OT: Chickens - Pros vs Cons (Now with bees!)

[koleszar]

.

Not a bad way to test the chicken waters without making the investments, but long term it would seem cheaper to buy eggs if there are only 2 people in your household.

I'd say there are some other benefits than just the eggs. Obviously free fertilizer, you make chicken poop tea and man, people will wonder how you have such a lush garden or lawn. My orchard grows some great fruit. If you free range say goodbye to ticks and any other creepy crawly your wife hates. Finally, a big one for me, you'll never waste food again. Your little Raptors will eat almost anything and thank you for it.

Hey was there a mountain bike convention over at Allaire or something today? All the mountain bike spots around Allaire were packed and people parking on the roads.

 

[RU4Real]

Hey was there a mountain bike convention over at Allaire or something today? All the mountain bike spots around Allaire were packed and people parking on the roads.

Word got out that someone was giving away free Birkenstocks and chai tea.

 

[Knight Shift]

.

I'd say there are some other benefits than just the eggs. Obviously free fertilizer, you make chicken poop tea and man, people will wonder how you have such a lush garden or lawn. My orchard grows some great fruit. If you free range say goodbye to ticks and any other creepy crawly your wife hates. Finally, a big one for me, you'll never waste food again. Your little Raptors will eat almost anything and thank you for it.

Hey was there a mountain bike convention over at Allaire or something today? All the mountain bike spots around Allaire were packed and people parking on the roads.

Not sure we can have chickens here, and not sure it would work for us with the amount of travel we plan to do in our future.

Not sure what is up with mountain bikes and Allaire. That lot off of Hospital Road is crazy on weekends. Mountain bikers from northern NJ come down because the trails up north are full of ice/snow (Sussex County). I avoid that area, and take the trails behind Brisbane and bounded by I-195, which is McDowell's old property. I'm glad I can either cut through the WMA at the end of my street or take the short trek down Ramshorn and get onto trails.

Question- Have you been to Our House restaurant in Howell? Passed it too many times. Did not realize the history of that place and the 1700's gangster who was allegedly hung from the tree behind the place.

 

[Knight Shift]

Word got out that someone was giving away free Birkenstocks and chai tea.

Listen, don't mock something you haven't tried. I look great in Bierkenstocks on my rig, sipping chai tea from my water bottle.

Remember what Bruce sang about the chicken man:

 

[RU_DIO]

Not sure we can have chickens here, and not sure it would work for us with the amount of travel we plan to do in our future.

Not sure what is up with mountain bikes and Allaire. That lot off of Hospital Road is crazy on weekends. Mountain bikers from northern NJ come down because the trails up north are full of ice/snow (Sussex County). I avoid that area, and take the trails behind Brisbane and bounded by I-195, which is McDowell's old property. I'm glad I can either cut through the WMA at the end of my street or take the short trek down Ramshorn and get onto trails.

Question- Have you been to Our House restaurant in Howell? Passed it too many times. Did not realize the history of that place and the 1700's gangster who was allegedly hung from the tree behind the place.

Hey,

You need to introduce me to Koleszar. I want to run to his house since I live closer to him than you do and grab a few of his chickens eggs.

 

[Knight Shift]

Hey,

You need to introduce me to Koleszar. I want to run to his house since I live closer to him than you do and grab a few of his chickens eggs.

I'll pick you upon my mountain bike. I will be wearing birkenstocks and sipping chai from my water bottle. You can sit on my handlebars.

We can steal his hens. According to him, they are good looking girls, but not much on laying ability. Perfect for married men.

 

[koleszar]

Hey,

You need to introduce me to Koleszar. I want to run to his house since I live closer to him than you do and grab a few of his chickens eggs.

Around late March is when they start up full production. Hit me up then if you remember. We usually tell people to get enough for two weeks since my eggs don't need to be stored in the fridge, they're good for almost a month out of it. This way you don't have to make as many trips. You order, if we don't have, it'll be filled in a day or two.

 

[29PAS]

I have to admit this has been a very entertaining thread. Surprised the hell out of me.

 

[RULoyal]

A woman I used to work with had chickens. She had a video of her girls devouring a mouse they caught. As koleszar has said - little raptors. Made me glad chickens aren’t bigger.

 

[mildone_rivals]

I'll pick you upon my mountain bike. I will be wearing birkenstocks and sipping chai from my water bottle. You can sit on my handlebars.

We can steal his hens. According to him, they are good looking girls, but not much on laying ability. Perfect for married men.

Will y’all be sprinkled with Patchouli oil?

 

[RU_DIO]

Around late March is when they start up full production. Hit me up then if you remember. We usually tell people to get enough for two weeks since my eggs don't need to be stored in the fridge, they're good for almost a month out of it. This way you don't have to make as many trips. You order, if we don't have, it'll be filled in a day or two.

