Get the chickens. If you believe in God then you shouldn’t believe in a superstition that getting them will cause the calamity.
I live in a suburban neighborhood that allows up to 6 hens, and I love every minute of owning them. Especially never having to throw away leftover food (besides chicken, my wife won’t allow it lol), and abundant healthy eggs that keep for a long time.
I think God may have given you this idea and would be happy to see you trying to help yourself. He could’ve given you the idea to stock up on MREs, or the idea to flee the country, but instead your idea is to raise chickens. Do it!!!
“Leave here, turn eastward and hide in the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan. You will drink from the brook, and I have directed the ravens to supply you with food there.” So he did what the Lord had told him. He went to the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan, and stayed there. The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning and bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the brook.
1 Kings 17:3-6 NIV
Who said Jesus saves? We were given free will and intelligence..use them. Do not rely on anyone else to save you. That's your job.. independence is a grown up trait...praying for a saviour is childish
You were also given a brain to "use". God saves souls and provides love and support but, like a parent, allows his children to make mistakes and suffer the consequences, even if those consequences involve personal harm, death or even damnation.
Oh hell no. LOL
Although I have a neighbor who does keep bees.
One can buy honey by the tubfull and it keeps forever.
Just as an additive of course.
Just buy MRE type kits to last whatever time you feel necessary until you can get up a garden spot, whether your own, or a communal spot.
Here's maybe your foremost concern in the idea:
Heath codes on chickens are extreme, especially urban, and would likely be used as a reason to mess with your attempt.
I sympathize with your situation. Hope things work out in any case.
Been there done that many years ago..... Now we have about 16 hens and 1 rooster. Have had up to 40 hens and several roosters quite few years ago. That was just too many, as when feeding time came, they would attack you trying to get to the feed.....
I used to have two cocks and 4 hens… those hens ended up with almost featherless backs from so much “mating”, just from the two. We had to get them these goofy aprons to protect their backs.
We used to raise quails in our small aviary. One male which we called 'Foamy' (if you get my drift), was constantly harassing the tiny females. The poor things had their head and back feathers ripped out from him trying to mount them. He was relentless and they'd all scatter when he approached. Finally, we had to put him in his own pen because he was a damn nuisance and it was just not right to allow that kind of terrorizing.
Intellectualism is not allowed. And Schroedinger's cat was a torture victim of western intelligence apparatus. Your humor is noted and been duly reported ___ Chairman Meow
My biggest regret… waiting so long to get chickens.
Currently have six pullets and one cockerel. Adding some more chickens later this year to get my egg production up. Then I’ll have some for meat afterwards.
I have no desire to kill anything but it’s part of the life cycle. I’m going to struggle with the slaughter as well, but I can at least say I gave them the best life I possibly could.
When I was small we kept and killed rabbits and ducks. It bothered me. If you haven't cleaned and plucked a fowl, or peeled the skin off a rabbit, I suggest you get a reality check. Honestly, I'd rather dress a rabbit. But maybe you should get a nice All American canner and start doing a batch of meat someone else killed every week. I did that and it is the most worthwhile thing I learned to do in the food department. I learned from watching preppers on YouTube during the lockdowns.
I felt the same about canning. What I've learned is that the experts have got it down to an unscrewupable science and all you have to do is follow the directions and you are good. And once you know what to look for as far as something going wrong, you'll be fine. I would suggest a channel called RoseRed Homestead on youtube. This woman is a teacher, scientist and a homesteader. She knows her shit better than anyone else on youtube and her videos are like a priceless course you can take for free. She'll even get super sciency and use some cool tools and show you the data so you can really understand how canning works. (If you like that sort of thing, I do). Watching her took away all my fears of canning.
I can relate although my fear was blowing things up. My first efforts weren't too pretty because they were overcooked and too much water boiled away, but they were still edible.Typhoid from a flood sounds like leaky jars. The main worry is botulism, which only grows in an anaerobic environment such as your vacuum sealed jars. This is why the Ball company (best jars) and the USDA have both written the Bibles of canning, with the procedures to cook the stuff long enough to kill the botulism spores, if any. That takes a temperature of 250 F sustained long enough to heat the entire contents long enough, depending on jar size and ingredients, which is why you need a pressure canner. Not a pressure cooker. But, if you did open something and were worried, the botulism poison is broken down by boiling 10 minutes, or you could make a baked dish.
Well, part of gardening is knowing what things are going to try to eat (bugs, rabbits, deer) your plants or try to kill (diseases, stampeding wild horses, husbands with lawnmowers) your plants. A good garden book will tell you not only how much sun and water, acid or alkaline soil, heavy feeder or needs little fertilizer, those plants need but also what to do to keep them from being eaten or dying. Except the husbands with lawnmowers is up to you. Heavy lawnmower-eating stakes made from 2x4s blocking the way to the plants I've found to be highly effective. This is not a joke.
I like this book for beginners and more experienced gardeners:
So true I was worried. I got ducks for eggs they said 75% hens. We got mostly males. But I have a hunter neighbor who thought eating fresh meat was awesome so I let him take them for free and I have a nice quiet small flock of hens.
And if it helps, don't do it for "preparedness plan", do it to make sure the chickens you eat don't have a mess of growth whoremoans and other chemicals loaded into them.
Do the chickens to ensure you have clean and healthy to eat chickens.
I would watch some videos about the pros and cons of owning chickens. I’ve considered it but I’ve learned a few things that make me wonder if I can do it.
My neighbors had chickens. They’ve recently moved and took their chickens and coops. Suddenly, I had rats in my attic. The exterminator said they were probably living in or under the coops. The chickens left and the rats packed their little rat bags and came to my house. They like bird seed and chicken feed, according to my guy. I’d say it’s probably best not to put coops close to a house.
For some, the feed is expensive. When you consider the cost of the chickens and the feed, plus taking care of the animals and preventing bugs, parasites etc, it could be more costly than just buying eggs. Also, you can’t really go away and leave them. You’ll have to get someone to take care of them. They need daily attention. I have a bird and it’s extremely hard going away with or without him. Everyone I know likes my dog but the bird needs a lot more daily care, imho. I feel very guilty if I don’t let him out several times a day. And he could get sick and die a lot easier than my dog. It’s just a big responsibility and many people aren’t comfortable with birds. Probably same with chickens.
