# Son wants Chickens



## ssramage (Feb 10, 2018)

So my family just recently moved into a house with plenty of room to spread out. Evidently my 4yo son now wants a farm.

I tried my hand at chickens about 5 years ago and failed miserably. I jumped in, with no clue what I was doing. The chicks I got from TSC caught some sort of illness at about 7 weeks and they all died.

So...starting over. I’ve decided to buy a coop vs build this time, looking at 4-6 birds. I can get a pretty nice looking setup for around $600 from this guy:
https://m.facebook.com/SouthEast-Ga...042845/?tsid=0.4777936011708329&source=result
Looking at an option that is a 4x6 coop with a 4x6 run attached. I may add an additional 5x10 run later down the road. Birds will free range on days I’m home.

A few questions:
Thoughts on the coop idea above?

Thinking of ordering started pullers from somewhere like McMurray Hatchery. Thoughts?

Monthly costs associated with 4-6 chickens?

How many eggs should I expect from a flock that size?

Overall maintenance requirements for flock this size? I travel for work some (1-2 days a week), just want to make sure I’m not putting too much on my wife.


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## Havana Dude (Feb 10, 2018)

We have chickens. 600 bucks will buy a butt load of eggs. Your 4 yo Son will do nothing to help. It’s all on you. If you travel a day or 2, chickens will be fine without wife having to deal with. Again, 600 bucks will buy a lot of eggs.


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## ssramage (Feb 10, 2018)

Havana Dude said:


> We have chickens. 600 bucks will buy a butt load of eggs. Your 4 yo Son will do nothing to help. It’s all on you. If you travel a day or 2, chickens will be fine without wife having to deal with. Again, 600 bucks will buy a lot of eggs.



I’m not worried about the start up cost. Really not worried about the monthly cost, as long as it’s not completely out of sight. I’m figuring about $40/month for food and straw.


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## Jack Ryan (Feb 10, 2018)

Any place that has chickens long enough will have rats.

It's a lot easier to kill all the chickens and bull doze the coup before the rats show up than it is to kill all the rats once they start coming to the chickens.


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## Jeff Raines (Feb 11, 2018)

50 lb bag of laying pellets is less than $10 and that lasts me a month for 5 chickens.


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## Jeff Raines (Feb 11, 2018)

I built this hen house for around $50


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## ssramage (Feb 11, 2018)

That’s a good looking coop. I have thought about building my own, but once I started adding up what I’d want, it got expensive and would take a while to do. I may still go that route but I’m leaning towards just paying the $400-600 and being set up.


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## Cmp1 (Feb 11, 2018)

Havana Dude said:


> We have chickens. 600 bucks will buy a butt load of eggs. Your 4 yo Son will do nothing to help. It’s all on you. If you travel a day or 2, chickens will be fine without wife having to deal with. Again, 600 bucks will buy a lot of eggs.



True,,,, but the taste of a fresh egg,,,,


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## karen936 (Feb 11, 2018)

good luck with your chickens


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## Cmp1 (Feb 11, 2018)

ssramage said:


> So my family just recently moved into a house with plenty of room to spread out. Evidently my 4yo son now wants a farm.
> 
> I tried my hand at chickens about 5 years ago and failed miserably. I jumped in, with no clue what I was doing. The chicks I got from TSC caught some sort of illness at about 7 weeks and they all died.
> 
> ...



Just remember that if you let them free range,,,, they will lay somewhere,,,, we found a bunch of eggs under our raspberries,,,,


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## Cmp1 (Feb 11, 2018)

Jeff Raines said:


> I built this hen house for around $50



Nice coop,,,, how are you keeping the critters out?


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## Capt Quirk (Feb 11, 2018)

Our biggest issue with chickens, was there is always something that wants to kill your birds. We lost at least 2-3 flocks before giving in, but not giving up. I have an idea for 2-3 layers of fenced in dog runs, with the chickens in the middle. I'd like to see something get past the pack of dogs. Of course, I also have to worry about the dogs getting to the birds, but one battle at a time.


