If you've not heard, Avian Flu is spreading across the nation. Whether or not it's a real event, folks in charge are having huge numbers of birds "depopulated" (as they like to call it). This includes both commercial flocks and small backyard operations. Egg prices are going to be through the roof soon.
Small prep: chicks are everywhere right now. Go down to your local feed store, TSC, whatever you've got, and get yourself a half dozen or more. They are easy to raise, relatively inexpensive to feed, and will start making you breakfast in about 16 weeks. Chickens love your salad scraps, bugs, mice - you name it; they'll probably eat it! Screw your ridiculous HOA rules and get yourselves some chickens.
Once you have a surplus of eggs, look into Egg Glassing for long term storage. We've been eating duck eggs that are currently 1.5 years old, and they are perfect.
Food in general is likely to become decidedly more expensive and scarce. We have a small farm, and the price of commercial grade fertilizer is just insane. One small and easy solution in case the shit really hits the fan? Potatoes.
Small prep: go buy yourself a few bags of organic potatoes now. Let them start to sprout. Once they do, cut the potato up into small sections (generally with two eyes each) and plant. You can grow potatoes in almost anything - the ground, containers, trash bags, etc. Small amounts of care and water will yield you TONS of potatoes.
(Even better: buy real "potato seeds" that should be appearing in gardening centers soon, depending on where you live.)
You can live on eggs, potatoes and water for quite some time. You can barter with eggs and potatoes.
PS - everything I've mentioned here is easily searchable for more detail and instructions, even on the totally cucked browsers. :D
We have a gardener snake problem. How would I get the chick's safe? No joke....I've killed 3 in the past few days. I guess spring means an abundance. Usually the goldendoodles catch them but small chicks would be easily eaten I think. Especially eggs?
When they are small, they're usually in a brooder somewhere in your house or garage. (I've turned kiddie pools into brooders on my dining room table, used a bathtub, etc.) The birds don't go out until they are fully feathered and bigger. I have had squirrels try to steal my eggs, but no snakes. (Not that it can't happen.) I have seen fully grown chickens chase, catch, and kill snakes. They don't call them tiny raptors for no reason! LOL
Keep chicks in some type of solid container until they get wing feathers. I've never had a problem with snakes of any kind getting a bird. Could happen though. Garter snakes are primarily insect/grub/frog eaters, but chick isn't out of the question.
Internets are fren here. Plenty of chicken raising info out there.
Like.....a giant tote? 🧐 I only want 3 or 4. Small land space here after garden goes in
Yep, that would work.
Using chicken wire sounds good but I know snakes can just mosey on through them no issue at all
Also... no males right? If you're just using eggs.
Get pullets, those are sexed as female. Roosters will slip in occasionally. Cull them out if you don't want.
You don't need a rooster unless you want fertile eggs. Most of the hatcheries do sell sexed pullets, but the occasional cockerel sneaks through.