The neighbor’s coops were right next to my property line. I don’t think that was very considerate, but that’s another story. The chickens stunk. Every week, the owners would clean the coops and the water would run over to my property toward my pool. I could smell poop. I wasn’t impressed. He would spray something toxic smelling, as well. If it was Sevin- that’s really bad for humans and animals alike. It also gets into the eggs. Another thing- at least in Florida, the local raccoons, opossum, hawks and snakes are all very interested in chickens and eggs. I’ve heard some horror stories about what the ‘coons did to the chickens. Also, there are a lot of bugs to think about. Where I live, fleas, roaches, mosquitos, etc all thrive. I have a company treat my lawn every month. So that’s probably an added expense if you live in a warmer climate.
I would love to have a little farm but it seems like a huge commitment and there are deed restrictions. I guess it depends on how many chickens you get, where you live and how much time you have and I know there are many positives but I’m just pointing out things I’ve learned about them.
Regarding prepping and how bad it could get? God only knows. I do things to help feel better. I have less anxiety knowing I can go probably a year or more on what I have. It’s the Marine in me but I honestly hate MREs now. They give me bad heartburn, bad memories and I know they’re valuable but I don’t focus a lot of my food supplies on that. I have a lot of non perishables and supplies and pick up more when there are sales on necessary items. Just do what you can. If you don’t end up getting your own chickens, find out who has them and see if you can arrange something for trading or buying their eggs. My friend has too many to deal with and is happy giving them away to people. I don’t like to push “Nextdoor” but it is valuable for things like this. Who has chickens, who has surplus eggs, what could be traded, etc.
My faith has gotten me through some terrible times. I know we can get through this but the simple thing that stands out to me the most is...... will the current stress turn many into hateful people or will it make us better human beings? That, to me is the existential crisis. Will it make us bitter, angry, vengeful or will it make us stronger and more creative and willing to work harder for the things we appreciate? Like eggs, chicken, etc. I think we’ve taken a lot for granted. I don’t want to speak for Venezuela but we’ve been the land of plenty and a lot of people think food just magically shows up on the table or in the fridge or at restaurants and don’t understand the hard work and logistics involved. Growing some of your own (even just a few types of food items) raising chickens if you can, not wasting money on junk and convenience items, conserving things that are valuable, repurposing things instead of throwing them out and giving to those who don’t have enough all make a lot of sense to me. I think it’s a Christ-like way to live, regardless what is going on in the world. Faith to me has always been about the journey. It’s hard what we’re going through but we’re going to emerge on the other side eventually. We always do. What kind of people will we be?
"Please don't apologize" I loved reading your post! Was kind of sad when it ended.
Sane people talking about "normal life" in insane, abnormal times is why I (maybe many?) of us come here! Not to mention I can relate and I agree with everything you've said.
God Bless You, and I honestly and truly appreciate your service and sacrifice to our Country.
This is the nicest thing anyone has said to me here. Thank you so much! You have made my day (and many to come.) I always seem to be long/winded but I feel like people deserve the time. Thank you again. God bless you!!!
GET THE CHICKENS!!!! :) Our 7 year chicken story started in a small town with 3/4 an acre yard and corrupt city officials. We were continually harassed by officials for what was on OUR well kept, south of the tracks, edge of town property. I was even given a "chicket" without the ordinance even referenced. Long story short, county attorney threw the ticket out, town council member resigned possibly due to violating open meetings acts, eventually followed by resignation of the mayor. Our community knows where we stand and we aren’t afraid to speak out. We now reside in the country, kids are collecting two dozen eggs a day, we started raising turkeys, as well as meat chickens. We don't have mole problems because the birds eat the grubs, along with all our food scraps and garden weeds. We have small trailer for chicken feed from the local coop, which alleviates the cost of bagged feed. We also have built two chicken tractors, huge help. Yes, one does have to care and clean up after the birds, but living things need attention. It isn't always rainbows and unicorns but its slightly easier than explaining to your child that there aren’t chicken coops behind Walmart.
P.S. The first egg we ever had was laid the day of my Father's funeral, that was a spiritual win! Best of luck patriot!
It's already biblical and has been for every nano second throughout all space and time. Therefore, get chickens if you want to. You can always change your mind. You can give them to neighbors, friends, or someone on craigslist. They'll be snatch up immediately if it doesn't work out for you. And if it does work out for you, you'll be absolutely delighted that you did. And so will the people you feed their eggs.
Beautiful post here friend, I enjoyed reading how your brain works. I got into gardening maybe 5 years ago and it’s the best decision I’ve ever made. Fermenting and/or canning my produce in particular for long term storage has made me feel so comfy. Have not made the move to get chickens, though it is in future plans
Watch the back to eden documentary on youtube and it may change your life, it changed mine.
Check out Roots and Refuge and go through the older videos about gardening, such a wealth of info.
Look into something called a greenstalk vertical tower. If you have the money to spare, maybe a simple vertical system would be more your thing.
There's a ton of other great gardener channels as well, I can list them if you want. Charles Dowding, Epic Gardening, and Self Sufficient Me are among some of my favorites for education.
My grandparent's generation were the ones to start doing it all wrong, buying the commercial fertilizers, tilling the ground over and over, monocropping, herbicides, pesticides, knew nothing of companion planting.... my dad was even worse, didn't even know how to start his own seeds, poured tons of miracle grow on everything, killed the soil every year. My great grandparents seem to be the cutoff of the generations before the wisdom was lost. They grew an amazing garden effortlessly. He was still tending his garden in his 90's. She was still canning everything. They are my biggest inspiration.
Constant supply of fresh eggs. Waaaay better than store bought. Several breeds yield about 1 egg per chicken per day.
They’re kinda like pets if you choose to look at them that way. They have their own quirks.
Maintenance is next to nothing. Feed is cheap. You can build a simple coop or buy a prebuilt.
Sense of pride and preparedness.
Bartering item if SHTF
Cons:
They shit EVERYWHERE. (Currently navigating this one)
That’s really it
There are great videos available for breed selection, how to care for them, etc. lots of people have a backyard flock in urban areas.