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## Havana Dude (Feb 11, 2018)

Cmp1 said:


> True,,,, but the taste of a fresh egg,,,,



I can’t/won’t argue with that. At one point, we had so many eggs, I made a sign, put out by the road. Sold em cheap, 3 bucks for 18. Kept a jar in the kitchen, that was our go out to eat money. They can be fun, but also can be a pain. If fresh eggs are the ONLY reason to get chickens, find someone around you that sells them.


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## kmckinnie (Feb 11, 2018)

Our dogs and chickens get along fine. The chickens know our dogs. If a stranger dog comes around they raise cane. 

If u have 5-6 hens and they lay 3 eggs every day they will add up.


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## Nicodemus (Feb 11, 2018)

Predator proof your coop. We did fine for nearly 10 years, but since the second week in January we`ve lost 14 hens as of last week.


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## blood on the ground (Feb 11, 2018)

The only problem I've had with raising chickens is ...... Chicken are on every critters menu and I meam every critter!


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## Capt Quirk (Feb 11, 2018)

There is also something satisfying, about eating a fresh chicken dinner, when you have raised it yourself. The inbetween part of having to dispatch and process the bird isn't nearly as satisfying as the eating part, but still part of it. But, when it comes to that one bad rooster, the one that always gets you... then it is just a little gratifying to dispatch it


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## karen936 (Feb 11, 2018)

could you not utilize a electric fence system
around the outside of the coop


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## karen936 (Feb 11, 2018)




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## Nicodemus (Feb 11, 2018)

karen936 said:


> could you not utilize a electric fence system
> around the outside of the coop





I could but I don`t want to pull power out yonder. I fully predator proofed the coop the other day. Only thing that can get in there at night now is a weasel. Nothing can dig under that fence either.

Two reds, two grays, and 3 possums so far.


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## Capt Quirk (Feb 11, 2018)

You don't really need to run power, they have solar fence chargers. Just add a 12v deep cycle to it, and you're good to go.


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## Jeff Raines (Feb 11, 2018)

Cmp1 said:


> Nice coop,,,, how are you keeping the critters out?



The run(not in pictures) is fenced 6 ft wide by 16 ft long.The whole run is covered by a tin roof.Concrete pavers all around the bottom of the fencing.


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## karen936 (Feb 11, 2018)

not even that I just bought solar don't need a deep cycle battery


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## Jeff Raines (Feb 11, 2018)

Chicken run....try to get pic rotated correctly one more time


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## MOTS (Feb 11, 2018)

I would use Cackle Hatchery if I ordered online. We are pretty much raising our own now. I have 2 of the 10x10 dog pens which makes it a 10x30 together. I put 18 inch chicken wire around the bottom. When nothing is growing in the garden we let them free range. I did buy 3 of the tops with a tarp for the pens which has lasted far longer than I expected at 5 years and still look good. Definately better than the tarps at most stores. I made some nest out of OSB and some are 6 gallon buckets. I can't remember but want to say there is a 15 chick minimum on mail order birds. Here's 7 of 12 that I have. Also have 2 roosters(father and son) that hate each other.


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## Jeff Raines (Feb 11, 2018)

Last 4 days worth of eggs


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## ssramage (Feb 11, 2018)

Nicodemus said:


> Predator proof your coop. We did fine for nearly 10 years, but since the second week in January we`ve lost 14 hens as of last week.



Understood. Being as close to the marsh as we are, coons will be my #1 Predator. I plan to lay blocks along the foundation, coop will sit on top and then bury fencing a couple feet around the perimeter. That should at least give me a fighting chance. 

