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    Default About Chickens

    As economies decline, it becomes more important to find supplemental food sources. Chickens provide a healthy and inexpensive source of eggs.

    Using a moveable chicken tractor is one way to protect the chickens and to provide a healthy environment. Here's a short video of one man's clever chicken tractor design.



    In the warmer months, free ranging chickens are almost self sustained with a vast variety of bugs to eat. But free ranging chickens are vulnerable to predators.

    If chickens are free ranging, here is a clever door opener that will allow one to sleep later in the morning. If chickens could talk, they might say "We shut ourselves in at night and we let ourselves out in the morning."


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    Default Re: About Chickens

    Love your posts Ron...and your website. I highly recommend folks check it out.
    Hope to finally get my chicken coup finished this year! I live in the suburbs and am noticing many popping up on our bike rides!

    Matt
    Fear is simply a consequence of a lack of information.

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    Default Re: About Chickens

    I love chickens and the eggs Ive even had chickens that laid green eggs, have to be able to put them in the pot though after a year, boy my grandmother was the queen at cleaning and frying up a chicken


    Best way to get omega 3

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    Default Re: About Chickens

    Cool invention. Not sure why it would need to be movable but then again, I have never raised chickens.

    My chicken association of the day

    Mr. Tweedy: What is it?
    Mrs. Tweedy: It's a pie machine, you idiot. Chickens go in, pies come out.
    Mr. Tweedy: Ooh. What kind of pies?
    Mrs. Tweedy: Apple.
    Mr. Tweedy: My favourite!
    Mrs. Tweedy: Chicken pies, you great lummox!


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    Default Re: About Chickens

    Joel Salatin talks about the advantages of chicken tractors.



    Joel says "One of the things it is important to understand here is … it’s beautiful .
    You know good food production should be aesthetically, and aromatically … sensually romantic."
    Last edited by Ron Mauer Sr; 28th June 2014 at 23:39.

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    Default Re: About Chickens

    This wiley old Fox is thinking long term and rearing its own ..........

    Last edited by Cidersomerset; 28th June 2014 at 23:44.

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    Default Re: About Chickens

    Quote Posted by Ron Mauer Sr (here)
    Joel Salatin talks about the advantages of chicken tractors.



    Joel says "One of the things it is important to understand here is … it’s beautiful .
    You know good food production should be aesthetically, and aromatically … sensually romantic."

    Free Range chickens (what we want/need) they need to Rome free during the day so they can catch bugs. (no traffic pesticides/contaminates around) The cage is to protect them at night while they roost.

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    Default Re: About Chickens

    Quote Posted by joeecho (here)
    Cool invention. Not sure why it would need to be movable but then again, I have never raised chickens.

    My chicken association of the day

    Mr. Tweedy: What is it?
    Mrs. Tweedy: It's a pie machine, you idiot. Chickens go in, pies come out.
    Mr. Tweedy: Ooh. What kind of pies?
    Mrs. Tweedy: Apple.
    Mr. Tweedy: My favourite!
    Mrs. Tweedy: Chicken pies, you great lummox!


    If your going to raise chickens, you will need a chicken pie machine too

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    Default Re: About Chickens

    What Kind of chickens shall we get, ones that lay brown eggs, feathers on the feet, small chickens (banties my fav) hope we get some that lay double yolkers. Ive been wanting some chickens

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    Default Re: About Chickens

    Quote Posted by Joanne Shepard (here)


    Free Range chickens (what we want/need) they need to Rome free during the day so they can catch bugs. (no traffic pesticides/contaminates around) The cage is to protect them at night while they roost.
    So you need these movable pens to protect them during the day too? Do I understand that right?

    Interesting. Never seen anything like it.

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    Default Re: About Chickens

    Quote Posted by joeecho (here)
    Quote Posted by Joanne Shepard (here)


    Free Range chickens (what we want/need) they need to Rome free during the day so they can catch bugs. (no traffic pesticides/contaminates around) The cage is to protect them at night while they roost.
    So you need these movable pens to protect them during the day too? Do I understand that right?

