anybody own chickens?

[$tevie]

We just learned that you can keep a couple of chickens in Baltimore City. However, I would be terrified that their presence would attract rats.

[ztirffritz]

I have some friends doing it. They're actually partial to duck eggs though.

http://footbridgefarm.com/

[Rick-o]

Carm wrote:
Many cities have ordinances/laws against it.

That's what we have to deal with in my little Podunk town. You need at least 10 acres to raise any kind of farm animals around here.

I was just in a Tractor Supply store this morning, and they had the big tubs full of baby chicks and ducks. I always think about how fun it would be to raise them, but I only have a little over 6 acres. :mad2:

[freeradical]

Rick-o wrote:
[quote=Carm]
Many cities have ordinances/laws against it.

That's what we have to deal with in my little Podunk town. You need at least 10 acres to raise any kind of farm animals around here.

I was just in a Tractor Supply store this morning, and they had the big tubs full of baby chicks and ducks. I always think about how fun it would be to raise them, but I only have a little over 6 acres. :mad2:

Who would know if you had them?

[Rick-o]

freeradical wrote:
[quote=Rick-o]
[quote=Carm]
Many cities have ordinances/laws against it.

That's what we have to deal with in my little Podunk town. You need at least 10 acres to raise any kind of farm animals around here.

I was just in a Tractor Supply store this morning, and they had the big tubs full of baby chicks and ducks. I always think about how fun it would be to raise them, but I only have a little over 6 acres. :mad2:

Who would know if you had them?
Ha!! This town is FULL of old retirees with nothing to do but stick their noses into other peoples business.

You can't get away with nuthin' around here.

[Dennis S]

I have plenty of room in the country, but I saw a flyer from a farm store with chicken feed prices and the prices are not chicken feed. I didn't do the math, but I figure you can't save much money growing them if you buy chickens at the store whenever they are $.69 a pound.

I guess the eggs probably are better and cheaper. I think I'll go to the co-op and ask them about it.

[RAMd®d]

We just learned that you can keep a couple of chickens in Baltimore City. However, I would be terrified that their presence would attract rats.

Ain't that the truth.

My buddy's wife and kids kept about a dozen chickens and a rooster for years. Well, the rooster not too long. Their property backs up to a holler where a lot of rats live. They got visits from Animal Control about the noise and finally give the rooster away.

Not too long ago, rats started invading the coop, burrowing under the wire. Not only did they eat the eggs, they killed and ate the chickens, too. (I still wonder if a rooster would have fended them off.)

Finally they were down to two hens, who took to high ground in the yard whenever let out of the coup. So they were given to somebody with safe haven.

Our county requires a minimum square footage per chicken. You don't have to account for the rats.

Me, I never like them in the pre-meal state.

[OWC Jamie]

WE had 30,000 broiler chickens from chicks and a rat never killed a chicken. Weasels and neighbor's cats and dogs did.
Weasels will sneak through a rat hole.
So will martens and they both love eggs.
Weasels will kill one chicken a night and come back night after night until they are all gone.
They also drag it off, so you'll be missing a few before you notice unless you do a head count every night.

Rats came for the grain and they stuck to the grain room avoiding the chickens altogether.
As long as there was a bag they could chew into they stayed away from the feeders.

Rats will be attracted to the dog and cat food and water you put out for your pets and the trash you leave in bags.

[Paul F.]

Am I the only one who is getting "flashbacks" to the movie "Chicken Run"?

[davester]

I'd like to be able to keep chickens, but we have moderately frequent mountain lion sitings in and near the neighborhood. I think I'll stick to getting eggs at the store rather than installing lion bait in the yard.