The exact coop I’m looking to have built (with a few modifications) is the 4th in this CL link:

https://macon.craigslist.org/grd/d/chicken-coops/6479885679.html


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## Nicodemus (Feb 11, 2018)

ssramage said:


> Understood. Being as close to the marsh as we are, coons will be my #1 Predator. I plan to lay blocks along the foundation, coop will sit on top and then bury fencing a couple feet around the perimeter. That should at least give me a fighting chance.
> 
> The exact coop I’m looking to have built (with a few modifications) is the 4th in this CL link:
> 
> https://macon.craigslist.org/grd/d/chicken-coops/6479885679.html





A mighty smart man on predators told me that about 17 inches out from the fence is as far as a predator will dig to try to get under it. It works too, so no need to go much further out than that with your buried fencing.


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## Capt Quirk (Feb 11, 2018)

karen936 said:


> not even that I just bought solar don't need a deep cycle battery



How does the fence hold a charge after dark, without a battery?


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## ssramage (Feb 11, 2018)

MOTS said:


> I would use Cackle Hatchery if I ordered online. We are pretty much raising our own now. I have 2 of the 10x10 dog pens which makes it a 10x30 together. I put 18 inch chicken wire around the bottom. When nothing is growing in the garden we let them free range. I did buy 3 of the tops with a tarp for the pens which has lasted far longer than I expected at 5 years and still look good. Definately better than the tarps at most stores. I made some nest out of OSB and some are 6 gallon buckets. I can't remember but want to say there is a 15 chick minimum on mail order birds. Here's 7 of 12 that I have. Also have 2 roosters(father and son) that hate each other.



I’ll take a look at Cackle. I ran the prices for 6 birds from McMurray last night and it was $350 after shipping!!!

I may be trying to find some locally.


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## Nicodemus (Feb 11, 2018)

ssramage said:


> I’ll take a look at Cackle. I ran the prices for 6 birds from McMurray last night and it was $350 after shipping!!!
> 
> I may be trying to find some locally.





My Lady ordered her last ones from here. They have very good service.

http://www.chickensforbackyards.com/


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## Cmp1 (Feb 11, 2018)

Nicodemus said:


> Predator proof your coop. We did fine for nearly 10 years, but since the second week in January we`ve lost 14 hens as of last week.



We've got predators,,,, but we also have a door on our coop,,,, nothing gonna get in there,,,, it's just been so cold they've stopped laying,,,, tried the light thing,,,, no luck,,,, it's the temps up here,,,, come spring,,,, back to around 8 to 10 per day,,,, 12 birds,,,, 

Would also like to say,,,, make sure that you wash the eggs and your hands after handling them,,,, our birds lay the biggest eggs,,,, and good,,,,


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## Cmp1 (Feb 11, 2018)

ssramage said:


> I’ll take a look at Cackle. I ran the prices for 6 birds from McMurray last night and it was $350 after shipping!!!
> 
> I may be trying to find some locally.



350 dollars,,,, Wow,,,,


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## Cmp1 (Feb 11, 2018)

The main predator around here are the Eagles,,,, but our farm dog is on the lookout and keeps them away,,,,


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## Nicodemus (Feb 11, 2018)

Cmp1 said:


> The main predator around here are the Eagles,,,, but our farm dog is on the lookout and keeps them away,,,,



I know one, possibly two of ours that were killed and beheaded by a male great horned owl. The rest were taken by the red foxes. I really think the gray foxes were "collateral" damage. 

But, come to a predator call out by The Lady`s chicken pen right now and you`ll collect a 22 longrifle solid in the head.


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## MOTS (Feb 11, 2018)

Cackle is about 62.00 shipped for 6 chicks and 71.00 for 15
That's hen pricing. 

That was for common brown egg layers.
You should get a free chick on the 6 order and 2 on the 15 order.


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## ssramage (Feb 11, 2018)

MOTS said:


> Cackle is about 62.00 shipped for 6 chicks and 71.00 for 15
> That's hen pricing.
> 
> That was for common brown egg layers.
> You should get a free chick on the 6 order and 2 on the 15 order.



They’re started pullets are $100 each


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## ssramage (Feb 11, 2018)

Another option to making the coop predator proof is to put it on an empty concrete slab in my yard. Just not sure that’s the greatest idea, especially in the SEGA heat.