Cool, seriously sounds good.

We will see if Knight Shift can carry me on his handle bars. I'd rather him bring the fire truck.

 

[mildone_rivals]

So the bricks were satisfied?

Damn, I missed that one somehow. More bad dad jokes. Excellent.

 

[mildone_rivals]

What about these people?
(Note - I only know the name and have no clue of any songs. I am definitely one the people referenced).

Definitely them, too. And people who think Pink Floyd is some low-Melanin British fella who sings.

 

[mildone_rivals]

Question- Have you been to Our House restaurant in Howell?

I haven’t been, myself, but I keep hearing it’s a very, very, very fine house.

 

[koleszar]

Question- Have you been to Our House restaurant in Howell? Passed it too many times. Did not realize the history of that place and the 1700's gangster who was allegedly hung from the tree behind the place.

I have no idea where it's even at. Funny thing, last night driving home from the wrestling match I started pointing out all the shopping centers I've never been in, to my wife. I've lived in Howell for 10 yrs. and I was amazed. As I was about to say look at all this crap, I noticed something which caught my eye, "Ooo a Gun Shop, I had no idea we even had one".

 

[RU4Real]

A woman I used to work with had chickens. She had a video of her girls devouring a mouse they caught. As koleszar has said - little raptors. Made me glad chickens aren’t bigger.

What YOU want are Cassowaries.

 

[Knight Shift]

I have no idea where it's even at. Funny thing, last night driving home from the wrestling match I started pointing out all the shopping centers I've never been in, to my wife. I've lived in Howell for 10 yrs. and I was amazed. As I was about to say look at all this crap, I noticed something which caught my eye, "Ooo a Gun Shop, I had no idea we even had one".

I forgot that you are on the "other side" of Route 9. I purchased from that gun shop. They are OK in there, for a gun shop.

Our House is a historic building. Take Georgia Tavern Road toward the Reservoir until you are in Farmingdale. The place is at the area where Farmindale/Howell/Freehold intersect. I never know which town I am in.

The history of Our House:

"When Marriner's Tavern opened in 1747 the Revolutionary War was still just under 30 years away and Howell was not even a blip on the map.

Fast forward more than 260 years and the tavern is now known as the Our House Restaurant and Banquet Facility and continues to provide a strong link to the township's history.

Since it opened the restaurant has been a place where local governments have met and served as the base of a group of outlaws known as the "Fagan Gang." A tree that still stands outside the restaurant was also reportedly the site of a hanging back in 1779.

As with many old buildings there are some who believe the restaurant may be haunted. Last year a film crew from the show "Twilight Passages," filmed an episode at Our House. Sandra Foley, one of the people with the show said they hope to have a viewing party for the episode sometime in May at the restaurant.

https://www.ourhouserestaurant.com/our-story

 

[BellyFullOfWhiteDogCrap]

Great advice. I saw a documentary about a rancher in Mexico that transformed desert into grassland simply by penning cattle and feeding them for a season then moving the pen and letting nature take its course. Absolutely amazing.
I can build and fab just about anything so pens, coups etc won't be an issue.

If you saw the lengths my neighbor went through with protection before taking out the bobcat you'd understand. Foxes, coyotes and raccoons are just as persistant. When you are surrounded by woods and fields (think 3 houses and a couple hundred acres) the bench is pretty deep for varmints. 99% of rural folks are the biggest conservationists you'll ever meet. But you have to draw a line at attacking things around your house. I don't allow my dog to wander out of the back lights when I let him out at night while there. Different world than coastal NJ.

Yes, it's called rotational grazing, or mob grazing. A lot of operations using this methods will follow their cattle with their mobile laying hens. The chickens will scratch and peck through all of the cow manure patties, eating the fly larvae and spreading the cow manure. Beautiful system that mimics the migrating heard. Grazers...birds...rest.... repeat.
Animal impact on the land should be short with a long rest period.
I get furious when I hear so called environmentalists claim that beef cattle are contributing to climate change. If cattle are managed using the methods described above, it's actually a carbon negative system. The soil becomes a carbon sink. It's not the animals. It's how we manage them.

 

[DJ Spanky]

 

[BellyFullOfWhiteDogCrap]

More fear mongering about backyard chickens:

 

[CERU00]

Yes, it's called rotational grazing, or mob grazing. A lot of operations using this methods will follow their cattle with their mobile laying hens. The chickens will scratch and peck through all of the cow manure patties, eating the fly larvae and spreading the cow manure. Beautiful system that mimics the migrating heard. Grazers...birds...rest.... repeat.
Animal impact on the land should be short with a long rest period.
I get furious when I hear so called environmentalists claim that beef cattle are contributing to climate change. If cattle are managed using the methods described above, it's actually a carbon negative system. The soil becomes a carbon sink. It's not the animals. It's how we manage them.