Lessons learned:
Keep the coop simple and practical, ie easy to clean and gather eggs.
Try to buy from farmer rather than get a straight run or you’ll end up with a ton of roosters (happened to me). Or learn how to sex them. Not extremely difficult if done early. Just sounds weird walking into a store and asking if you can sex their chickens lol. Getting pullets (6mo old hen that’s laying or about to lay) is a good way to ensure you don’t get roosters.
When the time comes to send them to chicken heaven it’s simple and easy. One method is put their neck under rebar, step on the bar on either side of the neck, grab legs and pull. Very quick and very effective. No chance to screw it up.
Search your heart. Whichever decision is motivated by fear, do the other.
If fear is causing you to think about this, ignore it for a while and go out and eat an ice cream cone. Even better if you can ostentatiously lick the cone in a zone filled with maskers. Pray, and God will eventually give you a sign. Faith conquers fear.
You could die just as easily confronting a desperate pipe-wielding neighbor trying to steal your chickens, as from lack of chickens. We have nothing to fear but fear itself.
Well, I asked my chickens and this is what they said: "Braaaaawk (Braaaaawk is my chicken name) buck buck buck brawk buck buck buck." Which means, in chicken, "Tell rooftoptendie to stop overthinking and go get those chickens." Radian_333 is absolutely hit the nail on the head right.
OMG you sound exactly like my own inner thinking lol.
I've always got my mind on preparing for disaster but constantly telling myself don't attract the disaster in the process. My advice, get the chickens but change the mindset. Don't get them just because it's a good disaster plan, get them because there are no eggs you can get from the store that will ever be as healthy as the ones that come from your yard. Get them because chickens are the most fun and entertaining pet you'll own and you'll love it. Get them because God made humans the caretaker of the animals, and we should all be raising chickens instead of supporting factory farms (though I realize meat chickens are not as doable in small settings, but eggs hens are a great start.) After you change you mindset, then you can tell yourself that as a bonus, they are also a great survival plan too.
Are you genuinely trusting in the guidance of the Spirit? The fact that you're on the horns of a dilemma suggests not. No offence intended, I just recognise the motion. If chickens are the way to go, all will fall into place. And if they're not, it won't. Ask for guidance and sleep on it. The relief that comes from surrendering and accepting God's help is often enough to jog the noggin'.
Tendie, you offered a lot of kind words and advice when I was asking for prayers for my mother in law. My turn to repay the favor. I have found that when I think to much about the what ifs of something, I typically miss out on something much larger by not following my gut instinct. I try to do as much research as I can on the subject and prepare myself for what said decision will entail. This could be anything, stock purchases, buying something for my house, car, etc, making a decision on something I'm designing or building. I always go with my gut the direction I choose. Most times, I don't do things blindly, but sometimes we are forced to make decisions with little to no info. This is where I trust that God will lead me to make the right decision.
The one thing that the college I went to has taught me more than any math and science is damage management and how to weigh risks, rewards, pros, cons, and time commitment. And just looking at your conundrum, my initial instinct would be to get chickens. The risk is minimal, they don't cost much beyond the initial investment, the reward is you have eggs and chickens to eat is shit goes south, and you have fertilizer (chicken shit) for your garden. If anything we're to happen to them, at the end of the day, you have to look at them as they are, chickens. Nothing more, nothing less. You can't look at them as a pet or friend as they would essentially be a tool for your survival should things go south. I'm not saying don't care for them, but you can't be attached to them emotionally, or they will for survival purposes be useless to you. The only thing that would affect my decision is whether or not I had the time and the bandwidth to care for them day in and day out. Which is why I don't have chickens. I'm gone too much. Don't go making a mountain out of a molehill. Make an informed indecision, follow your instinct, and move forward. If you boil it down to that, it gets pretty cut and dry.
Hope this helps, and thanks for the MIL prayers. She's on the up n up now, still not out of the woods yet, but improving.
It's easy to get duped into building all the what ifs into this giant scary thing when you are looking miles ahead in the distance. It's easy to overlook the steps to getting there. One thing that always stuck with me, when I was in middle school I always remember walking past the math class for grade above me and immediately getting worried that I will never be able to do what they are doing, and that it was going to be too difficult for me to comprehend. And then through finishing the course I was in and starting the next course and getting to that point, I always remember thinking, huh, that wasn't so bad, I don't know what I was so worried about. Looking at and end result without looking at the steps to get there can really mess with my head and make me doubt myself and my decisions. The lesson here being that even your worst fear of the worse case scenario, there will be a lot of opportunities to right your ship before it gets that bad. The worst thing that can happen is you find out that chickens aren't for you and you're only out time and money and you get some chicken shit under your finger nails. Starting smaller is definitely a good idea. I have to remind my wife a lot, because she tends to let the world build up on her a lot, which causes a lot of anxiety and fear of making decisions, is to take things one at a time. One day at a time, one hour at a time, one decision at a time, etc... Once she starts doing that, she starts sorting out what is more or less important and acting on it. Make small moves, but keep making moves.
I'd say if it were me, I was always a fish aquarium guy, everyone is always champing at the bit to buy the fish first, when it's way better for the fish to buy the aquarium, set it up first, let the water cycle and get the right ph, nitrogen level, etc, and then get the fish. In this sense, if I were to go for the chickens, I would set everything else up first, coop, watering system, feed systems, enclosure or backyard, etc. And buy the actual chickens last. That way I thoroughly understood everything fully about what they need before any chicken was ever in the mix. Just my 2 cents.
Yup! Good luck with your future chicken endeavours! A few days ago they did a tracheotomy and are trying to ween her back off the vent. She's at least awake and alert now and they are going to start OT, PT, and speech therapy. I might get to see her next week if all goes well. Thanks for the prayers! She's been using em.
Haven't you heard? They are saying bird flu will be the next pandemic and killing milions of chickens all over. These chickens are asymptomatic and they use the same crazy crooked test as for covid.
How can the sheeple be so stupid as to put up with this shit.
If they come for my chickies it will break my heart. I just got them for emergencies but now I've had them for two years and I love them.
We used to have chickens .... about 40 was our top number. they require constant work - watering & feeding daily. our solution - we have a neighbor that raises chicken, so we get our eggs from them! if things go really bad - we can barter for their eggs. win/win for both of us.
