Patchwork Times by Judy Laquidara logo

Questions Answered

I know chickens can be a lot of work.  We’ll use a chicken tractor — google that! 🙂  We’ll move it around and during the day, the chickens will be out in the fenced area eating those darned grubs that have caused the moles to ruin my yard!  If chickens don’t eat grubs, please don’t tell me.

We’ll till the poop up in a separate area and next year or the next, we’ll shovel that into our garden or flower beds.

Vince kept telling me that we couldn’t have chickens in town.  Then, my mailman, who would talk to me all day if I chose to stand out in the rain/snow/cold/heat . . whatever . . told me that I CAN have chickens in town.  I immediately came inside and read our city ordinances online and found that yes, I can have chickens.  Hens have to be at least 100 feet from my neighbors’ houses; roosters have to be 300 feet.

This next paragraph would bring Helen pleasure.  Too bad she can no longer read my blog! 🙂  I thought our pole barn was about 80 feet from our house.  Vince said it is about 150 feet from our house.  I thought anywhere we put our chickens, they would be about 250 feet from the neighbors so I had no intention of getting a rooster.  Vince said where we’re going to put them, the closest they’ll be to any neighbors is 400 feet so I can have a rooster but I think I won’t.  Between Vince, Chad and Speck, I really have enough of the men type in my life.

I think I confused some with my post about wanting a farm.  We’re going to go ahead and get the chickens in about 3 weeks.  If we should sell the house, the chickens are easily moved.  Worst case scenario is we get the chickens and decide that’s not what we want.  Typically, I’m not a quitter but everyone I know seems to be wanting chickens right now so I’m sure I could find a good home for them.

For years and years, I’ve begged for chickens and Vince just gave me that look! Wives . . you know the look . . it means he won’t even consider it.  Did I ever tell you how long it took for him to agree to letting me have a dog in the house?  I just kept my mouth shut about getting a dog . . kinda . . till Vince agreed that I could have a dachshund.  And now he loves Speck as much as I do!  So, from time to time I mentioned how much I wanted chickens.  Then when we moved here I was able to buy fresh eggs from a local quilter and the Amish and Vince decided having chickens was a good idea.  Now he’s as excited about getting them as I am.

And now . . about that elephant! 🙂  Nope . . no elephants for us, even if the city ordinances say I can have it.  Poor Helen!

Reader Interactions

Comments

  2. My younger sister lives about 26 miles out in the country in east Texasand raises her own garden, cows, pigs, chicken….all that stuff that is lots of work, but when I go to her home, the food she puts on a table is unbelievable. She cans or freezes just about all their food. She makes almost all their meals from food supplied from their little farm( about 100 acres) She does buy some groceries in town. I love it when I go visit about twice a year because, not only have I had a wonderful time visiting, but she always sends me home with fresh egss, homemade jellies, and canned veggies! She loves having chickens. Some she raises for the freezer and some are for the eggs. I have even started planning a week in the summer so we can put up (can )vegetables and make jellies together. Spring break is for sewing together for a week. So, a think you should get you some chickens and have your very own fresh eggs! And did you know that some lay different colored eggs, not just white or brown shells , but you can also have pastel green and blue eggs??

  3. What about the lamb I’m sure your dad is going to bring when he finds out you have chickens? LOL. “Judy had a little lamb, little lamb……”

  5. I say go for the chickens and the purple & lime green coop. LOVE those colors. And if you get Ariconna (not sure of spelling there) chickens they lay bluish, greenish beautiful eggs.
    Good luck to you. If you don’t try you will probably regret it.

  6. LOL!!! Love these chickens already! Have we names for them? I think this may be a stupid question, but don’t you have to have a rooster for hens to lay chickens? I can hear you laughing now…I am a city girl remember, even though I did spend summers with my grandma..come to think if it though, she didn’t have any chickens. But I do remember a neighbor who had a rooster that crowed a lot!
    I am just squeamish enough that I wouldn’t be able to eat the chickens if I thought they ate grubs. yuk!!! Just the thought, I may not be able to eat chicken for a few days. Oh my, I am still laughing at this post and the one from Helen.