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## brownhounds (Feb 11, 2018)

Keep them on grower feed until they lay their 1st egg. This will help with coccidiosis. Also, put vinegar in the water about once a month for worms. And, don't deny your boy for wanting to farm. He will learn some valuable lessons. Eggs are cheap but you'll get several dozen eggs from a bag of feed plus fertilizer.


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## kmckinnie (Feb 11, 2018)

Look in the paper in your area 
Classifieds under farm animals. 
Flea market
Look on pin up boards at feed supply house. Ask there also. 
Tractor supply sells them chicks every spring.


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## ssramage (Feb 11, 2018)

Looking at a coop similar to this one. Nesting box is too high, thoughts otherwise? Also it’s built to order so if you were going to design the coop, how would you lay it out?


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## Cmp1 (Feb 12, 2018)

Nicodemus said:


> I know one, possibly two of ours that were killed and beheaded by a male great horned owl. The rest were taken by the red foxes. I really think the gray foxes were "collateral" damage.
> 
> But, come to a predator call out by The Lady`s chicken pen right now and you`ll collect a 22 longrifle solid in the head.



Have only seen a few red fox around here,,,, lots of yotes though,,,, it's amazing how our dog knows when the Eagles are around,,,,


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## Nicodemus (Feb 12, 2018)

Cmp1 said:


> Have only seen a few red fox around here,,,, lots of yotes though,,,, it's amazing how our dog knows when the Eagles are around,,,,





Red foxes don`t fare well around other canine predators much. They get caught and killed by coyotes, wolves, and Bartram`s wolves. Gray foxes can climb like a squirrel so they have a chance to escape.


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## Cmp1 (Feb 12, 2018)

Critter problem,,,,


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## brownhounds (Feb 12, 2018)

A big house cat will kill them, too.


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## Dustin Pate (Feb 12, 2018)

ssramage said:


> I’ll take a look at Cackle. I ran the prices for 6 birds from McMurray last night and it was $350 after shipping!!!
> 
> I may be trying to find some locally.



Tractor Supply will have chicks starting very soon and they are at a economical price.


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## Cmp1 (Feb 12, 2018)

Dustin Pate said:


> Tractor Supply will have chicks starting very soon and they are at a economical price.



Already available here at Family Farm,,,, have gotten ours there and never had a problem,,,, never got any at TSC,,,,


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## Water Swat (Feb 12, 2018)

Ive got a 5x10 dog kennel. Tin laid across top to keep em dry. A couple 2x2,s stuck across the fencing panels for roosts and 2 nesting boxes nailed to a post. Works fine and simple


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## Cmp1 (Feb 13, 2018)

Water Swat said:


> Ive got a 5x10 dog kennel. Tin laid across top to keep em dry. A couple 2x2,s stuck across the fencing panels for roosts and 2 nesting boxes nailed to a post. Works fine and simple



How many chickens though?


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## PappyHoel (Feb 13, 2018)

I did chickens for 5 years.  You can read my posts about it on here.  I'm glad the last one was carried off into the night never to be seen again. 

All of mine had names therefore they were off limits to eat.  I would have and I would have rotated them out. They stopped laying after about 4 years.  The feed was cheap I only supplementally fed them since they were free range.  They were all very healthy.

With that said, they pooped all over the drive way under my deck and you couldn't keep mulch in the flower beds.  I would mow and fix the mulch and the chickens would be right behind kicking it out.

I'm looking forward to not pressure washing my deck, sidewalk and driveway this summer.  

I would get and keep more if it was under my terms.  I disagreed with naming them and not eating them.  They're worthless to me otherwise.  I started with 14, 1 rooster who was quickly dispatched after he attacked me.


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## Water Swat (Feb 13, 2018)

cmp1 said:


> how many chickens though?



3....


