Chickens As
Companions?
Do chickens make good companion pets?
Yes,
Virginia,
chickens can
be
great companions.
They really do have cute personalities. They are great garden
companions, as they are very curious and will follow you around in your
garden.
Of
course,
they
will
peck
the
seedlings,
so
you will want to keep them
away from your tender veggies.
Chickens will eat insects in your yard. They love scratching the
earth. Kind of like small tillers--ever heard of Chicken Tractors?
Explore the Different Poultry Breeds
There
are
many
breeds
of
poultry.
Some are exotics, domestics and rare breed poultry. It's always fun and
informative to go to Agricultural
Fairs and see the poultry.
Also, fancy poultry shows are great.
This is a great way to see exotic and rare birds. Many of these may be
like what your grandmother may have had on the farm many years ago. The
large egg farms that we have today do not have the rare or near extinct
birds.
Chickens For Meat or Eggs?
You
may
want
a
few
chickens for
eggs or meat.
TIP: If you are
going to raise meat birds, it is probably not a good idea to name them.
If you name your food, it might be hard to eat.
Some
chickens
can
live
up
to
8
years.
My chickens are not for meat, only
eggs and enjoyment.
Once
you
have
your
own
chickens
laying
eggs,
you'll NEVER want
to be without
chickens.
It
is
so
much
fun
to
find
fresh
eggs in the nest box, still warm.
The
freshest
of
the
fresh!
Build
the
cutest
chicken coops. Get
the plans here!
Have
You
Ever
Seen
Colored Eggs?
No,
I
am
not
referring
to
Easter
Eggs.
I am speaking about chickens that
lay colored eggs.
The breed of ARAUCANA
lay eggs
in shades of olive, cream, blue and tan. These are the chickens that
Martha Stewart has raised.(it appears that their egg shell colors
influenced her paint color line.)
Not
only
are
the
shells
beautiful,
but
the
eggs themselves are also. The
yellow of the yolk is the deepest yellow, not the pale, weak looking
yolks that you are used to seeing in grocery store eggs.( How long have
they been in that carton, anyway?)
Chickens in the Back Yard
If
raising
a
few
chickens in
your
back yard sounds like something that interests you, then you should
read up on the many different breeds and what is involved in raising
them.
A
great
family
project
would
be
to
build
a
chicken coop. Of course, before you get chickens, make sure
that
you can do this in your neighborhood. Any restrictions?
Chickens are very quiet. They may
cackle a little, but not loudly. You do not have to have a rooster to
have eggs, so there is no early morning crowing! Don't want to upset
the neighbors!
Get
the
kids
involved
--Taking
care
of
a
few chickens is a great way to
teach responsibility.
Now,
go
check
out
these
great chicken
coop
plans!
You'll want to build everything!
An
important
tip:
If
you
have
dogs,
please do not let them chase your
chickens, as stressed out chickens will not lay eggs. Also, dogs can
and will kill chickens. So, TRAIN YOUR DOG
to BEHAVE properly!
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