My chickens and pigeons are pets and I co0uld not eat them. However they eat a lot of grain which could be scarce if times got very tough becau8se it could feed people and they would grab it first. So my worry is failing my pets. If you live in a city, pigeons are more doable and a mated pair can lay a lot of eggs. They will lay 2 eggs and brood on them. If you steal the eggs promptly they lay two more. I could get 20 eggs a week or more from a 15 x 18' aviary. It gets stressful for them if they don't get a break from laying so fast so eventually you have to let them raise chick's or they wear out. Like chickens, they will eat a lot of other stuff, and like chickens there is a constant production of rich fertilizer that is a chore.
This flock started with rescued pigeons. I built an aviary so they would have room to fly. I definitely would do it differently! but pigeons are smarter than chickens and entertaining. They are dedicated homebodies and once they can find a nesting place and food they won't leave.
Being prepared doesn’t mean you don’t have faith. Prepare for the worst but hope for the best. If you have a lot of friends who already have chickens you might be ok without them, especially if you have something that they could use in a crisis situation for trade. Just my humble opinion.
I grew a modified food forest in response to the same crisis. I started 5 y ago. I figure if you don’t plant the trees you can’t get the miracle harvest.
Get the chickens, but not out of fear of Venezuela. Get them because fresh bantam eggs are the best eggs you'll ever have. Get them to no longer support horrible factory farms. Get them because chickens have so much personality when kept in small numbers. Get them for a good reason and you will have a good result.
When I saw the post title I thought this was going to be about a dilemma regarding the bird flu pushed and birds you already own. So I see both sides, catastrophe could strike.
I think you need to take into account the realistic likelihood of costs and benefits. I live in a town and rent. My significant other 1) doesn’t want chickens and 2) has pointed out, will we know how to care for them and 3) will it actually cost more?
No “answer” except to keep your preps real and don’t create more of a hindrance than a blessing. If different preps make more sense for you, that is what I would do.
I can say that right now it is not cost productive, with the price of feed. When I had them I sold eggs for $2 dozen. Break even was 3. It has gotten worse since then. I enjoyed having them and usually just gave away extra eggs anyway. However, peace of mind and ability to feed yourself is worth something too.
Raising grain-free chickens is a thing. Free range, lots of scraps and some easy tricks like putting blocks on the ground for while, then pick them up to reveal a colony of bugs and worms and let the chickens go to town, free high quality food right there! Also when they are laying, clean the egg shells as you use them then crush them up and feed back to the chickens and that provides them with the calcium they need. Just remember to clean and crush so they don't start to think they can eat their own eggs.
Yep. You can also put the clean dried shells in a high speed blender and turn into a powder to add to the garden to prevent blossom end rot on the tomatoes and peppers.
You can feed them leftovers and scraps and such to reduce bill. Calcium is the biggest need for layers.
I had 25-30 birds and went through a $10 a bag (50lb) every 3-4 days depending on season. Summer time they free ranged the several acres and that cut the cost in half or better. Although I lost some to predators. So $80 ish a month winter time and $40 a month summer time.
Eggs... once they are to laying age 6moths or so iir I got up to 2 dozen summer time and winter sometimes less than a dozen a day off of that many birds.
Don't wash them and they will keep for many months. Once refrigerated they say to keep refrigerated . US is pretty much the only country that cools eggs. I've found weeks old nests in summer heat and never had a bad egg.
Yes you can glass them or candle them to make sure there is no developing embryo or blood spots before storage.
40 pound bag of layer feed is now $16 here in the northeast. We've had batches hens for the past 10 years and the eggs are absolutely awesome.
BUT, you have to invest the time to have a quality coop that will keep any predators out. I live in a very woody area and it seems like everything is looking to get dinner at my coop (fox, weasel, hawk, owl, coyote and even mice eat the grain).
If you get below freezing, you need to run an extension cord to heat their water in the winter also.
My six ducks eat a 20 lb bag in three weeks. So they make 35 eggs/bag of food. They also eat lawn clippings, cooking waste and table scraps but we do almost pure feed. They laying isn't normally effected by type of food. I just find it easier to think about them for the minimum time.
Oh and ducks are messier then chickens but they lay all winter. I have tons of fruit trees but in the winter it's nice to have something fresh.
Domestic duck are generally too heavy to fly more that a few yards. I had ducks. I hate ducks. Do not get ducks. Messy. Messy. Loud. Cute. Messy. Eat like pigs. Ducks are entertaining. They are cute. Don't get ducks. kek love/hate thing for me.
The other part of me says "Beliefs dictate reality. If you prepare for Venezuela, you are actually attracting that timeline to you. You should walk in FAITH alone. And not worry so much. Don't get the chickens."
Sounds like you need some help out of the new-ageism stuff. This video helped me out of it.
Get the chickens. If you believe in God then you shouldn’t believe in a superstition that getting them will cause the calamity.
I live in a suburban neighborhood that allows up to 6 hens, and I love every minute of owning them. Especially never having to throw away leftover food (besides chicken, my wife won’t allow it lol), and abundant healthy eggs that keep for a long time.
I think God may have given you this idea and would be happy to see you trying to help yourself. He could’ve given you the idea to stock up on MREs, or the idea to flee the country, but instead your idea is to raise chickens. Do it!!!
I don't know your lifestyle, so I'm just guessing.
Maybe you're feeling distress because you think of owning chickens as a bad thing. A thing people do only when forced to.
Only when there's war or famine or something.
What if you thought of owning chickens as a wonderful way to feel and be independent? A symbol of life?
If you're not going to eat them, they can be pets.
And maybe if you can't have them at your place...could you go in with a friend somewhere?
I would LOVE to have chickens! And a couple of goats. But I grew up in a rural area where we grew our own food and had chickens for a while.
God helps those who help themselves
Jesus saves souls. He doesn't deliver groceries like Amazon.
“Leave here, turn eastward and hide in the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan. You will drink from the brook, and I have directed the ravens to supply you with food there.” So he did what the Lord had told him. He went to the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan, and stayed there. The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning and bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the brook. 1 Kings 17:3-6 NIV
https://bible.com/bible/111/1ki.17.3-6.NIV
You couldn't be more wrong.
Who said Jesus saves? We were given free will and intelligence..use them. Do not rely on anyone else to save you. That's your job.. independence is a grown up trait...praying for a saviour is childish
You were also given a brain to "use". God saves souls and provides love and support but, like a parent, allows his children to make mistakes and suffer the consequences, even if those consequences involve personal harm, death or even damnation.
This is NOT Scripturally based at all. Scripture says to rely on God alone for everything.
Noah walked in faith when he built the ark. He knew, and he prepared
While living in the heart of Dallas, I would wake up every day to the sound of roosters kept by 'new immigrants' on all sides.
"Honey is good and won't spoil. It even goes good with locusts." John Baptiste
Oh hell no. LOL Although I have a neighbor who does keep bees. One can buy honey by the tubfull and it keeps forever. Just as an additive of course. Just buy MRE type kits to last whatever time you feel necessary until you can get up a garden spot, whether your own, or a communal spot.
Here's maybe your foremost concern in the idea: Heath codes on chickens are extreme, especially urban, and would likely be used as a reason to mess with your attempt.
I sympathize with your situation. Hope things work out in any case.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XV4G5OUrVqg
Minor point but honey has some antiseptic properties - I believe the Roman army and the gladiator handlers used honey to dress wounds.
Yes, it keeps out bacteria, same reason it 'keeps' for so long and why it was also used as an ingredient in embalming.
3,000 year old honey was found to be still edible.
Can also be used in all sorts of recipes rather than eating pure.
Yup. Hot honey is amazing!
Thanks for the tip, I'll try it.
Been there done that many years ago..... Now we have about 16 hens and 1 rooster. Have had up to 40 hens and several roosters quite few years ago. That was just too many, as when feeding time came, they would attack you trying to get to the feed.....
Forget all the other stuff and just get the chickens. Chickens are AWESOME, and you'll find yourself wondering why you didn't get them sooner.
I used to have two cocks and 4 hens… those hens ended up with almost featherless backs from so much “mating”, just from the two. We had to get them these goofy aprons to protect their backs.
We used to raise quails in our small aviary. One male which we called 'Foamy' (if you get my drift), was constantly harassing the tiny females. The poor things had their head and back feathers ripped out from him trying to mount them. He was relentless and they'd all scatter when he approached. Finally, we had to put him in his own pen because he was a damn nuisance and it was just not right to allow that kind of terrorizing.
Hedge your bets, buy a Schrodinger's chicken.
Sorry my advice is based on a theoretical chicken and not more practical.
Intellectualism is not allowed. And Schroedinger's cat was a torture victim of western intelligence apparatus. Your humor is noted and been duly reported ___ Chairman Meow
That made me swallow my mouse ___ Chairman Meow
My biggest regret… waiting so long to get chickens.
Currently have six pullets and one cockerel. Adding some more chickens later this year to get my egg production up. Then I’ll have some for meat afterwards.
I have no desire to kill anything but it’s part of the life cycle. I’m going to struggle with the slaughter as well, but I can at least say I gave them the best life I possibly could.
They were bred for this purpose after all.
When I was small we kept and killed rabbits and ducks. It bothered me. If you haven't cleaned and plucked a fowl, or peeled the skin off a rabbit, I suggest you get a reality check. Honestly, I'd rather dress a rabbit. But maybe you should get a nice All American canner and start doing a batch of meat someone else killed every week. I did that and it is the most worthwhile thing I learned to do in the food department. I learned from watching preppers on YouTube during the lockdowns.
I felt the same about canning. What I've learned is that the experts have got it down to an unscrewupable science and all you have to do is follow the directions and you are good. And once you know what to look for as far as something going wrong, you'll be fine. I would suggest a channel called RoseRed Homestead on youtube. This woman is a teacher, scientist and a homesteader. She knows her shit better than anyone else on youtube and her videos are like a priceless course you can take for free. She'll even get super sciency and use some cool tools and show you the data so you can really understand how canning works. (If you like that sort of thing, I do). Watching her took away all my fears of canning.
I can relate although my fear was blowing things up. My first efforts weren't too pretty because they were overcooked and too much water boiled away, but they were still edible.Typhoid from a flood sounds like leaky jars. The main worry is botulism, which only grows in an anaerobic environment such as your vacuum sealed jars. This is why the Ball company (best jars) and the USDA have both written the Bibles of canning, with the procedures to cook the stuff long enough to kill the botulism spores, if any. That takes a temperature of 250 F sustained long enough to heat the entire contents long enough, depending on jar size and ingredients, which is why you need a pressure canner. Not a pressure cooker. But, if you did open something and were worried, the botulism poison is broken down by boiling 10 minutes, or you could make a baked dish.
Easy. My chickens die of old age.
Well, part of gardening is knowing what things are going to try to eat (bugs, rabbits, deer) your plants or try to kill (diseases, stampeding wild horses, husbands with lawnmowers) your plants. A good garden book will tell you not only how much sun and water, acid or alkaline soil, heavy feeder or needs little fertilizer, those plants need but also what to do to keep them from being eaten or dying. Except the husbands with lawnmowers is up to you. Heavy lawnmower-eating stakes made from 2x4s blocking the way to the plants I've found to be highly effective. This is not a joke.
I like this book for beginners and more experienced gardeners:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/160342475X?tag=ssg-vegetable-gardening-books-20&linkCode=ogi&th=1&psc=1
BTW, chicks are like potato chips, at least for me. I can't buy just one. You're probably made of stronger stuff.
So true I was worried. I got ducks for eggs they said 75% hens. We got mostly males. But I have a hunter neighbor who thought eating fresh meat was awesome so I let him take them for free and I have a nice quiet small flock of hens.
Do you have a Rural King or Tractor Supply nearby? They sell sexed chicks - chickens, ducks, turkeys, guineas at Rural King.
I bought them online from Metzer. Got 18 unsexed layers. A year later we have 6 hens, 9 boys, 3 died because of dogs or more natural causes.
Slaughterhouses exist for that type of service if you need it.
Yep but they tend to charge and give you the meat. I didn't really want to eat them just let them go away.
If you can do the chickens, do the chickens.
And if it helps, don't do it for "preparedness plan", do it to make sure the chickens you eat don't have a mess of growth whoremoans and other chemicals loaded into them.
Do the chickens to ensure you have clean and healthy to eat chickens.
I would watch some videos about the pros and cons of owning chickens. I’ve considered it but I’ve learned a few things that make me wonder if I can do it.
My neighbors had chickens. They’ve recently moved and took their chickens and coops. Suddenly, I had rats in my attic. The exterminator said they were probably living in or under the coops. The chickens left and the rats packed their little rat bags and came to my house. They like bird seed and chicken feed, according to my guy. I’d say it’s probably best not to put coops close to a house.
For some, the feed is expensive. When you consider the cost of the chickens and the feed, plus taking care of the animals and preventing bugs, parasites etc, it could be more costly than just buying eggs. Also, you can’t really go away and leave them. You’ll have to get someone to take care of them. They need daily attention. I have a bird and it’s extremely hard going away with or without him. Everyone I know likes my dog but the bird needs a lot more daily care, imho. I feel very guilty if I don’t let him out several times a day. And he could get sick and die a lot easier than my dog. It’s just a big responsibility and many people aren’t comfortable with birds. Probably same with chickens.
The neighbor’s coops were right next to my property line. I don’t think that was very considerate, but that’s another story. The chickens stunk. Every week, the owners would clean the coops and the water would run over to my property toward my pool. I could smell poop. I wasn’t impressed. He would spray something toxic smelling, as well. If it was Sevin- that’s really bad for humans and animals alike. It also gets into the eggs. Another thing- at least in Florida, the local raccoons, opossum, hawks and snakes are all very interested in chickens and eggs. I’ve heard some horror stories about what the ‘coons did to the chickens. Also, there are a lot of bugs to think about. Where I live, fleas, roaches, mosquitos, etc all thrive. I have a company treat my lawn every month. So that’s probably an added expense if you live in a warmer climate.
I would love to have a little farm but it seems like a huge commitment and there are deed restrictions. I guess it depends on how many chickens you get, where you live and how much time you have and I know there are many positives but I’m just pointing out things I’ve learned about them.
Regarding prepping and how bad it could get? God only knows. I do things to help feel better. I have less anxiety knowing I can go probably a year or more on what I have. It’s the Marine in me but I honestly hate MREs now. They give me bad heartburn, bad memories and I know they’re valuable but I don’t focus a lot of my food supplies on that. I have a lot of non perishables and supplies and pick up more when there are sales on necessary items. Just do what you can. If you don’t end up getting your own chickens, find out who has them and see if you can arrange something for trading or buying their eggs. My friend has too many to deal with and is happy giving them away to people. I don’t like to push “Nextdoor” but it is valuable for things like this. Who has chickens, who has surplus eggs, what could be traded, etc.
My faith has gotten me through some terrible times. I know we can get through this but the simple thing that stands out to me the most is...... will the current stress turn many into hateful people or will it make us better human beings? That, to me is the existential crisis. Will it make us bitter, angry, vengeful or will it make us stronger and more creative and willing to work harder for the things we appreciate? Like eggs, chicken, etc. I think we’ve taken a lot for granted. I don’t want to speak for Venezuela but we’ve been the land of plenty and a lot of people think food just magically shows up on the table or in the fridge or at restaurants and don’t understand the hard work and logistics involved. Growing some of your own (even just a few types of food items) raising chickens if you can, not wasting money on junk and convenience items, conserving things that are valuable, repurposing things instead of throwing them out and giving to those who don’t have enough all make a lot of sense to me. I think it’s a Christ-like way to live, regardless what is going on in the world. Faith to me has always been about the journey. It’s hard what we’re going through but we’re going to emerge on the other side eventually. We always do. What kind of people will we be?
Sorry so long.
"Please don't apologize" I loved reading your post! Was kind of sad when it ended.
Sane people talking about "normal life" in insane, abnormal times is why I (maybe many?) of us come here! Not to mention I can relate and I agree with everything you've said.
God Bless You, and I honestly and truly appreciate your service and sacrifice to our Country.
This is the nicest thing anyone has said to me here. Thank you so much! You have made my day (and many to come.) I always seem to be long/winded but I feel like people deserve the time. Thank you again. God bless you!!!
Thanks. Apologies
GET THE CHICKENS!!!! :) Our 7 year chicken story started in a small town with 3/4 an acre yard and corrupt city officials. We were continually harassed by officials for what was on OUR well kept, south of the tracks, edge of town property. I was even given a "chicket" without the ordinance even referenced. Long story short, county attorney threw the ticket out, town council member resigned possibly due to violating open meetings acts, eventually followed by resignation of the mayor. Our community knows where we stand and we aren’t afraid to speak out. We now reside in the country, kids are collecting two dozen eggs a day, we started raising turkeys, as well as meat chickens. We don't have mole problems because the birds eat the grubs, along with all our food scraps and garden weeds. We have small trailer for chicken feed from the local coop, which alleviates the cost of bagged feed. We also have built two chicken tractors, huge help. Yes, one does have to care and clean up after the birds, but living things need attention. It isn't always rainbows and unicorns but its slightly easier than explaining to your child that there aren’t chicken coops behind Walmart. P.S. The first egg we ever had was laid the day of my Father's funeral, that was a spiritual win! Best of luck patriot!
It seems too crazy to be real but too crazy to be fake. All I can say is God is Good, All the time!
It's already biblical and has been for every nano second throughout all space and time. Therefore, get chickens if you want to. You can always change your mind. You can give them to neighbors, friends, or someone on craigslist. They'll be snatch up immediately if it doesn't work out for you. And if it does work out for you, you'll be absolutely delighted that you did. And so will the people you feed their eggs.
Beautiful post here friend, I enjoyed reading how your brain works. I got into gardening maybe 5 years ago and it’s the best decision I’ve ever made. Fermenting and/or canning my produce in particular for long term storage has made me feel so comfy. Have not made the move to get chickens, though it is in future plans
Watch the back to eden documentary on youtube and it may change your life, it changed mine.
Check out Roots and Refuge and go through the older videos about gardening, such a wealth of info.
Look into something called a greenstalk vertical tower. If you have the money to spare, maybe a simple vertical system would be more your thing.
