Wet and rainy

It's been a really wet summer here. I was looking at my chickens the other day and they were huddled in the coop trying to stay dry. I got to admit, they are NOT stupid. Whoever thought they were just doesn't know his chickens.
We are over 16 inches above average for the year and more to come. I guess global warming is doing its dirty work everywhere. No rain (about 6 inches only) so far in Washington state where adding a sundeck to your house is considered a poor investment because it rains so much you'd never get to use it.
Back to the chickens. I was giving them some water with the garden hose and decided to see what would happen if I sprinkled them. They headed straight for the coop. Chickens obviously have enough sense to get out of the rain. Unlike some of the people I know.
I had to cut the wing feathers of one of the hens. She decided my garden was a better place to scratch than the space allotted for that. She's the first to "fly" the coop so when I saw her out scratching I thought I might have left the gate open. If I had, I would have had ALL the chickens in my garden. Red usually keeps them close to home so her taking off was not to be expected.

Finding Support Groups or Selling Your Excess Production

Everybody loves FRESH eggs.

Finding someone to buy your eggs may be easier than you think. Depending on how many chickens you have will determine how many extra eggs you'll be able to sell. The good thing is they will stay fresh if refrigerated for many days even weeks. Just look at the eggs for sale at your neighborhood grocer. If they were laid that day or even the day before, you'd have to live on top or near an "egg factory". I always judge the freshness of the eggs by how easily they peel after hardboiling. The harder they are to peel, the fresher.

Ask your friends if they would be interested in buying your excess eggs. I guarantee the first time they taste your eggs you will have a built in market.

Using fresh eggs for your favorite recipes will make you an instant success at any potluck party you're invited to. I make custards and all kinds of custard pies depending on my mood and what I have available.

My chickens and I are fast becoming friends if that's the correct description of an animal that lets you dig under them while feeling for eggs, petting them and letting them know you're just checking. I would have never believed that you could actually feel as close to them as you would any pet. I really enjoy watching them scratch, squabble (the ol' peckin' order is alive and well), hunt for grubs and anything else that catches their fancy. Not having a bug problem is a real bonus. Raising a garden is another issue. Keeping them out of your prized flowers or vegetables means standing over them and letting them know when they've trespassed. It can be daunting if you don't have the time to oversee them when you let them run as I do. I enjoy their company too much to complain.

Each hen has her own personality. I've got "Amelia Earhart". She's takes off without filing flight plans, Hortense, the beauty queen, Junior, Red's first offspring that I successfully hatched the first time Hortense "sat", and Billie, Red's other offspring. I didn't know if she was going to be hen or a rooster so we let time decide. If she/he was a "rooster" his name would be "Billy". As you can see it was a "she".

As the flock grew from natural attrition (you'd be surprised how many people have chickens and don't know what to do with them), I quit naming them and just call them "Ms. Gray" or "Specks 1 and 2". or "You Ornery Critter, get out of there!" Threatening them with the stew pot doesn't faze them so I wouldn't suggest that unless you really want a "fresh" chicken dinner. I'm not sure anymore,that if something happened to one of them I wouldn't have a funeral for it.

Raising Chickens in the City

Chickens are one of the easiest kinds of livestock to raise. Their requirements are so easy to meet that city-dwellers can often find room for at least 2 or 3. They are not picky about what they eat and they will reward your care with fresh eggs that contain no hormones or antibiotics. Be sure and check with your local goverment for restrictions on how many if any you are allowed to have.

GETTING STARTED

A small coop, big enough for you to move around in easily is necessary. This can be free-standing or a wired-off part of a larger building. An enclosure six feet by eight feet and about five feet or more high will be fine. Depending on the weather where you live, they will need to be protected from the elements. If you have more room, make it larger if you like. You will need a couple of nest boxes. Five-gallon plastic pails, cut in half, top to bottom, and fastened to the wall will make fine nest boxes. Fill the nest boxes with straw or long pine needles. Chickens don't mind sharing and in fact are encouraged to lay more if there is already an egg in the nest. You can use golf balls as incentives to get the process going. Also you must provide containers for food and water that the birds can eat from. Chickens are messy eaters so expect to see their food all over the place. They will eventually eat it all though so there is little waste.

FEED AND WATER

While it is possible to raise healthy chickens on "Scratch" your birds will be happier if you feed them Purina “Layena” or similar chicken feed for layers. All you have to do is carry a bag home and dispense to the birds. They appreciate chopped greens from your kitchen and love whole-kernel corn and stale baked goods, like good chickens everywhere. Always keep fresh clean water available to your birds. Make sure it stays clean and does not freeze in winter.

WHAT KIND OF CHICKENS TO GET

Simply put, the bigger the better! Rhode Island Reds are great because they lay nice, big brown eggs so get the best stock you can find. Another good layer is the Austrolorp. These can usually be found at your county fair. and are the most consistent layers, averaging almost an egg a day.

SIT BACK AND WAIT

For the types of chickens available:

http://www.ithaca.edu/staff/jhenderson/chooks/chooks.html