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## RUTTNBUCK (Feb 13, 2018)

PappyHoel said:


> I did chickens for 5 years.  You can read my posts about it on here.  I'm glad the last one was carried off into the night never to be seen again.
> 
> All of mine had names therefore they were off limits to eat.  I would have and I would have rotated them out. They stopped laying after about 4 years.  The feed was cheap I only supplementally fed them since they were free range.  They were all very healthy.
> 
> ...


Just cause they have names don't mean you can't eat them!!

My In-Laws acquired two Black Angus calves...........My wife named them..........."Tender"........and........."Tasty"



They were in fact tender, and tasty!!


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## Cmp1 (Feb 14, 2018)

PappyHoel said:


> I did chickens for 5 years.  You can read my posts about it on here.  I'm glad the last one was carried off into the night never to be seen again.
> 
> All of mine had names therefore they were off limits to eat.  I would have and I would have rotated them out. They stopped laying after about 4 years.  The feed was cheap I only supplementally fed them since they were free range.  They were all very healthy.
> 
> ...



This is all true,,,, we have 4 that we let free range,,,, good fertilizer though,,,, keeps the bugs down also,,,,


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## j_seph (Feb 14, 2018)

Our secretary at work has 5 or so chickens. When she leaves in the mornings she opens the door and they free roam the yard and woods. In the evening they all come back to the coop and she shuts the door. I believe that she has only had 1 or 2 over the last 6 years or so that got killed and one was neighbors dog and the other had made a nest and started sitting.


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## PappyHoel (Feb 14, 2018)

j_seph said:


> Our secretary at work has 5 or so chickens. When she leaves in the mornings she opens the door and they free roam the yard and woods. In the evening they all come back to the coop and she shuts the door. I believe that she has only had 1 or 2 over the last 6 years or so that got killed and one was neighbors dog and the other had made a nest and started sitting.



That's how mine operated, they would follow me around the yard like a gaggle.


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## breathe in (Feb 14, 2018)

Cmp1 said:


> We've got predators,,,, but we also have a door on our coop,,,, nothing gonna get in there,,,, it's just been so cold they've stopped laying,,,, tried the light thing,,,, no luck,,,, it's the temps up here,,,, come spring,,,, back to around 8 to 10 per day,,,, 12 birds,,,,
> 
> Would also like to say,,,, make sure that you wash the eggs and your hands after handling them,,,, our birds lay the biggest eggs,,,, and good,,,,



I don't have chickens but was told by an old lady that does, if you don't wash the eggs you need not refidgerate and can leave them on the counter for a cpl weeks and they'll be fine? Washing also affects taste?


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## Nicodemus (Feb 14, 2018)

breathe in said:


> I don't have chickens but was told by an old lady that does, if you don't wash the eggs you need not refidgerate and can leave them on the counter for a cpl weeks and they'll be fine? Washing also affects taste?





That`s true. Some countries don`t wash their eggs for this reason.


Some folks think you need a rooster to have eggs too. You don`t. A rooster will keep order amongst the hens, but with no rooster around an older hen will generally do the same.


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## PappyHoel (Feb 14, 2018)

True we always left ours on the counter.  The factories wash the coating off the egg which helps preserve them.  That's why store bought should be refrigerated.


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## Cmp1 (Feb 14, 2018)

breathe in said:


> I don't have chickens but was told by an old lady that does, if you don't wash the eggs you need not refidgerate and can leave them on the counter for a cpl weeks and they'll be fine? Washing also affects taste?



It's more about the chances of disease,,,,


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## Cmp1 (Feb 14, 2018)

Nicodemus said:


> That`s true. Some countries don`t wash their eggs for this reason.
> 
> 
> Some folks think you need a rooster to have eggs too. You don`t. A rooster will keep order amongst the hens, but with no rooster around an older hen will generally do the same.



This right here is definitely true,,,,


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## Cmp1 (Feb 14, 2018)

A few pic's of our yardbirds,,,,


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## karen936 (Feb 14, 2018)

Capt Quirk said:


> How does the fence hold a charge after dark, without a battery?