  7. I forgot to ask you something. Does this chicken tractor that moves around the yard have the coop in it? Won’t that disturb the chickens and make them not want to lay. Wait, please don’t tell me to google for this info, inquiring, lazy minds want to know…besides it will be a good refresher for you to tell us what a chicken tractor does. :>)

  8. I LOVE my chickens! Something so… earthy… about them Their soft cooing and clucking And the eggs!! WOW how wonderful! Did you decide on a variety of chicken? I love my Rhode Island Reds, Black Australorps, and New Hampshires. And you can’t beat Leghorns for productivity. I have a tractor that we use in the warmer months, but a coop for the winter. Best wishes on your endeavor!

  10. I can’t wait to hear about Speck’s reaction to the chickens! LOL One of my friends has raised her own chickens for years. She always ordered young chicks and then when they got old she had someone she would sell them to. Wonderful Eggs! She had one that would climb up on the porch swing with her and also would try to get in the car with her. Trust me when Vince’s co-workers find out you have fresh eggs–you won’t have any trouble with too many eggs.

  11. I believe that if one is going to have hens there has to be at least one rooster if you want eggs. (I could be wrong) but I have heard that some folks ship eggs / chicks through the mail.

    Have fun with your mini farm.
    Liz

  12. I can’t wait! Three weeks and we will have a whole new set of stories and pictures. I do love the sounds chickens make. I love it when we are in our garden early in the morning and hear a neighbor’s rooster. I feel a new peace coming for Judy and Vince.

    Do you make noodles? They are soooooooo good made with fresh eggs.

  13. Not sure if the chickens eat grub worms, but my weenie dog Sam can smell them under the ground and digs them up and tries to eat them before I get to him. Now he has grubby worm breath….LOL.

    Billie

  15. I just looked up the chicken tractor. I think I could handle raising chickens with a chicken tractor. I always had trouble going into a chicken coop due to smells, heat, feathers etc. Now I want chickens!

  16. Let me know when you want your lamb, piglet, llama and calf. 🙂 Sorry, I’d love to help you out with an elephant too. 😉 I can’t wait to get my chickens again! Your gardens/flowers are going to be amazing too!
    You can use the chicken manure straight into the garden. It MUST be buried/turned under….no top dressing with it.

  18. My cousin has chickens and best I can tell they eat anything – I am sure they would eat your grubs. They are great for eating all sorts of food scraps – orange peels, mango peels, banana peels — better than composting and what a deal – you feed them garbage and get some good eggs in return. Have fun!

  19. Hey Judy! I’m sorry people are giving you a bad time. If you want chickens, I think you should go for it. They eat a lot of nasty bugs. Yep, they can get messy. Anything that poops can! But, there’s nothing like fresh eggs. You seem to be very proficient at way more than quilting. I think you’ll handle the chickens just fine!

    Linda

  20. Go Judy, get the chickens and enjoy them. Life is for living now, not regretting later. And the eggs are just wonderful.

  21. Don’t panic (grin). Chickens need not be a lot of work if you set them up right. Get a big hanging feeder (to keep rats away) and the same for water.
    I used to keep mine in a big hen house with loads of sawdust/chippings and added more every few days. Twice a year, (now that’s not much work is it?) I’d empty it out and start again. The chippings went into a pile with the lawn clippings etc for about a year and then onto the flower and vegetable beds.
    Easy peasy.

  22. Tractors work great. I prefer to free range, but obviously you can’t do that in town.

    Start saving your egg cartons!

    While you’re in town, consider a couple of bee hives. They’re absolutely fascinating. If you think you’re too scared, pick up a copy of “Beekeeping for Dummies” and read it… you’ll find yourself entranced.

Discover more from Patchwork Times by Judy Laquidara

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading