our city chickens

[chickenmom]

I just love your birds. I really like the set up for them too. Just make sure no crazy dog in the neighborhood comes up to hurt them. Watch out for hawks too. I had 2 birds a hen and Rooster now I am down to a rooster. Mine live in the house. Phillip will be 10 March 15, 2012. He is my little guy. Enjoy your girls. They are alot of fun and bring lots of joy and laughter.

[JazzLassie6020]

"Chickens are just like dinosaurs" - funny cause I just learned, apparently genetically, birds are most closely related to dinosaurs lol Yea I know right O_O

[thecephalogod]

@JazzLassie6020 of course. if you look at a bird they look like lizards and dinos. same skin, same eyes, same movement. my bird reminds me of a velociraptor. just as mean.

[troxycat]

HAH I've always thought my chickens are like dinosaurs! *highfive*

[MrBagginsEsq]

Well if you can have chickens in the city, no one should mind us having chickens in our 1 acre in the country.

[neilb96]

I have 4 city chickens. 1 road island red, 1 bard rock, 2 americanas

I used to have a Buff orpington, but she unfortunetly died of meircs disiese :(

[JustcallmeV556]

I love this! Its so green there! I'm in the desert and green grass is a luxery. I have 6 total 3 barred and 3 buff's, they all are characters! We just love them!

[smilewait4flash]

So cool! I just got 8 barred rocks and 8 buff orpingtons today. Yes in the city too. Do you have any problems with hawks? I see some in our neighborhood and not sure if I will need to cover the pen.

[critterkiller105]

i heard a peacock

[ollieflp]

How often do they lay eggs :S?

[myblueart]

@ollieflp

every day we get some, I think they lay like every 36 hour or something like that??

[ollieflp]

@myblueart Cool! My sort of peeps ;)

[rodeogirl13245]

@myblueart No, chickens lay eggs every 16 hours. Not being mean, just letting you know :D

[littlepiaf]

Looks like your coop needs some ventilation....

[myblueart]

@littlepiaf

you're probably right, but it isn't sealed shut at the doors, so air does get in, and we mostly leave the flap open unless its really freezing out and then shut it to keep it warmer for them

[akwolfsong]

how do you keep them alive from dogs, cats, and people? In the city and all. I am curious. My neighbors would call animal control if I ever got a chicken :(

[myblueart]

@akwolfsong

The cats like to watch them, but they know better than to bug them, they are bigger than they are LOL, and we don't have too many dogs running around unattended so that hasn't been a problem. most of the people around love them and some take detours just to come by and see them or bring them bread with their kids or grandkids, its really fun having them out in the yard like that

[akwolfsong]

@myblueart YOu are very lucky! All the best to you and your chicken. may they lay nummy eggs all their lives :D

[SinnNorth]

Wow you don't have to have a fence? Do they ever leave the yard?

[myblueart]

@SinnNorth

they wander a bit, kind of like cats, but mostly they just stay in the yard or a little bit of the neighbors yard, but they don't live there most of the time ;o)

[hippytreehugger4ever]

I have 2 buff orpingtons, a black bantam rooster, and a white rock plymouth in the middle of town too!

[nicholasbhicks]

ive never been suprized to see chickens in anyones yard

[gemmy207]

What a great vid! I can't wait to get my chickens! If anyone else is thinking about getting some chickens check out this site:

the-goodlife.info

[Sykeko]

great video.... good too see city folks with farm animals..

[jhof989620]

oh wow....you must have the coolest neighbors ever......or its a low key hostility.....lol

[fuzzarelly57]

Your girls are so cute!

[potterthecockatiel]

I have 2 buff orpingtons. and i have 4 chickens. But my favorite is Maiga, my pet chicken! i also have city chickens cuz i live in the city!

[cousinproductions100]

I LOVE CHICKENS! haha iv only researched for 2 days and i love them!!!! i want 4, a black silkie bantom, a buff silkie bantom, an easter egger, and a plymouth rock bantom! I love them, What do you think about smell and just overall "petness"?

[fstwrtr]

watching chickens is therapeutic... but the damn things shit like elephants

[myblueart]

yes! they totally do!!! LOL!

[will3482]

@fstwrtr that shit is priceless.

[CerealPest]

My wife's a Buff Orpington. Gorgeous and plump.

[ohioafc]

chicken fans !! good work !!

[GoldGuySims]

i have a hen shes full grown but shes small and i love her :)

[ntheoret]

I love to watch chickens eat and scratch the earth and the little noises they make. I don't know why, I just love them.

[Pimporly]

That is very good! Even if you live in apartment or a house with no yard you can keep a couple of bantam chickens in a mini coop and get fresh eggs/meat/ fertilizer like a others that live on large producing farms!

[VOVKARFRC]

buy a bag of food! get 5 chicks free!!!!

[dillontard]

How big is your Orpington? I'm thinking about getting one or two chickens (most likely two because I'm afraid the one would get lonely) and I like that the Orpingtons are both friendly and great egg layers. However, I don't have loads of money to spend on a coop so I wonder if the size of the Orpingtons could be a roadblock. Also, does Gertrude get along well with the other chickens. Like I said, I'd prefer to get two but I've seen the damage chickens can do to one another. Thanks so much.

[myblueart]

make sure you get 2 and not one, they are flocking so they actually kinda like being in a group... 3 is a good number. you know what, coops don't at all need to be fancy... seriously, I have read of people making them out of all kinds of things... especially in the summer. do you get super cold in the winter?? other than the cold the only other thing is they need protection from preditors like racoons at night time...

you could google build your own cheap coop or recycled coop or something?

[dillontard]

We're in Texas so it doesn't get too, too cold. Sometimes it freezes (especially at night) but it's usually hot as hell during the day and most of the year. We live in a superhuge suburban area so predators really shouldn't be a problem. I've never seen any foxes or raccoons (just deer and I doubt they'd eat chickens, lol). Did you build your coop?

[BillyAteMySoul]

I'm in Austin and you will be SHOCKED at how many racoons you didn't know were in your area when you get chickens! :) If you're in Austin there's the Funky Chicken Coop Tour, and some of them are really neat.

[dillontard]

I found a perfect coop and everything but my HOA says no. =( Do you think there's a way around it?

[BillyAteMySoul]

Get a lawyer to look at your HOA contract. If your HOA still says no, then go to the board meetings and protest.

If all else fails, get out of the HOA! Some of those things are evil! Are you in the Woodlands? I've got some horror stories from them.

[myblueart]

I like the Orpingotons the berst actually... I have 2... they are the friendliest, and the cutest too! LOL!

and are totally easy going. we got ours as day old chicks and held them, my buff orpingtons don't really even run when I got to catch them to put them back in the pen if they are roaming the yard (or neighbors yard LOL!... we dont' have a fence at all)

[soupsdone]

Can I get anyone's input on the noise they can generate? I am considering a coop/pen for 3 hens.  I live on a 1/2 acre lot with a 6' stockade fence. Will my neighbors take issue with the noise? The nearest house will be 100' or more from the coop.

Thanks

[myblueart]

omg you have plenty of room. I like the noises they make and so do my neighbors, and we only have like maybe 15 ft btween the coop and their house (small lots in the city)

you will be totally fine with that. probably can't have roosters though, but hens are fine. they mostly make noise when they lay or are trying to tell ya something or complain if they re out of water or somthingt liek that LOL

[soupsdone]

Awesome! I am sold. I've been on the Backyard Chicken forum for a while now trying to convince my wife that I am not the only crazy person around. Your vid sealed the deal! Thanks.

[myblueart]

no problem!

they are LOTS of fun, and easy too!

[JosiahsBackpack]

As long as you do not get a rooster (which can cockadoodledoo a little loud) the hens are quite and pleasant. The only reason to even have a rooster is if you want to fertilize eggs at anytime. Otherwise the hens will lay eggs with out a rooster.

[randezi]

I would like to see the mural on the coop. I want to get a few chickens as pets..I had some when I was a kid...and when I get some more I'm going to name one Henrietta...

[bakeee]

hey, is it true that if u collect snails from the rain and rush them up(with thier shells) and let the chickens eat them, the calcium in the snail shells will help the chickens lay more eggs.

[pigeonriver]

When you purchase baby chicks make sure you are buying pullets. "Straight Run" means you may end up with either male or female. "Pullet" means the chick is female.

[MsChickens]

No way! I have a Buff Orpington hen named Gertrude McCluck too! Of course, I live in the country and have 98 chickens (and counting)

[jellofast]

mannn u are so lucky. i live in the county and i dont think we are allowed to raise chicken! some neighbor had a rooster that roosted every morning then 2 weeks later no more roosting :(

[Gewyne]

You do't need a rooster to raise chickens if you just want eggs.

[csbarrett14]

I like your hens, as well as the setup!

[TRexTurtle]

Nice setup. :)

[origamimaster14]

you have very pretty hens. Can they do any tricks? mine can stay come and lay down when i tell them to. I have 17 hens 9 roosters all but 6 of my chickens are cross breed.