The solar unit has a internal battery that charges by the sunlight


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## brownhounds (Feb 14, 2018)

nice looking birds.....I don't miss the snow.


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## Cmp1 (Feb 14, 2018)

brownhounds said:


> nice looking birds.....I don't miss the snow.



I hear you,,,, but it is good for the raspberries etc,,,,


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## atlashunter (Feb 15, 2018)

Cmp1 said:


> I hear you,,,, but it is good for the raspberries etc,,,,



Nice looking chickens! What breed is that?


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## Cmp1 (Feb 16, 2018)

atlashunter said:


> Nice looking chickens! What breed is that?



Brahmas,,,, huge eggs, brown,,,, cold weather birds,,,,


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## Stroker (Feb 16, 2018)

Cmp1 said:


> It's more about the chances of disease,,,,



Have a next door neighbor about 45 years old who is paralyzed from the chest down, some disease he caught from the chickens he had. It started out with cold like symptoms, which he ignored, about a week later he woke up one morning and couldn't move below his chest. My wife went down one day and was talking to him, the medicine to treat it is like 10K a month. He gets a 3 month supply for free but then has to skip 3 months before he gets more. This happened over one year ago and he has gained some feeling in his feet. Doctors say it's 50/50 that he'll ever recover 100%.


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## Cmp1 (Feb 16, 2018)

Stroker said:


> Have a next door neighbor about 45 years old who is paralyzed from the chest down, some disease he caught from the chickens he had. It started out with cold like symptoms, which he ignored, about a week later he woke up one morning and couldn't move below his chest. My wife went down one day and was talking to him, the medicine to treat it is like 10K a month. He gets a 3 month supply for free but then has to skip 3 months before he gets more. This happened over one year ago and he has gained some feeling in his feet. Doctors say it's 50/50 that he'll ever recover 100%.



Wow,,,, sure hope he recovers,,,,


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## caughtinarut (Feb 17, 2018)

Jeff Raines said:


> 50 lb bag of laying pellets is less than $10 and that lasts me a month for 5 chickens.



Where do you get it for less than $10? Agrisupply has it for around $12 and that is the cheapest I have seen.


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## caughtinarut (Feb 17, 2018)

Stroker said:


> Have a next door neighbor about 45 years old who is paralyzed from the chest down, some disease he caught from the chickens he had. It started out with cold like symptoms, which he ignored, about a week later he woke up one morning and couldn't move below his chest. My wife went down one day and was talking to him, the medicine to treat it is like 10K a month. He gets a 3 month supply for free but then has to skip 3 months before he gets more. This happened over one year ago and he has gained some feeling in his feet. Doctors say it's 50/50 that he'll ever recover 100%.


Do you know the name of the disease?


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## Jeff Raines (Feb 17, 2018)

caughtinarut said:


> Where do you get it for less than $10? Agrisupply has it for around $12 and that is the cheapest I have seen.



Ladds Farm Supply in Cartersville


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## Cmp1 (Feb 17, 2018)

caughtinarut said:


> Do you know the name of the disease?



http://homeguides.sfgate.com/health-risks-chicken-manure-98289.html


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## Stroker (Feb 17, 2018)

caughtinarut said:


> Do you know the name of the disease?



I tend to stay away from there since I don't agree on his and his life partners life style. I will try and get down there in the next couple off days and find out.


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## BradW (Mar 28, 2018)

You could go get an incubator, and see if anyone here has some fertilized eggs that you could get hooked up with. Your son might enjoy the experience of watching them hatch out. Do feed them the medicated feed unless you got them from a hatchery and had them vaccinated for Merricks & coccidis (sp). After he handles them, always wash your hands thoroughly. I've kept mine in a chicken tractor with tarps, they are a mix of barred rocks and black sex links, with one rhode island red rooster thrown in that we used to make the sex links. Get a hardy breed and you just about can't go wrong with chickens.


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