More Chicken Questions?

[GAbee]

Does anyone know of any laws that would prevent me from having a couple of chickens or ducks on my city home (about 1/2 acre)?

I really need to move to the country...

[Michael Bush]

Every city, county and housing development have their own rules. In the nearby big city of Lincoln, NE you can have two "farm animals" for pets. After that you're a farm. And they still went after a guy with a minature horse the other day.

[airbalancer]

We live in a neighborhood on a 3/4 acre lot and we keep 4 hens. All my closest neighbors get free fresh eggs whenever they want so nobody has ever complained. The only time they get noisy is in the afternoon after they lay an egg the will come out of the coop cluck up a storm, but that only lasts for a few moments. Far less annoying than some of their screaming kids in my opinion, but never a complaint. I think if you stay away from the roosters you will be ok.

[Michael Bush]

And contray to popular belief, you don't need roosters to get eggs. http://www.beesource.com/ubb/smile.gif

[Terri]

Call city hall and check the zoning laws.

[beekeeper28]

sometimes it is betterto ask for forgivness than permision when dealing with government agaencies ........ not having a rooster is good advise.

[mark williams]

This is not about the chicken law's, But it is more chicken question,
I've just finished building a chicken pen & ordered some baby chick's.(day old).
My Question is ,these chick was hatched together so more than likly are brother & sister's,if all go well & I breed them next season sould I've got the rooster & hen's at diff-places to keep from cross breeding?
are does it matter?>>>>

[ChellesBees]

Probably not. At best they are half siblings. How many, and what breed did you get? If you only have three birds, I might be concerned, but if you have a couple dozen, then it is no big deal. Are they all one breed, or different breeds?

[mark williams]

ChellesBees:I ordered 25,12 road island red pullets,3 "" roosters & 10 Barred rock pullets.>>>>Mark

[Michael Bush]

They probably all hatched togther and they will be shipped togeterh. You can raise them all together. Cross breeding won't hurt the chikens any and the first generation has that hybrid vigor. The subsequent generations aren't bad either. Those are all good brown egg laying heavy breed that will lay some all winter if you keep a light on them.

[mark williams]

Thanks for the info,Also from what I've read crossing the R.R rooster with a Barred Rock hen is the way they came up with the black sex link chicken, Which is a good looking chicken,& thanks Michael for the web site On Mcmurry you gave me awhile back>>>>Mark

[Branman]

GAbee, I'm in the same boat you are. I live in Atlanta as well and can't afford any land in town. Thats why I'm moving to the country http://www.beesource.com/ubb/smile.gif. My question is to the rest of the group; I'm interested in getting chickens as well. How much work are they? Will I be able to raise them as a weekend farmer only? I still have to work intown and will only be able to leave on the weekends.

[ChellesBees]

Personally, without daily attendance, I would not do chickens. Too much can go wrong if they are not checked daily.
Predators, over-heating, run out of food and water, etc. All those things lead to dead birds.

[Michael Bush]

It is important to be able to make sure they don't run out of water. Food they will scrounge anyway, but a large feeder will last a small flock for a week. If they are free to roam then they can forage, but if they are cooped up they are not. A predator can get to them easier if they are free roaming, but the chickens can also escape better. If they are cooped up and predator gets in, the predator can kill all the chickens because they can corner them.

I think if I was only going to be there once a week, I'd get guinea fowl. They are less prone to predation because they roost in trees, and they are self sufficient. You don't even need (or want) a house for them. Of coures, good luck finding the eggs. http://www.beesource.com/ubb/smile.gif