There's a ton of other great gardener channels as well, I can list them if you want. Charles Dowding, Epic Gardening, and Self Sufficient Me are among some of my favorites for education.
My grandparent's generation were the ones to start doing it all wrong, buying the commercial fertilizers, tilling the ground over and over, monocropping, herbicides, pesticides, knew nothing of companion planting.... my dad was even worse, didn't even know how to start his own seeds, poured tons of miracle grow on everything, killed the soil every year. My great grandparents seem to be the cutoff of the generations before the wisdom was lost. They grew an amazing garden effortlessly. He was still tending his garden in his 90's. She was still canning everything. They are my biggest inspiration.
Let’s do a pros/cons:
Pro:
Cons:
There are great videos available for breed selection, how to care for them, etc. lots of people have a backyard flock in urban areas.
Lessons learned:
When the time comes to send them to chicken heaven it’s simple and easy. One method is put their neck under rebar, step on the bar on either side of the neck, grab legs and pull. Very quick and very effective. No chance to screw it up.
tl;dr: do it!
Cons 1. a. Chicken shit makes the best compost and fertilizer. See Pro 3. a. chicken tractors.
Thank you I’ll look into that. Main problem is the porch, they like to look in through the back door
And you know they're reporting your every move to the PIA - Poultry Intelligence Agency. Those feathery rascals.
You can also water glass fresh eggs and they'll keep for a long time!
Search your heart. Whichever decision is motivated by fear, do the other.
If fear is causing you to think about this, ignore it for a while and go out and eat an ice cream cone. Even better if you can ostentatiously lick the cone in a zone filled with maskers. Pray, and God will eventually give you a sign. Faith conquers fear.
You could die just as easily confronting a desperate pipe-wielding neighbor trying to steal your chickens, as from lack of chickens. We have nothing to fear but fear itself.
Well, I asked my chickens and this is what they said: "Braaaaawk (Braaaaawk is my chicken name) buck buck buck brawk buck buck buck." Which means, in chicken, "Tell rooftoptendie to stop overthinking and go get those chickens." Radian_333 is absolutely hit the nail on the head right.
I know and understand your dilemma and see it like you.
One solution is to ask God and Jesus yourself for guidance. Noah did not built the arche not because of social media.
OMG you sound exactly like my own inner thinking lol.
I've always got my mind on preparing for disaster but constantly telling myself don't attract the disaster in the process. My advice, get the chickens but change the mindset. Don't get them just because it's a good disaster plan, get them because there are no eggs you can get from the store that will ever be as healthy as the ones that come from your yard. Get them because chickens are the most fun and entertaining pet you'll own and you'll love it. Get them because God made humans the caretaker of the animals, and we should all be raising chickens instead of supporting factory farms (though I realize meat chickens are not as doable in small settings, but eggs hens are a great start.) After you change you mindset, then you can tell yourself that as a bonus, they are also a great survival plan too.
What did Noah do?
God warned him, Noah prepared.
Proverbs 27:12
A wise man sees trouble coming and gets out of the way/prepares for it, but the fool never looks or avoids and suffers the consequences.
(Your translation my vary a bit but means the same.)
Are you genuinely trusting in the guidance of the Spirit? The fact that you're on the horns of a dilemma suggests not. No offence intended, I just recognise the motion. If chickens are the way to go, all will fall into place. And if they're not, it won't. Ask for guidance and sleep on it. The relief that comes from surrendering and accepting God's help is often enough to jog the noggin'.
Tendie, you offered a lot of kind words and advice when I was asking for prayers for my mother in law. My turn to repay the favor. I have found that when I think to much about the what ifs of something, I typically miss out on something much larger by not following my gut instinct. I try to do as much research as I can on the subject and prepare myself for what said decision will entail. This could be anything, stock purchases, buying something for my house, car, etc, making a decision on something I'm designing or building. I always go with my gut the direction I choose. Most times, I don't do things blindly, but sometimes we are forced to make decisions with little to no info. This is where I trust that God will lead me to make the right decision.
The one thing that the college I went to has taught me more than any math and science is damage management and how to weigh risks, rewards, pros, cons, and time commitment. And just looking at your conundrum, my initial instinct would be to get chickens. The risk is minimal, they don't cost much beyond the initial investment, the reward is you have eggs and chickens to eat is shit goes south, and you have fertilizer (chicken shit) for your garden. If anything we're to happen to them, at the end of the day, you have to look at them as they are, chickens. Nothing more, nothing less. You can't look at them as a pet or friend as they would essentially be a tool for your survival should things go south. I'm not saying don't care for them, but you can't be attached to them emotionally, or they will for survival purposes be useless to you. The only thing that would affect my decision is whether or not I had the time and the bandwidth to care for them day in and day out. Which is why I don't have chickens. I'm gone too much. Don't go making a mountain out of a molehill. Make an informed indecision, follow your instinct, and move forward. If you boil it down to that, it gets pretty cut and dry.
Hope this helps, and thanks for the MIL prayers. She's on the up n up now, still not out of the woods yet, but improving.
Rusty
It's easy to get duped into building all the what ifs into this giant scary thing when you are looking miles ahead in the distance. It's easy to overlook the steps to getting there. One thing that always stuck with me, when I was in middle school I always remember walking past the math class for grade above me and immediately getting worried that I will never be able to do what they are doing, and that it was going to be too difficult for me to comprehend. And then through finishing the course I was in and starting the next course and getting to that point, I always remember thinking, huh, that wasn't so bad, I don't know what I was so worried about. Looking at and end result without looking at the steps to get there can really mess with my head and make me doubt myself and my decisions. The lesson here being that even your worst fear of the worse case scenario, there will be a lot of opportunities to right your ship before it gets that bad. The worst thing that can happen is you find out that chickens aren't for you and you're only out time and money and you get some chicken shit under your finger nails. Starting smaller is definitely a good idea. I have to remind my wife a lot, because she tends to let the world build up on her a lot, which causes a lot of anxiety and fear of making decisions, is to take things one at a time. One day at a time, one hour at a time, one decision at a time, etc... Once she starts doing that, she starts sorting out what is more or less important and acting on it. Make small moves, but keep making moves.