    Interesting. Never seen anything like it.
    The movable chicken tractor/pen can be moved around your yard even if you live in the city. That way the grass can re-grow where you move it from (all nicely fertilized) and you don’t end up with a barren wasteland. It took about 2 weeks of watering for it to green back up from where we moved ours from around the yard, moving it about once a week when I would do a thorough clean out. Plus, chickens will eat a lot of weeds and bugs so by moving the tractor around you get to change their scenery and keep their greens available. We eventually let ours out in the yard during the day and then put them up at night, but once they got used to it they didn’t like it when they didn’t get let out. Last year was a little too exciting in the moving around department so we gave ours away to someone who still has them and was delighted to get them. We’ll get some again when we’re in a better situation to have them. They may get to where they lay their eggs anywhere but where you can find them if allowed total freedom. They can also be remarkably mean to newcomers to the flock we found out. Funner than heck giving them earth worms though. They get pretty excited. They remind me of miniature dinosaurs.

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    Default Re: About Chickens

    The boom in backyard coops spawns a business that lets people try raising fowl before buying.

    Their success is a new twist on the backyard chicken boom, which has been gaining momentum in cities and suburbs for much of the past decade. Once the domain of die-hard foodies, the coops are now being embraced by more casual poultry fans, who like the idea of having a couple of hens around without a long-term commitment.

    http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/...11f_story.html

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    Default Re: About Chickens

    Quote Posted by mpennery (here)
    Love your posts Ron...and your website. I highly recommend folks check it out.
    Hope to finally get my chicken coup finished this year! I live in the suburbs and am noticing many popping up on our bike rides!

    Matt
    In case folks aren’t aware, Ron’s address is posted at the bottom in the signature block: RonMauer.net

    @ Matt - I look forward to your pictures.

    @ Ron - I love the chicken homes!

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    Default Re: About Chickens

    In the area I once lived, a successful egg selling farm had their 'chooks' (as we affectionately call the little peckers in Aus')... cleverly housed in adapted caravans (trailers), so as to freely move their coups when need be.

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    Default Re: About Chickens

    I have 2 roosters, 5 chickens and two geese. The eggs are GREAT but I've found that not only am I not saving money, but when I calculate the costs of organic feed, treats, straw, bedding, enzyme cleaners, diatomous earth, netting (hawks), fans, light bulbs , electricity, hardware..., each egg is costing me $1.50, and lately they're laying just 2-3 a day, so probably closer to $3 each egg...Lol. I'm obviously doing something wrong but it is very entertaining, so worth it.

    Btw Backyardchickens.com has helped me through several crazy chicken issues. Like what to do about roosters' spurs, hawk attacks and other crazy stuff that I was ill prepared to deal with. Ron, I'll be checking out your website!
    cursichella1


    Qui tacet consentit

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    Default Re: About Chickens

    I was not sure whether to post this item on this uplifting thread......


    This article is on Davids site this morning , A horror story,
    I know its hypocritical for meat eaters. But there is no need
    at all for this inhumane rearing of any animal.....




    Shocking Undercover Investigation Exposes Buried-Alive Chickens at Nation’s Second-Largest Producer

    Sunday 29th June 2014 at 04:36 By David Icke


    The vid is shocking so I'll post the link
    if you want to watch.

    https://youtube.com/watch?v=BEy6Sr_YxzM



    ‘After watching Pilgrim’s Shame: Chickens Buried Alive, it’s tough to decide which is
    more disturbing—the combination of physical abuse and inhumane killing of
    chickens or the murderous mentality of the animal farmers who were secretly taped
    earlier this year.

    The brief video and accompanying report on CNN’s Erin Burnett Out Front actually
    makes a case for the latter. Hearing an animal farmer laugh about creating
    a “gravy that is simmering and squirming” from the buried-alive chickens he had
    just finished abusing is about as chilling as anything uncovered by an animal rights
    activist in recent years.’

    Caution – Graphic scenes

    http://www.davidicke.com/headlines/


    Read more: Shocking Undercover Investigation Exposes Buried-Alive Chickens at Nation's Second-Largest Producer

    http://www.alternet.org/food/video-s...second-largest
    Last edited by Cidersomerset; 29th June 2014 at 16:31.