[myblueart]

wow, those are some smart hens!

ours are smart enough to find the coop at night if I keep the door open for them to roam all day, and I think that is kinda impressive LOL!... but other than that, and I guess they sort of come when I call in a way... but other than that, no tricks.

that is cool that you taught them tricks!

[XCookiesXxx]

Chickens are really cool to have ^^

I had two but one of them died..

I think i'm gonna find some other mates for her. (for the chicken that's still alive)

[1JOB1963]

I'm thinking about performing this in my city and am curious, what do you do with the chicken sh*t? Is there a lot of it and is the clean up a big chore? Currently my neighbor brings me chicken sh*t from his job and we use it in the garden. Whoa, you should see the difference in the plants, we also add cow manure. It all gets covered by straw and dirt and mulched under in the spring prior to planting. Just curious as to what I'm heading into? Thanks

[myblueart]

well, I like to use bedding I can just put out in the garden mixed in with the "good stuff"... and then there are always neighbors that like to have some of it for their garden. When I have some extra with straw (I don't like too much straw, I truy to use other bedding like rice hulls for my garden) I have found using craigslist to advertise free chicken sh*t always gets people to come and get it.

they are really easy to keep

[myblueart]

and we use the "deep bedding" method, meaning we don't clean it out all the time, and let it compost under itself. I've found that the rice hulls work best for this, the straw smells more.

How much yard do you have?

[WoundedEgo]

I wish I could see the inside of your coop and know your design considerations.

I'd also love to see the mural.

[myblueart]

the coop is basically just a box with a pole going across,

we have some nesting boxes, but they don't really use them, they just make a little spot in the straw or bedding and do it there.

I'd love to see the mural too! LOL

maybe next spring I'll finally do it! :o)

[TreyNitrotoluene]

hehehe, chickens can lay 2-3 eggs a day but they need high protien food like the bugs they were nabbing in your yard. The more you let them wander the more eggs you'll get.

[Bothychickens]

No they can't!  It takes about 25 hours to make and lay an egg - even in the heavy layers! You will get about 6-7 a week from one chicken

[origamimaster14]

The laying record is seven eggs in one day by one hen. but a hen will mostly lay 6-7 eggs a week.

[twish1999]

I'd love to keep chickens but i don't have anywgere to keep them. imagine eating fresh eggs each morning!

How come the chickens don't wander off?

:-)

x hugs x

[myblueart]

well, you don't need much room to keep them!;o)

the fresh eggs are great, and its fun to feel connected to your food.

they are actually a lot like cats, where they will hang around, not go too far, and especially, they come back before dark to get into their coop to roost where it is safe. I would let them roam all day if it wasn't for the fact that my hubby is a tad paranoid of them getting hit by a car or something,and they also love to tear up my very picky neighbors dirt in their front!

:o)

[blueclouds4me]

I love the chickens and I bet Noah does too;)

You have made a lovely natural play area & learning spot for him, how cool is that!!! Havin' fresh eggs is amazing!! I wish you were my neighbor, I'd be coming over with bribes for fresh eggs, I make a rockin' chocolate cake;)

I have been playin' way too much today so I will email ya in the morning';)

Hugs,

Marylou

xxoo

[myblueart]

thanks! We didn't do much gardening this year unfortunately, I really like to, it got too busy and we didn't get to it. But next year I have plans to ear out a whole other portion of lawn and make some cute paths with homemade stepping stones and make a fun sitting area in the middle of the veggie and herb (and flowers sprinkled in too) garden. And a roofed area for the tree house in the back (oregon rain you know) and we got the rope swing and stuff back up.and bird houses and feeders too!

[myblueart]

fresh eggs really do taste so much better (and they are organic too!)

that chocolate cake sounds so good!!!

[ButterRivaLs]

Wow, "city" chickens ... very cool! MsOphelia sent me over, and I'm glad. : )

I'd love to see your coop mural after you're finished.

[myblueart]

Thanks! We love our chickens...

I still have to figure out what to paint on the coop... the day in the life of our city chicks??

[MsOpheliaPayne]

lol too cute!

you need to meet Angela aka butterivals

i'll send her over. Oh and Toni sent me over, nice to meet you!

[myblueart]

nice to meet you too! :o)

[Illuminatta]

We have friends with lots of chickens. Fresh eggs are awesome! :)

[myblueart]

they are so fun... but a little stinky too. the eggs are so much better when they are fresh! I'm starting to see it more in the part of the city I live in, a bit on the alternative side, i guess.

I like to let them run around loose (they don't go far).. my hubby thinks I'm nuts though. they really are like cats, they know how to get home to the coop. :o)