CHIMBY - Chickens in My Back Yard

[ducpainter]

Anyone near NY area have engh to sell?

You can buy chicks at most Tractor Supply stores or Agway stores this time of year.

You'll have to leave the city though.

You can also mail order.

[MendoDave]

They have chicks at Big R or they did last time I was in there. I like to go in and look at them all peeping away, and then I go look at the rabbits. 

[triangleforge]

I'd like a mix of both if possible (eggs and meat).   I'd like to learn to be more self sustaining, and teach me 3 little kids the same thing as they grow up. 

Ill post more on our yard when I'm at a computer later

Cool! That was our idea as well, though very early on the teen nixed the idea of seeing the birds on the dinner table; it was a compromise I was willing to make.

In my experience, it'd be easiest to get started with hens that are "dual purpose" laying & meat breeds - which often tend to one end of that spectrum or the other. This looks like a pretty good breed chart: http://www.ithaca.edu/staff/jhenderson/chooks/chooks.html

Of course, we walked into the feed store with a long list of breeds we wanted, and didn't see a single one on our list, so just got a couple of this color, and a couple of that, etc. It worked out.

Our Rhode Island crosses (I think the breed name is ISA Brown) laid lots of huge eggs but were a bit on the scrawny side so would have been most appropriate for soup, while the Wyandottes laid plenty of smaller eggs but were pretty plump birds. As you get things sorted otu and start replacing birds, you can experiment with some of the straight laying breeds (like Leghorns) and some of the meat breeds - which tend to reach slaughter weight as soon as six months or so after hatching. Or just stick with the mixed ones you like, feed them all layer mix & keep it simple.

[ducpainter]

I know this is a chicken thread...

but if you like to bake you should add a duck or two.

Best eggs for baking...ever.

[cokey]

I want eggs not chicks.. no space or backyard where I'm at..  -sigh-

[SacDuc]

I know this is a chicken thread...

but if you like to bake you should add a duck or two.

Best eggs for baking...ever.

I have chickens but know nothing about raising ducks. Is there much difference in care? Do they produce as well? Do they get along with chickens?

sac

[ducpainter]

I have chickens but know nothing about raising ducks. Is there much difference in care? Do they produce as well? Do they get along with chickens?

sac

They're pretty similar with regard to care and feeding. Layer pellets and oyster shells. They're messy with feed, and do better with a trough type feeder. They do require more water. They were great at foraging for bugs, and made use of the brook that borders the property for swimming.

I've never raised them together, so I don't know how they get along, but if you don't get an overly large breed I don't see where there would be any issues besides the fact the chickens might have a bit of an advantage in the pecking order because of their beaks.

The ones I had, Indian Runners, produced an egg a day in the months they had sufficient light. From the info my friends that keep chickens give me, the ducks tapered off laying sooner than the chickens they have. There would be a time in the winter with no eggs.

[Vindingo]

I have chickens but know nothing about raising ducks. Is there much difference in care? Do they produce as well? Do they get along with chickens?

sac

I've been to a guys little farm that had turkeys, chickens, ducks, and a swan, all in one large house.  I'd say there were 15 birds in total, housed in about 200sq ft.  I think there were 4-5 nests, a couple waterers and some food troughs.  They all seemed pretty chill in there.   

[MendoDave]

I had ducks that pretty much luved in the creek during the day. We put out feed for them and they layed us eggs. The only trouble was the wild life down at the creek having them for dinner.
It might be a good idea not to take all the eggs so that there can be ducklings in the spring.

[cokey]

How do you keep them from flying away?

[ducpainter]

The breed I had didn't fly.

[MendoDave]

We had two breeds one that didnt fly and the mallard breed (the males have those green heads) raised them together as one flock. They know where the food is and where the rest of the flock is so they dont go far. Lots of times they would be at the neighbors but they would come back.

[ducpainter]

Not chicken related...

but we have 14 Indian Runner duck eggs in the incubator.

Been there a week today. Going to candle them tonight.

We'll see what happens.

edit...

12 of the 14 are fertile and seem to be doing well

[Buckethead]

DIMBY? 

[The Architect]

A bear got to my chickens.  I'm done until I have time to deal with more mouths to feed.

I do miss the eggs.