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    Default Re: About Chickens

    Quote Posted by cursichella1 (here)
    I have 2 roosters, 5 chickens and two geese. The eggs are GREAT but I've found that not only am I not saving money, but when I calculate the costs of organic feed, treats, straw, bedding, enzyme cleaners, diatomous earth, netting (hawks), fans, light bulbs , electricity, hardware..., each egg is costing me $1.50, and lately they're laying just 2-3 a day, so probably closer to $3 each egg...Lol. I'm obviously doing something wrong but it is very entertaining, so worth it.

    Btw Backyardchickens.com has helped me through several crazy chicken issues. Like what to do about roosters' spurs, hawk attacks and other crazy stuff that I was ill prepared to deal with. Ron, I'll be checking out your website!
    According to my calculations, the first egg from my initial chicken raising experience cost me approximately $100, the second egg was only $50, etc. After a dozen or so, the eggs got so inexpensive that I lost interest calculating.

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    Default Re: About Chickens

    Quote Posted by RunningDeer (here)
    Quote Posted by mpennery (here)
    Love your posts Ron...and your website. I highly recommend folks check it out.
    Hope to finally get my chicken coup finished this year! I live in the suburbs and am noticing many popping up on our bike rides!

    Matt
    In case folks aren’t aware, Ron’s address is posted at the bottom in the signature block: RonMauer.net

    @ Matt - I look forward to your pictures.

    @ Ron - I love the chicken homes!
    Uh oh, pressure is on! My wife is already pushing me, too. Thanks RunningDeer!
    Right now, we get eggs from a neighbor down the street. I'm still collecting reclaimed/recycled materials for mine. My main job is as a carpenter so I come across all kinds of cool things to scavenge. Nothing actually built yet. :-( My wife loves how I accumulate this stuff in the garage. BUT, this is how I built our greenhouse so she understands she has to be a little patient and it will pay off. It took a couple years to collect the glass (old windows, shower and sliding doors) but I was able to build a 12X9 greenhouse for about $200. That's a story for another thread!

    Matt
    Fear is simply a consequence of a lack of information.

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    Default Re: About Chickens

    @Cidersomerset's 2nd posting-

    common, folks, this is the real world- and it's hideous beyond comprehension (for most) but it's reality; I still cannot understand why people on this forum continue to skirt reality by individually posting "thinking positive thoughts" about things as if 'positive thinking' will eradicate the negative actions of others; right- and I shot Kennedy-

    what we all need is even more of Cidersomerset's 2nd posting to shake us awake (and I mean in no uncertain terms) and make us aware about what's really going out there in the world; yes, the truth is ugly-

    the only thing that has ever changed anything for the positive on this planet is when people finally become aware that evil has the upper hand (and take action against it) and not "the invisible man in the sky" 'supposedly' solving our problems-

    Larry

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    Default Re: About Chickens

    I may not be the best to respond, Larry, but I'll try. You're right. Industrial chicken production is an abomination. So is cow, pig and the others. About 20 years ago when I first became aware of this, I stopped eating all animal products. We had our first child and didn't know how to feed him but we figured it out and were vegan for about 8 years. Then we were vegetarian for a few years after that. Then, and now, we eat some animal products but only free range/organic/grass fed/chemical free/gmo free/local/you get the drift. We made this change after watching an Amish doctor cure a friend of many nasty conditions with just raw milk, eggs and a couple other purely natural farm products--of course all Amish products grown the "right" way. I admit I still go back and forth about going back to vegan.
    I think this is what Ron's post addresses, without specifically saying it. If you go to his site you can see all kinds of ways to get off dependence of industrial food production and chemical living and learn how to take responsibility for the footprint you leave on this planet. If we all, or each neighborhood, had their own chicken coups and could raise them humanely, we wouldn't need industrial production and we wouldn't read stories like Cidersomerset shared.

    Maybe I missed the point of your post. If I did, please don't hesitate to help me out.

    Thanks

    Matt

    [edit: I asked my wife to refresh my memory on the Amish doctor and what he gave our friend to cure her (lupus, crohnes and something else). She couldn't remember but did remember that his name is Ruben Schwartz (sp?) and he lives in Tompkinsville, Ky]
    Last edited by Matt P; 29th June 2014 at 15:26.
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