Jeremy clarkson demonstrates this method in his second season of Clarkson's farm. His show is very entertaining.

 

[RU4Real]

Jeremy clarkson demonstrates this method in his second season of Clarkson's farm. His show is very entertaining.

And it's bloody brilliant.

 

[koleszar]

Jeremy clarkson demonstrates this method in his second season of Clarkson's farm. His show is very entertaining.

We just saw the episode, (awesome show). OK two things with that.

-1st that fence was a joke, those cows would have walked right through it and it's not keeping out any predators. Should have just let the Chickens roam. They know where their home is and will always come back at dusk.

-2nd the Rooster coup. Must have been done just for the show. Keeping 25 Roosters together is basically asking for unsanctioned Cock fights all day long. We learned our lesson quickly with that one. Had 7 Roosters once, all I needed was some seating and I could have charged for Cock fighting. It was a battle royal all day long.

 

[RULoyal]

 

[RU4Real]

That's some mean cock.

 

[CERU00]

We just saw the episode, (awesome show). OK two things with that.

-1st that fence was a joke, those cows would have walked right through it and it's not keeping out any predators. Should have just let the Chickens roam. They know where their home is and will always come back at dusk.

-2nd the Rooster coup. Must have been done just for the show. Keeping 25 Roosters together is basically asking for unsanctioned Cock fights all day long. We learned our lesson quickly with that one. Had 7 Roosters once, all I needed was some seating and I could have charged for Cock fighting. It was a battle royal all day long.

Based on the first season they, actually just Jeremy, do a bunch of silly or stupid things for the show. But they usually make it fit somewhat naturally into a interesting plot. Some things...like Caleb's perm... I just can't explain.

 

[RUDead]

Great advice. I saw a documentary about a rancher in Mexico that transformed desert into grassland simply by penning cattle and feeding them for a season then moving the pen and letting nature take its course. Absolutely amazing.
I can build and fab just about anything so pens, coups etc won't be an issue.

If you saw the lengths my neighbor went through with protection before taking out the bobcat you'd understand. Foxes, coyotes and raccoons are just as persistant. When you are surrounded by woods and fields (think 3 houses and a couple hundred acres) the bench is pretty deep for varmints. 99% of rural folks are the biggest conservationists you'll ever meet. But you have to draw a line at attacking things around your house. I don't allow my dog to wander out of the back lights when I let him out at night while there. Different world than coastal NJ.

I saw a great idea for protecting a hen house/run etc. Outside of the cage they had chicken wire buried in the ground so when the critter tried to dig they couldn't get anywhere. Kept them away from the structure so they couldn't tear it apart, which given time they eventually will do.

 

[BellyFullOfWhiteDogCrap]

I saw a great idea for protecting a hen house/run etc. Outside of the cage they had chicken wire buried in the ground so when the critter tried to dig they couldn't get anywhere. Kept them away from the structure so they couldn't tear it apart, which given time they eventually will do.

To save the work of digging all that chicken wire into the ground, you can also just lay the wire flat on the ground around the perimeter of the coop and stake it into the ground.

 

[RUDead]

To save the work of digging all that chicken wire into the ground, you can also just lay the wire flat on the ground around the perimeter of the coup and stake it into the ground.

That would work too. This guy had a really bad critter problem so he had one piece that went from the top of the coop and curved into the ground about 5 feet from the coop in every direction. He didn't have any problems after that. Ha.

 

[BellyFullOfWhiteDogCrap]

Using livestock to green the world's deserts

 

[Postman_1]

So I found a brown chicken egg in my yard today. I think it was a chicken egg? We dont own any chickens though. I dont know of any neighbors owning any but not 100%. Something could've carried it in there because did find feces from another animal. Yard is fenced so wasn't a dog.

 

[Extra Point_rivals157299]

Maybe just have two chickens and a small hen house. If they lay an egg each day, you will have plenty of eggs. To me it is way too much work. Have to constantly clean poop and put down straw, have to protect them from predators and bugs, have to feed them, keep them warm in the winter, ugh. Buying 6 eggs once in a while is a lot easier.

 

[BellyFullOfWhiteDogCrap]

Maybe just have two chickens and a small hen house. If they lay an egg each day, you will have plenty of eggs. To me it is way too much work. Have to constantly clean poop and put down straw, have to protect them from predators and bugs, have to feed them, keep them warm in the winter, ugh. Buying 6 eggs once in a while is a lot easier.

Honestly, it's really not much work. ~5 minutes/day. Feed and water in the morning, collect eggs at some point during the day, make sure they're secure at night. How much additional time you spend with your birds is up to you. Personally, just watching them free range and forage is neverending entertainment and I love being outside with them. It's a labor of love. Not for everyone.