get 14 hours of light each day. My light turns on around 2am and turns off at 7am, just as the sign rises. I built a neat water warmer too that I can take a picture of this weekend to share... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
6wheeler 603 #16 Posted December 9, 2011 Maybe all of us that have done this should get together and start a "Chicken Ranch" . The guys from Vegas will be knockin at our door . All these ideas, I guess we all do it basically the same. Rooster, I would buy your book. Do you get alot of coughers? Mainedad, I would like to see the picture of the waterer you made. It can get down to -20 or colder here in Mn. and even with the Red Giant heater that goes under the waterers , they can still freeze. I have been using heated dog bowls when it gets really cold. Great info gentlemen. Pat Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
farmer 1,075 #17 Posted March 11, 2012 Spring has sprung, and here's the proof These are day-olds and will stay under the light for the time being, but before long they'll be in the freezer. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
