Anyone here have chickens? We're planning on getting some this spring. I'm reaching out to friends to see if anyone has any older laying hens, but of course, we also *need* chicks 
What are your fav chicken resources? We are in MT and get hot summers and cold winters. Our coop won't have power (it freaks me out as a fire hazard!) so def doing the deep litter method. Also we live on a large property so our chickens will be (mostly) free range.
Our kids are pumped! Tell me all the things!
clementine / 973 posts
Following this thread! I don’t have any advice, but I’m planning on getting some in the near future as well. The Kindergartners at my school just incubated and hatched baby chicks, and now I totally have chicken fever
coffee bean / 26 posts
No real advice…we rented a coop and some hens during first Covid spring/summer and just loved our girls!! I love the idea of pets that feed you!! The eggs were great. Sadly, the trauma of losing one to a raccoon (there was lots of gory evidence) and the raccoons constantly trying to break in made us pull the trigger on returning the survivors. If we could build a permanent coop and I was not constantly worried about them being eaten by a hawk/dog/Fox/raccoon, I would try again for sure.
persimmon / 1064 posts
Ugh yes the raccoons. We have a little raccoon family that lives under one of our outbuildings and comes and eats out cat food every night 
kiwi / 583 posts
We don't have chickens, so no firsthand knowledge, but my father-in-law has 6 who he calls "his girls." He really enjoys them!! I know he ended up needing to keep them in an area with a cover because predator birds were a big issue. I had a friend that lost a chicken to a hawk and the evidence was very traumatic for her kids, so just be aware of that potential issue if you do free range.
coffee bean / 30 posts
We have over 100 chickens! They’re a blast, but make sure you buy pullets if you’re going someplace like TSC to get them. A straight run is usually all roosters.
We have lights in our coop, helps the chickens return at night. If done right, it shouldn’t be a fire hazard.
My favorites are the Brahmas, very friendly and they don’t go broody! Silver lace wyandottes are the prettiest though
coconut / 8483 posts
We have 4! We got 6 as day olds last may. 2 ended up being roosters so we returned them.
We live on the lake in Canada. It’s COLD but we did the deep litter method and no issues! Going to expand their run this spring! It’s definitely something you can figure out as you go, In my experience!
persimmon / 1064 posts
@Lahela017: "his girls"! I love it!
@Lilfarmer: 100 chickens! I'm thinking more like 6-7 hahaha. Will they not return to the coop at night without a light? In addition to being worried about fires, DH doesn't want to deal with running electric out there (which I totally get)
@Mrs. Champagne: Glad to hear the deep litter method works for you! How often do you totally clean it out?
pomegranate / 3973 posts
We have had chickens on/off over the years. When we free ranged them they were good about returning to the coop at night, BUT we did have some raccoons sneak in there right at dusk and run off with one, so something to be aware of. (Rats were bad also)
I did end up not liking free ranging because they were constantly in my flower gardens or even on our deck.
DH always goes overboard and will bring home 20 and then we get sick of paying for all the feed and eventually sell them off. If I could get him to stick to 2-4 I think they'd be fine, lol. 1 egg a day per hen is perfect for our family.
| Today | Monthly Record | |
|---|---|---|
| Topics | 0 | 1 |
| Posts | 1 | 3 |
Ask for Help
Make a Suggestion
Frequently Asked Questions
Bee Levels
Acronyms
Most Viewed Posts
Hellobee Gold
Hellobee Recipes
Hellobee Features
Hellobee Contests
Baby-led Weaning
Bento Boxes
Breastfeeding
Newborn Essentials
Parties
Postpartum Care Essentials
Sensory Play Activities
Sleep Training
Starting Solids Gear
Transitioning to Toddler Bed
All Series
Who We Are
About the Bloggers
About the Hostesses
Contributing Bloggers
Apply to Blog
Apply to Hostess
Submit a Guest Blog
Hellobee Buttons
How We Make Money
Community Policies
- Google Plus
- Stumbleupon
- Twitter
- Facebook
- Pinterest
- Favorite0
8 comments