Thinking about getting chickens.. tips?

[chantald]

Hello!
I am thinking about getting/raising some chickens for eggs. I'd want just hens. We live on about 10 acres although we are at the front of the lot near the road (not a busy road but cars do go fast on it). The back part of our yard is large and butts our wooded property. We have wooded property on either side, one side with a tall stone wall, the other side just woods until the next property about 500 feet away..perhaps a bit more.. we can see their house in the winter through the trees. The stone wall side of our property also butts another neighbor about 300 feet from the wall to their house with about 100 feet from our house to the wall..
The back yard woods flows into a swampy marshy type land..

So.. do we have the "property" to raise free range chickens? How difficult are they to care for? Do they mess up the yard with all their poo? I have small children.. will they be tracking in chicken poop to the house.. ? Is there a danger for the children to play in the yard if we have chickens (disease?)

We would build a hen house and I was thinking it would open into a wire fenced pen with a wire fenced roof to keep out the racoons, foxes, coyotes and hawks.. but that for the most part, the chickens would range totally free. How do you keep them semi close to home.. not sure my neighbors would appreciate chickens although several people on our road do have chickens (they are caged I do believe). DO I need a permit?

I'm sure I'm not thinking about everything.. I really need the down and dirty..

Thanks!

[Linzie2]

I'd post this over in Country living to get more answers

[chantald]

Originally Posted by Linzie2

I'd post this over in Country living to get more answers

: Oh gosh.. I didn't even SEE that forum.. duh

[chantald]

and I still don't see it... where is it?

wait I see it.. Posted there. Thanks!

[t-elaine]

We have only one acre. We have one rooster and 7 hens. They free range all over! They go into our neighbors yard and even along the road. We do offer them a grain chicken scratch to supplement and even toss them some bread crusts and such when the kids don't finish it (homemade wholewheat bread). They enjoy getting into my compost pile too.

I would say that you are good to have them free-range on your property. Yes they poop and do it ANYWHERE, but we rarely see it a problem here. But possible we are more tolerant. If you have 10 acres, it will be even less of a problem.

I must add this recommendation though. Get yourself just one rooster. It is SO fun to have your momma hens being followed around by a brood of chicks! My children and I have learned and experienced SO much since we first got our chickens. We have even had the awesome experience of hatching three eggs in our kitchen after the mother abandoned them. IT was such an awesome process to witness.

I will warn you that losses can and do happen and it is SO sad everytime! We have dealt with attackes from neighborhood dogs, hawks, weasels, and even had one of our own hens killing off some chicks out of jealousy. We had gotten her full grown. I HIGHLY recommend getting chicks and hand raising them. Handle them a lot and get them used to you. Give them some food now and then so they know you. This will make them much more tame.

Right now we have a rooster that acts like a dog. He even knows my husband's car and comes to the driveway from wherever he is, even if it is way on the other side of the fence, to see him when he comes home. His mother (who was killed by a hawk) was the tamest hen we have had so far. She would let the children hold her and eat or their hands. That helped a lot with this rooster.

I could share SO many more stories, good and bad!!! Like the day a hen we now call the prodigal hen returned (we thought she had been killed) being followed by a total of 14 CHICKS!!!!!! It was SO exciting!!!

If you EVER have any questions feel free to PM me - I will geive you my actual email addy there.

Tina