I'd say if it were me, I was always a fish aquarium guy, everyone is always champing at the bit to buy the fish first, when it's way better for the fish to buy the aquarium, set it up first, let the water cycle and get the right ph, nitrogen level, etc, and then get the fish. In this sense, if I were to go for the chickens, I would set everything else up first, coop, watering system, feed systems, enclosure or backyard, etc. And buy the actual chickens last. That way I thoroughly understood everything fully about what they need before any chicken was ever in the mix. Just my 2 cents.
Yup! Good luck with your future chicken endeavours! A few days ago they did a tracheotomy and are trying to ween her back off the vent. She's at least awake and alert now and they are going to start OT, PT, and speech therapy. I might get to see her next week if all goes well. Thanks for the prayers! She's been using em.
Haven't you heard? They are saying bird flu will be the next pandemic and killing milions of chickens all over. These chickens are asymptomatic and they use the same crazy crooked test as for covid.
How can the sheeple be so stupid as to put up with this shit.
If they come for my chickies it will break my heart. I just got them for emergencies but now I've had them for two years and I love them.
We used to have chickens .... about 40 was our top number. they require constant work - watering & feeding daily. our solution - we have a neighbor that raises chicken, so we get our eggs from them! if things go really bad - we can barter for their eggs. win/win for both of us.
My chickens and pigeons are pets and I co0uld not eat them. However they eat a lot of grain which could be scarce if times got very tough becau8se it could feed people and they would grab it first. So my worry is failing my pets. If you live in a city, pigeons are more doable and a mated pair can lay a lot of eggs. They will lay 2 eggs and brood on them. If you steal the eggs promptly they lay two more. I could get 20 eggs a week or more from a 15 x 18' aviary. It gets stressful for them if they don't get a break from laying so fast so eventually you have to let them raise chick's or they wear out. Like chickens, they will eat a lot of other stuff, and like chickens there is a constant production of rich fertilizer that is a chore.
This flock started with rescued pigeons. I built an aviary so they would have room to fly. I definitely would do it differently! but pigeons are smarter than chickens and entertaining. They are dedicated homebodies and once they can find a nesting place and food they won't leave.
Being prepared doesn’t mean you don’t have faith. Prepare for the worst but hope for the best. If you have a lot of friends who already have chickens you might be ok without them, especially if you have something that they could use in a crisis situation for trade. Just my humble opinion.
I grew a modified food forest in response to the same crisis. I started 5 y ago. I figure if you don’t plant the trees you can’t get the miracle harvest.
Chickens are a lot of trouble. I could easily have them. I opted to warehouse MREs instead.
An old Arabic proverb - Trust in God, but tie up your camel.
Get the chickens, but not out of fear of Venezuela. Get them because fresh bantam eggs are the best eggs you'll ever have. Get them to no longer support horrible factory farms. Get them because chickens have so much personality when kept in small numbers. Get them for a good reason and you will have a good result.
Https://cacklehatchery.com
When I saw the post title I thought this was going to be about a dilemma regarding the bird flu pushed and birds you already own. So I see both sides, catastrophe could strike.
I think you need to take into account the realistic likelihood of costs and benefits. I live in a town and rent. My significant other 1) doesn’t want chickens and 2) has pointed out, will we know how to care for them and 3) will it actually cost more?
No “answer” except to keep your preps real and don’t create more of a hindrance than a blessing. If different preps make more sense for you, that is what I would do.
I can say that right now it is not cost productive, with the price of feed. When I had them I sold eggs for $2 dozen. Break even was 3. It has gotten worse since then. I enjoyed having them and usually just gave away extra eggs anyway. However, peace of mind and ability to feed yourself is worth something too.
Raising grain-free chickens is a thing. Free range, lots of scraps and some easy tricks like putting blocks on the ground for while, then pick them up to reveal a colony of bugs and worms and let the chickens go to town, free high quality food right there! Also when they are laying, clean the egg shells as you use them then crush them up and feed back to the chickens and that provides them with the calcium they need. Just remember to clean and crush so they don't start to think they can eat their own eggs.
Yep. You can also put the clean dried shells in a high speed blender and turn into a powder to add to the garden to prevent blossom end rot on the tomatoes and peppers.
You can feed them leftovers and scraps and such to reduce bill. Calcium is the biggest need for layers.
I had 25-30 birds and went through a $10 a bag (50lb) every 3-4 days depending on season. Summer time they free ranged the several acres and that cut the cost in half or better. Although I lost some to predators. So $80 ish a month winter time and $40 a month summer time.
Eggs... once they are to laying age 6moths or so iir I got up to 2 dozen summer time and winter sometimes less than a dozen a day off of that many birds.
Don't wash them and they will keep for many months. Once refrigerated they say to keep refrigerated . US is pretty much the only country that cools eggs. I've found weeks old nests in summer heat and never had a bad egg.
Yes you can glass them or candle them to make sure there is no developing embryo or blood spots before storage.
40 pound bag of layer feed is now $16 here in the northeast. We've had batches hens for the past 10 years and the eggs are absolutely awesome.
BUT, you have to invest the time to have a quality coop that will keep any predators out. I live in a very woody area and it seems like everything is looking to get dinner at my coop (fox, weasel, hawk, owl, coyote and even mice eat the grain).
If you get below freezing, you need to run an extension cord to heat their water in the winter also.
All true. I love love farm fresh eggs. Free range is the best. I've lost birds to all those. Weasel is the worst find...
My six ducks eat a 20 lb bag in three weeks. So they make 35 eggs/bag of food. They also eat lawn clippings, cooking waste and table scraps but we do almost pure feed. They laying isn't normally effected by type of food. I just find it easier to think about them for the minimum time.
Oh and ducks are messier then chickens but they lay all winter. I have tons of fruit trees but in the winter it's nice to have something fresh.
Domestic duck are generally too heavy to fly more that a few yards. I had ducks. I hate ducks. Do not get ducks. Messy. Messy. Loud. Cute. Messy. Eat like pigs. Ducks are entertaining. They are cute. Don't get ducks. kek love/hate thing for me.
Sounds like you need some help out of the new-ageism stuff. This video helped me out of it.
https://www.bitchute.com/video/1T6iD5nDptL5/